1250 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. A. S. ALEXANDER. Although the early life of the gentleman whose life record is briefly touched upon in the following paragraphs was one of hard toil, his industry has been well rewarded and he finds himself after a half century spent in his native locality in comparative ease as a result of his good management and former years of industry. A. S. Alexander was born in Plain township, Wayne county, in 1859, the son of Samuel K. Alexander. He was educated in the home schools. which he attended during the winter months, working on the farm during the crop seasons. He entered Wooster University and passed through the preparatory department, making an excellent record for scholarship. After leaving school he turned his attention to farming, and, believing that opportunities existed for him in Kansas, he spent thirteen years there farming and stock raising, making a success of both and becoming well established. But tiring of the Sunflower state and having an opportunity to get possession of the home farm in Plain township, Wayne county, Ohio, he returned here in 1898 and has followed general farming ever since, improving the old farm and managing it in such a manner as to reap rich rewards for his painstaking efforts. He always keeps some good livestock of excellent quality; however, the major part of his attention is given to his farming operations. Mr. Alexander was married in 1887 to Ida Soliday, a native of Plain township and the daughter of an old and highly honored family, Mr. and Mrs. John Soliday, natives of Plain township. To Mr. and Mrs. Alexander one child, a son, Ralph, was born; he is a bright lad, now a student in the high school at Wooster, where he is making a splendid record. Mr. Alexander is independent in his political beliefs, preferring to vote for the man whom he deems best fitted for positions of public trust rather than vote- for the party. WILLIAM M. GILL. All honor should be accorded the brave "boys in blue" who, when the ominous clouds of rebellion gathered over our national horizon, sacrificed the pleasures of home, business opportunities and all that makes life happy and went forth "to do and die," if need be, on the fields of carnage in the south, thus saving a great and united country to succeeding generations. William WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1251 M. Gill is one of that loyal host and, incidentally, one of the most highly honored citizens of Plain township, Wayne county, where he was born September 18, 1844, the son of George and Anna (Miller) Gill, the former a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and the latter born in the state of Pennsylvania. The paternal grandparents of the subject were Isaac and Eva Gill, natives of Pennsylvania. Thomas Gill, father of Isaac Gill, was horn in Ireland, in which country he was married and where several children were born to him and his wife. He came to America, however, in a very early day and made his way westward, finally settling in Wayne county, Ohio, later moving to Ashland county, but eventually moved across the line back into Wayne county, where he died, having lived the picturesque life of the pioneer farmer. In his early life he was a member of the Evangelical church, but later became identified with the Church of God. The maternal grandparents of William M. Gill were Jacob and Anna (Neidigh) Miller, natives of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, who, in about 1833, came to Wayne county, Ohio, and settled on a farm near where the subject of this sketch now lives. A little later Mr. Miller bought the farm where the subject now resides, consisting of two hundred and forty acres, it having formerly belonged to Esquire Miller. The place then had a few log buildings on it and a small clearing had been made. Here he lived until his death. It was in 1840 that Isaac Gill came to Wayne county ; later he bought a farm in Ashland county and still later one in Wayne county. George Gill came here with his father. He received a limited education in the primitive schools of his time, and devoted his entire life to farming. He was born in 1819 and his death occurred in 186o, at the early age of forty-one years. When he married he moved to a farm in Plain township, later went to Indiana, where he bought a farm in Greene county, where he spent one summer, then returned to Wayne county, Ohio, making the trip by wagon. Upon -his return in 1851 he bought the old Miller farm, where the subject now lives, and erected the buildings that now stand here, making this their home until their deaths. George Gill was a strong Whig, moral, upright and pronounced in' his views against slavery. He was a member of the Church of God and an active worker in the same, serving in the capacity of what we now term a class leader. To George Gill and wife were born five sons and two daughters, namely : Isaac, who died in infancy ; Jacob ; William M., of this review ; Jennie, S. G., Mattie and David. William M. Gill was educated in the home schools. He has always followed farming, having begun to assist with the work on his father's place when quite young, and he has remained on this place ever since the year 1851. 1252 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. Mr. Gill enlisted in Company J, One Hundred and Sixty-third Regiment Ohio National Guard, for one hUndred days. His brother Jacob served three years in the Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The subject has followed general farming and stockraising in a manner that proves him to be fully abreast of the times. For several years he has made a specialty of raising Jersey cattle and Plymouth Rock chickens. He has a rich and well improved farm, a good dwelling and outbuildings. Mr. Gill was married on January 31, 1871, to Etta Strauss, daughter of Peter and Julia Ann (Renner) Strauss, who were born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Gill lived and died in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, but her maternal grandparents came from that state to Wayne county, Ohio, locating in Plain township, later moved to Seneca county, this state, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Peter .Strauss came to .Wayne county in 1850 and followed farming on the home place in Plain township. To Mr. and Mrs. Gill two children have been born, Hershel and Edith. The former, who married Maude Wright, is a traveling salesman for the Ohio Rake Company ; he and his wife have two children, Paul and John. Edith married Iras Sparr, a farmer in Plain township. William M. Gill is a member of the Church of God and Mrs. Gill belongs to the Reformed church. He is a Prohibitionist, and he has served his township as trustee for one term, though he takes no special interest in political subjects. PHILIP KRICK. Wayne county could boast of few more progressive and successful farmers and stock men than the late Philip Krick, who was long well and favorably known in the eastern part of the county, .having operated excellent farming lands in the vicinity of Orrville for many years, being considered one of the leading. citizens of that community. He was enterprising, law-abiding, neighborly and hospitable, combining within himself those qualities of sterling manhood that make not only a useful member of society, but a man whom ally locality might well be delighted to honor, for, in looking to his individual interests, he never lost sight of his duty to his fellow men and in .many ways he contributed to their well-being and happiness, yet all in a quiet, unassuming manner, seeking to do good yet avoiding public display. Philip Krick, like many of the useful citizens of Wayne county, was an American by adoption only, having been born in Rhein, Bavaria, March 4, WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1233 1836, the son of Jacob and Margaret (Worth) Krick, who were both born, reared, married and spent their lives in Germany, the father being a shoemaker by trade, a very skillful workman and a man who, by reason of his good management and superior skill, collected considerable means toward the latter part of his life. Philip Krick received a good common school education and while yet a •young man, having heard of the great opportunities that existed in America, decided to try his fortune here, consequently he set sail for our shores in 1854 and after a long and tedious voyage across the Atlantic and scarcely less tiresome journey across the Eastern states, he found himself in Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained several months, and in the spring of 1855 he came to Orrville, Wayne county, Ohio, and, liking the outlook here, decided to make it his future home. He had learned the shoemaker's trade under his father before leaving the Fatherland and in order to get a start here quite naturally began working at his trade. After working in Marshallville, this county, for six months he worked for A. Hard for a period of five years. In 186o he began business for himself and was prosperous almost from the first, having built up a very large business by honest hard work. He sold out on January 14, 1909, to McCarthy & Geagley. Forty-two years ago lie erected a substantial and attractive home, which is beautiful in all its appointments, situated on North Vine street, Orrville. He purchased two excellent farms near Orrville which were the source of a good income during his latter life and which are still owned by his widow, a woman of many commendable traits, the favorite of a large circle of friends. In her maidenhood Mrs. Krick was known as Sophia Whitmyer, who was married to Mr. Krick on September 4, 1860. She was the daughter of Michael and Catherine (Schwartz) Whitmyer, a fine old family of Canal Fulton, Ohio. Six children were born to this union, only two of whom survive. Mrs. Anna E. Leickheins, of Orrville, and Mrs. Lorena M. King, of Port Huron, Michigan. Philip Krick was called to his reward on February 24, 1909, after a very successful, busy, useful and honorable career. In politics he supported the Democratic party, and, with his .wife, was a faithful member of the Reformed church, he having held all the offices in the local congregation—in fact he was a pillar in the church, always ready to do what he could in furthering its interests. He was truly a good and noble-hearted man, whom to know was to admire and respect, and his place will long be greatly missed in Wayne county. 1254 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. SIMON HAMLIN. Of sterling Pennsylvania ancestors comes Simon Hamlin, a successful farmer of Plain township, Wayne county, where his life has been spent in agricultural pursuits, he having taken to the same quite naturally, since he is the son of a farmer and spent his boyhood on the home place. He was born in. 1857 on the Sidle farm in Plain township, this county, the son of John and Sarah Jane (Hight) Hamlin, the former born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Huntingdon county, that state. They grew up in their native communities, met and Married, in the Keystone state, and One child was born to them there. They believed that better opportunities awaited them in the newer county of Wayne, Ohio, and they accordingly made the journey here in 1855, locating in Plain township, where they got a good foothold and lived very comfortably. They were the parents of three daughters and two sons, 'namely : Sarah Jane, Harriett, Simon (subject of this sketch), William, and Mary Ellen. They gave their children every advantage possible which their means would permit and especially trained them along ethical lines, so that they grew up an honor to the community. The paternal and maternal grandparents of Simon Hamlin all lived in Pennsylvania, where they had good homes. In 1860 John Hamlin and family moved onto the farm where Simon Hamlin; of this review, no'w resides. The subject was reared on the home farm, as already indicated, and when of proper age. he went to work in the fields, attending the neighboring schools during the brief winter terms he also attended school in Blachleyville, this township, receiving a fairly good education. Mr. Hamlin is the owner of fifty acres of excellent land, which is well cultivated, and he has a comfortable home and makes a success of his farming operations. He deals in stock, making a specialty of Shorthorn cattle, always finding a ready Market for the same. Mr. Hamlin was married in 1880 to Catherine Stair, daughter of John Stair, a native of Germany, and this union has resulted in the birth of the following children : Martha, Eva (deceased), Mary Anna and John Henry (deceased). The subject was married a second time, the date of his last wedding being in 1893, and his last wife was Mrs. Melinda (Werst) Kiefer, who has borne him one child, a son answering to the name of Franklin. Mrs. Melinda (Werst) Hamlin had by her first husband the following children: Viola L., John Henry, Oliver A., Clarence Victor, and William (deceased). All married excepting Clarence, and all live in Ashland county, Ohio. WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1255 Politically Mr. Hamlin is a Democrat and he takes an abiding interest in local matters pertaining to politics and other movements for the good of the community at large. He is now a member of the local school board, and he was one of five men who organized the cemetery association at Blachleyville, in about 1903, since which time he has been trustee and treasurer, in fact, the moving spirit of the organization. JACOB HECKMAN. To the person traveling over northern Ohio it seems almost incredible that only a little more than a half century ago much of the land now smiling in highly cultivated farms was covered by a wilderness, through which the light of day could scarcely penetrate ; but such was the fact. Innumerable hands set to work removing the timber from the land in order to develop the fertile lands underneath the canopy of timber, the uncertainty of a comfortable home to reward the laborer spurring him on to the hard task. Such soil and such homes were sought by the Heckman family in Wayne county, and the comfortable circumstances in which the present generation find themselves indicate that several members of this family succeeded in their efforts." A well known member of the family in question is Jacob. Heckman, who was born in Clinton township, Wayne county, August 22, 1867, the son of Henry B. and Barbara A. (Jacobs) Heckman. His maternal grandparents were natives of Germany who came to America in a very early day, making a tedious ,voyage across the Atlantic. They landed in New York, but believing that the middle west held. greater opportunities, they came to Holmes county, Ohio, where they settled," living the typical pioneer life. Later Mr. Jacobs bought land in Ashland county. He and his wife were not married until they came to America. Henry B. Heckman, father of the subject, was born in Pennsylvania in 1839 and he came to Ohio when a young man, finally making his way to Wayne county, Ohio, locating in Clinton township. Jacob Heckman, of this review, brother of Frank Heckman, whose sketch appears on another page of this work, was educated in the common schools of Clinton township and grew up on the home farm. He very early decided to follow farming for a life work, and he has succeeded very admirably at this, having become one of the most successful in his neighborhood. In 1903 he moved to Chester township, where he now manages an excellent farm of one hundred and seventy-one acres-, which belongs to his mother. He 1256 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. is also interested in good livestock, having just begun the breeding of Shropshire sheep and thoroughbred Durham cattle. He is a good judge of stock and the kind he now keeps is admired by all. Mr. Heckman Was married in November, 1892, to Caroline Matilda Derr, a native of Ashland county, Ohio, the daughter of Valentine and Mary Derr, old settlers of that county, having come here from Germany when small children. Mrs. Heckman's grandparents on both sides of the house came from Germany to America at the same time. To Mr. and Mrs. J. Heckman one son has been born, named Howard C. In politics Mr. Heckman is a Republican, and his wife is a member of the Lutheran church. GEORGE A. FISHER. A native of Wayne county and holding worthy prestige among the enterprising men of Wooster, the subject of this sketch has long been an influential factor in business circles and stands high in the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. His father, Philip Fisher, was born in Frankfort, Germany, but in 1842 came to the United States and settled at Hagerstown, Maryland, where he lived two years, at the expiration of which time he moved to Wooster, Ohio, where he continued to reside until his death, in 1893, at the age of seventy-three years. By occupation he was a bricklayer, which trade he learned in his native land and followed in his adopted country until 1852, when he was employed by the Wooster Cemetery Company as sexton of the cemetery, of this city, which position he held for a period of thirty-seven years to the satisfaction of all concerned. He helped clear the grounds of the present cemetery and to him is due the credit of the subsequent improvement until it became one of the most beautiful and attractive places of sepulture in the northern part of the state. Mr. Fisher was a man of refined tastes and a great admirer of the beautiful in all its forms. He took especal interest in the work assigned him and an evidence of his ability in this respect is furnished by the artistic manner in which he laid out and kept the ground, rendering them, as already stated, beautiful and ornate and making them the model for a number of other cemetery associations in various parts of the country. Maria Stephens, wife of Philip Fisher, was also of German birth, having been a native of Hessen Darmstadt, where she spent her childhood. While still quite young she accompanied her parents to America and grew to become WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1257 acquainted with the gentleman whom she subsequently married. Like her husband, she possessed many. of the sterling qualities for which her nationality has always been distinguished, early impressed upon the minds and hearts of her children those. principles which make for honorable manhood and womanhood and finished her earthly labors in the year 1888 at the age of sixty-two years. Philip and Maria Fisher reared a large family—thirteen children in all—twelve of whom .grew to maturity, their names being as follows : Mary, widow of Stillman Brown, who died in Toledo; Ohio, in 187o, Amelia married Darret Brown and resides in that city ; Edward S.,. of Mansfield, this state,; Henrietta, wife of Joseph H. Prentiss, of Toledo; Josephine, widow of Leander LaRue, of Chicago, Illinois; Flora, now Mrs. George Dickinson, of Missoula, Montana; Emma T., widow of John Healy, of Chicago; Franklin, who died in infancy ; Charles. A., who departed this life in the year 1900; Ida L., principal of a high school at Missoula, Montana; H. S. Fisher, a real estate dealer of the same place; George A., the subject of this sketch, and James P., who lives in Wooster. George A. Fisher, was born in Wooster, Ohio, May 26, 1865, and spent his .early life in his native city, receiving his education in the public schools. When old enough to be of service- he assisted his father in caring for the cemetery and continued that line of work until his eighteenth year, when he began learning marble and granite cutting, a trade for which he manifested a decided taste and in which he acquired much More than ordinary efficiency and skill. Finishing the trade, he Worked for a time for others, but soon engaged in business for himself, establishing in 1889 the Marble and Granite Works in Wooster, of which he has since been the head and which under his able and judicious management has continued to grow in magnitude and importance until it is now. the largest establishment of the kind in the city and one of the most successful to be found among the northern counties of Ohio. Mr. Fisher deals in all kinds of monumental and cemetery work, carries a full and .complete stock of marble, granite and other stone used in the trade and in addition to an extensive retail business commands a large wholesale trade, supplying numerous customers in various parts of the state. An artist of pronounced ability in his calling, he permits nothing bat first-class work to leave his establishment and to thiS end his assistants have been selected with special reference to their efficiency and skill. He also ranks high as a judicious and enterprising business man, whose well balanced judgment is seldom if ever at fault and whose ability to foresee with remark- 1258 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. able accuracy the future results of present plans and actions enables him to inaugurate and carry to successful conclusion large and important undertakings. The large and constantly growing business which he has built up and now conducts is creditable alike to his initiative and executive ability and the success with which his efforts thus far have been crowned bespeak for him a future of still greater possibilities and far-reaching results. Mr. Fisher's domestic life dates from the year 1894, when he entered the marriage relation with Katherine H. Rockey, a native of Wooster and daughter of Charles. A. and Margaret A. Rockey, a union blessed with five children, namely : George P., Mary M., Harold C., Ethel J. and Ralph E., all living and pursuing their studies in the public schools. Mr. Fisher has always kept in touch with the public interests of Wooster and as a councilman from the old third ward (now fourth) for two terms was instrumental in bringing about much important municipal legislation. He was elected to that body as a Republican and since attaining his majority has always been a pronounced supporter of his party and of recent years an active and influential worker both in local and general political matters. He is a director of the Wayne Building and Loan Association, a stockholder in the Wayne County National Bank, besides having various other interests, all of which indicate his influence and standing in a community where, as already stated, he occupies a conspicuous place in the confidence and esteem of his neighbors and fellow citizens. Mr. Fisher is a Mason of high degree, an active worker in the blue lodge and commandery of Knights Templar, and is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Royal Arcanum, the Order of Yeomen and the Republican Club of Wooster. Religiously, he subscribes to the Methodist Episcopal faith and for some years has been a leading member of the church in the city of his residence, also treasurer of the same. Mrs. Fisher was reared in the Evangelical church, but joined the church her husband belongs to and to which all the children belong. RUDOLPH GRABER. When a farmer is out of debt and is in comfortable circumstances, the chances are that he is just as happy as any other person of moderate circumstances can be or is. He need not worry for fear his farm may burn up or blow up, as he knows that no matter what may betide, he will still have a home and a means of making a living for himself and family. It is his own fault, therefore, if he is not happy. One of the contented farmers of East WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1259 Union township is Rudolph Graber, a native of Switzerland, having been born in that country September 13, 1853, the son of John and Anna (Oplinger) Graber, both now deceased, neither of them having come to the United States. Rudolph Graber was reared on the farm in his native country and attended the common schools there, receiving a good education. When he reached maturity he began to cast about for a profession and nothing in his native country appealing to him, he decided to try his fortunes in the United States, consequently he landed on our shores in May, 1877, and soon thereafter found himself in Wayne county, Ohio. He was limited in means and in order to get a start he worked on the farm by the year and month. He married Emma Zaugg, who was born September 13, 186o, the daughter of Jacob Zaugg; she was a native of Wayne county, this state, a member of a good old family of German descent. Mr. Graber purchased the farm where he now lives in 1899, consisting of forty-seven acres, located in sections 26 and 35, East Union township. He learned the secret of cheese-making in his native country, and he has engaged in the same here with great success, having purchased the Fountain cheese factory. He manufactures cheese and retails the same in various markets, always finding a ready sale for his products, owing to their superior quality and wholesomeness. He has an excellent little farm which yields a very comfortable income under his able management. He has a cozy home and everything about the place has an air of contentment. To Mr. and Mrs. Graber eight children were born, namely : Ella, Fred, Clara, Edna, Hilda, Raymond, Erma and Laura. They have all received good common school educations. Mr. Graber and his family are members of the Mount Eaton Reform church. Politically, Mr. Graber adheres to the tenets of the Democratic party. He takes an abiding interest in whatever tends to advance the interests of his community, and because of his honesty and habits of strict attention to his business affairs, together with his neighborly friendliness, he is held in popular favor all over the township, as is also each member of his family. THOMAS A. WEAVER. Good intellectual training, thorough professional knowledge and the possession and utilization of the qualities and attributes essential to success, have made Dr. Thomas A. Weaver, of Blachleyville, Plain township, Wayne 1260 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. county, eminent in his chosen calling and he stands today among the scholarly and enterprising physician's in a community noted for the high order of its medical talent, although he is yet a young man and has not attained the zenith of his popularity and skill. He is a native of Sugar Creek township, this county, where he first saw the light of day August 19, 1870, the son of Henry and Sarah Jane (Wilson) Weaver, both born in Wayne. county, Ohio, and people of sterling worth, each representing honored pioneer ancestry. .The grandparents on the paternal side came from Pennsylvania and were Pennsylvania yeomen, the grandfather being a farmer in Baughman township: On -the maternal side Scotch-Irish blood prevailed, the grandparents having lived in Baughman township, where they farmed successfully. Henry Weaver was educated at the Bunker .Hill school and he early in life decided to devote his attention exclusively to farming and he has done this, his operations resulting in the winning of a comfortable living all the while and the laying by of a competency that renders his. old age free from want. He still resides on the farm where he moved when he was first married. It consists of one hundred and sixty acres, much of which he cleared and improved. A Republican politically and interested in all that tends to promote the general interests of 'his locality, he has never aspired to. offices of public trust. He was. one of the loyal sons of the North to offer his services to the government during the troublous days of the early sixties, having enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment Ohio National Guard in 1864 as a private: He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Presbyterian church holds his membership. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry Weaver the following children were born : Emma B.; William D., Anna M. and Thomas A.. Dr. Thomas A. Weaver was educated in the schools of district No. 4, Sugar Creek township, and the Dalton high school. Having been actuated by a laudable desire early in life to become a physician, he began preparations to secure the necessary mental discipline, and he spent one summer at the University of Wooster, taking what is known there as the pre-medical course. He then entered the Toledo Medical College, from which he was graduated with a very creditable standing in his class in 1898. He at once came to Blachleyville, Plain township, Wayne county, where he "hung out his shingle". and has since practiced his profession here, with the exception of the year 1907, when he was located in Orrville. He enjoyed a lucrative patronage from the. first, until he is now .a very busy man, keeping in touch with his numerous patients throughout this part of the county. WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1261 Doctor Weaver was united in marriage with Nina E. Cully in 1892, a lady of refinement and pleasing address, her family having been influential here for many decades. To this union the following children have been born : Lois, Vance E. and Wilbert T. The Doctor is a member of the Wayne County and the Ohio State Medical Societies, in both of which he takes much interest, keeping abreast of the times in all that concerns the science of medicine. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees. Religiously, he is a Presbyterian, and a Republican in politics. He is known to be a conscientious and honorable man in all the relations of life. JACOB SHELLY. Jacob Shelly was born in Plain township, January 15, 1842, and his interesting career has been spent in his native community. He is the son of Michael and Elizabeth (Hauser) Shelly, the former a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and the latter a native of Cumberland county, that state. The subject's paternal grandparents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Snavely) Shelly. They left their old home in the Keystone state in 1830 and came to Ohio, locating in Plain township, Wayne county, finally becoming the owners of valuable landed estates, owning a total of one thousand four hundred and eighty acres in Plain, Wooster and Clinton townships. The grandfather cleared some of the home place. His family consisted of eight children, and lie gave each of them a quarter section of land, which they cleared and improved. The subject's maternal grandparents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Dinflinger) Hauser, natives of Pennsylvania. As early as 1831 they came to Wayne county, Ohio, locating in Wayne township, later buying land in Plain township and lived oh the sixty acres they purchased there. Michael Shelly, father of Jacob Shelly, came to this county with his parents. He had received his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania. He began farming early in life and followed this continuously the rest of his life. He was prosperous and became the owner of five hundred acres. He was a Whig and later a Republican, but never aspired to public office: religiously he was a Lutheran. To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Shelly ten children were horn, namely : Christian, Michael, Jacob, Peter, Joseph, John, Eliza, Sarah, Mary and Susan. Peter was in Company I, Sixteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry ; Jacob was in Company C, of the same regiment ; Joseph was in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, for one hundred days ; the first two named served three years each. 1262 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. Upon his return from the army, Jacob Shelly took up farming in Plain township and he is now the owner of one hundred and two acres of fine land in Plain and Wooster townships, carrying on general farming. Mr. Shelly was married in 1867 to Harriett Culberson and this union has resulted in the birth of the following children : Charles C., Ella and Jennie. Christian Shelly, a brother of Jacob Shelly, was educated in the home schools and he took up farming, which he has always followed in Plain township, doing a good business farming and stock raising. He was a Republican in politics, and his family consisted of four boys and one girl. Jacob Shelly and wife are members of the Lutheran church, and the former belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he is a Republican and he has been trustee of Plain township for some time, making an excellent public official. SAMUEL K. ALEXANDER. Although twenty-nine years have come and gone with their joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats, since the passing away of the picturesque old character who was so greatly admired in Plain township, Wayne county,— Samuel K. Alexander,—he is yet well remembered by the older generation, for his example was that of a strong-minded and generous-hearted, public-spirited citizen, the type of man which the community greatly regrets to lose. He was a native of Juniata county, Pennsylvania, having been born there in July, 1811. the son of Samuel and Mary (Shaver) Alexander. The father died in that county, and his widow came to Wayne county, Ohio, where she survived but a short time. Samuel K. Alexander came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1833 and he was married here in 1848 to Leah Romich, daughter of John and Mary (Wiler) Romich, both born in Pennsylvania, the former in Becks and the latter in Lancaster county. The Romich family hailed from Holland, coming across the great Atlantic in an old-fashioned sailing-vessel to America. John Romich and family came by wagon from Pennsylvania in 1833, making the tiresome trip over bad roads and unbridged streams, and settled on what is now the John McQuibb farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, which he bought. This was then in timber, but the old pioneer liked to wrestle with the adverse conditions which then prevailed and he cleared the place in part, later returning to Pennsylvania, where he died. About two WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1263 years after that event the family came to the farm here. Still later, Mrs. Romich bought a small place in Plain township on which she lived until her death. Samuel K. Alexander received a limited schooling in the primitive schools of the early days and when but a lad began working on his father's farm and he farmed for himself about a year before his marriage. He made a success of agricultural pursuits, having been a hard worker and a good manager, and he finally purchased eighty acres of excellent land in Plain township, south of where Mrs. Leah Alexander now lives. This place he greatly improved and skillfully rotated his crops, giving back to the soil as much as he took therefrom, having understood scientific farming, until he not only made a very comfortable living but was enabled to leave a competency to his family. He lived on this place .eleven years, clearing most of it and making substantial improvements. He then bought forty acres where Mrs. Alexander now resides. It, too, was placed in excellent shape and good buildings provided. The death of Samuel K. Alexander occurred on October 14, 1880. He and his wife were the parents of the following children : Rev. J. R., who has been a missionary at Asiout, Egypt, for the past thirty-five years, having done a wonderful work in that country for the spread of the Gospel and in his ministrations to the benighted people there. The most notable work he has done there was the organization of a college, of which he has been president ever since. James H. is a farmer in Plain township. Mary married R. M. Brinkerhoff. Margaret, and A. S., who lives west of the old home place. He is mentioned in a separate sketch in this work. Samuel K. Alexander was a man of exemplary habits, scrupulously honest in all his relations with his fellow men, a kind father and loving husband and a man whom everybody liked and highly respected. H. LINCOLN PIPER. The Piper family has long been a prominent one in Wayne county, one of the best known members of the same being H. Lincoln Piper, whose birth occurred March 14, 186o, in Reedsburg, this county, and he is the son of William Piper, mentioned elsewhere in this work. The subject was educated in the common schools and in the Smithville Academy, after which he returned to the farm and in 1891 he purchased a farm of one hundred and ten acres in Chester township, which was improved ; however, he never lived on 1264 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. the place. In 1906 he purchased two farms of eighty-five acres each in Chester township and these he still manages. He has fed and wintered horses to some extent. He has also been in the loaning business for the past fifteen years, and he has shown himself to be a man of unusual business ability, understanding all the phases of diversified farming, keeping his places up to a high standard of excellence and reaping from them annually rich harvests as the result of excellent management. However, he is not actively engaged in agricultural pursuits at present, having lived practically retired for the past two years. Mr. Piper was married on October 2, 1883, to Alice Buchanan, a native of Wayne county, Ohio, and the daughter of G. R. and Lydia Buchanan. They 'were early settlers of this county and a highly respected family. Mrs. Piper was well educated in the common schools and she is a woman of fine personal traits, rendering her popular with a wide circle of friends in this county. Her father believed in giving young people of today every advantage possible and consequently the mental and social training of his daughter, Alice, was carefully looked after. Besides his farming, Mr. Piper has various investments in securities and whatever he has turned his attention to he has been very successful, his farms showing that a man of good taste and splendid judgment has their management in hand. Politically Mr. Piper is a Republican, but lie does not find time to devote much attention to political matters, though he is interested in the progress of his county in every respect. Religiously, he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mrs. Piper belongs to the Lutheran church. JOHN C. McCLARAN. It is a well authenticated fact that success comes not as the caprice of chance, but is the legitimate result of \y ell applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action once decided upon by the individual. Only those who seek the goddess Fortuna, find her—she never was known to smile upon the idler or dreamer. The gentleman whose name introduces these paragraphs clearly understood this fact early in life when he was casting about for a legitimate and promising line to follow, and in tracing his life history it is plainly seen that the prosperity he enjoys has been won by commendable qualities, and it is also his personal and genuine WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1265 regard for the welfare of others which has gained for him the good standing which he enjoys among his fellow citizens—at the bar and in public and social life. John C. McClaran spent his boyhood and young manhood days on the Wayne township, Wayne county, Ohio, about two miles northwest of the county seat, August m, 1852, a conspicuous day in the calendar of this county for it marked the coming of the first passenger train through her domain and the advent of a new and opulent epoch. He is the son of Dewitt Clinton McClaran, who long since passed to his reward ; he was a well-to-do farmer and a man' of influence in his community, a man of many commendable traits and who did his full share in the development of his township and county. similar in makeup to his father, Robert McClaran, a sturdy pioneer here in the wilderness clays of the long ago, who, contributed a heroic part toward the building of Wooster, the establishment and maintenance of public order, the enforcement of the laws, the organization of public schools and the general growth of the county seat and county, and the work he began has been continued by his descendants to the present day, adding additional lustre to an escutcheon of which anyone might well be proud. The grandfather moved from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1812 and was at once recognized by the early settlers here as an. enterprising, capable and public-spirited man, the type that any growing community always welcomes into its midst. He was patriotic and when the war of 1812 began unhesitatingly offered his services in behalf of the flag, and right gallantly carried a musket through many trying campaigns and bloody battles of the lake region. He was chosen the first justice of the peace of Wooster, and as such married the first couple joined in wedlock in Wayne county. His record in his official capacity was without stain or blemish. He took an abiding interest in political matters, and, as a Whig, was elected to the General Assembly of Ohio in 1823 ; he held various other offices of trust and responsibility, and was a man of stanchest integrity, strong convictions, and unquestioned mental force. John C. McClaran, a well known attorney of Wooster, was born in home farm where lie assisted with the work about the place and learned many valuable lessons and laid the foundation for a virile manhood. He alternated his farming with teaching in the district school, spending his evenings among his hooks, and in the line of his higher aspirations formed habits of close application and stick-to-itiveness which have characterized his subsequent career. He was not satisfied with a primary education. consequently entered the University of Wooster from which he was graduated in the class of (80) 1266 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. 1877. He had decided upon the law and accordingly began to study of the same in the office of the late George Rex, ex-supreme judge of .Ohio and recognized as one of the ablest lawyers and jurists on the bench. After the completion of his studies in the office of Judge Rex, Mr. McClaran entered the Boston Law College, from which he was graduated in 1880. He began practice by forming a partnership with Gen. Aquila Wiley, of this city, a distinguished soldier in the Union army, with whom he remained in partnership relations for a period of five years, during which time he grew in favor and popularity, impressing the bar and the public with his ability and future possibilities, one who was characterized by quick perceptions, sound judgment, and an acute, logical, discriminating mind. At one time he held the office of city solicitor of Wooster, having been elected in 1890, in which position he discharged his official duties in an efficient and satisfactory manner. He was elected probate judge of Wayne county in 1893, and re-elected in 1896. His career on title bench was most satisfactory, irrespective of party alignment, for he conscientiously sought to do justice to those who sought to .gain redress in court, desiring to give all the necessary protection, fairness and justice of the law, of which he had a clear analysis. A court of protection to the minor child, the widow, the orphan ; a court of administration and relief, those entering it under the tenure of Judge McClaran had the assurance and guarantee of their legal rights./ In every sense Judge McClaran was especially and signally equipped for the honorable position to which he had been elevated by his fellow citizens. His administration of the probate office during his first term was characterized by learning, caution, fairness and firmness; and all these qualities were but significant indexes of what the administration of the office was during the second term. Upon his retirement from the probate office, Judge McClaran resumed the duties of the legal profession, and with his judicial characteristics and former experience as a popular, successful and painstaking lawyer at the Wooster bar, assured him a satisfactory clientele and he has ever since done his full share of legal business. His habits of close study, industry and critical research, his ability to grasp and readily comprehend the law, make him necessarily and logically a successful lawyer. He was elected to the probate judgeship by a most emphatic majority by the Democratic party, to which he gave his allegiance and franchise when first a voter, and with which he is in conspicuous affiliation. At the Democratic primaries of May, 190o, having been a candidate for Congress from the seventeenth district, he received the endorsement of the Democracy of Wayne for that exalted position, but in the district convention failed of nomination. On the stump he WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1267 is somewhat aggressive, but always argumentative and convincing. The educational,. moral and material interests of the community are matters of concern to him, and the promotion of them are not forgotten in his cherished objects of life. Judge McClaran possesses an unblemished character, a strict integrity, an intelligent appreciation of his responsibilities and a faculty of accomplishment. He fully realizes that these traits of character have descended through the blood of his ancestry and his greatest pride shall ever. be that priceless heritage of his forefathers—an honored name. Judge McClaran was, on the 3oth day of June, 1885, united in marriage with Elizabeth C. Deer, daughter of Jacob Deer and Marietta Deer, to Which union were born two sons, Wade Dewitt, born July 24, 1886, and John Walter, born October 1, 1887. Mrs. McClaran died June 20, 1889. On July 21, 1891, he was again married to Jessie Kate Jones, daughter of Lake F. Jones and Jennie Jones, of Wooster, Ohio. Judge McClaran is a member of the Westminster Presbyterian church of Wooster, and has been closely identified with the splendid growth and development of the University of Wooster, having been a member of its board of trustees for many years. He is also a member of the fraternal orders of Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. MICHAEL D. OTTO. The backbone of this country is made up of families who have made their own homes, who are alive to the hest interests of the community in which they reside, .who are so honest that it is no trouble for their neighbors to find it out, who are too busy to attend to anyone's business but their own, who work steadily on from day to day, taking the sunshine with the storm, and who rear a fine family to an honest name and a comfortable home. Among such -families is the gentleman whose name forms the introduction to this sketch, for his ancestors have left honorable records behind them in this and Ashland counties, this state. M. D. Otto, a prosperous farmer in Plain township, Wayne county, was born in Ashland county, Ohio, October 24, 1859, the son of Michael and Rebecca (Emerick) Otto, both natives of Pennsylvania. The grandparents of the subject came to Ashland county, Ohio, in an early day and engaged in farming. 1268 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. M. D. Otto was educated in the common schools of Ashland county, receiving an excellent practical education. He very early began farming in his native county and followed the same until 1894, when he came to Plain township, Wayne county, where he now follows general farming on an excellent place of two hundred and eighty acres. It is well improved in every respect and on it stand a beautifully located home and good outbuildings, everything about the place denoting thrift and prosperity. Mr. Otto keeps a good grade of livestock of all kinds, especially horses, of which he is fond. Mr. Otto Was married on May 17, 1885, to Flora Coble, a woman of excellent tastes and the daughter of an old and highly esteemed family of Ashland county,. this state, where she was born. This union has resulted in the birth of the following children : Florence Fay, Edith and Miron Adair. Politically, Mr. Otto is a Democrat, but he does not aspire to public office, though his support may. always be depended upon when questions arise looking, to the betterment of his county in any way, and since coming here he has made hosts of friends by reason of his neighborly and kindly manners and his integrity. Mrs. Otto is a member of the United Brethren church of Lake Forest, Ohio. Her parents both live in Ashland, Ohio. WILLIS B. BRYSON. Postmaster of Wooster and one Of the most influential men of the city, Willis B. Bryson is a native of Pennsylvania and an honorable. representative of an old and highly esteemed family which for many years was identified with the material progress and general interests of Lawrence county, that state.: His father, Joseph E. Bryson, born in the county of Lawrence. and a life-long resident 'of the same, was a bookkeeper and a man of high moral worth and greatly esteemed by those with whom he Mingled. He served in a Pennsylvania regiment during the late Civil war, earned an honorable record as a soldier and was killed in a railroad accident in the year 1871. The Brysons are of Scotch-Irish lineage and originally settled in Cumberland county,' Pennsylvania, where the subject's grandfather, James D. Bryson, was born and reared. In early life he removed to New Castle, Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, where he worked for a number of years as a millwright and where he also served ten or twelve years as county commissioner, besides representing that jurisdiction at one time in the Legisla- WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1269 ture. He was a fine mechanic and, during his long experience in constructing mills, made may improvements in machinery, including among others an improved turbine water wheel which he invented and which was pretty generally adopted and is still in use. A man of affairs as well as a mechanical genius, lie took an active interest in public matters, kept in close touch with the great questions and issues of the times and wielded an influence in the community which in due time made him a leader among his fellow citizens. He lived a long and useful life and was called from the scenes of his earthly labors and triumphs in the seventy-seventh year of his age. The maiden name of the subject's mother was Rose E. Means, daughter of Daniel Means, of western Pennsylvania: A native of the Keystone state, she married her husband in Lawrence county, and bore him two children, Willis B., whose name introduces this sketch, and Mrs. C. E. Ohliger, of Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Bryson was a woman of well-balanced judgment, practical intelligence and beautiful life, and early impressed upon the minds and hearts of her offspring those principles which make for correct conduct and strong, well-rounded character. She died in 1906, at the age of sixty-seven years, and left to her posterity the memory of noble deeds and high ideals which they cherish as a priceless heritage. Willis B. Bryson was born December 10, 1864, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and spent his early life pretty much after the manner of the majority of city lads. At the proper age he entered the public schools, where he made commendable progress in his studies, and in 1884, when nineteen years of age, came to Wooster, Ohio, and engaged in the mercantile business, which he carried on with encouraging results for a period of nine years, devoting his attention during the time to the notion and wallpaper trade. Disposing of his establishment in 1903, he entered the employ of the Cleveland & Southwestern Traction Company, with which he continued two and a half years, when he resigned his position to take charge of the postoffice at Wooster, to which he was appointed on May 8, 1906. On becoming a citizen of Wooster Mr. Bryson at once began taking an interest in public affairs and it was not long until he forged to the front and rose to a position of prominence and influence in political circles. He early embraced the principles of the Republican party and in due time became an earnest advocate of the same, his activity in working for the success of the party and his judicious advice in its councils leading, in 1897, to his being chosen chairman of the Republican executive committee, which position he held for a period of twelve years and in which he demonstrated ability and leadership of a high order. In recognition of valuable services while at 1270 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. the head of the above organization as well as by reason of his fitness for the place, he was appointed, as already noted, to the important position of postmaster, the duties of which he has since discharged with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the department and the general public, proving a capable, courteous and obliging official in whom the people, irrespective of political affiliation, repose implicit confidence. Mr. Bryson is a public-spirited man and lends his influence and material assistance to all worthy enterprises for the advancement of the city in which he resides and is also deeply interested in those measures and movements having for their object the social, intellectual and moral welfare of the community. He is a stockholder in the Wayne County National Bank, in Wooster, besides having interests in various other utilities of minor import. Like the majority of wide-awake, enterprising men, he discharges his duties to the public with the best interests of the county, state and nation at heart, and as a representative American of his day and generation endeavors to realize in himself his high ideals of manhood and citizenship. He holds membership with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Canton Wright, Patriarchs Militant. Mr. Bryson was married in 1889 to Naomi Foote, daughter of E. D. Foote, of Wooster, the union being blessed with one child, a son, Willis D., an intelligent youth of fourteen years, who bids fair to realize the fond hopes which his parents entertain for his future. JAMES A. WELTMER. The Weltmer family has always figured prominently in the life of Wayne county, each member so comporting himself as to gain the admiration of his neighbors in respect to material as well as the public and social side of life. One of the best-known of the present generation is James A. Weltmer, whose birth occurred in Plain township, April 18, 1853, the son of George W. and Isabella (Rittenhouse) Weltmer, the former born in Plain township and the latter a native of the state of Pennsylvania. The subject's paternal grandparents were John and Elizabeth (Kean) Weltmer, the former born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and the latter a native of Scotland. It was in 1816 that they came to Wayne county, Ohio, and settled in Plain township, section 22, the place now being known as the Rittenhouse farm. Jacob Welt- WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1271 mer, father of John, came to this county in an early day and bought forty acres of land which he cleared and set out in fruit trees, some of the trees still living; it was one of the first large orchards in this part of the state and it proved to be very successful from a financial venture. Jacob Weltmer remained on that place until his death. The subject's paternal grandparents, Matthias and Catherine (Godwaldt) Rittenhouse, were natives of Pennsylvania. They came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1830 and settled in Plain township, section 21, now known as the Stair farm, consisting of eighty acres. The farm was unimproved when Mr. Rittenhouse bought it, but the same was cleared by him and transformed into a comfortable home. He later moved to Ashland county, where his death occurred, as did also that of his wife. Their son, William, served three years as a soldier in the One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war. George, father of the subject, went out in March, 1864, in the One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Regiment National Guard of Ohio, serving seven months. Matthias, brother of William Rittenhouse, also served as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Regiment, all surviving the struggle. George Weltmer was educated in the home schools and early in life learned the shoemaker's trade. Both grandfathers of the subject were shoemakers, having solicited work by going from house to house. George Weltmer also farmed in section 27, Plain township, on forty acres which he owned and where he lived until his death in 1867; his wife died on September 6, 1885. Besides farming and shoemaking, George Weltmer paid especial attention to raising sheep and horses. Politically, he was a Republican and an active worker in the party, holding some of the local offices, including that of school director. He was also a very active worker in the Evangelical church. To Mr. and Mrs. George Weltmer five children were born, three daughters and two sons, namely : Lucy ; Melissa, deceased ; James A. ; Alpheus ; Katherine, deceased. James A. Weltmer, of this review, was educated in the common schools of Plain township. He began farming early in life and has been very successful, being a hard worker and a good manager. In 1877 he purchased forty acres, upon which he erected all the buildings and made other substantial improvements. He has made his own way through life, having received assistance from no one. He has dealt somewhat extensively in livestock, having been an extensive horse and lamb feeder, in connection with his general farming. Mr. Weltmer was married in 1877 to Ida Felger, daughter of George and Lydia (Rynard) Felger. The Felger family originated in the state of Pennsylvania, and in an early clay came to Wayne county, Ohio, where they 1272 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. began life in the woods, but became fairly well established here. The Felger family had eleven children, as follows : Viola, Jenetta, Ida May, Ira, Julius, Hattie, Sadie, Zeanas, George, 011a and Stella, all alive and financially in good circumstances. To Mr. and Mrs. Weltmer four children have been born, namely : Blanche, who married Thomas R. Campbell, is the mother of two children, Josephine Lenora and Thomas Richard ; George W. married Hope Sprang, and their child is James Frederick; J. A. died when three years of age, . December 14, 189o; June Isabel. Mr. Weltmer is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, his family also belonging to that denomination. Politically, he is a Republican and firm in his beliefs in the principles of 'the same. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees, and Mrs. Weltmer belongs to the Ladies of the Maccabees. B. G. COPE. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life and work the reader's attention is herewith directed is among the foremost business men of Orrville, Wayne county, Ohio, and has by his enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a material way to the industrial and commercial advancement of the city and county. He has in the course of an honorable career been most successful in the business enterprises of which he is the head, and is well deserving of mention in the biographical memoirs of Wayne county. Mr. Cope is a native .son of the Buckeye state, having been born at East Greenville, Stark county, on the 14th of March, 1874. He is a son of Daniel and Margaret Cope, the former of whom was of English antecedents and the latter of good old Pennsylvania-German stock. The father is still living in Stark county, which has been his home for more than half a century, being now, eighty-six years old. The subject's mother died about twenty Years ago. B. G. Cope secured his education in the. public schools of Greenville and Massillon,. and has supplemented this during the subsequent years by close reading of the best literature as well as keen observation of men and things, so that today he is considered a well-informed man. When a boy of sixteen years, Mr. Cope became interested in the work of drilling and during the following five years he followed the business of prospecting for coal. He then learned the trade of machinist, at which he was employed for five years. He was shrewd and far-sighted and, recognizing an opening for business, he was quick to take advantage of conditions. With the assistance WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1273 of a brother, he commenced the manufacture of drills at East Greenville, Stark county, and their enterprise met with success from the start. They paid particular attention to the quality of their work and soon found themselves in possession of a business which warranted their branching out. From this nucleus has grown the great Cyclone Drill Company, which will be referred to in following paragraphs. Mr. Cope now has other business interests, being a stockholder in the Orrville Foundry Company and a member of the firm of Cope & Cornelius, of Orrville, manufacturers of blast hole loaders. On January 1, 1895, Mr. Cope was married to Emma Custer, of Montpelier, Ohio, where she was born, being a daughter of Peter and Nancy Custer. No children have been born to this union. Fraternally, Mr. Cope is a member of the time-honored order of Free and Accepted Masons, and in his life he exemplifies the beneficent teachings of the order. Though a comparatively young man, Mr. Cope's business career has been one of brilliant order, and yet has been the natural sequel of the determined application of his distinctive abilities and to his extraordinary grasp of manifold details and his indefatigable energy. As a young man he has risen to a position of unmistakable prominence in the financial and industrial world and he now occupies an enviable position in the community. In a previous paragraph mention has been made of the drill manufacturing business established at East Greenville by the Cope brothers. Their business increased rapidly and the outlook looked so promising that they felt they would be justified in seeking a better location and to this end they removed the plant to Orrville in 1900. The concern continued to prosper here and in 1903 ,a stock company was formed and incorporated under the name of the Cyclone Drill Company. The present officers of this company are as follows : President, B. G. Cope; vice-president, C. R. Smith ; secretary-treasurer, Levi Mumann ; directors, W. H. Tschantz, C. R. Smith, Levi Mumann, Arthur Jones and B. G. Cope. The company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of well-drilling machinery, mineral and metal prospecting outfits, blast hole drills, engines, and drilling and finishing tools. The company builds a distinctive type of machine that handles both churn and core tools, and is the only machine of this type built. They also manufacture a gasoline traction drill, being also the only one of its kind on the market. Though the Cyclone is not the largest factory of its kind in the world, it enjoys the distinction of manufacturing the largest line of drilling and prospecting machinery in the world, and it is a significant fact that their line of hole prospecting outfits has developed ninety-five per cent of all the coal mines in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois dur- 1274 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. ing the last ten years. The products of this concern find a ready sale in all parts of the world and are being demanded above all others in many contracts where a specially good tool is -required. The factory gives employment to eighty men, most of them highly skilled workmen, and the rapid growth of the business gives great promise for the future. Five large buildings are occupied and the erection of others is being considered. Those now occupied are the main building, forty-five by one hundred and sixty-five feet in size; the forge shop, seventy-five by one hundred and seventy-five feet; wood shop, sixty-two by one hundred and twenty feet ; and the shipping and stock room, each fifty by seventy feet, besides the modern office, which is finished and equipped for the ready dispatch of business under the most favorable conditions. REZIN B. WASSON. Fortunate is he who has back of him an ancestry honorable and distinguished, and happy is he that his lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. The late Rezin B. Wasson, a well-remembered and highly-honored citizen of Wayne county, Ohio, was blessed in this respect, as he sprang from two prominent families distinguished in the early annals of what geographers are usually pleased to designate as the "Middle West" and since the early pioneer epoch the name he bore has been one of which present-day descendants may well be proud. He was born on his father's farm in Wayne township, this county, two and one-half miles northeast of Wooster, March 28, 1833, the second son of David Wasson, who was of sterling English descent. The great-grandfather of Rezin B. emigrated to the United States from England during the last half of the eighteenth century, and settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where Joseph Wasson, grandfather of Rezin B., was born March 27, 1775. He was married at Lewistown, that state, July 1o, i800, to Jane McConahay, sister of David McConahay. Her father, who came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1816, served as one of the early associate judges of the common pleas court of Wayne county in 1819, also serving two terms in the General Assembly of the state of Ohio in succession, having been first elected in 1826. He was the father-in-law of Ephraim Quinby, long since deceased. It was as early as 1819 that Joseph Wasson moved. with his family to Wayne county, Ohio, first settling in Greene township, and the same year he purchased what was then known as the Davison farm and owned by David