William Perrin WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 549 home, also furnishing the stone for the foundation, and superintending the construction of the building. For several years he held the office of supervisor, and was also trustee of his township. He was a man of progressive and enterprising ideas, which he endeavored to carry out, and gave his support to all objects calculated to benefit his township or county. He laid aside life's cares after a pure, honorable and useful career, actuated by unselfish motives, prompted by patriotism and guided by truth and justice, passing away March 25, 1895, leaving a loving wife and children to mourn the departure of a kind and indulgent husband and father. His death was deeply regretted throughout the county, for he was widely and favorably known. His political support was given to the Republican party. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was a member for over fifty-one years. Mrs. Perrin was one of a family of fourteen children, of whom seven are now living: Cyrus F., a farmer of Franklin county, Ohio; Curtis L., of Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. Perrin; Mrs. Rebecca E. Brown, of Franklin county; Mrs. Mary Ann Brown, of Franklin county; Mrs. Jennie L. Wilkins, of Wapakoneta, Ohio; and Mrs. Lizzie N. Kile, of Columbus. The parents, James and Sarah A. (Stevenson) Needles, were both born in Franklin county, Ohio, the former in 1808. They died in 1860, and December 4, 1874, respectively. Philemon Needels, his father, was born in Delaware, and when a young man settled in Franklin county, where he owned a large property. Mrs. Perrins' parents were noted for their purity and good deeds. Their industry and economy brought forth abundant fruit, hence there was a competency during their lives, and a heritage for their children. Mrs. Perrin spent two years at Delaware (Ohio) Wesleyan Female College, thus laying the foundation for an intelligent, useful life. She has never ceased to be a student. What she learned last year did not satisfy her. She is up to the times, and takes an interest in the advancement and enterprise of the day. When she came to this vicinity there was no school, Sabbath-school or literary privileges. Mr. Perrin's efforts were ably seconded by her to secure a school district, and the first election of officers was held in her best room. When the school house was completed, she did not cease her efforts until there was Sabbath school, and no assistance she could give was ever considered grievous. Through shade and shine she was in her place, doing anything assigned her, teaching infant or Bible class, or in the absence of the superintendent, filling his office creditably. Her work has not been a failure. When her children and others were advanced far enough to be benefitted by literary exercises, she urged the young people to organize for that purpose, and at their request wrote a constitution and by-laws for them, became a member, and made it a rule to be prepared for any duty assigned her. In her reading, if she saw anything either in poetry or prose suitable for any one to read or speak, it was carefully put by. The young ladies and gentlemen soon learned where the supply might be found, and the smaller ones where to get good pieces. °' Little acts of kindness, little deeds of love," have been the factors which have bound old and young in loving cords to their friend and neighbor. She is an humble follower of Christ, and has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since she was eleven years of age. Her children rise up and call her blessed. B. F. DAVIS, M. D., a prominent physician and druggist, of Tontogany, was born at Painted Post, Steuben Co., N. Y., October 11, 1836, of old New England stock-his great-grandfather Davis, and grandfather, Arthur Davis, having both been born in Rhode Island. J. P. Davis, father of our subject, was a native of Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y., born in 1810. There he married Miss Mary Darby, who was born in December, 1809, near New Berlin, N. Y., a daughter of Rufus Darby, a farmer who was of English and Scotch ancestry, although her family had long been residents of New England. For some years after their marriage, our subject's parents lived on a farm at Painted Post, and in 1837 they came to Ohio, settling on an eighty-acre farm near South Bloomfield, Morrow county Here Mrs. Davis died in 1859, leaving seven children, namely: B. F., our subject; Harriet E., since deceased, who married N. H. Patton, of Bryan, Ohio; William R., living in retirement at Traer, Iowa; Arnold, who was a soldier during the Civil war in the 20th Regiment, O. V. I., was killed at Atlanta, and buried there in the National Cemetery; Albert L., deceased, who graduated in the Medical Department at Ann Arbor in 1871, and was in practice with our subject until his death, in January, 1877, when he was aged thirty years; Morgan, residing at Mount Liberty, Ohio; and Malon R., a traveling salesman and resident of Toledo. By Mr. Davis' second marriage with Miss Joanna Bishop, three children were born: Minnie, the wife of N. D. Huddleston; Cora Converse; and Ella. In 1864, J. P. WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 550 Davis moved to Mount Liberty, where he died three years later. Politically he was a Democrat until the Slavery question became a party issue, when he joined the Republican ranks. Our subject attended the district schools until he was sixteen, and then a select school at Centerburg. At the age of nineteen he began to teach, and afterward studied one term in college at Iberia, Ohio, and one term in Delaware. In the spring of 1859 he entered the office of Drs. Russell & Thompson, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he studied medicine, and then in the winter of 1861-62 attended lectures at Ann Arbor, Mich., and the winter of 1862-63, at Starling Medical College, Columbus, graduating in February, 1863. In 1861 he enlisted in the three months' service, in Company B, 4th O. V. I., Capt. H. B. Banning (afterward a general) commanding, and in the fall of 1862, when Cincinnati was threatened by Kirby Smith, he was one of the "Squirrel Hunters" On March 11, 1863, he was commissioned assistant surgeon of the 44th Regiment, O. V. I., which served in the 23d Army Corps, under Gen. Scofield, Gen. Burnside commanding the department. In February, 1864, the regiment veteranized, and was made the 8th 0. V. C., after which it served in the Lynchburg raid under Gen. Averill, and took part in the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, under Sheridan. The Doctor was at the battle of Winchester, and was an eye-witness of the historic ride which turned at Cedar Creek the fortunes of the day. Part of his regiment was captured at Beverly, W. Va., in January, 1865, taken to Richmond, and released on parole. On being mustered out in 1865 Dr. Davis located in Tontogany, and has since followed his profession with marked success. In 1872 he and his brother opened a drug store in Tontogany, conducting the same jointly until the death of the latter in 1877, after which our subject carried it on alone till the fall of that year when R. J. Collin became associated with him in business, under the firm name of Davis & Collin. Dr. Davis has been twice married, first in 1865 to Miss Elizabeth White, who was born in Delaware county, in 1846. She died in 1878 leaving three children, the first born having died in infancy. The names and dates of birth of the younger three are: Hattie E., born August 11, 1870; Frederick W., March 7, 1873; and Bernard Francis, July 22, 1875. Dr. Davis married, second, Mrs. Sarah A. (Carpenter) Ross, who was born in Maumee in 1845. In politics the Doctor is a Republican, and he is an influential worker in all measures for local improvements. He is a member of the G. A. R., of the F. & A. M., No. 451, Tontogany, and of the Wood County Medical Association. LE ROY VAN TASSEL. From Holland to America came the founders of the Van Tassel family in 1795, and settled in the beautiful valley of the Hudson, where their descendants lived for several generations. Luke Van Tassel, the father of our subject, was born on the banks of that river, and at the age of seventeen years became a fifer boy in the war of 1812. He subsequently removed to Lorain county, Ohio, afterward to Indiana, and was engaged in making castor oil, and later became a resident of Wood county. In 1836 he took up his residence in Plain township, near Bowling Green, whence he removed to Missionary Station farm. He afterward lived at Waterville, and later at Turkey Foot Creek for two years; also two years on the Hedges farm. In 1849, he purchased sixty acres, on which our subject now resides. He was married in 1818, at Chautauqua, N.. Y., to Sallie Richmond, and they became the parents of eleven children, namely: Amelia, first the wife of Francis T. Lane, deceased, then the wife, of A. H. Plant, deceased; Lyman; Ann, wife-of Josiah Kuder; Silas, of McClure, Ohio; Isaac, and Olive, deceased; Harriet, wife of Hiram West; Sidney; Le Roy; Luman and Reuben. The father of the subject of this sketch died December 2, 1969, on the farm in Washington, township, and the mother on September 29, 1894. Our subject was born in Lorain county, Ohio, May 11, 1834, and was educated in the district schools. He became a mechanical engineer, and for fifteen years was employed as head sawyer in some of the principal sawmills of his and adjoining counties. The pursuits of civil life, however, were interrupted May 2, 1864, by his service as a member of Company B, 144th Regiment, 0. V. I., in the Civil war. He was discharged on August 31, following, and on his return home engaged in farming. Mr. Van Tassel was married July 20, 1862, to Martha Alcorn, and to the union were born seven children, as follows: Carrie, born July 5, 1863, now the wife of James McWilliams, by whom she has three children ; Willard, born October 10, 1864, is a resident of Toledo, Ohio; Helen, deceased; Effie J., born October 4, 1867, now the wife of William Hariman; Laura E., born February 8, 1869; Florence, born September 27, 1870, wife of Herbin Gill; and Lulu, born December 24, 1889. Mr. Van Tassel is a warm friend to the cause WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 551, of education, and for six years served as school director. He is a member of the Grange,_ of which he served as master one year, and chaplain two years. In politics he is a Republican, and socially is connected with Neibling Post, No. 20, G. A. R., of Weston. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are most highly esteemed people. They have a pleasant home in the midst of a highly improved farm, and their friends throughout the community are many. William W. Hariman, who married their third daughter, was born in Plain township, July 25, 1854, and is the only son of Jonathan and Ann (Wickham) Hariman. In 189o the marriage of the young couple was celebrated, and their union is now blessed with two childrenJohn L., born January 22, 1891; and Homer L., born August 3, 1893. In 189I Mr. Hariman purchased his present farm of forty acres, which has been tiled and drained, and is now a very valuable property. He is a member of Kenilworth Lodge, K. of P., of Weston, and a Democrat in politics. He and his wife .attend the United Brethren Church. CHARLES O. IRELAND, a reliable and intelligent young agriculturist of Liberty township, residing in Section 25, was born in that township in 1869. His parents, Thomas and Laura (Newberry) Ireland, were born, reared and married in Clermont county, Ohio, whence in 1864 they removed to Liberty township, Wood county, where the father purchased eighty acres of unimproved land, which he at once began to develop, making his home thereon until his death, in 1884. In politics he was a Democrat, and served his township as supervisor; in religious belief he was a faithful member of the Disciples Church. His widow still lives on the old homestead. Their family comprised six children: Mrs. Nancy Steel, of Liberty township; Edward, who died in Clermont county; George, who is married, and makes his home in Liberty township; Alex, who died in that township in 1866; Charles 0.; and Mrs. Mary Schrader, who resides on the old home farm. The subject of this sketch has spent his entire life in Liberty township, and received the rudiments of his education in the district schools, which he has supplemented by considerable reading, and is well posted on the current topics of the day. He is the owner of a good farm of twenty acres of highly productive and fertile land, which by industry and good management he has brought to a high state of cultivation. His income is increased not a little by the product of three oil wells upon his place, which bring him from $120 to $140 per month. In 1888, in Liberty township, Mr. Ireland was married to Mrs. Sarah R. Robinson, widow of Joseph Robinson. She was born in Clermont county, Ohio, and is a daughter of A. M. Lang, of Liberty township. Mr. Ireland has never taken a very active part in politics, although keeping well informed upon matters of general interest, and uniformly voting the straight Democratic ticket. Socially he is a member of Wingston Lodge No. 553, K. of P., and he is classed among the most respected representative citizens of the community. GEORGE B. SPENCER, M. D., a leading physician at Weston, was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., December 16, 1844. The Spencer family originated in England, and the ancestors of the American branch came to this country in Colonial times. William Spencer, our subject's great-great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war on the side of the colonies, and afterward settled in New Jersey where he passed the remaining years of his life. His son Nathan, and grandson John, the grandfather of our subject, were lifelong residents of New Jersey. Nathan Spencer, the father of our subject, was born there in 1817, and in early manhood removed to New York State, where he married Miss Louise Barhite, a native of Schenectady, N. Y., born in 1822. He came with his family to Ohio, in 1848, locating in Huron county, and there his wife died in 1850. They were members of the Presbyterian Church, and stanch Abolitionists. During the days of the "Underground Railroad" they fed and helped many an escaping slave on his way to Canada, and Mr. Spencer was an influential worker in the Republican party from its beginning. He died in Olena, Huron county, in February, 1888. Our subject was the second of a family of three children. Melissa, the eldest, married Lewis Toan, of Weston, and died in 1892. The youngest, Mary, is the wife of Randall West, of Little Sioux, Iowa. George B. Spencer's boyhood was passed in Huron county, where he availed himself of the educational advantages offered by the district schools. In September, 1861, when but little over sixteen years of age, he enlisted in Company F, 3rd O. V. C., and served three years and two months, receiving his discharge in November, 1864, before he was twenty. He served in the army of the Cumberland, and took part in the WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 552 battles of Pittsburg Landing, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, and many minor engagements. He was captured three times and twice escaped from the hands of the enemy. On January 15, 1863, he was captured by Morgan's men, and was paroled by Morgan. He still retains the parole he received from him, as a relic of those stormy days. In the Kilpatrick raid around Atlanta, in 1864, he received a slight wound while charging a bridge, and he had several close calls during the course of his service; at Stone River his cap was shot off, and on another occasion bullets pierced his clothing. After his return from the war he entered Oberlin College, where he remained one year, and then began the study of medicine with Dr. Sykes, of Plymouth, Richland county. He finished his professional course, in Western Reserve Medical College, graduating in 1867 with honors, being made valedictorian of his class. He at once engaged in practice, first in Tiffin, where he spent a year and a half, and later in Shiloh, Richland county. In 1870 he located permanently in Weston. Here he soon became popular, not only as a physician but as a citizen, and he has held different offices of public trust. He has taken great interest in local and educational affairs, having been a member of the Weston board of education, member of the council, a county school examiner for nine years, and for the past three years clerk of the school board. He has been a trustee of the cemetery at Weston for some time, and is now clerk of the board, and takes considerable pride in fitting it up and improving it; an ornamental fountain has recently been erected there through his exertions, and he is at this time working for the erection of a soldiers' monument, that will be not only an honor to all soldiers, but a splendid ornament to the cemetery. In the fall of 1887 the Doctor was elected a member of the Legislature for Wood county, an office which he filled for two terms with fidelity and ability. He was chairman of the committee that built the Soldiers' Home at Sandusky, and was secretary of the committee on insane asylums during both terms. In 1868, Dr. Spencer married Miss Sarah K. Strong, who was born in Plymouth, Ohio, June 1, 1849. They have three children: William H., the eldest, graduated in pharmacy from the State University at Columbus, was married in 1893 to Miss Rena La Dow, of Plymouth, Ohio, and now conducts a drug store at Oberlin; George, who was married in 1893 to Miss Grace Pugh; and Mary. Dr. Spencer is a broad minded man, taking an intelligent interest in all the questions and movements of the day. He is a member of the Wood County Medical Society, and, being a member and health officer of the board of health of his village, meets every year with the Ohio State board of health. Socially, he affiliates with Kenilworth Lodge No. 340, K. of P., with Weston Lodge No. 560, A. F. & A. M., and with Neibling Post No. 20, G. A. R., Weston, of which he was second commander, serving two years in that capacity. He has been taking considerable interest in horticulture for several years, and now has a fine fruit orchard of ten acres just north of town. He was for several years editor of the Weston Free Press, a weekly newspaper, and gained quite a reputation as a writer of comic sketches and locals. PHILIP W. HEYMANN, a prominent retired agriculturist of Grand Rapids township, Wood county, was born June 22, 1822, in the village of Kaltenholtzhousen, Province of Nassau, Germany. Mr. Heymann received his education in his native land; and, in 1847, came alone to America, the voyage, which occupied fifty-two days, being made in a sailing vessel. He landed at New York with but two dollars in cash, he having loaned a friend on board the vessel some forty dollars, which, by the way, was never returned. In New York, however, Mr. Heymann found a friend of whom he borrowed eight dollars, and with this small sum he was enabled to travel west to Sandusky City, Ohio, from there proceeding to Huron county, where, in Lyme township, he bought on credit a farm of 198 acres, which he improved. In the following year his parents, John G. and Mary (Opperman) Heymann, emigrated to this country, bringing with them the rest of their family, and twenty-five hundred dollars in cash, with which the father bought a farm in Lyme township. Here the parents passed the rest of their pioneer lives, the mother dying in 1872, the father nine years later. They were leading members of the German Reformed Church. Their family numbered ten children, as follows: Jeannette, Anna, Philip W. (our subject), William, George, Henry, John P., Catherine, William F., and Margaret, all yet living except Jeannette, Anna, William and Margaret. When the subject of these lines left the parental roof, in 1852, his father gave him a team and two hundred dollars, and bringing his wife and two children (for in the meantime he had married) Philip came to Wood county, settling on his present farm of 16o acres in .Weston (now Grand Rapids) township, at that time all unim- Philip W. Heymann WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 553 proved woodland. Their first home in this wild spot was a little log cabin, with neither doors nor windows, and from this humble beginning Mr. Heymann has evolved a valuable estate, having ditched and tiled it thoroughly, planted thereon a fruitful orchard, and erected commodious and comfortable buildings. He and his worthy wife reared their family of children well, and helped each to secure nice homes, Mr. Heymann preferring to do so during his lifetime, and when his children really needed such aid, to allowing them to wait until his death, at which time the property would be divided up, though, it may be added, he has still a good residue to leave. He mow enjoys a well-earned leisure, leaving to others the active work of his estate. On October 9, 1849, Philip W. Heymann was married at Sandusky City to Miss Mary Morehead, who was born October 9, 1832, a daughter of George Morehead, one of the early settlers of Huron county, born in January, 1795, in Harrison county, W. Va. When a mere boy of seventeen Mr. Morehead enlisted under Gem. Harrison in the struggle of that day with the British and Indians along the Maumee river, but was taken ill and sent home. He married Miss Charity Pattom, and by her had three children: Mary (Mrs. Heymann), Emily (wife of Joseph Morris, of Nebraska), and Andrew J. (a prominent resident of Huron county). Mr. and Mrs. Heymann have had five children: (1) Louisa, born August 18, 185o, married to William Ross, of Weston township. (2) G. Albert, born November 5, 1851, is a farmer of Grand Rapids township; he married Sarah Dull, who died December 11, 1888, the mother of four children; G. Albert afterward married Mrs. Jennie Pratt, a widow, and by her has one son. (3) Lester W., born August 17, 1857, is also a farmer in Grand Rapids township; he married Stella Roland, and has four children. (4) Anna L., born August 18, 1859, died at the age of eighteen; and (5) Flora May, born March 14, 1862, is the wife of J. F. McKee, a prominent resident of Grand Rapids township. Mr. Heymamm is one of the most intelligent and progressive citizens of his locality, and by his integrity, geniality and good judgment has won the friendship and esteem of a wide circle of acquaintances. He has been school director for a number of years, and is a ready and generous promoter of any worthy cause. In politics he was originally a Democrat, afterward becoming a Republican, but of late years has been a stanch Prohibitionist. In Germany he served in the German army four years. Ever liberal supporters of the United Brethren in Christ, he and his good wife are unceasing in their works of philanthropy and charity, and none stand higher in the estimation of the community in which they live. HENRY C. FEARNSIDE. One does mot have to carry his investigations far in the Wood county history to find that the Fearnside family has been prominent in its development and up building, and a worthy representative of this family is the present subject of our sketch. He was born in the town of Washington Hollow, Dutchess Co., N. Y., October 20, 1833, and is a son of Thomas and Ellen (Robinson) Fearnside. His father was born near Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1792, was a self-educated man, and possessed superior business ability. He worked in a woolen mill, owned and operated by his father, until eighteen years of age, when he removed to Scotland and was employed by his uncle, Benjamin Fearnside. His wife was born in Fochabers, in 1795. In connection with his brother, Mr. Fearnside rented and operated a factory for the manufacture of woolen goods. About 1821 he went to Liverpool, and took passage on a sailing vessel bound for New York. When out only a few days they encountered a severe storm, and the ship lost most of its rigging; but after a long and perilous voyage of ninety days they reached their destination. The food supply, however, gave out, and the passengers for some time only had one biscuit per day. Mr. Fearnside rented a building on Manhattan Island, where he engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods. He was there joined by his wife and family a year later, and carried on business for about six years, when he removed to Glenharn, N. Y., and later to Dutchess county. Subsequently he went to Clark county, Ohio, and prepared a home for his family, who came to the West a year later. After seven years he removed to Wood county, and purchased 105 acres of wild land in Liberty township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death. He passed away in January, 1871, and his wife died May 4, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Fearnside were the parents of the following named children: Thomas, who died in California; Mrs. Martha J. Corey, of Urbana, Ohio; James, of Michigan; William, who died in southern Illinois; George, a merchant of Oregon; Hannah, who became the wife of Henry Haskins, and died in Kendallville, Ind.; John, of Toledo, Ohio; Henry C.; and Benjamin, who died at the age of two years. Our subject was a youth of fifteen when his parents came to Wood county. No event of special importance occurred in his childhood, and he remained at WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 554 home until his marriage, which was celebrated in Liberty township, April 25, 1865, Miss Anna E. Sizer, of Huron county, Ohio, becoming his wife. She traces her ancestry back to' Antonio de Sozier, who located in Massachusetts soon after the landing of the Pilgrims. The orthography of the name was changed to its present form by the Massachusetts Legislature. Mrs. Fearnside was born in Woodstock, Ulster Co., N. Y., May 31, 1843, and is a daughter of Franklin and Abigail (Bloomer) Sizer, the father born in Hampden county, Mass., in 18o6, the mother in Greene county, N. Y. He was a carpenter by occupation, and on his marriage located in Greene county, N. Y., whence he removed to Greenwich, Huron Co., Ohio. In 1858 he settled in Liberty township, Wood county, where the mother died in 1883, the father in 1888. Their children were Clarissa C., wife of Anson B. Abbott, now of Weston, Wood county; Daniel W., who died in Waterville, Ohio, in 1876; Abraham F., who served in the Civil war in Company A, 14th O. V. I., and was accidentally drowned July 29, 1862, at Pulaski, Tenn., while bathing in the river; and Mrs. Fearnside. On their marriage our subject and his wife located on the old homestead, and he has since given his entire attention to farming. Their union has been blessed with four children: Martha, wife of William Haskins, of Waterville, Ohio; George W., assistant cashier in the Commercial Bank of Bowling Green; William F. and Benjamin, at home. Mr. Fearnside is a stalwart Republican in politics, but has never been an office seeker. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is an intelligent, well-read and popular man, highly esteemed by many friends. THOMAS N. BIERLY. No citizen of Pemberville has contributed more to the development of its highest interests than has the subject of the following paragraphs, who is well known throughout northwestern Ohio as an able attorney and a man of superior business qualifications. With but limited means, when a young man, and with no influence to assist him, he nevertheless, by indefatigable energy and tireless determination, has gained a position of importance among the professional men of the locality, and occupies an influential place in the legal fraternity of Wood county. Before presenting in detail the events that have given character to the life of Mr. Bierly, some mention of his ancestors may appropriately be made. The family has been identified with the history of America for a number of generations, and its members have invariably been patriotic and honest men. He traces his lineage to Prussia. His great-great-grandfather, who was born in that country, participated in the conflict usually known as the Thirty Years war, in which he was severely wounded. On coming to America, he settled in Pennsylvania, though it is not known whether his home was in Bucks or Lancaster county. For many years he led a secluded life, and his last days were spent on the top of Blue Mountain, where he died unattended by any friends. Anthony Bierly, the great-grandfather of Thomas N., was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, serving through the entire period of the conflict. His house and all of his property were destroyed by the Indians; but, undaunted by the misfortune, he worked his way once more to prosperity and success. He was a man of some education, and was looked up to as a leader among the early settlers of Center county, Penn. His son Nicholas was born near Sunbury, Penn., in 1775, and married Miss Lucinda Buchtel, a native of Center county, and a descendant of German ancestors. Her father was obliged to work seven years in payment for his passage from his native country to America. Aside from this fact, but little is known of the early history of that branch of the family. The last days of Nicholas Bierly were spent in the home of his son, George, to whom he bequeathed the farm. The father of our subject, George Bierly, was born in Center county, Penn., July 17, 1819. His character is in some respects unique. Possessing no educational advantages except four months in school during his boyhood days, he nevertheless became one of the best posted men in his locality. He has been a thoughtful reader of ancient and modern history, and is particularly posted concerning current historical topics. In early life he learned the trade of a wheelwright, and later adopted the occupation of an agriculturist. Possessing the brave and patriotic spirit of his ancestors, he enlisted in the army during the Mexican war, but saw no active service. For seven years he was connected with the Pennsylvania militia. In 1857 Mr. Bierly came to Ohio and settled on a farm near Bradner, where he still makes his home. A Republican his political belief, he has advocated the principles of that party since the time of President Lincoln's first election. Among the pioneers of Wood county he was a leader, and by his fellow citizens he was often selected to occupy positions of trust and honor. His wife, Sarah, born January 21, WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 555 is a daughter of James Magee, who was in Londonderry, Ireland, but was of Scotch descent. Two years before the family removed to Ohio, the subject of this notice was born in Center county, Penn., February 21, 1855. He grew to manhood in Wood county, and has known no other home than this. Even in boyhood he was prominent among his schoolmates on account of his superior talents and recognized ability. Being a diligent student, he availed himself of every opportunity to acquire, knowledge, and early laid the foundation for the broad fund of information he possesses to-day. At the age of seventeen he took an examination for a West Point cadetship, and stood fourth in his class of twenty-three, with an average of over seventy-seven per cent. He attended the Normal School at Republic, Ohio, and taught several terms of school. When the time came for him to select a life occupation, Mr. Bierly chose the profession of law, and carried on his readings with the late Hon. James R. Tyler, of Perrysburg. Immediately after his admission to the bar, in 1877, he opened an office in Pemberville, where he has since conducted an increasing and profitable practice. As a member of the Democratic party, he has been active in local politics, and is a leader in the councils of his party. He has served as mayor several terms, has been president of the school board, and was a candidate for prosecuting attorney, to which he would have undoubtedly been elected had it not been for the large Republican majority in the county. The landed possessions of Mr. Bierly are extensive and valuable, including residences in Pemberville and three well-improved farms in Wood county, besides the " Crystal Hotel" at Bradner and other real-estate interests. His dwelling, one of the most attractive homes in Pemberville, is situated on the east side of the river, and is a substantial frame structure, a model of architectural beauty, and surrounded by a wide spreading and well-kept lawn. Into their pleasant home Mr. and Mrs. Bierly welcome their hosts of personal friends, and extend a cordial greeting to the stranger within their doors. Mrs. Bierly was, in maidenhood, Miss Jennie Furbush, and is a native of Wood county, where her entire life has been spent. Four children bless the happy home, Clarence, Lulu, Everett and Neva. Possessing a generous and philanthropic nature, Mr. Bierly has made a fortune, not for the purpose of hoarding it, but that he may do good, and render the lives of others happier. He contributes liberally to the support of his parents, whose declining years are made comfortable through his thoughtful attention; and he is also generous in aiding other members of the family who need assistance. His benefactions, however, are not limited to the circle of his relatives, but extend to all worthy enterprises. The public library of Pemberville is a standing monument to his generosity; most of the books and shelving were donated by him, and he has taken the liveliest interest in the success of the work. On Christmas of 1894 he presented each of the Sunday-schools of the city with one hundred books as a free gift. Fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows and the Royal Arch Masons, and for some time served as master of the Masonic lodge at Pemberville. On April 1, 1895, Mr. Bierly moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he opened an office at No. 310 Valentine Building. He has recently purchased a fine residence at No. 1521 Twenty-second street, where the family now reside. CAPTAIN A. W. ADAMS, postmaster of North Baltimore, and a veteran of the Civil war, is a native of Seneca county, Ohio, born November 28, 1838. He is the son of Martin and Martha (Dillon) Adams, both of whom were born in Jefferson county, Ohio, the former in 1800, and the latter in 1807. They were the parents of the following children: George W., who is in the insurance business in Chicago, Ill. ; Thomas, a dentist in Springfield, Ohio; Henry Clay, a lieutenant in the 25th Kansas Regiment, who was killed during the Civil war; Pollie, deceased, wife of Hall, of Pueblo county, Colo. ; Andrew J., deceased; A. W., our subject; Francis Marion, who was killed in Colorado; Rhoda D., who died in Nebraska; Eli R., residing in Toledo; Peter C., living in Springfield; Campbell, who died in Troy, and Jennie, living in Columbus. Capt. Adams remained in Seneca county during his childhood, attending the district and graded schools. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Company K, 49th O. V. I., and contributed his mite in the cause of preserving the Union. He was promoted through the various ranks to the position of captain, receiving his commission at Nashville, Tenn., and served in that capacity during the remainder of the war, being mustered out of service November 30, 1865. The Captain participated in all the battles with his company, among them being those of Chickamauga, Stone River, Nashville and Franklin. He took part in twenty-eight pitched battles and numerous skirmishes, and was fortunate enough to 556 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. escape without receiving a wound. At the close of the war Capt. Adams returned to Tiffin, Ohio, and was engaged in the shoe business for one year. Selling out in 1868 he went to St. Paul, Minn., and after a short residence there to California, where he engaged in the lumber business. From California he went to Nevada, where he remained a year, afterward spending another year in Minnesota before he returned to Ohio, corning first to Toledo, in this State. He finally settled on a farm in Bloom township, Wood county. This place is situated in Section 28, and comprises 240 acres, on which there are three oil wells, which produce 180 barrels per day, he receiving a royalty of one-sixth. In 1886 the first gas well was drilled on this farm. In 1893 Capt. Adams was appointed postmaster at North Baltimore, and in this capacity has made himself one of the most popular citizens of the town. He adheres to the Democratic party, and is a stanch believer and admirer. of its principles. Capt. Adams was married in Toledo, December 22, 1874, to Miss Minnie K. Maybee, who was born in Monroe county, Mich., March 14, 1849, and they have two children, Grace M. and Maude; the former graduated from the public schools of North Baltimore May 29, 1896; Maude is now in the class of 1898, same school. The Captain is of distinguished appearance, a most genial companion, his many and varied experiences making him an interesting conversationalist, and his travels have given him an excellent insight into human nature, with a power of self-restraint that makes him an admirable public official. SOLOMON FRIES, ex-commissioner of Wood county, and one of the substantial agriculturists of Bloom township, furnishes a demonstration of what right ambitions, hard work, wise management and an economical wife will enable one to accomplish. He was born November 24, 1824, in South Whitehall township, Lehigh Co., Pennsylvania. His family is of English origin, the first to come to America being John Fries, his grandfather, who settled near Philadelphia. He died there suddenly, of cholera, leaving five children penniless. They were sent to relatives in Lehigh county, and there Abraham Fries, our subject's father, was reared, attending school but little and learning the shoemaker's trade at an early age. He married Miss Mary Smith, a daughter of Henry Smith, a well-known resident of Lehigh county, and of their family seven grew to adult age: Gideon, of Lehigh county, Penn. ; Mary, deceased wife of John Acker, of Lehigh county; Solomon, our subject; Amos now living in Lehigh county; Samuel, who died in Alabama about 1885; Violetta (now Mrs. Ezra Hildebeitel), of Allentown, Penn., and Elias, who resides in Bowling Green. Abraham Fries won creditable success in life, without the aids upon which so many others have based their progress. He and his wife were devout adherents of the Reformed Church; in politics he was a Democrat, but took no active part in public affairs. His death occurred in 1858, when he was seventysix years old, his wife having passed away some years before, aged fifty-six. Her parents came from Scotland, and settled near Philadelphia. The subject of our sketch attended a German subscription school, the only one of any kind in his neighborhood, which itself was German. In May, 1841, he began to learn the trades of bricklayer, stonemason and plasterer. His mother had died three years before, when he was fourteen, and his father, being consumptive, had early impressed upon his children the necessity for their becoming self-supporting. Three years were spent by young Solomon Fries as an apprentice, during the first of which he received nothing; during the second he received his board, but no wages. and for the third he got his board and twenty-five cents per day. His trade he followed continuously for ten years, and although Allentown, Penn., was burned about that time, and labor was in demand, he never received more than seventy-five cents per day, and sixty-five was considered good wages. In the fall of 1851 he came to Tiffin, Ohio, traveling by the Erie canal to Buffalo and a lake steamer to Sandusky. From that point he took the Mad River railroad (now the Big Four), arriving October 28, 1851, at his destination, where he was welcomed by some old friends named Strauss. Work was scarce and money scarcer, and, winter coming on before any regular employment was found, he offered to work for his board. Still unsuccessful, he determined to make the most of his time by attending an English school, although he was twenty-seven years old at the time, and this he attended only twenty-two days. After he paid his tuition, on April 1, 1852, he had only the small sum of $1.84 left. He would have returned to Pennsylvania had he been able to secure the means, but things soon took a turn for the better, and he found some work at carpentering, and, later, steady work at his trade. During the dull season in winter he would chop wood for twenty-five cents a day and board, the highest price he ever received being thirty-five cents per cord. WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 557 On February 21, 1856, Mr. Fries was married in Tiffin to Miss Louisa C. Steckel, a native of Lehigh county, Penn., born April 29, 1836. Her father, a blacksmith by trade, came to Ohio in 1840 with his wife Caroline (Leisenring) and their two children. They located first in Butler county, but later, in 1844, moved to Seneca county. On October 10, 186o, Mr. Fries bought 16o acres of land in Bloom township, Wood county, partly cleared, with a small barn and a log cabin, to which he brought his family April 16, 1861. He had saved enough money to begin farming to good advantage, and it was not long before he had his farm in good condition. For some time he worked at his trade, but later he gave his entire attention to his estate, to which he has added until he now owns 743 acres, much of which is the best land in that vicinity. In 1876 he built a model barn, and in 1882 he erected the finest brick farm house in the township, -and one of the best in the county. He has done the most of this work himself, and his fine orchard was planted by him, with the help of his wife, who has been an able assistant to him in all his efforts. Seven children were born to them: Zenobia is at home; William A. is a farmer of Bloom township; Jennie died at four years of age; Selinda married Albert Ickes, of Webster township; Edward M. is a lawyer at Bowling Green; Anna married Frank Slotterbeck, of Bloom township, and Cora is at home. In local affairs and in the work of the Republican party Mr. Fries is prominent, his sound common sense and well-known integrity having gained him the entire confidence of a wide circle of acquaintances. For twenty-two years he was a member of the school board of his district, and has also been trustee and supervisor of Bloom township. In .the fall of 1881 he was elected county commissioner, and held that office for six years following, with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. He and his amiable wife stand high in the esteem of the community. MARCUS A. MCKENDREE, M. D. Among the many excellent physicians residing in Bowling Green may be found the subject of this sketch who, with his estimable wife, also a member of the medical fraternity, holds a leading place in both professional and social circles. Dr. McKendree is the son of James and Elizabeth (Baldwin) McKendree, the former of whom was born in 1801 in county Antrim, Ireland, and came to America when eighteen years of age. His parents were natives of Scotland, who removed to Ireland, and there died. The wife of James McKendree was born in 1818 in Pawlet, Vt., and their marriage took place in Erie county, Penn., where for some years they carried on farming. In 1856, when the subject of this sketch was three years of age, his father removed with his family to Ohio, and kept what was called the "State Line House, " an old-time country inn, which stood on the State line between Ohio and Pennsylvania, between Ashtabula and Erie counties, Mr. McKendree owning land on both sides of the line. There they lived for twenty years, the father dying in 1874. The mother of our subject resides in Erie, Penn. Her parents came from Rutland county, Vt., and settled in Erie county, Penn., where they both died, the mother surviving her husband for twenty years, and living to the good old age of eighty-four years. Mr. McKendree, Sr., was a prominent Mason and Odd Fellow, and his son has many of the emblems which he wore in the high degrees of 'the former order. In politics he was a Democrat, and was a highly esteemed citizen.. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Snow, by whom he had two children, James, a farmer in Rulo, Neb., and Nancy, who became the wife of George Nash and lived in Erie county, Penn., both now deceased. By his second marriage seven children were born, namely: William J., living in Lima, Ohio; Albert, in Erie, Penn.; Irvin P.. in Conneaut, Ohio; Helen and Robert E., residing in Erie county, Penn. ; Josephine E., married to Frank Colman, and also living in Erie, Penn.; and Marcus A. The subject of this sketch was born in Erie county, Penn., July 19, 1853, and his boyhood days were spent in the old inn which his father kept on the State line. He remembers sundry amusing incidents which occurred during his residence there, the house being the scene of many romantic weddings. At that time no marriage license was required in Pennsylvania, and many couples would come to the "State Line House " to be married, as the parlor and sitting room were in that State. The literary education of our subject was obtained at the Conneaut High School, after which he commenced reading medicine at home, and later with Dr. Schooley, of Weston. After teaching school for a time he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, from which he was graduated in June, 1884, and for two years thereafter was associated with Dr. Schooley in the practice of medicine at Weston. He then took up his residence in Bowling Green, where he has since been successfully engaged in general F. H. Thompson 558 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. practice. He has been connected with the Pension Board since September, 1893, and is at present its secretary. He is a member of the State Eclectic Medical Society and of the Nortwestern Ohio Medical Association. Socially, he is a prominent member of the Encampment, Uniform Rank, I. O. O. F., and is the physician for the Order of the Maccabees in Bowling Green. Dr. McKendree was married December 25, 1876, to Lydia Walford, who was born in New York City, December 8, 1858. Mrs. McKendree graduated from the Toledo Medical College in March, 1893, after having read medicine for some time with her husband, and has a large practice. She makes a specialty of the diseases of women, and is very successful in her treatment. She is the medical advisor of the L. O. T. M., in Bowling Green. Both she and her husband are popular members of society. JOHN D. MUIR, a leading agriculturist of Webster township, Wood county, was born in that vicinity, January 15, 1841. His father, James Muir, was born in Scotland, and in 1832 came to Wood county and entered 160 acres of land in Webster township, where he died April 18, 1857. He was a Republican in politics, and one of the earliest supporters of the United Presbyterian Church at Scotch Ridge. He married Miss Marion Dunipace, a native of Scotland, and had twelve children, of whom our subject is the eldest. Margaret, Jane and James reside with their mother at the old homestead; Mary married John Hagamier; Susan married H. C. Swan; Jessie married Charles Greiner; William, Isabel, Frances, and Alice are deceased. Mr. Muir went to school during boyhood in an old log house in District No. 4, Webster township, his first teacher being Miss Carruthers. He worked upon the farm until 1861, when he enlisted in Company K, 21st O. V. I., under Capt. S. S. Canfield. He participated in a number of hard-fought battles, and in January, 1863, received an honorable discharge. Soon after he re-enlisted for five years in Company G, 64th battalion, which consolidated with a battalion from Wyandot county, forming the 144th O. V. I. (Col. Hunt commanding). After the consolidation, Lieut. Muir was transferred from Company G to E. He was ordered to Toledo September 16, 1863, where he was commissioned second lieutenant, and then sent home, September 19,to order his company to report at Camp Lucas, Toledo, Ohio. A collision occurred September 20, on the D. & M. R. R., while the new recruits were on their way to Toledo, and several ere killed and injured. Among the latter was Lieut. Muir, who was unable to go to the front for some time, but finally, in May, 1864, rejoined his regiment at Wilmington, Del. He returned home at the close of the war, and in 1866 bought forty acres of land, and built a log cabin with only one window and one door, and to this primitive abode, on May 2, 1866, he brought his bride, formerly Miss Eliza Loomis, a daughter of Dudley and Mary (Wallace) Loomis. Five children were born of this union, whose names with dates of birth are as follows: Philinda, December 30, 1866, was for ten years a successful teacher in the public schools, and now travels as saleslady for a Kansas firm; Dudley J., June 2, 1868; Minnie, September 20, 1870, married Charles Urban; Fannie, July 15, 1874, married July 18, 1896, to Byron H. Callin; Mabel, August 2, 1875, is at home. Mr. Muir is now living in Toledo, having retired from active business. He is a Republican in politics, and has held various offices of trust, having been school director for twelve years, and also trustee and supervisor. He is a member of the F. & A. M., No. 516, of Pemberville; of Manateau Club, and A. P. A., of Toledo, and of Benedict Post G. A. R., No. 26, of Pemberville, of which he is commander. DUDLEY J. MUIR, our subject's son, was born at the old homestead in Webster township, near Scotch Ridge. He was educated in the schools of that neighborhood, and for a time was employed as traveling salesman for a firm in Chicago. On October 7, 1890, he married Miss Kaddie Beard, daughter of Alex and Mary (Shoemaker) Beard. She was born March 25, 1870, in Perrysburg township. They are leading members of the U. B. Church. Mr. Dudley Muir is a Republican, and a member of Camp A. Jolly, Sons of Veterans, No. 301, of Pemberville. FRANK W. ROGERS, M. D., specialist in diseases of the eye, ear and throat, although still a young man, stands at the head of his profession, and is one of the most successful practitioners in the State. He is a native of Ohio, born in Norwalk, April 3, 1863, and is the son of Samuel J. and Fanny M. (Wilson) Rogers. Dr. Rogers is the youngest of four children three sons and one daughter- all of whom are living. During his boyhood he attended the schools of his native town, after completing the course in which he began reading medicine under Dr. Gill, of that city. For two years he was a student in the medical college at Ann Arbor, Mich., after which he entered the Chicago Homeopathic College, Chicago, from which he was WOOD COUNTY, OHIO - 559 graduated in 1888. He began the practice of his profession in Bowling Green, and after a time took a course in the New York Post-Graduate School. In the colleges both at Chicago and New York he made a special study of the diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, in which line he has achieved a wonderful success. He is a fine scholar, devoted to his work, of which he is very fond, and is popular with his brother practitioners. He has recently established an elegant office in the Spitzer Building, Toledo, Ohio, thereby giving his patrons the advantage of better railroad facilities, and gaining a central location for all northwestern Ohio. Dr. Rogers has been successful not only in his professional career, but also financially. Dependent on his own exertions and his ability and energy, he has acquired a nice competence, most of his interests being located in Bowling Green. He owns the block on West Wooster street, in which he has the finest suite of offices in the county, and is one of the four partners in the Swayzee Glass Company, located at Swayzee, Ind. This company does a large business in the manufacture of fruit jars, oil cans, bottles, etc., and employs about one hundred men; they own their own gas wells. Dr. Rogers is a Republican in politics, and is one of the most popular young men in the city. On February 4, 1895, he was married to Alzora M. Downer, daughter of Wellington and Mary (Marlatt) Downer, of Mitchell, S. Dak. She is a lovable woman, a friend to every one, domestic in her life and an invaluable companion. Samuel J. Rogers, the, father of our subject, was born in Watertown, N. Y., November 14, 1826, and was the third in a family of twelve children. When eight years of age he came with his father's family to Norwalk, Ohio, where he was married January 26, 1851, to Fannie M. Wilson, who was born in the latter city January 31, 1833. He was a cooper by trade, but after his marriage he took up farming and made a comfortable fortune. In his early days he exchanged half of a cravat for two oak trees, worked them up into barrels which he hauled to Huron to sell, thus making his first start in business. Politically he was a strong Abolitionist. He was a descendant of Gen. Harper, who was in command at the battles of Bunker Hill, Lexington, and other noted engagements in the Revolutionary war. Frank W. Rogers, a brother of Samuel J., enlisted in the Third Ohio Cavalry during the Civil war, and died at the hospital at Louisville, Kentucky. Mrs. Rogers was a member of the Methodist Church. Her parents were Levi and Lucy (Kellogg) Wilson, the former of whom was born at Scranton, Penn., of Scotch and German ancestry, and settled in Norwalk in an early day, where he was married and lived until sixty-three years of age. In early life he was a cooper, but he afterward followed the occupation of a farmer. He was a large, powerful man, a giant in strength and endurance. Until the time of the Civil war he was a Democrat in politics, but he became an ardent Republican during that period. His wife was one of the twelve children of Martin Kellogg, one of the leading pioneers of Norwalk, who died in 1892 at the advanced age of one hundred and six years. EDMUND G. BAKER. There are numerous fine farms in this county which will compare favorably with any others in the State as regards production, and, also, as to the improvements which have been made upon them. Many of these places are owned by men comparatively young in years, who started in the world with but little more than an unlimited amount of energy and perseverance, and who are succeeding to an eminent degree in building up a comfortable home in Wood county. As a representative of this class of agriculturists, great pleasure is taken in presenting the name of the subject of this notice, who is living on a good farm of ninety-nine acres in Troy township, which was first opened up by Henry Baker, of Pemberville, Ohio. Our subject bought the place in 1888, and the following year moved thereon. He now devotes his time to its cultivation, and also to stock dealing, making a specialty of handling sheep. Mr. Baker made his advent into this world September 1, 1858, in Woodville township, Sandusky Co., Ohio, at the home of his parents, Sandford G. and Phoebe (Osborn) Baker. His father was born in 1817, in Vermont, and with his father, Elijah Baker, came to Wood county, in 1838, locating on a farm, in Troy township, near Luckey. The latter's wife bore the maiden name of Lavina White, and was a native of Vermont. After residing on that farm for some years, the grandfather removed to Woodville township, Sandusky county, where he bought a farm of Sardis Burchard, on which the father now lives. His death occurred in that township in 1864, in his ninetieth year, and his wife died in September, 1862. In 1840, in Troy township, Sandford G. Baker was united in marriage with Miss Almira Webster, a native of Connecticut, and a daugh- WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 560 ter of Joseph Webster, one of the honored pioneers of Troy township, who died in Hillsdale, Mich. Mrs. Baker died in 1856, leaving three children who yet survive: Mrs. Helen Morse, of Missouri; Mrs. Emily Osborn, of Iowa; and John W., who resides at Burgoon, Sandusky county. In Woodville township, Sandusky county, the father again married, his second union being with Miss Phoebe Osborn, and their wedding was celebrated in 1857. The lady was born in Erie county, N. Y., and is a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (House) Osborn. Her father died in the Empire State, after which her mother moved to Sandusky county, Ohio, where she later became the wife of Mr. Benedict, but both are now deceased. In his younger days, Mr. Baker was a great hunter, and at that time had ample opportunity to indulge in that sport all over Wood county. For two years he kept a public house at Lemoyne, and then removed to his present farm in Woodville township, Sandusky county. By his second union he had eleven children, ten of whom are still living, namely: Edmund G., whose name introduces this review; Ida, who is taking a literary course at Ann Arbor, Mich.; George, a teacher in the public schools in Kansas; Mrs. Belle Price, who previous to her marriage also engaged in teaching; Rose, at home; Sanford, an attorney at law of Seattle, Wash. ; William P., who is studying electrical engineering in the University of Michigan; Arthur, who is studying medicine in the same institution; and Kate and Charley, both at home. After pursuing his studies for several years in the district schools of Woodville township, Edmund G. Baker entered the normal at Valparaiso, Ind., where after two years he was graduated with the class of 1882, and on returning to Sandusky county served as superintendent of the Woodville school for two years. His marriage was there celebrated December 3, 1884, Miss Linda Herman becoming his wife. She is a native of that county, born January 27, 1860, educated in Woodville, and is a daughter of Henry and Clarinda (Webster) Herman, early pioneers of Sandusky county, who still make their home in Woodville township. By this union three sons have been born: Mark, born October 18, 1885; Roscoe, born April 17, 1888; and Ralph, born January 29, 1893. F. H. THOMPSON, ex-county commissioner, farmer and fruit raiser, of Perrysburg township, was born in Rutland, Vt., July 28, 1839, a son of Augustus M. and Ann Maria (Slawson) Thompson. Augustus M. Thompson was born near Poughkeepsie in 1814, and first came to Perrysburg in 1832, settling there permanently in 1836. He afterward took up farming on the Stone road, and then returned to mercantile business in Perrysburg, where he died in 1875. Politically he was a Whig. Mrs. Thompson was born in Rutland in 1814, and died in Perrysburg in 1891. Six children blessed their union, namely: Helen, who died when five years old; F. H., our subject; Arrietta, now Mrs. Charles Dustin, of Toledo; Charles A., who lives in Massachusetts; Emma, the wife of W. S. Weed, of Toledo; and John P., residing in Perrysburg. Our subject was an infant when his parents came to Perrysburg, where he went to school for a short time, and then left to work in his father's store. Later he was employed on a railroad in the positions of brakeman and conductor, respectively,, on a freight train. In 1863 he was agent for the C. H. &. D. R. R., at Perrysburg, in which position he remained for over a year, then resigning to take a situation in a dry-goods store. In April, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, 21st O. V. I., and served nearly four months. On December 21, 1865, he was married to Mrs. Spafford, whose maiden name was Amanda Baird. For a year after his marriage he clerked, and then came to a farm in Perrysburg, where he has sixty-seven acres of land, forty-five of which are laid out in apple trees, to the cultivation of which he has devoted much of his time. From these apples he makes cider, and he has an extensive custom trade. Mr. Thompson is a Republican, and was for two years trustee of the township. In the fall of 1886 he was elected county commissioner and served two terms-six years-consecutively. He has made a wide reputation as a county officer; he is a clear thinker, a natural student of human nature, and has posted himself so thoroughly on the law pertaining to the duties and powers of county and township officials that he has become the recognized authority on all technical questions. He has a mind naturally adapted to research, and is too cautious to proceed blindly with a project, but prefers to stick to the old adage : "Know first that you are right, and then go ahead." By her first marriage, Mrs. Thompson had three children: Clifton Amos, who married Grace Cooper, and has two children-Grace and May; Elmer, a civil engineer in Bowling Green, who married Mildred Kramer, and has one child James Francis; and Waldo, who died when two years old. Two sons were born of her marriage WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 561 with Mr. Thompson: (1) Leland Albert, born March 15, 1868, at present in charge of the water supply on the Clover Leaf R. R. (he married Miss Carrie Pierce, and they have one child-Esther M.); and (2) Edward A., born March 21, 1870. F. M. YOUNG, cashier of the Commercial Banking Co., of Bowling Green, and a leading citizen of Wood county, was born September 12, 1845, in Mercer county, Ohio. Until sixteen years of age Mr. Young made his home at Wapakoneta. Soon after the breaking out of the Civil war, although only a, boy, he decided to offer his services in defense of the old flag. He accordingly enlisted, August 7, 1862, for three years, in Company K, 99th O. V. I., and served throughout the war, being mustered out with his regiment June 26, 1865, at Salisbury, N. C., with the rank of orderly sergeant. He was sent to Camp Dennison, Ohio, and received his discharge July 17, 1865. The regiment to which he belonged was assigned to the Western division of the army, and participated in every battle of the campaign, twenty-four in all, besides many skirmishes. After the fall of Fort Fisher the regiment was assigned to the Eastern division, and marched through the Southern States, taking part in all the engagements in that section. The 99th went into service with 1,021 men, but lost so heavily, in killed and wounded, that although several times recruited, it was so reduced in number that it was finally consolidated with the 50th O. V. I., and it was as sergeant in that regiment that our subject was serving at the time of his discharge. After the close of the war Mr. Young settled in Plattsburg, Mo. Here he was employed in the office of the clerk and county recorder until 1871, when he returned to Ohio for the purpose of assisting his father, who was then in feeble health. He located in Weston, where, in 1872, he was married to Miss Hattie Baldwin, who was born in Perrysburg, Ohio, August 8, 1852. Three children have blessed this union: Mabel, Charles and Robert. After his marriage Mr. Young was engaged in the insurance business until 1877, when he was appointed to a position in the U. S. Revenue office at Toledo, and removed his family to Perrysburg. He was '' civil serviced " out of position for participating in politics, and returned to Weston. Having been elected probate judge in 1884, he removed to Bowling Green, which has since been his home. In 1892 Mr. Young was made secretary of the American Foundry & Machine Co. On December 15, 1892, he was appointed cashier of the Commercial Banking Co., which responsible position he continues to hold to the: satisfaction of all concerned. Mr. Young is a strong Republican, and as may be inferred from his war record, is an active member of the G. A. R., of which he founded the first post under the new rules in Wood county, at Weston. He is also a member of the Masonic Order, I. O. O. F. and Royal Arcanum. He is deeply interested in whatever pertains to the welfare of his community, and is one of its most highly respected citizens. T. J. Young, the father of our subject, was born in 1820 in Shelby county, Ohio, where for many years he followed farming. He was subsequently made postmaster at Wapakoneta, which office he held from 1852 until 1863, removing in the latter year to Wood county. His death took place in 1888 at Celina, Ohio. He was a stanch Democrat. He married Lydia A. Shipman, who was born in 1826 in Mercer county, Ohio, the daughter of Herman and Sarah Shipman, both of whom were of Dutch descent; the former was born in New Jersey, the latter in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Young died in 1872. Their family comprised three children, namely: Lenora, who married J. S. Bodkin, now of Spencerville, Allen Co., Ohio; Sarah, who became the wife of H. H. Keil, of Weston, Ohio; and our subject. John Young, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Kentucky. He was a great hunter, and his brother William was a friend and companion of Daniel Boone. The Young family is of Scotch origin. JAMES H. LA FARREE, the efficient manager and secretary of the Bowling Green Natural Gas Co., enjoys in a marked degree the confidence of the stockholders in that prosperous enterprise, and has won, by his energy, integrity and good judgment, an enviable reputation throughout the community. He is a native of Wood county, born September 26, 1837, on his father's farm, near Stony Ridge. His grandfather, David La Farree, came from the vicinity of Strasburg, which then belonged to France, over a hundred years ago, and settled near Chambersburg, Penn., where his son, James La Farree, our subject's father, was born January 9, 1797, and spent his youth. Arriving at manhood, James La Farree married Miss Elizabeth Sifford, who was born in Maryland March 12, 1800. Her father, Christian Sifford, was a prominent citizen of Frederick City, Md., and had been an under-professor at Heidelberg University previous to his coming to America. She was one of a large family, of whom six-John, WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 562 Louis, Daniel, Ann,. William and herself-lived to old age. After their marriage, our subject's parents came to Ohio, locating at Lancaster, in 1820. Later they went to Maryland, where they remained two years, and then returning to Ohio, again settled at Lancaster. In 1832 they moved to Perrysburg, Ohio, and bought government land near Stony Ridge, in Wood county. At that time the old Western Reserve and Maumee turnpike was not built, and these courageous pioneers had to make their way through the woods as best they could. Mr. La Farree was a cabinet maker by trade, and carried on that business for some time in addition to his farm work. He was a Democrat, as every member of the family has always been, and he had at first only two fellow-partisans in the township. He and his wife were members of the M. E. Church. He died of cholera, August 2, 1852, his wife surviving him until September 10, 1888, when she died at the old -homestead. John, born March 20, They had seven children: John, born March 20, 1820, was a resident of Troy township, and died December 12, 1888; Augustus, born March 5, 1826, was a soldier during the first years of the Civil war, and died August 3, 1865; Cornelia, born March 31, 1831, is the wife of M. B. Richmond, of Crawfordsville, Ind.; Samuel, born March 22, 1834, lived at Umatilla, Oregon, and died May 16, 1866; James H. is the subject of this sketch; George W., born February 9, 1841, lives in Perrysburg; Frances, born April 12, 1844, is the wife of Samuel Swope, of Troy township. James H. La Farree was educated in the district schools near his home, and in the public schools of Perrysburg. Not content with these opportunities, he has followed an extended course of private study, and kept well posted on the subjects which interest the best minds of the day. At the age of fifteen he learned the cooper's trade with a neighbor, Joshua Chappel, and afterward taught school for some time. He then engaged in bridge building, and later became foreman of the planing-mills at Perrysburg, holding that position thirteen years. In July, 188o, he came to Bowling Green, and became foreman in a planing-mill; but on becoming connected with the Natural Gas Co., he undertook the management of that business. Since July 1, 1886, he has had exclusive control of their interests. In April, 1861, Mr. LaFarree enlisted for three months in Company C, 21st O. V. I., and served in West Virginia; but after two months' service, being taken sick, he came home, and was sick for nearly two years. In February, 1865, he re-enlisted, in Company G, 189th O. V. I., and served several months in northern Alabama and Tennessee, being discharged in September, 1865, with the rank of orderly sergeant. In 1863, Mr. La Farree was married to Miss Ella G. Norton, who was born in Perrysburg May 12, 1846, They have six children, all living in Bowling Green: Lloyd, Erne, Alice, Kate, Daisy and Rex. Another daughter, Winifred, died in 188o, at the age of four years. Since 1863 Mr. LaFarree has been a Mason, and he is a member of Phoenix Blue Lodge, Perrysburg, and Crystal Chapter, Bowling Green. Chester Willis Norton, Mrs. La Farree's father, was in his day one of the leading men of Wood county. He was a native of Henderson, N. Y., born about 1820, and came in an early day to Perrysburg, Wood county, with his father, Chester Norton, who was a merchant. Chester W. Norton was married in 1842 to Theresa Curtis, who was born in New York State about 1827, daughter of Jairus and Susan (Alexander) Curtis, natives of Vermont who settled at Perrysburg in a very early day. JOHN MCMAHAN. The subject of this personal narrative is one of the most successful stock raisers and progressive farmers within the borders of Perry township, owning a good homestead of eighty-five acres in Section 11. He has made his special field of industry an eminent success, and is highly esteemed and respected by those who know him best. A native of Ohio, he was born in Spencer township, Hamilton county, January 14, 1816, and is the eldest of the four children of Hugh and Elizabeth (Stump) McMahan, the others being Mary, wife of John McClow, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Andrew, who for over forty years ran a sawmill, and died in Cincinnati, in August, 1894; and Jane, wife of Edward Collins, also of the same city. When only a boy, his father died, but his mother kept the family together, living in a small house given her by her father. She passed away in Hamilton county in 1836. John McMahan attended the subscription schools, paying fifty cents a month tuition, and the wood used for fuel was also contributed by the pupils. He followed various occupations during his youth, and as he lived near where the Little Miami river flows into the Ohio, he often made a few cents by catching minnows for the gentlemen who calve out from Cincinnati to fish. At the age of twenty-two, he began to work at the carpenter's trade, at which he was able to WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. -563 earn $1 per day, and followed that business for many years. In Hamilton county, in August, 1843, Mr. McMahan wedded Miss Martha Matthews, o native of Indiana, and a daughter of George Matthews. To them was born a son-Walter, who died in Florida, in February, 1894. After the death of his first wife, our subject married Sarah Seaman, who was o daughter of William Seaman, and was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, where she deported this life, leaving one childMartha, now Mrs. Lewis Beckman, of Perry township. In March, 1857, Mr. McMahan come to Wood county, walking from Tiffin to Fostoria, and on his arrival in Perry township erected o house for Nathan Hatfield. In the following October he was united in marriage with Miss Jane A. Hatfield, o native of Ashland county, Ohio, and o daughter of Nathan Hatfield, and they become the parents of the following children -Sarah J., who was born November 4, 1859, and become the wife of Charles Shunk, of Perry township, where she died; Nathan E., who was born December 26, 1861, and died while young; Hugh, who was born December 6, 1865, and is o former of Perry township; Louisa, who was born March 16, 1864, and died at the age of nineteen years; William H., who was born February 2, 1869, and lives at home; Warren P., of Perry township, born September 7, 1874; and Minnie D., born February 18, 1877. After ten weeks of illness, the mother of this family died August 2, 1895, and her remains were interred at Fostoria, Ohio. She held membership with the Evangelical Church. In the fall of 1857, Mr. McMahan went to Cincinnati, where for two years he worked with his brother in a sawmill, but in March, 1860, returned to Wood county, purchasing forty acres of new land in Section 33, Perry township, only o few acres of which hod been cleared. He erected o two-story frame house upon the place, 18 x 32 feet, with o kitchen, 14 x 16 feet, and one story in height. For sixteen years he was employed in the sawmill of Nathan Hatfield, but in April, 1878, removed to his present form in Section 11, Perry township, where about half of his eighty-five acres hod been cleared, and on the place stood o small log house, o short distance east of his present home. The neat and orderly appearance of the property manifests to the most casual observer the thrift and core of the proprietor, and shows conclusively that he understands his business thoroughly. He has erected all the buildings upon his form, and, besides general forming, has of hogs, never having lost o single one by cholera, when they were dying all around him. His first vote was cost for William H. Harrison, later he become o Democrat, but for nearly twenty years has now voted with the Republican party. On that ticket he was elected justice of the peace in Perry township, where he served for three years. He joined the I. O. O. F. in Cincinnati, with which he held membership for o number of years, and for fifty years has been o consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. J. B. WILSON, of Bowling Green, the wellknown deputy treasurer of Wood county, holds in o marked degree the esteem of the public as on able and energetic official, having served the county in several responsible positions. He is o native of Wood county, born in Grand Rapids, December 31, 1853. His father's family was originally from Germany, but his grandfather, John Wilson, was born in Pennsylvania, and in early manhood come to Ohio, where he was prominent among the early settlers. He died in Stork county September 27, 1866, at the age of seventy-five years. His son Matthew, our subject's father, was born in Fayette county, Penn., February 12, 1812. After corning to Ohio with his parents he married Miss Elizabeth Blythe, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, October 31, 1823, the daughter of o leading pioneer, Samuel Blythe, later of Weston, Wood county. He was of mixed English and Scotch blood, and his parents settled in Jefferson county during the territorial period. Our subject's parents lived in Wayne county for four years after their marriage, and then moved to Grand Rapids, Wood county. From 1853 to 1867 Mr. Wilson, Sr., was employed in o store as clerk. They returned to Wayne county to spend the remainder of their lives, and died there-Mr. Wilson on January 27, 1887, and his wife on December 7, 1891. They were devout adherents of the Methodist Church. Our subject was the youngest of their three children. David, the eldest, lives in Wayne county, and C. H. in Chicago, Ill. With the exception of o few years in Wayne county during boyhood, Mr. Wilson has spent his life in Wood county. In 1879 he was mode principal of the schools of North Baltimore, holding that position until 1881, when he resigned to accept the office of deputy auditor of Wood county. His faithful service was appreciated by the people, and after six years as deputy he was elected auditor, being re-elected on the expiration of his 564 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. first term. He has recently accepted the appointment as deputy treasurer. He was married December 31, 1878, to Miss Catherine Simon, a native of Wood county. They have four children-Milo D., Cecil B., Charles and Gladys. Politically he is a Republican, "dyed in the wool," his father having been an early supporter of that party: He was a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Minneapolis in 1892, and voted for Hon. Wm. McKinley for President. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the K. of P. DERASTUS LEE. It is an undisputed fact that Bloom township contains some of the leading farmers of Wood county, and among the foremost of these is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He is the representative of one of our pioneer families, those who endured the hardships, privations and difficulties attending a settlement in the ` ` Black Swamp " in the early -forties," and whose labor transformed the heavily timbered wilderness into productive fields. He passed his youth in the midst of the most primitive surroundings. His grandfather, Lemuel Lee, was born in Connecticut. He was compelled to make his own way in the world from an early age, owing to the death of his father and the scattering of the family, and when a young man he came to Ohio, locating in Columbiana county. At that time Ohio had not yet been admitted as a State; within its limits was to be found much land upon which no "pale-face " had ever set foot, and in fact it was only along the eastern border that it was safe for a white man to take up his abode. Lemuel Lee married a Miss Jackson, and they had a large family, of whom six sons and two daughters lived to adult age. He was not a man to accumulate property, and in his circumstances there was but little opportunity to do so, but he made an honest living. He died about 1854. George J. Lee, one of the older sons, born in 18o6, was our subject's father. Reared on a frontier farm, his schooling was very limited; indeed, to use his own expression, he was "educated with the grubbing hoe." During his boyhood but few schools were to be found, and they were the subscription schools patronized by the well-to-do classes. He was a large boy before he ever attended one, and then the humiliation of reciting in classes composed of children much smaller than he almost drove him to leave school, which he would have done had it not been for the encouragement of the teacher, his uncle, James Gordon. This one term of three months was the limit of his educational advantages. On February 4, 183o, he married Miss Hannah Wollam, a native of the same county, born in 1805. Her father, Henry Wollam, was a well-to-do farmer of that neighborhood, owning an excellent farm which he had redeemed from its primitive state, and improved with some unusually good buildings for that time. Before his marriage George Lee had learned the tanner's trade; but an attempt to engage in it met with little success, and he settled upon a farm on Beaver creek, where our subject first saw the light. As time passed, and the future of his children became an important problem, he decided to go farther west where land was cheaper, and September 25, 1841, he started for Wood county with his household goods in a large wagon, on which his wife rode with the younger members of the family, which then included six children. This conveyance was drawn by two oxen, with two horses as leaders. Ten days later they arrived in Montgomery township, having made a short visit in Richland county with friends, and a temporary home was made with John Vosburg until a suitable location was found. Mr. Lee entered 16o acres of land, which was in its primitive condition-not one tree having been cut upon it-and his first work was to clear a spot for the building of his log cabin. His brother, Henry, had accompanied the party, and he entered eighty acres adjoining, then returned home, where he died a few years afterward, having no direct heirs, and a onethird interest fell to our subject's father, who later bought the remaining two-thirds. He also bought another tract of forty acres, and at the time of his death owned 280 acres. He was a man of influence in his community, Democrat of the "Jacksonian stripe," and he took great interest in public affiairs. For many years he and his wife were members of the Protestant Methodist Church. This venerable pioneer couple lived several years beyond their " Golden Wedding Anniversary"; they died within two and one-half years of each other, both having passed fourscore years, and their remains rest in West Millgrove cemetery. Ten children were born to them as follows: Henry, January 10, 1831, living in Jerry City; Derastus, April 27, 1832; Samuel, August 29, 1833, died in Bloom township, May 16, 1855, of consumption; Mary J., April 7, 1835, married Adam Graham, of Montgomery township; Jackson, June 19, 1837, enlisted August 15, 1861, in Company H, 49th O. V. I., was wounded at Derastus Lee Mary E. Lee WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 565 Chickamauga, September 19, 1863, and died the next day, his body never being recovered; Milo, March 15, 1839, died in Bloom township, April 30, 1858, of consumption; Sarah A., October 18, 1840, married Philip Brubaker, of Bloom township; Susanna, May 9, 1842, is the wife of Benton Musser, of Gratiot county, Mich.; John H., September 11, 1844, died of consumption, January 13, 1862, in Bloom township; and Benjamin F., October 27, 1846, died March 23, 1847. Derastus Lee was about nine years old when he came to this county, but there was plenty of work upon his father's farm, and even at that age he could "pick brush " in the clearing. With no modern machinery and but few tools, and those of the rudest sort, the work of the farm and household required the help of all, and schools were but little thought of, so that his educational opportunities were very limited. After he attained his majority he for one term attended the select school taught by Alfred Kelley, the pioneer teacher of West Millgrove. His own experience has given Mr. Lee a great desire to see facilities for education brought within the reach of everyone, and he is the ardent supporter of any improvement in the schools of to-day. On September 25, 1858, he married Miss Mary E. Vallance, a native of Ashland county, born June 22, 1837. Her parents, James and Elizabeth (Brubaker) Vallance, came to Wood county in September, 1849, settling in Perry township. She had fared no better than her husband in educational advantages, attending the schools of her day for about three months. At the time of his marriage Mr. Lee had by work and " dickering" secured a team of horses, a wagon, a plow, and a harrow, the first horse, which he bought of his uncle, Lemuel Lee, being paid for by $30 in money and the chopping of ten acres of timber. With this outfit he started in business on his own account, taking the old homestead on shares. His residence for the first eleven years was in an old log school house which he had fitted up. There were many days of toil and but few of recreation in those years; but he and his wife were young, strong and ambitious, and their mutual affection made their. old cabin a happy home. During this period Mr. Lee bought 16o acres of timber land in Section 12, Bloom township, which he still owns although he has never lived there. In the spring of 1871, he purchased eighty acres in Section 10, to which he moved. For twenty years he was engaged in threshing, in addition to farming, sometimes with a partner, sometimes without. His work was always faithfully done, and while thus employed he gained a wide circle of friends in different parts of the county. He did not spare himself over his tasks, and frequently when he had been busy up to a late hour of the night, he has crawled up to the side of a straw stack to sleep till morning. He has added to his land at various times until he now has nearly Boo acres, making him one of the largest landowners in Wood county, and most of his property is good farming land, which can not be said of some other extensive holders. Probably there is not another instance in Wood county of a poor boy becoming, through his own efforts, the owner of so large an estate. Industry, wise and economical management, and shrewd bargaining have made this progress possible, his estimable wife deserving, also, a large share of credit. Of their ten children, eight are now living in Bloom township. The names of all, with dates of birth, are as follows: James W., February 17, 1860, is a prosperous young farmer; Laura E., March 3, 1861, married Abraham Loe; John F., September 25, 1862, is a well-to-do farmer; Jacob E., July 31, 1864, is at home; Charles W., October 11, 1867, died February 2, 1868; Hattie E., February 6, 1869, married Samuel Dennis, of Bloom Center; Perry M., March 12, 1871, is a progressive young farmer; Florence, June 4, 1873, married Elza Wright, of Bloom township; Mary Ettie, October 1, 1875, died March 21, 1876; and Rhoda V., December 25, 1878, is at home. Among the foundation stones of Mr. Lee's tasteful and commodius residence is a relic of pioneer times-the top stone of an old handmill once belonging to his father's neighbor, Peter Painter, and many a time during his boyhood did Mr. Lee walk through the woods which lay between the two farms, carrying corn which he converted into meal with the aid of that stone. Coming from a family in which consumption has claimed several members, Mr. Lee's death has been often predicted, yet he is hale and hearty, and bids fair to live many years. At the age of sixty-four he can perform a day's work which would do credit to one twenty years his junior. In October, 1894, he met with a serious injury. While nailing a board on a fence the nail broke and a flying piece struck him in the left eye, entirely destroying the sight. He is a good neighbor, kind-hearted, out-spoken, and a man of strict integrity. In politics Mr. Lee is a Democrat, and he is one of the chief counselors of the party in his locality. He formerly attended conventions and caucuses with great regular- WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 566 ity, but he has never been an office seeker, and, although he has served creditably as trustee of his township, he has often declined to become a candidate for other positions. He once led the "forlorn hope " against the overwhelming Republican majority in the county, having been selected by his party as the candidate for county commissioner, and he succeeded in reducing the majority-a notable achievement, as things stood. FREDERICK YEAGER, a prominent citizen of Perrysburg, and a brave veteran of the Civil war, was born in Perrysburg, Wood Co., Ohio, February 22, 1844, a son of John J. and Elizabeth (Helfrich) Yeager. The grandfather, also named John J. Yeager, was a soldier in the French army, and died in France. The grandmother, whose maiden name was Margaret Liber, came with her second husband, Lorenze Hirtzel, to this country in 1854, and both died of cholera at Perrysburg eight weeks after their arrival. Mr. Hirtzel had also been a soldier in the French army. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Yeager were farmers in Lucas county, Ohio, where they died and were buried. They were members of the Roman Catholic Church. John J. Yeager, father of our subject, was born June 7, 1821, in Alsace, France (now in Germany), and was married to Elizabeth Helfrich, a native of Germany, born November 19, 1819, in Hessen-Darmstadt. In 1840, prior to their marriage, they came to America, becoming acquainted at Perrysburg, where their wedding took place May 16, 1843. He was a farmer by occupation, and 'was thus employed until the breaking out of the Civil war, when, loyal to the interests of his adopted country, he decided to offer his services in defense of the government. Accordingly he organized a company, of which he was made captain, and which became a part of the 111th O. V. I. He entered the service in the fall of 1862, remaining therein some eighteen months, during which time he was present at the siege of Knoxville and in other noted engagements. In February, 1864, he was taken so ill that he was obliged to resign his command and return home. In 1868 he was made commissioner of Wood county, which office he held until 1871. His death took place at Perrysburg April 27, 1891. In religious faith he was a Methodist, in politics a Republican, and he was a most worthy citizen. His wife died January 16, 1890, leaving their only child, the subject of this sketch. Frederick Yeager attended the common schools of his native village during his boyhood, and had entered Baldwin University at Berea when Gov. Brough called -out the 10o-day men to serve in the war of the Rebellion. The patriotic impulses of the young student would not allow him to remain inactive at a time when the youth, as well as the grey-haired men, of his State were pressing to the front, and, like his father, he joined the Union forces, enlisting in Company F, 144th O. V. I., in which he served until August 24, 1864. On October 5, same year, he re-enlisted, this time in Company E, 181st O. V. I., and took part in the battles of Murfreesboro, Decatur, and Nashville, after which he became a member of the 23rd Army Corps, 2nd Division, 3rd Brigade; he was present at Raleigh, N. C., where Johnston surrendered to Sherman, April 20, 1865. He was honorably discharged at Salisbury, and returned to his home at Perrysburg, where he carried on farming for three years, embarking in mercantile business, in which he was engaged for the succeeding twenty-two years. In politics a Republican, he has filled public positions of honor and trust, including township clerk (one year), to which office he was elected in 1870, though the township is strongly Democratic; township treasurer four years, from 1877 to 1881; was on the school board eleven years, and mayor of Perrysburg two years. In 1891 he was elected county treasurer, and was the second man born in the county to hold that office. In 1893 he was re-elected, and has filled the responsible position to the satisfaction of the public, and with credit to himself. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is prominent in the G. A. R., filling all the chairs in that order. On December 5, 1865, he was married at Perrysburg to Miss Fidelia E. Kreps, who was born September 1, 1844, and four children have blessed this union, as follows: Minnie E., born January 16, 1867, now the wife of S. H. Sanford (both are teachers in Little Rock University, Little Rock, Ark.) ; John O. , born April 6, 1870, employed in a mercantile house in Toledo (he married Sarah Lindsey, and they have one child -Madeline) ; Merton F., born September 12, 1873, still at home; and George Legrand, born July 7, 1876, also at home. Mr. Yeager has always held a prominent place in the community, and is highly esteemed as a loyal and publicspirited citizen. HON. E. F. DAY, mayor of Risingsun, is also one of the most prominent business men of that vicinity, being the head of a well-known firm of contractors and builders, and of the oil company known as Day, Burnett & Winchell. WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 567 His grandfather, Dr. Stephen F. Day, was a successful physician in Wayne county, Ohio, where he continued his practice to an advanced age. His wife, Elizabeth (Strause), a native of Pennsylvania, died in her seventy-sixth year in Montgomery township, Wood county, at the home of their son, Stephen F. Day, Jr., our subject's father. He was born in Wayne county, February 28, 1827, and came to Wood county at the age of fifteen. He lived near Longley until his marriage, in September, 1849, in Scott township, Sandusky county, to Miss Mary A. Phillips, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, October 26, 1828, the daughter of David and Mary A. (Bates) Phillips. The young couple began housekeeping near Risingsun, upon an uncleared tract of eighty acres, which Mr. Day sold after making some improvements. In the fall of 1860, he purchased 150 acres in Scott township, Sandusky county, and lived there until 1883, when he moved to a farm in Gratiot county, Mich. Later he went to Coffee county, Tenn., but, not liking the place, he only remained one winter, and returning to Wood county traded it for forty acres in Section 1, Perry township, where he now resides in a comfortable home. When a young man he worked at the carpenter's trade, but farming has been his chief occupation. Of his family of ten children all are married and well settled in life. They are-Emily, Mrs. Martin Shively, of Risingsun; Ezra F., our subject; Charles H., of Risingsun; David, of Seneca county, Ohio; Jane, Mrs. Edwin Ballinger, of Risingsun; Emanuel, a resident of the same town; the twins, Rosetta (Mrs. William Bovie, of Scott township, Sandusky county), and Rosanna (Mrs. Charles H. Williams, of Risingsun); Willis, who also lives at Risingsun; and Effie, Mrs. Eli Hollenbaugh, of Seneca county, Ohio. Mr. Day first saw the light September 3, 1852, in Section 25, Montgomery township, and his early education was such as the district schools of that day and locality afforded. He was stout and active, and helped his father to clear up two farms during his boyhood; but at twenty-one he began to learn the carpenter's trade, for which he had already shown remarkable aptitude. Under the training of Adam Shively, of Scott township, Sandusky county, he readily mastered the details of the business, and then continued for two years as a partner. After this he engaged in contracting and building, and he has put up some of the finest residences in that locality. His ability as a mechanic is of the highest order, and he draws his own plans after a system which is unexcelled for simplicity and effectiveness. In the spring of 1896 his brother C. H. became associated with him in the business. On January 17, 1878, Mr. Day was married in Tiffin, Ohio, to Miss Charlotte Riley, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Mossgrove) Riley. They began housekeeping in Risingsun, in a very comfortable home which he had previously prepared, and here six children were born to them: Alfred J., Ada L., Bessie E., Homer F., Ethel, and Minnie. All are at home, and the first two are members of the class of 1896, Risingsun High School. Their mother departed this life November 17, 1891, and her mortal remains were consigned to earth in Trinity cemetery, Sandusky county. Mr. Day has since formed a second matrimonial alliance with Miss Ida Mills, of Ohio county, W. Va., the daughter of James Mills. As a financier, Mr. Day has shown marked ability. His earlier years were by no means prosperous, and he was obliged to borrow money for the first ham that he ever had in his house; but his' industry and shrewd management have brought a good reward. He owns eighty-three acres of land in Seneca county, and some very valuable town property for residence and business purposes, in Risingsun, and his oil interests and other enterprises now bring him, under his constant and judicious care, a fine competence. In principle he is a Democrat, but party lines are secondary with him to the public welfare. No man commands more fully the confidence of his fellow men, and he began his public service at the age of twenty-one as clerk of Scott township, Sandusky county. He was the first mayor of Risingsun, and has since been elected several times, this being his fifth term. His decisions have never been reversed in the courts, and it may he said that he displays rare legal talent, all the more remarkable from his lack of early training. He has drafted ordinances and documents such as other incumbents of the office have not attempted; as an enemy to the disorderly element he has the esteem. of the better classes. His popularity is proven by his repeated election to this office, and he has also served as treasurer of the village, and has been a member of the council every year except one since the incorporation of the town. Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F. JUDGE GUY C. NEARING, of Bowling Green, now (1896) serving his second term as judge of the probate court of Wood county, has for nearly twenty years been a prominent member of the legal fraternity in the county. WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 568 He comes of old pioneer stock, and is of German descent. His grandfather, Guy Nearing, left central New York in 1817 to settle in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he died in 184o at an advanced age. He was a contractor by occupation, interested in canal construction, and in a number of important buildings, among them the old court house and jail at Perrysburg, and a mill on the river. He was twice married; by his first wife he had three sons-Horatio, Zepheniah and Neptune (our subject's father)-and by his second wife he had two daughters, and three sonsFreeman, Henry and Emilius; of these Freeman died in infancy; Henry lives near Tontogany; and Emilius (who was deaf and dumb), followed the carpenter's trade in Fulton county until his death, in August, 1890. Of the daughters, one married, and died in Wood county; the other died in infancy. Neptune Nearing, our subject's father, was born in New York State in 1808, and died in Wood county in 1844. He learned the cabinet maker's trade in his youth, but was engaged chiefly in assisting his father on his contracts. For a few years he conducted a hotel at Texas, Ohio, and then retired to his farm in Plain township. He returned to New York State for a wife, and married a distant relative, Mrs. Stella Nearing Parsons, who was born in Vermont in 1809, and died in 1890. Of their three children, the eldest, Scott, died in infancy; Sarah Rosetta is now the wife of J. Hayes, of Chicago, Ill.; our subject being the youngest. Guy C. Nearing was born at the old farm in Plain township March 12, 1843, and had the ordinary educational advantages of a country boy of his time. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in Company B, 6th O. V. I., was first sent to West Virginia, was later transferred to the Ohio region, and finally to the army of the Cumberland. He was in several noted battles-Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge-and after three years' service received an honorable -discharge, leaving the' army with the rank of sergeant. In December, 1862, he was wounded at Stone River, and fell into the enemy's hands. He was sent first to Nashville, and later to Louisville, and was absent from his command until the following May. On his return home he attended school for a short time in Perrysburg, and then engaged in teaching during the winter time, though he was a farmer in summer. Thus he continued until 1873, when he began to study law. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in Bowling Green, where his strong vitality and commanding presence, his gift of accurate and rapid analysis of legal principles, and his untiring energy, brought him quick recognition in professional circles. He is also interested in various commercial enterprises, being a director in the First National Bank, having extensive investments in the oil fields of Wood county, and owning a farm of 12o acres in Center township. Politically he is a Republican, and he is regarded as a leader in county and municipal affairs, holding various offices. He has been a member of the city council, city solicitor, clerk of Center township, and since 1891 has been probate judge, having been reelected to this second term by a large majority over an able and active competitor. He is a member of Wiley Post No. 46, G. A. R., and also takes an active interest in fraternal organizations, being a prominent Mason, a valuable member of the Blue Lodge, in which he has filled all the chairs, and a Royal Arch Mason; he also affiliates with the subordinate lodge, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs. On December 13, 1865, our subject married E. V. Rockwood, a native of Lorain county, born January 27, 1846, and they have one son, Charles R., who is deputy probate judge. As leading members of the M. E. Church, they take a prominent part in the social and philanthropical movements of that progressive body, and are also ready friends of every worthy enterprise outside of denominational lines. Giles C. Rockwood, father of Mrs. Nearing, was born, in. 1819, in New York State, and was a carpenter by trade. He came to Ohio with his parents in 1829, and was here married, in 1845, to Laura C. Wack, by whom he had three children: E. V. (Mrs. Nearing); Hoyt O. , who died in October, 1877, leaving two sons -William P. and Ernest C.; and Frank P., who died in infancy. In 1849 Mr. Rockwood went to California, and was absent ten months. Mrs. Rockwood was born, in 1819, in Vermont, and in 1834 came to Ohio with her parents, Frederick W. and Hannah Wack, the former of whom was born in Colchester, Conn., and moved to Vermont. Frederick W. Wack was the only child of Frederick Wack, who came to this country from Germany when a boy, and died while serving in the Colonial army in the Revolutionary war. SYLVESTER ABBOTT, in whose death the community lost one of its most valued citizens, was born July 13, 1812, near Boston, Mass., and at the age of five years came to Greene county, Sylvester B. Abbott WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 569 N. Y., where he acquired his education and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, following that pursuit until his removal to Ohio, in 1833. He located in Huron county, where for a time he again engaged in carpentering, and then fitted himself for the legal profession, being admitted to the bar at Toledo. In Huron county he was married, January 25, 1836, to Alzina Morey, by whom he had one child, John, born October 27, 1836, who is now a physician in Illinois. The mother died January 27, 1837. On May 3, 1838, Mr. Abbott wedded Maryette Caswell, and they became the parents of eight children, namely: Reuben, born April 11, 1839, of Bowling Green; May Elizabeth, born April 10, 1841, now the wife of Byron Niles, of Michigan; Melvin L., who was born June 2, 1843, is a merchant of Bowling Green; George M., who was born August 26, 1847, is a farmer of Michigan; Sarah, born September 28, 185o, is the wife of I. L. Hankey; Alice E., born April 20, 1855, is the wife of Sylvester Ordway, of Bowling Green; Lewis, born December 1, 1857, is a farmer of Wood county; one died in infancy. The mother of this family passed away November 24, 1875, and for his third wife Mr. Abbott, on March 22, 1876, wedded Helen Robins, a lady of culture and refinement, who successfully followed school teaching. She is a daughter of Eliakim and Susanna (Brown) Robins, the former a carpenter of Huron county. To this union have come two children: Celesta G., who was born July 24, 1879, and died February 23, 1891; and Jerry B., born June 4, 1881, still at home. Mr. Abbott practiced law in both Huron and Wood counties, coming to the latter in 1853, at which time he purchased 16o acres of land in Center township. In connection with law practice he carried on agricultural pursuits, planting an orchard and making many other excellent improvements, while the well-tilled fields yielded to him a handsome income. He continued farming until his death, which occurred January 16, 1891. For several years he served as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with most conscientious fidelity. He was ever faithful to a trust reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature. His business career and his home life were alike above reproach, and he had the warm regard of many personal friends. Mrs. Abbott is still living on the homestead in Center township, and is an intelligent lady of genial manner and kindly disposition, who is held in the highest esteem by her neighbors and the community at large. LORIN SMITH, one of the most prominent and highly respected farmers of Montgomery township, was born October 11, 1822, in Kiltzheim, Baden, Germany. In his native country his name was spelled Lorentz Schmitt. His parents were John J. and Anna M. (Bauman) Smith, the former of whom was a farmer in Baden, and owned a nice little home of twenty-six acres, where he lived in comfort, and was considered well off. The parental family consisted of the following named children: John J., Jr., Emily, Frank, Frances, Margaret, Eva, and Lorin. As they grew up the question of finding homes for them was a matter of concern to the parents, and, as glowing reports of the wealth and land of the United States had reached the old country, it was decided to send the eldest son, John, and his sister, Emily, who had then reached the years of maturity, to investigate the truth of these stories of the New World. They accordingly came to the United States, and at Stockbridge, Mass., soon found employment, the son in a hotel. Emily was married soon after her arrival in this country. The reports sent back to the family were so satisfactory that two years later Frank and Frances joined their brother and sister, and were so pleased with the success with which they met that it was decided best for the rest of the family to come also. In 1830, the parents and other children left their old home, driving to Paris, France, with their own team. There the horses and wagon were sold, and they went by boat down the river Seine to Havre, where they took passage for the United States on a three-masted vessel, ''The Baird," which had formerly been a mail vessel, and was taking her first trip as an emigrant boat. Their destination was New York, and they were fifty-two days on the ocean, during which time they had a narrow escape from capture by pirates. At New York City the family was met by the son, John J., and they concluded to come to Ohio, then considered the "Far West." This western trip had been under consideration for some time by those of the family already in the United States, and was one of the motives which induced the parents to emigrate. The journey was made up the Hudson river to Albany, thence over the Erie canal to Buffalo, and by lake to Cleveland, Ohio, where a house was rented and a temporary home made, while the father and eldest son looked about for suitable land to purchase. Land could be bought where the great city of Cleveland now stands, for eight dollars per acre; but learning that there was better land 570 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. farther west they set out on a journey which ended in Peru township, Huron Co., Ohio. The incident which caused them to locate here was a common one in the history of the western States. Halting at a spring to drink they found the water exceptionally cool and clear, the land in the vicinity and the location on the ridge between the sources of the Huron rivers favorable to health and industry. The physical features of the country corresponded with their correct ideas of agriculture, and they lost no time in obtaining the land, which had been somewhat improved, and on which an excellent orchard was then growing. This farm was known as the "Old Johnson Farm " at the time of their purchase. The family were -moved to Huron county from Cleveland with an ox-team. The Smith family had a fair amount of money on their arrival in America, as their property in Baden had brought in considerably over $1,000, and they were able to begin life in this country in a very fair way. After a few years residence in Huron county the father began to look around for more cheap land. A large portion of Wood county was then government land, but it was known as the "Black Swamp," and did not tempt many settlers. The father was a good judge of land, and seemed to think that Wood county had a great future. He entered, after looking around, 162 acres in Section 5, Montgomery township, and the deed, signed by Andrew Jackson, bears the date of December, 1835, and is now in the possession of our subject. A few years after the family located in Huron county, the other members of it came west from Massachusetts, except Emily, who had married Joseph Keller, and died in Boston. Of the other children, John J., Jr., died in Huron county, Ohio; Frank died in the same county in 1872; Frances died in Freedom township, Wood county; Margaret married Peter Stang, and died in. Huron county; Eva is the widow of Joseph Addleman, and lives in Huron county; our subject is the youngest of the family. Lorin Smith had studied in the schools of his native land, and was a very bright boy, being able when seven years of age to both read and write the German language. After coming to Huron county he attended school there and obtained a good education. He worked on the farm with his father, and, being an obedient son, the latter showed his appreciation by giving him 162 acres of government land in Montgomery township, Wood county, out of which, however, he was to give his sister Frances fifty acres, which he did. This was in 1841, and two years later Mr. Smith visited his land, and made some improvements on it. In the fall of 1844 he built a cabin of hewed logs, 20 x 30 feet, which had a shingle roof, the shingles for which he himself cut from oak trees. Being thus provided with a home, the young man secured for himself a wife in the person of Miss Mary T. Addleman, to whom he was married in Huron county, January 7, 1845. Mrs. Smith was born March 19, 1824, in the same village in Baden as her husband, and is the eldest child and only daughter of John P. and Mary Addleman. Her parents left Baden in the spring of 1831, and drove with their own team to Paris, where they waited two weeks for the horse market to open. Selling their horses, they went by boat to Havre, sailing from there on the vessel ' ° Henry III, " which landed them at New York City after a voyage of fifty-four days. They spent the winter of 1831-32 in Buffalo, and in the spring of the latter year bought a farm three and a half miles from that city, where they lived until the fall of 1836. In that year they moved to Huron county, two and a half miles southwest of Norwalk, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their family consisted of four sons and one daughter. On January 14, 1845, our subject and his bride started to their new home in Wood county. Three teams were necessary to haul them and their goods, the roads through the timber being very bad. Two days were occupied in the journey, which was a rough and tedious one. They at once began to make improvements upon the place. Their cabin was a good one, but sparsely furnished, and the country about them was in a primitive condition. Many of their friends had predicted their failure to put up with such a pioneer life. This, however, only aroused their determination, and instead of disheartening them inspired them to new effort. A plentiful supply of provisions had been brought, which sufficed until the land produced its first crops of wheat and corn. Maumee was the nearest milling point, and it required two days under the most favorable conditions to make the trip. In June, 1847, the aged parents of our subject came to make their home with them, and on September 21, of the same year, the mother died and was buried , upon the farm. She was sixty-seven years of age. The father lived with our subject until 1853, when he returned to Huron county, and there died at the age of eightyfour years. This worthy couple were consistent members of the Catholic Church, and were honest, industrious German people. The father was never naturalized, and consequently never voted, but in all things was loyal to his adopted country. WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 571 In the course of a few years the results of Mr. Smith's long days of hard work were manifest in the fertile fields and blooming orchards into which the land had been transformed. He bought eighty acres additional; but when the Civil war broke out, and it was very hard to procure sufficient help, he disposed of this property. The old log house continued to be the home of the family, and in it all the children were born. These are as follows: Mary T.,' born October 27, 1845, is now Mrs. Peter Hettel, of Wapakoneta, Ohio; Caroline J., born November 22, 1847, is the wife of James Fish, of Freedom township, Wood county; Louisa A., born April 25, 1850, is the wife of William Davidson, of Center township, Wood county; John L., born April 13, I854, died December 21, 1885; F. B., born October 31, 1856, was married October 22, 1895, to Miss Julia Shepler, of Bradner, Ohio (he is a farmer in Freedom township); Charles L., born April 4, 1859, was married December 19, 1889, to Miss Nellie Brandeberry, of Pemberville, Ohio; Frances A., born May 4, I862, was married October 29, 1889, to George Adams, of Montgomery township. In 1869 Mr. Smith built his present elegant brick residence, which is the finest farm house in Montgomery township, and one of the best in the county. He has added to his original property at various times until he now owns 276 acres, and he has given his sons 170 acres. The land is rich in oil, and is admirably adapted to farming purposes. The life of Mr. Smith presents an excellent example of what industry, perseverance and good management can accomplish. No man has worked harder than he, and many a moonlight night, in his early days, has found him toiling away until a late hour. He has become a master of the art of agriculture, and is able to procure the best results from his work. He has developed his splended farm from its primitive condition, and in doing so has spent the best years of his life. With his excellent wife, who has shared in all his labors and privations, he deserves the greatest credit for the success to which he has attained. This estimable couple have passed their fifty-first year of married life; have reared a large family, of which they may justly be proud, and have accumulated a handsome competency in an upright, straightforward manner. . No one can accuse Lorin Smith of dishonesty, or question his integrity. In all his business dealings he has never been sued, and he is to-day a man whom everyone respects. He became a naturalized citizen in 1843, but though a loyal Democrat has never been an office seeker. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic Church, although not able to attend the services on account of the distance. Notwithstanding the many trials and years of toil through which Mr. Smith and his wife have passed, they are well preserved, and Mrs. Smith, although over seventy-two years of age, is still able to do her own house work. Their life has been full of usefulness, and in the evening of their days, which they are enjoying in ease and comfort, they can look back over the past years with the consciousness of duties well performed. HIRAM JOHNSON, an honored veteran of the Civil war, who is now living retired in Liberty township, was born in Lisle, Broome Co., N. Y., July 27, 1837. His father, Stephen Johnson, was also a native of the Empire State, and when a young man learned the trade of wood turning, which he followed until his marriage to Eunice Thurston, also a native of New York. Several years later they removed from Broome county, to Bradford county, Penn., where Mr. Johnson took up land, and followed farming in connection with his trade. In 1855 he located thirty miles northwest of Chicago, in Lake county, Ill., where his death occurred about 1865, and his wife survived him only two years. Their children were Liddy, deceased wife of Peter Tanner, of Iowa; Girard, who became a farmer in Minnesota, but has not been heard from for ten years; Hiram; and Edwin, a farmer of Wisconsin. Mr. Johnson, of this review, was educated in the schools of New York and Illinois, and at the age of twenty-two began learning the mason's trade, which he has followed through much of his life in connection with farming. During the Civil war he manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting, in 1862, in Kankakee, Ill., as a member of Company K, 76th Ill. V. I. He participated in the battle of Shiloh, then went down the Mississippi river to the Gulf and to Mobile, Ala., participating in the battle at that place and the siege at Fort Blakely. Being taken- ill, he was sent to the hospital in New Orleans, where he remained until honorably discharged in 1865, when he at once returned to his home in Paxton, Illinois. Mr. Johnson was married in Ford county, that State, in 1859, to Liddy Metzger, who was born in Ohio, in 1837, and for twelve years they lived in Paxton. In 1871 they came to Wood county, taking up their residence on six acres of land in Liberty township, which he still owns. For many years he followed his trade, and since 1892 has derived a good income from two oil wells that he has sunk upon his place, and which are excellent WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 572 producers. This has enabled him to lay aside active business cares. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three children-Corbin, of Lucas county, Ohio; Edgar and Clarence, at home. In politics, Mr. Johnson is a Republican. NARCISSE SANGLIER, deceased, was one of the most prominent residents of Liberty township, Wood county. He was born October 24, 1827, in Loir-et-Cher, France, and was a son of Jacob Sanglier, a merchant, who died in that country. Our subject was one of a family of seven children, namely: Virginie, who died in France; Pascal, a scholar and linguist, who married an heiress, and died in Egypt many years ago; Narcisse, subject of this sketch; Adrian, now living in France; Victor, a resident of Tiffin, Ohio; Ovid, still living in his native land; and Adeline, who died in France. For ten years after attaining his majority our subject was employed as a baker in Paris, and then crossed the Atlantic to America. He landed in New York, made his way to Cleveland, and for one year was employed in the Berea Stone Quarry. He then removed to Milton Center, Wood county, and after a year took up his residence in Liberty township. He was married in Milton Center to Lucine Kubler, who was born in Switzerland February 8, 1838, daughter of Howard and Celestine (Kuinn) Kubler. Her parents were both born in 1810 in Canton Berne, Switzerland, and came to America in 1853, locating in Cleveland, Ohio. The father followed farming in his native land, but worked as a laborer after coming to this country. He died in 1858. Both were members of the Roman Catholic Church. In their family were four children -Mrs. Sanglier; Louise, who died in Cleveland; Joseph, who died in January, 1895, in Denison, Texas; and Christopher, who went west several years ago, since which time no news has been received of him. Upon their marriage, our subject and his wife located in Liberty township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits. He first purchased twenty acres, wild and unimproved, but he added to his farm from time to time until he became the owner of a valuable property, which he continued to cultivate until his death, May 3, 1894. In 1887 the first oil well was drilled on the farm, which now contains fifteen wells, and these are a good source of income to the family. Mr. Sanglier was a capable business man, and by his well directed efforts acquired a handsome property. In the family were ten children: Mary, at home; Nelson, who died at the age of twelve; Justin 0., whose sketch follows; Ashel; Louise; Martha, who was married September 3, 1895, to C. C. La Point, of Erie, Mich. ; Lucy, deceased; Rose; Maggie and Alice. ASHEL SANGLIER, who operates the farm, was born October 6, 1867, and throughout his life has aided in the work on the old home place. He acquired his education in the district schools, is a young man of excellent business ability, and now owns 140 acres of land on which are two oil wells. The landed possessions of the family aggregate 1,020 acres. Ashel Sanglier was a member of the Democratic Central Committee for four years, and also served on the executive committee for one term. In April, 1896, he was, by the choice of his friends, nominated for trustee, and was elected by a majority of thirty-three votes, thus overcoming a Republican majority of 120, and is also a member of the county board of election. No better recommendation could be given a young man than this flattering compliment. The entire Sanglier family are members of the Roman Catholic Church. LUCY SANGLIER, now deceased, was born on the old Sanglier homestead in Liberty township, September 17, 1874. She grew up under the care of her parents, and at an early age manifested unusual mental activity. As she budded into womanhood her rare qualities of mind and heart crystalized into an ambition for education. She attended the district school until 1894, when she entered the Ursuline convent, in Toledo, Ohio, where she completed the full course of study required by that institution, giving special attention to vocal and instrumental music. Having mastered the elements of education essential to a full round complete womanhood, she returned to her home, where she continued to discipline herself; and by that subtile knowledge, known only to a woman of culture and refinement, wound herself around the hearts of her old associates, and made herself doubly dear to the members of her immediate family. She became revered as a companion, and respected as a model for others. Her high degree of mental and personal culture was only equaled by her zeal in practice of religion. She had aspired to make herself something more than ordinary as an individual, and had attained much of her ambition; but that Mighty One " That doeth all things well," called her to immortality at a period when it was least expected-just when she had attained full maturity of womanhood, and when she was most dear and most useful to Narcisse & Lucy Sanglier WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 573 all who knew her. September 26, 1896, was the fatal day when the silent hand of the Divine Master stole through the lattice of her room, and with His magic power beckoned the spirit forth, leaving all that was mortal of Lucy Sanglier like a waxen figure-white and motionless. Those who mourn and miss her have the sacred consolation of knowing that if it is possible for the human soul to attain the ideality the Christian sees through the eye of faith, then, e'er her last pulsation ceased, the halo of a glorious eternity crowned her. JUSTIN O. SANGLIER, one of the wealthiest and most enterprising farmers in Plain township, was born in Liberty township, Wood county, March 2, 1865, the son of Narcisse and Lucine (Kubler) Sanglier. Mr. Sanglier was brought up on his father's farm, attending the district school, and assisting in work at home until his marriage, on February 7, 1893, to Miss Adaline Cousino, whose birth took place in Michigan, July 31, 1867. Three children have been born to them: Martha B., Clara L. and Louis C. Mr. Sanglier is now the owner of one of the finest farms in Plain township, comprising 120 acres of highly cultivated land, upon which are many improvements, and a very large brick residence, in which the family make their home. The Sanglier family is well known throughout the county as wealthy and influential people, and our subject, by his industry and progressive methods, is rapidly adding to his already large possessions. He is popular throughout the community. In religious belief he is a devout member of the Catholic Church. Politically he is a stanch Democrat. JESSE HAGER, one of the most prominent representatives of the commercial interests in this county, was born March 22, 1865, in the town of Bloomville, Seneca Co., Ohio, and is a son of Christian and Mary (Snyder) Hager, the latter of whom is now deceased. Our subject was only a boy when his parents came to Wood county, and he was reared on the old family homestead in Jackson township. There he assisted his father in clearing and developing the eighty acres of land, and otherwise improving the property. His education was acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty-one he left home and entered the employ of the W. F. Dewey Company, of Hoytville, with whom he remained for about a year. He next secured a clerkship in the company's store, where he remained about three years, when he was promoted to the position of bookkeeper, and also made manager of the store. Since that time he has done all the buying for the store, paid all the employes, and has not only gained the confidence of the company but also won a high position in commercial circles, and is now one of the stockholders and directors in the business. He has the faculty of ably managing and directing others, and his just treatment has gained him the respect of his employes, and the confidence of his patrons. On June 20, 1880, in Hoytville, Mr. Hager was united in marriage with Miss Emma J. Dennis, who was born in 1870 near Findlay, Ohio. They made their home in Hoytville, and occupied a high position in social circles, making many friends, and Mrs. Hager's decease, which occurred April 20, 1896, after an illness of four years, was widely mourned. She was' buried in the McComb (Hancock county) cemetery. In addition to his other property Mr. Hager owns a third interest in the Hoytville opera house, and a half interest in a large grain elevator. He is truly a self-made man, and has not a dollar that he has not himself honestly earned. His political support is given to the Democratic party, and he is a wise counselor and able leader in its ranks. He has been honored with a number of local offices, for four years capably served as mayor of Hoytville, has also been township clerk and township trustee, and is now the efficient postmaster, and treasurer of the corporation, also of the school district and township. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity of Hoytville. I. S. BOWERS, M. D., one of the leading physicians of Perrysburg, was born in Canada West, now the province of Ontario, December 14, 1856. Jacob Bowers, his grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, and by occupation a lumber dealer, owning large tracts of land in this country and in Canada, and operating a number of sawmills. He made frequent trips to Canada, and at one time took up his residence there, and passed his last years in Ontario, where he died. His son, Isaac W., our subject's father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1824, and on arriving at maturity engaged in his father's business, to which he succeeded at the death of the latter. He married Miss Jane Camp, a Canadian lady, who was two years his junior, and for some years they resided in that country, removing to Michigan when 0ur subject was four years old. In 1876 he came to Perrysburg, where the family resided until 574 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. 1887, in which year he moved to Ypsilanti, Mich., where he died suddenly September 22, 1893. He was a highly esteemed citizen, a consistent member of the M. E. Church, and in politics a stanch Democrat. He left a widow and six children, viz.: - Parmelia, the widow of A. F. Shepard, formerly of Toledo, Ohio, who was killed in a railway accident at that city; Cordelia, the wife of W. M. Thompson, of Owosso, Mich. ; Frances Mary, who married Edward Harris, of Monroe county, Mich.; I. S., our subject; Freeman E., a prominent young attorney of Perrysburg; and Estella J., one of the most popular young ladies of the best circles of Perrysburg social life. Dr. Bowers received his elementary education in the Michigan district schools, later attending the high schools at Perrysburg and Monroe. At an early age he commenced the study of medicine with an uncle at Fond du Lac, Wis., but on his father's removal to Perrysburg he became associated with him in the "wood-pulp " business, which he continued for two years, when he resumed his studies under the direction of Dr. Rheinfrank, of Perrysburg. He was graduated from the Detroit Medical College in 1881, and at once located at his home, where his wide acquaintance and high standing gave him an advantage not to be found among strangers. He had previously practiced as an under-graduate with his preceptor, and from the first he has met with encouraging success, his practice increasing in value and extent each year. Our subject was married to one of Perrysburg's amiable daughters, in the person of Miss Sophia Witzler, who was born in March, 1856, and they have two children, Merlin and Helen. In politics the Doctor follows the faith of his father, voting the Democratic ticket, and at the present time he is president of the board of pension examiners of Wood county. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F., Fort Meigs Lodge, and has passed the chairs, and the K. of P., in which latter organization also he has passed all the chairs, been chancellor of Perrysburg Lodge, and is now serving as deputy grand chancellor. He holds high rank among his professional brethren, and belongs to the American Medical Association, the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, and the Wood County Medical Society. JOHN A. STEARNS, a wealthy, retired agriculturist, residing in Bowling Green, is a native of Ohio, born July 6, 1839, in Montgomery township, Wood county, a son of Justus Stearns. John A. Stearns was about twelve years old when his father moved to Perry township, and his boyhood was mainly spent in the hard toil of clearing his father's two farms, and helping in the sawmills, so that his educational opportunities were quite limited. In 1864 he enlisted in Company E, 144th O. V. I., for one hundred days, and at the end of the term came home. On January 1, 1862, Mr. Stearns was married to Miss Elizabeth Myers, a native of Crawford county, Ohio, born February 5, 1842. They have had five children, of whom four are living: Elmer, born November 20, 1862, a farmer and oil pumper at Bays, married Miss Naomi Buvinger, and has one child-Flora; William S., born October 31, 1865, married Miss Minnie White, and they live in Liberty township; Charles, born May 24, 1868, married Miss Lillie Lashway, and they have one child-Lawrence; Frank, born July 4, 1870, married Miss Estelle Parker, and they have one child-Helen; and Alma, born September 8, 1872, died October 2, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Stearns also reared an adopted daughter, Ada Daily, who was born February 11, 1868. She married Fred Hendricks, of Plain township, and they have one child-Ina. After his marriage Mr. Stearns lived for two years on a farm in Perry township, and later moved to Plain township, where he now owns 300 acres of land which is given to general farming. At the present time he is also interested largely in oil producing. After living at the farm for over thirty-three years, Mr. Stearns and his wife moved to Bowling Green to enjoy the wealth which has come to them during their years of effort. They are prominent members of the Presbyterian Church at Bowling Green. In politics he is a Republican, and has held an influential place in the party councils for many years, and was for six years a trustee of Plain township. Socially he is affiliated with Lodge No. 641, I. O: O. F., the G. A. R., Neibling Post --both of Weston. Mrs. Elizabeth Stearns is a daughter of Josiah and Elizabeth (Parks) Myers, both natives of Hampshire county, W. Va., where they were married, and afterward, in 1839, moved to Ohio, the journey being made in a covered wagon. There were born to them eight children, viz.: William, Samuel, Lambert and John, all of whom served in the Civil war, Samuel and John veteranizing (they camped one winter on or near their grandfather's farm in West Virginia; many of their relatives served in the Confederate army); Evaline, wife of B. Jones; Elizabeth, wife of our subject; Anna, Mrs. C. Wooley; and Camilla, WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 575 wife of Joseph Davis. There was also an adopted son, named Sidney Brows, who served in the Civil war, the family thus (the sons-in-law having also joined the army) giving no less than nine able-bodied men to the Union cause. On arriving in Ohio, Mr. Myers took up government land in Crawford county, where he lived from 1839 till 1866, in which latter year he removed to Missouri where he died in 1879, his wife in 1870. His father, William Myers, was a native of Pennsylvania; the father of Mrs. Myers, Samuel Parks, . was a minister of the M. E. Church, in Virginia. In his political preferences, Mr. Myers was an ardent Whig, later a no less zealous Republican, and a true friend to the bondman, his Ohio home being for a long time known as an "Underground railroad station, " where fugitive slaves were cared for and given a lift on their desperate " run to Canada." In addition to his prominence as a successful agriculturist in Crawford county, he acted as guardian for many estates, so great was the confidence reposed in him by the people, and he served with much ability and characteristic fidelity in various public offices of honor and trust, among which may be mentioned that of county commissioner, an incumbency he filled for several years. No one was better known in Crawford county, and when he left no one was more missed than Josiah Myers. JUSTUS STEARNS (deceased). As one of the pioneer agriculturists of Wood county, a good citizen, and an enterprising and prosperous business man, the subject of this sketch held for many years a prominent place in the community with which his activities identified him. The family of which he was a worthy representative is an old one, and it is probable that the numerous branches in this country could all be traced to three brothers, Isaac, Charles and Nathaniel Stearne, who came from England in the ship "Arabella" with Gov. Winthrop, and landed at Salem, Mass., June 12, 1630. The spelling of the name has been changed by many from the original Sterne to Stearns, Sternes, Sterns, Starns or Stearnes. Richard Sterne, Archbishop of York during the reign of James II, was of this same family in England. The late Justus Stearns was born in Clifford township, Allegheny Co., Penn., July 8, 1810, where his grandfather, John and William Stearns, Silas Otis and James Stearns, who were natives of Connecticut, had settled in the latter part of the eighteenth century. John Stearns reared a large family, among whom was a son James, our subject's father, who was born August 5, 1777. The family moved to Pennsylvania a few years later, where John Stearns died, his wife surviving him several years, and dying at the age of eighty years. James Stearns was married in Allegheny county, Penn., to Miss Abilene Hardin, a daughter of Amos Hardin, and settled upon the farm where our subject was born, remaining there until the fall of 1822, when he moved to a farm near Bloomingdale, Richland Co., Ohio, his household goods being transported by an ox-team in primitive fashion. He died there of lung disease, May 5, 1837, and his wife survived him until in September 1861, when she died in Berrien county, Mich., at the home of their youngest son. Both were members of the Baptist Church. While he made a comfortable living, he was not a man to accumulate great wealth, nor did he possess the robust physique with which his sons were endowed. Ten children were born to this estimable pioneer couple, the names with dates of birth being as follows: Lydia, January 6, 1804 (married James Wells, and died in Berrien county, Mich.); Amos, January 8, 1806 (he was a farmer in Troy township, DeKalb Co., Ind., where he died); Phoebe, January 21, 1808 (married Hiram Stevens, and died in what is now Morrow county, Ohio); Justus, July 8, i810; William, February 17, 1814 (he was a farmer in Chautauqua county, Kans., and died there) ; Rhoda, February 16, 1817. (married Asa Fields, and moved to Utah, where she died); Masena, March 24, 1819 (married, first, William Hebbert, and, second, Dayton Mills, and died in Berrien county, Mich., November 29, 1895); Wealthy, October 22, 1821 (married William Herbert (deceased), and resides at Bloomdale); Silas, March 15, 1823 (died in Berrien county, Mich.) ; and Otis, in February, 1829 (he is now a farmer in Berrien county). With the exception of Amos, all of the sons followed the political faith of their father, and were Old-line Whigs. Justus Stearns attended school at his native place for some years, but at the age of twelve he came to the new farm in Ohio, where the hard toil of pioneer life occupied his time. He was a strong, robust boy, and, his parents being poor, he often worked hard and late to obtain needed articles of clothing. His only capital was a strong constitution and a mind fertile in resources, but he managed to make his way in life and attain more than an ordinary degree of success. He was married, March 1, 1832, in Richland county, to his first wife, Miss Sarah A. Davis, and in the following year, he moved to Wood county with 576 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. his wife and one child, Mary J., and entered land in Section 31, Montgomery township. He made his home there in the midst of the wilderness, building his first cabin on the east branch of the Portage river, and many years of toil and privation were undergone before the forest became a well-ordered farm. Five children were born to his first marriage: Mary J., July 28, 1833 (now the widow of J. H. Bucher, of Perry township); Silas D., August 9, 1835 (resides in the State of Washington); James H., September 9, 1837 (died in Perry township in May, 1860); John A., July 6, 1839 (now resides in Bowling Green); Orrin, May 9, 1841 (died in Perry township). The mother of these died April 12, 1843, and was buried in West Millgrove cemetery. On July 3, 1843, Mr. Stearns was married, near Greensburg, Sandusky county, to Miss Eliza Cross, by whom he had five children: Sarah A., the widow of Wilson Patterson, of Weston, who died July 18, 1894; Newton and Nelson, twins, the former of whom is a farmer in Plain township, the latter deceased in infancy; and two other children who died at an early age. The mother died July 28, 1850, and on October 10, 1850, Mr. Stearns married Miss Mary Hall, a native of Fairfield county, born January 12, 1822, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Mills) Hall. Her great-grandfather came from Ireland at an early date. Five sons and two daughters were born of this union: Josiah H., a prosperous farmer, of Perry township; Benton, a farmer of Weston township; J. D. and C. D., prominent farmers of Perry township, and Wilson E., a well-known farmer of Plain township; Belle and Laura died in childhood. The mother of this family died April 16, 1887, and was buried in Weston. On July 17, 1888, Mr. Stearns was united in the bonds of matrimony for the fourth time, his bride being Mrs. Mary A. Keyes, whose maiden name was Schooley; she had been twice married, first to a Mr. Silverwood, and, second, to Samuel Keyes. She survives, and now resides in Bowling Green, in an elegant residence completed shortly before the death of Mr. Stearns. In the fall of 1850 Mr. Stearns moved to West Millgrove and built the first hotel in that place; but not liking that business he soon gave it up. In the spring of 1851 he traded his first farm to R. W. Kelly for a farm in Perry township, and some money to boot. Here he lived for more than thirty years, adding to his possessions from time to time until he owned over 700 acres. Soon after the completion of the B. & O. railroad through Deshler, Ohio, Mr. Stearns and his sons, J. H. and S. D., became interested in a town site there, and in various industries, mercantile and manufacturing, and also in a hotel enterprise, all of them requiring an outlay of many thousands of dollars. The ventures were attended with success for a time, but later proved a failure, leaving heavy obligations to be met. A forced sale of his extensive property would have caused serious loss, but with rare business sagacity he devised a way out of his difficulty. He sold to his sons, J. H. and S. D., some of his real estate located in Perry township for a good price, taking their notes, and, as they were of the energetic, clear-headed sort who can make the most of a chance when they get it, they promptly paid their notes as they matured, enabling him to pay his debts without serious inconvenience, the whole business reflecting credit on all concerned. Mr. Stearns possessed great foresight, and the debts of his own contracting were never the source of any trouble to him, his temporary reverses being caused through entanglement with the affairs of others. In 1885 he moved to Plain township, where he had bought a large tract of land, which was supposed to be worthless, but he improved it and sold it at a handsome profit. His last years were spent in Bowling Green, where he died September 8, 1888, and his remains now rest beside those of his third wife, at Weston. He was a man of great vitality and strength, and his feats of lifting at "raisings," in his prime, were remarkable. For over fifty years he was a member of the Disciples Church, to which he contributed liberally, and he was throughout his life a leader in any enterprise or movement which appealed to his judgment as likely to benefit the community. HERMAN MANNHARDT, native of Wurttemberg, Germany, was born May 17, 1846; entered the common schools of his country at the age of five years, the Latin or high school at seven, and completed the course when fourteen years old. He then immediately began the study of medicine with his father, Dr. F. Mannhardt; at sixteen entered the standing army, was promoted from step to step to assistant surgeon, in which capacity he served during the Austrio-Prussian campaign of 1866. He took his discharge in 1867, and immediately came to Galion, Ohio, where he practiced medicine with his father until 1868, when he came to Custar, and has resided and practiced his profession there ever since. In 1876 he went to Cincinnati, took a course of lectures and graduated. In 1870 Dr. Mannhardt was married to Louisa Wingert. Socially he is an Odd Fellow, a Knight Harman Mannhardt WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 577 Templar and K. P.; politically he is a Democrat. He has been mayor of Custar ten consecutive years, and for twenty years clerk of the board of education. J. H. STEARNS. This prominent and prosperous farmer of Perry township is a member of the well-known family of that name in the county, and of which a sketch appears on a preceding page. Our subject was born in Perry township, November 8, 1851, the eldest child of Justus and Mary (Hall) Stearns. His education was obtained in the district schools of his locality, and he was brought up on the same farm which he now owns and resides on. On September 17, 1871, he was married to Miss Ella, daughter of Adam and Mary Wininger, who was born in Loudon township, Seneca Co., Ohio, October 9, 1853. The young couple went to housekeeping on the farm of Mr. Stearns' father. The T. & O. C. railroad was then in progress of construction, and Mr. Stearns, Sr., had a contract for grading which he sub-let to our subject, on the completion of which the latter received in pay eighty acres of land in Jackson township, this county. About 1874 or 1875, soon after the B. & O. R. R. was put through to Deshler, Mr. Stearns bought land extensively near that place, eighty acres of which he platted in town lots, and sold to an advantage. During his residence at Deshler, which was about three years, he was engaged in filling contracts for ditching, timber, etc., and at the end of this time he returned to Perry township, and bought 120 acres of the farm on which he now resides. His various investments had brought in a large amount of money, but owing to his kindness in going security and bail for people who left him to pay their indebtedness, he lost a considerable portion of his property. He now, however, is the owner of 210 acres of as good land as can be found in Wood county, and is prospering as a man of his indomitable courage and perseverance is bound to do. In spite of his adverse fortune at times, he has known no such word as discouragement, and has at once set about remedying any disaster that might overtake him. In an expressive Western phrase he is a "hustler," and has not a superior in the township for ability to succeed in what he undertakes. "Cy," as he is familiarly known, is popular throughout his community, and has many warm friends, who admire his industry, go-aheadativeness and cheerful disposition. In politics Mr. Stearns is a Republican, and has served his township three terms as assessor. He has also been the treasurer of the township, but has refused a re-election. He is a member of the Evangelical Church at Salem, in which he has held offices of trust and honor. He is a - liberal contributor, not only to his own Church,, but to other religious denominations, and has assisted in the organization and building of various religious and other institutions. Socially he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees, at Fostoria. To Mr. Stearns and his wife came five children, namely: Emma J., born December 29, 1874; John A., born June 23, 1878; Wilber H., born October 11, 1880; Alice E., born April 14, 1884; and Justus, born September 4, 1886. The beloved wife and mother passed to her final rest October 2, 1894, and was buried in the cemetery at Fostoria. She was a most estimable woman, and a consistent member of the Evangelical Church. Her departure was deeply mourned by her family, but Mr. Stearns is devoted to his children, and endeavors to fill the place of the departed one by unremitting attention to their comfort and interest in their welfare. C. F. MUNGER, a farmer of wide reputation in Perry township, is a native of Brunswick township, Medina county, where he was born August 6, 1842, his parents being Caleb and Anna (Fairfield) Munger. The subject of this sketch first went to school in Seneca county, Ohio, to which place his parents moved when he was six years old. He was reared to the duties of farm life, and, as he was an only son, was early taught the rudiments of the work. He lived at home until October, 1861, when he enlisted in Company B, 55th O. V. I., to which he was transferred from Company F, at his request. He served continuously with his regiment, in which he played the cornet, until, in Louisville, Ky., he suffered from a partial sunstroke, and was taken to Perry township by Orrin Stearns, where he was ill for some time. He first enlisted for three years, at the expiration of that time re-enlisting for the remainder of the war. Owing to his bad health he sought other work than that of farming, but none suited him so well, and he returned home and went to work for his father. On September 26, 1869, he was married, in Perry township, to Miss Amanda Stewart, who was born in Crawford county, Penn., February 5, 1847. Her parents, Samuel and Mary M. (Renner) Stewart, came to Wood county in 1849. The father was a tailor in his younger days, later taking up farming. He died in Fostoria, Ohio, 578 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. at nearly eighty years of age, and his wife at the age of seventy-two. Their family consisted of eight children, four boys and four girls. Our subject went to housekeeping on the home farm after his marriage, and entered into partnership with his father, which continued until about 1888, when he paid off the other heirs and became sole owner of the eighty acres; he has since added to this, now owning 110 acres. In 1862 a substantial brick residence was built, and here our subject lives, his father living with him. Mr. and Mrs. Munger are the parents of four, children, namely: Edith, now Mrs. Lemuel Good, of Seneca county; Anna L., who married John Strawman, of Seneca county; and Raymond and Charles P., both residing at home. Mr. Munger has always been a stanch Republican, and has served as trustee of Perry township, and two terms as assessor. He has been for many years director of School District No. 1. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Munger is stewart. Caleb Munger, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut November 6, 1802, and the mother in Massachusetts in 1803. Both were school teachers, and received a fair education. They moved to Brecksville township, Cuyahoga county, whence they went to Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, then to Liberty township, Seneca county, and in the spring of 1859 they came to Perry township, where Mr. Munger bought eighty acres of land in Section 25, about thirty-five of which were cleared, and on which were a log house and barn. Here Mrs. Munger died in 1882, and was buried in Fostoria. Two children were born to this couple, Ann S., now the wife of W. P. Dicken, of Seneca county, and our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Munger were brought up in the Congregational faith; but when they came to Seneca county there was no such denomination in their vicinity, so they joined the Presbyterian Church, of which they were original members in Fostoria. Politically Mr. Munger was originally a Whig and Know-Nothing, later joining the Republican ranks. He cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams. He has voted for every President since that time, and has never missed an election. He has never sought office, but has always taken an active interest in the success of his party. He is a well-preserved man for his advanced years. When eighty-one years old he broke his right leg, but in four weeks was able to walk around-an exhibition of remarkable vitality. He was reared as a farmer's boy, his father owning a small farm, and obtaining a living by the hardest kind of work. Mr. Munger was employed in burning charcoal, cutting hoop-poles, etc. The Munger family is remarkable for its longevity: The father of our subject is over ninety-three; one of his sisters died at the age of ninety-five, and another at ninety-three, while a third lived to be eightyseven. Edward, an uncle of our subject, is living in Chicago at the age of eighty-four years. HENRY PADGHAM, an intelligent and energetic farmer, and a substantial and reliable citizen of Perry township, having his home in Section 26, was born in the County of Kent, England, September 19, 1829, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Underdown) Padgham. The father, who was born in England, January 29, 1794, decided to seek a home in the United States with the hope of bettering his financial condition, and consequently, in the spring of 1851, he started with part of his family for the New World, including the following members: Joseph, of Farmington, N. Y.; Walter, a farmer, who died in Iowa; Elizabeth, who was married, and died in Michigan; Philip, judge of the district court of Allegan, Mich.; David, an agriculturist of Manchester, N. Y.; Annie, wife of N. Aldrich, of Washington, D. C.; and Alfred, who died en route, and was buried at sea. Two sons, Thomas and John, had preceded the family, coming in 1845, and were living in New York State, while our subject and his brother William did not arrive in this country until 1853. In the family of twelve children all but two grew to adult age. Until the death of his wife, in 1863, the father made his home in the Empire State, and then came to Perry township, and lived with our subject for awhile. Life seemed to lose its charm for him after the death of his wife, and he died in Michigan at the age of eighty-five years. He had three brothers who lived to be over eighty-three years of age-John, who died in Australia; Joseph, who passed away at the home of our subject; and William, who died in England. In politics the father was an ardent Republican. In the common schools of England Henry Padgham received his education before his twelfth year, and as a farmer boy he worked until eighteen years of age. At that time he enlisted in the standing army of Great Britain for twelve years, but before the expiration of that term concluded to come to America, where their family was then living, and bought his release for twenty-five pounds, English money, or $125. He had served for five years and one hundred and sixty-three days, a portion of the time in Lon- WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 579 don and in other parts of England. On July 31, 1853, he and a brother, William, took passage on the "Patrick Henry," which landed them at New York, September 7, following, and from there they went to Farmington, the same State, where their parents were then living. For four years our subject worked as a farm hand near that place, after which he located near Fostoria, Ohio, where his brothers, William and Thomas, were residing. For eighteen years the former was employed by C. W. Foster. The first home of Mr. Padgham in Wood county was with his brother Thomas, whom he helped to clear his farm during the first year, and later worked as fireman in Crocker's mill, at Fostoria. On November 27, 1860, he purchased forty acres of land in Section 26, Perry township, only about nine acres of which had been cleared, and a log cabin constituted the improvements. He had secured the land from William Jones, and had gone in debt for half the amount, but he went earnestly to work, and each season saw more of the land ready for cultivation. He now has fifty acres of rich and arable land, upon which are good and substantial buildings, but for the past five years he has left its cultivation to others, and now practically lives retired from active farm work. At Victor, Ontario Co., N. Y., in November, 1857, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Julia Padgham, of the County of Kent, England. She died on September 27, 1883, from paralysis, and was buried at Fostoria. Mr. Padgham later wedded Rachel A. Huff, by whom he had one child-Ruth M. The mother died October 28, 1886, and was also interred at Fostoria. In 1863, Mr. Padgham was elected captain of the Home Militia, and on May 2, 1864, enlisted in Company E, 144th O. V. I., doing guard duty at Wilmington, Del., until mustered out in the following August at the close of his term. He supported the Republican party until 1884, since which time he has been an ardent Prohibitionist, and has served as trustee of Perry township. For twenty-six years he has been a sincere and earnest Christian, a member of the Methodist Church, and to all worthy objects contributes liberally of his means. D. E. COE, one of the pioneer citizens of Perry township, was born in Frederick county, Md., June 24, 1818, and is the son of Thomas and Ann (Souder) Coe. Mrs. Coe died in Frederick county, Md., leaving one child, our subject. Mr. Coe married a second time in Maryland, and this wife died in that State, September 12. 1833, leaving four children. Mr. Coe married again, and left Maryland for Seneca county, Ohio, over the National pike, in a large wagon drawn by four horses (Pennsylvania style). He arrived, October 2, 1833, one mile east of Tiffin, Ohio, where he had previously bought 240 acres of land, and on which was a log cabin. There Mr. Coe died at the age of seventy-one. He was the father of nine children, of whom but two survive, D. E. and Caroline, now the widow of -Thomas Shaw, of Seneca county. Our subject attended the subscription schools of Maryland, and did not have as good an opportunity for getting an education as did his brothers or half-brothers. He was reared to the duties of a farmer boy, and worked on the home farm until his marriage, which took place in Seneca county, March 24, 1842, his bride being Miss Margaret Hyter, who was born, March 25, 1824, in Frederick county, Md., and who is a daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Koons) Hyter. Mr. D. E. Coe rented land in Scipio township, Seneca county, for two years, when, in the spring of 1844, he bought 140 acres in Section 13, Perry township. The land was wet and full of stumps, and contained a log house 18 x 24 feet. The forests were in their primitive state, and there were no roads in the vicinity. This portion of nature's wilderness Mr. Coe has transformed into a most desirable farm, and to-day has 240 acres of fine land, on which he has built a comfortable home, with the accompanying barns, bins, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Coe's children are: Clarinda, who married George P. Feebles, of Noble county, Ind.; Emma, now the widow of John Guier, of Perry township; Mary is the wife of S. S. Dicken, who lives near Kendallville, Ind.; Laura married V. D. Newcomb, and died in Seneca county; Alice is now Mrs. Luther Stewart, of Marion county, Ohio; Walter died at the age of thirtyfour years; H. L. is a farmer of Perry township; Belle is the wife of Charles Cochard, of Sandusky, Ohio; Charles is farming in Perry township. Mr. Coe is a Republican in politics, and has served as township trustee, and has been school director for twelve years. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church, of which he is also trustee. He has been a successful farmer, and is spending his later years in peace and quiet. BENJAMIN P. SEARS, a well-known fruit grower of Bowling Green, was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., November 7, 1819. His grandfather, Eli Sears, was an agricult- 580 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. urist in Delaware county, N. Y., and had two sons, David F., our subject's father, and Thomas B. The former was born in 1791, and married at an early age to Miss Sallie Pine, a native of the same county. He was drafted during the war of 1812, but his brother, who was not then married, took his place. He returned home at the close of the war, and settled in Tompkins county, where he married and reared a family of twelve children. Our subject's parents moved to Tompkins county, after their marriage, traveling in a primitive vehicle drawn by a pair of steers. They cleared a farm in the woods, .where they spent the rest of their lives, and died. Mr. Sears died in 1872, aged eighty-one years, two months and twelve days. They had ten children: Almarin, and George W., who died in Tompkins county; B. P., our subject; Adaline E., who married, first, John Woodworth, and then Cyrus Barber; Franklin, who died in New York State; Caroline, the wife of Terry Smith, of Seneca county, N. Y.; Jane, who married A. V. McKeel, of Tompkins county, N. Y.; and DeWitt C., a resident of Grand Detour, Ill.' Two other children died in infancy. Our subject grew to manhood upon his father's farm, obtaining his education in a subscription school held in a log house. May 15, 1848, he married Miss Elvira Shannon, a native of Seneca county, born January 15, 1827. Previous to his marriage he had clerked in a store for a year, but the young couple settled at once upon a farm near the old home, where they remained a number of years. Mr. Sears then sold his land and engaged in the grocery business, but lost everything by fire in 1876. In the following year he came to Bowling Green, hoping to make good his losses, and in 1879 he purchased his present property, containing three and a half acres, then in the outskirts of the city, but now surrounded by residences. Here Mr. Sears and his wife devoted themselves to the raising of berries and other fruits, with the success due to industry and good judgment. No serious cares or troubles marred the serenity of their well-spent days. Their only child, W. S., is now a law student in Bowling Green. He married, Hester Brewer, and has one child, Elvira. Our subject's wife was a woman of exceptional intellect and culture. She was educated in a seminary in New York State, and was a teacher before her marriage. Early in life she developed a taste for literary work, and her poems found ready acceptance in the periodicals of the day, the discouraging reply, "declined with thanks," so familiar to most writers, having never been received by her. At her death, which occurred March 12, 1895, she left some of her best and longest poems still in manuscript, and an effort is now being made to publish them in book form. A natural leader, she always took a prominent part in philanthropical and religious work, and in literary circles, wherever she might be. When she came to Bowling Green the local W. C. T. U., was in a disorganized condition, and she gave her energies freely to revive it. Her success was so marked that she was chosen local president, and later county organizer. She lectured throughout the county, establishing unions, and afterward, as county president, continued the work. She was a delegate to the State convention at Cincinnati, and the National meeting at Cleveland. Her death was regarded as a severe loss to the W. C. T. U., and memorial services were held in her honor throughout the county. JOHN CURRENT, a progressive and successful general merchant of Dunbridge, was born near Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio, January 16, 1845. His father, Thomas Current, was a native of Wheeling, Va., where he was reared on a farm. When a young man he removed with his parents to Sandusky county, and there carried on agricultural pursuits. He married Catherine Washburn, who was born in that county in 1838, and they became the parents of five children: Elizabeth, wife of William Parker; James, a member of Company A, 111th O. V. I., who died in the army; John, subject of this sketch; Maria, wife of William Pero, of Toledo; and Thomas, who died in infancy. The mother of this family died in 1853, and the father afterward wedded Mary Scranton, of Sandusky county. They had two children, Thomas and Mary, both of whom are deceased. The father died in October, 1871. John Current attended the district schools, and worked upon his father's farm until 1861, when, though only a boy of sixteen, he joined Company I, 57th O. V. I., under Capt. A. S. Skelton, and Col. William Mungen. From Findlay the regiment went to Camp Vance, and thence proceeded to the front. On January 1, 1864, he re-enlisted at Larkinsville, Ala., and was shortly afterward made a corporal. He acted as orderly for Gen. A. V. Rice, and when the latter was wounded at Vicksburg, Corporal Current carried him off the field. Our subject was never absent from his regiment during his long service, except when wounded in the wrist at Dallas, Ga., which necessitated his being sent to the hospital at Nashville, Tenn. He partici- John & Carolina Current WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 581 pated in the battles of Shiloh, Yazoo River, and many other engagements, and received an honorable discharge in August, 1865, and returned home. Mr. Current continued his residence in Sandusky county until 1868, when he came to Wood county, and for twelve months worked by the month. He then rented a farm for a year, afterward working a sawmill for a year, and subsequently renting the Ewing farm for two years. In 1874 he purchased forty acres of land near what is called Devil's Hole, Middleton township, which he cleared and operated for fifteen years, when he abandoned agricultural pursuits and came to Dunbridge, where he has since carried on general merchandising, meeting with excellent success. He is a wide-awake, progressive business man, strictly honorable in all his dealings, and these qualities, combined with a genial manner, have enabled him to secure an extensive trade. He still retains the ownership of his farm, and operates it in connection with his mercantile interests. Mr. Current was married at Bowling Green, in 1871, to Caroline Williams, who was born near Fremont, October 3, 1850, a daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Parker) Williams. Four children grace this union: Charles E., a dealer in stock; Maude D., who is engaged in school teaching; Grace, wife of George De Verna, a farmer of Perrysburg township; and Claude A., attending school. For five years Mr. Current has served as township trustee; was constable of Middleton township three years; school director a number of years; and a member of the township board of education, which indicates the confidence and trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. In politics he is a Democrat; socially he is connected with the Masonic Lodge at Bowling Green; Dunbridge Lodge, No. 786, I. O. O. F.; and Robert Stewart Post, G. A. R., of Dunbridge. He is also a member of the Grange, in which he has filled all the offices, and is justly numbered among the prominent and highly esteemed citizens of his locality. JOSEPH HOLLINGTON. The subject of this sketch has lived upon the site of the present city of Bowling Green longer than any other resident. Born in England May 21, 1824, he came to Plain township with his parents, in 1833, and has seen this spot redeemed from a trackless waste of forest and swamp, and made the home of a progressive civilization. And in this change he has had his share of helpful work. He was one of the building committee of the old court house, and collected $12,000.00 for the enterprise. In the struggle for the county seat he took an active part, and, indeed, in every event of note in the history of the county, his name is enrolled among the participants. His father, Joseph Hollington, was born in 1792 at Redditch, Worcestershire, England, then the leading manufacturing center for needles. He was a candle-molder by trade, and retained the ownership of his shop after he came to America. He married Mary Perry, by whom he had five children: Richard (born March, 1822, died 1893), a well-known resident of West Unity, Ohio; Joseph, our subject; Ambrose, a minister of the M. E. Church at Delaware, Ohio; Mary Ann, the widow of the late Octavius Walters, of Delta, Ohio, formerly member of the Legislature, and William, a prominent real-estate dealer in San Diego, Cal.. Our subject's father took an active interest in the politics of his adopted country, and was an ardent Whig. He and his wife were members of the Church of England previous to their removal to America. He died in 1847, his wife in 1854, at the age of sixty. Joseph Hollington was nearly ten years old when his parents came to Wood county. He was married at twenty-four to Miss Elizabeth L. Lamb, who was born in New York State in 1829. They had three children: Mary E., who died when six years of age; Mary Ann, who died aged twenty-nine, and Maria, born January 29, 1852, who married W. H. Frederick, a native of Seneca county, Ohio, born May 3, 1845. Mr. Frederick was educated in the public schools of his birthplace, learned the trade of mason in early life, and in 1874 came to Bowling Green to engage in that business. He was a soldier during the Civil war, enlisting August 30, 1862, in Company D, 49th O. V. I., which was attached to the army of the Cumberland. His chief battles were at Stone River, Liberty Gap and Chickamauga. In the last-mentioned engagement, September 19, 1863, he was severely wounded, and shortly afterward received an honorable discharge. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of Wiley Post No. 46, G. A. R. Mr. Hollington is also a Republican, and before the war he was a Whig, and took an influential part in the local political movements of that time. JOHN KNAUSS is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Bluenburg, February 21, 1840. He is a son of George and Barbara E. Knauss, and a brother of George Knauss who resides in Plain township. He came to this country with his parents, the family locating 582 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. in Ohio, and in the public schools of Medina county he acquired his education. He afterward worked as a farm hand in that county for five years. In 1854 he accompanied his parents to Center township, this county, and to his father gave the benefit of his services until twenty-four years of age, when he was married and removed to Middleton township. Here he purchased forty acres of land, and at once began its, development. He placed many rods of tiling upon the farm, erected a good house and barn, and afterward extended the boundaries of his farm by the additional purchase of forty acres. He now has a richly cultivated farm, the well tilled fields yielding to him a good return for his care and labor. On the 31st of March, 1863, in Perrysburg, Ohio, Mr. Knauss was united in marriage with Catherine Bostdorf, daughter of Henry Bostdorf, and a native of Ohio. Fourteen children have been born of this union-Andrew J., a farmer; Emma E., wife of Fred Neeglie; Daniel; John; Edwin; Charles H.; Orange A.; Maggie B.; Martha G.; Cyrus R.; Rutha R.; Herald V.,and two who died in infancy. In his political views Mr. Knauss is a Democrat, but has no aspirations for office. He is a member of the United Brethren Church, in which he is now serving as steward, and is an upright, honorable man who ranks among the best farmers of Wood county, and has the esteem and good will of all with whom he has been brought in contact. JOHN H. COCHREL, who is now serving as postmaster of Haney, and carrying on a general merchandise store, is one of the prominent business men of Jackson township. He was born in Hancock county, Ohio, July 31, 1858, and is a son of John Cochrel, who was born in Muskingum county; when a young man he entered a veterinary college, where he was graduated. He afterward became one of the most proficient veterinary surgeons in this part of the country. He was married in Coshocton county, Ohio, to Mary Buckler, and immediately afterward removed to Hancock county, locating in McComb, where he successfully practiced his profession. He also purchased a farm of 120 acres, which was operated by our subject and his brother. The mother died in Hancock county, December 10, 1881. The members of the family are Nathan, a farmer of Jackson township, Wood county; Sarah E., wife of George Fout, of Hancock county; Susan, wife of John Edgington, of Hancock county; Finney, a farmer of the same county; and John H. The last named is indebted to the district schools of Portage and Pleasant townships, Hancock county, for his education, which was completed at the age of twenty years. He then became clerk in the post office and grocery store at McComb, Hancock county, for Mr. Barney, where he remained for three years, receiving a good business training. He afterward purchased a farm in Blanchard township, Hancock county, of one hundred acres, which he cultivated for a year, and then sold. Removing to McComb, he purchased a saloon, which he carried on for three years, and later was proprietor of a meat market for a year. Disposing of his business interests in the town, he then returned to his farm, and not long after established a grocery store on his farm, running three huckster wagons in connection with the store. In October, 1894, he disposed of his property in Hancock county, and came to Wood county, erecting a store in Haney, which he supplied with a large stock of groceries. He also runs three huckster wagons, buying up all kinds of fruit, which he sells at retail through the county. In the winter he also deals quite extensively in poultry. Mr. Cochrel was married in Henry township, Wood county, March 4, 1878, to Miss Minerva Fellers, who was born in Hancock county, Ohio, where she lived until seventeen years of age, when she came to Wood county with her parents, Noah and Almeda (Evans) Fellers, now residents of Rawson, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Cochrel have two children-Harley J. and Flora May. In politics our subject is a Democrat, and has held some local offices, being now postmaster of Haney. EMERSON WEBSTER FISHER, M. D., a young man of progressive spirit and enterprise, is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Portage. He was born in Snyder county, Penn., at the town of Selin's Grove, November 14, 1870, and is a son of Ben and Lydia (Snyder) Fisher, also natives of the Keystone State. The family is of German origin, and the grandfather, Christian Fisher, who was born in Germany, was the first of the name to seek a home in America. He located in Pennsylvania, and traded a rifle to some Indians for a large tract of land along the Susquehanna river, there following farming until his death. The father of our subject was born on the old homestead, and was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads. After his marriage he located on the Isle of Que, and, by his well directed business efforts, accumulated considerable property. His death occurred in 1875, and WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 583 several years later his widow married Solomon Miller, and is now living in Wymore, Neb. Her children are as follows: Mattie A., who became the wife of Rev. W. C. McCool, and died in Ponca, Neb.; Ben F., a merchant of De Witt, Neb.; William I., cashier in the bank at Wymore, Neb. ; Peter A., a resident of Lincoln, Neb.; Charles M., a farmer of Logan, Neb.; John W., a machinist of North Platte, Neb.; George C., an agriculturist of Logan, Neb., Emerson W., of this sketch; and Della May, who is clerking in a store in Ponca, Nebraska. Dr. Fisher, of this sketch, attended the common schools of his native town until ten years of age, when he went. with the family to Nebraska, where his elder brother Ben had previously moved and taken up a homestead for the family. The Doctor attended school in the West until seventeen years of age, then continued his studies in the Homer Academy of Homer, Neb., and also spent one term in college in the same State. During the winter of 1888-89, he was a student in the Midland College of Atchison, Kans., after which he pursued a three-years' course in the Rush Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated March 29, 1892. He immediately began practice at Ponca, Neb., but four months later came to Wood county, and for a short time was in the office of Dr. Snyder, of Bowling Green. On December 24, 1892, he located at Portage, where he has since built up a good business. Dr. Fisher was married in Portage, August 16, 1894, to Miss Henrietta L. Teller, who was born in Portage township, September 29, 1870, In his political views, he is a Democrat, and his religious belief connects him with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. His ability, laudable ambition and well-directed efforts have already secured him a good business. J. W. PENNELL. The paternal great-grandfather of Mr. Pennell emigrated from Wales to America, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he died. His son, the grandfather of our subject, carried on farming in that State during his life, and in Beaver county, Penn., William Pennell, the father of J. W., was born in 1816. He was a merchant and hotel-keeper by occupation, and died in Meadville, Penn., in 1865. The mother of our subject was, before her marriage, Miss Cynthia Thatcher, her ancestors being residents of New Jersey, and of old New England stock. She was born in Beaver county, Penn., in 1821, and died in 1882. By marriage with Mr. Pennell she became the mother of seven children: Elizabeth died when eighteen years old; Madison lives in Trumbull county, Ohio;, John died 'in infancy; J. W.; Ellen is the wife of W. Beadman; George, residing at Zanesville, Ohio; Anna, the wife of Washington Harris, of Beaver county, Pennsylvania. J. W. Pennell was born in Mercer county,. Penn., July 13, 1845, and came with his parents to Ohio when a lad. When seventeen years old he returned to his native State, and began work in the oil fields of Butler county. From there he went to West Virginia, and subsequently came to Wood county. During all this time he has been engaged in the oil-producing business, and has held various responsible positions with leading oil "companies. In the year 1895 he struck one of the best wells found in Wood county during the year, and has been very successful in all his ventures in that line. Mr. Pennell was married in Marietta, Ohio,. April i9, 1869, to Miss Eugene Douglass, who was born in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, December 1, 1850. Of this union seven children have been born: William, who is foreman of the Palmer Oil Company, at Bairdstown, Ohio, married Miss Mattie Baird, and they have one child, Merle; the others are Frank, who is also with the Palmer Oil Company; Clyde, Lamott, Nellie,. Cleveland and Burt. Mr. Pennell is a leading Democrat, and was treasurer of the Democratic County Central Committee for three years. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and Knights of the Maccabees, and is very popular in the community as a. thorough gentleman, and a man of high principles. At the present writing he is carrying on a restaurant, in connection with his oil business, which is largely patronized and well managed. HENRY F. BOWLUS, partner of the well-known firm Hobart, Bowlus Co., of Pemberville, was born September 18, 1855, near Fremont, Ohio. Henry Bowlus, the great ancestor from whom are descended the Bowlus families, was a native of Germany, who came to America in the Colonial period, about 1735, and settled in the Middletown Valley, Frederick county, Md. He had four sons-Jacob, George, Valentine and Nicholas the youngest being then but five years of age. Nicholas Bowlus was reared on a farm in Frederick county, Md., where he became the head of a family of eight children-Jacob, John, Henry, Nicholas, Jr., Mrs. Beckaback, Mrs. Floyd, Mrs. Haller, and Mrs. Christ. Of these, Jacob, a distinguished pioneer minister of the. United Brethren Church, and Henry a farmer, WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 584 came to Ohio, about the year 1828, and settled in Sandusky Tp., Sandusky Co. The children of Rev. Jacob Bowlus were: Jacob, David, Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Susannah, all of whom became heads of families in Sandusky county. In 1828 Henry Bowlus located on a farm of 320 acres, which was then an unbroken forest, and helped clear up the famous "Black Swamp." He had a family of six children, namely: (1) Magdalene, wife of Daniel Young, who lived and died in Maryland. (2) Adam, who married Elizabeth Krohn, and remained in Maryland. (3) Sophia, wife of Jacob Thomas; she died in 1895, at the age of eighty-eight years. They had nine children-John H., Richard, Joseph, Lizzie, Maggie, Amanda, Charles, Alice, Alma; of these, the eldest, John H. Thomas, a millionaire, was the competitor of Calvin S. Brice, for U. S. Senator, in 1893. (4) Henry Bowlus, father of our subject, comes next. (5) Nicholas, who married Mary Donnell, and lived in Madison township, where he died in 1893. (6) Mahala, wife of Jesse Dorcas, living at Lisbon, Iowa. The father of this family was killed in 1832, by a kick from a horse. Henry Bowlus, our subject's father, one of the early pioneers of Sandusky county, was born in Maryland, September 27, 1810. On November 20, 1833, he married Miss Catherine Keller, of Tiffin, Ohio, who was born February 14, 1811, and died October 20, 1846; their children were-Hanson R., Mahala, Martha, Catherine, Elizabeth and Caroline. The first four of these became heads of families in Sandusky county. On September 27, 1849, he married for his second wife Mrs. Rebecca C. Bowlus (nee Williamson), of Maryland, born July 4, 1824, and died January 28, 1891; their children wereWarren A., who lives on the old homestead near Fremont; Anna C., wife of Cyrus Smith, of Gibsonburg; Henry F., our subject; and Robert, a farmer in Sandusky county. Our subject's father has lived to see a great change in the Valley of the Sandusky. When he first came, there were more Indians than white people. The Wyandottes, Senecas and Tawas lived here, and used to assemble in great numbers every year when they went to Malden to draw their annuity from the government of Great Brit-, am. There, seemingly, was no end of squirrels and other wild game. Mr. Bowlus followed farming and stock raising. About the year 1868, in company with his son, Hanson R., he operated a sawmill, furniture shop and planing-mill, about sixteen years, at Fremont. In politics he was first a Whig, then an Abolitionist, a Whig, and later a Republican; strange to say, his father was a pro-slavery man. Before the Civil war he kept a station of the " Underground railroad," and assisted runaway slaves from the Southern States to escape, making their hearts glad, and sending' them on their way to Canada. He has for many years been a member of the M. P. Church, near Fremont. Though now (1896) past eighty-six years of age, he enjoys life among his children and grandchildren, with a mind still active, and a memory undimmed. Henry F. Bowlus, our subject, passed his early years at the old farm, and was educated in Adrian College, at Adrian, Mich.; but before he was twenty-one he came to Pemberville and became a partner with his brother-in-law, M. Hobart, in the hardware business. As the years have passed, and their trade increased, they have enlarged the scope of their business, until now they own one of the most extensive general stores in Wood county, their stock of various kinds, occupying three rooms 22 x20, 22 x 85, and 50 x 50. They are owners also of the grain elevator, where they deal in all kinds of grain. On June 18, 1879, Mr. Bowlus was married at Pemberville to Miss Mary Balmer, a native of Cumberland county, Penn., born March 20, 1853. They have three children: Harry M., Edith, and Romayne. While Mr. Bowlus holds a high rank in business circles, he is also prominent in all local movements of importance, and was one of the first to open up the oil field near Pemberville. His fine personal qualities give him marked influence in the community. In politics he is a Republican, and he and his wife are leading members of the Presbyterian Church. He was mayor of Pemberville for two years, and a member of the council for a number of years; has been superintendent of the Sunday-school, and is now an elder in the Church. He and Mr. Hobart are the oldest firm in Pemberville, and among the oldest in the county. CHARLES R. ROSENDALE, M. D. Among the highly successful men in Wood county, it would be difficult to find one who has surpassed our subject in accumulation of property, as well as in services rendered to suffering humanity. In early times in this county, when the swampy condition of the country made it a congenial abode for fevers, ague, malaria, etc., the physician was often called upon to attend those who fell victims to these dire diseases, where a ride of many miles was necessary through the forests. These journeys were frequently necessary at all hours of the night, and it can easily C. R. Rosendale WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 585 be imagined that the lot of a pioneer doctor, such as was our subject, was no sinecure. Charles R. Rosendale was born August 1, 1831, in Swanland, seven miles from Hull, in Yorkshire, England, the son of William and Jane (Brown) Rosendale, who had a family of seven children. When he was about nine years of age they decided to come to the United States, where they would find better opportunities for making a living. After a tedious voyage of many weeks they landed at Quebec, thence coming to Lorain county, Ohio, partly via Erie canal and lake to Cleveland, and from there by team to their destination. Forty acres of land in a primitive state, on which were some log buildings, were taken up, on which the first payment was made with money given Mrs. Rosendale by her father. The land was situated near the center of Grafton township, and here the family began their struggle for existence in the new country. The farm being small, and the family large, it became necessary for our subject, who was among the older children, to start out for himself, and when only twelve years of age he went to work for some of the neighboring farmers. For some years he lived in the vicinity of Wellington, Ohio, where he was engaged in farm work during the summers, in the winters attending the district schools. Industrious and ambitious, he learned rapidly, and was asked to teach, but declined. He attended the Elyria High School in addition to the district schools, and in this way laid the foundation for the scientific course to be his later in life. While thus employed he was seized with typhoid fever, and after a long illness, through which he was cared for by kindly hands, he recovered, but found that his money, ten dollars in all, would prove sadly deficient in paying the expenses of his long illness. Dr. Smith, of Wellington, Ohio, who was his physician, had become much attached to the young man, and on his recovery urged him to take up the study of medicine. This he decided to do, and at the age of twenty began his reading with Drs. Smith and Johns, and subsequently with Dr. McKenzie, of Litchfield, Medina county, spending in all four years under their tutorship. He completed his medical studies at the Cincinnati Eclectic Institute, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1856. This schooling required money, which was supplied by friends, none of whom were relatives, whose only security was the honesty of our subject. In the meantime Dr. Rosendale's parents had removed to Wood county and located near Eagleville, in Bloom township, where in May, 1856, our subject came to recuperate after his exhaustive years of study. He had made up his mind to go west after he had fully recovered his health; but an incident occurring at this time served to change his plans. Just then a serious malady, known as dysentery or "bloody flux," was prevalent in Wood county, which had baffled many of the resident physicians. It being noised about that young Rosendale was a doctor, he was called upon to treat a man by the name of George Bronson, who was suffering from the disease. He had no intention at that time of practicing, but consented to take the case, and the rapid recovery of the patient from an ailment that often lasted for many weeks, frequently proving fatal, was so surprising as to stamp this young physician as a man of ability. He was soon after called into consultation by Dr. McLaughlin, of West Millgrove, and the impression made by him upon the patients was such as to secure requests for individual calls, which he answered, and which were followed by numerous entreaties for him to locate in West Millgrove. This Dr. Rosendale decided to do, and thus began one of the most successful careers ever experienced by any physician in Wood, or surrounding counties. From that time, and for thirty-five years following, he never knew any such thing as lack of business, being sent for from far and near, his success being in keeping with his extensive clientage. In the early part of his career, before he became well known, he experienced, as many other professional men have, the inconvenience of lack of capital. Desiring at this time to purchase another horse, as excessive riding was telling on the one he owned, he was offered a fine four-year-old animal, owned by Jackson Lee, for $loo. The Doctor wanted it badly, but did not have the money, and his note with security was suggested. He could not find any man to go on this note, so wrote to friends in Lorain county, who promptly forwarded the money. To-day he could without any trouble get security for a thousand times that amount. In October, 1857, our subject was married in Tiffin, Ohio, to Miss Rebecca Wade, who was born in Seneca county, a daughter of Abner Wade, a farmer of that county. Nine children were born of this union, namely: Charles E., November 27, 1858, died when four years old; Harry B., October 17, 1860, died when eighteen months old; Wilbur W., June 28, 1863, lives in Perry township; Watson S., September 10, 1865, died in infancy; Fred C., born May 6, 1867; Tunison T., born May 12, 1871, is a physician in WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 586 Fostoria, Ohio; Clara M., born January 16, 1874, is now Mrs. L. Marsh, of Prairie Depot, Ohio; a son, who died in infancy, unnamed; and Chester A., born October 27, 1882, is at home with his father. Mrs. Rosendale for five years before her death, which took place, in 1885, was a sufferer from paralysis, having had three strokes. She was a consistent member of the Congregational Church, a Christian woman and a kind mother. For his second wife Dr. Rosendale married Miss Charity Arthur, of Bowling Green, Ohio, who bore him one child, Earl A., born April 7, 1889. She died July 2, 1890, and was buried in Bowling Green cemetery. Her death was greatly mourned, as she had proved a most devoted and loving mother to her step-children, with whom she was a great favorite, and who found her a faithful friend. The Doctor is robust and exceptionally well preserved, and he still continues to practice for those who refuse to surrender his services as their family physician. No physician in Wood county has been more successful as a practitioner, and none has a larger circle of warm friends. Our subject has for a number of years been interested in the real-estate business, during this time buying and selling hundreds of acres of land. He has given each of his sons a large farm, retaining for himself about 825 acres of land, and owning some of the most valuable business and resident properties in Fostoria, which latter are estimated to be worth over $100,000. There are few men whose business interests are as extensive, and yet kept in as good shape as those of Dr. Rosendale. He is a shrewd financier, and personally looks after his affairs, so that in case of his sudden demise no danger of complications will arise. In politics Dr. Rosendale is a stanch Democrat, and takes an active interest in the success of his party, although he is not what would be called a politician. He has served several terms as treasurer of Perry township. Several years ago he became a member of the Masonic order at Fostoria, and is a Master Mason. The Doctor has traveled very extensively over the world; but unlike many another tourist he did not visit Europe until he had seen the interesting and wonderful in America, and he was thus prepared, when abroad, to interest those whom he met with stories of the scenery of this country. In June, 1889, he spent some three months in England and France, visiting the Exposition at Paris, and the scenes of his early youth in England. He went to the same Sunday-school in which he was taught as a boy, and saw the same pond of clear water which he once fell into from his horse while watching the reflections of tree tops. This trip was greatly enjoyed, and brought back many pleasant memories. LEWIS WILBER, deceased, who during life was one of the best known and most highly esteemed residents of Center township, was a native of Ohio, born in Huron county, March 17, 1836, a son of Stephen Wilber, a farmer of that county, who died when our subject was quite young. After attending school for a short period, Lewis began work on a farm for his uncle, Mr. Meede, where he remained for several years. Then, for four years, he worked for wages as a farm hand in Huron county. There he later rented forty acres of land from a Mr. William, which tract he operated for three years. The year 1860 witnessed his arrival in Wood county, where he purchased forty acres of land in Plain township, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his time, until his enlistment for service in the Union army during the Civil war. In 1862, at Tontogany, Mr. Wilber became one of the "boys in blue," joining Company D, 111th O. V. I., and remained with that company until the close of the struggle, after which he returned to Huron county, where he made his home for two years, as his father-in-law had sold his farm in Wood county. He suffered much from sickness contracted during his service in the army. In 1867 he returned to Wood county, and this time bought eighty acres of land in Center township, of which a part had been cleared. He made many improvements upon his place, which to-day stand as monuments to his thrift and industry. On March 11, 1852, in Huron county, Ohio, Mr. Wilber was married to Miss Catherine Knapp. The bride was a native of that county, born December 11, 1833, and to them were born six children, all of whom are still living-Emerson, born December 23, 1857;. George E., born August 23, 1861; Rosie A., born September 26, 1864; Bird and Birth (twins), born November 30, 1866; and Clara, born May 15, 1870. Emerson and George now operate the home farm, and Bird was married August 1, 1894, to Miss Augusta Reniger. Mr. Wilber was a refined and intellectual gentleman, who occupied a remarkably high position in the estimation of the people of the community, and was known far and wide as one of the leading representative men of Center township. He was greatly interested in educational work, and served for many years as school director, while he also held the office of supervisor of his town- WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 587 ship for several years. His political support was unswervingly given the Republican party. The family adheres to the faith of the United Brethren Church. His death was caused by consumption, contracted during the army service, and he passed away on January 15, 1884, leaving a large number of friends, as well as his immediate family, to mourn his death. Mrs. Wilber, a most estimable lady, still resides upon the farm left her by her husband, and has the love and respect of all who know her. M. A. IRELAND, the genial and popular proprietor of the "Crystal City Restaurant" at Bowling Green, was born in Maumee City, Ohio, October 7, 1849. His grandfather, John Ireland, came to Ohio, early in the present century from the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, where his son Michael, our subject's father, was born September 20, 1801. The family first located at Salt Lick, on the Ohio river, and later at Bellefontaine. At the age of twenty Mr. Michael Ireland started in business for himself, and went to Detroit, Mich., with a drove of stock, traveling along the old " Hull's Trail. " Returning to Ohio, he settled at Maumee City, where for some years he worked in a hotel. He subsequently became a contractor in lime, stone and timber, and later engaged in the grocery business. He farmed the island in the river, near Maumee City, and shortly afterward removed to Topeka, Kans., purchasing a large tract of land near that city. He married Miss Mary Elinshousen, who was born in Germany in 1816, and reared a family of six children, of which our subject is the eldest. The others were Madison, now residing in Idaho Springs, Colo. ; Edwin, living in Kansas City, Mo.; William A., killed by an explosion in one of his own mines in Colorado, at the age of thirty-two; Capitola, the wife of W. L. Townsend, of Idaho Springs, and Charles, also a resident of that town. Our subject spent his youth in Maumee City, working with his father and attending school. He finished his education at the Central Ohio College, located there, and then learned the trade of shaping scythes, which he followed for about a year. The family removed to Kansas at this time, and he was engaged for the next six years in traveling with a government surveying expedition. He has often seen ten thousand head of buffalo at one time, and the party would shoot them down simply to see how many they could slaughter. Returning to Maumee City, he worked for a time in a wagon shop, and then took a load of horses and mules to Buffalo, Troy, and other places in New York. After this trip he bought a half interest in the wagon shop, which he held for ten years. In the meantime he was married to Miss Adelia Yonker, who was born in Bowling Green, January 6, 1856. Five children were born to this union: Munson C., June 16, 1875; May L., Ethel, William, and Donald D. On August 12, 1885, Mr. Ireland removed with his family to Idaho Springs, Colo., where for two years he was engaged in contracting and building, erecting some of the finest structures there. The oil fields of northwestern Ohio, suggested another form of business enterprise, in which he engaged for some time, but in 1892 he opened the Crystal City Restaurant " at Bowling Green, which he has conducted ever since with constantly increasing patronage. His mother died in Kansas in 1873, and his father has of late years made his home with him. In spite of his ninety-four years, Mr. Michael Ireland is mentally and physically active, walking with a light, brisk step which many younger men might envy. His memory is remarkable. He recalls the murder of the last white man killed by the Indians on the Maumee river, and many other events of note in the history of the State. In his early days he was an Old-line Whig, and attended the famous mass meeting at Fort Meigs in 1840, where Gen. Harrison spoke. Our subject is a Republican in politics, and a member of the K. of P., the P. O. S. of A., the American Mechanics, and the Woodmen of the World. MINER WADSWORTH, M. D., who is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine at Hoytville, is a native of the Buckeye State, born April 14, 1854, at Wood Grove, Manchester township, Morgan county. His father, Daniel S. Wadsworth, was a native of Maryland, and when eighteen years of age moved to Morgan county. Having attained his majority, he was married in Noble (then a part of Guernsey) county, Ohio, to Elizabeth Dye, a native of Guernsey county, and they located on the old homestead in Morgan county. There he resided until 1887, when, with his family, he moved to Smith county, Kans. He became extensively and successfully engaged in stock raising, and was a prominent citizen of the locality, until his death, which occurred January 21, 1896, when he was aged seventy-four. He was buried near Portis, Kans. Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth were the parents of the following named children: Miner and Vincent, who died in childhood; Mary 588 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. Ann, who died in Morgan county, Ohio, at the age of forty; Wyley W., a school teacher in Oregon; Malinda, wife of Pearley P. Paxton, of Portis, Osborne Co., Kans. ; Miner, subject of this sketch; and Dye, at home. The Doctor began his education in the district schools, and on the old home farm spent his childhood days. At the age of eighteen he entered the public schools of Scio, Harrison county, where he pursued his studies one year, then followed school-teaching in both Morgan and Wood counties, following that pursuit two years. In 1876 he arrived in Wood county, and, after teaching two terms in Jackson township, took up the study of medicine, and carried on a small drug store at Hoytville. He studied medicine for a time, after which he attended medical lectures as a student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Keokuk, Iowa, from which he was graduated February 28, 1882. He is now established in a good practice at Hoytville, where they have a comfortable home. The Doctor was married at Hoytville, January 14, 1888, to Miss Katie Hager, who was born in Seneca county, Ohio. WESLEY MCINTIRE. The citizens of this section of the country combine in their lives the enterprising, progressive characteristics of the West, and the stability and thoroughness of the people of the East, owing perhaps to their nearness to both sections. Our subject is a worthy type of Ohio's representative citizens. He was born near Tiffin, Seneca county, July 24, 1857, and is a son of Hiram and Lucetta (Zimmerman) McIntire, the former born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 10, 1832, the latter in Seneca county, March 10, 1837. The grandfather, John McIntire, emigrated from Scotland to America, and in Wayne county married a lady of Irish birth. One of their sons, prominent in Abolition work, used his home as a station on the "Underground railroad." When a young man, Hiram McIntire learned the trade of a millwright. He was left an orphan at the age of thirteen, and for one year lived with an older brother; but not liking the treatment he there received, he tied his little wardrobe in his handkerchief, and with sixty-five cents in his pocket, ran away. He went to Green Springs, Sandusky county, and there learned his trade, which he followed for some years. While at that place he was married October 2, 1856, and immediately after went with his bride to Fort Seneca, where he worked in a sawmill. He afterward purchased a mill, which he operated for a year, when he removed to Winter Station, and carried on a mill there until April 1, 1861, when with his family he came to Liberty township, Wood county. Here he purchased five acres of land on which stood a frame residence, and after selling that property he bought eighty acres of wild land, clearing the tract and erecting thereon a log cabin, into which his family moved before there were either doors or windows. In 1882 this was replaced by a more modern structure that is now occupied by a brother of our subject. The father died there February 19, 1893; the mother passed away eight months previous. Their children were Wesley; Francis Marion, born November 2, 1858; Arthur, who was born December 22, 1860, and was drowned at the age of two years; and Anna, who was born May 3, 1869, and died at the age of eight years. Mr. McIntire, the subject of this sketch, was reared in Liberty township, received a commonschool education, and worked on the home farm until his marriage. On May 14, 1882, he wedded Miss Ida Carnacom, who was born in Liberty township, July 13, 1861. They began their domestic life on a forty-acre farm given him by his father, and in 1892 he erected his present commodious home which is brightened by the presence of three children: Valeria Odessa, Francis Elmer and Lloyd. In politics, Mr. McIntire is a Republican, and is now serving as town constable. His time, however, is largely given to his business interests. He owns the farm on which he lives, has a half interest in eighty acres of land left by his father, and a half interest in the royalty received from thirteen oil wells. In connection with his brother, he is at this present writing also engaged in the breeding of blooded horses, and they have a fine fiveeighths of a mile track on which they train and break colts. Socially, Mr. McIntire is connected with Whitney Lodge No. 589, I. O. O. F., of Portage, and is a charter member of the Forresters Lodge at Rudolph. In religious connection he holds membership with the Disciples Church of Rudolph. FRANCIS M. MCINTIRE, a prominent farmer and stock dealer of Wood county, was born in Sandusky county, Ohio, November 2, 1858, and is a son of Hiram and Lucetta (Zimmerman) McIntire. He was a child of two and a half years when his parents came to Wood county, and his childhood days were passed on his father's farm, while his education was obtained in the district schools. He secured a teacher's certificate, but Hiram & Lucetta McIntire 589 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. ill health prevented him from entering the profession. At the age of sixteen he left school, and worked on the home farm until his marriage. When in his twenty-first year he engaged in farming for himself, as well as in assisting in the cultivation of the old homestead. On August 7, 1881, Mr. McIntire was united in marriage with Miss Isadore Mercer, a daughter of Abraham and Harriet (Rice) Mercer. He erected a residence on his father-in-law's farm, and afterward moved this dwelling to a tract of thirty acres owned by his wife. In the spring of 1883 he began the breeding of blooded horses, and has continued this business with excellent success. In August, 1893, he admitted his brother Wesley to a partnership in the business, and he built a five-eighths mile track for training purposes. On April 1, 1896, he purchased his brother's interest in the horses, leased his onehalf interest in the farm for five years, and is now owner of the stock farm. In 1892 he sold the land belonging to his wife, and removed to the old McIntire homestead, which had been inherited by himself and brother on his father's death. On February 16, 1893, he purchased 120 acres of improved land in Eaton county, Mich., and in the following February added forty acres. He has taken many premiums at the county fairs with his fine horses, and has one of the finest stock farms in the county. To Mr. and Mrs. McIntire have been born five children, their names and dates of birth being as follows: H. Leroy, August 30, 1882; Harley, February 7, 1887; Algernon, November 8, 1890; Leo, July 16, 1893, and Mabel, November 15, 1895. Mr. McIntire takes quite an active interest in politics, has served as supervisor for two years, and in 1895 was elected justice of the peace. Socially he is a member of Whitney Lodge No. 589, I. O. O. F., of Portage, and a charter member of Lodge No. 57, Court Sheridan, Ancient Order of Forresters, in which he is one of the trustees. He is a popular young man, of genial disposition, and in the community where he has so long resided has many friends. GEORGE W. BORTLE, deceased. The subject of this sketch, formerly a prominent agriculturist of Grand Rapids township, was born January 4, 1851, in Weston (now Grand Rapids) township, where his parents, John and Louisa Bortle, were among the early settlers. The father was born August 8, 1816, and died December 13, 1856. The mother, Louisa (Arnold) Bortle, was born November 12, 1827, and now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Addie Hodge, at Kenton, Ohio. George W. Bortle was educated in the district schools in the neighborhood, and assisted his father on the farm during boyhood. His first independent work was done on the Wabash and Erie canal, on which he was employed for several years. Later he engaged in farming, and in 1876 he moved upon the farm of eighty-eight acres which belonged to his widowed mother, one-half of which his mother gave to him, and the other half she gave to her daughter, Addie. On this our subject planted a good orchard,' erected a fine barn and made many other improvements. On December 31, 1874, Mr. Bortle was married to Miss Annie E. Gillmore, who was born November 25, 1848, a daughter of George and Mary A. Gillmore, who were well known pioneer residents of Weston township. One child, John H., born April 16, 1876, blessed this happy union, and who is now the manager of the homestead, and his widowed mother's pride and solace. He attended the district schools of Grand Rapids township in youth, and although only eight years old at the time of his father's death, he early learned to lighten his mother's cares and responsibilities, and was a great comfort to her the few years she remained with him. George W. Bortle was a man who held the respect and esteem of all who knew him; honest, industrious and progressive, his death, which occurred December 29, 1885, cut short a life of quiet usefulness, which could be illy spared. Mrs. Bortle, a lady of rare executive ability and business judgment, continued the work of the estate left to her, and through her good management she purchased the half of the former eightyeight acres from her sister-in-law, Mrs. Addie Hodge, and on which she built a comfortable residence and added many other improvements. Having poor health for the past two years, Mrs. Bortle died February 19, 1896, leaving John H. Bortle, the only heir, in full possession of the beautiful home. On October 1, 1896, John H. Bortle was married to Maude McClure, whose birth occurred August 17, 1879. DAVID W. KEYS, one of the progressive young agriculturists of Grand Rapids township, is a native of Wood county, born January 19, 1858. His father, the late George Keys, a highly respected citizen of the same township, was born in the State of Delaware, February 27, 1812. He came from that State to Fairfield county, Ohio, where, in 1850, he was married to Miss Sarah Deal, who was born in Rockingham county, Va., August 24, 1817. They were engaged in farming while they remained in Fairfield, and in RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE