CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 575 Adams township; Henry, a resident of Henry county, Ohio ; George, of this review ; Catherine, who has passed away; and Mary, the wife of T. F. Mohr,' of Scipio township. In the year 1838 the father of these children made his way to Ohio, settling in Scipio township, Seneca county, upon the farm where our subject now resides. He had purchased this in connection with his father at a previous date, the tract comprising ninety-three acres. Upon it a log cabin of one room had been built and five acres of the land had been cleared, but the remainder was covered with heavy timber. Upon this farm the grandfather of our subject died at the age of eighty-four years, and here John Henry Briney passed away in 1890, his wife surviving him only one year. Both were seventy-eight years of age when. called to the home beyond. The father had been very successful in his business pursuits and had accumulated three hundred and twenty acres of land. He was a member of the Lutheran church and was widely known and highly respected for his sterling worth. On the old family homestead George Briney of this review was reared, early becoming familiar with the work of cultivating the fields from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn. During the winter months when the farm work was practically over for the year he attended school and until twenty-three years of age he gave his father the benefit of his services. At that time he removed to the farm upon which his brother-in-law, Mr. Mohr, is now living, and later took up his abode upon. the original homestead of ninety-three acres where his birth occurred. He has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits and stock-raising and has made excellent improvements upon his place, which now returns to him annually a good income. October 18, 1866, Mr. Briney was united in marriage to Catherine Detterman, and their union has been blessed with eight children : Clara, the wife of B. D. Yundt, of Scipio township; Frank, of Thompson township; Warren, who is with his father ; Nellie, who became the wife of H. Hileman; and 'Claude, Edith, Lena and Gladys. The parents hold membership in St. Jacob's Reformed Lutheran church and Mr. Briney belongs to the school board, on which he has served for twenty years, 576 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the cause of education finding in him a warm friend, who, exercises his official prerogatives for the substantial advancement of the schools of his neighborhood. Having always resided in this locality, he is well known, and the fact that many of his warmest friends are numbered among- those with whom he has been acquainted from boyhood is an indication that his career has ever been honorable and upright. JACOB SOUDER HUSS. From the early pioneer epoch the life of the honored subject of this review has been identified with the industrial activities of Seneca county, of which he is a native son and in which he has maintained' a consecutive residence. He has now passed the psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, and this fact is significant, since it indicates the early date at which his parents must have cast in their lot with the pioneers of this now prosperous and opulent section of the old Buckeye state. His father exercised a potent influence in the development and advancement of the county in the early days, and this is also true of the son, who has. here lived and labored to goodly ends, so. ordering his life as to command the unreserved confidence and regard. of all who know him. To a review of his earnest and honorable life we turn with a feeling of respect and satisfaction, since the same offers both lesson and incentive.. Jacob S. Huss was born on the old pioneer farm, amid the sylvan wilds of Eden township, this county, on the 5th of December, 1828, being one of the three children of David and Nancy (Olmsted) Huss. Ann, the wife of Jacob Holtz, died at the age of seventy-eight years, and Elizabeth is the wife of Lysander Reynolds, of Clinton township. David Huss was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of that state, where he was reared and educated and where he learned the trade of carpenter. When a young man he re-.. moved to Frederick county, Maryland, where his wife was born and CENTENNIAL 'BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 577 where their marriage was solemnized. Soon after this important event they emigrated thence, in 1827, to Seneca county, Ohio, where the father purchased forty acres of heavily timbered land, in Eden township, later buying additional land until he had one hundred and twenty acres. He cleared his farm and gradually brought the same into cultivation, his original domicile being a primitive log cabin, which. he erected in a small clearing in the forest. He continued to reside in this county until his death, in 1873, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His political allegiance was originally given to the Whig party, but upon the organization of the Republican party he identified himself therewith and continued to be an earnest supporter of the same until his death. He wielded a strong influence in public affairs of a local nature, and served with ability and for long periods in various township offices, including those of justice of the peace, assessor and trustee. He was a man of spotless integrity and never violated the confidence reposed in him by any of the relations of life. His widow survived him nearly ten years, her demise occurring in 1882, in her eighty-third year. Jacob S. Huss was reared on the old homestead, early beginning to contribute to the work of development and cultivation and conning his lessons in the little log school-house as opportunity presented. He continued to work for his father until he had attained the age of twenty-four years, when he assumed charge of the home farm, later becoming the owner of seventy-two acres, contiguous to his father's farm, having purchased the land in three different portions. In 1867 they disposed of their property in Eden township and removed to Clinton township, where our subject purchased a tract of one hundred and forty-nine acres, to which he subsequently added twenty acres, and here he has ever since given his attention to general farming and stock-growing, having reclaimed the farm and made the best of improvements on the same. His father continued an inmate of his home until death ended the labors of a useful and active life. The mother of our subject also continued in his home until her death, and her memory remains as a benediction to all who came under the influence of her noble and gentle character. In politics Mr. Huss has given an unqualified support to the Republican party, 578 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. but he has never permitted his name to appear in connection with candidacy for public office. On the l0th of April, 1855, Mr. Huss was united in marriage to Miss Almira E. Reynolds, who was born July 17, 1834, in Cayuga county, New York, the daughter of Abraham and Harriet (Goldsmith) Reynolds, who came to Seneca county, Ohio., about 1835 and here passed the remainder of their lives, having cleared and improved a good farm in Eden township. The father here died at an advanced age. Mr. and Mrs. Huss became the parents of two children : Jessie, who is the wife of Frederick Dudrow, of Adams township, and has two children,—Harry Huss Dudrow and Byron Fred Dudrow ; and Ella, who married Frank Trout and died at the age of eighteen years. Mrs. Huss became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in her youth and has ever continued a devoted adherent of the same. JOHN BIGHAM. The great basic industry of agriculture, which must ever figure as the bulwarks of our 'national prosperity and progress, has in Seneca county an able representative in the person of Mr. Bigham, who is a representative citizen of Liberty township and one of the substantial and prosperous agriculturists of this section of the state. Mr. Bigham was born in Fredericktown, Knox county, Ohio, on the 5th of March, 1832, being the son of John and Eliza (Lewis) Bigham, both natives of Pennsylvania. They became the parents of eight children, of whom only three are living at the present time,—Margaret, who is unmarried and who resides in Melmore, this county; Samuel, a resident of Ionia county, Michigan; and John, the subject of this sketch. John Bigham, Sr., was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1800, and was there reared to maturity. He there married, and in 1832 he came with his family to Ohio, locating in Knox county, at Fredericktown, where he remained until July of the following year, which repre- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 579 sents the date of his arrival in Seneca county. Here he purchased eighty acres of heavily timbered land, near the present village of Melmore, erecting a primitive log cabin as a home for his family, and then setting himself valiantly to the task of reclaiming his land and placing it under cultivation. As time passed, the evidences of his success. became each year more distinctly marked, and he here made his home. until his life's labors were terminated by his death, in September, 1883, when his estate was represented by the old homestead of one hundred and sixty acres and several hundred acres of valuable land in Ionia and Eaton counties, Michigan. In politics he was originally an old-line Whig, but eventually transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, whose cause he thereafter gave a zealous support. He was a man of distinct ability and sterling character and was highly esteemed in the community. His wife passed away in 1840, at the age of thirty-six years. John Bigham, Jr., the subject of this sketch, grew up on the old homestead farm, in Eden township., and that he made the most of the scholastic advantages which were offered in the public schools of the place and period is evident from the fact that as a. young man he became a successful and popular teacher in the district schools, engaging in such pedagogic work for eight terms, in Seneca and Crawford counties and. in Washtenaw county, Michigan, and showing himself to have been a diligent and appreciative student. In 1857 he went to Washtenaw county, Michigan, where he was employed in a sawmill for three months and thereafter as a farm hand until the winter season came on, when he secured a position as teacher. The following spring his marriage was solemnized, and with his bride he soon afterward returned to Ohio, locating on a farm in Crawford county, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own responsibility, becoming the owner of one hundred and ten acres. After about six years had elapsed he disposed of this place and purchased another farm, of one hundred and thirty-two acres, in the same county but about two miles southeast of Melmore, and adjoining the old homestead. He disposed of this property in 1870, pun-- chasing a tract of one hundred and eighty acres in Jackson township, Seneca county, which he still owns, having made excellent improvements 580 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. on the place and there retaining his residence until 1889, when he removed to the farm of one hundred acres owned by his wife, in Liberty township, and this has since been the family home,—one of the most attractive in this section. Mr. Bigham supervises the operation of both these fine farm properties and on every hand are to be seen the evidences of the careful and discriminating attention bestowed and the progressive methods employed. In politics he is a loyal supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and while a resident of Crawford county he served two terms as trustee of hiss township and also held the office of assessor. In 1891 he was appointed postmaster of Angus, Ohio, and has since been the incumbent, the office being located on the farm, through which passes the Nickel Plate Railroad. Fraternally lie is identified with Fostoria Lodge, F. & A. M., having been a member since 1861, and his religious views are in harmony with the tenets of the Presbyterian church, though not a member, while Mrs. Bigham holds views more in accord with the Dunkard church. In 1856 Mr. Bigham was united in marriage in Washtenaw county, Michigan, to Miss Jane Clarke, who was born in the state of New York, and who died in 1888, leaving three children,—Mary E., wife of U. N. Keller, of Iler, this county; Robert, of Iler ; and Martha J., wife of N. B. Flack, of Amsden. Subsequently Mr. Bigham consummated a second marriage, his union to Miss Sarah. Ann Flack being solemnized on the 1st of October, 1889. Mrs. Bigham was born on the farm where she now lives, being the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Bach-tell) Flack, both natives of Pennsylvania, the former having been born in Fayette county and the latter in Franklin. county. Jacob Flack was the son of John L. and Barbara (Snyder) Flack, who were numbered among the earliest settlers of Seneca county, having come here in 1826 and locating on the farm now owned by More Flack, of whom mention is made on another page. The land was heavily timbered and here the grandfather of Mrs. Bigham erected his log house and duly installed his Lares and Penates. He reclaimed his farm and became the owner of several hundred acres of land in the county, dividing the estate among his children and passing to his reward at the age of sixty-five years, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 581 one of the honored pioneers of this state. Jacob Flack' was born on the 19th of December, 1813, and he entered into eternal rest on the 4th of May, 1867, after a life of signal honor and usefulness. After his marriage he settled in the woods on the farm now owned by Mrs. Big-. ham and her home during her entire life. Here he owned two hundred acres, which had been given himi by his father, and here he remained until his death, having been one of the prominent and influential citizens of the county and having been held in the highest regard by all who knew him. He was a Democrat in politics and his religious faith was in touch with the Dunkards. His wife is now deceased, having passed. away August 7, 1899, in her eighty-first year. They were the parents of two daughters, the younger being Barbara Ella, who married. E. M. Williams and who died in 1868, aged twenty-seven years. Sarah. Ann had ever lived with her parents, her life being devoted to the demands of home and family. JOHN F. FRUTH Year has been added to year and decade to decade until the aggregate of almost half a century has been attained since the time when the subject of this sketch came as a lad to Seneca county, of which his father was a pioneer, still living within its confines, as a venerable patriarch and as a man whose life has been such. as to retain to him the high esteem of his fellow men. When the family took up their residence in. Loudon township this section was still practically a frontier region, awaiting the awakening touch of the sturdy pioneers who would stilt further transform its wild lands into rich and productive farms and beautiful homes, establish villages, churches, schools and various commercial and industrial enterprises and thus continue the inceptive work of reclaiming the country for the uses and blessing of mankind. The natural advantages of this section attracted at an early day a. superior-class of settlers,—a thrifty, industrious, progressive and law-abiding 582 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. people, whose influence has given permanent direction to the work of development and material advancement. Or this type was the father of our subject, who is one of the sturdy sons of the German fatherland who have taken up their abode in America to become an integral part of its social fabric and a valuable factor in conserving its normal and legitimate progress. The Fruth family is one peculiarly worthy of consideration in this work, touching Seneca county and its people. John F. Fruth was born in the kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, on the 21st of May, 1853, being the son of Frank and Catherine (Fruth) Fruth, of collateral branches of one of the old and honored families of that section of the great German empire, where both were born, as were also their ten children, of whom only four survive, namely : Leonard, who makes his home with the subject of this review; Adam, a farmer of Scipio township; Catherine, the wife of A. Heinze, of Loudon township; and John F., whose name appears at the head of this article. The father of our subject was born in Bavaria, on the 15th of September, 1813, and was there reared and educated and there learned the trade of baker, to which he continued to devote his attention in his native land for a number of years. He emigrated with his family to America in the spring of 1854, the subject of this review being at the time a child of about one year, and they located at a point about eight miles distant from the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where the father devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits about two years, his devoted wife having died only four weeks after the arrival of the family in the United States. In 1856 Frank Fruth came with his children to Seneca county and settled in the township of Loudon, where he purchased a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of land, to whose reclamation he forthwith directed his attention, and here he has ever since maintained his home, the old homestead. farm being now owned by his son-in-law, Mr. Heinze, but being still the abiding place of the venerable father, now nearly ninety years of age,. who receives from his children the deepest filial respect and solicitude. He has given his political support to the principles and policies of the Democratic party and his entire life has been CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 583 one of sterling rectitude and honor, while his industry was unflagging until his advanced years necessitated his retirement from the active duties of business. He is a devoted member of the Lutheran church, with which his wife, who passed away so many years ago, was likewise identified. John F. Fruth, to whom this sketch is dedicated, was reared on the old homestead and early began to lend his aid in the work of clearing and cultivating the same, while his educational privileges were such as were afforded in the primitive public schools of the period. His marriage occurred in the year 1873 and he then purchased forty acres of land in Loudon township, the same being in section 32, and in four years he traded this place in part payment for his present fine homestead, which comprises one hundred and sixty-six and a fraction acres. Here he has made excellent improvements, has brought the farm into the highest state of cultivation, of diversified order, and has made it one of the attractive and valuable rural homes of this favored section of the Buckeye commonwealth, where he has practically passed his entire life, which has been so directed as to retain to him at every stage in his career the high esteem of those with whom he has come in contact. Though he has never sought the honors of political office, Mr. Fruth has given a stanch support to the Democratic party and has shown at all times a deep interest in all that goes to further the general welfare of the community. His religious connection is with the W(est Independent United Brethren church, of which Mrs. Fruth likewise is. a member. On June 22, 1873, MT. Fruth was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary (Peter) Fruth, who was born in Loudon township, daughter of Jacob Peter, who removed from Germany to this county as a pioneer of the year 1833. At the age of eighteen years she had married Conrad Fruth, the brother of John F., and he died March 17, 1868, leaving two sons, John Henry Fruth, now a farmer of Handock county, and Conrad, also of that county. They were both reared by their uncle and stepfather, receiving such assistance as could be rendered when establishing homes of their own. Of the four children born to our subject and his estimable wife three are living at the present time: Jacob, a resi- 584 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. dent of Hancock county, married Miss Lydia Mertz and has one son, Roswell R.; Millie remains at the parental home, as does also the younger daughter, Catherine. ALANSON S. OWEN Among the representative citizens of Seneca county, Ohio, few are better known in Bloom township than is Alanson S. Owen, who has been an honored resident of this. county for seventy years. Mr. Owen was born in Yates county, New York, on November 9, 1826, a son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Spooner) Owen, both families being prominent ones in Yates county. They reared in that state a family of seven children, the four survivors being as follows : Lewis R, who resides in Fairfax, Iowa.; Charles, who lives in Eden township, Seneca county ; Mary, who is the wife of Lewis Blackman, and lives in Rock county, Wisconsin; and Alanson S., who is the subject of this brief biography. Nathaniel Owen, the father of our subject, was born in Orange. county, New York, in 1789, going in young manhood to Yates county, where he married and engaged in farming, remaining there until 1832. His attention had been called to the rich lands in Ohio which were awaiting settlers. The great canal system of that state was well under way, the spirit of progress was in the land, and with an idea of securing homes for his family of seven children, Mr. Owen decided to emigrate to the younger state. The journey was made in pioneer fashion and the new home was secured in Scipio township and was located two miles north of our subject's present home. Mr. Owen bought one hundred and ninety-three acres of land, for the sum of nine hundred dollars. Thirty acres of this tract had been partially cleared and the previous owner had built on it a house of hewed logs. This became the family residence and was thus occupied for almost fifteen years. Nathaniel Owen was a man of great physical strength: and endurance, one who drove his work instead of permitting it to drive him, and this land soon became re- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 585 munerative under his methods. As his children grew older he purchased additional land, consisting of four tracts of eighty acres each and another farm of forty acres, it always being his great desire to provide for his children. This good father was not permitted to reach old age, although he had never known a day of sickness in his life prior to his last illness. He died on September 14, 1847, being at that time aged fifty-eight years, eight months and fourteen days. Through life he had been a consistent member of the Methodist church, filling its offices and supporting it in a liberal manner. The mother of our subject survived until 1882, her a.ge at that time lacking but thirteen days of being ninety years. She was born December 6, 1791, in Yates county, New York. She was a woman of high Christian character, estimable in every way and one who met the demands made upon her with a kindness and forbearance which endeared her to all who knew her. Alanson S. Owen wa.s but five years old when his parents settled in Seneca county, and in its subsequent development he has been an important factor. As soon as his years permitted, he assisted in the clearing of the home farm, at the same time taking advantage of all educational advantages offered .in this locality. At the age of nineteen years he began teaching the winter terms of school in his township, working through the summers on the farm, and four years were passed in this manner. Later three summers were spent in assisting his brother Lewis in his farming operations, on the share plan. Those were years; of happy industry, and under the combined efforts of Nathaniel Owen and these sons the lands owned by this family became noted for their-evidences of cultivation and their abundant productiveness. The marriage of Alanson S. Owen occurred on December 7, 1851, when he was united to Miss Lydia Slaughter, who was born in Yates county, New York, and became a resident of Seneca county, Ohio, in 1841, at which time her parents located here. Two children were born to this union: Myra B., who is deceased, was the wife of L. H. Hobe, and her only surviving child is Jean A., who is a lad of eleven years. and who is living with his grandparents; and Eugene S., who' is ex- - 37 - 586 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. county auditor and recorder and present county treasurer of Kidder county, North Dakota, residing at Steele. Mr. Owen remained on his brother's farm after his marriage, working on the share plan, until 1855, when he purchased eighty acres of. his present farm, and removed to his new home. In 1860 he entered three hundred and twenty acres of land in Gratiot county, Michigan, his deed bearing the signature of President Abraham Lincoln. He resided for four years on that newly acquired property, which his son now owns. Two years were passed in Sandusky county, Ohio, but the majority of his days have been spent in Seneca county, where be is -widely known and much esteemed. Mr. Owen has always. been a member of the Republican party and has ever been its active supporter. He ha.s been identified with the prosperity of this county and is a worthy representative of a family which has left an impress on its life,—a characteristic American family of the type that forms the back-bone of the country's greatness. DAVID MYERS. Among the well known and highly respected citizens and prosperous farmers of Seneca county is David Myers, who as a practical agriculturist has few superiors in this township. The Myers family originated in Switzerland, from which country have come many of the hardy pioneers who have made the wilderness, in which they first settled in their new homes on this side of the Atlantic, blossom into productiveness. and return wealth to their descendants. Among those who tired of the religious persecutions in his own country was David Myers, a native of Switzerland, who settled, in its early clays of occupancy, in Bloom township, choosing this location on account of its evident fertility and advantageous situation. David Myers, the father of our subject, married Elizabeth Woolerd, and they became the parents of a family of nine children,—four sons and five daughters. Five of the family still survive. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 587 The first purchase of land made by David Myers was forty acres, which he entered from the government, his frugality and industry enabling him to add to his possessions until at the time of his death he owned an estate, in one tract, comprising one hundred and ninety-four acres. Mr. Myers was a hard-working man all his life, but his years extended to seventy-four, all of which had been usefully employed, his death occurring in 1881. The beloved mother of our subject survived until 1890, her death taking place at the age of seventy-four years. Both parents were beloved in the home and respected in the neighborhood. Their lives were circumscribed by the limits of this community, where they left to their children and neighbors records of quiet and worthy lives. David Myers, who is the subject of this biography, was born on the old farm in Bloom township, the scene of his parents' early struggles. He received an excellent common-school education and has applied all his energies to the development of this farm. In connection with his father he cleared the additional purchases as they were made, and in his father's declining years he assumed full management. With Mr. Myers farming is not simply an occupation, his experience and knowledge have enabled him to enjoy it as a science. Nature has concealed few secrets from him ; he thoroughly understands every branch of the business, the properties of the soil and its adaptation to the various vegetable growths, the horticultural possibilities of his land, and the economical raising and feeding of stock. The improvements which Mr. Myers has been continually engaged in making on his farm are substantial and of a permanent character, and render it both comfortable and attractive. As a general farmer his methods are considered excellent, his one hundred and ninety-four acres yielding crops which testify to his close attention to business as well as to the fertility of this part of Seneca county. As a citizen David Myers enjoys the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, many of whom have known him from his infancy. He has never taken any active part in political life, his home interests and employments proving more attractive. In the Independent Order of 588 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Odd Fellows, however, he has taken a deep interest, and he is one of the valued members of the lodge in Bloomville. In the peaceful following of his vocation Mr. Myers has won the respect of all who know him, and also the solid comfort which is the just reward of duties faithfully performed. JOHN NEWCOMER. In noting the prominent and successful agriculturists of Seneca county, Ohio, John Newcomer, who owns and operates a fine farm of one hundred and eight acres in Bloom township, deserves special mention. Not only has he demonstrated his practical knowledge of farming and stock-raising, but for a number of years he has also been a well known business man and is a public-spirited citizen. Mr. Newcomer's native state is Ohio, and his birth occurred on March 3, 1836, in Medina county. His parents were Peter and Mary (Rohrer) Newcomer, the former of whom was born in Washington county, Maryland, from which he moved into Medina county, Ohio, in 1833. There he purchased a tract of land,' and there a log cabin was the family home for many years. Peter and Mary Newcomer had a family of nine children, their names being as follows: John, of this sketch; Abraham, a resident of Medina; Margaret and Anna, twins, the latter being deceased; Jacob, of Medina county ; Daniel, deceased; David, deceased; Henry, of Medina; and Mary. The parents of this family lived quiet, frugal lives and when they passed away left many friends who were sincere mourners. Born and reared on a farm, John Newcomer, of this sketch, has followed an agricultural life with success, his early environment giving him a practical knowledge of this vocation. His education was acquired in the public schools, which he attended, with the sons of other farmers, during the winter sessions, the summers being usually given to work on the farm. In those days much of the labor which. is now done by cunningly contrived machinery fell upon the youths, and hay time and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 589 harvest meant as much hard work for the school lads as for those who were older and stronger. Perhaps this caused our subject to leave the farm for a short season and learn the carpenter trade, but he returned to farming life shortly afterward, employing the winter seasons in carpenter work. In 1861 Mr. Newcomer came to Seneca county and bought eighty acres of good land, in Bloom township, within one mile of Bloomville, living on that place for five years. Selling that place, he bought another tract of eighty acres, improved the same and cultivated it for ten years. He finally sold this farm also, and in 1876 he moved to his present farm, where he owns one hundred and eight acres of excellent land, which he has made into one of the best farms of this locality. The excellent and appropriate improvements on this place have been made by Mr. Newcomer, and they testify to his good judgment and practical character. Here he has successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising, his land being well adapted to both industries. For the past fifteen years he has added another line of business, dealing extensively in fertilizers. Mr. Newcomer was married on October 25, 1860, to Miss Susan Buckley, who was born May 18, 1840, in Bloom township, being a daughter of George and Magdalena (Troxel) Buckley. A family of five children was born to this union, namely : Jerome L., who operates the home farm and is a capable agriculturist, married Millie M. Griffin and they have one child; Emily L. is the wife of Alvin Huddle, a druggist of Bloomville ; Jennella is the wife of William Baldwin, an oil dealer of Bloomville ; Lillian M. is the wife of Harry Buckingham, a druggist of Bloomville; and Magdeline resides at the parental home. All of this family command the esteem of the communities in which they live, and are among the most intelligent residents. George Buckley was born in Berlin, Prussia, and at the age of thirteen years came to America with his parents, Michael and Barbara Buckley. They settled in Stark county, Ohio, and there he was married to Magdalena Troxel, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Troxel. Immediately after their marriage George and Magdalena Buckley came to Seneca county, locating in Bloom town- 590 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ship, where they passed the remainder of their lives. His death occurred in 1842 at the age of thirty-seven years, while his widow survived him by more than fifty years, dying at the age of eighty-six. She had become the wife of Isaac Rohrer. Her five children by the first marriage were as follows : Elizabeth, the wife of Jacob Detweiler ; Catherine, who died in her twenty-first year, unmarried ; Michael, of Kosciusko county, Indiana ; Susan, the wife of Mr. Buckley ; and Hannah, who is the widow of John Hahn and lives in Bloomville. Mr. Newcomer is a Republican in his political views, and he has served efficiently in a number of the local offices, notably as township trustee. He has shown his interest in educational matters by serving for years on the school board, during which time his sensible and conservative course did much to permanently improve this branch of the township's business. Both he and wife are members of the Mennonite church, holding association with the society in Medina county, and he is one of the honest and upright citizens of the class which has made Bloom township a leading section of the county. STEPHEN A. SAUL. The air of solid prosperity which attracts attention all over the state of Ohio is nowhere more apparent than in Seneca county, which stanchly upholds the state's reputation as a leader in valuable farms. Among those who have done good work in sustaining this supremacy is Stephen A. Saul, a highly esteemed resident and prosperous farmer of Bloom township. Mr. Saul is essentially an Ohio product, his own birth, as well as that of his father and his grandfather, having occurred in this state. Stephen A. Saul was born on November 6, 186o, in Bloom township, Seneca courfty, on the farm now the property of Jacob Brodie. He is a son of Edward and Lavina (Kagy) Saul, the former of whom was a son of Samuel Saul, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 591 in 1802. In 1825 Samuel Saul came to Seneca county and entered government land, living on his farm here until his death, at the age of eighty-six years. He was a well known and highly esteemed citizen and was serving as county commissioner at the time of the purchase of the county infirmary farm. Edward Saul, the father of Stephen A., was born in 1826, in Eden township, soon after his parents' location in Seneca county. At the opening of the Miami reservation in Indiana Mr. Saul entered one hundred and sixty acres of government land, which he gave to his children and upon which his son, John K. Saul, now lives, in Howard county, Indiana. In 1857 he moved to the farm where our subject was born, this being the old home of his wife. Here he died in 1872, a man of prominence in his native county and the owner of land here and in Indiana. Lavina (Kagy) Saul, mother of our subject, is a daughter of Abraham Kagy, who resided in Bloom township, where she was born in 1832, and where she still lives, enjoying the tender ministrations of her attached relatives and many friends. A family of ten children was born to Edward and Lavina Saul, and eight of these still survive, as follows : Robert R. M., who is a resident of Lykens township, Crawford county ; John K., who is a resident of Howard county, Indiana ; Isabella, who lives with her mother ; Stephen A., who is the subject of this biography; Martha E., who is the wife of Alex Kingseed and who lives in Howard county, Indiana ; Maria L., who is the wife of H. J. Weisenauer, of Howard county, Indiana; Eliza, who is the wife of H. J. Brodie, a resident of Bloom township; and Hannah, who married William Smeltzer, also of Howard county, Indiana. Those deceased bore the names of Lewis and George. Although Mr. Saul, of this sketch, was reared on a farm, he enjoyed excellent educational advantages, supplementing the common-school course with a season in Bloomville and the Ada Normal school. At the age of nineteen he began to teach school, employing the winter seasons in this way for six terms, and giving excellent satisfaction, while he became popular and well known in that connection. The summers during this time were fully filled with farm work. 592 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. Saul was married, on October 11, 1883, to Miss Susie Weisenauer, and a bright and intelligent family of eight children have been born to them, namely : Mabel (who is a teacher in Bloom township), Jay 0., Allen J., Mary, Arthur, Florence, Cora and Esther,—all living at home. Mr. Saul and his family lived on the old farm until 1888, when they moved to Howard county, Indiana, where they remained until 1893, at which time they returned to the present farm, where they have lived ever since. This farm, which was improved by Abraham Kagy, comprises two hundred and forty acres of as excellent land as is to be found in Bloom township. Mr. Saul owns a farm of eighty acres in Howard county, Indiana, and is still connected financially with some of its leading enterprises. During his residence there he was one of the organizers of the Howard Gas Company, and still retains a directorship in it. As a leading member of the Democratic party he exerts considerable influence, which, however, is never directed in the interests of political preferment for himself. As a farmer and stock-raiser he ranks very high in this county, and as a citizen he is regarded as a most worthy representative of one of the oldest and most honored of the county's families. BENJAMIN F. MYERS. Benjamin F. Myers, who during life was one of the esteemed teachers and prominent men of Tiffin, Ohio, was a descendant of one of the German pioneers of this state, his grandfather, Conrad Myers, coming hither from Pennsylvania, and settling in Mahoning county in 1796. Conrad Myers, the son of Conrad, married Leah Rauch, who was born in Pennsylvania, and in 1845 removed to Seneca county, settling on a farm in Jackson township. They had a family of five sons and four daughters, one of the sons being the subject of this biography. Benjamin F. Myers was born May 2, 1833, in Mahoning county, Ohio. His early education was acquired in the primitive district schools, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 593 and as early as the age of sixteen years he began teaching, a profession which he followed for upward of thirty-seven years with signal success. Ambitious and energetic, he soon found a way to become a student in Heidelberg University, at Tiffin, where he entered the scientific department, becoming one of the most ambitious and determined students in his class. After leaving college he immediately resumed teaching, first in the district schools, but, as his ability became known, rising to the principalship of one of the most important schools in the.city of Tiffin. For twenty years Mr. Myers was assistant superintendent of the city schools; and he became favorably known in all educational work, both in the city and county. For a period of thirty-seven years Mr. Myers \.vas a leading educator, his scholarly attainments giving him prominence in higher educational circles, while his pleasing personality and thorough comprehension of the trend of educational life made his services of incalculable value. Particularly was he known as a member of the board of county school examiners, a position which he filled with credit for twenty years. Aside from his educational work, which was unusually beneficial, Mr. Myers was prominent in other lines. In 1885 he was elected, as the candidate of the Democratic party, to the office of county treasurer, his record for ability and personal integrity giving him a very large majority ahead of his ticket. He efficiently served the county in this responsible position during two terms, and was one of the most faithful officials that Seneca county ever had. He was also interested in several commercial enterprises and was one of the organizers and stockholders in the Tiffin Savings Bank, being its vice-president from its organization until his death. Mr. Myers was married, in 1856, to Miss Leah A. Faulk, of Columbiana county, Ohio, and to this union was born one son, Claude Eugene,' who is still living with his mother. He married Miss Nellie C. Pindar. Mrs. Myers is still a resident of Tiffin, occupying a stately brick residence on Clinton avenue, this beautiful place having been 'occupied and owned by them at the time of her husband's decease, July 20, 1896. It is located in a choice residence section of the city and is a valuable part 594 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of the estate which Mr. Myers had accumulated. He was a man of excellent business ability and was successful in his enterprises. He was an active member and liberal supporter of the First Reformed church, as is also his widow, and here he was sincerely mourned. In the church and in the social life of the community Mrs. Myers is known for her interest in good works. As a man of the strictest business integrity Benjamin F. Myers will always be remembered by the public; as a careful and conscientious teacher many will long testify to his efficiency ; while his genial, generous disposition and kind and sympathetic nature endeared him to all who knew him and surrounded him with many loyal friends. In the death of Mr. Myers this city and Seneca county lost an esteemed citizen ; the youth, whose characters are shaping for life's activities, lost an earnest and sympathizing instructor; the church was deprived of a. conscientious Christian and benevolent worker; and the family mourned. a loving husband and father. CASPER GUSS. Among the highly esteemed residents of Tiffin, Ohio, and one who has made many warm personal friends since his location in this city, in 189o, is Casper Guss, who is now living practically. retired, after an. agricultural life of many years. Casper Guss was born on November 4, 1830, in Berks county, Pennsylvania, being a son of Casper and Mary (Selser) Guss, both of whom were natives of the same county. The ancestry of both paternal and maternal lines traces back to German origin. Casper Guss, the father of our subject, married in his native county, and in 1834 he removed with his wife and eight children to Sandusky county, Ohio. At that time all transportation in this section was done by wagon, and it is quite probable that the wagon was the family home until a log cabin could be erected in the forest where the new home was located. Mr. Guss CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 595 was one of the hardy pioneers of that section and he labored assiduously in the clearing and development of his farm. He was a hatter by trade,. but gave his attention to agricultural affairs in his Ohio home. He died at the age of sixty-five years, having been a man who was beloved in his family and respected by the outside world. In politics he was a Democrat and in religion a Lutheran. The mother of our subject, Mary (Selser) Guss, lived until the age of seventy-seven years, her death occurring in Sandusky county,. Ohio. She was a woman of many virtues, a consistent member of the Lutheran church, a helpful wife and a devoted mother. Our subject was one of a family of ten children and is the only survivor. Casper Guss, who is the subject of this biography, was three and one-half years old when his parents moved to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he grew up among pioneer surroundings. His educational opportunities were few, on account of the conditions of the time and place,. although he took advantage of all that he could secure. When he was nineteen years old he went to Fremont, Ohio, where he remained at work in a blacksmith shop for two years, but, finding that this line of work was injuring his health, he returned to the farm. Here he remained until his father's death, and then managed the estate for his mother until 187,1, when he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Pleasant township,. which he operated for five years. Selling this farm, Mr. Guss bought another containing sixty-five acres, in Eden township, and this he managed with success until he decided to somewhat limit his activity, and sold it, purchasing his present pleasant home On Greenfield street in: Tiffin. Here Mr. Guss has enough land to enable him to take exercise in the raising of his choice fruit and vegetables, and to also enjoy the .comforts and conveniences of city life. The first marriage of Mr. Guss was solemnized in Sandusky, Ohio,. in 1855, when Miss Malinda Bookwalter became his wife. They became the parents of six children, four of whom died in infancy, the survivors. being: Eva, who married Daniel Hill; and Mary Charlotte, who married Reuben Hoyt, the renowned manufacturer of perfumes in New York. The second marriage of Mr. Guss occurred in 1870, when he 596 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. wedded Miss Anna Niemeyer, who was born in Prussia, and three children were born to this union: The first child died in infancy; Rufus, who is employed in the agricultural shops here; and Frank is a machinist in this city. Mr. Guss has always been a Democrat and during his residence in Sandusky county held a number of the local offices. He is a valued and -consistent member of the First Reformed church and is known to his fellow citizens as a man of unswerving integrity, of excellent example and of value as a citizen. JOHN K. SPITLER. Among the progressive and enterprising citizens of Seneca county, 'Ohio, none has more successfully supported its claim to be one of the best farming districts in the state than has John K. Spitler, a representative of an old and honored family of this vicinity. Jacob Spitler, who was the grandfather of John K., the immediate subject of this biography, located here as early as 1826, at that time entering eighty acres of government land. Here he lived to old age, a man of excellent repute, leaving behind him a family of fourteen children. The Spitlers have ever been a vigorous race, the descendants ‘of thirteen members of this family being numerous through this state, many of them occupying positions of responsibility, and all displaying :characteristics which reflect credit upon honorable ancestors. Notably was Daniel Spitler, who was the father of John K., a worthy representative of his family. He accompanied his father from Fairfield county, where he was born; assisted him in his pioneer efforts and made his father's house his home until his own marriage. Daniel was the father of eleven children, of whom we enter record as follows : Martha married J. L. Hershberger, of Bloom township; Agnes is the widow of Ralph Tittle; Sabina is Mrs. Tonnessen, and lives in Indiana; John K. is the subject of this biography ; Eliza married G. B. Hall, of Tiffin; Monroe is deceased; May married Charles King, of Wood county, Ohio; and the others died in infancy. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 597 After his marriage to Hannah Kagy Daniel Spitler moved to a farm of his own, this containing eighty acres of wild land, and here he erected a log cabin and worked with unceasing industry, clearing his land, and beginning its cultivation, which he continued through life,. accumulating satisfactory fruits from his toil. In this home of his own, making he died, in 1896, at the age of seventy-seven years. His widow survived until June 30, 1901, when she, too, passed away, at the age. of seventy-seven years. Both parents had lived up to the teachings of the Baptist church, of which she had been a leading member and he an. attendant and supporter. John K. Spitler, who is the subject of this sketch, was born August 17, 1850, a son of Daniel and Hannah (Kagy) Spitler, who were then. residents of Bloom township. He was reared on the home farm and: was afforded better educational opportunities than fell to the lot of many youths of his age, his father consenting to his supplementing his common-school education with one term at Heidelberg College and an academic course of three terms at Republic Academy. Mr. Spitler graduated from the position of pupil into that of teacher, and although at this time he was but twenty-one years old he very efficiently fulfilled the duties of teacher for six terms in the Seneca county schools. In all farming districts the summers claim the time and labor of the young people of school age, and it was only during the winter seasons that his. services were in demand. After his marriage, in 1873, Mr. Spitler settled down to an agricultural life, renting land for the first five years and then buying a-tract of good land, in Eden township, where he remained for a period of ten years. In the meantime he had been looking about for a permanent home where he could carry on extensive operations in farming and the raising of high-grade cattle. He found a suitable place in his,. present fine estate, which was formerly the home of his wife's father and originally settled by Elder Lewis; Seitz, and it is thus one of the old farmsteads of the county. A trade was soon effected which placed-this very valuable property in his control. Mr. Spitler has, unquestionably, one of the best improved farms in Seneca county, and here- 598 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he carries on general farming and stock-growing. In all his methods he is progressive and enterprising, and he has succeeded in his endeavors, as a result of intelligent, well directed effort. In addition to the two hundred acres of land included in the home farm Mr. Spitler also owns a valuable forty-acre tract in the oil fields of Wood county, on which are located seven productive wells. Mr. Spitler was married on February 13, 1873, to. Miss Martha Patterson, who was a daughter of Daniel and Catherine (Seitz) Patterson, and four children have been born to this union, namely : Calvin B., who attended Heidelberg College and was graduated in the law school at Ada, is now a well known attorney in Tiffin; Cora B. is a talented musician, and a student in the Ursuline Convent, in Tiffin ; Worden M. is a teacher in district schools; and Ralph is at home. This comprises a family of unusual intellectual fiber. In his political attachment Mr. Spitler has been a life-long Democrat. He is held in the highest esteem in his locality, being a man of responsibility, and he not only represents an honorable old family but also personally stands for all that is best in the life of his community. CHARLES GEYER. In the death of Charles Geyer, in 1891, the city of Tiffin., Ohio, lost one of its leading capitalists and esteemed citizens. For many years he had been identified with the development of business interests here, and was one of the progressive and public-spirited men who took a deep interest in promoting the institutions which seemed to promise to be of benefit to the county, and. particularly to Tiffin, in which city he took a justifiable pride. The birth of Charles Geyer occurred near Leipsic, in the kingdom of Saxony, Germany, October 13, 1827, and he was a son of Christian and Catherine Geyer, also natives of Germany, who came to the United States in 1839, settling in Huron county, Ohio. Christian Geyer was a tanner by trade, an occupation in which the family had engaged for CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 599 generations. He carried on a tanning business in his new home and became a prosperous man, early introducing his son in the business. Charles was instructed in the tanning business in the thorough manner indicative of the methods of a German father, and in 1859 he was competent to engage in the business himself. He opened up a tannery in the village of Caroline, Venice township, in Seneca county, where he also engaged in farming for some years. In 1871 he removed the business to Tiffin, where he continued it for some time, later becoming a dealer in hides and pelts, in which line he became very well known, his business being one of the largest in this locality. This he managed with increasing prosperity until 1889, when he retired from it in favor of his son Samuel, who carries it on at the old location. Although Mr. Geyer built up his success by his own efforts he was for a number of years one of the most important factors in Tiffin's industrial life, and he became the owner of much valuable property in this city .and vicinity. His accumulations were but the natural result of a life of industry and close attention to business. Among the valuable tracts included in his holdings is one tract of thirty acres, within the city limits, on which are located four paying oil wells, and in addition he owned a number of valuable building lots, some of these well improved, and also ten acres in the same tract which contained his own beautiful home, a large brick residence, surrounded with attractive grounds. The Empire hotel, one of the best arranged and most convenient hostelries of the city was also his property, and this he superintended until the time of his death, although he delegated its management to others. It is now ably conducted by two of his sons and is one of the leading hotels in Tiffin. He was one of the incorporators and until his death was one of the board of directors of the Commercial Bank, a leading financial institution of this city. Mr. Geyer was married in 1854, in Chicago, Illinois, to Miss Ida Kaessmann, a native of Leipsic, Germany, where she was born on November 23, 1836. In 1854 she crossed the ocean and went to relatives in the city of Chicago, where she met and married Mr. Geyer. A family of six sons and three daughters was born to Mr. and Mrs. Geyer, all