CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 175 Keystone state, removed to Perry county, Ohio, there entering three hundred and twenty acres of forest land, where the son John grew to years of maturity and was married. When he started out in life on his own account his father gave him a small farm, and there he continued to make his home until 1823, when he sold his little farm and removed to Richland county, Ohio, there purchasing a tract of eighty acres. In 1834, however, he again disposed of his land and in March removed to one hundred and sixty acres of our subject's present farm, which he had entered previously. The marriage of John and Catherine (Weininger) Rinebold was blessed with four children, two of whom still sur vive, namely: Abraham, the subject of this review; and Rebecca, the widow of John Shonts, and a resident of Bloomville, Seneca county.. Elizabeth, the wife of Henry Stahl, of Jackson township, died March 6, 1902 ; and Jacob, who resided in Jackson township, where he was a prosperous farmer, died at the age of seventy-two years. Abraham Rinebold early in life assisted his father in clearing his little farm from the native timber and placing his fields under cultivation. Immediately after his marriage he purchased eighty acres of land in Jackson township, where he made his home for ten years, when he disposed of that place, and in 1858 purchased the old Rinebold homestead, for his father had died in 1853, and he returned to it in February, 1 859. Here our subject has ever since continued to make his home, and as the years have passed by he has added to his landed possessions until he is now the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of excellent and productive land, constituting one of the finest farms in Seneca county. The work of this extensive place is now carried on by his sons, for Mr. Rinebold has laid aside the active cares of a business life, and to-day, after a useful and beneficent career, is quietly living at his beautiful home, surrounded by the comforts that earnest labor has brought to him. His political support is given to the Democracy, but although a public-spirited and progressive citizen at all times he has never been a seeker for the honors of public office, preferring to give his time and attention to his home duties. In November, 1845, was celebrated the marriage of our subject and 176 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Miss Elizabeth Fruth, but after a happy married life of seven years the loving wife was called to her final rest. Three children were born to that union, but only two of the number are now living,—Rebecca, at home; and John, a farmer of this township, and formerly a director of the county infirmary. For his second wife Mr. Rinebold chose Miss Barbara Peters, their wedding having been celebrated April 7, 1853. She is a native of Germany, but when twelve years of age came with her parents to the United States, the family locating in Loudon township. Eight children have been born of this union, namely : Catherine, the wife of George Yochum, of Jackson township; Levi, of Liberty township; Henry, deceased ; Savilla, the wife of Fred Rosen, of Loudon township ; Abraham P. is associated with his brother-in-law, Fred Rosen, in the operation of the homestead, each having separate implements ; Mary, deceased ; Anna E., deceased; and Ephraim, who makes his home in Loudon township. The family are members of the Lutheran church, in which Mr. Rinebold long held office. His life is exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to benefit and uplift humanity, while his own high moral worth is deserving of the highest commendation. HON. CHARLES FOSTER. One of the conspicuous figures in the history of Ohio and in that of the nation is Hon. Charles Foster, the distinguished and honored citizen of Fostoria, Seneca county,—a man whose career has conferred credit and dignity upon the great commonwealth of which he is a native son and whose marked abilities have heightened the fame which the Buckeye state bears as the contributor of men of ability, honor and power in connection with the public life of the nation. .A strong mentality, an invincible courage, a most determined individuality have so entered into his makeup as to render him a natural leader of men and director of opinion. It is manifestly proper that a just celebrity should CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 177 be given to those men who are distinguished in their day and generation, that the living may enjoy the approbation of their contemporaries as well as that of a grateful posterity. Biography is the essence of all generic history and in it are to be found both lesson and incentive, to an extent not superficially evident. Called upon to serve in positions of distinguished public trust and responsibility, Charles Foster has discharged his assigned duties with ability, discrimination, integrity and with a high sense of his stewardship, and to him has not been denied that ample measure of objective appreciation and honor which is his just desert. As an influential member of the national house of representatives, as the governor of a great state and as secretary of the treasury, Mr. Foster made enviable records, and his name is lastingly inscribed on the roll of those who deserve well of the state and nation which he has so signally served. Charles Foster was born in a log cabin on a farm near Tiffin, in Seneca township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the 12th of April, 1828, being the son of Charles W. and Laura (Crocker) Foster, the respective families having been established in New England in the early colonial epoch. His father was of Scotch-Irish lineage and his mother, the daughter of John and Lucy (Bartlett) Crocker, is of Welsh-English extraction. Charles W. Foster passed away in 1883, but his wife is still living, at the venerable age of ninety-eight years (19o2), being specially well preserved in both mental and physical powers. The parents of our subject were natives of Massachusetts, later became residents of New York, whence the Crockers moved to Ohio in 1824. His father came to Ohio in 1826, and his marriage to Miss Crocker here occurred in June of the following year. In 1832 they came to what was known as the "black swamp," in the northwestern part of this state, locating at Rome, a primitive hamlet in the forest wilds and the nucleus of the present city of Fostoria, which was named in honor of Charles W. Foster, who there engaged in business as one of the pioneer country merchants of Seneca county. He built a double log house, utilizing a portion of the same for the family dwelling and the remainder as a store, in which he displayed a small stock of general merchandise. He 178 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. also began handling real estate in this section, and through this medium eventually accumulated a fine property. The preliminary educational discipline of his son, the future governor of Ohio, was received in a little log school-house, over which Warren P. Noble presided as teacher, and at the age of twelve years the lad became a student in the academy at Nor walk, where he continued his studies about nine months, when illness in the family compelled him to return home to assist in the work of the store, of which he became manager at the age of fifteen years, while he was admitted to partnership when eighteen years of age and the following year assumed full charge of the enterprise. In this connection he made trips to New York city, where he purchased goods,. and the enterprise soon became the most important of the sort in this section of the state, drawing its trade from a wide radius of country. To those who know the man and his alert mentality there is nothing strange to be noted in the broad fund of knowledge and the high intellectuality which is his, for the lack of early educational 'advantages of a specific order could not daunt a boy who was father to such a man, in harmony with the old aphorism. He made opportunities and by personal application supplemented his store of knowledge, making each day count for good and gaining valuable lessons in the practical school of experience. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion Mr. Foster consented to assume the office of colonel of the One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but owing to imperative exigencies his parents prevailed upon him to refuse the commission. His patriotism was, however, shown in a practical way, since he granted credit to every soldier of the vicinity who required this aid, throughout the entire course of the war, while he was otherwise helpful in divers ways. In 1867 a change was made in the character of the mercantile business, a bank being established, a hardware store being opened and .a grain and produce business being established, and the enterprise thus founded by his father was continued without interruption, and with the changes noted, until 1888,—a period of fifty-six years. A stalwart supporter of the Republican party from the time of' its organization, Charles Foster was never a candidate for any office, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 179 save one or two minor local positions, until 187o, but in that year he was persuaded to accept the Republican nomination for congress. Although in a Democratic district, he was elected by a majority of seven hundred and twenty-six votes, overcoming a normal Democratic majority of eighteen hundred, and that on an occasion when the district gave a Democratic victory on the state ticket. His opponent was Edward F. Dickinson, who had been previously elected in the same district by a majority of one thousand, six hundred and forty-five. He took his seat on the 4th of March, 1871, the Hon. James G. Blaine, speaker of the house, placing him upon the committee on claims. Mr. Foster soon gained the confidence of the members of the house, and it should be noted in the connection that Horace Greeley spontaneously wrote to Mr. Blaine and stated that a man who could carry his district as had Mr. Foster must possess power and ability entitling him to good places on committees, preferments not usually accorded to new men. This letter was sent to Mr. Foster by Mr. Blaine some years later, and the same is duly appreciated, particularly in view of the fact that Mr. Greeley had at that time never seen the man of whom he wrote. In 1872 Mr. Foster was renominated, by acclamation, and' in the ensuing election defeated, by seven hundred and seventy-six votes, Rush R. Sloane, of Upper Sandusky, a Greeley Republican and Democrat. In the forty-second congress the speaker placed him upon the important ways and means committee and he was also made chairman of the sub-committee on internal revenue. As a member of the committee last mentioned he was a prime factor in bringing to light the Sanborn contract frauds. From the close of the war much revenue had remained uncollected, and General Benjamin F. Butler secured the passage of an act authorizing the secretary of the treasury to contract for the discovery and collection of the same, paying fifty per cent. for such work. Sanborn, General Butler's sutler during the Rebellion, secured the contract and was paid four hundred thousand dollars for collections made through regular government officials, Sanborn having simply pointed out the delinquencies. Mr. Foster made an investigation and through his fearless and active efforts secured a repeal of the law, being bitterly attacked by Butler in 180 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. connection with the debate on the measure and thus gaining a national reputation. He also took an active part in the movement which resulted in the repeal of the moiety laws, and was prominently concerned in the Pacific mail investigation, as a member of the committee on ways and means. Early in 1874, as chairman of an investigating committee, he went to New Orleans in connection with the investigation of Louisiana affairs, and in his official report he severely criticized the methods of both political parties in that state. He was present at the organization of the Louisiana legislature in 1875, when Wiltz assumed to be speaker and as such entertained motions to unseat sixteen Republican members and place sixteen Democrats in the chairs thus vacated. He was also present when the United States troops, under General Sheridan, upon order from Governor Kellogg, reinstated the Republican members in their seats. His report created a sensation and many feared that he had thus entirely ruined his political prospects, but it eventuated that he had but strengthened his position in public confidence and esteem. In 1874 Mr. Foster was re-elected to congress by one hundred and fifty-nine majority over a very popular Democrat, George E. Seney, although the state went Democratic by over seventeen thousand, its candidates for congress being elected in thirteen of the twenty districts. In the ensuing session he served as a member of the committee on appropriations, of which Samuel J. Randall was chairman, and in 1876 he was renominated. By reason of the fact that General Hayes, the presidential nominee, was from his district, the Democracy made a special effort to defeat Mr. Foster at this time, but he was triumphantly re-elected, by a majority of two hundred and seventy-six over his Bourbon competitor. He was the only Republican member of congress from Ohio to vote in favor of the electoral-count bill, a Democratic measure, whose enactment resulted in placing General Hayes in the presidential chair. Mr. Foster thinks the most valuable service rendered by him was the successful efforts he made to secure the peaceful and orderly inauguration of Hayes. His position was peculiar and especially helpful to this purpose. He represented Hayes, and was known to be on confidential relations with him. He had endeared himself to the south by the fair- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 181 ness of his report on the Louisiana matters two years before. The last, most serious and most dangerous movement of the Democrats was a determination on their part to filibuster out the session, and thus prevent the completion of the court, and so entail the necessary failure to elect a president. About two-thirds of the Democrats of the house joined in the movement after it became evident that under the electoral-count bill Hayes would secure the election. They all believed that Tilden had been elected, and most of them were ready for anything that would defeat Hayes. If they could get all, or nearly all, of the Democrats to join in their filibustering movement they could prevent a declaration of the count. No one knows how near this movement came to being successful, nor can one now determine the result to follow from such a condition of chaos. There was just one condition of safety : General Grant was president, and he had given out that he would remain president until a legally elected successor was ready to take his place. Fortunately, .Mr. Foster, with others, by untiring. effort, kept the Democrats from uniting and the danger was averted. Hayes was declared elected at half past one o'clock Friday morning, the 2d of March. Mr. Foster was the leader in the movement. He had the confidence of the southern leaders, —Lamar, Ben Hill, John Young, Brown and others. When he said in a memorable speech that under Hayes the "flag should float over states, not provinces,- over ''free men, not subjects," no question was raised as to the attitude of Hayes toward the south. While he and others were charged with bargaining with the southern people to secure the election of Hayes, there was no truth in the statement. Mr. Foster was frank and open in asserting to them that Hayes would not use troops at the polls,—the particular thing the south dreaded. In 1877 the Democratic legislature of Ohio redistricted the state, placing Mr. Foster in a district which at the previous election had given a Democratic majority of nearly five thousand and which contained but one Republican county. In the face of certain defeat Mr. Foster did not desert his party and made the run in his district in the election of 1878, being defeated by only thirteen hundred majority, having refused nomination in the Toledo district, where his re-election would have been practically certain. 182 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. The Republican state convention of 1879 tendered to Mr. Foster the nomination for governor, and he was elected by a majority of seventeen thousand, over General Thomas Ewing, of Fairfield county, one of the strongest candidates the Democracy could put forth. It was in this campaign that the Democrats dubbed Mr. Foster "Calico Charlie," referring to his being simply a merchant, but the sobriquet proved a boomerang. Toward the end of the campaign calico was used for badges, and was worn as such by Republicans in all sections of the state, while various newspaper editions were printed on this material. In 1881 Governor Foster was re-elected, over John W. Bookwalter, of -Clarke county, by a majority of twenty-five thousand. As governor a previous publication has well said that "his administration was regarded :as a model." As chief executive of the Buckeye commonwealth he gave 'special attention to public institutions, making strenuous efforts to free them from partisan superintendence and control, his boards being made up of three Republicans and two Democrats and such appointments being made with marked discrimination. Through his efforts in this connection economy was conserved and in other particulars great improvements were made in the management of the state institutions. He believes political control in such cases a curse, and he absolutely refused to place in office men whose claims were based simply on political work done. In connection with that distinctively model institution, the Toledo hospital for the insane, the labors and efforts of Governor Foster will redound to his lasting credit and honor, the new system having had its inception during his gubernatorial regime and having proved a revelation in the matter of providing for and treating the unfortunate wards of the state. The system involves, intrinsically and strenuously, the treatment of the insane by the "extreme application of the law of kindness," as the Governor himself aptly puts it ; the adoption of a plan of detached buildings, now known as the cottage system ; and' the elimination of the restraint system so far as practicable. In this article it is impossible to enter into details as to the institution or the results attained through the humane methods employed. Suffice it to say that the new institution was built and equipped, and that it represents the pioneer undertaking CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 183 of the sort in the world, the success attending it having drawn the attention of all civilized nations and gained the highest endorsement, leading to the adoption of the new system wherever means and proper appreciation are at hand. Mr. Foster has given untiring interest to the institution for a period of fifteen years, and has been a member of its board of trustees consecutively save for an interim of one year. Governor Foster's administration was also marked by efforts to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors. The constitution of the state forbade the issuing of licenses, and Governor Foster, in his messages to the legislature, recommended the submission to the people of amendments that should establish either prohibition, high license or local option. Before this was done the Pond bill, imposing a tax on liquor dealers and declaring that such tax was not a license, became a law, in the spring of 1882. This was declared unconstitutional by the supreme court, but in 1883 the Scott law, of a similar character, was passed and was sustained by the courts. In the election of this year two constitutional amendments were submitted to the people, as had been advised by the governor, but both were defeated, as was the entire Republican ticket. The whole agitation was marked by much excitement, especially in the canvass of 1883, in which women took an unprecedented part, and for a time Governor Foster was quite unpopular in his party, which soon, however, endorsed his views and pronounced in favor of his policy. In 1889 President Harrison appointed Mr. Foster chairman of the commission to which was assigned the work of treating with the Sioux Indians, the result being the distribution of the tribe on six reservations. The Indians had previously been located on one large reservation in North Dakota, and it was deemed advisable to divide the tribe, and by the adjustment made about one-half of the original reservation was thrown open to settlement. In 1890 Mr. Foster received the support of the Republican members of the Ohio legislature as candidate for the United States senate, and in that year he was again placed in nomination for congress, in the district which had given Governor Campbell (Democrat) a majority of one thousand, nine hundred and sixty, and he was defeated by one hundred and ninety-four votes. Upon the 184 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. death of Hon. William' Windom, president Harrison appointed Governor Foster to the thus vacant post as secretary of the treasury, on the 27th of February, 1891, and in this responsible office he proved anew his distinctive executive, business and administrative capacity and his fidelity to the trust imposed. The adjustment of the four and one-half per cent. government loan was one of the prominent acts of his official career. Of the $50,869,200 bonds of this character outstanding, $25,364,500 were presented on the 1st of July, 1891, for continuance at two per cent., and the remainder called in for redemption and paid upon presentation. No other financial officer of the government has ever negotiated a loan at so low a. rate of interest, this being the first loan of the sort in the history of any nation. The condition of the country at that time demanded that one hundred million dollars be kept intact and in reserve in the federal treasury, and this caused great anxiety to Secretary Foster, who anticipated the reduction that would come in consequence of Democratic legislation. He studied the matter carefully and besought congress to make provision for increased revenue. He managed to keep the reserve intact, and upon leaving the office of secretary he left the treasury with more than two millions above the prescribed reserve, but within two months after the accession of his successor this balance had been wiped out and encroachments made upon the reserve. Mr. Foster retired from the office of secretary of the treasury on March 7, 1893, and since that time has been practically retired from public life, residing in peace and repose in his beautiful home in Fostoria, where his friends are as numerous as his acquaintances. On the 7th of November, 1853, Mr. Foster was united in marriage to Miss Ann M. Olmstead, daughter of the late Judge Jesse Olmstead, of Fremont, Ohio, and they are the parents of two daughters,— Jessie, the wife of Dr. Park L. Myers, of Toledo; and Anna, who remains at the parental home. Of Mr. Foster it may be said in conclusion that he is strong in his. convictions, but not intolerant ; firm in the defense of right, but with no room in his heart for revenge. Flattery has proved impotent to cajole him into compromise and power to awe him into silence. He is a man of the people and has their confidence. He 'has done a good work, has. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 185 gained distinguished honors and has been true in all the relations of life. He has dignified his native state by his life and labors and his strength has been as the number of his days. He has left an indelible impress upon the history of the nation, and has lived the life of usefulness, integrity and honor. Such men are the crown jewels of our republic. CAPTAIN NELSON L. BREWER. One of the venerable and representative members of the bar of Seneca county is Mr. Brewer, who has here been engaged in the active .practice of his profession for more than forty years and who is honorded as one of the sterling citizens of Tiffin. At all times a true and loyal citizen, faithful to the best interests of his country in peace or war, he has always commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem, standing high in the regard of his professional confreres and in the respect of the general public. His influence has ever been wielded in the promotion of the higher interests of the community, and religion, education and all worthy agencies have ever enlisted his earnest support. The family of which Captain Brewer is a representative is of German origin, and it is practically well authenticated that the founders of the same came to America prior to the war of the Revolution, settling in Pennsylvania and thence sending representatives, of later generations, into the most diverse sections of the -Union. Captain Brewer was born near Clear Spring, Washington county, Maryland, on the 17th of September, 1832, and of the same county his father, Emanuel Brewer, was likewise a native, there passing his entire life and devoting his attention. to agriculture. He died at the age of forty-three years, having been a.. zealous member of the Lutheran church, in whose extension he took an important part, while his political support was given to the Whig party. He was a son of Henry and Catherine Brewer, both of whom passed their entire lives in Washington county, Maryland; so that the respective families must have been early settled in that commonwealth. The original spelling of the name was Brua. The maiden. - 12 - 186 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. name of Captain Brewer's mother was Catherine Zacharias, and sl.e likewise was born in Washington county, Maryland, where she lived until summoned into the life eternal. She was a daughter of George Zacharias, who devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, in Maryland, where he died at the age of seventy-five years, having been of German lineage and a member of the Reformed church, in which his son, Rev. Daniel Zacharias, D. D., became a clergyman, having been for forty years pastor of the church at Frederick, Maryland. His sister, the mother of our subject, died at Clear Spring, in Washington county, Maryland, at the age of forty-three years, leaving four daughters and one son, Captain Brewer being the youngest and one of two who are living at the present time. Nelson L. Brewer was but six years of age at the time of his father's death and was about ten when his mother passed away. He thereafter passed two years in the home of his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Draper, and then went to live with his uncle, Rev. Dr. Zacharias, to whom reference has already been made. Thus .he was given the privilege of attending the old. Glade school house near Frederick, Maryland. At the age of nineteen he came west to Monroe county, Michigan, where he joined another uncle, Peter K. Zacharias. He there taught school for a period of about eighteen months, at the expiration of which he came to Seneca county, Ohio, arriving in Tiffin on the 11th of May, 1853. Here he was matriculated in Heidelberg College, where he continued his studies until June, 1855, when he was graduated. He thereafter was for a time an instructor in the college, while engaged in preparing himself for the profession of law. After his graduation he began reading law under the preceptorship of the late General John C. Lee, and his earnest and indefatigable application and marked power of assimilation made it possible for him to secure admission to the bar of the state on the 8th of May, 1858. Forthwith, at the request of his honored preceptor, General Lee, he entered into a partnership alliance with him, under the firm name of Lee & Brewer, under which favorable auspices he entered upon the active practice of his profession in Tiffin, this association continuing until June, 1869, when General Lee removed CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 187 to Toledo. Thereafter our subject continued an individual practice until October, 1890, when he admitted to partnership his son, Edward A., who continued his able coadjutor until his untimely death, on the 9th of October, 1901. Captain Brewer has maintained the highest reputation in his chosen profession, being thoroughly read in the literature of the law, familiar with precedents and having a ready facility in application, so that he has held precedence both as an advocate and a safe and duly conservative counselor ; while he has never wavered in his devotion to his profession, observing its highest ethics and ever aiming to make it a vehicle of justice and equity. He has never aspired to official preferment, and, though he has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party, he has refused to allow his name to be considered in connection with all candidacies—notably that for judge of the court of common pleas, for which he was peculiarly well equipped. His profession has engrossed his attention for nearly half a century, and in all this time his integrity of purpose as lawyer and man has never been questioned. At the time of the war of the Rebellion Captain Brewer manifested his intrinsic loyalty to the Union by giving to it every possible degree of support. In May, 1864, he recruited and organized Company A, of the One Hundred and sixty-fourth Ohio Voluneeer Infantry, his partner General Lee, who had been colonel of the Fifty-fifth Ohio Regiment and who had been wounded at Chancellorsville, being prevailed upon to accept the command of the new regiment. It was sent to the defense of the national capital, being stationed at the forts near by. Captain Brewer continued in the service and in command of his company until discharged, at the expiration of his term of enlistment. He retains a vital interest in his old comrades in arms, holding membership in General William H. Gibson Post, No. 31, of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is president of the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment Association. Captain Brewer is one of the influential and honored members of the First Reformed church, and has long been one of the devoted workers in the same, having been an elder for the past eighteen years, while he has continuously held the office of superintendent of the Sunday-school 188 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. since 1861. During all this long period he has probably not been absent from his post ten, Sundays, save when absent from the city,—certainly a. record of notable fidelity, and one probably unequaled in the entire state. He has been active in temperance work also, and his life and example have been such as to make his influence potent for good in all - the relations of life. For about forty years he was a member of the board of regents of Heidelberg College, in- whose affairs he has ever maintained the deepest interest. He is a man of fine physique, strong and vigorous ; aid in his manner is genial and unassuming, thus naturally gaining firm and lasting friendships in his intercourse with his fellow men. On the 17th of September, 1857, Captain Brewer was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Mason, who was born in Tiffin, being a granddaughter of Josiah Hedges; who was the founder of the town. Mrs. Brewer passed away on the 29th of March, 1860, at the age of twenty-two years, the only child, Lettie, having died in infancy. On the 19th of February, 1861, Captain Brewer Married Miss Harriet M. Chidester, Who was born in Cayuga 'county, New York, where she Was reared and educated and whence she, came to Tiffin shortly before her marriage. She likewise has been a. devoted worker in the First Reformed church for many years, and of her marriage four children have been born, namely : Julia, the wife of Dr. Frederick W. Shaley, of Terre Haute, Indiana ; Edward A., deceased, is mentioned in an appending paragraph ; Wallace W., who is employed in the division freight office of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in Tiffin ; and Grace C., who remains at the parental home. Edward A. Brewer, son of the subject of this review, was called into eternal life in the midst of a career which he had dignified with high abilities and earnest character and which was untimely in its termination. He was born in Tiffin, on the 5th of July, 1865, and in his native city he was reared and educated, completing the course in the high school and thereafter entering Heidelberg College, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1884. He then began the study of law under the direction of his father, and was admitted to the bar CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 189 in October, 1890, whereupon he entered into active practice as a partner, gaining a creditable position at the bar of the state and being known as a young man of signal ability and honor. He was a stanch Republican in his political adherence, and fraternally was a. popular member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, being a representative to the grand lodge at the assembly held in Milwaukee, .Wisconsin, in July, 1901, by virtue of his official relation to the. home lodge. The death of Edward A. Brewer occurred on the 9th of October, 1901, and was an inexpressibly severe. blow to his parents, as well as to a wide circle of devoted friends. His genial nature and sterling character had endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, and he was recognized as one of the most promising and representative young men of the town in which his life was passed. WILLIAM T. KING. It is always interesting to watch from the beginning the growth and development of a locality, to note the lines along which marked prcgress has been made and to take cognizance of those who have been factors in the work of advancement and in the establishing of a prosperous community. The subject of this review has been a witness of the development of Seneca county from the early pioneer epoch, since he was born here more than half a century ago and has here passed the greater portion of his life, which has been one of signal usefulness and honor, involving the rendering of the loyal service of a true patriot, since he went forth in defense of the nation during the war of the Rebellion, participating in many of the most important battles of that memorable conflict and enduring the horrors and privations of one of the southern prison pens. He is now numbered among the progressive and prosperous farmers of Eden township, and it is fitting that we enter a review of his life history, as being one of the representative men of his community. 190 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. King is a native of the city of Tiffin, where he was born on the 13th of August, 1844, being one of the six children of Timothy and Margaret King, pioneers of this section of the state. The family comprised five sons and one daughter, and of these four of the sons are living at the present time, while two of them, our subject and his brother Lawrence, were soldiers in the .Civil war. While William T. was still a boy his parents removed from Tiffin to Fremont, Sandusky county, where he was reared and educated, attending the public schools. He was but eighteen years of age when the dark cloud of civil war obscured the national horizon, and his innate loyalty was quickened to responsive protest, as is shown in the fact that, on the 2d of January, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company I, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for a term of three years. He proceeded to the front with his command and the first notable engagement in which he participated was the battle of Shiloh, and after this he was in active service in the battle of Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Chattanooga, after which he was with Sherman in the ever memorable march to the sea. On the 3d of December, 1864, he was in company with fourteen of his comrades on a foraging expedition and' was captured by the enemy and taken to the stockades at Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he was imprisoned for three months, or nearly until the close of the war. He weighed one hundred and forty pounds when incarcerated, but such were the hardships endured that when he left his prison he weighed only eighty pounds. This loss of sixty pounds with the 'period of three months is not to be considered strange when we revert to the fact that his average rations during the greater portion of the time consisted only of four teaspoonfuls of. corn meal and about an equal amount of peas once each day. It is needless to say that our subject will never forget his experience during that critical period of his youth. After his release, wasted in energy and incapacitated for any active duty, Mr. King returned to his home, in Fremont, where he recuperated his strength within a short time, his sturdy constitution soon bringing him back to nearly a normal standpoint of health, and he then came back to Tiffin, and has ever since made Seneca county his home. In 1867 he located CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 191 on the farm where he now lives, the same comprising eighty acres of valuable and productive land in Eden township, and here he has ever since been engaged in diversified agriculture, in which he has been very successful, while all the improvements made on the place show his progressive energy and scrupulous care. In politics Mr. King is a stalwart supporter of the Democratic party, and his religious faith is that of the Catholic church ; he is a communicant of St. Mary's church, in Tiffin. He perpetuates his fraternal interest in and association with his old comrades who followed the stars and stripes on the battlefields of the south, by retaining membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, being idntified with General Willialm H. Gibson Post, No. 31, at Tiffin. In October, 1867, Mr. King was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Kennedy, and they became the parents of eight children, all of whom are living, namely : Nellie, Minnie, Frank, Loretta, Kittie, William, Jennie and Edward. Mrs. King is a daughter of John and Mary Kennedy and was born in Pennsylvania, but reared in Tiffin, where she was living at the time of her marriage. JAMES D. McDONEL. In an analyzation of the character of James McDonel we find the qualities of an upright manhood,—loyalty in citizenship, reliability in business, conscientiousness in the discharge of the duties of private life,—and these are so combined as to make his a strong personality, commanding respect and confidence. He has for many years been actively identified with business affairs in Tiffin and is now for the second time filling the office of county treasurer of Seneca county, his re-election coming to him in recognition of his ability and fidelity during his first term in the office. Mr. McDonel was born in Fostoria on the 7th of November, 1863. His father, John W. McDonel, was a native of, Rochester, New York, and, in his early childhood, accompanied his parents to Ohio, the family 192 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. settling in Fostoria, where he was reared and has since remained. He is a harnessmaker by trade, and through a long period carried on business along that line; but, at the age of seventy-two years, he is now living retired, enjoying a rest which by years of earnest labor he has justly earned. He married Ellen Dorner, who was born in Pheroda, county Kilkenny, Ireland, and came with her parents to America when four tears of age. She was reared in Detroit, Michigan, and is now about sixty years of age. In his native city James D. McDonel spent his boyhood days, pursuing his education in its public schools. At the early age of thirteen years he began to earn his own living by clerking for the firm of Ports & Company, dealers in hardware, with whom he remained for seventeen years. What higher testimonial of his ability and faithfulness could be given ? He enjoyed to an unusual degree the confidence and respect of his employers, and only severed his relation as a clerk to buy their business. On making the purchase he organized what became known as the Alcott Hardware Company, of which he was chosen secretary and treasurer, and after filling the dual position for five years he became president of the company, remaining at its head until elected to his present position, when he sold his interest in the store. Under his capable management the business had constantly increased until the company enjoyed a very liberal patronage and theirs became one of the more extensive commercial establishments of the county. Mr. McDonel is also interested as a director and stockholder in the Toledo, Fostoria & Findlay Railroad, which is now under construction. He owes his success almost wholly to his own efforts, and his business ability, diligence, perseverance and reliable methods have formed the foundation stones for the 'superstructure of prosperity. On the 7th of November, 1888, Mr. McDonel was united in marriage to Miss Laura Alcott, a daughter of Roger Alcott, a very prominent business man of Fostoria, in which city she was born. They now have two children : Mary Gretchen, born January 14, 189o, and Leonore Alcott, born August 4, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. McDonel are widely known in the county and not only have many warm friends in their old home, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 193 Fostoria, but have gained many such in Tiffin, who esteem them highly for their sterling worth. Mr. McDonel belongs to the Catholic church, while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is also identified with the Knights of Columbus, and in his political affiliations he is a Democrat, warmly advocating the principles of the party. He keeps well informed on the issues of the day, and is therefore able to support his position by intelligent argument. In November, 1897, he was elected county treasurer, by a majority of seven hundred and thirty-six, and in November, 1899, he was again chosen for the office, by the increased majority of fifteen hundred and ninety-seven, the largest vote given to any candidate on the ticket. This was certainly a tribute to his personal popularity and worth and an evidence of the fidelity with which he discharged his duties during the first term. His loyalty in citizenship has ever been above question, as has been his honor in business. His social qualities have gained him many friends and one of the most popular residents of Seneca county to-day is James D. McDonel. NICHOLAS WALL. One of the native sons of Seneca county who has here passed his entire life figures as the subject of this sketch, and it is not irrelevant to state that he is one of the most popular and highly esteemed citizens of Hopewell township, where he is successfully engaged in farming, having a well improved and highly cultivated farm of sixty-five acres. As a member of one of our leading pioneer families we here enter record of the more salient features in his career. Mr. Wall was born on the old homestead. farm, in Seneca township, on the 11th of December, 1839, being the fourth in order of birth of the ten children of Philip and Susanna Wall and one of the seven who still survive, the others being as follows : George, a resident of Iowa county, Iowa; Joseph, who resides in Labette county, Kansas ; Andrew, of Chicago, Illinois ; Catherine, the widow of John Yeager, of Spring- 194 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. field, Ohio; Elizabeth, who resides in Toledo; and Teresa, the wife of John B. Bonhoser, of Putnam county. The father of our subject was a native of the kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he was reared and educated, there learning the trade of carpenter. He was married in his native land, and there his two eldest children were born. About the year 1826 he emigrated with his family to America, coming to Ohio, where he entered claim to forty acres of government land in Seneca township, the same being entirely unreclaimed and covered with heavy timber. He built a primitive, log cabin on his place, and this continued to be the family home for a number of years, while the work of clearing and otherwise improving the farm was pushed vigorously forward. Here the father passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring about the year 185o, prior to which time he had increased the area of his farm by the purchase of an adjoining fifty acres. His religious faith was that of the Catholic church, in which he was reared. His devoted wife survived him many years, her death occurring at the home of her daughter Teresa, in Putnam county, on the 11th of September, 1896, at an advanced age. Nicholas Wall, the immediate subject of this sketch, was reared on the old homestead farm, becoming familiar with the labors incidental to its reclamation and cultivation at an early age, and securing such educational advantages as were afforded in the common schools 'of the place and period. He was but eleven years of age at the time of his father's death, and thereafter he was associated with his brothers in the management of the farm until 1862, when the household was broken up, the mother going to the home of her daughter Teresa, where she was cared for with loving solicitude until she was called upon to obey the inexorable summons of death. After thus leaving the old home our subject associated himself with Jeremiah Rex in the operation of a sawmill, in Seneca township, and was identified with this enterprise for a period of about twelve years. In 1874 he leased the Judson Lookinbill farm, in 'Seneca township, and there continued in agricultural pursuits for eight years, at the expiration of which he purchased a tract of forty acres in Clinton township, at a point three miles east of Tiffin, disposing of this CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 195 property a year later, and then, in 1882, purchasing his present fine homestead, where he has since been successfully engaged in diversified farming and the raising of a high grade of live stock. He has a good residence, and all other improvements on the place indicate that the owner is a progressive and energetic business man. Mr. Wall exercises his. franchise in support of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and in religion he holds to the faith in which he was reared, being. a communicant of St. Patrick's Catholic church. On the 3d of May, 187o, Mr. Wall was united in marriage to Miss Catharine Adelsperger, who was born in Loudon township, this. county, of which her father, John Adelsperger, was a pioneer settler. Mr. and Mrs. Wall are the parents of three sons and one daughter, namely : Frank E., who is engaged in farming in Hopewell township; and John A.. Leo and Mary, who still remain at the parental' borne.. SAMUEL FEASEL. One of the prominent and honored early settlers of Seneca county is the gentleman of whom this sketch is penned. He is a practical, thorough going farmer, understanding every department of the work connected with the proper supervision of a country home, and success has abundantly rewarded his persevering labors. Now, in his declining years, he may look backward over the pathway he has traversed and truly feel that his efforts have been blessed, while he can have few regrets for idle days and wasted moments. Mr. Feasel was born in Franklin county, Ohio, on the 29th of September, 1826, a son of Henry and Mary J. (Kennell) Feasel. The father took up his abode in Liberty township, Seneca county, in 1833, at that time locating on the farm on which our subject now resides, at the center of Liberty township, entering the land at the same time that his brother George became the owner of his farm, in 1828. The father erected a log cabin in the midst of the dense wilderness, and there 196 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he made his home throughout the remainder of his life, passing to his final reward in the eighty-fourth year of his age. By his marriage to Mary J. Kennell he became the father of nine children, but only five of the number are now living: Catherine, the wife of John Chaney, of Liberty township; John, a resident of Bettsville; Susan, the wife of Edward Pope, of Lansing, Michigan; Jacob, who makes his home in Liberty township; and Samuel, the subject of this review. Those who have passed away are : Polly, George, Alexander and Elizabeth. Mr. Feasel, of this review, has spent nearly his entire life on his present home place. Early in life his time was chiefly employed in clearing new land, and thus his educational privileges were somewhat limited, but practical experience, reading and observation have continually broadened his knowledge and have made him a well informed man. After his marriage he continued the operation of his father's land, and after the latter's death he and his brother Alexander became the owners of the old farm. Our subject has earned for himself an enviable reputation as a careful and progressive agriculturist, always known for his prompt and honorable methods of dealing, and thus he has earned the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellow men. Until within the last few years he gave his political support to the Republican party, but he is now identified with the Prohibition party, and to its principles he gives an earnest and unfaltering support. For the past forty years he has been a worthy member of the Zion's Temple United Brethren church, in which he has served as one of the trustees since the building of the church. When twenty-two years of age Mr. Feasel was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Powell, but after two years of happy married life she was called to her final rest, leaving one child, Mary F., who is now the wife of A. E. Alderton, of Saginaw, Michigan. Three years. after the death of his first wife our subject wedded Miss Martha Kime, and two children blessed their union,—Belle, who is the wife of Lewis Glick, a resident of Bascom, Seneca county; and Alice, who died in childhood. For his third wife Mr. Feasel chose Miss Elizabeth Armstrong, their marriage being solemnized on the 4th of May, 1858, and unto them have CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 197 been born the following children: Laura J., who is the wife of John P. Lynch, of Liberty township; Irvin, who died at the age of twenty-five years ; Albert, who passed away at the age of thirty-four; Homer, who operates a stave factory at Grafton, Ohio; Roscoe, who carries on the work of the homestead; Lucetta, who became the wife of Norman Mowrey, died at the age of twenty-five years, and her two children, Bessie and Russell, now make their home with our subject; Eva is the wife of James Blue, of Toledo, Ohio; Edna, who remains at the parental home, taught the school in her home district for a period of four years, being one of the successful and popular teachers of the county ; and Mandie died at the age of three years. Our subject has eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Feasel is one of the most honored and highly esteemed citizens of his community, and it is safe to say that no man in Seneca county has a wider circle of friends and acquaintances. GEORGE BENHAM. George Benham has since 1896 filled the office of justice of the peace in Fostoria and has been very prominent in public life, always laboring earnestly for the welfare and progress of his community. He is numbered among the native sons of Seneca county, his birth having occurred in Big Spring township, where his father, William Benham, located in 1832. The paternal grandfather, Shadrack Benham, was a native of New England, the family coining from Connecticut to the Buckeye state. When William Benham arrived in Seneca county he entered land from the government and at once began developing and improving a tract for his farm. He married Julia A. Chappelle, a daughter of Caleb and Charlotte (Sperry) Chappelle. Her father settled in Wayne county, Ohio, on emigrating from Vermont to the west. He was a builder by occupation and became one of the earliest residents of Loudonville, Ohio, laying out a part of that town upon his farm. His efforts were very helpful in promoting the early progress and improve-. 198 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ment of this portion of the state. Mr. Benham, the father of our subject, continued to carry on agricultural pursuits, making farming the means whereby he provided for the wants of his family. At an early date he served as justice of the peace, and his rulings were strictly fair and impartial, being in accordance with his honorable career throughout life. He died in 1847, at the age of forty-five years. In his family were four children, the only brother of our subject being William Franklin Benham, who went to the west in 1854. For many years he was in the United States service and when last heard from was making his home in California. George Benham early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, assisting his father in the development and improvement of the old homestead in Big Spring township, but when the country became involved in civil war he put aside all personal considerations and enlisted, at Findlay, Ohio, in 1861, being sworn in at Tiffin on the 6th of August, as a member of Company A, Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the 13th of October, 1864, his regiment being a part of the Army of the Cumberland. He was wounded at the battle of Stone River, but on recovering from his injuries rejoined his command in time to take part in the Atlanta campaign, participating in all of its engagements. He was a brave and true soldier, ever found at his post of duty, whether on the picket line or the firing line. Returning to his home in 1865, he has since that time been a resident of Fostoria. In early life he learned the trade of carpenter and builder, and he has been closely associated with building interests in this place, his handiwork being seen in many of the substantial and fine structures of this city. He has always lived faithfully up to the terms of a contract, and, with high regard for the strict ethics of industrial and commercial life, he has commanded uniform confidence and esteem. His fellow townsmen recognize his worth and ability and have frequently called him to public office, and he has been an active factor in that department of service which maintains law and order. For ten years he was constable, and in 1896 he was chosen justice of the peace, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 199 to which office he was re-elected in 1899, so that he is the present incumbent in the position in Fostoria. In Hancock county, Ohio, Mr. Benham was joined in wedlock to Miss Eunice Eliza Thomas, a daughter of Liverton and Anna (Wade) Thomas, of Washington township. Prior to his death her father removed to Fostoria, where his last days were spent. He came from Wayne county, Ohio, to Seneca county, and was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits until he took up his abode in this city. For some years he filled the office of justice of the peace and was a prominent and influential man. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Benham was blessed with six children : Bruce Burris, who is connected with the Lake Erie & Western Railroad and resides in Muncie, Indiana ; Minnie Belle, the wife of Walter A. Hamilton, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Anna Cordelia, who is a trained nurse in New York city ; Ralph W., who is a clerk in the service of the Wabash Railroad Company, at Chicago, Illinois ; Lillian Florence, who is a teacher in the public schools of Fostoria; and Frank Judson, who is engaged in dredging the Grand river, in the government employ, at Grand Rapids., Michigan. They also lost two children. Mrs. Benham and her family are active members of the Presbyterian church, and she is a most estimable lady, enjoying the high regard of many friends. Mr. Benham gives his political support to the Republican party, and belongs to Norris Post, G. A. R.; and to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. MONROE J. KISTLER. In reverting to the lives and deeds of those who initiated the onerous work of developing the virgin wilds of Seneca county and thus laying the foundations for that prosperity and precedence which now characterize this favored section of the Buckeye state, it is imperative that recognition be had of the Kistler family, who have been identified with the history of the county from the early pioneer epoch and whose mem