CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 675 Ohio, which is a valuable property. During the present year, 1902, he became the owner of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Scipio township, Seneca county, and he also owns a farm of forty acres in Nebraska, thus making him the possessor of four hundred and ninety-one acres. His business career furnishes a splendid example of what may be accomplished through determined purpose, laudable ambition and well directed effort, for the position that he has attained in life has been won entirely through his own endeavors. In 1875 Mr. Cook was united in marriage to Miss Mahala Seiple, a native of Seneca county and a daughter of John Seiple, now deceased. To this union six children have been born, but the second child, Edson, died at thirteen years of age, as the result of an accident. Those living are: Lillie, Amana, Vernon, Lorena and Roy, all at home. Mr. Cook gives a stanch support to the Democratic party, but has never been an office-seeker, preferring to give his; undivided attention to his extensive business interests. He is a worthy member of the Reformed church. REV. JOHN P. PUETZ. Among the highly steemed citizens of Tiffin, Ohio, no one is more universally respected by all classes than is Rev. Father John P. Puetz, rector of St. Joseph's Catholic church. He came here in 1885 and his faithful service has been given for years to this parish, where he has had the satisfaction of seeing abundant blessing bestowed upon it. Father Puetz was born on German soil, in a Rheinish province, December 20, 1833. His parents were John P. and Mary Ann (Schrid) Puetz, both of whom were born, reared and married in the same province. They were respected and industrious farming people, who left their native land to find better opportunities for their children in the United States. In 1846, when their son John was thirteen years of age, they emigrated from Germany to Ridgeville township, Lorain county, Ohio, where they continued an agricultural life until the death of Mr: Puetz, at the age of fifty-four. His widow survived until in her seventy- 676 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. second year. They were devout members of the Catholic church, in which faith their family of eight children was carefully reared. The early life of the future priest was similar to that of other lads of his age, who grow up on a farm and attend the district schools, although from early youth' a serious mind had disclosed the trend of his inclinations. This induced his parents to send. him, at the age of eighteen, to be instructed in St. Mary's Seminary and College, at Cleveland, where he remained for five years under the scholarly influence of noted teachers who thoroughly prepared him for entrance upon the special study of theology. Due progress was made in this department and in 1865 he was ordained to the priesthood, in Cleveland, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Rappe. Succeeding his ordination the young priest was placed in charge of the parish and church at Galion, Crawford county, Ohio, the results of his five years' pastorate there being the erection of a school-house, the extension of a large and interested congregation and an impulse given to the religious work of the community, which has ever since borne fruits. Father Puetz then went to Sherman, Huron county, Ohio, where he remained for three years, busily engaged in building up and strengthening the religious institutions of his church. From there he was transferred to Milan, Erie county. Father Puetz came to that parish when it was in sore need of help, and there he faithfully labored for eleven years, serving three churches, building a flourishing parochial school and leaving the church in a prosperous financial condition. These unremitting labors, however, had told upon his health, and the succeeding eighteen months. were spent in rest in Europe, where he devoted much time to visiting the venerable and historic landmarks- of his church. On June 15, 1885, he and his brother, Rev. Martin Puetz, came to Tiffin, and together assumed the pastorate of St. Joseph's. For twelve years they labored as mutual coadjutants, this association being broken only by the death of Father Martin, at Los Angeles, California, on January 21, 1897, the immediate cause being an affection of the lungs. Much has been accomplished in the seventeen years since Father Puetz came to this congregation. The interior work of the church .has been renewed, a steam-heating apparatus installed and paintings and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 677 statuary appropriately placed. There is seating capacity for one thousand persons. The congregation numbers. about five hundred families. The rectory, a magnificent structure, was erected in 1887, at a cost of nine thousand dollars. A commodious school-house, which accommodates four hundred and sixty pupils, was erected in 1895, and the school is in charge of the Ursuline Sisters. The older boys are under the management of lay brethren. There are two libraries in the school, free to young people. The management of so large a parish and the cares attendant upon it keep Father Puetz a busy man, although he is never too much otherwise occupied to take an interest in all outside matters looking toward' the prosperity of this community. A scholar, he is widely read in various fields of literature; and he is an earnest advocate of those refining and uplifting influences that make for human elevation. He counts his friends in Tiffin by the score, as they are not, by any means, confined to the limits of his own congregation, his quiet, orderly, useful life having gained for him the esteem( of all with whom he has been brought in contact. It was in the years 1873-4 that he visited Europe. May I, 1873, he left home and visited Glasgow, Scotland, and Edinburg and Castle Mary Queen of Scots; spent three days in London in general sight-seeing; two days in Paris; traveled south through France to the Pyrenees, visiting Lourdes, famous for the cures by "Our Lady of Lourdes;" east to Marseilles, by steamer on the Mediterranean sea to Leghorn, Italy, Genoa, the birthplace of Columbus, Valencia and Naples; ascended Mount Vesuvius to the crater, breathing its sulphurous fumes; visited Pompeii, Rome, and saw the Pope, Pius IX ; visited the great art galleries at Rome, and St. Peter's church, one of the seven wonders of the world; also the catacombs, Venice and Milan; thence by stage to Switzerland; where he remained from August, 1873, to May, 1874; visited Carlsbad, Bohemia, and through; Germany to his birthplace in Freiberg, where he found but two persons whom he knew, and finally back to London and Liverpool, and thence by the White Star line to. America, reaching New York in October. Rev. Martin Puetz, two and a half years younger than the subject of the foregoing sketch, his brother, pursued; the same educational cur- 678 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. riculum and was ordained by Bishop Rappe two years previously to his brother. He was stationed at Monroeville, Huron county, this state, twenty-one years, erecting there a new and beautiful church and having a large congregation. Joining his brother, he came to Tiffin. He devoted special attention to Sicilian music and had one of the finest choirs at Monroeville; and here in Tiffin he developed the same idea, supplementing the operatic style, with the happy result of forming as fine a choir at St. Joseph's church as could be found in the diocese. This place has developed a fine touch of art in the music of the church, there being now about twenty-five voices in the choir. His interest in the church was great and he was rigorous in his efforts to have the musical services imposing. He was well liked by all regardless of church relations. Failing health led him to resort to Los Angeles, California, which place he had barely reached when his useful life .ended in death. His body Was brought back to his old home here and great honor was paid him at the funeral. LORENZO D. RICKETTS. When it is stated that the father of the subject of this sketch was a native son of the Buckeye state it will be evident in a prima facie way that he was a representative of one of the early pioneer families of this section of the Union, while it was also his to be numbered among those sterling pioneers of Seneca county who laid broad and deep the foundations of the present prosperity and advanced position of the county. Coming here in an early day he took part in subduing the wild land and reclaiming it for cultivation, and during the long course of a half century he was numbered among the honored and influential citizens of the county. Here also was born the subject of this review, and he has ably sustained the high reputation achieved by his sire, and is one of the leading farmers and stock-growers of Loudon township, where he has a finely improved landed estate and where he has practically passed his entire life, setting at naught the old adage, in its wider application, that CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 679 "a prophet is not without honor save in his own country," for he commands the confidence and esteem of the people of the community in which he was born and reared and in which he has directed his efforts to so goodly ends. He well merits representation in this work. Mr. Ricketts was born on the old homestead farm in Loudon township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the 9th of September, 1837, being a son of John and Dorcas (Shippy) Ricketts, of whose four children three are living, namely: Lorenzo D., our subject; Lydia, who makes her home with him; and Perry, who is also a successful farmer of this township. John Ricketts was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, in the last year of the eighteenth century, 1800, and was there reared under the influences of pioneer life, receiving such educational advantages as were implied in a somewhat desultory attendance in the primitive schools of the day, these being maintained mostly on the subscription plan, while the "temples of learning" were rude log cabins, equipped with puncheon floors and slab benches. In 1828 he left his native county and came to Seneca county, which was at that time practically a virgin forest, and here he was again to renew his pioneer experiences and to endure those arduous labors and encounter those vicissitudes which are ever the lot of the one who thus aids in the initial stages of the march of progress as the star of empire takes its way to the west. Upon his arrival he entered claim to a tract of eighty acres of wild land in Loudon township, and here erected a log house, to which he removed his family in the following year. Later he took up an additional forty acres and lie then set himself vigorously and courageously to the task of reclaiming the land, the greater portion of which he brought under cultivation. He here continued to make his home until his life labors were ended, his death occurring in 1875, in the fulness; of years and well merited' honors. His political allegiance was given to the Democratic party, and in the early days he served as trustee cf his township, being one of the' first incumbents of this office. His wife passed away on the old homestead, having been to him a true helpmeet and a devoted mother to her children, who will ever revere her memory, which rests as a benediction upon all who came within the sphere of her influence. Lorenzo D. Ricketts, the immediate subject of this review, was 680 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. reared under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the old homestead farm, and his educational training was secured in the public schools of his native township. -Upon attaining maturity he assumed charge of the paternal farm, and was successful in the cultivation of the same and also in the line of stock-raising, to which he has continued to devote considerable attention. He still owns and operates forty acres of the old farm, while in 1896 he purchased the farm of forty acres, in the same township, on which he now makes his home, having a commodious and comfortable residence and the best of improvements in all other essential lines, while he is known as a progressive and able business man, not content to follow entirely along the beaten path, but standing ready to avail himself of all appliances and methods, which will add to the success of his farming operations. He also takes a commendable interest in all that concerns the well-being of the community, and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. His political proclivities are indicated in the stanch support which he accords to the Democratic party, whose cause he espoused upon attaining his legal majority. He has never married and his sister presides over the domestic economies of his home, where a generous hospitality is extended to a wide circle of their friends in the community where both have passed their lives. GRATTAN H. BAKER. One of the earliest families making permanent settlement in Seneca county was that now worthily represented by the gentleman whose name forms the heading of this article. For many years they have been identified with the agricultural interests of this locality, and have aided materially in the development of the resources of Seneca county, taking an active part in everything calculated to promote the welfare and happiness of the majority. Judge Samuel Baker, the grandfather of him whose name heads this review, was of the fifth generation from Thomas Baker, who was born in England in 1618, and after coming to America he located at CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 681 East Hampton, Long Island. In 1639 he settled at Milford, Connecticut, and in 1650 returned to East Hampton. Judge Samuel Baker became a prominent sheepraiser of Steuben county, New York, where he also held the important office of judge of the court of common pleas. in. his family were twelve children, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, came to Seneca county. Thomas J. and Franklin came to this county in 1822, settling in Eden township, where each secured three. hundred and twenty acres of government land on section 13, but the latter was only permitted to enjoy his new home for a few years, being called to his final rest in 1831. In 1822 a sister, Mary, who became the wife of Joseph Baker, also came to this county and settled in Scipio, township. John Baker came to Seneca county in 1828, locating in Eden. township., and in the same year his sister Sophia, with her husband, George Stearns, found a home in this locality. Two others, Ann, the wife of Zelolus Knapp, and Lucretia, the wife of Sylvanus Arnold, also came to Ohio, but both afterward removed to Garden Grove, Iowa. Richard Baker, the father of our subject, was born in Urbana, New York, in January, 1809, and there he received his education in the public schools and was early inured to the labors of the farm. In 1835 he joined his brothers and sisters in Seneca county, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides, and here he became the owner of four hundred acres of land on sections 26, 35 and 36. His home place was on section 26, and at that time only a few acres had been cleared and a small log cabin had been erected. As the years passed by prosperity rewarded the well-directed efforts of Mr. Baker, and he was enabled to add to his original purchase until he became the owner. of one thousand acres of rich and fertile land, and there he was extensively engaged in the raising of sheep, having been the first to import a fine grade into Seneca county, bringing a fine drove of Spanish Merinos from the state. of New York in 1836. In 1872, however, he left this valuable place to the care of our subject and removed to another farm in the township,. there making his home until called to his final rest, when he had reached the eightieth milestone on the journey of life, passing away in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he had been long an active - 43 - 682 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. worker. In 1836 Mr. Baker married Miss Fannie Wheeler, who was born in 1819, a daughter of the Hon. Grattan. H. Wheeler, who was formerly a state senator from Steuben county, New York, and for several years he was also a member of congress. The ancestry of the Wheeler family can be traced back to John Wheeler, who served as a sergeant at Concord, Massachusetts, as early as 1639. Mrs. Baker's grandfather, Silas Wheeler, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and in 1775, after following Arnold through Maine, he was wounded and captured in Canada, and was taken to Ireland, where, owing to the intervention of Henry Grattan, he was released. Mr. Wheeler promised to name his first male child Grattan Henry, and he was the father of Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Baker was called to the home beyond in 1887. Grattan H. Baker, the immediate subject of this review, was born on the farm on which he now resides, on the 15th of September, 1848. His elementary education was received in the common schools of his neighborhood, and later he entered Hillsdale College, at Hillsdale, Michigan, where he enjoyed superior advantages. About the time of his marriage he became the owner of the old home farm of four hundred acres, where he has ever since continued to make his home, and as time has passed he has increased his landed possessions until he is now the owner of .six hundred and seventy-five acres, six hundred acres of which are in Eden township. Three hundred and sixty acres of his place are under an excellent state of cultivation, and in addition to the raising of the cereals best adapted to this soil and climate he is also extensively engaged in raising short-horn cattle and black-top Merino sheep. His is one of the finest improved farms in Seneca county. On the 4th of January, 1872, Mir. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Franke Fleet, a daughter of William and Eliza (Ogden) Fleet. The father came to Ohio, in 183o, and became the owner of sixteen hundred acres of land in Eden township. His death occurred on the l0th of June, 1880. He was twice married, his first union being with Mrs. Sophia Stearns. Mrs. Baker was born in Eden township, Seneca county, and was educated in the public schools and Heidelberg College. When twenty-one years of age she gave her hand in marriage to Grattan H. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 683 Baker, and they have four children,—William F., who is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University, and is now a member of the firm of Paddock & Baker, whose office is in the Calumet building, at 189 La Salle street, Chicago: July 20, 1901, he married Miss Catherine Paddock, a daughter of George L. Paddock, a prominent attorney of that city; Richard G., who is at present engaged in the cattle business in Colorado; Eliza O., who is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University and is now at home; and Florence, who is a member of the senior class of the same institution. Mr. Baker gives his political support to the Republican party, and in religious belief he is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church. EDSON F. GRAY. It argues well for the advantages of Seneca county that so many of her residents have never cared to change their place of abode, finding here good business opportunities as well as pleasant social life and educational opportunities. Edson F. Gray is numbered among the native sons of the county, his birth having occurred September 25, 1845, upon the farm. where he now resides, in Scipio township. He is a son of Samuel B. and Jane (Striker) Gray, both natives. of Steuben county, New York. In the year 1831 they came to Ohio, establishing their home in Eden township, Seneca county, temporarily, and in 1832 he settled upon the farm in Scipio township which is now the home of our subject and which had been entered by his father from the government. It was a tract of land of two hundred and fifteen acres, upon which he erected a log cabin built of round logs and containing but one room. All around the little dwelling stood the tall forest trees, but in course of time these fell before the sturdy strokes of the woodman!s ax and the sunlight showered across the grain in fields which had been cleared through his efforts. He remained upon the farm until 1851, when he went to California, where he was engaged' in prospecting and mining. After two years spent upon the 684 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Pacific coast, however, he returned to Seneca county and remained on the old homestead. here until his death, which occurred January 20, 1880,. when he was sixty-nine years of age. He long survived his wife, who. had departed this life in 1850. In connection with general farming, Samuel B. Gray was a land surveyor and civil engineer and followed! those pursuits for many years, being actively associated with the work of land surveying in this county. In politics he was a stanch Republican and had served his township as assessor. In his family were seven children, of whom five reached maturity. Marcus, who was born July 4, 1841, died at Lexington, Kentucky, in December, 1862, when a member of Company K, Forty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Charles., whow.as a member of the same company, was captured while on scouting duty and died in the prison hospital from injuries received when captured, at Richmond, Virginia, December 28, 1863. Edward F. is the next of the family. Jane is the wife of James Merchant, of Tiffin. Mary is the wife of Daniel Smith, of Republic, Ohio. Upon the old family homestead Edward F. Gray was reared, and like most lads of the period he attended the common schools of the neighborhood and was trained to the work of the farm, by assisting his-father in the development and cultivation of the fields. He was thus engaged until May, 1864, when, as a private of Company K, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he went to the front for one hundred days' service and participated in the defense at Washington. When twenty years of age he assumed the management of the home farm, which he has since continued. To-day he owns two hundred and fifteen acres of rich and arable land, on which he is carrying on general farming. Since 1884 he has been extensively engaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of Shropshire sheep and Jersey cattle, and finds. ready sale for all surplus breeding animals at satisfactory prices: On Christmas day of 1879 was celebrated the marriage of Edward. F. Gray and Miss Harriet L. Smith, and their union has been blessed with three children,—Gretta T., Frank Grattan and Letha Louise, to whom he has given the best local educational advantages. Mrs. Gray was born on an adjoining farm. Her father, David Smith, came on-horseback from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to Ohio when about twenty CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 685 years of .age. In 1839 he married Susan Neikirk, a daughter of Jacob Neikirk, and she was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and was, eight years old when her people came to Ohio. She died August 26, 1899, at the age of seventy-eight years, and Mr. Smith February 26, 1901, at the .age of ninety. In the family there were twelve in all, who reached maturity, of whom eleven are still living, 1902. Mr. Gray exercises; his right of franchise in support of the men and .measures of the Republican party and has served as assessor and trustee for a number of years. In 1884 he was a candidate for county commissioner, and he was a land appraiser in 1900. He belongs to Hildreth Lodge, F. & A. M., of Republic, and maintains pleasant relation with his army comrades through his connection with Robinson Post, at Republic, in which he has served as the commander, and he attends the reunions and national encampments. He enjoys reading history, especially of the rebellion, and has taken interest in details of noted battles of the civil war. There are but few points about the leading battles, the officers, the cause and sequence of historical events in the war, etc., with which he is. not acquainted. His interest is keenly alive to public .affairs and he enjoys helping in political work. Having always resided in this county, his life history is largely familiar to many of its citizens, and his career is known to be well worthy of regard. It has been characterized by diligence and enterprise in business and by trustworthiness in all life's relations. ELIAS H. GRIMES. Elias H. Grimes is a well known and progressive farmer in Seneca county, where he has acquired valuable landed interests. He is now successfully engaged in the operation of his farms and derives therefrom a good income. Mr.. Grimes was born in Frederick county, Maryland, on the 7th of March, 1829, and is a son of James and Rebecca (Ott) Grimes, in whose family were eleven children, five sons and six daughters. In the year 1833 James Grimes came to Ohio, taking up his abode 686 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in Liberty township, Seneca county, where he purchased eighty acres of land from the government. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon the place, the entire tract being still in its primitive condition as left by the hand of nature. Mr. Grimes erected a rude' log house of two rooms and with characteristic energy began the development of his farm, which in time yielded to him golden harvests in return for the care and labor he bestowed upon it. His was a useful, honorable and active career and he passed away in his eighty-fifth year, respected by all who knew him. He had served as justice of the peace for nine years and his rulings were strictly fair and impartial. His wife passed away when fifty years of age. Elias H. Grimes was a little lad of only four summers when he left his native state and accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio. Here in the midst of the wild scenes of the frontier he was reared to manhood, enjoying the pleasures as well as enduring .the hardships and trials incident to the establishment of a home in a pioneer region. He pursued his education in a. log school-house and early became familiar with the arduous task of developing a new farm. To his father he gave the benefit of his services until he had attained the age of twenty-two years, when he entered upon an independent business career, working as a farm hand in this county. After he had been employed in that capacity for a few years, he rented land and began farming on his own account. Eighteen years later he removed to St. Joseph county, Indiana, where he purchased eighty acres of land, making his home thereon for seven years, after which he returned to Seneca county and took up his abode on the old family homestead in Liberty township. He conducted work upon that farm for five years and then came to his present place of residence. He owns here a rich tract of eighty acres and has a second tract of like amount, being a part of the old homestead, so that his landed possessions comprise a quarter section of the rich soil of Ohio. He is now successfully carrying on general farming in a most modern. way, and all of the improvements and accessories of a model farm are found upon his place. March 19, 1861, Mr. Grimes was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Luman, and unto them have been born the following children : CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 687 James E., Ellen Emma (a twin who died at one year), David O., Charles, Joseph B., Samuel, John, Amanda, George, Mary E., Myrtle May, Blanche B., Rosa! A., Howard E. and Willard M. Charles and James are in Washington and all the remainder are at home or living near. The family is well known in the community and the members of the household have many warm friends. Mr. Grimes exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his time and attention to his. business affairs, in which he is meeting with creditable and well deserved success. All that he has is the reward of his own labor and his life record proves what a potent element is diligence in the active affairs of life. JOSEPH L. ANWAY. Mr. Anway was born October 13, 1829, on the farm. where he now resides. His father, William Anway, was a native of Cayuga county, New York, where he was born in 1803. His father was William Anway, who, with his son William came to Seneca county, Ohio, soon a.fter the land sales in 1821, taking up his abode in Scipio township. He entered three hundred and twenty acres of land from the government and is remembered as one of the honored pioneer settlers of this locality. The work of improvement and civilization had then scarcely begun, and he rendered substantial aid in laying broad and deep the foundations for the present prosperity and progress of this portion of the state. He was accompanied to this state by his seven sons and three daughters, all of whom became active factors in the upbuilding and improvement of this region. William Anway passed away at the early age of forty-eight years. William Anway, Jr., was twenty-one years of age on the very day of his arrival in Scipio township, and relates that the first night was spent in an old Indian but which stood near the present Baltimore & Ohio depot in Republic. He married Eliza Lapham, who was born in 688 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1809, in Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph. and Lovina (Howland) Lapham. Her parents had eight children to reach the years of maturity, namely: Eliza; Noah, who married and died in Attica, aged eighty-five years; Henry, who became a farmer in Reed township and died past seventy years of age; Ruth and Phebe, who married and died young; Slocum, who lives at Odessa, Michigan; Mary Ann, now the wife of Jacob High and living at Portland, Michigan, being aged eighty-one years; and William, who lived on the old homestead and is now retired and living at Republic, aged seventy-four years. Joseph and Lovina, the parents, died aged respectively eighty-nine and. eighty-five years. On emigration from Massachusetts the family made their home for a time in New York state, and came to Ohio about 1825. The residence was a mansion, erected sixty years ago, and was the largest in the county. Mrs. Anway was seventeen years of age at the time of her marriage. She and her husband had four children, of whom Joseph L., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest. 'William H., of Republic, has separate mention on another page of this work ; Morgan H., born July 14, 1840, is a resident of Scipio township; and Phoebe J., still unmarried, is living at the old home, identified with all the advancement of the community. Soon after their marriage the parents removed to the farm one and a half miles southeast of Republic, upon which Joseph L. Anway is now living. It then comprised eighty acres, upon which the father erected a log cabin and where with characteristic energy he began to clear the timber off and improve the land, in the course of years developing a valuable farm. He prospered in his business and by additional purchases extended the boundaries of his property. until he owned six hun- dred and ten acres at the time of his death. Both he and his wife were consistent and influential members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were active in its work. Mr. Anway departed this 'life in f$63, being survived by his companion until July 31, 1881, when she, too, was called to rejoin him beyond the boundless sea. Joseph L. Anway was reared on the family homestead, and the common schools afforded him his educational privileges. The first school which he attended was held in a small log building, but later he was a student in the academy at Republic. When twenty years of age he be- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 689 gan to teach, which profession he followed through three winter terms, with reasonable success. With the exception of a few years his entire life has been passed at the old home, and well does he deserve mention among the progressive agriculturists of the community. In October, 1852, Mr. Anway was united in marriage with Miss Betsey A. Thompson, who died in 1864. By this marriage there were three children: .Martha and Ida J., who died in infancy; and Myrta Ann, now the wife of Irvin Ogden, having one child, M. Josie, aged six years. On the 16th of December, 1869, Mr. Anway was again married, his union being with Miss Maryette Ames, a daughter of Charles and Alvira (Higley) Ames. Her father, born in Connecticut, married in Genesee county, New York, and came to Scipio township, Seneca county, Ohio, in 1863, and died in November, 1898, at the age of eighty-five years, while his wife had passed away in July of the same year, at the age of eighty years. At the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage all but one of their nine children were living. The record; is as follows: Judson, a resident of North Dakota, was a member of the Twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving for three years in the civil war, and was wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville; Henry was a member of the Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was killed during the war, in the battle of Lookout Mountain; Louisa is. the wife of Morgan H. Anway, of Scipio township; William lives in the state of Washington; Emily is the wife of John E. Anway, of Chicago Junction; Maryette, already spoken of ; Joseph, a resident of Fargo, North Dakota; Albert, .who resides at Minneapolis; and David, also a resident of Fargo. Mr. Anway, our subject, owns and cultivates two hundred and seventy acres of fertile land in the homestead. He also has another tract of eighty acres on section 21 of the same township. Nearly all of the improvements upon these places are his work and stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. The residence was erected in 1815. The home has ever been open to welcome the homeless or destitute. Twelve boys and one girl have resided here with the family from. early years, being given school and other advantages. The girl, Mary J. Ames, is now a teacher at Big Lake, Minnesota, being principal of the schools. In public affairs Mr. Anway has been prominent, and for eighteen 690 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. years held' the office of trustee of Scipio township, discharging his duties with marked faithfulness and capability. Socially he is identified with the .Independent Order of Odd: Fellows, and politically he is a Republican. He manifested his loyalty to the government during the civil war by his enlistment, on the 2d of May, 1864, as a member of Company K, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio Infantry, which was sent to the defense of Washington. He is a member of Captain Robinson Post, G. A. R., of Republic. WILLIAM HOUCK. Among Seneca county's native sons William' Houck is numbered. his birth having occurred in Clinton township on the 31st of January, 1842. His father, Henry Houck, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, whence in 1832 he made his way to the Buckeye state, settling in Seneca county. He married Rachel J. Shriver, and they became the parents of five sons, of whom William is the eldest, the others being Louis, a merchant of Webster City, Iowa; Ezra M., who is living in Seneca township; Wilson, who died at the age of ten years; and Hiram S., whose death occurred in Sumner county, Kansas. The second son was a soldier of the civil war, enlisting twice during the progress of that event. William Houck remained in Clinton township until fifteen years of age, when he removed with his parents to Seneca township, continuing at home until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred in 1862, the lady of his choice being Miss Ann M. Manges, by whom he has four children: Margaretta J., the wife of John, Claybaugh, a resident of Seneca township; Mary A., the wife of Alvin Johnson, who is also living in that township; Ida 0.; and an infant son, deceased. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Houck began their domestic life upon a farm which belonged) to her father and there resided for three years, when they removed to the farm which has since been the home of our subject. At the time of his marriage, however, he put aside all business and personal consideration, bade adieu to his young wife and on CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 691 the 2d of May, 1864, joined Company B, One Hundred. and Sixty-fourth Infantry, as a private. The regiment was mustered in for one hundred days' service and was sent to the defense of Washington. When the term had expired, Mr. Houck was mustered out and returned to his home in Seneca county. He is now a member of Gibson Post, G. A. R. In. 1896 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 23d of December of that year, leaving many friends, for her excellencies of character had gained for her the love and esteem of all. Mr. Houck and family hold membership in the Presbyterian church, in which Mr. Houck has served as elder since 1877. He has always endeavored to shape his life according to his Christian belief and his name is synonymous with integrity and with fair dealing in all his relations with his. fellow men. ABRAM D. SHIDLER. Among the worthy and progressive agriculturists of Seneca county no one is more justly entitled to an honorable place in its history than Mr. Shidler, who was born on the farm which is now his home and who has been usefully identified with the prosperity of the county in the promotion of its agricultural interests and of progressive measures for the general good. He has made the county his home throughout his entire life and has been a witness of its development from the early pioneer epoch, while his also is the distinction of having been one of the brave defenders of the Union during the war of the Rebellion. Mr. Shidler was born on his present farm, in Pleasant township, on the 8th of January, 1850, being the son of John and Annie (Sellers) Shidler, the former of whom was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. Of their six children we make record as follows: Charlotte is deceased; Catherine is the wife of John P. Lousway, of Putnam county; Abram D. is the subject of this sketch ; Laura B. is the wife of Charles Ross,. of Indiana ; Eliza A. is deceased; and Ellsworth. is a resident of Sandusky county. John Shidler came to Seneca county in 1838, in company with his father, Jacob Shidler, and they located in Pleasant township, of 692 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which they thus became pioneers : the father of our subject here purchasing a tract of seventy-nine acres of government land, the same being heavily timbered. Here he erected a little house of hewed logs, and on the place the family remained until 186x, when the father removed to another farm, of fifty acres, in the same township, where he remained until his death, in 1889, his widow thereafter abiding in the home of our subject until she, too, was called to her eternal rest, in December, 1901 Both were devoted members of the German Baptist church and they were held in the highest esteem in the community where so many years of their lives were passed. The father was a shingle-maker and carpenter, and in the former line he did a profitable business here in the early days, manufacturing the shingles by hand. The farm which he first purchased is now the home of his son, to Whom this sketch is principally devoted. Abram D. Shidler was reared on the old homestead and attended the district schools as opportunity afforded, but when a mere lad, but little past his fifteenth birthday, he manifested his youthful patriotism and loyalty by tendering his services in support of the Union, enlisting, on the 13th day of January, 1864, as a member of Company B, One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered into the service at Camp Chase, in the city of Columbus, and thence proceeded with his command to Winchester, Virginia, where they remained at the front until July 12, 1865. Thence they went to Harper's Ferry, where they remained about ten days, after which they proceeded to the national capital and then to Alexandria, Virginia, where they were stationed until the 23d of December. The war having now closed, the regiment returned to Columbus, where our subject received his honorable discharge and was mustered out as a youthful veteran.. He then came back to Seneca county and was associated with his father in his farm- ing operations until 1870, when he came back to his present farm, which his father still owned, and here he has ever since maintained his home and devoted his attention to general agriculture, having added fifty-five acres to the original tract and now having a finely improved farmstead of one hundred and twenty-nine acres. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, but has never sought official preferment, though he served with marked efficiency as clerk of the school board of his district for a term CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 693 of years. His religious faith is that of the Progressive Dunkard' church,. of which his family are also members. Fraternally he maintains his: association with his old comrades in arms, through his identification with-the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of General William Gibson Post, at Tiffin-. In 1870 Mr. Shidler was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Ross,. who was a daughter of William Ross, a pioneer of Seneca county, and of this union twelve children were born, of whom six are deceased, namely : William, Charles, Logan, Jesse, Roy and Albert. The surviving children are: Annie, the wife of Ezra Smith, of Pleasant township; Franklin, at home; Clara, the wife of Willard W. Jones, of Old Fort; and Oliver, Elmer and Russell, who remain at the parental home. Mrs. Shidler passed away in 1893, and on the 26th of November, 1895, our subject was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary E. Osborn, who was born in Seneca county, the daughter of Absalom and Malissa (Parker) Hall. She was. first married to Roswell Osborn, by whom she had one daughter, Lottie M., who remains at the subject's home. Mr. and Mrs. Shidler have two children,—Abraham Dewey and Violet M., who died on the 27th of June, 1901. Their pleasant home is the center of gracious hospitality and they have a host of friends. in the community. EPHRAIM STAHL It is pleasing to note the large number of native sons of Seneca, county who are identified with its industrial activities and who command unqualified confidence and esteem in.the communities where they have passed their entire lives. Of this number is Mr. Stahl, who is one of the' successful men of the county where he was for many years a representa tive farmer, having now retired from active business and. maintaining-his home in the city of Fostoria. Mr. Stahl was born on the old homestead farm in Jackson township,. on the 29th of July, 1848, being the son of Henry Stahl, who was born in Perry county, this state, on the 2d of January, 1821, his father having been one of the pioneers of Ohio. When he was seventeen years of age- 694 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he accompanied his widowed mother on her removal to Jackson township, Seneca county, and they settled on the farm where our subject was born, having purchased! a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, and there he made his home until 1851, when he located on the Sandusky road, erecting a brick house, where he lived! until his death, which occurred May 3, 1902. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Rineboldt, departed this life only a short time before, on March 6, 1902. She was born in Perry county, Ohio. They became the parents of six children, namely: Rebecca, who became the wife of John Feasel, is deceased; Lucinda is the wife of Jacob Ecker, of Jackson township; Lydia is the wife of Gottlieb Mertz. of Hancock county; Ephraim is the immediate subject of this sketch; Esther is the widow of Jacob Hiserman, of Jackson township; and Levi, who died in infancy. Henry Stahl was a man of fine mentality, having secured his education principally through personal application outside of the school-room, and as a youth he was a successful teacher in the primitive log school-houses of this county, teaching the first school in Jackson township, and following this profession for several years during the winter months. In politics he always gave a stanch support to the Democratic party, and his religious faith was that of the Lutheran church, in which he was a zealous and active worker. For many years he held the office of justice of the peace, and he also served as trustee of his township. Prior to dividing his estate among his children he was the owner of about eight hundred acres of land, being one of the prosperous and influential men of the county. Ephraim. Stahl, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the old homestead farm and received his educational discipline in the public -schools of the place and period. At the age of twenty-one years he was married, and he thereafter continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits, on the old homestead, until 1896, when he took up his residence in Fostoria, where he has an attractive home in a. desirable section of the city. He still retains possession of his farming property, having a valuable and finely improved estate of three hundred and sixty acres. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party, and both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. On the loth of June,. 1869, Mr. Stahl was united in marriage to CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 695 Miss Louisa Peters, who was born in Loudon township, Seneca county, Ohio, the daughter of Abraham Peters, one of the pioneers of Seneca county. Mr. and Mrs. Stahl had three children, namely: John F. and William E., who are successful farmers of Jackson township; and Henry, who died in infancy. SAMUEL HORN. The subject of this memoir was at the time of his death incumbent of the responsible position of superintendent of the Seneca county infirmary, being known as a capable and faithful executive and being held in the highest esteem in the community. It is eminently consistent that we here direct attention to the more salient points in the life history of Mr. Horn, who maintained his residence in Seneca county for thirty-four years, being prominently identified with its industrial an() official interests. Mr. Horn was a native of the old Keystone state of the Union, having been born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, on the l0th of June, 1829. He was reared on a farm and received a. common-school education. When eighteen years of age he entered upon an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade, devoting his attention to this line of work for a. period of three years and then returning to the farm. He continued to be thereafter engaged in agricultural pursuits in his native state until 1869, when he came with his family to Seneca county, Ohio, locating in Fort Seneca, where he purchased a gristmill, to whose operation he thereafter gave his attention for a period of five years, at the expiration of which he again turned to the vocation of an agriculturist, in Clinton township, where he remained until 1883, when he was chosen superintendent of the county infirmary, retaining this incumbency two years and two months and managing the affairs of the institution with distinctive discrimination and ability. He then resumed farming in Clinton township, where he made his home until 1892, when he removed to a farm of his own in Crawford county, but a few years later he returned to Clin- 696 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ton township, where he followed farming until 1897, when he was again called to the superintendency of the infirmary, in the administration of whose affairs he continued until his death, on the 31st of March, 1902,. his. efforts meeting with the approval of all concerned and making the institution the more creditable to the county. His last term as superintendent covered exactly four years, his demise occurring on the fourth anniversary of the day on which he assumed control. In speaking of his official service the Seneca Advertiser, of Tiffin, gave .utterance to the following statements : "He was recognized by all as a competent and obliging official and his methods of conducting the county farm and caring for the unfortunates under his charge were such that he had the esteem and respect of every person on the place and the complete confidence of the infirmary directors." In politics Mr. Horn was ever a stanch supporter of the principles. and policies of the Democratic party, and he served for several years as trustee of Clinton township. His religious faith was that of the Reformed church, of which his widow is likewise a devoted member. Fraternally he was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was a charter member of Tiffin Lodge, No. 8o, Knights of Pythias, under whose auspices his funeral obsequies were conducted, on Thursday afternoon,. April 3, 1892, at the Reformed church in Tiffin, the Rev. J. D. Buhrer officiating. The Odd Fellows' fraternity was also largely represented at the funeral, a delegation from the lodge at Fostoria having been present, in addition to many of the brothers of the Tiffin organization of the order. He was laid to rest in Greenlawn cemetery, and the community realized fully that a good man and capable. official had passed to his reward. On the 22d of February, 1854, Mr. Horn was united in marriage to Miss Mary Meitzler, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Rosa, who is the wife of Rev. Henry Gramm, of Toledo, a clergyman of the Reformed church ; Elmina, who is the wife of Clariden Cramer, of Clinton township; Benjamin and John, who are farmers of Oklahoma Territory ; Aquilla, who CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 697 is the wife of Eugene Heiberger, a druggist of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Samuel A., a farmer of Clinton township. Mr. Horn was one of the widely known horse dealers of Seneca county, his operations in this line covering the period of his residence on the farm north of Tiffin, and it is said that one of the finest shipments of high-grade roadsters, bought in the vicinity of Hillsdale, Michigan, ever sent into the city of Philadelphia was: made under his direction and selection, each of the animals being able to make a record of three minutes or better. JOHN A. BRADNER. By the death of this honorable and upright citizen Fostoria and Seneca county, and, indeed, the state of Ohio, sustained an irreparable loss and were deprived of the presence of one who had come to be looked upon as a guardian and friend. Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose, those whose lives have been exemplary of the true and good and who are therefore really great citizens. Such a man was John Alonzo Bradner, whose entire career, both business and social, served as an inspiration to the aged and as a model to the young. His work as a member of the legal profession, and more especially as a railroad builder, was of the greatest benefit to the state, and by his usefulness and general benevolence he created a memory) whose perpetuation does not depend upon sculptured stone or elaborate mortuary crypt, but rather upon the spontaneous and freewill offering of a grateful and enlightened people. His connection with Fostoria's development and growth and with the cumulative work of material improvement was largely instrumental in placing the city in the proud position it to-day occupies. Mr. Bradner was born August 13, 1833, at Niagara Falls, New York, a son of William and Laura. (Everingham) Bradner. He spent his early life in the place of his nativity, pursued his education in the Lewiston Academy, and in 1849 removed with his parents to Perry - 44 - 698 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY township., Wood county, Ohio. His father established a store at West Mill Grove and he became a salesman therein. After clerking for six years he bought the store from his father and for two years carried on the enterprise individually. In 1859 he removed to, Fremont, Sandusky county, where he was manager of a warehouse for the ensuing four years. In March, 1863, Mr. Bradner arrived in Fostoria, where he established a hardware and stove business, conducting the same with adequate success for a period of nine years, or until 1872, when the demands made upon his attention by other business enterprises caused him to dispose of the store to devote his entire time to the development of other interests. For thirty-five years Mr. Bradner was engaged in railroad building. He aided in securing the right of way, and was engaged in the construction of the Hocking Valley, the Ohio Central and the Nickel Plate Railroads; and he also took the contract for the construction of nineteen miles of the old Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad and thirty-five miles of the Clover Leaf Railroad. Thus, as a railroad contractor, he was closely associated with the work of improvement, for no other one agency has so direct or so important bearing upon the upbuilding and progress of a country as the introduction of railroads. He also secured the right of way for the Toledo, Fostoria & Findlay Electric Railroad, and at the time of his death he was the secretary and treasurer and the general manager of the Ohio & Northwestern Electric Railroad. In the winter of 1900-1901 he secured for this corporation the right of way from Fostoria to Jerry City, and while engaged in that work was taken ill, passing away on the 9th of July, 1901, at the age of sixty-eight years. When the state had been largely supplied with railroads for transportation by the power of steam, his progressive spirit led him to take up the new methods of travel by the aid of electrical power, and thus he was associated with the upbuilding of interurban lines. This, however, did not comprise the extent of Mr. Bradner's connection with business interests. He macadamized the principal streets of Fostoria ; was engaged in the stone and lime business, having been a large stockholder and president of the Fostoria Stone & Lime Com- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 699 pany; was one of the organizers of the first gas company here; and in all ways was known as a progressive, public-spirited and influential citizen. He was a man of keen sagacity, capable of looking beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities of the future. He labored not alone for himself or for his own generation but also for posterity, for through many years to come his efforts will benefit those who follow him. His interests were of important character and of great magnitude, and although his business career was so successful as to seem almost phenomenal, it but represented the fit utilization of his powers along the lines where mature judgment led the way, and his prosperity was the result of his own efforts. While he was engaged in building the Hocking Valley Railroad Mr. Bradner was associated with Mr. Ransom Crocker in the founding and platting of a town in Wood county, located on the line of this railroad, and the same was named in honor of the subject of this memoir. Bradner is now a very attractive and prosperous town of seventeen hundred population, being located in the center of the oil belt and having before it an unmistakably auspicious future. On the 3d of March, 1856, Mr. Bradner was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Phillips, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Phillips, of Jerry City, Ohio, and unto them were born the following named children : Catherine, the eldest, is the wife of Samuel Lynn, of Toledo ; May became the wife of Pliny Jones, of Fostoria, and is now deceased ; Rosa, who was the wife of Brice M. Stout, of Fostoria, is likewise deceased; Martin, who was editor of the Evening News, of Fostoria, died at the age of twenty-seven years, leaving a wife and two children,—John A. and Frederick ; Jessie is the wife of Edward Cooper, of Fostoria; Franc is the wife of Frank Stout, a furniture dealer in Fostoria, which city likewise continues to be the home of the two other sons, Harry E. and John R. In addition to all his other interests John A. Bradner studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1879, and became the first city solicitor of Fostoria. For twenty-one years he was incumbent of the office of justice of the peace, and his rulings were ever fair and impartial. He served for seven consecutive terms in that office in Loudon township, and was