CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 75 township:, where he reclaimed a good farm from the forest wilds and there passed the residue of his life, as did also his wife. On this old homestead—the one on which the subject of this sketch was born—Henry Smith was reared to maturity, attending the primitive school of the time and place as opportunity afforded, the advantages in this line being rather meager, as a matter of course. In 1851 he purchased a quarter section of wooded land, upon which he erected, a house of hewed logs, utilizing heavy beech timbers, which were properly squared and made ready for use in the erection of this house of three rooms and attic,—a domicile somewhat more pretentious than the average in the locality at that time. He improved his farm as rapidly as possible and there remained until 1864, when he disposed of the place and purchased a quarter section in Clinton township where he likewise' improved a good farm, remaining there until 1868, when he located in the vicinity of Tiffin. Later on he traded his property there for three hundred acres in Pleasant township, where he made his home for eighteen years. He then retired from active pursuits, taking up his residence in Tiffin, where his death occurred three years later. His widow is still living, making her home in Loudon township. The success which attended his efforts may be estimated when it is learned that he left an estate whose value was approximately sixty thousand dollars. He was a man of strong mentality and absolute integrity of purpose, and was one of the influential citizens of the county, where he was held in the highest esteem. His wife, whose maiden name was Barbara Fry, was born in Germany, and has now attained the venerable age of seventy-two years, making her home with her youngest eon, Daniel. They became the parents of eight sons and five daughters, and of this number eight are living at the present time. John H. Smith, the immediate subject of this review, remained at the parental home until he had attained years of maturity, assisting in the farm work and attending the common schools as opportunity presented.. He initiated his independent career about the time of his marriage, which occurred in 1875, renting land of his father about three years and then removing to Tiffin, where he remained about two 76 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. years devoting his attention' to teaming and also to farming. He thereafter continued his agricultural pm-suits on his farm of one hundred acres, in Bloom township, for a period of eleven years, at the expiration of which he traded the place for his present attractive and well improved farm, in Hopewell township, the same comprising one hundred and sixty-eight acres, of which all but eighteen acres is cleared and under a fine state of cultivation. In addition to diversified farming Mr. Smith also gives his attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, and his good judgment and discrimination have made both branches of his farm industry duly profitable. He takes a proper interest in local affairs of a public nature, and exercises his franchise in support of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, while in religion he is a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic church, in Tiffin, having been reared in this faith. On the 26th of November, 1875, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Mary Unser, who was born in Loudon township, the daughter of Joseph and Johannah Unser, and of this union four children have been born, of whom two are living namely : Harry, who is engaged in farming in Seneca township; and Clara, who remains at the parental home. The other two children died in infancy. DAVID H. DERR. The great agricultural industry in Seneca county has an able representative in the subject of this review, who was born on the farm where he now lives., in Clinton township, and who is a member of one of the sterling old pioneer families of the county, his father having located in the forest wilds of this section of the state more than seventy years ago. David H. Derr was born on his present homestead, on the 5th of May, 1844, being one of the seven children of Ezra and Rosanna (Cramer) Derr, and one of the four who are living at the' present time, the others being John T. and Dennis F., of Tiffin, and William, a sac- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 77 cessful farmer of Clinton township. Ezra Derr was born in Frederick county, Maryland, January I, 1807, and in 1829 he came thence to the wilds of Seneca county, Ohio, looking over the territory and then returning to his native state. In 1830 he came again to this county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of heavily timbered land in Clinton township, three miles northeast of Tiffin, later acquiring an additional tract of equal area, so that his farm comprised three hundred and twenty acres. Of this old homestead his son David H. now owns one hundred and fifty-eight acres and a fraction. When the father took up his location here there was a frame house on the place, the same having been erected by a Mr. Earl, the original owner. This was one of the first frame buildings erected in the county and is still in a fair state of preservation. Ezra Derr cleared and improved the greater portion of his farm, and here he continued to reside until his death, on the 30th of January, 1890, at the venerable age of eighty-three years. He was a stalwart Republican in politics, and was one of the zealous and influential members of the First Reformed church in Tiffin, having been an elder in the church for many years and having ever been ready to contribute to its cause and to forward its work in every possible way. He was well known in the county and was revered as one of the sterling pioneers who contributed his quota to the founding and building of this section of the state. His wife was born in Frederick county, Maryland, on the 25th of March, 1807, and accompanied her parents, Frederick Cramer and wife, on their removal to Seneca county, in the year following the arrival of Mr. Derr, to whom her marriage was here solemnized. She died on the 16th of August, 1889, her husband surviving her until the following January, as has been noted, so that these two, who so long lived in gentle and kindly affection in life, were not long divided in death. David H. Derr, the immediate subject of this review, was reared on the old homestead farm and received his early educational training in the public schools. He continued to work on the homestead for stipulated wages until, he had attained the age of twenty-nine years, when he and his brother William took charge of the old place and 78 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. worked it on shares, being thus associated until 1894, when William removed to his own farm, a part of the homestead, which he had acquired in 1890, after his father's death, and since that time our subject has continued operations on his portion Of the homestead, as has been already noted in this article. His place has the best of improvements and is maintained in a high state of cultivation, being devoted to diversified farming and to the raising of live stock. Mr. Derr has been an industrious and progressive worker and careful business man, and he has not been denied a due measure of success in his well directed efforts, while he commands uniform confidence and esteem in the community where his entire life has been passed. He gives his support to the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for public. office. He clings to the religious faith in which he was reared and is a worthy member of the First Reformed church in Tiffin, his wife being a member of the Baptist denomination. On the T0th of November, 1878, Mr. Derr was united in marriage to Miss Martha S. Kaga, who: was born in this county, the daughter of Rudolph and Anna Kaga, the former of whom died December 8, 1866, and the latter on the 27th of April, 1878. Mr. Kaga was born in Fairfield county, February 18, 1818, and there his father died, after which his mother removed with her family to Bloom township, Seneca county, in 1827, the family thus being numbered among the pioneers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Derr became the parents of three children, of whom two are living,—Rosanna Blanche and Ezra C., both of whom remain at the parental home. GEORGE SHANNON. One of the venerable pi0neers and honored citizens of Seneca county is Mr. Shannon, who has here devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits for more than half a century, having located in the county at a period when the virgin forest marked the sites of a major CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 79 portion of the present highly cultivated farms, and he thus aided in reclaiming the land and in laying the foundations for the prosperity which now attends the fine agricultural community of this favored section of the Buckeye state. He has cleared six different farms in this county, and prior to dividing his property among his children was the owner of nearly four hundred acres. He has been dependent upon his own resources from the time of his boyhood and his success is a merited reward for his well directed endeavors and his life of signal probity and honor. Though of advanced years Mr. Shannon retains marked mental and physical vigor and is a fine type of the pioneers of the great state of Ohio. Mr. Shannon is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Franklin county, on the 12th of October, 1816, the eldest of the five children of George and Barbara (Kiser) Shannon and the only one living at the present time. He was reared to the age of eighteen years in his native state, having very limited educational advantages, as the financial position of his father was such that he had to provide for his own maintenance while a mere child. In 1834 the family came to Ohio, making the trip with a one-horse wagon and locating near Canton,. Stark county, where the parents passed the remainder of their lives. At the age of nine years Mr. Shannon began working on a farm, for his board and clothing, and he thus continued in the employ of one man until he had attained the age of fourteen, when he began receiving wages. He remained in Stark county until 1847, when he came to Seneca county and after remaining for a few months in Tiffin he purchased a. tract of fifty-two acres, in Pleasant township, a few acres having been cleared and a hewed-log house erected. He cleared and improved this farm, and as prosperity attended his efforts he increased his holdings of farm property, clearing and improving five other places, having now his home farm, of seventy-three acres, where he took up his abode in 1898, having divided the remainder of his land among his children. He has a pleasant home and still maintains an active supervision of his farm, which is one of the model places of this section. In his political a.dherency Mr. Shannon has been a stanch supporter of 80 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the Democratic party from the time of attaining his majority, and he has voted for every Democratic presidential candidate from that time to the present, with the exception of the support which he gave to Abraham Lincoln, for whom he voted for his first and second terms. For several years he was a member of the school board of his district, and he also served as township trustee for four years. His religious faith is that of the Brethren, or what is generally known as the Dunkard church, of which he has been a devoted member for many years. On the d of January, 1840, Mr. Shannon was united in marriage in Stark county, to Miss Annie Mary Lautzenheiser, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, and they became the parents of eight children. namely : John and William, who died at the ages of forty-three and fifty-four years respectively ; Mary E., the wife of Jesse Miller, of this township ; Franklin, a farmer of this township ; Samuel, a resident of Tiffin; Lewis, who is a painter by trade and who is now engaged in farming in Sandusky county ; Melissa, who became the wife of John Schaffer and who died at the age of thirty ; and Nelson, who has charge of the homestead farm. Nelson married Miss Lizzie Remsberg and they have two children, Ralph Harris and John Clarence. He owns a farm adjoining his father's and operates both places. Mrs. Shannon, the wife of our honored subject, died January 28, 1900, after a brief illness. She had lived a consistent Christian life and for upward of sixty years proved a true helpmate to her husband, whose every effort received her hearty approval and co-operation. WILLIAM B. WASHBURN, D. V. S. Few members of the veterinary profession are better known in Seneca. county, Ohio, than is Dr. William B. Washburn, of Tiffin, Ohio. Educated in all of the principles and modern methods of his specialty, he is enthusiastic in its practice, and his services are valued highly and are in constant demand all through this county. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 81 The birthplace of Dr. Washburn was on a large estate owned and conducted by his father, Aaron G. Washburn, in Lucas county, Ohio, and the date of his nativity was February 8, 1869. The elder Mr. Washburn is likewise a native of Lucas county and is now the owner of a large dairy farm at Richfield Center. Dr. Washburn grew up on a farm and early became accustomed to the care of the stock, almost insensibly becoming interested in a way which probably determined his future career and his great success. Until he was sixteen years of age his father insisted upon his attendance at school, the boy showing unusual ability, and graduating, at that early age, from the high school at Sylvania. He then engaged in teaching in the district schools in his native county, continuing through two years, with marked success, and becoming one of the popular teachers although young in years. His health failed from over study, and in order to improve it he took a trip to Michigan. He there resumed teaching school and continued through the following year. His ambition, however, led him to enter an educational institution at Wauseon, Ohio, and that year was passed in the study of scientific subjects, with the result that Mr. Washburn's inclinations had now become a determination to enter seriously upon the systematic study of veterinary science. The sacrifice and suffering entailed upon the domestic animals which minister to our wellbeing and pleasure, on account of the ignorance prevailing as to their treatment, awakened in the young man an overmastering desire to learn how to cure and alleviate their afflictions. Mr. Washburn was received as a student by Dr. J. V. Newton, of Toledo, a gentleman of high standing in the profession, with whom he followed a preparatory course and later entered the veterinary college located at Toronto, Canada, continuing there till his graduation in 1893. Upon his return he remained with Dr. Newton in Toledo until the following year, when he came to Tiffin, where he has been engaged in active practice. In 1898 Dr. Washburn purchased a livery business, which he has extended into the largest and most complete of its kind in this locality, his horses and various equipments being of such a kind that they would reflect credit upon a much larger city. The Doctor is an ardent lover of fine horses, his admiration for such and the pleasure 82 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. afforded in driving them leading him to be the possessor of a few of the most spirited roadsters to be found in Tiffin or vicinity. The marriage of Dr. Washburn took place on May 3, 1893, to Miss Ada M. Leonardson, who was a resident of Riga, Michigan, a lady of many graces of mind and person. In his political preferences Dr. Washburn is liberal, being in no sense a politician. In fraternal circles he is a valued member of Pickwick Lodge, No. 175, Knights of Pythias, at Tiffin. As a leading member of his profession in this locality, Dr. Washburn is considered an authority, and is frequently in consultation over serious cases, few ever passing through his skilled treatment without relief. He is a member of the various county and state organizations of his profession, is respected by his brother veterinarians, and is in demand as a writer for the veterinary publications. In Tiffin Dr. Washburn is very well and favorably known, and his livery business is one of the leading concerns of the city, being well adapted to the city's needs and receiving the generous patronage it deserves. JOHN R. BRADNER. The family history of the Bradners is one of close connection with Fostoria, and its development, progress and material advancement. He whose name introduces this review has, like his father and brothers, been actively associated with business interests. that have been of benefit to the community, while promoting individual prosperity. He now conducts a general real-estate, insurance and collection agency, and is also serving as justice of the peace for Loudon township. John R. Bradner is a native of Fostoria, his birth having occurred in 1875. The family is of Scotch lineage and was founded in America by his great-grandfather, who was a native of Scotland and who was a minister of the Presbyterian church. For some years the representatives of the name resided in New York, but eventually the family was estab- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 83 lished in Ohio, and since that time the Bradners have had important influence in shaping the commercial and industrial history of the state. At the usual age the subject of this review entered the public schools, acquiring a good practical education. As. a real-estate dealer he is well informed concerning the value of property, not only in Fostoria and Seneca county, but in other sections of Ohio. He has handled many important property interests and negotiated deals which have involved heavy investments. He also writes a large amount of insurance annually, representing several of the standard companies, and his collection agency forms no unimportant department of his business. His efforts bring to him a handsome income and as an enterprising and wide-awake business man he is well known. Mr. Bradner was united in marriage to Miss Laura M. Earl, a most estimable lady of Fostoria, and a daughter. of Leroy Earl, of this city. Their union has been blessed with two interesting sons, J. Alonzo and Earl Milton. In public affairs Mr. Bradner is known as one who co-operates in every measure for the public good. His political support is given the Republican party and he was honored with election to the office of constable. So capably did he discharge his duties through the first term that he was re-elected in 1895. He was later elected justice of the peace, and is now an incumbent of that position. He has not been an aspirant for office, however, as his time and energies are fully occupied by his business interests. He is: a worthy representative of an honored pioneer family, one who, by reason of his sterling personal worth, deserves and is generally accorded that esteem which comes to those whose lives are in close touch with all that assists in advancing the community in which they live. HENRY KLAISS. No citizen of Seneca county enjoys the confidence and high esteem of his associates and neighbors in a greater degree than does Henry Klaiss, who has spent his entire life in the locality. Since attaining to 84 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. mature years he has taken an active share in the development of the resources of this vicinity, has materially aided in church and charitable enterprises and has ever used his influence in behalf of everything making for good citizenship. Born on the farm on which he now resides, March 4, 1855, Mr. Klaiss is .a son of Peter and Mary Matilda (Siple) Klaiss, natives of Northampton. county, Pennsylvania. In the early '40s the father came to Seneca county, Ohio, purchasing one hundred and twenty aores of partially improved land, in Eden township, the place which our subject now owns and occupies. At the time of the purchase a small log cabin stood on this farm, and in that primitive dwelling the family made their home for a time, after which a more suitable dwelling was erected. On this homestead the father made his home for many years, but he eventually retired from the active cares of a. business life and moved, after the death of his wife, to the town of Melmore, where he passed away in death in January, 1890. His wife was called from this earth on the 4th of July, 1880. This worthy couple were the parents of three chil- dren: Henry, the subject of this review; Jennie, the wife of George Keller, of Bloom township; and Frank, who resides near Mexico, Wyandot county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Klaiss were active members of the German Reformed church. Henry Klaiss, of this review, received his early education in the common schools of this neighborhood, and until his marriage he made his home with his parents on the old farm. He then removed to a farm of one hundred and forty acres in Seneca township, where he made his home for thirteen years, and on the expiration of that period he again returned to the home of his youth, buying the interests of the other heirs. The place now contains a tract of one hundred and twenty-three acres, ninety-three acres of which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and there he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. His life work has been crowned with success, but his prosperity has come to him as a result of energy, perseverance and hard work, his career thus illustrating most forcibly the power of patient and persistent effort and self-reliance. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 85 September 6, 1877, Mr. Klaiss was united in marriage to Miss Eva Stuckey, and they have one son, Dorsey F., aged twenty-two years. Mr. Klaiss gives his political support to. the Democracy, and he has ever been zealous in its support, believing firmly in its principles. His religious preference is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. CHARLES F. SMITH. Another of the enterprising and successful farmers and stock-growers of Seneca county is Mr. Smith and to him also is given the distinction of being a native of the county and a member of one of its honored pioneer families, so that there is manifest consistency in here entering a review of his career. Mr. Smith was born :in Liberty township, on the 7th of September, 1859, the son of Henry Smith, who was born in Germany, whence he accompanied his parents on their emigration to America, being five years of age at the time. They came to Ohio and settled in Seneca county, about the year 1821, and here Henry Smith was reared to maturity. He married Miss Barbara Fry, and they became the parents of eight sons and five daughters, of whom eight are living at the present time. When our subject was five years of age 'his father removed to Clinton township, where he made his home until 187o, when he located on the farm, in Pleasant township, where Charles F. now lives. Here he continued in agricultural pursuits until his retirement from active life, when he established his home in' the city of Tiffin, where he died September 14, 1889, at the age of sixty-three years. His widow now resides with her son Daniel, near Bascom. Charles F. Smith was reared on the home farm and his educational advantages were such as were afforded in the public schools. After his marriage, in 1885, he took charge of the homestead farm, and he now owns the place, having made the best of improvements, including an attractive and modern brick residence, while the area of his farm which is bordered by the Sandusky river, is one hundred and twenty-eight 86 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. acres, the place being devoted to diversified farming and the raising of high-grade live stock. In his political allegiance Mr. Smith is identified, as was his father, with the Democratic party, and he has at all times been deeply interested in public affairs of a local nature, doing all in his power to forward the educational and other normal interests of his community. He has served as director and supervisor of his school district, but has never sought any distinctively political office. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church in which he was reared, and he is a communicant of St. Mary's church, at Tiffin. On the 24th of November, 1885, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Anne B. Lutz, who is a native of Defiance county and a representative of one of its pioneer families, being the daughter of the late Michael Lutz. Our subject and his estimable wife are the parents of four .children, all of whom remain beneath the parental roof, namely : Eugene, Estella, Ralph, and Cecelia. MAHLON A. THOMAS. Mahlon A. Thomas, who is engaged in the real-estate business in Fostoria ranks among the more enterprising and progressive business men. The prosperity of any community, town or city depends upon its commercial activity, 'its industrial interests and its trade relations, and therefore the real upbuilders of a. town are those who stand at the head of the leading enterprises. Mr. Thomas is especially well informed concerning realty values and handles property not only in Fostoria and Seneca county but also throughout the state. A native of Huron county, Ohio:, he was born in Ripley township, . and is of English lineage. His paternal great-grandfather Amos Thomas, came from Great Britain and took up his abode in Otsego county, New York. The grandfather of Mahlon also bore the name of Amos Thomas, and he married Elmira Baker. Among their children was Delos L. Thomas, whose birth occurred in Otsego county, New CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 87 York, where he spent the days of his childhood and youth. He wedded Abbie J. Hulbert, a daughter of Hatzel Hulbert, of Otsego county, New York. Two of their sons are now living,—Mahlon A., .and William Leonard, who resides in Toledo. Soon after their marriage the parents emigrated westward, taking up their abode in Huron county, Ohio, about 1850. There the father engaged in farming and general business and there, in 1900, he was called to his final rest, being seventy-four years of age. Mahlon A. Thomas spent the days of his boyhood at home, and to the public schools of his native county and at Plymouth, Ohio, he is indebted for the educational privileges enjoyed. He was married October 21, 1880, to Miss Ida J. Hammond, of Huron county, an estimable lady, who shares with him the high regard which is uniformly his. They became residents of this city in 1892, when he established a general mercantile store, which he conducted with success for five years. On the expiration of that period he engaged in the real-estate business, and in his new field of endeavor he has met with results beyond his expectation. His operation's extend over a wide area and he has conducted many important real-estate transfers. In association with his brother he owns several farms, in Huron and Wood counties, Ohio, amounting to about five hundred acres, and they have made extensive improvements on their land and are now interested' in the operation of these farms. Mr. Thomas has also made extensive improvements' in city property, and he and 'his brother are also oil operators in Wood county, where they have leases of about six hundred acres, with about fifty wells in production. Mrs. Thomas is a worker in the Presbyterian church and has served as president of the Ladies' Aid Society. Mr. Thomas is also a stockholder in the Mechanics' Bank, and in his chosen field of labor he is meeting with that creditable success due uniform urbanity and business acumen. In political thought and action he has always been a Republican, but in local matters votes for those he considers best qualified. In business he has achieved success through honorable effort, untiring industry and capable management, and in private life he has gained that warm personal regard which arises from true nobility of character, 88 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. deference for the opinion of others, kindliness and geniality. Mr. Thomas is fond of hunting and has found recreation in numerous excursions in forest and field with his gun, visiting the best hunting grounds in Michigan and in the south. His home is one of the most attractive residence properties in the city of Fostoria, and is a center of refined hospitality, both he and his wife being prominent in the social life of the community. HENRY ZIEGLER. There is no one nation that has contributed to the complex composition of our American social fabric an element of more sterling worth or of greater value in fostering and supporting our national institutions than has Germany. Germany has given us men of sturdy integrity, indomitable perseverance, high intelligence and much business sagacity,—the result being the incorporation of a firm and strength-giving fiber, ramifying through warp and woof. A man who may well look with pride upon his German-American ancestry is the subject of this review, who its a native of Seneca county, where he has passed practically his entire life, devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits, possessing the dominating characteristics mentioned above and attaining a success worthy the name, with the concomitant confidence and regard of his fellow men. Mr. Ziegler was born on the old homestead farm, in Venice township, Seneca county, on the 23d of March, 1860, being the son of Henry and Louisa (Keller) Ziegler, the former of whom was born in Baden, Germany, and the latter in the kingdom of Bavaria. The father was reared on a farm in the fatherland, where he received his educational training and where he remained until 1854, when he emigrated to America, making the voyage on one of the sailing vessels common to that period and being on the deep for forty-eight days. He came to Seneca county soon after his arrival and located in Bloom township, where he began working on a farm by the month, continuing to be thus ern- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 89 ployed about three years, within which time, by his frugality and indefatigable toil, he accumulated sufficient money to justify him in the purchase of forty acres of land, in Venice township. He was married in 1838 and soon afterward took up his abode on his farm, where he continued to make his home until 1864 when he purchased eighty acres of land in Eden township, a portion of the. same having been cleared and a log house and barn constituting the principal improvements. He subsequently purchased an adjoining eighty acres, and this continued to be his home until his death, on the 9th of November, 1877, at the age of fifty-two years and five months. He was a devout member of the Reformed church, as was also his wife, who accompanied her parents, Peter and Susanna Keller, on their emigration to America; in 1852, the voyage being forty-two days in duration. They likewise settled in Bloom township, this county, where they passed the residue of their days.. Mrs. Ziegler survived her honored husband many years, passing away on the 10th of October, 1897, at the age of sixty-three years and ten days. They were people of sterling character, rearing their children to lives of usefulness and honor and being valued citizens of the community. Of their eight children we incorporate ,a; brief record, as follows: Jacob is. a farmer of Bloom township; Henry is the subject of this sketch; John lives on the homestead farm, in Eden township; Susanna At is the wife of W. H. Brouse, of Lykens township, Crawford county; George is engaged in farming in Eden township; Chris. topher L. follows. the same vocation in Wyandot county; and Emeline K. and Adam A. remain at the old homestead. A few years. after the death of the father the estate was enlarged by the purchase of an adjoining tract of ninety acres,. upon which a new and commodious residence was erected and other admirable improvements made, and there the mother made her home until her death. The immediate subject of this review was but four years of age when the family came to Eden township, and here he was reared to maturity, 'receiving a good common-school education and remaining on the homestead farm until his marriage, in 1887. He then located on a farm of eighty acres, in the same township, devoting his attention to - 6 - 90 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. its cultivation until 1891, when he removed to Lykens township, Crawford county, where he had a farm of one hundred acres. At the expiration of two years he came to the farm where he now lives, in Eden township, owning one hundred and sixty acres in the home farm and forty-three acres in Texas township, Crawford county. He has made his homestead one of the fine places of this section, the same having the best permanent improvements and being maintained under a high state of cultivation, while he also devotes considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock. Mr. Ziegler is recognized as one of the progressive and influential farmers of his native county, using marked discrimination in the conducting of his agricultural enterprises and thus winning the merited reward of definite success. He is a Democrat in his political proclivities. and his religious faith is that of the Reformed church, of which his wife also is a devoted member. He has lived in this community from his childhood and his life has been such as to gain and retain to him unqualified confidence and esteem. On the 27th of September, 1887, Mr. Ziegler was united in marriage to Miss Clara S. Klaiss, likewise a native of Seneca county, and they are the parents of seven children, all of whom remain at the parental home, namely : Frank L., Fannie M., Blanche N., Raymond A., Eliza E., Cora A. and Howard A. JOSIAH GOODING. The annals of Seneca county give evidence that the Gooding family has been identified with its history from the early pioneer epoch, and thus added interest attaches to the consideration of the career of the honored subject of this sketch, who is one of the prominent citizens and successful farmers of the county, in which he has passed his entire life, commanding the same confidence and esteem as did his venerated father, who located here when this section of the state was essentially an unbroken wilderness, the virgin forests standing where now are valuable and finely improved farms and thriving cities and villages. The stren- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 91 uous life of the pioneer has been the theme of many a writer, and yet never can too much be written concerning those who have blazed the way for progress and prosperity in the various sovereign states of our great republic and have been the founders of our enlightened commonwealths. Josiah Gooding was born in Adams township, Seneca county, on the 16th of October, 1835, being the son of Josiah and Amelia (Cooper) Gooding, the former of whom was born in England, on the 12th of January, 1803, and the latter in Dutchess county, New York, on October l0th of the same year. In 1821, when eighteen years of age, the father of our subject emigrated from his native land to America, locating in New York city, where his marriage was: solemnized. Of this union ten children were born, namely : Mary, born November To, 1828, became the wife of John Beigh and is now deceased; George, born December 2, 1827, resides in Hillsdale county, Michigan; William H. died in infancy; Sarah, J., born February 17, 1831, died on the 13th of January, 1865, having been the wife of 'Michael Bowerman; Catherine, born August 27, 1833, is the wife of Daniel Wyant, of Seneca county ; Josiah is the immediate subject of this sketch; Amelia, born April 26, 1837, became the wife of Hiram George and resides in Idaho.; Lydia, born July 23, 1838, is. the wife of Augustus Hoppes, of Henry county, Ohio; Elizabeth, born November 25, 1840, died on August 16th of the following year; and John C., born July 9, 1842, is a carpet weaver and resides on the old homestead where he was born. Josiah Gooding, Sr., came from New York to Seneca county about the year 1830, locating in Adams township, where he took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land, upon which he built a log cabin of the primitive type, with puncheon floor and wide fireplace. The land was heavily timbered, but he set himself vigorously to the task of reclaiming his farm from the wilderness, and had accomplished this at the time of his death, which occurred on the 6th of December, 1841, when he met with an accident that terminated his life, being thrown from a horse in such a way as to break his neck. His widow survived him many years, passing away on the 7th of November, 1875. 92 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Josiah Gooding, Jr., the subject of this sketch, remained on the old homestead farm until he had attained the age of sixteen years, early beginning to contribute his quota to its work and securing such educational advantages as were afforded in the district schools of the pioneer days. When he had reached the age noted, the homestead was sold, and he then began working by the month as a farm hand, continuing to make his home with his mother until his marriage, in 1859. He then engaged in agricultural operations on his own responsibility, renting a farm for two years and then purchasing eighty acres in Adams township, which tract is a portion of his present valuable estate. A log cabin had been erected on the place and this continued to be his abiding place for a number of years, the primitive domicile being far different in order from his present commodious and attractive farm residence. He now has a well improved and highly productive farm of one hundred and seventy acres, and gives his attention to diversified agriculture and to the raising of high grade live Stock. Reverting to his youthful days, it should be stated that Mr. Gooding supplemented his common school education by a course of study in the academy at Republic, and when nineteen years of age he put his scholastic acquirements to practical test by engaging in pedagogic work, receiving seventy-five cents per day and continuing to teach, at varying intervals, for ten terms. In politics he has ever given a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. He has never sought official preferment, but served for three years as justice of the peace in his township. His life has been ordered upon a high plane of integrity and usefulness, and to him is accorded the unequivocal confidence and esteem of the people of the community. Mr. Gooding has been twice married. On the 21st of April, 1859, he wedded Miss Mary A. Petticord, who was born on a farm now owned by her husband, the daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Rule) Petticord. She was summoned to eternal rest on the 26th of March, 1896. Of this union six children were born, namely : Elvira J., the wife of Benjamin F. Swander, of Adams township; Harry M., a farmer of Pleasant township ; William, who died in infancy ; Emma, the .wife of J. E. Shellham CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 93 mer, of Scipio township; George E., who is a farmer of that township; and Herbert A., of Adams township, who is engaged in teaching school, being also incumbent of the office of justice of the peace. On the 23d of April. 1898, Mr. Gooding was united in marriage to Mrs. Nancy M. Pontius, who was born in Adams township, the daughter of James Paine. She became the wife of William Pontius, who died in 1888, leaving four children, Schuyler, Hubbard A.,, Estella and Homer, the last two being now deceased. Mr. Gooding also made a home for Edith Fifer, of Indiana, who remained in his home from the age of eight years until the death of Mrs. Mary A. Gooding, the first wife of our subject. HENRY K. HERSHISER, M. D. The life of Dr. Henry K. Hershiser compassed the psalmist's span of three-score years and ten, covering a period of usefulness in which he lived and labored for his fellow men, carrying help and comfort to many. Not only his professional skill but his private life won for him the highest respect of all, and in his death the community lost one of its oldest and most prominent citizens. Dr. Hershiser was a native of Bedford, Pennsylvania, born July 7, 1832, and on the paternal side was of German lineage, his grandparents having been natives of Germany. Henry Hershiser, his father, was born and reared in Bedford, Pennsylvania, where he learned the distiller's trade, as a boy, though at twenty years of age he secured employment on a farm. In 1833 he came to Seneca county and settled in Venice township, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of government land, covered with a dense growth of timber ; but soon the monarchs of the forest fell before his sturdy strokes, and as the land was cleared he placed it under cultivation, continuing his residence thereon until five years prior to his death, when he sold his farm and removed to Columbus. In his business affairs he met with a fair degree of success, securing a comfortable competence. He was generous, warm- 94 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. hearted and kindly, and his life was in harmony with his professions as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He gave his political support first to the Whig party and afterward to the Republican party, and although he strongly endorsed the principles which he upheld by his ballot, he would never consent to become a candidate for office. He married Maria B. Kegg, who was born and reared in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, and who was of Scotch-Irish descent. Like her husband, she was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and, surviving him for thirteen years, she died at the age of eighty-one. Henry K. was about a year old when brought to Seneca county, where he passed his youthful days upon the farm, working in the fields through the summer months, while in the winter season he attended the public schools until sixteen years of age. He then went to Columbus, where he resided with his brother, William Hershiser, who was chief clerk in the state treasury department for eighteen years. He there secured a position as salesman in a drug store, where he remained for about eight or nine years, during which time he began reading medicine, having become imbued with the idea of making its practice his life work. After about five years' reading he attended lectures in the Columbus Medical College. In 1861 he began practice, and for a short time served as assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment of Ohio Volunteers. He was then transferred to Camp Douglas, at Chicago, Illinois, where he was engaged in treating small-pox patients for fourteen months. In 1865 the Doctor came to Tiffin, purchasing a drug store, which he conducted with success for nine years, having a large and well merited patronage. On the expiration of that period he sold his store, and up to the time of his death gave his attention entirely to his practice, which became large and lucrative. He kept informed concerning the advancement continually being made in his profession, and all improvements of practical nature he readily adopted, ever earnestly desiring to attain as high a degree of perfection as possible in the prosecution of his life work, in order that his efforts might be of greatest benefit to his fellow men. His skill ability were again and again demonstrated each year by CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 95 the masterly manner in which he handled difficult cases, and solved the perplexing problems which continually confront the physician. Dr. Hershiser was united in marriage to Miss Susan D. Myers, a native of Clear Springs, Maryland, who died in 1871. She was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a most estimable lady. They had two children; but the son died in infancy, while the daughter, Jessie D., is now librarian in the city library of Tiffin. Socially the Doctor was connected with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Tiffin Lodge, No. 77, F. & A. M.; Seneca Chapter., No. 42, R. A. M.; Clinton Council, No 47, R. & S. M., and De Molay Commandery, No. 9, K. T. ; while in the Scottish rite he attained the eighteenth degree, in Columbus. The Doctor belonged to the Seneca County Medical Society and to William H. Gibson Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. For sixty-nine years he resided in Seneca county and during the greater part of that period was connected with its business interests, either as a representative of commercial or of professional pursuits. He commanded public confidence and respect to a high degree and his life was ennobling to his fellow men. His name is associated with meritorious deeds, and all through Seneca county his work brought relief and comfort to thousands of homes burdened by sickness and distress. He passed away October 8, 1901, at the age of seventy years, three months and one day, and the honors conferred upon him by devoted friends were but a just recognition of the exalted worth, untarnished integrity and commendable character of a widely esteemed man. JACOB DEWALD. Within the pages of this work will be found specific mention of many sterling citizens who are native sons of Seneca county and who have here passed their entire lives, becoming identified with the industrial activities of this section of the state, and gaining success through their well directed endeavors. Of this number is the subject of this sketch, who is one of the progressive and highly esteemed farmers of Hopewell township. 96 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. Dewald was born in Loudon township, this county,' on the 14th of March, 1860, being one of the nine children of Peter and Barbara (Smith) Dewald, of whom individual mention is made elsewhere in this work, so that further recapitulation in regard to them and the family genealogy is not demanded in this connection. Jacob grew up on the old homestead farm, early becoming inured to the sturdy duties pertaining to its operation and receiving his educational discipline in the public schools. His marriage was celebrated in 1886, and after this important event in' his career he rented eighty acres of land from his father, in Loudon township, and there successfully engaged in general farming for a period of fourteen years. At the expiration of this time, in July, 1900, Mr. Dewald purchased his present fine farm of eighty acres, in Hopewell township, taking up his residence on the place in the spring of the following year. He brings. the most approved and scientific methods to bear in his farming industry, realizing that in this, as in all other lines of business enterprise, the highest results are to be attained only by the means of discrimination, careful attention to details and the utilization of all available facilities. His farm is under a high state of cultivation, is well improved and is one of the valuable places of this section. In politics Mr. Dewald gives his allegiance to the Democratic party, and both he and his wife are members of the Reformed church. In August, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Dewald to Miss Clara Heiserman, who was born in Loudon township, this county, the daughter of Joseph Rhineboldt. Her mother died when she was an infant and she was then adopted into the family of Jacob Heiserman, remaining in the home of her foster parents until her marriage and having been reared and educated in her native county. Mr. and Mrs. Dewald have one son and two daughters, namely : Earl, Edna and Dora. JAMES T. CARBIN. The march of improvement and progress is accelerated day by day, and each successive moment seems to demand of men a broader intelligence and a greater discernment than did the preceding. Successful CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 97 men must be live men in this age, bristling with activity, and the lessons of biography may be far reaching to an extent not superficially evident. There can be no impropriety in justly scanning the acts of any man as they affect his public, social and business relations. If he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor, investigation will brighten his fame and point the path along which others may follow, and thus his life becomes cumulative in its favorably influence. Among the able and representative business men of Seneca county is numbered Mr. Carbin, who has had to do with enterprises of wide scope and importance and whose executive capacity has been such as to enable him to achieve a noteworthy success, while the methods employed have been such as to gain and retain to him the' confidence and high regard of his fellow men. It is both gratifying and profitable to enter record concerning the career of such a man, and in the following paragraphs sufficient will be said to indicate the forceful individuality, initiative power and sterling character of a well-known citizen of Bloomville. James T. Carbin claims the national metropolis as the place of his nativity, having been born in New York city on Christmas day, 1856, one of the six children of Edward and Mary Carbin, and being the eldest of the three survivors, the others being Edward, who is ticket agent at the ferry office of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Jersey City, New Jersey ; and Alexander, a business man of the same city. The father of our subject was born in the fair Emerald Isle, where he was reared and educated. As a young man he emigrated to America. and located in New York city, where he passed the remainder of his life, passing away in 1876, at the age of forty-five years, while his wife survived him a score of years, her death occurring in 1897. He was a stalwart Democrat in his political proclivities and for years was a powerful factor in municipal politics in New York city, being a man of distinct individuality, alert mentality and marked facility in leadership and in the directing of popular opinion. At the age of eight years the subject of this sketch was assigned to the care of William Eastman, of Crawford county, Ohio, where he was reared to his twentieth year, securing his early educational training in the public schools of this state. In March, 1876, he returned to New 98 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. York city and engaged in the oyster business in Newark bay, New Jersey, continuing operations until December of the same year, when he returned to Crawford county, Ohio, and secured the position as foreman of the stone quarries operated by A. J. Brown, at Lykens. While there one of his fellow employes was H. E. Valentine, later state senator from Crawford county and now cashier of the First National Bank of Bucyrus, Ohio. Eventually Mr. Carbin turned his attention to contracting and bridge building, continuing in this line of enterprise until 1887, when he entered into partnership with William Cole and engaged in the general merchandise business in Lykens. At the expiration of a year Mr. Cole was succeeded by Jacob Brown, whose interests were purchased by Mr. Carbin about eighteen months later. He thereafter conducted the business as an individual enterprise until December, 1898, when he disposed of the same, having built up a large and profitable business. Mr. Carbin served as postmaster at Lykens for four years under the administration of President Harrison and for three years under President McKinley, while lie also acted as deputy to his partner, Mr. Cole, who was postmaster under Cleveland. For some twelve years prior to his removal from the town our subject was also incumbent of the office of notary public. He was recognized as one of the representative and most public-spirited citizens of the place, contributing in many ways to its advancement and material upbuilding, having erected two large store buildings and the town hall, and otherwise aided in the promotion of legitimate local interests. As has been stated, Mr. Carbin disposed of his mercantile interests in 1898, but in the preceding year he had become identified with that line of enterprise in which he has attained so marked success and reputation in this section of Ohio. He began his operations in connection with the telephone business by constructing the first line from Lykens to New Washington, and, failing to secure a satisfactory agreement with the Central Union Telephone Company, he then entered the field as an active competitor in Crawford and Seneca counties, soon completing the construction of a line from Nevada, Ohio, to Bucyrus and Lykens, where he established a central office. Thence he constructed the line to Tiffin, Seneca county. At Bucyrus there was no local exchange, and he estab- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 99 lished his office in the Deal House, while at Tiffin the office was installed in the Morcher House. Mr. Carbin is still identified with the local telephone exchange in Lykens, and with the Bucyrus Telephone Company, which has more than six hundred subscribers. In 1899 he established the telephone exchange in Bloomville, where he has more than one hundred subscribers where he maintains his home. He has, however, devoted special attention to the construction and operation of toll lines, in which connection he now touches Tiro, Shelby, Attica, Chicago Junction, Republic, Lodi, Chatfield, Carrothers, St. Stephen, Poplar, Plankton, Lemert, Spore and other points in the counties of Crawford, Seneca, Richland and Huron, having in use more than one hundred and thirty-five miles of toll line. Mr. Carbin was a pioneer in the independent telephone business in this section, and it is needless to say that he has met with strenuous opposition on the part of the old and opulent telephone concerns, but the justice of his claims has been invariably recognized in the various litigations in which he has been involved, and he has never wavered in his determination and independence, proving himself an able executive and one whose administrative capacity is of high order. Upon engaging in the telephone business he associated himself with Capt. M. A. Charlton, whose interests he purchased two years later, in 1899, simultaneously changing the title of the concern from the Inland Telephone Company to the Carbin Telephone Lines, under which last the business has since been conducted, with our subject as the sole owner. The position which he has attained as a successful business man is the more gratifying to contemplate when we revert to the fact that it has been attained entirely through his own efforts and ability, as reinforced by an intrinsic integrity of purpose which has caused him to never deviate from an honorable and straightforward course. He has made the most of his powers and his opportunities in each transition stage, and the result is that the poor boy has won his way to a place of honor and definite success. In his political allegiance Mr. Carbin is known as an ardent supporter of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and while a resident of Crawford county he was for years a prominent figure in local politics, having repeatedly served as delegate to state or congres- l00 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sional conventions, securing every favor which he saw fit to ask at the hands of his party and commanding the esteem of those Who differed with him in political faith. He is identified with Wren Lodge, No. 53o, Knights of Pythias, of Lykens, of which he was a charter member, and with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. In 1879 Mr. Carbin was united in marriage to Miss Kate E. Englert, who was born in Chatfield, Crawford county. being the daughter of Peter Englert, a native of Germany. Of this union four children were born,—Edward Blaine, Lloyd Garrison, Mellie and Pearl. Mrs. Carbin died on the 2d of August, 1891, and in the month of December, 1893, Mr. Carbin c0nsummated a second marriage, being then united to Miss Kate Laipply, who was born in Columbiana county, Ohio. the daughter of Levi Laipply, a native of the same county, she being but seventeen years of age at the time of her marriage. She has proved a true mother to the children of the first marriage, and to her they have ever accorded the deepest filial solicitude. Of the second union the following children were born : Prunella, Leland McKinley (who died in infancy), Benson Dale and Harold Roosevelt. The family are prominent in the social life of the community and their home is one in which the refined amenities are ever in evidence. The Carbin telephone lines are operated and controlled by the family, our subject being the owner, while his son, Edward Blaine, is manager, and the second, Lloyd Garrison, is chief operator. There is ample opportunity in this connection for the service of the other sons when they are ready to assume the duties involved. It may be said that the names of Mr. Carbin's three sons indicate his political sentiments and allegiance, and a notable circumstance in this connection is that each of these sons, named in honor of a Republican presidential candidate, was thus named before the nomination of said candidate, showing how distinct has been the political prescience of Mr. Carbin, who gave the names. ROBERT GILL PENNINGTON. One of the conspicuous and honored figures in the history of Seneca county was Robert G. Pennington, the distinguished lawyer and public-spirited citizen of Tiffin and a man whose whole life was directed along