BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 475 a full course of theology and philosophy, and where he was raised to the priesthood by Bishop Gilmore, of the Cleveland diocese, December 19, 1889. He was assigned and took charge as pastor of the parish at Kirby January 1, 1890, with instructions to build a church edifice. The zeal and energy he threw into the task can be better realized when the conditions under which he labored are fully understood. The population was less than four hundred souls, but a large proportion were either churchmen or had been reared and educated under the wholesome influence of parents devoted to the Catholic church faith. In April of the year of his advent the work was begun and the corner-stone was laid in June of the same year (1890). The work of construction was completed in the following year, and its dedication took place November 22, 1891, under the grand and impressive ceremonies of the church. The cost of construction was nearly twenty thousand dollars. The interior decorations are of Roman design in fresco, the statuary being specially fine, all under the hands of skillful Italian artists. The work thus accomplished by Father Hultgen will ever stand as a memorial to his unremitting toil and labor, and is a most creditable addition to the town of Kirby. The membership of the parish now numbers about eighty-five families, grown from but twelve families in 1861, most of whom were originally from the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. When Father Hultgen first came to Kirby the parish had grown to sixty families, and since his incumbency has increased, as above stated, to eighty-five, representing four different nationalities. This condition necessitates a large amount of work on the part of Father. Hultgen ; in the confessional three different languages are spoken to meet the requirements of communicants and the public services are conducted in German and English. He also conducts a parochial school with a membership of fifty-five scholars, which is rapidly growing in numbers and meets with all-deserved favor. H. C. CROSS. It will always be a badge of honor in this country to have it known that a person father, or even his uncle, enlisted in the service of the country when the great Rebellion broke out, to assist in saving the Union and to eradicate slavery from our soil. Just as to this day we boast that our grandfather or great-grandfather fought in the Revolution to gain independence, or fought in the war of 1812 to protect our rights on the ocean, so the descendants of the gallant soldiers who fought during the Rebellion to save the Union will boast through the coming centuries of 'the bravery and self-sacrifice of their fathers or other relatives. And this is as it should be. Slavery was wrong, and although the war was for the salvation of the Union, it was made the medium at a later stage to free the slaves and thus wipe from our flag the last vestige of reproach. It is a pleasure to write of the subject of this sketch, who was one of the "boys in blue" that went forth to die/on the field or in the no less dreadful fever camp, if need be for the salvation of the country. He was born in Seneca county, Ohio, May 7, 1842, and is the son of John L. and Eliza (Boroff) Cross, both of whom were natives of Berkeley county, V. Both of the par- 476 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS ents grew up in that state. They received the usual education of that day and were taught to know what hard work meant. Upon reaching maturity they met and fell in love, and were married after coming to this state. When John L. was about sixteen years old, or in 1828, his parents came to this state and located in Seneca county, where John, the father of John L., entered a tract of land and engaged in clearing and farming. They were among the first settlers in their neighborhood and settled in the deep woods on land upon which very little had been cleared. Here John L. grew up from the age of sixteen years. He received his education in the old subscription schools, where each parent agreed to give so much for each of his children for the term. Very little education was bestowed then at any other time than during the winter and the scholar who was thus specially paid for by his parents was expected to do his best and learn all he could in return for the money thus paid out for his benefit. The result was that great advances were made during the four months of winter school in the leading branches, such as "readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic." It was considered by many parents that grammar was a waste of time and money. In such schools John L. was educated. Upon the farm in Seneca county John L. lived the rest of his life, dying well-advanced in years, and leaving to his descendants the heritage of a good name and the example of an upright and honorable life. He passed away on July 24, 1900, hisgoodd wife having preceded him in 1895. He was a man of sound judgment and served his township as trustee and in other positions of trust and responsibility. To him and wife were born•these children: May E., who became the wife of Alonzo Wolpert and now lives on the old place in Seneca county ; subject; Eli; Franklin, who died at the age of five years; Lewis, who died at the age of twenty-two years ; Newton, who is now farming in Seneca county; Eliza J., who died young. The subject lived with his parents until the age of twenty-six years, excepting the time spent in the army. On the 9th of August, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company H, 'One Hundred and First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Army of the Tennessee, and after a time spent in the camp of instruction was sent to the field with his regiment. He was in all the important movements of his regiment, among which were several battles, Perryville, Stone River and Chickamauga, skirmishes, campaigns and marches. One of his comrades was killed at his side at Stone River. After an honorable career lie was mustered out July I, 1865, and came marching home with his gallant companions. His war record is part of the history of his country, and should be, and is, the pride of his descendants. Succeeding the war he rented land for a few years and then went to Caldwell county, Mo., where he bought a farm and remained four and a half years. He then sold out and returned to this county and located in Eden township on his present place, which was first settled by Benjamin Cross in 1848. He bought eighty acres and has cleared nearly all of it him, self. He has resided on the place since 1873. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising. On December 31, 1867, he wedded Miss Mary R., daughter of Byron and Nancy (Mathes) Geary, of Richland county, her parents being old settlers there, but who came to this county in 1876 and located in BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 477 Eden township, where they passed the remainder of their days. To the subject and were born these children : Charles L., who married Miss Lizzie Murbach, lives in Williams county, Ohio, on a farm, and has one child, Eunice Been ; Maude, who became the wife of Charles Barnet, has one child, Stanley, and is living in Eden township.; Myrtle, who married William Kuenzli, has three children, Helen L., Gilbert C. and Harold, and resides in Eden township ; and Floyd Henry, at home with his father. Mr. Cross is one of the reputable citizens of the county, is a member of the Christian Catholic church, is a Republican and stands high in the community. To his great sorrow his wife died on the 3oth of June, 1891, a member of the United Brethren church. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. WILLIAM EAKIN. The pioneers of the state of old Ohio are the personages who have made this state to bloom and blossom like the rose, and who have blazed. the way to civilization. The old Buckeye state is one of the most prosperous states of the Union and next to the Old Dominion state, Virginia, is the "Mother of Presidents." Mr. Eakin came to the state of Ohio when it was in its primitive virginity and when it was almost an unbroken wilderness. Mr. Eakin was born in Seneca county, Ohio, June 14, 1828, and he is the second of thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, born to James and Susan (Anderson) Eakin. There are eight living at present : Mr. Eakin is the oldest living; Ellen, wid ow of Abraham Price, is a resident of Melmore, Ohio ; Susan, wife of Upton Lindsey, is a resident of Seneca county; Samuel, a resident farmer of the old homestead, Seneca county, Ohio; John, a resident of the same locality ; Joseph, a resident of Tymochtee township, Mexico postoffice, is an agriculturist and married; Perry, who resides near Tiffin, Ohio, is a farmer and is married; Tabitha, the youngest child, is the wife of Christopher Trott, an agriculturist of McCutchenville, Seneca county, Ohio. Father Eakin was born in Washington county, Va., about 1792, seven years before Gen. Washington died, and passed away in 1876. He was an agriculturist, helped develop the early farms from the forest, and had only a limited education peculiar to the pioneer days. He remained at his Virginia home till his majority and then concluded to come to the far west and try to lay the foundation of his future fortune. So he left on horseback and came through Kentucky on to Illinois, which was at that time a boundless prairie, and finally came to Delaware, Ohio, and went to clearing the heavy timber as a laborer, there earning the money to begin life, we may say, at the bottom of the ladder of life. He was there about eight years and then came to Seneca county, Ohio, and purchased four hundred acres of heavily timbered land, called Ft. Ball. The Mohawk and Wyandot IndianS were plentiful and there were not many to protect the settlers from the savages. His first home in this vicinity was a crude log cabin home and here he began in true pioneer style to cut the forest trees and make what is now the beautiful county of Seneca. He purchased this land from the government and under the administration of Andrew Jackson. He was 478 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. a soldier in the war of 1812. He wedded in Seneca county, Ohio, Miss Susan Anderson, who was born near Circleville, Ohio. He had erected a little log cabin and kept "bachelor's hall" for eighteen months preceding his marriage. He was a successful man in life. He had purchased at first four hundred acres, and afterward purchased three hundred and forty-five more close to McCutchenville, a total of seven hundred and forty-five acres, and about I85o he purchased two hundred and eighty acres in Eden township, Wyandot county, all virgin land. Politically he was a Jackson Democrat and was a gentleman of strict integrity of character and good judgment, and when he made up his mind on any subject was hard to shake from his views. He was one of the pioneers of the state and used the ox team and hauled his grain many miles to the mills for their grist. Tiffin, the beautiful and enterprising city, was not even laid opt. Ft. Ball, which was on his estate, is now Tiffin. He was a gentleman who believed in the Golden Rule. He died as he lived, a good man and respected by all. Mrs. Eakin was a native of Ohio, born near Circleville, and was a woman of sterling character, a valuable aid to her husband in the establishment of their home and the rearing of their family. She was a woman who believed as her husband; and no particular church society claimed her as a member. Mr. Eakin, of this sketch, is classed as a true pioneer of Wyandot county. He has almost reached the three-quarter of a century line. His life has been full of hard, honest toil, and he has lived the life of a true man, whose heritage, which he hands down to his children? will be that of strict temperate principles. He is a man who has seen the county of Wyandot when it was one of the early unsettled parts of Ohio. His education, like many of the pioneers, has been limited. In his early life he attended the log cabin school house. The size was twenty-four feet square, covered. with clapboard roof and heated with the old fashioned stove. The seats were of slabs and the desk was a broad board resting on wooden pins driven into the wall for support. The pupils wrote with the goose quill pen, and the textbooks were the old elementary spelling book and the New Testament. He started with his sister to go through the woods to this school, he being barefooted, without hat or cap, and using a lindsey-woolsey dress like a little girl, which was quite characteristic of the pioneer children. He remained with his parents till his majority and gave them his time and money. He began in the woods with eighty acres of land, a horse and good advice, and with his willing hands he began his life work. About October, 1850, he came to Wyandot county and erected his house on the site where he now lives. Mr. Eakin wedded Miss Sarah Jane La Follette, October 26, 1858, in Texas township, Crawford county, Ohio, and three children have been born to this union, one son, and two daughters, Frances V. and George P., twins, and Sarah Jane. Frances is the wife of William N. Landon, living on the old homestead. Mrs. Landon was reared and educated in Eden township. There were four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Landon, and only one is living, Edythe M., now the wife of William Beard, and they have one little daughter, Hazel Marie. Mr. Landon is a native of Marion county, Ohio, BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 479 and was born June 22, 1858. He was educated in the common schools and is an agriculturist and a Democrat in politics. Mrs. Landon is a member of the Church of God. Sarah Jane, who received, a common school education, became the wife of Charles Garver, of Eden township, and they have two children, one a son, George M., now in school. Mr. Garver is an agriculturist and a native of Wyandot county. Mrs. Eakin was born in Hampshire county, Va., July 7, 1832, and died April 10, 1880. She Was reared in Virginia till her womanhood, receiving her education in the common schools only, and was a devout member of the United Brethren church. She was a kind and affectionate wife and a mother who dearly lewd her home, her husband and her children. Her place in the home circle was hard to fill. She traced her lineage to the French and was one of those kind pioneer workers who ever welcomed the stranger and friend alike into her hospitable home. Her remains are interred in Benton cemetery; Crawford county, and a beautiful stone marks her last resting place. Mr. Eakin has been successful in his life and has accumulated three hundred and seventy acres of land. His life has been a good one and he has always been a kind, benevolent man, and the poor and needy never go empty handed from his hospitable door. He resides with his daughters, Mrs. William Landon and Mrs. Charles Garver, and is passing his declining years in peace and contentment. Politically he is a. Democrat and the first presidential vote he cast was for James K. Polk. He votes in local affairs for the man best fitted. for the position regardless of party lines. Mr: Eakin is now almost three-quarters of a century old, and the sun of his life is fast setting- behind the western horizon. He has spent half a century of his life amongst the citizens of Eden township and it is with pleasure that the biographer presents the full record of this worthy old gentleman, whose review will be cherished and held sacred by his daughters and her Children in the years to come when the father has passed to his reward. MORRIS ELMER PALMER. Many families throughout the United States during the last forty years have gone to much trouble and expense to collect their records back to the first settlement of their ancestor emigrant, thus laying the foundation of a permanent family tree in this country for the benefit and pleasure of all descendants. There can be no doubt of the great importance of this step. One of these days, in the entailment of estates, such a record will be invaluable to descendants. It will be found that those who do not have such .a record will not be able to prove their right to inherit valuable property. The saving of such a record is simply a matter of self-preservation for the descendants. The Palmer family, represented by the subject of this sketch, has preserved a fair record, but not good though to make the chain absolutely certain in case of a suit over an estate. This sketch will, to some extent, improve this chain. In a legendary way the history of the Palmer family dates back to the crusades of the twelfth century when, under Richard III, many of England's knights came drift- 480 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. ing back to their native land, most of them broken in spirit and poor in purse. For subsistence on the way many had to rely upon begging and because of this fact were called "palmers", or "beggers." The former appellation some of them retained as their proper, name, and thus arose the Palmer family. The first authentic history relation to this family is dated in 1740, at which time (I) John Egerton Palmer was born on a farm in Kent county, England. There is little doubt that he was descended from one of the Palmers (“palmers") mentioned above, several of whom certainly settled in that county at an early date. On January 20, 1763, John Egerton Palmer was married to Martha Sandwell, who died in July, 1779. To them Were born seven children, viz. : John Egerton, 2d, born November 18, 1763, died 1767; Stephen, born April 12, 1765, died in Jamaica, West Indies; Jethro, born January 15, 1767, died October 7, 1767 ; (II) John Egerton, 3d, born September 18, 1768, died June 27, 1801; Martha, born in 1770, died in infancy; Mary, born in 1773, died in 1855, unmarried; Thomas, born in 1775, died in 1777. (I) John Egerton Palmer was by occupation a farmer and died February 27, 1827, at Mar. gate, Kent county, England. (II) John Egerton Palmer, 3d, went to London in early manhood and there engaged in handling naval stores. His transactions were profitable and in a few years he had amassed a considerable fortune. In 1792 he married Mary Sharp, a daughter of Thomas and Hannah Sharp, of Lincolnshire, England, and to this union were born four sons, viz. : John Egerton, 4th, born July 5, 1793, died July 25, 1877; Stephen Sandwell, born in 1795, died in December, 1817;, (III) Charles Sharp, born October 8, 1796, died January 3o, 1878; William Pitt, born May 19, 1799, died October 16, 1887. (II) John Egertonn Palmer, 3d, died in London June 27, 1801, and his wife, Mary, in November, 1803. Thomas Sharp, father of Mary, died in Caister, Lincolnshire, England, March 16, 1821, aged sixty-seven years. (III) Charles Sharp Palmer was born in London, England, but upon the death of his parents he was, together with his brothers, sent to live with his grandfather, Thomas .Sharp, in Lincolnshire and was there reared and educated. In August, 1819, he in company with a brother, John E., emigrated to America, being seven weeks on their voyage from London to Philadelphia, and coming to Ohio, at once settled upon a farm near Mansfield. During the voyage to America the Palmer brothers had formed the acquaintance of two sisters, Anna and Elizabeth Ward, daughters of Joseph Ward. This acquaintance ripened into a warmer affection and on February 10, 1821, Charles S. Palmer and Anna Ward were united marriage. The later was a native of Repton, Derbyshire, England. On this Ohio farm Charles S. Palmer lived nearly sixty years and there reared a family of thirteen children, sending them into the world to become honorable and honored citizens. Before the Civil war he was a strong Abolitionist, and his farm was a station on the famous "underground railroad." It is related that once at threshing time his son, John and a cousin, James Robinson. (afterward general and secetary of state of Ohio), were playing in the barn and jumped from a beam into a back hay mow, landing, to their consterna- BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 481 tion and fright, in the midst of about twenty refugee negroes. The boys were scared, but prudently held their tongues and not even the threshers knew there were others besides themselves in that barn. The children referred to above were as follows Charles S., born December 18, 1821; Francis R., born April 25, 1823, died March 24, 1902, in the state of Washington and was a large fruit grower; Mary, born February 26, 1825; (IV) John Edgerton, born April 23, 1827, died January 10, 1893; Elizabeth Ward, born March 10, 1829, died April 12, 1891 ; Fannie, born January 25, 1831; Martha, born March 25, 1833, died in March, 1901. Amanda, born April 15, 1835; Phoebe Jane, born January i9, 1837; William died young; Henry, born March 18, 1838; Goodsell Henry, born August. 14, 1839; Joseph Ward, born July 24, 1841; Anna Ward, born January 8, 1844, twelve of whom grew to maturity. (IV) John Edgerton Palmer had only the ordinary advantages and made the most of his opportunities. He chose the occupation of farming and pursued the same during hiS life: In his community he stood high for industry and honesty. He cleared up his eighty acres in Antrim township and lived there until December, 1893, when he went to live with his son, M. E. Palmer, and died January 1o, 1895, aged sixty-seven years, eight months and seventeen days. To him and wife, Susan. (Bachtell), were born three children : Olive L., who now lives. with her mother in Nevada; Clinton. R. (see his sketch) ; (V) Morris Elmer, subject. (V) Morris E. Palmer remained with his father until his marriage; on October 23, 1890, to Miss Sophia Wyss, of this county. She was the daughter of Christian and Rosena (Luthy) Wyss, and was born in Crane township, Wyandot county, Ohio, March 6, 1870. This union was blessed with two children, as follows : Harry Wayne, born September 7, 1892, and Elsie. Mae, born July 6, 1900. After his marriage Mr. Palmer engaged in farming in Crane township, later buying his present place of eighty-seven acres, lying partly in Crane township and partly in Antrim township. He is a Republican, an able farmer and a leading citizen. A brief record of the recent ancestry of Mrs. Sophia Palmer is as follows : Her paternal great-grandfather, Jacob Wyss, was born December 25, 1789, and died January 7, 1863. His wife was in her maidenhood Fanny Stauffer, born October 23, 1790, died December 22, 1863. Mrs. Palmer's paternal grandfather, also named Jacob Wyss, was born September 13, 1826, in Canton Berne, Switzerland. In 1846 he was married to Katherine Faukhauser, of the same canton, and to their union were born three children : Christian, born February 15, 1849.; Jacob, May 8, 1850; and Katherene, September 15, 1851. Katherene Wyss was a daughter of Samuel Faukhauser, who was born in 1780 and died in 1852 in Berne, Switzerland. She died in August, 1867, and in the following spring Jacob Wyss emigrated to the United States, settling in Wyandot county, Ohio. In April, 1872, he was married to Mary Burkey, who was born in 1829 and who died October 31, 1893. He is still living in Antrim township. Christian Wyss, father of Mrs. Palmer, was born February 15, 1849, in Canton Berne, Switzerland, and .April 22, 1868, married Rosena Luthy and also the same year emigrated to America. The following children were born to them : BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 482 A daughter who died in infancy; Sophia; Mary; Caroline; Emma; Minnie; Maggie; Ida ; Hassen: Of these, Caroline, Mary and Emma are deceased. The last named was married November 3, 1895, and died October 20, 1899, leaving one child, Juanita, born April 28; 1899. Rosena (Luthy) Wyss was a daughter of Christian and Magdalene (Coppersmith) Luthy, and was born in Canton Berne, Switzerland, January 12, 1844. Christian Luthy was the son of John Luthy and was born in 1819 and died in 1872. In August, 1835, at the age of sixteen years, he was married and became the father of the following children : John, Anna, Elizabeth,, Rosena, Christian and Mattie. His first wife dying in 1848, he subsequently married Katherine Kuenzi and by her had four Children : Mary, Anna, Fanny and Elizabeth. A brief genealogical record of the Bachtell family, to which the mother of our subject belonged, is as follows : Her paternal grandfather was Martin Bachtell, who married Katherene Smith (born, 1771, died June, 1846). Their son, Joseph Bachtell, was born September 14, 1805, in Frederick county; Md., and died August 30, 1883, in Nevada, Wyandot county. He was married November 5, 1829; in Stark county, Ohio, to Ann Matilda Moore. She was born January 4, 1811, in Frederick county, Md., and died February 9, 1872, in Wyandot county, Ohio. She was the daughter of William and Mary, (Gilbert) Moore and the granddaughter of Michael Gilbert. The children born to Joseph and Ann M. (Moore) Bachtell, together with the dates of their births, are as follows : Susan, August 29, 1830; Samuel, April 17, 1833; Uriah, August 3, 1837; Henry, September 5, 1835, died in infancy; Mary, March 23, 184o, deceased; Ellen, August 27, 1842, deceased; Adah, May 11, 1844, and Emmet E., April 6, 1849. The eldest daughter, Susan, the ,mother of the subject proper of this sketch, was born August 29, 1830, in Stark county, Ohio, and was married to John E. Palmer September 12, 1852. She is still residing in Nevada. THOMAS STAYNER. The great rush of settlers occurred in Ohio as soon as it was admitted to statehood and continued so long as. there was any good land to be bought cheaply from the government. It thus transpired that Many old soldiers of, the Continental army found homes. in the dense forests of the state and left many descendants to inherit their lands and ;their renown. Even after the state had become quite well settled the old soldiers continued to arrive and establish their home. The Western Reserve and other large tracts were set aside for their benefit. The grandfather of the subject of this notice was one of Washington's old soldiers. His name was William Stayner and he entered the army of General Washington at the commencement of the Revolution and remained with it until peace was declared and a new country was placed upon the map of the western world. He was with Washington's army when the British invaded Philadelphia, and at the time was inspector of wharves. He served as a private and participated in all the harassing campaigns of that memorable war so far as.'his regiment was engaged. His brother, Roger, also served in the Revolution and BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 483 rose to the rank of colonel of Continental forces: He was in many important movements and battles of the war, among which was the battle of Brandywine, where Washington's army received the worst of the conflict. William died in Marion county, this state, whither he had come with his son, William, Jr., father of our subject, at the age of eighty-five years. William, Jr., was born in 1799 in Mifflin county, Penn., grew up there, and in 1814 came to Pickaway county, Ohio, where he remained until 1824 engaged in farming. At that date he came to Marion county and settled near Scotstown, where he entered from the government a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. The land was raw and wild and was covered with a heavy growth of timber. He erected a large log cabin, with clapboard roof and puncheon floor, and the entire house was erected and completed without the use of a nail. Here he began his task of clearing the land and cultivating the soil, and here he remained until the date of his death. He built up a large property and left at his death, as his father had done before him, the heritage of an untarnished name to his descendants. William, Jr., died in 1867. Subject was in his third year when he was brought to Marion county by his parents. He is one of three children born to his parents : Maria, the widow of Jacob Ream, subject, and Susan, who married David Bower (see sketch elsewhere). Subject grew to maturity in Salt Rock township, Marion county, and remained with his father until twenty-seven years old. He then married Miss Mary Kent, by whom he had eight children, as follows: Emma, the wife of Samuel Lutz ; Ella ; Eva, the wife of Thomas Young, lives in Iowa; Clara, the wife of William A. Fox, of Mifflin township; Edith, at home; and Maria Jane; Ann Eliza and William A., all deceased. After his marriage Thomas Stayner rented land and farmed the same for one year. He then returned to the old place and lived there until 1853, when he came to the farm where he now resides. He bought here at first two hundred and fourteen acres and moved his family into a log cabin 16x16 feet, but the following year built his present house. A small portion of the land was cleared, but the bulk Was deep forests, which in after years, with 'the assistance of his children, he cleared and put under the plow and harrow. At the present time he owns three hundred acres and, carries on farming and, stock raising. He makes a specialty of Durham cattle, and has a herd of twenty-five, all of which are registered. He is one of the oldest residents and one of the most successful stock raisers of this part of the state. He is a Democrat and a member of the Christian anirch. No citizen of the county stands higher in public opinion than does Mr. Stayner. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Stayner have had the benefit of good educations. Ann Eliza was a Latin scholar, being a student at Oberlin and also, at the Ada Normal and was a successful teacher in Wyandot county. The other daughters., Emma, Ella, Clara and Edith, were all teachers and it may be truthfully said that Mr. and Mrs. Stayner's children were a family of teachers. Mrs. Stayner was born in Marion county, Ohio, July 17, 1828, and was a daughter of Arod and Marcissa (Whitcomb) Kent. Her father was, a native of New Hampshire and was reared as an agriculturist. He entered one hundred and sixty acres of land 484 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. in Marion county. There were two brothers of the Kents, Arad and Stephen, who came from New Hampshire to Ohio and they married sisters: Mrs, Stayner was educated in the common and select schools and was a teacher a number of years previous, to her marriage. She is the only survivor of the Kent family. For over a half century have she and husband traveled the journey' of life, sharing alike its joys and sorrows, and she has, nobly performed her part in the rearing of an honorable and worthy family. Mr. and Mrs. Stayner have in their possession one of the, oldest sheepskin deeds in Wyandot county. It was executed September 16, 1834, and is signed by President Andrew Jackson. This is a valuable relic in the Stayner household. They have one of the most beautiful country residences, and an, estate second to none in Mifflin township. The neat and tasty appearance of the farm indicates the thrifty and careful agriculturist. S. S. BARRETT, A. M., M. D. Anyone who has in any manner become acquainted with the village of Nevada, Ohio, has known Dr. Barrett, whose reputation as a skilled physician has extended far beyond the limits .of Wyandot county. He was born October 22, 1862, in Sciotoville, Scioto county, this state, and is a son of Henry and Jane (Forney) Barrett. The paternal grandparents, Henry and Elizabeth Barrett, were originally from the state of New Hampshire, whence they moved to Ohio; locating in Scioto county, where the father of our subject was born. They were tillers of the soil and carried on farming until their death, the father dying in 1872. He was the father of six children, namely: One who died in infancy; George G., who resides on and cultivates the homestead; Sam S., whose biography we here present; John, a farmer residing near the old farm; and the twins, Vernon R. and Van F., the former a business man at Portstnouth, Ohio, and the latter a rising young. physician of Lake View, Ohio. The father and mother were consistent members of the Baptist church and people whom all respected. The mother is living and makes her home on the homestead. Left a widow with a family of small children. to care for, she bravely accompliAled the task and reared them in a manner suitable to their station, educating and training them for a useful manhood. After leaving the common school, Sam S. Barrett entered the Rio Grande College at Rio Grande, near Gallipolis, Gallia county, Ohio, remaining there six years, when he entered the ranks of pedagogy and taught, in the Salem (Missouri) schools three years, as superintendent of the schools. He was one year at Arkadelphia, Ark., where he was employed as professor of English and the sciences' in the state Baptist college. He then took up. his studies in the Western Reserve Medical College, at Cleveland., graduating in 1895, after three years hard study. He completed, his studies by a post-graduate course in New York city on the treatment of diseases of the eye and ear, and at once located in Nevada, where he opened an office, bought out the business of Dr. Cole, took his practice and has, been constantly adding to it ever since. He is eminently successful and has built up, a practice which is extended and lucrative. In addition to the work he has in Wyandot county, he PAGES 485 AND 486 MISSING FROM THE BOOK BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 487 ject of this sketch. About 1853 the mother died and Mr. Justus married for his second wife Priscilla Moody. There were no children born to the second marriage. The removal from Marion county to Wyandot county occurred in 1849, Mr. Justus settling in Marseilles township, where for two years he rented land, thereafter removing to Pitt township, where he purchased eighty acres of land. About 1854 he came to Mifflin township and bought one hundred and sixty acres, where Samuel McClain now resides. He erected a hewed-log house on this tract and began clearing off the heavy timber. About 1864 he moved to Pitt township and bought two hundred and forty acres—the old David Miller hothestead—and lived there for five years. He then sold. the Place and moved to Mifflin township, where he purchased two hundred and thirty-two acres, where his son, Henry, now lives. He resided on this place until 1877; when he moved to Upper Sandusky. There he lived until 1896 when he went to reside with his son, Oscar F., continuing there until his death, February 13, 1899. His life was filled with .stirring events connected- with farming and with the growth and development of the community in which he was at all times a useful and respectable member. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and, was honored by election to the position, of trustee of both Pitt and Mifflin townships. During his lifetime he managed to accumulate a large and valuable property, in all five hundred and twenty-three acres, much of which he himself assisted in clearing from the primeval forests and in improving and rendering tillable and habitable. From the beginning, as a poor boy, without any means he worked his way onward, adding little by little to his wordly store and to his reputation as a broad-minded and generous citizen. Oscar F. Justus; at the age of twenty-one years, began for himself by working for his father by the year. In 1872 he worked for another party, and the following year began farming on his own account in Mifflin township. In 1886 he moved to the farm Where he now resides, on section 23, which consists of one hundred and sixty acres. Besides this, he owns two other tracts of thirty-two and fifty-one acres, respectively, making him the owner of an aggregate of two hundred and forty-three acres. He carries on general farming and stock raising, at both of which he has shown more than ordinary fitness and aptitude. He has made all the improvements on his present farm. In politics he is a Democrat and served two years as constable. His education was ,obtained in the common schools. On January 18, 1872, he was married to Miss Mary Swartz, who has presented him with five children, named as follows : Homer, .John, OliVe, Ira. and Ethel. Homer wedded Nettie Thatcher, of Mifflin township, and they have three children, Avery, Donna and Ruth. John married' Minnie M. Fulmer, of Mifflin township, and three children have blessed- the union, Clarence, Mary and John. Mrs. Justus was born in Mifflin township, Wyandot county, October 10, 1854, a daughter of Jacob A. and Nancy J. (Adams), Swartz, who were the parents of three children, all living. Mrs. Justus. was educated in the common schools and all the years of her married life has proven: a faithful and loVing helpmeet to her husband, nobly aiding him in the establishment of their bautiftil 488 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. home. In 1899 they erected the cozy and comfortable home in which they now reside, to which all ever receive a cordial welcome. They have given their children good educations. Ira attended the normal institute at Ada, Ohio, while Olive has taken thorough musical instruction and was, at thirteen years of age, organist of the Methodist Episcopal church. ISAAC CORFMAN. This prosperous farmer, residing in Eden township, is a native of this county, having been born in Tymochtee township June 4, 1838. His parents, Joseph and Susanna (Coughnower) Corfman, were respectively born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and in Virginia, and were married in Fairfield county. Subsequently they came to Wyandot county and purchased eighty acres of wild land deep in the forest of Tymochtee township, to which they afterward added until they became owners of one hundred and eighty acres, the greater part of which the father succeeded in clearing and improving and in transforming into as fine a farm as Tymochtee township could boast of in that early day. Here Joseph Corfman, the father, passed away at fifty-four years of age, while his wife's longevity approached nearly eighty. They were members of the Albright congregation, whose house of worship they had liberally assisted financially in erecting and whose doctrines they had unwav- eringly adhered to during their membership. They were greatly respected as pioneer farming people and as citizens, as well as being the parents of ten children, who were. born in the following order: Mary Ann, deceased; Levi, now a resident of Tiffin, Ohio; Samuel, who died young; Abraham, deceased;, Sophia, ; Magdelina, :deceased; Jeremiah,. deceased; Isaac, subject of this sketch; a resident of Carey, this county ; and Lydia, still "in Tymochtee township. Isaac Corfman, whose name opens this brief biographical notice, diligently and filially assisted. his father on the home place until he had attained the age of twenty-two years, and then worked out for two years on his own account. May 17, 1862, Mr. Corfman married. Miss Susanna. Bope, a native of Fairfield county; Ohio, and it may here be interpolated with propriety that to this union have been born nine children, viz.: Alvin, a fruit grower in Colorado; Aaron, who is married to Ola Walton, of Eden township, this county.; Martin; Lovell, who is married to Nora Wilcox ; Byron, who is the husband of Mary Orwiler; Laura, the wife of Charles Spangler, of Eden township; Amanda Ella, deceased ; Frank, of Eden township, married Maggie Cron ; Lyman and Elsie, at home. For three years after his marriage Isaac Corfman lived on a farm he had purchased in Hancock county, Ohio, and then came back to Wyandot county and located in Crane township •on a farm of forty acres, which he had purchased and which. was his home for ten years. He then disposed of this farm by sale and came to Eden township, where he now owns three hundred and fifty acres, of which about three hundred acres are under cultivation, but which farm is now rented to his son, Ola. In politics Mr. Corfman is a Democrat and for two terms served his party and fel- BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 489 low citizens as township trustee. He discharged the duties of this office discreetly nd satisfactorily to the people, as was shown by his being re-elected to the office. He and his family attend the Evangelical church, in the work of which he takes an active part and to the support of which he is a liberal contributor. He is recognized in the township as a public-spirited citizen, ady at all times to assist in promoting public improvements and as an advocate of good roads and good schools, being as willing, when necessary, to advance from his means his share of the expense. He has. always led an industrious and upright life, but is now able to live in comparative retirement and in the respect of the residents of Eden and adjoining townships, by nearly all of whom he is well known. CHRISTIAN FOUCHT, DECEASED. It is natural, and therefore proper, that the descendants of the old settlers those who cleared the land of its primitive woods, should see that the performances of the early years are fittingly recorded , and remembered. It has been said by one of the greatest historians that those 'who take no interest in deeds of their ancestors are not likely to do anything worthy to be remembered by remote descendants. Could the lives of the early settlers be fully and suitably written, what an interesting and wonderful tale it would be. Think of the journey from the east to 'the deep woods, of the West, and of the trials and hardships' of clearing the soil and rearing the family. And think of the pioneer gatherings and the shooting matches, the early schools and churches under the branches of trees, of the camp meetings and the famous old circuit riders. Think of the husking matches, the coon, wolf, fox and bear hunts with dogs, and then presume to say that the old settlers did not h.ave much real pleasure intermingled with the hardships.. If you will talk with an old settler now he will tell you with a great deal of emphasis that the old times were far more enjoyable than the present. He means it. And he ought to know better than you,, because he was present at both periods. and you were not. Such was the life and such the pioneer named at the head of this humble notice. Christian Foucht was born February 20, 1814, near New Berlin, Union county, Penn., and was the son of Jacob and Eva Foucht. About the year 1817 the family removed to Perry county, Ohio, and there the youth of young Christian was. passed. He received the usual education at the pioneer schools and assisted his father on the farm, and upon reaching manhood married Miss Elizabeth Weimer and moved to Jackson county, Ohio. His marriage occurred October 5, 1837. In 1853 he came with his family to Pitt township, Wyandot county. At that time his family consisted of ten children, one other having died. Later four more were born to these lucky parents, thus blessing them. with one of the largest families in the state—fifteen children. Of these children, thirteen grew to maturity, as follows : Jacob W., of Dayton, Ohio, and formerly a merchant of Upper Sandusky; Matilda, wife of Solomon Kotterman (see sketch of Mr. Kotterman) ; Malinda; wife of S. K. Zartman, of Dayton, Ohio; Eli, a farmer of Shobonier, Catherine, widow 490 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS of W. C. King, of Topeka, Kan.; John H., who lives in Topeka, Kan., is a hardware merchant and has represented his county in the legislature of that state; Elizabeth, wife of Julius Von Blon; Lydia, deceased wife of Orville Case;: Leah, wife of Rev. S. P. Mauger, Stone Church, Penn.; Ezra, deceased, who was a shoe merchant of Chicago, Ill.; Samuel B., deceased; Isaac, a dry goods merchant of Findlay, Ohio; Alvena B., wife of A. L. McClain; the others died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. McClain, just mentioned, now reside at the old homestead near her mother. They were married in Pitt township November 1, 1883, and five children, three sons and two daughters, were born to them, as follows : Earl F., Franklin E., Blanche Marguerite, Thomas Weimer and Elizabeth Catharine. Mrs. McClain received her education in the common schools and also took a course in a higher institution of learning. In her family there were six teachers. Of the members of the Foucht family seven daughters and one son were married by the same minister. Mr. and Mrs. McClain have in their possession an old parchment deed, under date of November 5, 1846, and bearing the signature of James. K. Polk, then. President. This deed is for eighty acres of land and is a sacred relic in the family. His first wife having died, he married again, April 11, 1882. He chose for his second wife Mrs. Margaret Bugh, widow of Peter Bugh and daughter of Alexander Zartman. When he first came to the township he bought d One. hundred an sixty acres on section 16, of which thirty acres were cleared, or partly so. During the first winter, he lived in the one room of his log cabin with his wife and ten children. Think of it, ye growlers of the present day. In later years as, one by one, his children left him, he assisted all of them in getting a start in life. His business was general farming and stock raising. Mr. Foucht was, during his long life, one of the most prominent men in this part of the county. At the age of seventeen years he joined the Reformed church and was an active worker in the church and the Sabbath school down to the time of his death. His example. of good conduct and wise living may well be imitated. The name Foucht as it is now spelled is in the original German text, spelled "Vogt." JAMES M. C. NORRIS, DECEASED. Among the early settlers of this county who became well -known for their many good qualities. was the subject of this memoir, James M., C. Norris. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, August 14, 1814, and there grew to man's estate, obtaining in his youth the usual education afforded by the common school's of the times. He possessed a mind of unusual strength and qualities that would have placed him: high in any position to which he might have aspired. During his boyhood and early manhood he learned all the routine of farm. management and showed marked aptitude in the various branches of husbandry. After reaching his majority he began for himself, and soon afterward removed to Pickaway county and continued there working at farming until he came to Wyandot county, soon afterward hiring out to Thomas Reber by the month. After continuing this for some time he purchased one hundred arid sixty acres of land BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 491 in Mifflin township, and here resided until his death, February 13, 1882. The farm was an unbroken tract of heavy timber when he located on it in 1854, save small portions which had been previously cleared and put under cultivation. Upon his arrival here he erected a log cabin, in which to live, and immediately began the long and tedious task of clearing the 'soil and rendering it capable of cultivation. In early manhood he married Miss Jane Tinkey, who bore him four children, as follows : Seymour, Vent, deceased, John; deceased, and George F., a farmer of Mifflin township. Mrs. Norris died in 1882, within four weeks of her husband. They were both worthy and excellent people and were held in high esteem by all who had the pleasure of their confidence and friendship. Mr. Norris was much interested in all matters affecting the right management of the farm; and was ready at all times to afford assistance to any worthy and needy cause. Like thousands of others who dislike ostentation, his many charitable arts were not flaunted by himself before the public, but nevertheless he gave freely to the helpless and his door was ever open to the wayfarer. Mr. Norris's son, Seymour, was four eats of age when his father moved upon the farm, having been born in Wyandot county Sept. 30, 185o. He grew up on the farm, taking his share of the responsibilities of its successful management and securing in the meantime, a substantial education. In 1885 he was wedded to Miss Annie M. Vent, by whom lie has two children, Walter and Carl. He owns the old homestead of seventy-five acres and is engaged in general-farming, and in conjunction with that. conducts during the season a threshing machine. He has served as constable and school director, and in other ways has shown his ability to grasp and handle public questions. In politics he is a Republican and is. one of the county's most substantial citizens. GEORGE KRAMER It is a well-known fact, fully recognized by physicians and all others. who have made the subject a study, that a quiet life and steady habits promote longevity. In the cities, where the people are "falling over themselves" in their desperate attempts to make a fortune in a short time and where they are of a consequence on a severe nervous strain all the time, the mortality tables are much, higher than in the country. The farmer may, therefore, congratulate himself that though his life is less eventful it is certainly longer than that of the dweller of the city. This important fact should be borne in mind when the young men catch.the fever of keeping some cheap store in a town or village. How much better is the life of the farmer who has won .a fine farm from the heavy woods, reared a large family of healthy children, made a comfortable home; and finally reaps his reward in the love and respect of his neighbors. Such has been the life of the subject of this sketch. He was born in Center county, Penn., on the 3d of March, 1820, and was reared on his father's farm in that state. He received a fair education for that day, and upon attaining the age of twenty-one years began learning the millwright: trade. He continued working at the same until 1842, when he went to Wayne county, Ohio, but a year later went to Ashland county, where he remained seven BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 492 years. During, this time he managed to save considerable money. He then came to Wyandot county and settled on the farm where ,he now resides. He first purchased eighty acres, upon, which he erected a small cabin having one room. Later he added to this tract until now he owns a total of one hundred and fifty-five acres. When first bought the land was covered with a dense forest, Much of the timber being walnut and (either valuable varieties, but slowly, year by year, the timber disappeared and the fields of grain and the rich meadows took their places. In 1844 George Kramer was united in marriage with Miss Christina Thorne, who presented him with eight children, their names being as follows: John, Mary M., Elizabeth, Lodema E., Sarah A., William, Douglas and Samuel. William, who resides on and operates the homestead, was married July 14, 1886, to Miss Emma Shafer, and to this union have been born five children, one son and four, daughters, living, as follows : Verdie A. is in the sixth grade in the common schools; Winnie A. is in the fifth grade; George S. and Lillie A., also in school, and Helen. Politically William Kramer is a Democrat, while religiously he and his wife are members of the Reformed church. Mr. Kramer has been more than usually successful in all the principal operations of his business cater. He has managed his .farm with excellent judgment, and reared his family in right living and industry. In connection with his farming operations he has also carried do contracting and building to a considerable extent. He takes a warm interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the community. In politics he is a Democrat, having affiliated with that party since he was Old enough to vote. At the age of sixteen years he became a member of the Reformed Church, and during his long life has been a consistent worker for that religions organization. At all times he has been a Supporter of every worthy public movement. His long life is nearing its dose, but he has the satisfaction of knowing that his duty as a man and a citizen has been faithfully performed: [Since the above was written Mr. Kramer died September 18, 1901, and his remains were interred in the Imanuel Reformed cemetery: in Pitt township.] DANIEL D. W. WILSON, DECEASED. Daniel D. W. Wilson was a native of White Hall, N. Y., but a resident of Wyandot county, Ohio, since a very early date in its history. He was a sailor in early life, and for Many years was on Lake Champlain, having charge of a vessel which was owned jointly by himself and his brother-in-law, Abraham Montee. Tiring of this life he disposed of his interest in the business and moved to Columbus, Ohio, Where he remained but a short time, when he came to Wyandot county, Ohio, to the Indian reservation and lived in the house of Chief Peacock for eight years.. He purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land at the government sale and continued living in the house of the Indian chief for another year, in the meantime getting his own land in shape for a residence. He constructed a hewed-log house with a brick fireplace and made it his home for years. He afterward BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 493 bought an additional forty acres of Perry Taylor, all of which he eventually cleared and cultivated. He was a prominent man in the affairs of the town and county and took a leading part in all public enterprises: He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was untiring in the work of that society. It was his custom to go to Detroit to purchase salt, and other articles were secured with like trouble. He was a progressive farmer and his was the first harrow brought to the county. Both he and his wife are well and favorably known all over Wyandot county and surrounding country, and were people much looked up to. His wife was formerly Miss Johanna French, who was born in Essex county, N. Y., January 18; 1809, and on September 20, 1896, passed up into the light of eternal morning. Mr. Wilson had preceded his wife to the heavenly land, having answered the summons February 19, 1889. The union of Daniel D. W. Wilson and Johanna French was blessed by the birth of the following children, William Henry, who went to California during the gold fever in 1849 and died in 1837.- Louisa J., widow of J. Cover, a farmer of Wyandot county, Ohio, who died August 20, 1870, leaving six children viz. : Olive Florence; Melvin deceased ; Elmer W., who is employed on the railroad, married Ida Parrett and has three children, Grace, Freddie and Earl; the fourth child, O. W., married Miss Bertha. Kinsey and resides in Crawford county, this state; John B., who married Esther Kinsey, is a farmer in Crawford county; and George A., who married Miss Lily Manwell, resides in. Sycamore; Mary E., the third child born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, died during childhood. Olive be came the wife of Rev. J. B. Mitchell, who is mentioned in a succeeding paragraph. Mathew C., who died at the age of sixteen just as he was budding into manhood. John Franklin, who lives in Henry county, married Stella McClandish, by whom lie has three children, David, deceased, Charlotte and Bury B. Orrin, D. is unmarried and lives on the old place and has gained a wide reputation as a breeder of fine horses. Ferris died at the age of eighteen years. John W., a prominent farmer of Antrim township, took for his wife Miss Hattie J. Arter. A. E. Wilson, son of J. W. Wilson, married Laura Killar and now has three children, Harley L. Gale and Thomas B, Della.; and two that died in infancy unnamed. When Mr. Wilson located in Antrim township, there. were but four white settlers near and the forest abounded with wild game of all description. His children attended the old log school house and had to walk two Miles to reach it, wading rivers and making their way through the dense woods which still c6vered the greater part of the county. Their education was limited, as the schools did not afford very good opportunities at that clay for acquiring knowledge and the attendance was small. Among the treasured relics now in the possession of Mrs. Mitchell may be found a side saddle and several other interesting articles which were presented to Mr. Wilson by an Indian chief, by whom he was greatly admired. He was a man of honor and integrity, whose word was as good as his bond and who was as honorable' in his dealings with the red men as he was 494 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS with those of his own colon, and this integrity on his part was rewarded by the confidence and love of the Indian. J. B. Mitchell and his wife, Olive, reside on the old. Wilson homestead, but the greater part of his time is taken up with his sionary work which he inaugurated in Culberson, Cherokee county, N. C., many years ago. He believed it to be a duty that we owe to carry on missionary work in our own country and enlighten the many thousand ignorant men and women who are living here and the work that he has so ably begun is a noble one and will result in great good. Perhaps we can not give a better idea of the scope of the work 1e is performing than to quote from his own report lately sent out in regard to what he had accomplished during the year 1900 : "Number of families visited by myself and assistants, 14,822 ; number of families without a. full copy of the Bible, 9,208; number of families with copies of New Testament only, 3,212 ; number‘ of families supplied with copies of the Bible, 8,611; number supplied with Testament, 9,232; gospel books given out, 33,028; tracts given out, 138,627; school books given out, 9,211. These mountains extend about three hundred miles in length and from fifty to one hundred miles wide. There are tens of thousands of people living all through these mountains, mostly in settlements. Most of them are very poor and have but little reading matter of any kind. In some of these settlements three-fourths of the families are destitute of any part of the scriptures. There is a large number of children—nearly every home has from six to fifteen. I find quite a good many of these boys and girls bright and intelligent and if educated and given the proper training no doubt many of them would make useful men and women. In these settlements one-half of these children can not go to school for lack of books and clothing. I am now making a great effort to supply every child that can read with a copy of the New Testament. I was able to supply nearly ten thousand the past year. These boys and girls have but little reading matter —what better gift can we give them than the word of God. I found many of them who were eager to get it. :Two boys followed me five miles to get a copy of the Testament. Three little girls walked six miles —two brought each a chicken. and the third a gallon of berries—to purchase a copy of the Testament and school books. In one settlement; between two large mountains and a small valley, out of sixty-three families visited I found three Bibles and two Testaments, with a few other books." Mr. Mitchell has consecrated his life to a noble calling that of hoarse missionary work, and in addition to spreading the news of the gospel to the poor benighted residents of the Carolina mountains, he has established a school for the education of the children and it is impossible to estimate the great good that he is accomplishing every day of his life. He has able and devoted assistants under him and is largely indebted to the American Bible Society of New York for contributions with which to carry on the Work. The result of his mountain work will endure long after the grand man who inaugurated it shall have passed to his reward. and will elevate and make better and more enlightened those who heard his message and their offspring for generations to come. Truly "the good that men do live after them." Mary, eldest child of the last named cou- BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 495 ple, was born in Altana, Knox county, Ill., April 28, 1857, and died in Lima, Ohio, July 24, 1879. JACOB SMITH. When old age approaches it is quite the usual thing for a person to look back over his life to find out whether the world is any better for his having lived. It must be a gloomy retrospect, indeed, when no good can be found upon such an examination. On the contrary what a delightful satisfaction it must be to any one to know that, his life has been an example of excellence. for. the guidance of youth and for the congratulation of age. How sweet it must be when. death overtakes.a person to be able to say, "I have lived an honest life and clone 'my duty." How many old persons who read these lines can truthfully hold up their heads and declare that the world is better for their, having lived? It is a pleasure to chronicle the events in the career of a man who has the highest respect of all his acquaintances,. such as the subject of this sketch, Jacob Smith, of Pitt .toWnship. He was born in Licking county, Ohio, near Linville, on the 8th of November 1820, and is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Macklin) Smith, who were the parents of seven children. Of this family, three are dead. Two of the sons, John and Aaron, are residents of Pitt township. When Jacob was a small boy his father moved from Licking county to Perry county, and there the former grew to man's estate, working during the summers on the farm and attending the district school dtiring the winters. .Upon attaining manhood he was married to Miss Phebe Foucht, December 25, 1843, who bore him: the following family : Samuel, deceased; Sarah, the wife of Jacob Bender, of Pitt township:. Elizabeth, the wife of John Swartz, of Antrim township; Amanda, the wife of Abraham Swartz, of Nevada; Fianna, now at home; Matilda, deceased;. Eliza, deceased. Mrs. Smith was born April 22, 1821, in Perry county, Ohio, and remained in that county until attaining womanhood. Her grandparents were natives of Switzerland, and her parents were Jacob and Eve (Dashum) Foucht. There were eleven children in this family, of whom Mrs. Smith and two brothers, Samuel and Isaac, are the only survivors. Mrs. Smith was educated in the common schools and can read and speak the German language. She has seen and killed many deer in this locality. When the subject of this notice was yet a young man he came from Perry county to Wyandot county and purchased eighty acres of government land in Pitt township where he now lives. This tract was then covered with heavy timber, which had to be cleared away before crops could either be planted or grown. He erected a small log cabin, about eighteen by twenty feet in size, containing but one room, and in this rough structure he domiciled his family and began to make a clearing in the deep woods. Year by year the circle of cleared land increased and the fields of grain and the lush meadows took the place where for centuries had waved the mighty oak or the towering hickory. The farm was eventually increased to one hundred and twenty acres., of which one hundred are cleared and under cultivation. But the acres now stretching out so clear and smiling represent many years of the hardest toil. But the home secured and the lives reared thereon are worth the labor 496 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. they cost to the commonwealth. Mr: Smith has devoted his time and attention to the rearing of extra grades of stock. He is hearty and sound despite his many years, and it is yet a common thing to see him in the field, sowing the grain, as he did sixty five years ago. His. life has been one of steady industry and straightforward conduct, and he has the respect and confidence of all who have the pleasure of calling him friend. He is a Democrat and a member of the Reformed church; having joined the latter at the age of seventeen years. He has been School director, and has occupied other positions requiring sound judgment and honest conduct. Our subject and wife are held in high regard by their many friends, and honestly merit their regard. They ha-ve in their possession, and hold as a sacred relic, an old parchment deed for eighty acres of land, dated November 5, 1846, and bearing the signature of President James K. Polk. JAMES SWANN James Swarm, one of the highly respected citizens and prosperous farmers of Crane township, Wyandot county, Ohio, was born in Lucas, Richland county, Ohio, July 18, 1832. He was the son of Jesse and Sarah (Irwin) Swann. Jesse Swann was born in Anne Arundel county, Md., and came to Pennsylvania at the age of eighteen years. He married Sarah Irwin, of Westmoreland county, Penn. Mr. Swann learned the miller's trade when quite young and worked at the trade until he moved to Richland county, Ohio, in 1828, when he bought a large farm of three hundred and forty acres. He was among the early settlers and, with his faithful Wife, had to brave the hardships which the early settlers faced when settling in new territory. Over forty years were spent on the farm, during which time seven children were born, of whom three are now living, as follows: Caroline, deceased ; James, the subject of this biographical mention.; George, deceased; Elizabeth married Archibald Chew, lived in Crane township, Wyandot county, married, secondly; John Myers and is now married to J. M. Craige and is at present living in Lima, Ohio ; Mary, deceased; William, who is a painter, lives in Burlington, Iowa ; Edwin died when quite young. Jesse Swann held the office of associate justice of Richland county. In politics he was a Whig, and later was a Republican, He belonged to the Presbyterian church. Mr: and Mrs. Swann lived on the farm in Monroe township until 1874, when he retired and moved to Mansfield and died two, years later, in. 1876, He was well educated and well-read on topics of the clay, and was well and favorably known throughout Richland county, where had been his home many years. Mrs. Swann died in Wyandot county in 1883. James Swann, the subject, was united in marriage in 1853 to Miss Aneline Robinson, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Robinson, who lived in Virginia. She was born in, Brooke county, W. Va., in June, 1839, and was reared in her native state. Mr. and Mrs. Swann's happy union was blessed with six children, named as follows : Mary G: lives in Lima, Ohio ; William married Mary Ahlfelt and died in September, 1900; Frank married MiSs Ida Blosser and lives with his father ; Della married Albert Althouse and BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 197 now lives in Eden township; Pearl is married to William Blosser, a farmer of Eden township; Jesse married Miss Della Althouse and resides on the lime estate in Crane township. James Swann. lived in Richland county until 1860. In the spring of 1860 he came to Wyandot county and purchased a farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres in Crane townShip. This farm had two small log houses. Only ten acres were cleared, but after much hard work the farm; was under cultivation and through careful management of Mr. Swann he was ,able to erect a good house in 1865. Two years later he built one of the best bank barns in that part of the country. his barn was 40x90 and was a great improvement. Through careful saving, Mr. Swann was able to, add more to the farm and now owns one hundred and seventy-five acres, one hundred and thirty-five of which is under cultivation. The principal products raised are wheat, corn and oats. Mr. Swann is not only a fine agriculturist, but also devotes a great deal of time and attention to raising fine sheep and hogs. Mr. Swann received his education in the common schools of Richland county. In politics he has always voted the Republican ticket and is a leader in all political questions and at one time filled the position of township trustee. He is well and favorably known throughout Wyandot county and highly esteemed by all who know him. HENRY LARICK. There is great difference in this world fours as to how we get our property, whether by small degrees and hard toil or by suddenly making it in one or a few lucky ventures, or even by inheriting it from successful and thrifty ancestors. It makes a wonderful difference in a man's life also, whether he earns his home by severe toil, or by easy methods, or secures it from his parents. One important fact will not be disputed, that if a man earns it by hard knocks he is much more likely to retain it than if it had been left to him by his hardworking and honest father. "Come easy, go easy," is literally true," and it is not to the credit of any one that it is so. People of all occupations should be thrifty enough to take care of what they have, no matter how they obtained it, for they have others to, consider—children who. the right to demand of parents that ,they save the property left to them by ancestors. Such is a family inheritance, which no member has the right to dissipate. One of the thriftiest families in this section of the county is represented by the subject of this sketch, Henry Larick. Mr. Larick was born in Stark county, Ohio, February 1, 1844, and is the son of George and Margaret Larick, both of whom were natives of the German empire and people of much more than ordinary industry and intelligence. Both grew up in their native country, where they received the best education afforded by the neighboring schools. Upon, reaching mature years they were married and soon afterward they concluded to cross the Atlantic and seek a home in the new world, of which they had heard so much. Accordingly they crossed the ocean on. sailing vessel, requiring several weeks to make the voyage,. and finally landed safely in New York harbor. They immediately came to Stark county, Ohio, 498 - BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS where they rented a farm and began to operate the same. They were successful, as all Germans are, and soon were in comfortable circumstances. The elder Larick continued thus for several years, when, in 1848, he came to this county and located on section 29, Eden township, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of woodland. He energetically began clearing off the timber and in course of time stripped about sixty acres of their primeval forest. trees. He was always a hard worker, and at all times had the confidence and respect of all who knew him. As the years passed he bought with his savings additional tracts of land until, at the time of his death; he owned a total of about four hundred acres. Much of this was obtained by his own good judgment and foresight, coupled with sterling honesty and tireless industry. He made farming a study and knew how to produce the best results from his means and labors. He was known throughout the county as one of the most substantial farmers and stock raisers. He never aspired to office, but could have filled any local position with Credit. He was. a Democrat; and he and his Wife were members of the Albright church. He died in 1855, at the age of forty-five years, and his widow died at the age of sixty-five. years. T'o them were born ten children: Andrew, now a, farmer in Antrim township, who served his country in the Rebellion: and has a splendid war reord; Catherine, the wife of Jacob Godfrey,. resides in Eden township; Henry, subject; William, .now living in. Eden township; Caroline, the wife of 'C. S. Swank, of Eden township; Levi, a farmer in Eden* township; Lewis, a farmer. of Eden township; Lavinia, the wife of Joseph Blair, of Eden township; and two others that died in youth. Henry lived with his father until he attained the age of twenty-nine years. He received in youth a fair education, and in 1874 married, Miss Catherine, the daughter of David and Eliza Krichbaum, who; were early settlers of this county. Mr. Krichbaurn is deceased, but his widow still lives on the old place in Antrim township. To Henry and wife these children have been born: James, who 'married Miss Hulda Bachtel and.. is farming in Antrim township; Annie E.; E. V.; Zoe L..; Eva; Jessie.. After his marriage he located on section 30, Eden township, where he remained for six years. He then came to his. present place. He first bought eighty-two acres, sixty of which had been cleared and were occupied by a log house. Later he bought thirty acres, and now has one hundred and twelve acres, of which about ninety are cleared, and upon which he is engaged in general farming. October 4, 1864, he enlisted. in Company H, Second Ohio Heavy Artillery, at Lima, Ohio, and was at once sent to the front at Knoxville, Tenn. He Was at Strawberry Plains and other important movements., and after an honorable. service was discharged August 25, 1865. Mr. Larick has always been a hard worker. His education was limited, as he had to walk two miles to school and always had an abundance of work to do. He is one of the most upright citizens in this part of the county. WILLIAM WELTY. Dr. William Welty is of German descent. His; great-grandfather, who spelled his name Weldy, lived on the river Aar, BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS - 499 near Berne, Switzerland. He and two brothers emigrated to America about 1740, his brothers locating in Maryland and he in Pennsylvania; he is probably buried near Gettysburg. His son, William Welty. (grandfather of William), at about the age of eighteen was a soldier. under. General Wayne at the battle of Stony Point, N. Y., in 1779, and he perhap’s soon after led the platoon of Welty, cousins, who on entering a village discovered a shoemaker's sign, which they at once proceeded to demolish by a volley of stones, because its owner was yet so un-American as to spell his name Weldy instead of Welty. With this spirit of progress and adaptation he won the heart and hand of a Miss Rotrough, whose father and brothers were all preachers. Christian Welty was again a soldier, in 1792, under Wayne against the Indians of the northwestern territories, and after this service married the second time, becoming the father of two sets of children, seventeen in all. He died about 1820, and is buried at Buick town, Tuscarawas county, Ohio. His son, Henry Welty (by his first wife), and father, of William, the subject of this genealogy, was born in no in Pennsylvania and was married about 1812 to Miss Mary Bierly, of Lancaster county, who was of German descent, her forefathers having come from Alsace or Loraine. In 1833 Henry and family moved to Sugar Creek township, Stark county, Ohio, to a farm previously purchased and there continued his trade of carpenter and cabinet-maker. Politically he was a liberal Democrat, but frequently, by choice of the electors, held office in a Republican township. Both he and his wife were substantial Christians of the Missionary Baptist faith. His demise occurred in 1842, at the age of fifty-two, his life being shortened by a. fall from a building; his wife died in 1849, aged sixty, and they now sleep in their home church yard, ten, miles north of Massillon, Ohio. Their family of seven children were as follows : John, deceased, of Crawfordsville, Ind.; William, the subject of this sketch, whose postoffice for fifty years has been Nevada, Wyandot county, Ohio, and the only Republican patron from its origin now living; George W., Hicksville, Ohio, deceased; Henry and David, now residents of Escondido, Cal.; Catherine, Mrs. John Dowel, Mount Eaton, Ohio, deceased; Susan, Mrs. Walter Carr, Ligonier, Ind., deceased; Nancy, Mrs. John Stansbury, Ligonier, deceased. The second member of this family, Dr. William Welty, was born in Fayette county, Penn., March 13, 1816, and came with his father's family to Ohio., He studied hard and held the first rank among his fel lows, his command of history making him their champion in debate even before he became of age. When of age he, studied. more carefully the science of medicine, and shortly . afterward began its practice. In his twenty-second year he taught a winter term of school and on August 5, 1838, married Miss. Marilla Otis, one of his pupils. Her great-grandfathers, Otis, and Miller, were Revolutionary soldiers. Otis being a cousin of the statesman and orator, James Otis, of Boston. Her grandfather, Edward Otis, was also for several years a Revolutionary soldier, and for the last fifty years of his life was a Baptist preacher in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, falling asleep at Biglow's Mills, Ind., in 1852, at the age of eighty-seven years. Marilla's father, Ezekiel Otis, was a native son of Massachusetts and served