WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1375 In 1898 Mr. Barden was united in marriage with Nora Swart, daughter of Casper L. Swart, of Plain township. She is a sister of A. C. Swart, mentioned in detail in this work. She was reared and educated in this county and the has proven to be a worthy helpmeet in every respect to her enterprising husband. Mr. Barden is a member of the Evangelical church and a liberal supporter of the same, and fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is loyal to the principles of the Republican party; however, he does not find time for office seeking, being content to devote his attention to his many individual affairs, but always doing what he can toward the general good of the community. ALONZO D. HORN. The Horn family have been identified with the development of Wayne county, Ohio, from the early days, especially the western portion, and each member has been careful to prudently guard the honorable traditions of their worthy ancestors. They are known as a hard working, peaceable and neighborly people, always taking an interest in whatever looks to the welfare of their community. The immediate subject of this biography, Alonzo D. Horn, was born in Reedsburg, Plain township, this county, in 1855, the son of David and Lydia (Ewing) Horn. His paternal grandparents were John and Katy Horn, who came from near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and settled near Jeromeville, Ashland county, Ohio, in an early day, having made the trip overland in covered wagons. They later moved to Spencerville, Indiana, where John Horn died, after an active life as a farmer. David Horn, father of the subject, was a wagonmaker by trade, having followed this successfully in both Jeromeville and Reedsburg for a period of forty years, the products of his labors having been eagerly sought for, owing to his great skill in that line. His death occurred in Reedsburg. Although he lived a quiet life, he was an active member of the Lutheran church and in politics he was a Democrat. The maternal grandparents of Alonzo D. Horn were William and Katy Ewing, who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania in an early day, settling in Ashland county, south of Jeromeville, where they remained the rest of their lives. In his early life Mr. Ewing was a teamster, but later a farmer, having cleared a tract of land south of Jeromeville. 1376 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. Alonzo D. Horn was educated in the schools of Reedsburg and he very early began farming, which he has always continued, having been successful not only in general farming but also in stock raising, especially horses, of which he is an excellent judge and which he keeps a large number of, always finding a ready market for them, owing to their high-grade qualities. He is now the owner of a fine and highly-improved farm of one hundred and seventy-six acres in the edge of Reedsburg. He has a splendid home and outbuildings sufficient for his every requirement, his place showing that a man of excellent taste has its management in hand. Mr. Horn was married in 1877 to Emma Della Baker, a native of Plain township, the daughter of an old and highly honored family. To Mr. and Mrs. Horn the following children have been born : Elva, Esta, Miner, and Mila, Who died November 26, 1908. Mrs. Horn died October 3, 1909, and was buried in the beautiful cemetery at Reeds. She was a lady of beautiful character, highly esteemed by all who knew her. She was a member of the Disciple church. Mr. Horn is a Democrat, but he has never aspired to offices of public trust, preferring to devote his attention exclusively to his individual affairs. JACOB FRICK. In the constant and laborious struggle for an honorable competence and a creditable name on the part of business or professional men, there is little to attract the reader in search of a sensational chapter, but to a mind thoroughly awake to the true meaning of life and its responsibilities there are noble and imperishable lessons in the career of an individual who, early thrown upon his own resources and without other means than a sound mind, fertile perceptive faculty and a true heart, conquers adversity and not only wins a prominent position in the industrial world, but what is equally as great, the deserved esteem and confidence of his fellow men. Such a man was Jacob Frick, for many decades a prominent business man of Wayne county, who has been called to close his earthly accounts and take up his abode in the "windowless palaces of rest." His name was long so intimately associated with the material and civic interests of the community where he resided, as to reflect great credit upon the locality, and at the same time gain him the undivided respect of all who knew him because of his well directed life. WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1377 Mr. Frick was born four miles east of West Union, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1834. His parents were of German ancestry, and his father followed the trade of blacksmith throughout his life. Jacob, who was among the younger members of the family, was cast upon his own resources at the age of eighteen, his father being in somewhat humble circumstances. He received but a limited education and knew no trade, consequently hard work was allotted to him; he first hired out to do farm work for two years at very meager wages, and in order to get a start he economized and saved his money. He moved with his father and the rest of the family to Hancock county, Ohio, in 1855, and in that year the father died, and young Frick again took up hard work, first driving a team about the village of Van Buren, in the above named county, receiving the sum of six dollars per month in wages, and he followed this for twelve months. Having an ambition to enter the mercantile field, he sought and found employment in a produce and dry goods establishment, as a clerk and general subaltern, being detailed principally as egg-packer, lard-receiver, etc. He continued at this about one year, during which time the proprietor died. Then Mr. Frick, although with small capital and limited experience, resolved to start in business for himself. Accordingly he opened a provision store of his own, and met with encouragng success from the first. About a year later his brother joined him in the store, and they enlarged their sphere of business, embracing within its circle a dry goods department, and did an excellent business for about three years. Mr. Frick, seeking a broader field for his business enterprise, came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1859, and located at Smithville, and at once embarked in the mercantile business, soon enjoying a large share of the dry goods trade of that section of the county. After following this for one year, lie gave up merchandising and began buying and selling grain, for which he seemed to have a special ability and aptitude, his first labors in this line being at the "Summit," northeast of Wooster, but, desiring a point where conveniences would be more ample and facilities more inviting, he established himself in Wooster in the spring of 1865, where he continued in the grain and milling business for thirty years. In 1881 he purchased a controlling interest in the Wayne County National' Bank and became its president, which office he filled with signal success until the time of his death. Mr. Frick was a man who everybody trusted implicitly, for his life was exemplary in every respect. His death, which occurred on November 17, 1901, was a distinct loss to the community in which he had labored so long and successfully, and his memory will long be cherished by all who knew him. (87) 1378 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. JOHN A. KISTER. The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this biography did not feel the call of the unseen wanderlust in his youth, like so many boys, who become impatient to leave their parental rooftree and seek uncertain fortunes in distant lands, but he was content to remain in his native vicinity, which he has seen develop in a wonderful manner during the past half century. The birth of John A. Kister occurred on October 7, 1850, in Millbrook, Wayne county. He is the son of George C. and Mary Ann (Smith) Kister, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Virginia, each representing fine old families. The paternal grandparents lived and died in the old Keystone state, while the maternal grandparents, John Smith and wife, came to Millbrook, Ohio, where Mr. Smith followed his trade of carpenter and reared a family of boys, all of whom, to some extent, followed the same trade. Here John Smith lived until his death. His son, R. H. Smith, was a soldier in the Civil war. A brother, R. H. Smith, lived in Virginia during the war and was a strong Union man. George, C. Kister, father of John A., was educated in Pennsylvania. In 1833 he came to Wayne county, Ohio, on foot, and settled in Millbrook, where he first followed working on a farm, later becoming a distiller. He was a Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and led a quiet life. His family consisted of three daughters and one son. John A. Kister was educated in the Millbrook schools and at Smithville and Shreve academies. He applied himself very carefully to his studies and received a good education. After leaving school he devoted himself to the trade of millwright. In 1880 he began the manufacture of some specialties in mill machinery and he has built up an extensive local business. He is associated with two of his sons and they operate a chop -mill and cider press, having the reputation as the best makers of corn meal in Wayne county, and they enjoy a liberal patronage throughout this vicinity. Something of the natural inventive talent of the subject is learned from the fact that he has invented several excellent machines for milling. In the early eighties he patented a "middlings purifier," which has been extensively used by mill men, and to some extent he has continued the manufacture of his inventions. He has prospered in a financial way owing to his close attention to his business and he is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and seventy acres, one-half mile west of Millbrook. He has managed this in a very skillful manner, rotating his crops and employing all the up-to-date methods of farming, until he has one of the choice farms of the township. He has a modern dwelling and substantial outbuildings. WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1379 Mr. Kister was married on January 15, 1879, to Emily Samis, who was born in Canada, the daughter of James Samis, a Baptist minister and a prominent man in his community. To Mr. and Mrs. John A. Kister the following children have been born : Melvis S., who was a member of Company H, Eighth Regiment Ohio Infantry, who took part in the Cuba campaign during the Spanish-American war. Later he went to the Philippine islands and was a recruit in the Twelfth United States Infantry. He made an excellent soldier and on a return trip home, en route from Manila to San Francisco, he died on the Pacific ocean of a chronic disease contracted in the tropics, and he was brought to Millbrook, Ohio, where he was buried. The other children are, Guy S. is living at home and is in business with his father; James L. has also remained with his father; Mabel M. is living at home. The father and the two sons work together in the shop and in the millwright business. They have been very successful in all their undertakings. Mrs. J. Kister died September i 0, 1898, and was buried in Millbrook cemetery. She was a member of the Baptist church. Fraternally, Mr. Kister is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the chapter and the council. He is a Republican in politics. He has always taken more or less interest in the affairs of his county, and he is now a member of the board of education, having accepted the place three different times. WILLIAM BARDEN. Of all the foreign nations that have sent their citizens to America there is no question but that England has had more to do with our development than any other, and wherever her sons have dispersed in our constellation of states they have been among the most welcomed newcomers, for they are enterprising, cool, calculating, persistent and, as a rule, people of the best personal traits. One of this vast number deserving specific mention in this history was the late William Barden, long a highly respected citizen of Plain township. He was born in England in 1840, and he is the son of William and Ann (Ralph) Barden, both born in England. They came to America in 1852, coming westward to Ohio and settling at Massillon, where they continued to reside, at which place the father worked at various occupations. They brought eight children with them to this country. The latter part of the life of the father of the subject was spent on a farm near Massillon and he ended his days there, becoming fairly well fixed in reference to this world's affairs, One of his sons, Samuel, served a short time in the Federal army (luring the Civil war. 1380 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.. William Barden, Jr., was educated chiefly in the common schools of England. However, being only a boy when he arrived in America, he, attended school here for aiaime and devoted his life to farming. It was in 1869 that he came to Wayne county, Ohio, and purchased a forty-acre farm in Plain township, and he continued to carry on his farming operations until his death, which occurred in January, 1908. Politically he was a Republican and he took some interest in local political affairs, and he served as trustee of Plain township for several years. Mr. Barden was married on November 11, 1864, to Katherine Brumbaugh, daughter of Samuel and Susan (Egla) Brumbaugh, both natives of Pennsylvania, the former having come to Ohio, locating near Canton with his parents, John and Mary Brumbaugh. Susan Egla was reared near Massillon, Ohio, near which city they married and continued to reside. To Mr. and Mrs. William Barden, Jr., the following children were born : Cora, who died when two years of age ; William A., whose life record is given on another page of this work ; Edwin A., Minnie, Nettie, Curtis and Nellie. Religiously, this family belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. William Barden, Jr., was a man in whom the utmost confidence was reposed by his neighbors, for his life was above reproach. He was scrupulously honest, always generous and kind, public spirited and deeply interested in the education and welfare of his children. He was possessed of the warmest sympathies and charities, a simple man in his tastes, without a particle of ostentation, simplicity emphasizing every phase of his life. Drede I DAVID BEAL. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life and characteristics the reader's attention is herewith directed is among the foforemostarpenters and builders in Wayne county and he has by his skill, enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a material way .to the advancement of the county throughout which stand as enduring monuments to his ability as a workman many houses, barns and business blocks. David Beal is a descendant of honored ancestors of the Prairie state, he having been born in Pike county, Illinois, October 28, 1851, the son of William and Rebecca (Sterner) Beal, the former a native of New York and the latter born in Pennsylvania December 16, 1825. David Beal's paternal grandparents were natives of the state of New York: His father was a cooper by trade, and when a young man he left his native state and came to Ohio, and it was WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1381 while living in Summit county that he met and married Rebecca Sterner. He there followed his trade for many years. About 185o he moved to Illinois and for nine years made his home in that state, then returned to Ohio and in a short time located in Wayne county. He moved to Michigan and died there a short time afterwards. He was prominent in the official life of the Dunkard church, but he lived a quiet, retired life. He was a good and useful man and highly skilled at his trade. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are living at this writing. The mother of these children, a woman of gracious personality, is still living at the age of eighty-four years. David Beal was educated in the common schools of Summit county and there learned the carpenter's trade, having a natural inclination for this line of work, consequently he has become a very high grade workman and his services have always been in great demand. During the forty years that he has followed his trade he has turned off a very large number of big jobs, and his work is always satisfactory owing to his knowledge of all forms of architecture and his desire to please. In 1878 he moved to Doylestown, where he built a modern and beautiful home on Howard street and lived there for many years, still making his home in Doylestown. He has a lucrative business around this town, and his work is at present confined chiefly to contracting. Mr. Beal was married, October 9, 1873; to Elizabeth Cassel, daughter of Charles and Mary Cassel, old settlers of Doylestown, and this union has resulted in the birth of three children, namely : Mary Rebecca, who was educated at Berea College, is now the wife of Fred W. Deutsch ; Florence Odell was also well educated and both she and her sister became school teachers ; Willis Roy has followed the traditions of his father and grandfather and become an architect, now assisting his father. Mr. Beal is a Democrat politically and he has been a very faithful member of the council of Doylestown for the past two years, and he has been a member of the school board for the past three or four years. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and he formerly belonged to the American Mechanics Association. No man in this part of Wayne county is better known than Mr. Beal and none more highly respected. GEORGE RICKABAUGH. The problem of ridding the soil of its heavy growth of timber and underbrush has been a leading one with the settlers of this and other sections of the country for the past century and more. The earliest settlers wantonly wasted the woods, believing that the timber was of little value and that 1382 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.. virgin soil was all that was worth their attention, but the value of lumber afterwards caused the settler to conserve the larger growth of timber until now a scarcity is experienced. The saw-mill man has always been a leading factor in a .new country and those who have followed this line of endeavor have, as a rule, become prominent in their communities and fairly well fixed financially. The same may be said in reference to those who have operated the threshing machines. One of this number is George Rickabaugh, who was born in Plain township, Wayne county, July 6, 1861, the son of John and Mandy (Wilbur) Rickabaugh, the former mentioned at length in the sketch of F. L. Rickabaugh in this work, and the mother is a sister of Thomas Willour, whose sketch is also found herein. George Rickabaugh was educated in the district schools of Plain township, and he began assisting his father with the work on the farm when a small boy, continuing thus until he was seventeen years of age. He had always been interested in threshing and when an outfit visited his community he, as a lad, would usually accompany it until it went to some other neighborhood, vowing that he would some day operate one of his own. This desire was gratified at an early age, when in 1878 he began threshing and has continued this line of work ever since during .the summer seasons, operating a sawmill the remaining months of the year. He has been very successful and has become known throughout this locality as one of the leading threshers and mill men of the county. Mr. Rickabaugh was married in 1900 to Clara Long, the daughter of an old and highly respected family of this county, and this union has resulted in the birth of three children, Carl, Irene and Clark. Mrs. Rickabaugh's father, who is now retired, still lives in Milton township. Mrs. Rickabaugh is a member of the Christian church. Mr. Rickabaugh votes the Democratic ticket, but he does not find time to take a very active part in political affairs. PROF. H. F. LONGENECKER. In the daily laborious struggle for an honorable competence and a solid career on the part of a business or a professional man there is little to attract the casual reader in search of a sensational chapter; but to a mind thoroughly awake to the reality and meaning of human existence there are noble and imperishable lessons in the career of an individual who, without other means WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1383 than a clear head, strong arm and true heart, directed and controlled by correct principles and unerring judgment, conquers adversity and, toiling on, finally wins not only pecuniary independence but, what is far greater and higher, the deserved respect and confidence of those with whom his active years have brought .him into contact Such a one is found in the person of Prof. H. F. Longenecker, whose career as an educator in the county of Wayne has won him the praise that is due those who succeed. He was born in Greene township, Wayne county, Ohio, January 7; 1869, the -son of Samuel B. and Elizabeth (Brenner) Longenecker, people of intelligence and influence in this locality. Professor Longenecker is the oldest of the family of six living children. He was reared on the home farm in Greene township, where he 'very early became inured to the toils- of .a farmer boy, alternating farming with schooling in the district schools until he was seventeen years of age. Having a natural thirst for knowledge, he studied in such a manner as to lay a broad and deep foundation for a subsequent structure of general learning. He attended the Smithville Academy for a time, then entered the Normal University at Ada, Ohio, where he made a splendid record for scholarship and from which institution he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1895, and taking additional work, he received the degree of Bachelor of Science from that institution in 1900. Professor Longenecker, after completing his education in the institution named above and teaching during the winter months, thereby making his own way through school, and demonstrating what courage and rightly applied ambition can accomplish, did post-graduate work at the Wooster University Summer School and taught at Rittman for two years and at Smithville for seven years. At present he is superintendent of the Dalton schools, where his services have won the good will of both patron and pupil, having greatly strengthened the educational system of the local schools since coming here, and shown by his thorough training, his profound learning and his pleasing characteristics of manner that he is deserving of a place second to none as an educator in this locality. Professor Longenecker is the owner of a valuable farm of seventy-four acres one mile west of Smithville, this county, and although his professional duties claim most of his attention he finds time to look after his farm, no small part of his income being derived from the able management of the same. An interesting chapter in the life of Professor Longenecker is that bearing on his domestic life, which began on September 1, 1909, when he espoused a lady of talent and refinement in the person of Ada Hershey, the daughter .of George Hershey, a well known citizen living near Rittman,. Chippewa town- 1384 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. ship, this county. Mrs. Longenecker was born in Chippewa township, Wayne county, Ohio, on January 4, 1875. She received a good education in the home schools. The Professor is regarded as one of the substantial workers in the Republican ranks of his county, and he was the nominee of this party for county treasurer, and a criterion of his excellent standing among his fellow citizens is contained in the fact that at the subsequent election, although not elected on account of the large Democratic majority to overcome, he ran far ahead of the county ticket. Personally he is a man of pleasing address, gentlemanly in his bearing, courteous at all times and his integrity and honesty are above question. He at once impresses the stranger as a man of learning, well-bred. progressive and trustworthy, and no man in the county is more favorably known than he. BENTON GIVLER HAY. It is one of the beauties of our government that it acknowledges no hereditary rank or title, no patent of nobility save that of nature's, leaving every man to establish his own rank by becoming the artificer of his own fortune. Places of honor and trust, rank and preferment that happily are placed before every individual, high or low, rich or poor, to be striven for by all, but earned alone by perseverance and sterling worth, are almost sure to be filled with deserving men, or at least by those possessing the energy and talent essential to success in contests where public position is the prize. Benton Givler Hay, a member of the Wayne county bar, who is generally recognized as one of the ablest of the younger generation of attorneys in this locality, affords a conspicuous example of the successful self-made American who is not only eminently deserving of the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens, but also possesses the necessary talent and energy that fit him to discharge worthily the duties of the several responsible positions to which he has been honored by the people of his county. A man of vigorous mentality and strong moral fiber, he has achieved signal success in a calling in which few rise above mediocrity, and since entering the service of the public he finds those same qualities the chief factors in carving out of a career that has been above the suspicion of reproach and an honor to the county which he has so ably and acceptably served and whose interests he has ever had at heart. Mr. Hay is the scion of an ancestry of which he may well be proud, not because their lives were marked by any meteoric effects or that they were in WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1385 anywise leaders of men, but because they were of the type that build emires, • hardy, thrifty, self-sacrificing, industrious, unswervingly honest and public spirited, and to such a type as they the great Buckeye commonwealth owes its eminent position in the brilliant constellation of our national union. Benton G. Hay was born February 18, 1874, near Loudonville, Ashland county, Ohio, the tenth child of Isaac and SarhardworkingHay, the father a hardworking farmer who established a good home for his family and reared them in comfort and respectability. His death occurred on January 23, 1891, the mother surviving until September, 1907. They were highly respected in their community for their steady Christian lives, their neighborly and generous traits and their industry. Benton G. Hay was educated in the country schools, working on the home farm during the summer months. He was ambitious to become familiar with the classics and to launch into a professional career, consequently he applied himself very assiduously to his studies and was soon enabled to teach, following very successfully this line of endeavor in Ashland county from 1893 to 1895. But not finding his labors in the school room entirely to his liking, he turned his attention to the law, and studied with C. E. McBride at Mansfield, Ohio, making rapid progress in Blackstone. After this preliminary preparation he entered the law department of the Ohio Northern University, at Ada, where he made a very commendable record and from which he was graduated in 1898, and in March of that year he was admitted to the bar. He commenced practice in Wooster in October, 1898, and was associated for a time with John C. Morr, acid he has succeeded in building up a very satisfactory practice, having a clientele from the start that has been loyal and has constantly increased. Since March 1, 1908, he has been associated with Lyman R. Critchfield Jr., this firm being an unusually strong and successful one and is rapidly gaining a prestige second to none in northern Ohio. Mr. Hay has always taken an abiding interest in political affairs and he has been singled out for positions of trust and responsibility, worthily discharging his duties in every capacity requiring clear analysis and sound judgment. He was clerk of the board of deputy state supervisors of elections from August, 1903, to August, 1904. On the death of Hervey H. Hubbell, city solicitor, Mayor Van Nest appointed Mr. Hay to fill the vacancy, September I, 1904, and so well did he perform his duties that he was elected to this office in November, 1905, and again in November, 1907, serving in all five years and four months, greatly to his credit and to the welfare of the people, among the most praiseworthy acts of that period being the fact that he codified the city ordinances and laws. For tt ears he has bee 1386 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. secretary of the Democratic county executive committee, the party being greatly indebted to him for his able management of its affairs. He is popular with all classes throughout the county and the future doubtless holds many honors for him. Sufficient has been said to indicate Mr. Hay's high character and eminent success in the profession to which he is devoting his life and energies. He has broad views of- the law, is painstaking, accurate, indefatigable in his efforts to protect the interests of his clients, and his tact in the trial of cases is second to none. THE AMSTUTZ FAMILY. This family belongs to the early settlers, the first members having emigrated from Switzerland to Greene township in 1824. There were three sons and two daughters ; the mother accompanied them, passing away on the sea. Her maiden name was Basinger, but what her christian name was is uncertain. Some time after arriving in this county the father, John Amstutz, was married again to a Miss Katy Hilty. There were no children from this union. The second wife was a sister of Peter and David Hilty, who also were early residents of Milton township. Originally the family came into the possession of a distinctive name near Thun, Switzerland. The place of origin is believed to be at the foot of the Niesen, a two thousand three hundred and thirty-six meter-high mountain—seven thousand seven hundred and fifty feet above sea level, and about the same distance, eight and a half miles, from Interlaken and Thun, lying at the corner of a right angle, the two sides of which pass through these places. Lake Thun almost forms the diagonal of the triangle. This location is marked on the Swiss "Topograpischer Atlas, Thun-Interlaken" section, of 1896. It is indicated on this geodetic survey map as Am Stutz. This was the way in which the name was spelled until the latter part of the seventeenth century (1675) or thereabouts, when the two syllables were united and the present-day spelling adopted. The name, in common with many Swiss and German ones, is a place name. In this case the old Swiss tongue designated a hill or mountain as a "stutz." The "am" literally means "at," from which the compound 'word was undoubtedly formed. The place Am Stutz at present refers to but a single, or at most but a few chalets, found at the southern end of the Emdthal, about two and a half miles from the lake Thun. The place is five hundred and five feet above the WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1387 level of the lake and the Niesen towers above it five thousand four hundred and ten feet. The highest point of this mountain is just two miles away from the place, almost due west, trending slightly toward the north. All this indicates the significance of the name. It is not definitely known if this branch of the family lived near this spot. Many persons of this name still live in the vicinity of lake Thun, especially at Sigriswyl, across the lake (where some of the family records ascribe the birth of the older members). Tradition says that John Amstutz, the stem of the family, was born at Lugnez, district of Porruntruy (Pruntrut), almost in the extreme northwest portion of Switzerland. It is said that he lived for a time at Hindlinger, near Pruntrut, also at Sigriswyl. His death or birth are not known by date, but his place of burial is found in Greene township, Wayne county, two miles south of the north line and one and a quarter miles from the east line. His oldest son, Peter, was born on February 13, 1799 (died May 14, 1881). Ulrich, the second son and the third child, was born April 26, 1801 (died March 19, 1881). He lived the principal part of his life three miles straight north from the first location of the father in Greene township on the southwest quarter of the extreme northeast section of the township, number one. The youngest child, a daughter, Anna, was born February 15, 1817. The oldest daughter, Catharine, was born between the birthdays of the brothers Peter and -Ulrich, and the youngest son, John, was born October 14, 1803 (died August 27, 1877). The. family came to America in 1824 by way of Havre, France, traveling overland from Switzerland by means of ox teams which were sold at their land journey's end. The ocean voyage, on a small sailing vessel, was anything but the comfort and the speed of a modern trip across the Atlantic. Storms and numerous delays lengthened the voyage until two months were consumed in reaching either New York or Philadelphia. It is uncertain at which port the party landed ; some traditions contend for one place and some for the other. It is said that they for a time secured employment on the Ohio & Pennsylvania canal and that .they came overland by ox team. It is related that at one time their food supply ran low and the women and children of the party were left alone with the wagons while the men went hunting game. The chase led them into unknown directions and to their own consternation and terror of the women and children they were absolutely lost for a period of two days. This was not a comforting condition of things. both parties knowing that there were Indians and plenty of wild animals roaming the forests. Fortunately they found their dependents and then they gradually 1388 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. pushed their way westward, finally reaching Greene township. They seem to have temporarily put up with other pioneers. Ere long a Pennsylvanian came to section 1, Greene township, to claim the southwest quarter of this section, that he had purchased from land agents in the east. The dreary outlook so disheartened him that his goods were not even removed from the wagons. While in this frame of mind he readily sold his holdings to John Amstutz, who erected a cabin on the northwest quarter of this one hundred and sixty-acre plot. The only highways open in 1828 were the Portage and Bristol roads, the latter extending from the intersection of Milton, Greene, Baughman and Chippewa townships to Bristol, as Marshallville was then called. Other directions of travel were simply paths blazed through the forests, winding here and there in circuitous meanderings. The settlers called them in the Swiss vernacular, "Schlupfweg." It is understood that the father lived on this section—the northeast of Greene township—and during his last years on the east half of his farm. Ulrich, his second son, built a house near the first cabin, which, after his removal to the old homestead of the Ulrich .branch of the family, at present occupied by Daniel Amstutz, located just three miles clue north, in Milton township, was sold to John Pettit after Mr. Pettit's marriage in 1833. The nearest neighbors to the south were the Schwartzentruber family, who lived On the northeast quarter of the section immediately south of section I. It bordered on what is now called the town-line road leading to Orrville (the Christ King farm). At the time of John Amstutz's funeral Christ Schwartzentruber acted as undertaker, hauling the body to the place of interment, one mile due south from the first home and one-fourth mile west on the Christ Steiner farm, latterly owned by Emuel Beck. Parentheses enclose the names of persons united by marriage with those immediately preceding. The oldest son, Peter, after his marriage, moved to the vicinity of Canal Fulton and in 1852 took up his residence in Allen county, Ohio, where he died. He was married twice, his first wife being Mrs. Anna Stutz (nee Steiner). A son and daughter, Peter and Catharine, both of whom are no longer living, blessed this union. The daughter was married to George Bigler. They are long time residents of Wayne county, living near Fox Lake, and Marshallville. The oldest son of the Bigler family is John Bigler of Burton City, who married Eliza Rogers. The second marriage was with Barbara Luginbil. From this union there sprang four children, two brothers and two sisters, John, Joseph, Barbra and Anna (the latter deceased), in the order of their ages. There are only two families in existence of this branch, WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1389 those of Rudolph J. Althaus (Barbra) and Joseph Amstutz (Mary Zuber), both now living in Allen county, John not having married. The oldest living descendants of each are Peter Amstutz (Rosa Wright) and Andrew Althaus, of Beaver Dam and Bluffton, Ohio, respectively. The second daughter, Catharine, became the second wife of Rev. Christian Steiner, resident until his death on the farm at Milton Center. Six children were the offspring of this marriage, three daughters and three sons, of which only one son and one daughter, Peter and Barbra, are now living. The others were named Catharine, Christ, John and Anna, the three last named deceased. The families of Christ and John resided at Milton Center and Anna, married to David Amstutz, resided until her death at Crystal Valley, Oceana county, Michigan. Barbra was the wife of Fredrick Amstutz, also of Milton Center. The oldest grandchildren are, according to their ages. relisting the children as well : Peter—not married. Christ (Barbra Amstutz) —Mary J., Rittman, Ohio. Barbra (Frederick Amstutz (d)—Christ (deceased), Rittman, Ohio. John (deceased) (Maria Kratz)—Reuben (Matilda Moine), Rittman, Ohio. Anna (deceased) (David Amstutz, Crystal Valley, Michigan)—Mary M. (David C. Burkholder), Smithville, Ohio. The largest branch of the original stock is that of the Ulrich Amstutz family, consisting of thirteen children, seven boys and six girls. Both parents, and two sons and four daughters have died. The children's names, according to their ages, are: Frederick (deceased), John (deceased), Peter, Maria (deceased), Jacob, Catharine (deceased), Fanny, David, Anna (deceased), Lydia, Daniel, Joel B., and Lavina (deceased). All the members of this branch, as named, have lived continuously in Wayne county. Their offspring is, however, scattered throughout many of the states. The wife of Ulrich was Catharine Luginbil, who was born at Kolmar, Alsace, France. This province since the Franco-German war has belonged to Germany. In order to identify the various families to which the grandchildren of Ulrich Amstutz belong, only the names of the oldest members of each family are given,. viz : Frederick (Barbra Steiner)—Christ, Rittman, Ohio. John ( 1st Fanny Steiner, deceased)—Daniel S. (Anna Lehmann) Orrville, Ohio 2d Elizabeth Burkholder, 'deceased—Reuben B. (Lena Bauman) Birmingham, Ohio.) Peter (Sarah Burkholder, deceased)—Emma C., deceased (Mrs. Dr. H. Blankerhorn), Orrville, Ohio. Jacob (Lehanna Fisher)—Flora Alice (Mrs. Everett Stone), Creston, Ohio. Catharine (Peter J. Steiner, deceased) —Lydia (Mrs. George Hoover), Rittman, Ohio. Fanny (Abraham Fisher. deceased)—Aaron, Rittman, Ohio. David (Fanny Steiner, deceased)—no children, Rittman, Ohio. Lydia (Daniel Steiner)—Clara B. (Mrs. D. L. 1390 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. King), Smithville, Ohio. Daniel (Mary Ann Burkholder, deceased)—John H., Rittman,, Ohio. Joel B. (Susannah Hoover)—Menno S. (deceased), New York. Lavina (Abraham Burkholder)—Kate (deceased) (Dan Yoder), Orrville, Ohio. John, the youngest son, married to Mary Luginbil (deceased), lived until his death on the quarter section, in Greene township, adjoining the first homestead of . his father on the east. The family consisted of Peter (deceased), Katy, John (deceased), Jacob (deceased), David, Barbra, Jakob (deceased), Joseph; .Ulrich (deceased), and Anna (deceased). The oldest of each of the grandchildren is listed as follows, the names of the parents being given in each case : Katy (Levi Bennert)—Mary (Fred Ramsyer), Orrville, Ohio. John (Mary Bartholomew (deceased)—Mary Ann (deceased). David (Anna Steiner, deceased)—Mary M. (David C. Burkholder), Smithville, Ohio. Barbra (Christ Steiner,. deceased)—Mary J., Rittman, Ohio. Joseph (Elmira Bressler)—Sarah (Fred Huber), Orrville, Ohio. Anna, the youngest of the daughters, married C. D. Basinger (deceased), of Pandora, Putnam county, Ohio, where the family have resided ever since and the greater part of the descendants have remained in the near vicinity. To this union there came the following children: Jonathan J. (deceased), Catharine, Stephen E. (deceased), John M. (deceased), Stephen A. (deceased), Anna (deceased), David W., Christian I. (deceased), and Noah W. (deceased).. The oldest. one of each of the grandchildren is listed as follows: Jonathan J. (Mary Ann Neuenschwander)--Ephraim D. (deceased), (Barbra D. Luginbil), Pandora, Ohio. Catharine (Joseph Steiner)—Amos (first, Anna. Kener; second, Alma M. Reiter), Bluffton, Ohio. John. M. (Catharine Kiene)—Sarah (Robert Roethlisberger); Columbus Grove, Ohio. Stephen A. (Catharine Neuenschwander)—Christene, Columbus Grove, Ohio. David W. (Fanny Graver)—Peter A. (Leah Schaublin), Columbus Grove, Ohio. Christian I. (first, Emma A. Kelly, deceased Jerome (Bertha Hardwick) .; second, Elizabeth Winkler)—Aldine C. (deceased), Columbus Grove, Ohio. Noah W. (Leah Gratz)—Tillman (Celena. Stouffer), Columbus Grove, Ohio.  Agriculture has been the principal source of livelihood of these families, throughout the first, second and third generations.. In fact, the largest part of the living members of the relationship ate yet agriculturalists. The family has proved to :be one of the most progressive, in the county. There are, besides those who follow the honorable. calling of husbandry, some who have chosen the equally desirable professions for their life work. This is especially true in the third generation, from which doctors, business men, scien- WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1391 Lists, bankers, merchants, mechanicians, musicians, travelers, etc., have come. In 1906 there were in the relationship five hundred and ninety-six names, including ninety-five added by marriage, and one hundred and seventeen deaths, leaving three hundred and eighty-four living descendants, directly connected. The family has been a force in the county through a temperamental quietness. The original parents were Mennonites, or Anabaptists, as they were called in Switzerland. This religious connection held fairly close until the third generation, when intermarriages, travel, removals, etc., began to widen the borders and change the religious traditions of the fathers, so that now there are found within the pale of the principal denominations some members from almost every family. The family has developed and perpetuated considerable tribal proclivities, which at times has developed into the better features of the Scottish clans. There has always been a strong leaning in the exercise of hospitality which has had the inevitable effect of spreading their reputation far beyond their own borders. General education has not lost anything in the impetus of other growths. Aggressiveness, at times, like in other relationships, has become somewhat opinionated, yet there has gone from out their firesides a widespread influence for progress and the general good. The family has largely intermarried with the Steiners, from which there has sprung a line of descendants who combine the best of each of the parental stems. The home, that bulwark of the nation, has found strong exemplifications among the ranks of the various family memberships. In politics the family has not been prominent, the old and new parties having adherents among them. There is, indeed, a great stride from the ox-cart transportation of the early arrivals in this country to the modern steam-turbine leviathans of the deep. The telephones, automobiles, wireless telegraphy and aeroplanes all accentuate the marvelous differences between the former days and those of the present. The oldest living member of the family still resides in the county, Peter Amstutz, of Smithville, Ohio, who was born November 15, 1832. It has been thought best to not attempt to list the family names in the third and fourth generations, except the oldest of each family in the third generation, because there are so many that there would not be space available within the bounds of this history. N. S. A. 1392 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. CHRISTIAN A. WYER One of the most successful and widely known auctioneers in the United States is Christian A. Wyer. Such a statement of one of Wooster's young men may seem broad, but an investigation would prove it to be true, nevertheless. Wayne county has no more popular citizen, for he is a good mixer, always genial and pleasant to meet. He is a man who would succeed at anything to which lie might direct his attention, possessing rare force of character and a strong discriminating intellect, yet withal he is entirely unassuming. Mr. Wyer was born May 25, 1870, in Sterling, this county, and he is the scion of one of the excellent old families of this section of the Buckeye state, being the son of David and Catherine (Eicher) Wyer, both natives of Ohio. Grandfather Eicher, who came from France, was a farmer by occupation. His wife also was a native of France. David Wyer is now a resident of Orrville. His wife passed to her rest in 1904 and is buried at the cemetery at Orrville. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters,. one son dying in infancy. They are, Samuel S., who lives in Columbus, Ohio, and is a mechanical engineer ; Mrs. A. H. Stanfer lives in Barberton, Ohio; Mrs. William Schuetler lives on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio. Christian A. Wyer received a good education in the public schools of Sterling, Ohio, and after leaving the school room he went to teaming, then engaged in the grocery business for about two years ; he was then employed by the Rapid Transit Company of Akron, Ohio, for two years. He then conducted a meat market for three years at Barberton, Ohio, and in the meantime he began selling horses for the Winkler Horse Company at Orrville, Ohio, and he worked for this concern for a period of nine years. In connection with this firm he now works for the Crandel Horse Company, of Buffalo, New York, also for the Newgass horse. commission firm of Chicago. He has been unusually successful in this line of work and has given his employers eminent satisfaction in every respect and has clone much to increase the prestige of these firms. On December 25; 1897, Mr. Wyer married Mayme Gingrey, of Creston, Ohio, where her people have long been prominent and well established. She is the (laughter of John and Sarah Gingrey, both still living. A full sketch of these estimable people is to be found on another page of this work. Mrs. Wyer is a lady of many praiseworthy attributes and is a favorite with a wide circle of friends, a lady of culture and refinement, affable in manners and genial in disposition, and she presides over her neat and cozy home with rare grace and dignity, making all who visit them feel welcome. They have a WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1393 beautiful and modern home in Orrville. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wyer has been blessed by the birth of two interesting children, a son and a daughter, Beulah, a bright little miss now attending school, who was born September 8, 1900, and Paul H., who was born June 17, 1908. Politically Mr. Wyer is a Democrat and in religious matters he and his wife are Methodists. Fraternally he belongs to the Free and Accepted Masons, Cedar Lodge, No. 43o, of Orrville, Ohio; he also belongs to the council of Royal and Select Masters, the Royal Arch chapter, and the commandery No. 48, Knights Templar, all at Wooster. He is a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret at Canton, Ohio, and has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish rite. He is also a member of Alkoran Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Cleveland, Ohio. He is active and popular in all these orders and, judging from his daily life among his fellow men, he endeavors to carry into practice the sublime precepts which they seek to inculcate. HENRY A. PEAKE. Among those men of sterling attributes of character who have impressed their personality upon the community of their residence and have borne their full share in the upbuilding and development of this part of Wayne county, mention must not be omitted of Henry A. Peake, who was born in Canaan township, Wayne county, on the 19th of April, 1846. His parents were George and Fanny (Vangelder) Peake, the former of whom was born in Schoharie county, New York, December 22, 1818, and the latter in New York state on March 12, 1820. The subject's paternal grandparents, David and Elenore (Wells) Peake, were born in Schoharie county, New York, about the year 1830, and came to Wayne county after their marriage, driving with their family of children from their eastern home to Canaan township, where the father bought two hundred acres of land, most of it being uncleared. This land he cleared and improved and lived there until his death. The subject's maternal grandfather, Jacob Vangelder, was an early settler near Montville, Medina county, where he engaged in the mercantile business and also engaged in the manufacture of potash. Late in life he moved to Wisconsin, with some of his children, and there his death occurred. George Peake, the subject's father, was reared to the life of a farmer, but at an early age he took up the occupation of stage-driver, driving for a long time between Columbus and Cleveland. He was a man of slight build, but was noted for his ability to (88) 1394 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. handle fractious and runaway horses which other men were afraid of. Soon after his marriage he purchased the south part of his father's farm in Canaan township. Originally a. Whig- in politics, he later became a Republican and took a deep interest in local affairs. He and his wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They were married in 1842 and were the parents of three children, namely : Mary Elizabeth, born December 12, 1842, died July 14, 1890; Henry A., subject of this sketch; Rhody, who died in infancy. George Peake died in the spring of 1864, and was survived a number of years by his widow, who died on May 20, 1877. Henry A. Peake secured his education in the district school near his home and in the public school at Creston. He was reared to the life of a farmer and when he was seventeen years old he was compelled,- because of the death of his father, to take active charge of the farm for his mother. He has lived on the home farm ever since, his mother making her home, with him until her death. The farm, which comprises sixty-seven and a half acres, is eligibly located in Canaan township, and is one of the model farms of the township. The place is characterized by good buildings, well-kept fences and highly cultivated fields that indicate the owner to be a man of energy, thrift and progressive ideas. The family are highly esteemed by their neighbors and friends and possess the unlimited confidence of all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. On December 22, 1868, Mr. Peake wedded Sarah Elizabeth Mills, who was born April 1o, 1854, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William and Rebecca J. (McNiel) Mills, also of Lancaster county. William Mills was a shoemaker by trade and in 1856 be brought his family to Jackson, Canaan township, Wayne county, Ohio, where he continued to work at his trade. Rebecca Mills died in 1861, While the father still makes his home with :the subject, being far advanced in years. To the subject and his wife the following children have been born : Elmer, born May 16, 1870, died April 16, 1871 ; Alberta Foster, born September 24, 1872, married Emma Bricker, September 6, 1894; George Irvin, born March 23, 1875, died June 27, 1893; Fannie Iola, born July 23, 1877, died August 22, 1878 ; Ina Pearl, born July :28, 1879, married Hal S. Guthrie October 16, 1901 ; William Ernest, born May 20, 1884, married Maude Clyne August 27, 1905. In politics Mr. Peake gives an earnest support to the Republican party, but is not a seeker after office. As showing his public spirit it may be stated that in 1873 Mr. Peake petitioned for a forty-foot road, commencing a half mile west of Jackson, and running north one mile. The petition was granted, and Mr. Peake was as- WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1395 sessed fifty dollars an acre and cost of fencing, which he paid. One man, who was only required to cut the timber off the proposed roadway and move his fences, opposed the new road, saying it was a rank injustice. But this mile of roadway is now one of the most heavily traveled highways in the township. PROF. LYMAN C. KNIGHT. The present age is essentially utilitarian and the life of every successful man carries a lesson which, told in contemporary narrative, is productive of much good in shaping the destiny of others. In giving a brief resume of the scholarly gentleman whose name appears above, it is with a hope that it may prove not only interesting but also serve as an incentive to those who contemplate entering one of the professions. Professor Lyman C. Knight was born in Congress township, Wayne county, October 5, 1871, the son of Lyman S. Knight, a native of Williamsburg, Holmes county, this state, and who is now a resident of Congress township, this county, having come to this county in 1877. Lyman S. Knight is known as one of the leading educators of this locality, having been engaged in teaching up to 1908, when he retired. His services were always in great demand and he won the good will of both pupil and patron. Grandfather George Knight migrated to Holmes county where he lived a number of years, later removing to Newcastle, Coshocton county, Ohio. He was a tanner by trade. He married a Miss Boggs. L. S Knight married Tamar L. Stanley, a representative of an old and influential family of Congress township, where she was born, the daughter of Nathaniel Stanley, a native of Wayne county, a member of a very early family who settled here when the wilderness had not yet been conquered and wild beasts were frequently met with. This family came from Pennsylvania and settled in Congress township, Wayne county ; some of the family also located in Chester township. Nathaniel Stanley was an uncle of the famous General Stanley of the United States army. Mrs. Tamar (Stanley) Knight was a woman of .fine attributes, who passed to her rest in 1904. She was the mother of five children ; three are deceased, Mrs. Hattie 'Newmeyer, of Seville, Ohio, and Lyman C. being the only survivors. Professor Knight was born on the old homestead in Congress township. At that time his father was teaching at Ft. Madison, Iowa. He received his primary education in the public schools, and then entered the Cleveland Business College, from which he was graduated in 1893. Actuated by a laudable 1396 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. ambition to. master the higher branches of learning, he entered the University of Wooster, from which he was graduated in 1904. He made an excellent record in all these institutions and began teaching at an early age, in fact he had taught at the Savannah Academy before he had finished his education. He had also taught in many county schools. Gaining such a wide reputation as an instructor, he was wanted by large institutions, among which was the University of Wooster, where he was given the department of mathematics and science, which position he is still holding with 'credit to himself and the university, having won a high standing among the able educators of a state long noted for the high order of its professional talent. He is widely read and keeps abreast of the times on all matters pertaining to his line of work and in: fact, all questions of weight and interest to thinking minds everywhere. He is a lover of the World's best literature and his carefully selected library contains the best works of the master minds of all ages: He is by nature an instructor, possessing those rare innate qualities- that enable him to please both pupil and patron. Professor Knight was married on September 4; 1807, to Jennie M. Clouse, the accomplished and refined daughter of James M. -Clouse,. a prominent citizen of Congress toWnship, Wayne county; where Mrs. Knight was born and reared.. One bright and interesting child has been born to this union, named Lester, whose birth occurred January 27, 1899. Mrs. Knight died November 10, 1909. Professor Knight is a member of the Westminster Presbyterian church. His work in .every department of education is characteristically practical, as was also that of his honored father, and he possesses to a- remarkable. degree the sense of proportion and fitness. Continuous application has given him a clear and comprehensive insight into the philosophy of education and the largest wisdom as to method and Means of attainment of ends; while his steady growth in public favor wherever he has labored and his popularity with teachers and pupils have won for him a standing in educational circles second to none in northern Ohio, 'possessing, as he does, the personal charm and tact which makes him popular with the young.and old alike, and, judging by the past, it is safe to predict for him a future of greater usefulness and honor. CLYDE E. RUDDY A well known member of a prominent Wayne county family is Clyde E. Rudy, who is deserving of a place in a work of this nature along with other progressive citizens because he has earned the rewards which have attended WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1397 his efforts, for, although beginning in a somewhat humble way at the foot of the ladder, he has steadily advanced, overcoming by perseverance every obstacle in the pathway of progress until he now occupies a conspicuous place in the life of his community. Clyde E. Rudy is the son of Levi S. Rudy and the grandson of David Rudy, and the great grandson of Christian Rudy, who was a native of Pennsylvania and came to Wayne county, Ohio, in the fall of 1832, locating near Dalton, in what is now Sugar Creek township. In the spring of 1833 this old pioneer settled on a farm which he reclaimed from the primeval forest and on which Daniel L. Rudy now lives. Christian Rudy lived there until his, death, and from this sterling ancestor a long line of worthy descendants have figured in the social and business life of Wayne county, one of the best known of the present generation being Clyde E. Rudy, whose birth occurred February 4, 1874, in section 2, Sugar Creek township. There he worked on the old home farm when very young in years and attended the district schools during the winter months. Not being satisfied with a common school education, he later entered the University of Wooster, where he made a very commendable record and prepared for a career as teacher, which profession he followed for a period of three years. Not taking very kindly to the life of a teacher, although-he was making rapid headway in the same, he gave up that profession and returned to the farm, since which time he has given his attention exclusively to agricultural pursuits, with gratifying results. He moved on the farm where he now lives in section 5, Sugar Creek township, which place consists of one hundred and six acres of excellent land on which he carries on general farming and stock raising in a manner that nets him a very comfortable yearly income. He, has been a successful dealer in heavy draft horses, which he buys, .feeds and markets, these animals, owing to their fine quality, always finding ready sales. He has an attractive and pleasant home, surrounded by a good orchard and, in fact, everything that makes country life attractive. Mr. Rudy was married on December 29, 1897, to Cora Wecht, of Dalton, this township, in which town she was born on November 21, 1875. She is the daughter of Michael and Barbara (Delheimer) Wecht, both natives of Germany, who came to America in an early day and were among the first settlers in this county. They were each accompanied here by their parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Rudy three children have been born., namely : Margaret E., born June 13, 1901; Lois J., born March 29, 1903, and Paul L., born February 13, 1905. 1398 - WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO. Mr. and Mrs. Rudy are members of the Presbyterian church at Dalton, this township, and politically the former is a Republican, but he has never aspired to office holding, his extensive private business taking all of his time. W. J. CAMRON. A man of unquestioned enterprise and integrity, whose entire life has been spent in his native locality, where he has succeeded in becoming one of the representative citizens, is W. J. Camron, who was born in Chippewa township, Wayne county, February 12, 1860, the son of John and Sevilla (Stichler) Camron. His paternal grandparents were Jeremiah and Elizabeth Camron, natives of Pennsylvania and Massillon, Ohio, and they were old settlers in Wayne county, Ohio. Jeremiah Camron was a captain of militia. His parents came from Scotland in an early day, settled in Pennsylvania and died there. W. J. Camron's maternal grandparents were George and Magdalena Stichler, natives of Pennsylvania; they came to Ohio very early and entered land in Chippewa township, Wayne county. John Camron is one of the best known men in this locality, having been constable for the past thirty-five years, with the exception of two years. He was born in Canal Fulton, Ohio, June 25, 1833, and he has devoted his life to farming and coal mining, owning a farm of sixty-six acres in Chippewa .township. In politics he is a Democrat. He and his wife are the parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living at this writing, nine sons and two daughters. Sevilla Stichler, wife of Jeremiah Camron, was born about 1837, and she belonged to the Albright church. Jeremiah Camron has always been liberal in his religious views and has given freely to the churches. W. J. Camron was educated in the Doylestown high school. Early in life he took up farming, and he was engaged successfully in the livery business for a period of twenty years, until 1905, since which date, or for the past twelve years, he has managed a hotel, which has become widely known to the traveling public .as a place where excellent service is rendered and courteous treatment always accorded. In connection with his other business interests, he has all these years managed a farm of fifty acres, which he owns and Which lies within the corporate limits of Doylestown and which is very valuable and highly productive. General farming is carried on with. excellent results. Mr. Camron has been a very successful business man all his life and has man- WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO - 1399 aged his affairs in a manner that has won the confidence and approval of all with whom he has had dealings. Mr. Camron was married in 1885 to Ellen Cleckner, a native of Wayne county, and two children were born to them, both deceased. Mr. Camron married a second time, his last wedding occurring on November 17, 1893, and was solemnized with Mary McCoy, a native of Wayne county, Ohio, and the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Alexander) McCoy. To this union four children were born, namely : Helen, Harold, Stuart and Mary Elizabeth. Mrs. Camron's maternal grandfather was a native of Ireland and came to America in an early clay, locating at Athens, Harrison county, Ohio, where the prents of Mrs. Camron graduated from college. James McCoy was born in 1836 and his wife in 1837; the former was a highly educated man and a professor in the Athens College for a period of twenty years. He also engaged in the insurance business. Both he and his wife, who were prominent people at Athens, are now deceased. Politically Mr. Camron is a Democrat, and he has long taken an active interest in the local affairs of the party. THE WAYNE COUNTY DEMOCRAT COMPANY. Although the readers of this biographical and historical compendium do not need to be reminded that the Wayne County Democrat Company is one of the strongest of its kind in this section of the Buckeye state, a brief statement of its history is not anything amiss here. However, the members of the company are too well known locally to need any formal introduction through the pages of this work, all being practical men of affairs, long deeply interested in the progress of this locality and willing to do all in their power for its good in any way, and as a result of their persistent, painstaking and unselfish efforts they have succeeded in building up two of the strongest party organs of their type in the state, the Wayne County Democrat and the Wooster Daily News; both Democratic in politics and powerful champions of the party's principles. The former is the oldest paper in Wayne county, having now reached its eighty-third volume, the history of which dates back to the early days (1826) and it has long been the best patronized and with its sister sheet the most successful paper in the county and one of the most influential in northern Ohio outside of the large cities, being, as already intimated, the official organ of the local