Fulton County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1905 (part 14 of 15)

WILLIAM W. WHETSTONE, who is engaged in the general merchandise business at Zone, Franklin township, has built up an excellent trade and is one of the popular citizens of this section of Fulton county. He was bom in Pioneer, Williams county, on the 9th of May, 1864, and is a son of William and Louisa (Heynes) Whetstone, the former of whom was bom in Mercer county, Ohio, and the latter in Akron, Summit county. The parents of William Whetstone were numbered among the pioneers of Mercer county, having come to Ohio from the State of Pennsylvania. William Whetstone was engaged in farming in Mercer county until about 1862, when he removed to Williams county, where he was engaged in farming for a number of years, later removing to Defiance county. He and his wife are now residents of Beaverton, Galdwin county, Mich. Of their $ix children William W. is the eldest; Ida is the wife of James Hutchinson, of Gladwin, Mich. ; Daniel is a resident of Defiance county, Ohio ; Charles is deceased; George resides in Defiance county; Ernest resides in Montana; and Mary remains at the parental home. William W\ Whetstone was four years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Defiance county, in whose public schools he secured excellent educational advantages. He initiated his independent career by identifying himself with the construction work on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, remaining thus employed for a period of five years. He then came to Fulton county, being employed on a farm near Wauseon for one year, and for the following three years he was employed by the month as a farm hand in Franklin township. In 1893 he purchased a farm in this township, and in 1902 he bought another, in the same township. He has sold a portion of his land but still retains one hundred acres. He has also done considerable contracting and building in this county. In the spring of 1905 he purchased the general store of William Gunsaullus, at Zone, and he carries a good stock of dVy goods, groceries, boots and shoes, clothing, etc., so that he is enabled to meet the demands of his large and constantly increasing patronage. On the 28th of February, 1890, Mr. Whetstone was united in marriage to Miss Alice Ely, who was bom and reared in Franklin township, being a daughter of the late Campbell Ely, who was an honored pioneer of Fulton county. Mr. and Mrs. Whetstone have one child, Guy. M*r. Whet stone is held in high esteem in his home community, and this fact is evidenced by his being in tenure of the office of trustee of Franklin township. He is a Democrat in his political adherency and is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

ENOS WELLS, one of the honored citizens and venerable pioneers of Clinton township, where he is the owner of a valuable farm, was bom in Holmes county, Ohio, on the nth of November, 1829. He is a son of Moses Wells, who was born in the State of Maryland, in 1788, and who came to Ohio in 1809, first locating in Wayne county and later removing to Holmes county, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. In that county was solemnized his marriage to Miss Kdmhappoch Gorsuch, and in 1850 he came with his family to Fulton county, where he purchased a quarter-section of land, In Clinton township, securing the tract from the government, and he eventually added to the area of his landed estate until he had three hundred and twenty acres, the major portion of which he reclaimed from the virgin forest, developing one of the best farms in the locality. He and his wife continued residents of Fulton county until death, and their names merit a place on the roll of the sterling pioneers of this favored section of the old Buckeye state. Of their family of fourteen children only four are now living, the subject of this sketch being the eldest of the number. Leonard \V. is a resident of the State of Colorado; Charles N. maintains his home in Kansas City, Missouri; and Lucy Ann is the wife of James Hodgsboon, of Wauseon, Fulton county, Ohio. Enos Wells was reared and educated in Holmes county, where he gVew up to the sturdy discipline of the pioneer farm, and his educational advantages were those afforded in the somewhat primitive schools of the locality and period. He was about twenty-one years of age at the time of the family removal to Fulton county, and here he rendered yeoman service in connection with the reclaiming of the homestead farm and in the erection of the necessary buildings, and he also aided in the construction of the early roads throughout this section of the county, said highways being mostly of the primitive cdrduroy type. His present homestead, which is well-improved and under effective cultivation, comprises eighty-five acres, and its practical operation is carried on by his eldest son. Mr. Wells is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, with which he has been identified from practically the time of its organization, and he has ever shown a loyal interest in the welfare of the township and county to whose development and progress he has contributed in no small degtee. He and his wife are members of the Christian church, in which he has held the office of elder for more than a score of years. On the 6th of April, 1856, Mr. Wells was united in marriage to Miss Jane Tedrow, daughter of Isaac Tedrow, one of the sterling pioneers of Fulton county. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Wells the following brief record is entered : David N., who was born on the 4th of July, 1857, has charge of his father's farm and is also the owner of a wellimproved farm of eighty acres in Putnam county. He mariried Miss Della A. Miley, daughter of Matthias Miley, member of one of the old and honored families of Fulton county. David N. Wells is a Republican in his political proclivities and in a fraternal way is identified with the lodge of the Knights of Pythias in Wauseon. Delilah Elzina, who was born April 22, i860, is the wife of Jerome Loveland, at one time a prominent business man of Toledo, Ohio, but now a contractor and builder at Tedrow, Ohio. Mary E., born in 1863, is the wife of George Cari, of Shreve, Wayne county. Lucy Annetta, born September 11, 1866, is deceased. Lily Alice, born in 1869, is the wife of Edward Bayes, a successful farmer of Fulton county. Verna C., bom July 7, 1872, is deceased. William W., bom March 12, 1875, married Miss Cora Conway, and they reside in Kibbie, Michigan, where he is a representative merchant.

GEORGE R. WHITEHORNE, who was a prominent dealer in clothing and gents' furnishings at Delta, was bom at Archbold, Fulton county, July 15, 1865. He is the son of Myron and Mary (Williams) Whitehdme, both natives of New York State, whose ancestors lived in England, Scotland and Ireland. His maternal grandfather, Henry F. Williams, was one of the first settlers of the territory now embraced in Northwestern Ohio. He was the builder of the first passenger boat operated on the Maumee river. In hunting and trapping he was not excelled by any other part}' in that country, and his wife was equally expert in marksmanship. He was quite noted in his day as a man of education and ability and assisted in surveying the lines between Ohio and Michigan and between Ohio and Indiana. Myron YVhitehome served for three and one-half years in the Union army during the Civil war and was a prisoner at Andersonville for more than a year. While General Sherman's campaign against Atlanta was in progress the Confederate authorities thought it best to remove some of the prisoners from Andersonville to Macon for safe-keeping, and while in transit Mr. Whitehome with one companion escaped from the boxcar in which they were confined and for fourteen days subsisted on such things as they could find in the fields and woods before they reached the Union lines. Of twenty-one soldiers captured at the time he was taken he saw nineteen carried out of camp dead. After the war he engaged in the hardware business, which business is now operated by his sons. He and wife were the parents of four sons and one daughter. They are: Olney J., the owner of a feed and livery establishment at Toledo, O. ; George R., subject of this sketch; Frank, living at home ; Bertha, still at home, and Wellington B., who lost his life in the Spanish- American war. Myron Whitehome died at Archbold in September, 1901, having outlived his wife two years. George R. Whitehome grew to manhood at Archbold, where he graduated from the high school. After taking a course in the commercial department of the Fayette, O., Normal he taught school two years. At the age of nineteen he was chosen bookkeeper in the store of which his father was a partner. August 15, 1893, he came to Delta and formed a partnership with J. M. Longnecker in the clothing business. He is a Past Master of Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons, a member of Octavius Waters Chapter, No. 154, Royal Arch Masons, of the Toledo, O., Commandery, and of No. 320 Scottish Rite Consistory at Cleveland. In politics he is a stanch Republican, but in no sense an aspirant to political office. His service on the Archbold board of education proves that he is interested in school affairs. While working in his father's store he was married to Miss Ida P. Zimmerman, a daughter of Simon Zimmerman of Delta, one of the oldest and most highly respected families of Fulton county. One child has blessed this union, Hugh Carr, a lad eight years old. Close application to business, sound business sense and untiring energy have enabled Mr. Whitehome to win success in business.

JULIUS C. WHITEHORNE, who stands at the head of the wellknown hardware firm of Whitehome Brothers, of Archbold, has long been identified with the business life of Fulton county and was associated intimately with his older brother, Myron, until the latter's death, and the original firm name is still retained. In the memoir of his brother, appearing immediately following this one, due data in regard to the family genealogy are given, and also details regarding the busi- ness career of the two brothers, so that reference may well be made to the article mentioned, as supplementing this brief review of the career of Julius C. He was bom in Pittsfield township, Hillsdale county, Michigan, September 12, 1842, and is a son of Robinson and Mary M. (Treadwell) Whitehome, who were numbered among the very early settlers of that locality, where they continued to reside until summoned to the life eternal. Mr. Whitehome passed his boyhood days on the home farm, and after duly attending the district schools availed himself of the advantages of the high school at Hudson, Mich. In 1863 he came to Ohio and began teaching in the public schools of Archbold, and when his brother Myron returned from his service as a soldier in the Civil war they here engaged in the milling business. After two years Julius C. rented his interest in the mill to his brother and for the ensuing thtee years gave his attention to teaching. Thereafter he was again identified with the milling enterprise until 1882, when he and his brother engaged in the hardware business, which has since been successfully continued, the concern being one of the most important of the sort in this part of the county and controlling' a large and representative patronage. Julius C. Whitehome is an enterprising business man and a liberal and loyal citizen, taking a deep interest in local affairs of a public nature, and doing all in his power to further the general welfare of the community. April 12, 1864, Mr. Whitehome was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Maria Terpening, a daughter of Peter and Lavina .Terpening, who were well known citizens of Hudson, Mich.

MYRON WHITEHORNE, who died at his home in Archbold, on the 26th of September, 1901, at the age of sixty-seven years and twelve days, was one of the most honored citizens and prominent business men of this place, was a veteran of the Civil war and was a member of the well-known firm of Whitehome Brothers, general hardware merchants, the business still being conducted under the title mentioned. He was born at Adrian, Lenawee county, Mich., on the 8th of September, 1834, and was a son of Robinson H. and Mary Martha (Treadwell) Whitehome. the former of whom was born in Herkimer county, N. Y., July 12, 1806, and he came to Michigan about 1834, some three years prior to the admission of the State to the Union, becoming one of the honored pioneers of the southern part of that commonwealth, where his principal vocation was farming. In earlier years he was engaged in teaching at intervals and he also studied medicine, though he never engaged in active practice. Both he and his wife died in Michigan, the latter also having been bom in the State of New York. Both attained venerable age and left the heritage of worthy lives and worthy deeds. Robinson H. Whitehome early settled in Hillsdale county, Mich., and was the first justice of the peace in Pittsfield township, having taken up one hundred and twenty acres of government land, which he reclaimed from the wilderness, and he remained resident of Hillsdale county until his death, which occurred March 15, 1889, his devoted wife having passed away July 25, 1870. Of their son, Julius C., so long associated with his brother Myron in business, an individual sketch appears immediately preceding this one. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war Myron Whitehome was a resident of Fulton county, having come here from Michigan and identified himself with business enterprises. At Wauseon, on the 18th of July, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to the front and did well his part as a valiant and loyal soldier. September 27, 1863, at Mud Run, near Chickamauga, he was captured by the enemy, and thereafter he languished in the prisons at Rome and Atlanta, Ga., and later in Libby, Pemberton, Danville and Andersonville prisons, finally making his escape by jumping from a moving train, between Macon and Andersonville. He rejoined his regiment, September 27, 1864. and received his honorable discharge, at Nashville, Tenn., on the 13th of the following September. After the close of his military career he returned to Fulton county, where he engaged in the milling business, in company with his brother Julius C, at Archbold He was identified with this enterprise until 1882, and the brothers also operated stave and heading mills at Archbold and at Portland, Ind. In 1882 they engaged in the general hardware and implement business, closing out their other interests, and they built up the fine business which has ever since been conducted under the firm name of Whitehome Brothers, the hardware establishment being well-equipped and conducted according to the highest business principles Myron Whitehome was a man of the most unbending integrity and stood as a type of loyal and publicspirited citizenship, commanding the high regard of all who knew him. In a fraternal way he was identified with the Grand Army of the Republic. January 1, 1859, Mr. Whitehome was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. Williams, who was bom in Lockport, X. Y., May 1, 1841, a daughter of Henry F. and Man* (Robinson) Williams, who were likewise natives of that State, whence they came to Fulton count)*, Ohio, in 1848, Mr. Williams becoming one of the prosperous farmers of German township. He passed the closing years of his t life in Archbold, where he died, March 25, 1884. his wife surviving him by a few years. They became the parents of four children, namely: Man* M., wife of the subject of this memoir: George W., who met his death in the Civil war : Jemima, the wife of Daniel Monteith, of Toledo; and Elizabeth J., who married Allen McW'ayne and died in California. Mrs. Whitehome preceded her husband into eternal rest, her death occurring April 4, 1899. Six children were bom of their union. Olney J., born December 13, i860, is engaged in the liven* business in Toledo. George R., bom July 15, 1865, is engaged in mercantile business at Delta, Fulton county: he married Miss Ida O. Zimmerman, and they have one son, Hugh C. Byron J., bom October 15, 1866, died April 29, 1871. Frank H., bom April 26, 1869, is practically his father's successor in the firm of WTiitehome Brothers, in Archboid. Bertha A., bom January 21, 1874, remains at the old home in this village. Wellington B., bom June 9, 1880, died in the division hospital at Knoxville, Tenn., September 7, 1898. At Delta, Fulton county, January 20, 1897, he enlisted in Company G, Sixteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guards, and May 12, 1898, with his regiment, he was mustered into the volunteer ranks for service in the Spanish-American war. He had the attributes of the ideal soldier, but he was attacked by fever which brought to him the end of the mortal life, in the very flush and power of his noble young manhood. All his comrades mourned his loss, and those to whom he was linked by family ties felt the most poignant grief, though realizing that he had died at the post of duty and patriotism, as truly as though he had fallen in battle.

ISAAC WILEY is the owner of one of the fine farmsteads of Fulton township, and when it is stated that he has resided on the place from the time he was about four years of age until the present - representing more than half a century - and that within these years has never been absent from the farm more than three consecutive weeks at any one time, it will be understood that the homestead is doubly endeared to him through the memories and associations of the past. Mr. Wiley was bom in Westmoreland county, Pa., on the 24th of October, 1850, and is a son of Robert and Maria (Walters) Wiley, both of whom were natives of that same county where they maintained their home until 1851, when, with their three children, they came to Fulton county, and in 1854 they located upon the farm now owned and occupied by their son Isaac, who was about a year old at the time of the removal from the old Keystone State. The original purchase was a tract of eighty acres of wild land, and this the honored father reclaimed and improved, and on the homestead both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. He was bom March 4, 1809. His death occurred January 6, 1887, and his devoted wife passed away November 24, 1881, at the age of sixtv-two years. Three children were bom to them after the removal to Fulton county, and of the total of six only two are now living : Rebecca, the eldest, died at the age of sixteen years; Henry was two years old at time of death, and died on the homestead now owned by Mr. Wiley ; Isaac was the next in order of birth ; John died at the age of fourteen years; two died in infancy; Susan, wife of Harrison Hamp, died near Swanton, this county, January 7, 1904, leaving no children ; and Sarah was the wife of Eli Winchell, who died on October 30, 1905, at North Adams, Hillsdale county, Mich. Isaac Wiley, as already intimated, was reared on the home farm, in whose operations he began to assist when a boy, and in the early days he attended the pioneer log school-house, making the best use of the advantages afforded him. January 7, 1871, Mr. Wiley was married to Miss Ivey Hamp, a sister of Harrison Hamp, previously mentioned in this article. She was bom within a mile of her present home, on the 27th of April, 1852, and is a daughter of John and Rebecca (Norris) Hamp. John Hamp was bom in Ohio, whither his parents came from Germany, where two of their children were bom. They located in Fulton township, Fulton county, in the early ^o's, being numbered among the sterling pioneers of this locality, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Ivey Hamp, mother of John, attained the extremely venerable age of one hundred and seven years. John and

Rebecca Hamp became the parents of three sons and six daughters: Catherine is the wife of George Sheffer, and they reside near Ai, Fulton township; Ivey, wife of Mr. Wiley, was the second child; John, born July 15, 1853, died October 6, 1865 ; Mary Jane is the wife of Wanton Eddy, of Harvey, III ; Harrison is a prosperous farmer of Fulton township ; William is a resident of S wanton ; Elizabeth is the wife of Thomas Lace, of Hudson, Mich. ; Emeline died in infancy, in 1862 ; and Margaret Ellen, born in 1864, died December 6, 1879. John Hamp, father of these children, was born May 26, 1827, and is now residing on a farm in Williams count}'. His wife, who was bom June 4, 1831, died April 23, 1887. Jacob Hamp, father of John, served with fidelity as a Continental soldier during the War of the Revolution, having been a member of a New York regiment. Reverting also to the Wiley genealogy, it may be stated that Robert Wiley, father of the subject of this review, was twice married, his first wife dying a number of years prior to his removal to Ohio. Of the children of the first marriage two sons and one daughter attained maturity. William died in Los Angeles, Cal. Lemuel, the other son, served five years in the regular army of the United States, having been identified with the frontier warfare against the Indians and having still been in the army at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. After his discharge from the regular army he enlisted as a volunteer, and thus included in his service the entire period of the Rebellion, having been twice wounded and once taken prisoner. He is now living in the State of Oregon. Mrs. Jemima Russell, daughter oi Robert Wiley bv his first marriage, died in Lucas county, Ohio. Isaac and Ivey (Hamp) Wiley have two children. The elder, Lyman Eugene, a successful farmer of Fulton township, married Miss Mabel Fraker, and to their only son has been given the name of Fraker. Minnie, the younger child of Mr. Wiley, is the wife of George Perdval, son of William Percival, elsewhere mentioned in this publication. They have one son, Homer. Mr. and Mrs. Wiley's marriage was solemnized in their present residence, and he has always lived on the old homestead farm, having come into possession of the same partly through inheritance and partly through purchase. The well improved plafce comprises eighty acres purchased by his father in 1854 ; it is under a high state of cultivation, and he also gives considerable attention to the raising of an excellent grade of live stock, being recognized as a man of discriminating business judgment, reliability and marked enterprise. Mr. Wiley has been a supporter of the Republican party from the time of attaining his majority, and in earlier years was somewhat active in the local party work, though never seeking office. He still takes a definite interest in the cause of the party, and is public-spirited in his attitude. He served eleven years as school director, and within this period did much to further local educational interests. In July, 1874, Mr. Wiley became a member of Swanton Lodge, No. 528, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the same he has passed the principal official stations. Both he and his wife are also identified with the allied organization, Fern Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah, and she is also affiliated with the Rathbone Sisters, an adjunct of the Knights of Pythias, of which her son is a member, and she is also a member of the Woman's Relief Corps of Swanton. She is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

EDWARD EVERETT WILLIAMS, of Wauseon, probate judge of Fulton county, a descendant of one of the pioneers of that county, was born in Clinton township in 1864. He is the son of Jeremiah M. and Matilda (Biddle) Williams, both natives of Ohio. Jeremiah M. Williams was born near Tiffin, Seneca county, O., in 1822, and when twelve years old came with his father, Elisha Williams, and his two brothers, John H. and Burt, and his sister, Mrs. Thomas Lingle, to Clinton township in 1834. Here he grew to manhood and took an active part in local affairs, serving as township trustee for some years. His wife, Matilda Williams, was the daughter of Samuel Biddle who came to York township, Fulton county, from Wayne county. He was deeply interested in township affairs and served as justice of the peace for a number of years. Edward Everett Williams, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of Fulton county, being a graduate of the Wauseon high school. He remained on the farm until he embarked in the grocery business at Archbold, Fulton county, which business he conducted successfully for two and one-half years, when he sold it. For seven years he served as deputy probate judge of Fulton county. So well did he perform the duties of his office that in 1899 the people elected him to the office of probate judge, a just recognition of the ability that he displayed while serving as deputy. Three years later he was re-elected and he is now serving in that capacity. In him the people realize that they have an impartial judge and a man who has the moral courage to do what is right, regardless of the cost. To fill this important office successfully executive ability of no mean order and a ripened judgment are required, both of which qualities Judge Williams possesses. He is Worshipful Master of Wauseon Lodge. No. 349, Free and Accepted Masons, and a Knight Templar. He married Miss Alice B. Meeks, the daughter of William J. Meeks, Jr., and Mary J. (Cornell) Meeks. William J. Meeks, Jr., was born in Wayne county, April 4, 1832. and married Mary Jane Cornell. They had the following children: Flora B.: Albert M. ; James, deceased: Franklin and Alice B.. who is the wife of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Meeks was one of the leaders of the Democratic party of Fulton county. President Cleveland recognizing his worth, appointed him postmaster of Wauseon, in which he was serving at the time of his death, in 1885. His father, William J. Meeks, Sr., was born in Fairfield county, O., in 1800. and died in Fulton county in 1875. Mary Jane (Cornell) Meeks was the daughter of James Cornell, Jr., and Margaret (Baggs) Cornell. James Cornell, Jr., was bom in Trenton, N. J., January 26, 1805, and come to Fulton county in 1837, being one of the pioneer settlers of Clinton township. His prominence in public affairs is shown by the fact that he served as county commissioner for three terms. He died at his home aged seventy-nine years. His father, James Cornell, Sr., together with four brothers settled in Man- hattan Island, N. Y. Ezra Cornell, the founder of Cornell university, was the son of one of these brothers and a first cousin of James Cornell, Jr., of Fulton county. Margaret (Baggs) Cornell was the daughter of John and Nancy Jane (Wright) Baggs, of Somerset county. Pa., who located in Holmes county, O., where John Baggs died in 1846. Thomas Baggs, the brother of John, settled in Clinton township in 1836. They were the sons of Jewell A. and Nancy (McWilliams) Baggs. Jewell A. Baggs, a civil engineer and a Methodist minister, came with his brother, Hugh, from Scotland and settled in Somerset county, Pa., in 1755.

JOHN WILLIAMS (deceased), one of the pioneer settlers of Fulton county, was born July 20, 1814, and died at the homestead on January 23, 1890, aged seventy-five and one-half years. When twenty years old he came with his parents to what is now Fulton county and spent his early life in the avocations of a pioneer, for which he was well fitted, being strong and robust. The first farm that he opened was located two and one-half miles northeast of Delta, where he lived for many years. In 1849 he made the overland trip to California, and, after meeting with marked success in his search for gold, returned to Ohio and opened up another farm three miles east of Delta, where he spent the remainder of his life. John Williams was' very prominent in the organization of Fulton county and was a useful citizen throughout his long residence there. His life was spent in agricultural pursuits, in which he was unusually successful. He could truthfully boast of having cleared more land than any other man in the county. On September 14, 1840, he was married to Miss Elizabeth A. Norton, daughter of Hiram and Sarah (Gamble) Norton, and their union was blessed with ten children. They are: Emily, now Mrs. Fashbaugh, a resident of Colorado; David, a farmer of Delta; Elsie (deceased), who was the wife of John Westbrook; Phoebe, now Mrs. George Westbrook, residing on the homestead; Sarah, the wife of John N. Petersen of Delta; John, a farmer of Swan Creek township ; George, a farmer near Delta ; Anson, a railroad man, a resident of Toledo, Ohio ; Ida, who died at the age of seven years, and Lovina, who died in her second year. His widow is still living and makes her home with Mrs. Petersen, her daughter. John N. Petersen, the son-in-law of the subject of this sketch, was bom in New York City July 30, 1852. He is the son of John Jacob' and Sophia (Winkleseth) Petersen, both natives of Germany, the former having been bom in Houston, near Denmark, and the latter in Bremen. They were married in New York City, whence they removed to Ohio during the early part of the Civil war, locating on a farm east of Delta. Afterwards they removed to a farm in Fulton township, where the father died, October 22, 1892, aged seventyeight years. His widow is still living on the homestead at the age of eighty-two years. They were the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters, all Wring and married. They are: John N., the eldest; Anna, now Mrs. Wallace Smith, a resident of Paulding county, O. ; Theresa, now Mrs. Eugene Wales of Swanton; Henry H., section foreman on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway at Wauseon; and William B., living with his mother on the homestead. John N. Petersen grew to manhood on a farm, receiving a fair common school education. In public affairs he has always taken a deep interest. So well does he stand in his community that he was elected township assessor on the Democratic ticket, notwithstanding the township is strongly Republican. He is a member of Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons, of Lodge Xo. 199, Knights of Pythias, and has also been an Odd Fellow ; having passed the official chairs of Swanton Lodge in that organization, as well as that of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. and Mrs. Petersen are both members of the adjunct order of the Knights of Pythias, known as the Rathbone Sisters, the name of the lodge being Thirza Temple Xo. 189, Delta, Ohio. Mr. Petersen is also a member of the Uniformed Rank, Knights of Pythias, No. 122, at Delta. In 1880 he was wedded to Miss Sarah R. Williams, daughter of John and Elizabeth A. (Norton) Williams, and their union was blessed with two children : Ocie E.. the wife of Jacob F. Perkins, a farmer and contractor, of this county, and they have one daughter, Grace Elizabeth; Opal L., the younger daughter, is now attending the Delta schools.

ANSON WILLSON is another of the enterprising and progressive citizens who are exemplifying the attractive possibilities offered in connection with the agricultural industry in Fulton county, being the owner of a well-improved landed estate in Amboy township, and he is a scion of one of the well-known pioneer families of Fulton township. He was born on the 3d of February, 1845, and *s a son of Martin and Jane (Fullerton) Willson, the former bom in Clark county, Ohio, and the latter in York county, Pa. The paternal grandfather, Nathan Willson, was a native of New York State, and became one of the earliest settlers of Pike township, Fulton county, Ohio, where he took up his residence in 1834. He secured a tract of government land and reclaimed a goodly portion of the same from the native wilds, becoming one of the influential pioneers of that section and there continuing to reside until his death, his wife also dying on the old homestead. They became the parents of three children - Martin, Emira and Catharine. The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Robert Fullerton, who came from Pennsylvania and settled in Swanton township, Lucas county, Ohio, about 1840, being there engaged in farming until his death. Martin Willson, who is eighty-eight years of age (1905), has been a resident of Fulton county since 1834, and he has continuously resided on the old homestead, in Fulton township, which he secured from the government more than an half-century ago, having cleared and improved the farm and being one of the most venerable and honored pioneer citizens of that section. His devoted wife is dead, having passed away in 1901. They became the parents of seven children, namely : Anson. Eliza, Frank, Man*, Lucius, Howard and Nettie. Eliza became the wife of Wallace Ford and is now deceased ; Frank also is deceased ; Mary, became the wife of Dr. Elmer Tompkins and is deceased ; and Nettie is the deceased wife of

Oliver Manley. Anson Willson was reared on the old home farm, in Fulton township, and contributing his quota to its work, he was accorded good educational advantages, having first attended the local schools and having thereafter continued his studies in Adrian College, in Adrian, Mich. He was successfully engaged in teaching in the public schools for twelve winter terms, and he continued his residence in Fulton township until 1882, when he removed to Amboy township and took up his residence on eighty acres of unimproved land, having purchased the property in 1876. He has here developed one of the valuable farms of the township, having erected good buildings and having brought the greater portion of the place under effective cultivation. He exercises his franchise in support of the principles of the Republican party, has served two terms as trustee of Amboy township and is now serving his second term as justice of the peace, and he is also a member of the school-board of what is known as the Amboy-Fulton special district. Prior to his removal to Amboy township he was incumbent of the office of clerk of Fulton township for two terms. May 12, 1870, Mr. Willson wedded Miss Susannah Stout, daughter of Samuel and Amanda (Johnson) Stout, of Fulton township, and the two children of this union are Burton, who is engaged in teaching school and farming on the homestead; and Gertrude, who is the wife of Samuel Shug, of Amboy township.

VALENTINE WINSLOW is a type of those progressive and energetic farmers who have brought about the magnificent development of the agricultural resources of Fulton county, and he is numbered among the representative farmers and stock-growers of Pike township, where his entire life has been passed. He was born on the farm which is now his home, the date of his nativity having been March 20, 1843, and he is a son of Valentine and Lydia Ann (Welch) Winslow. His father was born in Lewis county. New York, in 1804, and at the age of fifteen years, in company with his brother Martin, who was thirteen years of age at the time, he came to Ohio, making the trip in a one-horse wagon and in due time arriving at their destination, the home of Willard Gunn, at Waterville, Lucas county. This journey was accomplished in the year 1818, so that the youthful brothers became pioneers of the Buckeye State. In the winter of 1832, Mr. Winslow took up his residence on the farm now owned by his son and namesake, the subject of this sketch. The place was in the midst of the virgin forest and no improvements had been made on the same, the nearest house having been at Swanton, nine miles distant. He developed his farm and became one of the honored citizens of the county, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring on the homestead, in 1857, and his wife passed away in i860. Valentine Winslow, Sr., endured the hardships and deprivations incident to the pioneer epoch in this section, which is now marked by opulent prosperity, and he labored faithfully in making a home in the wilderness. At the time of the great meteoric shower, in 1832, he and Garry Miller were sleeping at night under their wagon, in Pike township, and he awoke to witness the beautiful phenomenon, forthwith rousing his companion and assuring him that the stars were ''playing tag." In 1834 he utilized his ox-team and wagon in bearing the corpse of an Indian to the grave, having maintained friendly relations with the red men who still remained in this locality. The subject of this sketch was afforded the advantages of the somewhat primitive schools of his native township, and was reared on the homestead farm, assisting in its reclamation and improvement, and his vocation throughout life has been that of farming, in connection with which he has met with a due measure of success. In 1861 he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the old homestead, to whose operation he has since given his undivided attention. He has a finely improved and very productive farm of one hundred and forty acres and is one of the substantial farmers and popular citizens of the township whose development he has witnessed and aided. He is a Republican in his political proclivities. In 1864 Mr. Winslow was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Koder, who was born in Ashland county, Ohio, on May 27th, 1838, and who came with her parents, George and Mary (Stout) Koder, to Fulton county in 1846, her father dying in 1885 and her mother in 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Winslow have three children - Lizzy, who is the wife of Daniel Casey ; Minnie, who is the wife of Willard Winslow; and George, who is associated with his father in the operation of the home farm.

OSCAR J. WISMAN, D.D.S.. a prominent and highly-successful dentist of Delta, is a descendant of a family that on his father's side has long been established on the American continent and whose maternal ancestors originally came to Pennsylvania from Germany. He is the son of Eli and Mar}' (Lesnet) Wisman. both natives of Ohio. Eli T. Wisman was born in Knox county. O.. in 1844. and for a number of years was actively engaged in farming. He served through the Civil war as a member of Company K of the One hundred and fifteenth Ohio volunteer infantry. At present he is engaged in the United States mail service in the capacity of carrier. He and wife, who was born in Williams county, in 1846. are the parents of five children. They are: Eva; Jennie, the wife of Jay Wilkins of Montpelier. O. ; Myra, now Mrs. Lawrence Bollinger of Montpelier; Lula, still at home, and Oscar J. Dr. Oscar J. Wisman was born in Kiddville. Sullivan county, Mo., January 19. 1871. He received his elementary education in the country schools of Williams county and of Montpelier, and he is a graduate of the teachers* course at the Commercial college of Fayette, O., Normal University. After graduating he taught for one year and then was engaged for four years in the hardware business. In 1898 he entered the Northwestern Dental college of Chicago, from which he graduated in 1901. He began the practice of his profession at Delta on May 7, of the same year. L'ntil quite recently he was the only dentist in Delta. The result of his push and enterprise is a large and lucrative practice which extends to all parts of the county. Dr. Wisman is a member of Fulton Lodge. No. 248. Free and Accepted Masons and of the Modern Woodmen of America, and with his wife a member of the Presbyterian church. In politics the Doctor is a stanch Republican, in which matter he follows his ancestral line. While Dr. Wisman commands a very extensive practice he and his most estimable wife enjoy high social relations in the beautiful little city that they have chosen as their home.

. EMIRA WILLSON, a venerable resident of the village of Swan- Ion, where he is now living retired, was long engaged in agricultural pursuits in Fulton township, and is a man to whom has been ever accorded the uniform confidence and respect of his fellow men. He wras born in Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, on the nth of June, 1819, and is a son of Nathan and Margaret (Potter) Willson, both of whom were born and reared in the State of New York, their marriage having been solemnized in Genesee county, whence they came to Ohio about the year 1815, having two children at the time. They settled first in Clark county and later removed to Geauga county, where they* remained about ten years, at the expiration of which, in 1833, they came to Fulton count}', where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father having been a skilled mechanic but having devoted the greater portion of his active career to farming. He died in 1840, and his wife passed away in 1844. Of their seven children only three attained years of maturity, namely : Katherine, who died of consumption, in 1835, hers having been the first grave made on Etna Ridge, where her parents had settled two years previously; Martin, who is about eighty-eight years of age at the present time, 1905, resides on the farm where he settled when first coming to Fulton county, two miles west of the village of Ai ; and Emira, subject of this sketch, is about two years younger, both brothers being hale and hearty. Emira Willson received a common-school education, and was about fourteen years of age at the time of the family removal to Fulton county, where he has ever since maintained his home. He has cleared and othenvise improved three good farms in Fulton township, and there he still owns one hundred and thirty acres, near the old family homestead. In 189a Mr. Willson removed to Swanton, where he had previously purchased a nice little place of about seventeen acres, improved with a good residence and other buildings, and here he has since lived essentially retired, enjoying the just rewards of his many former years of toil and earnest application. Mr. Willson has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for forty years, having been initiated as an entered apprentice in the lodge at Delta, this county, and having been a charter member of the lodge at Swanton, to which he was admitted. He is also a member of the Masonic Relief association of Ohio. He ca*t his first presidential vote in 1840. his ballot was given in support of William Henry Harrison, and later it was his privilege to vote for the grandson, General Benjamin Harrison, for the same office. He has followed the fortunes of the Republican party from the time of its organization to the present, having previously been an adherent of the Whig party. He has never sought office, but has been called upon by his fellow-citizens to serve in various local preferments, having been elected without solicitation or effort on his own part. The Willson family was here dnr; ig the so-called Ohio and Michigan war, resulting from the dispute as to the boundary line, and Mr. Willson heard the only firing that was indulged in by the contending parties during that trouble. Indians were in evidence in this section for several years after he came to the :* *onty, and they were peaceable and hospitable as a rule. When Willson family located in what is now Fulton county, in 1833, there were only three other families here resident, those of Valentine Winslow, Euretus Knight and David Hobart, but to-day the township is one of the most populous and opulent in the county. January 13, 1842, Mr. Willson was united in marriage to Miss Almira Browning, who was bom in Herkimer county, N. Y., in 1821, and whose death occurred on the 8th of December, 1902. Three children were bom of this union. William, the eldest, enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio volunteer infantry, at the time of the Civil war, and died while in the service, as a result of disease, having been twenty years of age. George, the second son, resides on the homestead farm of his father, in Fulton township. He married Miss Lucetta Munger, of Delta, and they have two children - Byron, who is married and is associated in the operation of the home farm, and Minnie, who is the wife of Eugene Penney, a successful farmer of the same township. Emma Jane, the youngest of the three children, became the wife of Ambrose Sidney Eldred. who was born in Kalamazoo county, Mich., and who was a soldier in the One Hundred and Twentyeighth Ohio Volunteer infantry during the War of the Rebellion. He died in 18 92, no children surviving him. Mr. Eldred was a farmer of Fulton county during his residence here. In 1882 he sold his farm, in Pike township, after which he resided in Ashland county for three years. In 1885 he went to Western Kansas, where he was engaged in the general merchandise trade for five years, at the expiration of which he returned to Fulton county, passing the closing days of his life on the Willson homestead, west of the village of Ai. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Eldred has remained at the paternal home, and is the loving and devoted companion of her venerable father.

JONATHAN R. WISE has improved and owns one of the valuable farm properties of Gorham township, and is one of the most progressive agriculturists and stock-growers of this section. He was bom near Shelby, Richland county, Ohio, on the 28th of April, 1845, and is a son of Jacob and Lydia (Hibbard) Wise, both of whom were representatives of stanch old Pennsylvania stock, and the former was bom in Schuylkill county and the latter in Crawford county of the old Keystone State. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this review was Leonard Wise, a pioneer farmer of Pennsylvania and one who was an active participant in several of the early conflicts with the Indians. In 1840 Jacob Wise removed with his family to Richland county, Ohio, where he was engaged in farming until 1847, when he came to Fulton county, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of heavily-timbered land in Gorham township, about three and one-half miles northwest of the present attractive little city of Fayette. He reclaimed a good farm from the virgin wilds, and there remained until he was summoned to that "undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns," his death occurring in July, 1873, at which time he was seventy-three years of age. He was twice married. By the first marriage there were six children, and by the second there were four. His widow of the second marriage survived him by more than a decade, passing away October 17, 1885, and the remains of both rest in the cemetery at Fayette. Of the ten children of the two marriages six are now living. Jonathan R. Wise was about two years of age at the time of his parents' removal to the pioneer farmstead in Gorham township, where he was reared to manhood, early beginning to assist in the reclaiming and cultivation of the place, and his educational advantages were confined to the somewhat primitive common schools of the locality and period. In 1871 he began farming on his own responsibility, finally removing to Michigan, where he remained five years. In 1880 he purchased his present homestead farm, which comprises the northeast quarter of Section 34, Gorham township, and he also owns eighty acres in Section 4, same township, having cleared much of his land from the wild state and having developed one of the best places to be found in this section of the county, and he has erected substantial buildings, including an attractive residence, and made other admirable improvements of a permanent nature. For a period of about six years he rented his farm here, having removed to Clay county. South Dakota, in 1887, and having there been engaged in farming, in Norway township, until 1893, when he sold his property there and returned to his farm in Fulton county, where he has since resided. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and he shows a loyal interest in all that contributes to the civic and material advancement of his home township and county. July 3, 1870, Mr. Wise was married to Miss Rachel Cottner, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 28, 1850, a daughter of John and Mary (Sheriff) Cottner, the former of whom was born in Germany and the latter in Cumberland county, Pa., her parents having come to Ohio about 1826, settling in Richland county, and Mr. Cottner took up his residence in that county about 1840, having been a soldier in the Mexican war. He died in 1883, at the age of seventy-six years, and his widow, who was born May 16, 1816. died May 8, 1899. She was twice married, her first husband having been Thomas Piper, to whom she bore a son and daughter, and of the second marriage there were also born two children. The children of the two marriages were Elizabeth, who is the wife of Joseph Richie, of Michigan; Boyd, who is engaged in farming in Fulton county; Rachel, who is the wife of the subject of this sketch ; and Allen, who is a farmer of Gorham township. Mr. and Mrs. Wise have but one child, Harrie, who is associated with his father in the management of the homestead farm. He married Miss Etta Good, of Carroll count}'. 111., and they have four children : Raymond J., Kennard B., Emanuel L. and Allen B.

MRS. CLARISSA A. WITT, widow of the late Horatio Witt, one of the honored citizens and prominent farmers of Fulton township, still resides on the homestead farm, which is most eligibly located.

two and one-half miles north of the village of S wanton. She was born in Monclova township, Lucas county, Ohio, February 23, 1834, and is a daughter of William C. and Garissa M. (Gunn) Griffin. William C. Griffin was bom in Genesee county. X. Y., October 30, 1803, and at the age of twelve years he accompanied his parents on their removal to the site of the present city of Toledo, Ohio. Four or five years later he went out with a fur-trading expedition, and later he was with the Smith & Macy exploring and surveying expedition in the West After an adventurous career of about a decade he returned to Toledo, in the vicinity of which place he maintained his home for a number of years. In Waterville, Lucas county, in 1829, he was united in marriage to Miss Clarissa M. Gunn, and in 1835 they came to what is now Fulton county, locating on a tract of wild land in Pike township, where Mr. Griffin reclaimed a good farm, also continuing to follow mechanical pursuits, to which he had been thoroughly trained, being an expert mechanic. He attained the patriarchal age of ninetyfour years, five months and ten days, having passed the closing years of his life in the village of Delta, this county, and his wife died at the age of seventy-three years, both having been held in unqualified esteem as true and worthy pioneers of Fulton county, where their lives counted for good in all relations. The Griffin family is of English and German lineage, and the Gunn family of English descent, both having been founded in America in the Colonial days. The mother of Mrs. Witt was bom in Vermont and was a collateral descendant of Captain Carver, whose name was prominent in the Colonial annals of New England. William C. and Garissa M. Griffin became the parents of twelve children, of whom four died young, all the others attaining maturity, being married and leaving families. Five are living at the present time. The names of the eight who reached maturity are: Hortensia, Garissa A., William O., Henry G.. Elizabeth P.. Louisa M., Augustus M., and Carver S. Aside from Mrs. Witt the four living are Elizabeth P., who is the wife of David Myers, of Delta : Louisa M.,who is the wife of Hector Miles, of Delta: Augustus M., who owns and operates the old homestead farm : and Carver S.. who is engaged in farming near Delta. The last named was a soldier in the Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war, and William O., who was a member of the Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was in active service during practically the entire war. being killed in the last battle in the vicinity of Petersburg, Va. Mrs. Witt was reared on the homestead farm and was afforded excellent educational advantages for the day, having attended the schools in Maumee and Perrysburg, and having been a successful and popular teacher for eleven years prior to her marriage. She is a woman of gracious presence and much business acumen, and has the affectionate regard of all who have come within the sphere of her influence. On February 11. 1858. was solemnized her marriage to Horatio Witt, a representative of one of the old and prominent families of Fulton county. He was bom at Wooster, Ohio, on November 6. 1822. In 1851 he went to California, where he remained until 1854. mining, in which he was successful. He then returned to Ohio, and in 1859 they located upon the home- stead where Mrs. Witt has ever since resided. The present residence was erected prior to their removal here, and at the time was looked upon as a veritable mansion. It was substantially built and stands practically intact, after a half-century, comparing favorably with the houses of modem type and being one of the stately old homes of the county. The original farm comprised forty acres, and Mr. Witt increased the same to one hundred and forty, and the homestead as at present constituted comprises one hundred acres. Mr. Writt, who was one of the most honored and influential men of the locality, was summoned to the life eternal on the 21st of January, 1905, and his widow has since given her attention to the management of her property and business affairs, employing a man by the year to operate the farm and -directing its work and improvement to a large extent in a personal way. The property is a valuable one and is one of the model farms of Fulton township. Mrs. Writt is a valued member of the county horticultural society, in which she has been an officer at various times. Mr. and Mrs. W itt became the parents of one child, Mabel A., who was born June 18, 1859. She became the wife of Samuel Winpenny, of Philadelphia, a sailor by vocation, and she died at the parental home, in 1893, leaving one child, Miss Dessie, who has since remained with her grandmother, Mrs. Witt, being one of the popular young ladies of the community and the cherished and devoted companion of her grandmother.

FAYETTE S. WOLCOTT, one of the prosperous farmers and stock-growers of York township, is a native of the Buckeye State, having been born in Oxford township, Erie county, Ohio, on the 25th of November, 1844, and being a son of Newell and Elizabeth Wrolcott, the former of whom was bom in Connecticut and the latter near Harrisburg, Pa., and both were resident of Hillsdale county, Mich., at the time of death, the father passing away at the age of eighty-one years and the mother at the age of eighty-four. They became the parents of two children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the younger. His sister, Susan E.. is the wife of Charles P. McEnallv, of Richmond, Va. Fayette S. W'olcott secured his early education in the public schools and has effectually rounded this out through individual application in later years and through active association with men and affairs. W'hen the integrity of the Republic was placed in jeopardy through armed rebellion he was among the first to tender his aid in defense of the Union. April 12, 1861, he enlisted in an Ohio regiment, but was rejected at muster, by reason of his youth. His second enlistment was more successful, but was accomplished through a somewhat equivocal statement regarding his age, his patriotism and ardor seeming to justify his action. On the 4th of June, 1861, he became a member of Company E, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, forthwith proceeding with his command to Camp Dennison, for drill and equipment. The regiment was assigned to duty in General Kelley's command, in West Virginia, and took part in the battle of Romney, one of the first battles of the war. The regiment remained in that locality until March, 1862, then going to Martinsburg and soon afterward assisting in the capture of Winchester, under General Shields. The regiment then passed on through the Shenandoah valley, and^ in the last days of June, 1862, embarked at Alexandria, Va., and set forth to reinforce McClellan's forces at Harrison's Landing, after the General had been driven from the peninsula. At that point the Eighth Ohio participated in a spirited engagement on the 4th of July, then returning to the defenses of the national capital and taking part in the manouvres leading up to the battle of Manassas, or Second Bull Run, though not actively engaged in said battle. The command then returned to^Georgetown and proceeded up the east side of the Potomac and took part in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, in the last named of which Mr. Wolcott was wounded. His injury led to his receiving his honorable discharge, on the 5th of March, 1863, but oil the 29th of the following February, he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company G, One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war, in Sherman's army, taking part in the Atlanta campaign. After the capitulation of Atlanta his command fell back to Pulaski. Tenn., and took part in the battles of Franklin and Nashville. Thereafter Mr. Wolcott did not take part in further battles, though he remained in service until October 3, 1865, receiving his honorable discharge at Victoria, Tex. He then returned to his home in Erie county, Ohio, where, on January 25, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Amanda M. Roberts, who was bom and reared in that county, being a daughter of Peter and Adeltha Roberts. In 1874 he came "to Fulton county and purchased eighty acres of his present farm, in York township, the tract having but few improvements at the time and being largely unreclaimed. He has brought the farm to a high state of cultivation, has erected good modem buildings, fenced the property and installed an effective system of tile drainage, and he has added fifty acres to its area. In addition to diversified agriculture he gives special attention to sheep-raising and dairying, having high-grade Shropshire sheep and being exceptionally successful in breeding the same. Mr. Wolcott was reared in the faith of the Republican party, whose principles he supported until 1896, when he espoused the cause of free-»silver and gave his support to William J. Bryan for the presidency. The policies since represented by the Democratic party have maintained his loyal support. He served one term as township trustee, and for ten years he was a member of the directorate of the Fulton County Agricultural Society, in whose affairs he has taken a most lively interest. He is affiliated with the lodge and chapter of the Masonic fraternity, at Delta, and also with the Grand Army of the Republic, the Knights of Pythias and the Patrons of Husbandry. He and his wife are identified with the Raker Union church association, which has in view the erection and maintenance of a Union church in York township. Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott have seven children, all of whom have reached maturity: Arthur J., who married Rose Phillipps, owns and operates a smalt farm near the old homestead : Jessie has been a successful teacher in the public schools of Delta ; Cora E. is the wife of William C. Sieble, of Mango, Ind. ; Minnie T. is the wife of Charles A. Snyder, of York township; Ida Belle is the wife of John Gee, of South Delta; William W., who married Miss Mayme Ousterhout, resides on the home farm and is associated in its work and management ; and Fay N. is likewise a member of the home circle.

FRANK YARNELL, marshal and street-commissioner of the city of Wauseon, was born in Wayne county, September 24th, 1855. He is the son of Eli and Susan (Weirick) Yamell, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. In i860 Eli Yamell came to York township, Fulton county, from near Wooster, Wayne county, O., where he was bom November 3, 1825. He was a famous blacksmith in his day and parties came as far as twenty miles to have work done by him, believing him to be superior to all others in that business. No other resident of his community stood higher than he, both as a public man and as a worker in church affairs. On the farm which he purchased in York township he spent the remainder of his happy and prosperous life. He died at the old homestead in 1883, at the age of fifty-eight years. His wife, Sarah Yamell, born January 17, 1832, was the daughter of Philip Weirick, a native of Pennsylvania. She died November 3, 1904. The children of Eli Yamell and wife here follow: Ittreman, a resident of Toledo, O. ; Sarah, the wife of Henry C. Oldfield, the father of Barney Oldfield, the famous motor-car racer; Frank, the subject of this sketch; Ella, deceased; Lucy, the wife of George Jewell of Coldwater, Mich. ; Laura, now Mrs. Edward Driscoll of Coldwater; William, deceased, who died in Toledo at the age of thirty-seven years; Grant, a resident of Wauseon, and Alice, now Mrs. Arthur Hill of Wauseon. Frank Yamell, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of his home count)'. His first work done away from home was on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway, in whose emplov he remained six years. From railroading he went to farming in York township. He then removed to Wauseon, where he now resides. Here he has served the city in the double capacity of marshal and street-commissioner, having been elected to the former office in 1901, and twice to the latter. He has given very general satisfaction because he has been fearless and impartial in the discharge of the duties of both offices. He knows well how to keep order and to care for the highways. He married Miss Lydia Tedrow, daughter of Isaiah Tedrow, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Yarnell have had one child, Harry H. Yamell.

FRANK W. WOOD, the able and popular incumbent of the office of clerk of Fulton county, was bom in Hancock county, Illinois, on the 24th of September, 1856, and is a son of Wyman C and Marilla (Scott) Wood. The father, who now resides in the home of his son, Frank W., subject of this sketch, was bom in Jefferson county, New York, whence he came to Ohio and located in Fulton county in 1868. He is a son of Timothy Wood, who was a pioneer of Jefferson county, New York. The latter married Phoebe Scott, who was bom in Ellisburg, Jefferson county, New York, being a daughter of Oliver S. Scott

Manila (Scott) Wood, mother of the subject of this review, died in 1899. She was a daughter of Pandora and Eunice (Whitmore) Scott, General Winfield Scott having been a member of the same family. Frank W. Wood was about twelve years of age at the time when his parents took up their residence in Fulton county, and he secured his early educational training in the public schools, including a period of attendance in the Wauseon high-school. After leaving school he was elected clerk of the village council of Fayette, remaining in tenure of this office four years, and he served eight and one-half years as a member of the school-board of the same village. In 1887 he was elected clerk of Gorham township, remaining incumbent of this position several terms, and for six years he was actively engaged in the insurance business. In 1899 Mr. Wood was elected county clerk of Fulton county, as candidate on the ticket of the Republican part}-, of whose principles and policies he is a stalwart advocate, and the most significant testimonial as to the popular estimate placed upon his faithful and able service was that given in his re-election to the office in 1902, by an increased majority. Mr. Wood is affiliated with the lodge, chapter and council of the Masonic order, taking an active interest in each of these bodies of the time-honored fraternity. In 1877 ^r* Wood was united in marriage to Miss Man* E. Keith, daughter of Solon Keith, who came to Fulton county about 1840, from Erie county, Ohio, becoming one of the pioneer farmers of Gorham township. His father, Caleb Keith, was a native of Scotland, whence he immigrated to America when a young man. The maiden name of Mrs. Wood's mother was Lucy Ray. and she was bom in Connecticut. Judge Caleb Keith, an uncle of Mrs. Wood, served twelve years on the probate bench of Fulton county. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have three children, namely : Leslie Arthur, who is a graduate of the Fayette Normal University and the Perry Davis commercial collegiate institute, and who is now serving as deputy county clerk of Fulton county; Albert Edward, who is a graduate of the Case School of Applied Science, of Cleveland, Ohio, being a successful civil engineer : and Frank Wilbur, who is attending school in his home city of Wauseon.

CHARLES WRIGHT, one of the substantial farmers and popular citizens of Pike township, where he also conducts a successful dairying business, was bom in Summit county, Ohio, on the 29th of September, 1841, and is a son of George and Ann Wright. His father was bom in Derbyshire, England, on the 1st of November, 1802, and his mother was bom in Yorkshire, England, July 12, 181 1. They were reared in their native land, where the mother continued to reside until the immigration of the families to America, about the year 1826. She was reared to maturity in the State of New York, and in Pern*, Wyoming county, that State, her marriage was solemnized, on the 7th of July, 1833, her husband having come to the United States in 1830. In 1838 they set forth for Ohio, which was then considered on the frontier of civilization, and they located in Summit county, where they remained until 1853, when they removed to Fulton county, purchasing what is now the William Jones farm, four and one-half miles west 6f

Delta. Here the father gave himself to the reclaiming and cultivation of his farm, developing one of the valuable places of this section of the county and continuing to reside on the homestead until his death, which occurred on the 14th of March, 1885, a°d his loved and devoted wife passed away on the 16th of the following September. They became the parents of eight children, of whom five are now living, and two of the sons, George and Thomas W., were valiant soldiers in the Union lines during the Civil war. Charles Wright secured his early education in the common schools of Summit county, and was about twelve years of age at the time of the family removal to Fulton county, where he continued to attend school at irregular intervals, in the meanwhile assisting in the improvement and cultivation of the home farm. He was here identified with agricultural pursuits until 1872, when he removed to Williams county, having purchased a farm southwest of the village of Pioneer. One year later he returned to Fulton county and located on his present farm, which is well-improved and under effective cultivation, comprising eighty acres of fine land. In politics Mr. Wright is a stanch Republican, taking a loyal interest in local affairs; he has served one term as township trustee, and he has also been road supervisor and a member of the school-board. At Fairfield, Hillsdale county, Michigan, on the 29th of September, 1870. Mr. Wright was united in marriage to Miss Clarissa A. Tappan, who was bom in Fulton county, Ohio, January 1, 1846, being a daughter of Wesley W. and Amanda M. Tappan. She died on the 3d of June. 1897, and is survived by three children, namely: Amanda A., who is the wife of Ernest F. Watkins, of Lyons. Ohio; George W., who married Mary Boynton and who is a successful farmer of Pike township ; and Edna E., who is the wife of Walter A. Tappan. of Pike township. On the 18th of February, 1904, Mr. Wright was married to his present wife, whose maiden name was Cora B. McMannis, and who was born in Fulton county, on the 19th of February, 1865. being a daughter of William R. and Rebecca (Bayes) McMannis, well known residents of the county.

CHARLES E. YOST is a prominent and popular member of the newspaper fraternity in Fulton county, being editor and publisher of the Fayette Review, in the thriving little city of Fayette. He was born in Hebron, Licking county, Ohio, September 10. 1862, and is a son of John and Delilah (Markley) Yost, both of whom were born and reared in Ohio, being representatives of pioneer families of the old Buckeye State. The parents removed to Hancock county in 1872. and three years later took up their residence in Van Wert county, where the mother died on the 9th of August, 1902, at the age of sixtyseven years. John Yost was reared on the farm and devoted the major portion of his active career to agricultural pursuits, in which he met with a due measure of success, and in his young manhood he was engaged in teaching in the common schools for some time. He now resides in the city of Van Wert, having retired from active business and being seventy-two years of age at the time of this writing, in 1905. Of the eight children in the family the following is an epito- mized record: Lillie is deceased; Charles E. is the immediate subject of this sketch; William N. is a resident-of Meridian, Idaho; Catherine is the wife of David W. Poling, of Jackson, Mich.; Maud is a teacher in the public schools of Van Wert, Ohio; Leota remains with her father; Odessa is the wife of Burr M. Wilkinson, of Jackson, Mich.; and Augustine is deceased. Charles E. Yost accompanied his parents on their removal from Licking to Hancock count}', and later to Van Wert county, being reared to the discipline of the farm and securing his educational training in the public schools and in the Fayette Normal University, at Fayette, Fulton count}'. He began teaching in the public schools when seventeen years of age, and continued to follow the pedagogic profession, with marked success, until 1895, his labors in this line having been principally in Van Wert and Fulton counties. He was thereafter engaged in farming for a time, in Gorham township, this county, after which he devoted himself to the acquiring af the "art preservative of all arts/' learning the printer's trade, so that he was amply fortified for effective newspaper work when, on the 1st of September, 1901, he founded the Fayette Review, the initial issue being sent forth on that date, and he has made the paper an excellent exponent of local interests and a model in its letterpress and general make-up and editorial consistency, the paper being non-partisan in politics and being published on Saturday of each week. It has gained an excellent circulation, which is constantly increasing, and the plant is well equipped, including a good job-department. Mr. Yost is a public-spirited citizen and is popular in both business and social circles. He is a Democrat in his political allegiance and is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees. August 4, 1896, Mr. Yost was united in marriage to Miss Ada Purcell, daughter of Lott A. Purcell, a well-known citizen of Fayette. One son, Gaylord P. Yost, has blessed this union.

JOHN S. YOUNG was one of the pioneer newspaper men of Fulton county and was a citizen of much prominence and influence during the course of a signally useful and active career, having been intimately identified with the civic and material progress and upbuilding of the city of Fayette as well as the county in general, and haring left an unassailable reputation as a man of highest integrity in all the relations of life. It is thus most consonant that a tribute to his memory be entered and perpetuated in this publication. Mr. Young was bom in St. Lawrence county. New York, April 3, 1838, and his death occurred at his home in Fayette, Ohio, on the 27th of January, 1905. His father, Jeremiah Young, was a native of the State of Vermont, was of Scotch ancestry and a member of a family founded in America in the Colonial days. He was a valiant soldier in the War of 1812, having been a member of the forces manoeuvering in the Maumee valley of Ohio and Indiana during the campaign of 1813. After the close of the war he returned to Vermont, where his marriage was solemnized, and he thence removed to the State of New York, settling on what is locally known as Scotch Ridge, near the present town of Madrid, St. Law- rence county. In 1845, imbued with the "Western fever," which was then animating many residents of that section, he set forth with his family for the scenes of his earlier experiences coming by boat to Cleveland, which city was so far removed from Maumee valley, his intended objective point, that he settled near Medina, where he engaged in farming, being a pioneer of that section. There, John S., who was then a Koy of seven years, secured his early educational discipline in the common schools, and he was early apprenticed to learn the printer's trade, his mother having died in the same year in which the family came to Ohio. Before the end of his apprenticeship, in 1853, he came to Fulton county, to work in the first printing office established in the county, the little office having been opened only a short time previously at Ottokee, which was then the county-seat, and the original proprietor was a man named Parker. Although in later years Mr. Young was temporarily diverted from the newspaper business into other lines of enterprise, and in other locations, it may be said that the greater portion of his life was passed as an employe or publisher of Fulton county's various newspapers. He was connected with the Wauseon Republican for more than thirty years, under several different managements, and a detailed record concerning his career in Fulton county would be practically an epitome of the earlier journalistic history of said county. In 1891 Mr. Young became the publisher of the official organ of the Patrons of Husbandry of the State of Ohio, continuing editor and publisher of the same until it was abolished by the grand lodge of the order, after an existence of two years' duration. In 1894 he purchased an interest in the Fayette Record, removing to Fayette in December of that year, and soon afterward he secured the entire ownership of the paper and business, conducting the enterprise until the day of his death, having admitted his only son. Frank C., to partnership, in September, 1904. From his long and intimate connection with the county's newspapers, entailing, as it did, a knowledge of the people and their political and social relations, few men were better known within the confines of the county than was Mr. Young. He was a man of distinct individuality, well fortified in his opinions and ever ready to defend the same, but his kindly nature and broad and tolerant spirit gained to him warm and lasting friendships, and he stood high in the confidence and regard of the people of Fulton county, no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil darkening any portion of his long and honorable career. The ambition for political preferment never appealed to him, and though frequently urged to become a candiate for one office or another, only once did he yield to such overtures, becoming a candidate for the office of county clerk, on a third-party ticket, when he realized there was no chance of his election. February 20, 1859, Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Lozier, who was an infant at the time of her parents' locating in Clinton township, as pioneers of the year 1836, and the first family to locate in the township. She is still living and in good health. The two surviving children of John S. and Hannah Young are Frank C., who continues the publication of the Fayette Record, and Nora A., who is the wife of Willis E. Patterson, of Chesterfield township.

HENRY G. ZELLER, a farmer and contractor of Swan Creek township, is a native of Ohio, having been born in Huron county on July 2, 1864. He is the eldest of three sons living, born to Christian and Christina (Miller) Zeller, the former born in Huron county in 1837 and the latter in Germany in 1842. His grand-parents, George and Barbara Zeller, natives of Germany, emigrated to the United States in 1832, the ocean-voyage consuming one hundred and sixty days, and located on a farm in Huron county, where both ended their days. Of the ten children bom to them seven are still living, residing in different sections of the country. Christian Zeller was wedded to Christina Miller in Erie county, O., and resided in that and Huron county until 1879, when he removed to Fulton county and located on a farm of sixty-four acres, to which he later added eighty acres. The farm is in a high state of cultivation and is well-equipped with substantial buildings, including a large bam. A portion of this farm has been sold to his sons. Starting with comparatively nothing, Christian Zeller has been unusually successful in his life-work. During the period of the Civil war he furnished two substitutes at a cost of twelve hundred and fifty dollars. In politics he takes no active part. He and wife are earnest members of the German Reformed church. To these parents there have been bom five children, of whom three are still living. Those living are : Henry G., William, of Iowa, and Jacob, a Dakota farmer. Henry G. Zeller was educated principally in Erie county, whither his parents had moved when he was a child. At the age of fourteen years he accompanied the family to Fulton county, working on his father's farm until he began life on his own account. In his young manhood, in order that he might become acquainted with the better ways of the world, he visited the West and worked in thirteen different States before his return home. The knowledge gained by his trip has been of great service to him in his life work. Immediately after his marriage he located on a tract of forty-one acres of unimproved land. By close attention to business and by hard, earnest toil he has brought this land to the highest state of cultivation, erecting upon it all the necessary buildings belonging to a first-class farm. Fortune smiled on his efforts, and he now owns an additional seventy acres one mile east of his home farm. In addition to these two farms he is the owner of other valuable real estate. Tor some years he was engaged in wholesale butchering and general gardening, meeting with marked success. About five years ago he began taking contracts in ditching and road-making. Since he began this work he has controlled some large contracts. He now has on hand the contract for digging a mile of ditching in Lucas county, for which he is to receive the sum of thirteen thousand dollars upon the completion of the work. In the building of roads he has been equally successful. A master of his own profession, he sees to it that the work is well and thoroughly done. In political views he is affiliated with the Democratic party. While he has served as school-director and township supervisor he has at no time had political aspirations. He is a member of the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, at Swanton. Mr. Zeller is not identified with any religious denomination, but he is a liberal contributor to the support of all of them. On September 6,

1887, he was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Joanna Bratton, born on a farm in Swan Creek township, near his parental home. She is the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Dull) Bratton, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively. To this union there have been bom two sons. They are : : Ray Edward, aged seventeen, and Floyd Marion, aged fifteen. Both are still in school.

FRANK W. ZERMAN, recorder of Fulton count}', was bom in Wauseon of that county in 1871. He is the son of Casper and Mary Ann ( Yarger) Zerman, the former born in France, as the records show, and the latter in Pennsylvania. He attended the public schools of Wauseon two years, when he removed with his parents to Delta and there remained in school until he was twelve years old. His father being a cripple and sick nearly all of the time, he was forced to quit school when a mere boy, and to make his own living. He learned the printing business with the Atlas Printing Company of Delta, and filled every position from that of "devil" to manager of the office. Of the nineteen years that he was in the employ of this company, he served as foreman for eight years. Beginning life's work under the most discouraging circumstances, it is all the more remarkable that the subject of this sketch has won an honorable place among his fellow-men. By dint of hard, earnest toil and a determination to win in whatever he undertook to do, he has become a successful man, respected and trusted by those with whom he comes in contact. His life is a fine lesson for all struggling young men and boys to study and profit by. In this great country there is no other aristocracy than that of merit, and ail may belong to it by working with all their might to be worthy of it. Mr. Zerman is a member of Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons; Octavius Chapter, No. 154, Royal Arch Masons, both of Delta; Defiance Commandery, Knights Templars; and Delta Lodge, No. 199, Knights of Pythias. He married Miss Clara Coe of Delta, a daughter of Henry Coe, deceased, who came to Delta from Fremont, O. Mr. and Mrs. Zerman have had two children, named Donald C. and Hubert. So successfully has the subject of this sketch conducted everything that he has undertaken that there is no doubt of future promotion.

SIMON ZIMMERMAN, a well-known and highly esteemed pioneer of Fulton county, maintains his residence in the attractive village of Delta, and his is the distinction of having here maintained his home consecutively for a longer period than any other citizen now living in the town, with one exception. For two generations his has been a familiar figure on the streets of Delta. He was a resident of the village for nearly twenty years before its incorporation, which occurred on the 3d of August, 1863, and he was a valued member of the first village council. For fifty-seven years Mr. Zimmerman was an active workman at the trade of carriage and wagon-making, and in the early days his mechanical skill, energy and industry made him a valuable and important factor in the industrial affairs of the community, and be reaped a due reward from his well-directed efforts. Though a skilled mechanic and an aggressive and successful business man, he never failed in ap- predation of the interests of his adopted town and county, being ever knowrn as a progressive and public-spirited citizen. He was one of the organizers of Fulton county and cheerfully contributed of his means to its development, to the erection of public buildings at the seat of its government and to the establishing of judicial and municipal affairs. When, in the judgment of the people, it became necessary to change the location of the county-seat he again cheerfully bore his part in establishing the new judicial center. In 1845, when Mr. Zimmerman took up his residence in Delta, Fulton county, as now organized, was unknown, and the idea of a separation from the then existing political organizations was a remote consideration. The Delta portion of this territory was then under the jurisdiction of Lucas county, and but shortly before had been decided the question as to whether this section belonged to Ohio or Michigan. After a prolonged controversy, during which much ill-feeling had been engendered and armed resistance inaugurated on both sides, the disputed boundary line was finally established. Then came the initial efforts looking toward the erection of a new county. At this time little had been accomplished in the way of internal improvement. Much of the land was still covered with the native timber, and a very considerable portion of the territory now comprised in Fulton count}* was covered with water, the condition being practically that of impenetrable swamp. Roads were practically unknown except for the most frequented thoroughfares, and churches and schools were few and of primitive order. The youth of to-day, or even persons in middle-life, can have but little absolute appreciation of the hardships, toils and privations endured by the early pioneers. A logcabin with a single room, provided with the crudest of home-made furniture ; an earthen floor or, at best, one of rough puncheons ; windows of greased paper in lieu of glass : a wide fire-place, used for heating and also for cooking - this was the average domicile which stood on the primitive farms where now are to be found finely-equipped modem residences, with all the advantages of an opulent civilization. All honor is due these sturdy pioneers who laid the foundations broad and deep for the later superstructure of advanced civilization, and one of the worthy representatives of this loyal class is Mr. Zimmerman. Local organization had much to do with the development of the surrounding country, but personal energy had more. The forests were felled by individual efforts, and largely through private labor were constructed the first drainage ditches. Then the township organizations came to the rescue in ditching and road-making, through a w ise system of public taxation. The township trustees were endowed with almost unlimited power as to the details of transacting township business. It wfas necessary, therefore, that these public officials should be possessed of mature judgment, honesty of purpose and large experience along the lines of their assigned labors. To say that Simon Zimmerman served eleven consecutive years as trustee of York tow*nship is sufficient evidence that he possessed all the requisites demanded for the successful and satisfactory discharge of the duties of the office in which he was so long retained. He has served the people in various official capacities. always writh honor to himself and with acceptability to his constitu- ents. After a life of signal activity and well directed industry, he begins to feel the weight of years, and has thus modified his labors to correspond with failing strength. He suffered the loss of a grocery stock in the Delta fire of 1892, and thereafter he did not again engage in business. He erected a small shop in the rear of his residence, and here he does light mechanical work for his friends and neighbors, but he devotes his attention principally to looking after his property interests in the village and, in season, to the cultivation of his large garden, in which he takes much pride. As a business man he was exceptionally successful, though he never invested a dollar in speculative enterprises. Simon Zimmerman was bom in Wayne county, Ohio, September 1, 1824, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Monasmith) Zimmerman, both of whom were bom in Cumberland county, Pa. They came to Fulton county in November, 1845, and located in Delta, where both died, well advanced in years. Of their nine children only Simon and Joseph are living, there having been seven sons and two daughters. September 14, 184.7, Simon Zimmerman married Miss Sarah Kerr, who was bom in Pennsylvania, and whose death occurred in the year 1898. Of their eight children only three are living, David, Almeda, and Ida. David is a resident of Pemberville, Ohio, and is a skilled painter and decorator. Almeda is the wife of Jacob M. Longneeker, of Delta, and Ida is the wife of George R. Whitehorn, of this place, both being personally represented in this publication. Mr. Zimmerman has been for many years a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, as was also his cherished wife. In politics he was originally a Whig, thereafter supported the Republican party until 1868, when he transferred his allegir.nce to the Prohibition party, in whose support he exercised his franchise until 1896, since which time he has again been found in the ranks of the Republican party. He cast his first vote in York township apd has never voted elsewhere, and he has never failed to vote at any election. He has ever shown a deep interest in educational matters, has filled various school offices, and he gave to his children the best possible educational advantages, which he was denied in his youth.

WILLIAM BORTOX is the owner of a well-improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Franklin township, and is one of the representative citizens of this section of the county. He was bom in Brady township, Williams county, Ohio, on the 27th of August, 1842, and is a son of John and Elizabeth A. (Taylor) Borton, the former of whom was bom in Burlington county, N. J., on the 4th of September, 1820, and the latter was bom December 7, 1816. The death of the father occured on the 12th of July, 1899, his wife having passed away July 5, 1887. John Borton came to what is now Futon county, Ohio, in 1835, and took up eighty acres of heavily timbered land, in section 36, in the eastern part of Franklin township, purchasing the land from the government, for a consideration of one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. He was one of a company of thirteen colonists who came at that time to establish homes in this section. He was a son of Bauthud and Rebecca (Gifton) Borton: both of whom were bom in New Jersey, where the respective families were early founded, and there the former was engaged in farming, devoting special attention to the raising of peppermint, continuing resident of that section until his death. His wife later came to Ohio, passing the closing days of her life in Fulton county. She became the mother of six sons and four daughters, all of the sons having come to Ohio and all being deceased, as are also the daughters. The remains of the six sons rest in the burying ground of the Society of Friends in Franklin township. After John Borton had selected his land and prepared a dwelling of the primitive pioneer type he returned to New Jersey, where soon afterward was solemnized his marriage to Miss Elizabeth A. Taylor, of Burlington county, that state, with whom he made the long overland trip to the new home in the wilds of Fulton county, the journey being made with team and wagon. His first trip was made on foot, and twice afterward he journeyed through by walking. Upon locating on his eighty acres he initiated the work of reclaiming the place to cultivation, developing a valuable farm and becoming one of the leading breeders of cattle, sheep and hogs of fine grade in this section, having been the first to introduce die Chester- White swine in this locality, while later he became an extensive breeder of the Poland-China type. It may be noted in an incidental way that his farm was in Williams county until the organization of Fulton county, in 1850, when Franklin township was included in the new' county. He was a man of much initiative and of very progressive ideas, and as a stock-grower attained a considerable reputation, often paying high prices for fancy stock which attracted his admiration. He finally scfld his farm and moved to Brady township, Williams county, in 1841, there continuing engaged in agricultural pursuits untii his death. He and his faithful and devoted wife became the parents of ten children, concerning whom the following brief record is entered: Susanna is the wife of Ehvood Tule, of West Unity,