Fulton County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1905 (part 5 of 15)

ALBERT N. DREW, a well-known citizen of the village of Lyons and a representative of one of the pioneer families of Fulton county, was born in the city of Buffalo, New York, on the 6th of April. 1847, and is a son of Colonel William H. and Emeline (Richardson) Drew, the former of whom was born in Shelburne, Chittenden county, Vermont, and the latter in Royal ton, Niagara county, New York, both having been born in the year 1818, and their marriage was solemnized in 1838. In December, 1862, they settled on county, Ohio, securing a tract of eighty acres, which the father partially reclaimed from the virgin forest. In 1868 he disposed of his farm and removed with his family to the village of Lyons, where he conducted the local hotel one year, at the expiration of which he removed to Blissfield, Michigan, where he conducted for several years what was known as the Dewey Hotel. The building was finally destroyed by fire and he erected a new and more modem building, to which he gave the name of the Drew Hotel and which lie conducted for thirty years. The building is still in use as a hotel and is known as Coon's Tavern. In 1898 Colonel Drew removed to Burr Oak, Michigan, purchasing a farm ini that locality and there continuing to reside until his death, which occurred on the 2nd of June, 1902. His venerable widow now resides in Lyons, Ohio, making her home with her son, Albert N., subject of this review. One other child is living, Addie C., who is now the wife of George W. Edson, of Detroit, Michigan. At the outbreak of the Gvil war Colonel William H. Drew tendered his services in defense of the Union, enlisting, in May, 1861, in the Twenty-first New York volunteer infantry, of which he was made major, serving as such until the following July, the regiment having been stationed during this time at Elmira, New York. He then went to the front with the regiment, but was compelled to resign from the service in October, 1862, on account of physical disability, having the rank of lieutenant colonel at the time of his retirement. After his removal to Ohio Governor Brough appointed him paymaster of Ohio troops in the Western Army, with the rank of Colonel, and he served in that capacity until the close of the war. Thereafter he served two years as clerk of the Ohio State senate. Albert N. Drew passed the first fifteen years of his life in the city of Buffalo, New York, where he secured his early educational training in the public schools, and he accompanied his parents to Ohio in the winter of 1862, as noted. He became a member of the Ohio National Guard during the progress of the Gvil war, but his father caused him to withdraw from the same, on account of his youth. On the 2d of May, 1864, however, he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until the expiration of his term of one hundred and forty days, when he received his honorable discharge, at Toledo, September 22, 1864. On the 15th of the following January he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company M, Seventh Michigan Cavalry, with which he continued in service until December 15, 1865, when he again received an honorable discharge, having continued in the ranks several months after the surrender of General Lee. After his return home Mr. Drew engaged* in farming, in Royalton township, Fulton county, where he was thus concerned until -the spring of 1888, when he removed to the city of Chicago, where he remained sixteen years as. a trusted employe of the Chicago City Railway Company. In the spring of 1905 he returned to Fulton county and located in the village of Lyons, where he is now living practically retired. In politics Mr. Drew gives an unqualified allegiance to the Republican party, and his religious faith is that of the Universalist church, of which his wife is a member. He is a charter member of Baxter Post, No. 238, Grand Army of the Republic, in Lyons, and takes a deep interest in his old comrades of the Civil war period. August 27, 1868, Mr. Drew was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Jordan, daughter of Amos H. and Rebecca (Livesay) Jordan, of Royalton township. Mr. Jordan was bom in the State of Vermont and settled in Royalton township, Fulton county, in 1834, becoming one of the extensive land-holders of the county and one of its honored and influential pioneers. Both he and his wife continued resident of the county until their death. Mr. and Mrs. Drew have two children : William H., who is a resident of Adrian, Michigan ; and Hattie E., who is the wife of Strickland A. Slack, of Lyons.

WILLIAM H. GEE, son of John and Catherine (Grove) Gee, mentioned on a preceding page, is in the employ of the government in capacity of mail carrier on rural route No. 26, out of the village of Delta, and he is an efficient and popular official, being held in uniform esteem in the county in which the major portion of his life has been passed. Mr. Gee was bom in Seneca county, Ohio, in 1850, and was thus about fifteen years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Fulton county, where he was reared to manhood on the homestead farm, aiding in its improvement and cultivation and receiving a fair common school education. Upon attaining maturity he learned the trade of brick-mason and plasterer and he followed his trade as a vocation for somewhat more than a score of years, after which he was engaged in farming until 1900, when he was appointed to his present position in connection with the rural free mail delivery system, having one of the important routes in Fulton county. Although a mere boy at the time, Mr. Gee gave distinctive evidence of his patriotism and his loyalty to the Union when, on the 22d of February, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, Forty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until June 17th of the same year, when he was granted an honorable discharge, on account of illness which incapacitated him for active duty. He manifested his abiding interest in his old comrades of the

Civil war by retaining membership in that noble organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, whose ranks are being so rapidly thinned by the one invincible foe, death. In politics he accords a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian church. In July, 1874, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Gee to Miss Mary E. Biddle, daughter of Calvin Biddle, one of the pioneer citizens of Fulton county, and of this union have been bom seven children, namely : Arthur B., who resides in Delta; Calvin John, who resides in South Delta; Lucy B., who is the wife of Richard W. Dernier, of Eaton county, Michigan; Frederick, who died at the age of thirteen months, and Walton N., Gertrude Ellen and Mary Adella, who remain at the parental home in York township.

DAVID GEER, a prominent citizen and retired farmer residing near Swanton, is a native of Chittenden county, Vt., where he was bom on February 7, 1832. He is a son of Amos C. and Dollie (Thompson) Geer, both natives of Vermont. After their marriage in their native State his parents removed to Ohio in 1832, and located in Lorain county, where they resided for eighteen years. On April 9, 1865, they removed to Norwalk, Huron county, and located in the neighborhood of the present residence of their son, David. Five yeys later Amos Geer removed to Oberlin, O., where he ended his days. His first wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, died in 1852, and then he married Harriet Chapin, who died in September, 1905, at Oberlin, at the venerable age of ninety years. In the War of 1812 Amos Geer took an active part as a soldier from the Green Mountain State. He was bom in July, 1790, and died at Oberlin at the ripe old age of eighty-five years. Of the children there were eight who attained years of maturity, Sylvia and Anna dying in infancy. Heman, the eldest, was a prominent minister of the Congregational church and spent twenty-five years of his professional life in Ashtabula county, O. He died at Tabor, la., in 1892, aged seventy^ three years, leaving a family of six children, two of whom have attained prominence, one as a professor of music and the other as a physician. Ezra Geer was a carpenter and builder by occupation, who died at Lake Cicott, near Logansport, Ind., in 1893* aged seventy-two years. Benoni T. Geer at the time of his death had attained prominence at the Swanton bar. Both he and his brother, the Rev. Heman Geer, died very suddenly, the cause of their death being heart disease. The former left a family of nine children. Abner Geer died of consumption at the age of sixteen years. Mrs. Betsey A. (Geer) Thompson was next in order of birth. She was married first, in 1868, to Henry Lacy, who enlisted in the Union army in 1863 and was wounded while in the service, carrying a ball in his body until his death. He was the recipient of a liberal pension from the National government because of his disability. Henry Lacy dying, in less than two years after his marriage, his widow was wedded to Heman Thompson, born in 1820 and deceased in 1888. Prior to his marriage to the widow of Henry Lacy, he had married her sister, Hannah Eliza. He was a carpenter by occupation and died without leaving any children. For the past nine years Mrs. Thompson has made her home with her brother, David Geer. On August 26, 1856, she was graduated from the lady's department of Oberlin college, and since that time has devoted the greater part of her active life to teaching. During the lifetime of her husbands she taught school in the country, receiving two dollars per day for her professional services. While thus engaged she found time to do her own housework. She has also successfully conducted select schools in Andover, Pierpont and Swanton. At present she is quite actively engaged in Bible-class work and teaching in Sunday-schools. Though a devoted Christian woman, she is liberal in her religious views, believing that her influence will be greater if not bound by any church creed. She and her brother David are now the only survivors of the family. Wakely W. Geer, a teacher by profession, was educated at Oberlin and died unmarried in i860, at the age of twenty- four years. David Geer, in whose name this , sketch is written, received his education by attending the public schools. Since 1855 he has been a resident of Fulton county, occupying the farm on which he resides. This farm, embracing one hundred and fifty-two acres, has been divided among his children. Mr. Geer served under two enlistments during the Gvil war. He first enlisted as a member of Company I of the Thirty-eighth Ohio, serving ten months in the Western army under Generals Thomas and Sherman, when he was discharged for disability. His second enlistment was in Company H of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio for a period of one hundred days, serving near Petersburg, Va. Because of his disability he receives a liberal pension. He is actively identified with Swanton Post, Grand Army of the Republic. On February 21, 1855, he was wedded to Miss Mary Ann Spaulding, bom in Fulton township in 1839, the daughter of Africa Spaulding, who came from the State of Maine about the year 1835 and located in Fulton county. To this union there were bom six children, three of whom are still living. Their names follow: Harriet, Josephine, May, Della, Addte and

Grant S. Those living are: Harriet, the wife of Carl Griffin, a farmer of Swan Creek township; Della, still at home, and Grant S., who operates the home farm. Mrs. Geer died in 1872 and David Geer married Miss Eliza Matoon, a native of Swan Creek township. To this union there have been bom three children. They are : Sarah, the wife of William Zeller of Fulton county; Susan E., now Mrs. John Wittgen of Fort Washington, Wis., and Lee, who resides on tiie home farm.

CONRAD GEIGER is another of the sterling citizens who have lent dignity to the noble art of agriculture through his association therewith, and he is one of the substantial farmers of Fulton township, where he has a finely landed estate. He was bofn in Seneca county, Ohio, February 22, 1836, and is a son of Henry and Christina (Zutervan) Geiger, both of whom were bom in Germany, whence tiiey came to America^ when young, their marriage being solemnized in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. They located on a' farm in Seneca county, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father attaining the age of seventy years and being survived by his wile for several years. Of their eight children six are living, Conrad having been the first bom. Catherine, who became the wife of John Hablitzon, died in St. Joseph county, Ind. ; Jacob resides in Bloomville, Seneca county, being a substantial capitalist and the president of two banks; William Martin is a prosperous farmer of Crawford county; Hannah Maria is the wife of Nelson N. Shaffner of Bloomville, Seneca county; John Henry is a farmer of DeKalb county, Ind., near Spencerville ; Madison* Paul, who is deceased, passed the most of his mature life as a farmer in Wyandot county, Ohio, and the other child died in infancy. Conrad Geiger secured a common-school education in his native county, and supplemented this by study in an excellent academy at Republic, that county, where he was actively associated with agricultural pursuits until the autumn of i860, when he came to Fulton county, having previously come into possession of eighty acres of his present homestead, the tract being distinguished in that it has never been under mortgage from the time the government deed was granted to the present. In later years Mr. Geiger purchased an adjoining thirty-three acres, so that his estate now comprises one hundred and thirteen acres. Mr. Geiger has prepared most of the farm for cultivation and has erected fine buildings and made other substantial improvements which place this among the model farmsteads of the township. His residence is a commodious brick structure, erected* about a score of years ago, and the other buildings are of excellent order and kept in good repair. In politics Mr. Geiger has always given his allegiance to the Democracy, and has taken a loyal interest in local affairs of a public nature, though never a seeker of office. He and his wife are valued members of the Reformed church. July 1, i860, just prior to his removal to Fulton county, Mr. Geiger was married to Miss Annie Catherine Geiger, the two families being not consanguineous, though of the same name. She was bom in Sandusky county, Ohio, July 23, 1837, a daughter of Jacob and Magdalena Geiger, both natives of Germany. Her father crossed the ocean five times, bringing his affianced wife on his last trip, and their marriage was celebrated in the city of Philadelphia shortly after their landing in the new world. They resided in Pennsylvania four years and then removed to Sandusky county, Ohio, as pioneers, there passing the remainder of their lives. The father, whose principal vocation was that of farming, died October 5, 1865, aged sixty-five years; and his widow attained the age of four score years, her death occurring November 21, 1888. They had nine children: Henry and Conrad are deceased; Mrs. Geiger was the next in order of birth; Susan is the wife of Edward Richards of Genoa, Ottawa county ; Jacob is a resident of Mississippi ; Sophia is deceased; Elizabeth is the wife of Thomas McIntyre, and they reside in Florida; Caroline is the wife of James McIntyre, and they reside in Michigan; and William is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Geiger have had nine children, of whom only one is living, Maria

E., the second child. She was bom December 24, 1867, and was reaxed and educated in Fulton county. September 28, 1882, she became the wife of Lorenzo D. Price, of Monessen, Pa., and they have four children, Nellie, Catherine, Conrad G. and Alice. The eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Geiger was an infant son, who died unnamed; the next child was Mrs. Maria Price; the third child, Ella D., died at three years of age ; the fourth was an infant son who died unnamed; the fifth was William N., who died at about eleven years of age; John C., the sixth child, died when about eight years old; Emma, the seventh child, died in her seventh year; Henry, the eight child, died when about four years old, and the ninth child, an infant son, died unnamed.

PHILIP GARMAN is another of the native sons of Fulton county who has had the wisdom to here continue actively concerned in agricultural pursuits, and he is one of the representative farmers of the younger generation in Clinton township. He was bom in Fulton county, on the 26th of March, 1867, and is a son of William and Jane (McKibben) Garman, well-known pioneers of the county, where they still maintain their home. Philip was reared on the home farm and has been one of sufficient prescience to take advantage of the modem facilities for the handling of the details of farm work, so that his success has been one of unequivocal sort. His educational training in his youth was secured in the public schools in the vicinity of his home. In 1891 he purchased the present farm, which comprises twenty-six acres of excellent land, and the place is well improved. In addition to the work of his farm he operates a modem threshing outfit each season, finding ready requisition for the same and giving the best of service to his many patrons. He is held in unqualified esteem in the community and is at the present time incumbent of the office of assessor of Clinton township. December 25th, 1888, in gracious recognition of the Christmastide, Mr. Garman was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Stutzman, who was born March 31, 1869, being a daughter of David and Mary (Nicodemus) Stutzman. Mr. and Mrs. Garman have two children: Charles, bom December 19, 1890: and Paul Encil, bom April 20, 1898. David Stutzman, father of Mrs. Garman, :s a prominent and honored farmer of Clinton township. He was bom in the vicinity of Johnstown, Cambria county, Pa., May 24, 1836, and in that county was also bom Mary Nicodemus, to whom he was married in November, i860. Mr. Stutzman was identified with the iron-manufacturing industry in Pennsylvania about thirteen years, and in 1868 he came to Fulton county, Ohio, and purchased the farm on which he now resides. His wife was born May 2, 1842, and to them have been bom five children: Charles married Emma Geringer and they reside in Paulding county, Ohio; Etta is the wife of Ellsworth McLaughlin, of Clinton township'; Ella is the wife of John Butler, and they reside in Missaukee county, Mich. : Sarah is the wife of Philip Garman, whose name initiates this sketch ; and Florence remains at the parental home. The original American ancestors of the Stutzman family immigrated hither from Switzerland.

DAVID J. FENNER, successful farmer and prominent citizen of Royalton township, where he has made his home for nearly half a century, was bom in Lake county, Ohio, March 4, 1847, being a son of Daniel and Mahala (Way) Fenner, the former of whom was born in Connecticut and the latter in the State of New York. The parents were numbered among the pioneers of Lake county, Ohio, whence they came to Fulton county in 1858, the father purchasing eighty acres of wild land, in Section 9, Royalton township, where he developed a valuable farm property, continuing his residence on this homestead until his death, at the age of sixty-seven years, his cherished and devoted wife having passed away at the age of sixty years. Anthony Fenner, father of Daniel, was likewise an early settler of Royalton township, where both he and his wife died. Of his children those who became residents of Fulton county were as follows: Daniel, father of the subject of this sketch; Alpheus, who reclaimed several farms in Chesterfield and Royalton townships; Irwin and Thomas A., who likewise were prosperous farmers ; Almira, who became the wife of David Potes, of Royalton township; and Jane, who married Ichabod Edson. Daniel Fenner was twice married, the maiden name of his first wife having been Caroline Pitcher, who bore him two sons, Charles and Irwin, both now deceased. Five children represented the offspring of his marriage to Mahala Way, namely: Caroline and Dennis, who are deceased ; David J., whose name initiates this paragraph ; Julia, Who is deceased ; and Angeline, who is the wife of Nicholas McGurer. David J. Fenner became the owner of the old homestead farm of his parents, and there he continued to reside until the spring of 1905, when* he removed to his present fine farm, of one hundred and fourteen acres, in Section 17, same township, but he still owns the old home farm, previously mentioned, thus being one of the large land-holders of the county and having been signally prospered in his energetic and progressive endeavors as a representative husbandman of his native county. In politics' he is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church at Lyons, and he is identified with the Knights of the Maccabees. January 22, 1881, Mr. Fenner was united in marriage to Miss Evaline Wood, daughter of Joshua and Ann (Ingle) Wood, the former a native of Monroe county, N. Y., and the latter of London, England. Mrs. Fenner was reared in the State of Iowa, but has been a resident of Fulton county since 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Fenner have two sons, Rufus B. and Omer, both of whom remain beneath the home roof being associated with their father in the work of the farm.

MRS. SARAH L. FRAKER, who owns and occupies one of the most attractive rural homes in Fulton township, is the widow of George W. Fraker, whose death occurred in his forty-fourth year, on the 14th of December, 1895. He was a member of one of the old and honored families of the county, and a due record concerning the same is given in the sketch of Andrew J. Fraker, appearing on pages immediately preceding this memoir. Mrs. Fraker was born in Fulton township and is a daughter of Isaac and Rachel A. (Watkins) F'auble both of whom were born and reared in Ohio. They were numbered among the early settlers of Fulton county, taking up their abode on a primitive farm near the present Fulton Union church, in Fulton township, where the father died at the age of fifty-eight years, his devoted wife living to attain the age of sixty-five years. They had six children: Christopher, who died in childhood; Mary Jane, who is the widow of Frederick Koos, and resides in Clinton township; Robert, wfho is a representative farmer of Fulton township; James Edward, who resides in Swan Creek township, where he is a prosperous farmer; Sarah L., whose name initiates this sketch; and Rachel Ann who is the wife of Andrew J. Fraker, mentioned in preceding sketch. The marriage of George W. Fraker and Sarah L. Fauble was solemnized on the 14th of January, 1877, and they immediately located on the farm where Mrs. Fraker now maintains her home. This farm, which comprises eighty acres, in the southeast corner of Section 33, Fulton township, was but partially reclaimed and had few and inferior improvements at the time when Mr. and Mrs. Fraker here took up their abode. Mr. Fraker was a man of good judgment, comprehensive knowledge of the details of farm work, and of indefatigable industry, and these forces came into effective play in the improving and management of the new farm, which he cleared and placed under an advanced state of cultivation, building substantial fences, installing an excellent system of tile-drainage and making the place a model farm. He erected the handsome modern residence which adorns the place, and the fine bam was erected through the efforts of Mrs. Fraker since his death. In politics he was a supporter of the cause of the Democracy, he was affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and was a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Swanton, in which his widow also holds membership. The family is one of marked prominence and popularity in the social life of the community, and the beautiful rural homestead is a center of gracious hospitality. The residence, with its fine lawns, hedges, flowers and shrubbery, occupies a commanding site, overlooking the surrounding country, and the interior gives evidence of refined taste and of appreciation of the ideal home-life. Mr. and

Mrs. Fraker became the parents of three children, the eldest of whom, Mabel, is now the wife of Lyman Eugene Wiley, who now has charge of the Fraker homestead farm, he and his wife making their home with the latter's mother. Mr. Wiley is a son of Isaac Wiley, of whom individual mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Wiley are the parents of one child, Frank Fraker Wiley, born December 7, 1901. Frank, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Fraker, died October 1, 1898, a promising and noble youth of seventeen years and a member of the senior class in the Delta high school at the time of his demise. Ethel, the youngest of the children, completed her education in Fayette Normal University, this county, and she has since been a popular teacher in the district schools of her native township. She is a member of the Daughters of Rebekah, auxiliary of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both she and her sister hold membership in the Rathbone Sisters, adjunct to the Knights of Pythias.

THOMAS H. FRAKER is one of those enterprising citizens who find a due measure of satisfaction and profit in carrying forward the various lines of farming industry and is one of the progressive and successful farmers and stock-growers of York township, where he owns and operates the old homestead on which he was bom and reared. He was born April 23, 1863, and is a son of Isaac and Nancy Jane (Kizer) Fraker, both born in Wayne county, Ohio, the former on the 24th of April, 1826, and the latter on the 22d of April, 1837. They were married in October, 1852, at East S wanton, Lucas county, and forthwith took up their abode on the farm where their son, Thomas H., now lives, the fine farmstead being located on the eastern line of York township, and adjacent to the thriving village of Delta. This property was secured from the government, in the early pioneer days, by Thomas Fraker, grandfather of the present owner, and the original entry comprised a large tract of land, of which one hundred and six acres are retained in the present homestead. In addition to this place Mr. Fraker also owns another farm, of eighty acres, in the same section, and a good farm of one hundred acres in Lucas county. He has always made his home, on the ancestral farmstead except for one year, during which he was engaged in business in Montpelier. His honored father was one of the prominent farmers and business men of the county, having been for many years engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock and having also dealt somewhat extensively in real-estate. He was a man of unassuming worth, had traveled much and was broad in his intellectuality, and he commanded the esteem of all who knew him. He died January 24, 1901, his wife having passed away January 11, 1889. Of their four children, Thomas H. was the only son and he is the only one now living. Elizabeth I., the eldest, was bom October 11, 1853, and died in her eighteenth year; Susannah M., born February 20, 1858, died March 24, 1859; and Ida Ethel, bom August 30, i860, died November 17, 1864. Thomas H. Fraker was reared to manhood on the old homestead and duly availed himself of the advantages of the excellent public schools of the village of Delta. He finally purchased the home farm from his father, and he has become recognized as one of the leading representatives of the thrifty farming element of this favored section of the Buckeye State, each of his three farms being well-improved and conducted under his general supervision, though he gives his personal attention more particularly to the old home place. He is one of the leading growers of short-horn cattle in Fulton county, having made this department of his enterprise a specialty during the past eight years and breeding from thoroughbred stock. He has at the present time a herd of about twenty-five thoroughbreds, and he also has about twenty head of milch cows, selling his dairy product principally to the milk conden^ery at Delta. In politics he clings to the ancestral faith and is an uncompromising Democrat, taking a lively interest in the party cause but never wing an aspirant for office. April 2, 1889, Fraker married Miss Jennie L. Watkins, who was born in this county, being a daughter of Wesley and Catherine (Fesler) Watkins, concerning whom more detailed mention is made in the sketch of their son, George W., on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Fraker have no children.

SAMUEL FRYBARGER, one of the representative farmers of Fulton township, is an honored veteran of the Civil war and in all the relations of life he has shown the same loyalty and integrity which marked his course during the days when he followed his country's flag on the battle-fields of the South. He was bom in Somerset county, Pa., on the 15th of October, 1843, being the eldest son of John Henry and Mary (Schultz) Frybarger, the former of whom was bom in Germany and the latter in Pennsylvania, and the respective years of nativity were 1800 and about 1810. They were married in the old Keystone State, whence they went to Missouri where the father was engaged in farming for* a time, finally returning to Pennsylvania, whence they came to Fulton county, Ohio, in 1854. They located on a tract of wild and heavily-timbered land in Fulton township, one mile east of the homestead of their son, Samuel, of this sketch, and there the father died in the following year, and his widow remained on the farm with her children until her death, in June, 1888. Of the twelve children eight are living: Caroline is the wife of Joseph Gehring, of Delta, this county ; Samuel is the subject of this review ; Barbara is the wife of a Mr. Petty, of California; Margaret is the wife of Washington Hall and they reside in Oklahoma; John Henry is a resident of Delta; George W. remains on the old homestead, which he owns; and Henry is a successful farmer of Indiana. Samuel Frybarger secured a commonschool education and remained at home until he had attained the age of twenty-six years. Exceptional burdens of responsibility were early placed upon his shoulders, since he was the eldest son and was but twelve years of age at the time of his father's death. Largely through his personal effort the home farm was cleared and reclaimed to cultivation, placing his loved mother in comfortable circumstances. The early years of toil were very rigid in their demands, and the utmost economy had to be observed by the family, but with the passing of years prosperity yielded its grateful tribute in compensation for past labors and self-denial. August 15, 1862, Mr. Frybai^er enlisted as a private in Company K, One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served three years in the Western army. He participated in the Atlanta campaign, returning with his command, under General Thomas, to the defense of Nashville, and taking part in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, as well as in many other important engagements incidental to the great conflict which perpetuated the integrity of the Union. Among the engagements in which he was an active participant may be mentioned the battles of Knoxville, Campbell's Station, Hough's Ferry, Strawberry Plains, Siege of Knoxville, Burnt Hickory, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek and Atlanta, besides innumerable skirmishes. He was never captured or seriously wounded, though escaping by very close margins on several occasions. He received his honorable discharge, June 27, 1865, at Salisbury, N. C., having thus served until the close of the war, and in recognition of his fidelity and of disabilities resulting from his service he receives a pension. In 1875 Mr. Frybarger went to Kansas and secured a homestead in Pawnee county, where he remained four years. Two years of protracted drouth caused him to meet with entire failure of crops and he therefore left the Sunflower State and purchased a farm in Lenawee county, Mich., where he resided one year, when he disposed of the property and purchased his present fine homestead of one hundred and two acres, where he has resided for a score of years, having sold his Kansas farm after returning to Ohio, He is engaged in general farming and stock-growing, and for a number of years has also conducted a successful dairying business, being associated with his son John in the work and operation of the farm. He is a stalwart Republican in his political proclivities and while he has ever taken a lively interest in public affairs he has never sought or held office. Mr. Frybarger has been thrice married. September 21,- 1867, he^ wedded Miss Lucinda Schrock, who was bom in Holmes county, Ohio, April 4, 1847, and who died February 25, 1875, leaving one daughter, Rosa B., who is the wife of Herrick McArthur, of Fulton township. January 24, 1877, Mr. Frybarger married Miss Sarah Ann Cook, who died February 27, 1883, leaving two children: Laura, who is the wife of Norton Miller, of Pike township, and Eliza, who remains at the paternal home. February 11, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Frybarger to Miss Jane Ann Egnew, who was born in East Swanton, Lucas county, Ohio, being a daughter of James and Mary J. (Emmick) Egnew, both of whom died in that county in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Frybarger have two children, John and Grace, both of whom remain members of the home circle.

ber, who is one of the sterling pioneers and prominent farmers of Gorham township. He was bom in Fayette, Seneca county, N. Y., on the nth of September, 1835, and is a son of Henry and Polly (Hartrauft) Gamber, both natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Seneca county, N. Y., where the father was engaged in farming until 1852, when he came with his family to Fulton county, Ohio, having previously visited this section and selected a location for his future home. He and his wife and their six children made the entire trip with a team and heavy wagon and a one-horse buggy, being thirteen days enroute. He purchased one hundred and sixtyacres, on the present site of Fayette, - eighty acres on each side of the town as now established, with Main street as the southern boundary. He paid seven hundred and fifty dollars for the east half and eight hundred dollars for the eighty acres on the west side, and about one-half of the present town of Fayette is on the land which, he thus secured and which he cleared and improved. The old family residence was on the site of the present fine brick dwelling which constitutes the attractive home of John J. Gamber, subject of this sketch. There were two log houses on the property when the father came into possession of the same, one on each tract described in the foregoing lines, one being situated on either side of the street and about ten rods south of the present residence of John J. Gamber. The entire west eighty acres have been cut up into town lots, and of the east eighty Mr. Gamber retains thirty-seven acres for agricultural purposes, the remainder being solidly built up with business buildings and residences. Save for the portions sold for village lots the property has remained in the possession of the family from the time of purchase, more than half a century ago. Henry Gamber was bom June 11, 1808, and his death occurred May 29, 1854, only two years after he took up his residence in the county. His wife was bom August 7, 1809, and her death occurred on August 1, 1884. They became the parents of seven children, of whom only the youngest was bom in Fulton county. William resides near Norwalk, Ohio; John J., of this review, was the next in order of birth; Maria married a Mr. Tuesly and is now deceased; Sarah is the wife of Myron Smith, of Chesterfield township; Lorenzo is a resident of Fayette; Susan is the wife of Charles L. Allen, of Fayette; and Francis died in childhood. The father, who was a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, held several local offices after taking up his residence in this county, and both he and his wife were worthy members of the Lutheran church. John J. Gamber availed himself of the advantages afforded in the common schools of his native county in New York, and was fourteen years of age at the time of the family removal to Fulton county. He remained at the parental home until the death of his father, after which he was engaged in work for others in this locality, principally in farm labor. In i860 he located on that part of the ancestral homestead which is bis present place of abode, and two years later he purchased a farm farther to the north, giving his attention to its cultivation and improvement until 1868, since which time he has resided on his pres- ent fine homestead, which he owns partially through inheritance and partially through purchase. He is a worthy representative of one of the old and honored families of the county, and is held in uniform esteem in the community which has been his home for so many years. He has always been a loyal supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, and has served in various local offiqes, and he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife was a devoted member of the Disciple church, their long and gracious companionship having been severed by her death, wnich occurred in September, 1898. In 1859 Mr. Gamber was united in marriage to Miss Elvira Sales, daughter of George W. Sales, who was numbered among the pioneer settlers of Fulton county. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Gamber is Lerichmod, who is a representative farmer of Gorham township. * He married Miss Clara Coffin, of Fayette, and they have two children, Howard and Louise.

HON. WILLIAM GEYSER, ex-senator- from the Thirty-third Ohio district, was bom in Wurttemberg, Germany, on October 3, 1840. He came with his mother to Lucas county, Ohio, when about ten years old, where he resided until 1862, when he enlisted in Company I of the Fourteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, serving in the army of the Cumberland, and participating in the battles of Mill Springs, Pittsburg Landing, the Atlanta campaign and the march to the sea coast under General Sherman. At the expiration of his time of service he re-enlisted in the field and remained at the front until the end of the .war. He followed the varying fortunes of the Third Brigade of the Fourteenth Army Corps throughout the war, the list of battles to his credit being a long one, and his military record unimpeachable. At Green River Bridge, Ky., while on the chase after the raider, Morgan, he sustained a hernia which has practically disabled him through life. This, at present, protrudes some nineteen inches, and is seventeen inches in circumference, and for thirty-five years the parts have refused to return to their normal condition. In consequence of this disability he receives a liberal pension from the National government. After his return from the war he engaged in the grocery business in Swanton. Beginning in a small way he rapidly increased his business until the sales averaged $40,000 a year for a number of years. He was the first merchant of Swanton and shipped the first grain from this station. He was extremely prosperous for many years, his credit being unlimited. His venture in the cold-storage business at Wauseon proved disastrous, owing to the indifferent management of his partner. In 1887, unexpectedly to himself and without solicitation on his part, he was chosen a delegate to the senatorial convention at Toledo, where he was nominated as one of the two candidates of the joint district embracing the counties of Lucas, Wood, Hancock, Henry and Fulton. The district was normally Democratic, but by energetic work and proper management Mr. Geyser and his colleague, William Carlin of Findlay, were triumphantly elected by a majority of eighteen hundred and forty votes. While serving in the Eighty-eighth general assembly he favored the Sunday-closing law, thereby incurring the displeasure of the saloon element, and at the election following he was defeated by four hundred votes. After serving as mayor of Swanton for several years he declined further honors in that direction. For seven years he acted as a member of the board of trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane, at Toledo. At present he is serving as assessor for the incorporated village of Swanton. He has always been a power in the counsels of the Republican party and active and energetic in anything that he has undertaken. Mr. Geyser has been thrice married. By his first wife he had two children, both living. They are Maude and Lizzie, both married. Mrs. Geyser having died in young womanhood, he was wedded to Miss Catherine Schrodc and by her had one daughter, the wife of Robert Finn of Fulton county. Two years after the death of his second wife he married Miss Amy Haubiel of Fulton county, who prior to her marriage had taught for eight years in the Delta public schools. To this union there have been bom two children, a son and a daughter. William, Jr., the elder child, for the past two years has been bookkeeper for the International Harvester Company of Chicago. He received a liberal education at Oberlin and Gambier and the Cleveland Business College. Dorothy, the younger child, has achieved an enviable reputation as a musician and linguist, having spent two years at the German and French capitals. While her strongest forte is music, she has attained great proficiency in foreign languages. She is now engaged in teaching music and conducting musical concerts in New York City, where she has relatives of high standing in the musical world, and where she stands very close to the aristocracy. Mr. Geyser has always taken a deep interest in the organizations of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Elks. Mrs. Geyser, as the granddaughter of a colonel in the Continental army, is actively identified with the Daughters of the Revolution, being vice-president of the Wauseon chapter.

WILBUR M. GIVIN, a representative farmer of Gorham township, was bom in Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, on the 21st of September, 1853, the place of his nativity having been a primitive log cabin, which was the family domicile for a number of years. He is a son of George and Eliza (Lavely) Givin, both of whom were likewise born in Harrison county, where the respective families were founded in the early pioneer days. The Givin family is of stanch Scotch-Irish lineage, and the original representatives in America were two brothers, who came from the Emerald Isle to this country as young men, one ' of them being Robert Givin, grandfather of Wilbur M., subject of this sketch. This worthy ancestor first settled in Lancaster county, Pa., whence he removed to Steubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio, and later he took up his residence in Harrison county, where he died in the year 1854. He was a paper-maker by trade, but after locating in Ohio he devoted his attention principally to agricultural pursuits, in which he was successful. George Givin made farming his principal vocation during his active career, and for several years he was a resident of Illinois, but he passed the closing years of his life in Harrison county, Ohio, where he died in 1902 at the age of seventy-seven years. His widow, who is of German and English ancestry, now resides with her son, Robert A., of North Platte, Neb. Of the three children, Wilbur M. is the eldest; Robert A. is a resident of North Platte, Neb., as just stated, and Harvey L. is a resident of Harrison county, Ohio. Wilbur M. Givin was afforded the advantages of the public schools of Harrison county, after which he was a student for one year in Scio College. He was a successful .teacher in the public schools of Harrison county for a period of three years, and since that time his vocation has been that of farming, in which he has met with marked prosperity, his efforts having been directed with consummate energy, intelligence and enterprise. In 1876 he removed to Crawford county, Ohio, where he maintained his home until 1900, when he took up his residence in Gorham township, Fulton county, on his present farm, which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, and the place has excellent improvements of a permanent nature. Mr. Givin is a Republican in his political proclivities, is serving in the office of justice of the peace, and he was a school director for several years in Crawford county. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Methodist church, as is also his wife. On Christmas day of the year 1877 Mr. Givin was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Bukey, of Franklin county, Ohio, daughter of William and Mary Bukey, prominent citizens of West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Givin have three children: Austin C. and Clark A. are residents of Crawford county, and Mary E. is the wife of Charles Young, of Toledo, Ohio.

JOHN W. GODDEN merits recognition in this compilation by reason of his being one of the prosperous farmers and sterling citizens- of Pike township, and he has passed his entire life in Fulton county. He was born in Amboy township, on the 8th of February, 1857, and is a son of William and Mary (Bennett) Godden. William Godden was bom in county Kent, England, on the 10th of September, 1820, and his wife was bom in the same county in November, 1820, and there their marriage was solemnized on the 27th of November, 1840. They immigrated to America in 1849, arriving in the month of May, and resided for a short time in Syracuse, New York, whence they came to Ohio, residing for a time in the city of Cleveland and thence coming to Fulton county about 1855. The father was a tanner and currier by trade, but after coming to Fulton county he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, developing a good farm in Pike township, where he died in 1902, his wife passing away in 1897. They became the parents of ten children, six of the number having been bom prior to the removal to the United States. Robus is the wife of Sylvester I. Spring, of Fulton county; William is now residing on the old homestead farm; Martha has been thrice married and widowed, her last husband having been Ephraim J. Padgham, and she resides in Fulton county; Sarah is deceased;

Mary resides in North Baltimore; Margaret is deceased; Stephen also resides on the old homestead ; Phoebe is deceased ; Eliza is deceased, and John is the immediate subject of this review. John Godden was reared on the homestead farm and has never wavered in his allegiance to the industry of agriculture, in connection with which he has met with excellent success in his independent operations. He is indebted to the public schools of Fulton county for his early educational discipline, and is a man of broad and progressive ideas. His farm comprises thirty-four acres, is under a high state of cultivation and is improved with excellent buildings, including a fine modem residence. He is a Republican in politics. November I, 1899, Mr. Godden was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Arnold, who was born in Hillsdale county, Michigan, on the 8th of January,

NATHAN N. GORSUCH is one of the representative farmers of Pike township and has passed his entire life in Fulton county, where he commands the high regard of all who know him. He was born on the homestead farm, in Clinton township, on the 2d of December, both representative of pioneer families of the old Buckeye State. He was afforded the advantages of the public schools of his home township and was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, and he has shown excellent judgment in making agriculture his vocation throughout his mature career, finding in the connection ample scope for effective and profitable endeavor and enjoying that independence which is denied those who mingle in the "madding crowd's ignoble strife." Mr. Gorsuch is the owner of a well improved farm of 100 acres, the same is devoted to diversified farming and stockgrowing, and special attention is given to dairying, which proves a profitable department of the farm enterprise. In politics Mr. Gorsuch is independent, and he is one of the prominent members of the Church of God in his native county, being a minister in the same and being a devoted worker in the vineyard of the divine Master, as is also his wife. On the 16th of December, 1886, Mr. Gorsuch was united in marriage to Miss Lucy S. Becker, who was bom in Wayne county, this State, on the 3d of December, 1861, being a daughter of Charles and Lucy S. (Shaffer) Becker, both of whom were bom and reared in Germany, their marriage having been solemnized in Wayne county, Ohio, where they continued to reside until 1874, when they came to Fulton county and located on a farm in Clinton township, where Mr. Becker died on the 19th of April, 1905, and where his widow still maintains her home. Mr. and Mrs. Gorsuch have four children, concerning whom the following brief record is entered: Florence M., who was bom* February 20, 1888, is the wife of Orrin Baughman, an engineer on the Lake Shore railroad ; Robert W. was bom January To, 1893; Sophia, September 25, 1896; and Maria, March 23, 1900.

HARMON GASCHE, one of the representative farmers of the younger generation in Clinton township, is a native of Fulton county and has here passed h s entire life thus far, and he has maintained an unwavering fealty to the great fundamental industry of agriculture and has met with marked success in his efforts. He was born in German township, this county, on the 29th of December, 1861, and is a son of George and Catherine (Honeberger) Gasche. His father was born in Wetzlor, Prussia, on the 1st of May,- 1819, and in 1832 he severed the George Gasche. ties which bound him to the fatherland and emigrated to America, settling in Cumberland county, Pa., whence he later came to Wayne county, Ohio, where he took up his residence in Fulton county in 1858, having purchased a tract of land in German township,- in 1840. His wife was bom in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, April 23, 1824, and came with her parents to America in 1837, the family first settling in Canton, Stark county, Ohio, and she was a resident of Holmes county at the time of her marriage. Her honored husband passed to the life eternal on the 24th of January,

Sower, of German township. Harmon Gasche was reared on the home farm and was able to properly avail himself of the advantages of the public schools of the locality, and he initiated his independent career by engaging in the vocation to which he had been reared. In 1887 purchased his present farm, which comprises eighty acres and which is one of Catherine Gasche. the model places of the township, having the best of improvements in the way of buildings and being devoted to general agriculture and to the raising of high-grade live stock. In politics Mr. Gasche maintains an independent attitude, being a man of well defined convictions and opinions and taking an intelligent interest in the issues and questions of the hour. He served two years as road supervisor, but has never been ambitious for public office of any sort. March 9, 1899, Mr. Gasche was united in marriage to Miss Maria Kimerer, who was bom in Fulton county, July 23, 1864, being a daughter of Charles and Christena (Biddle) Kimerer, the former of whom was born in Preston county, West Va., October 21, 1812. In 1838 Mr. Kimerer married Christena Biddle, who was bom January 3, 1822, and they came to Fulton county in 1842, the father here turning his attention to farming, which was his vocation during the remainder of his active career. He died October 26, 1898, his wife having passed away on the nth of March, 1897. Mr. an<* Mrs. Gasche have two children - Carl H., born May 15, 1902; and Catherine, bom August 11, 1904. In a fraternal way Mr. Gasche is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Patrons of Husbandry.

THOMAS E. GOODWIN, a representative of one of the old and prominent families of Fulton county, of which he is a native son, is one of the leading farmers and stock-growers of the younger generation in York township, where he has a fine property. He was bom in Swan Creek township, this county, on the 7th of November, 1869, and is a son of Thomas and Rosetta (Keene) Goodwin, being tho seventh in order of birth of a family of eight children. He was reared to the strenuous and wholesome life of the farm, and productive agriculture, with its allied lines of enterprise, has never lost its attraction in his case, and he has so systematically and ably directed his efforts in that connection that he has gained recognition as one of the progressive and substantial farmers and stock-growers of his native county, and his status as a citizen is altogether creditable. On the 26th of October, 1889, Mr. Goodwin was united in marriage to Miss Ruth A. Tremain, and he thereafter operated rented farms until 1894, when he purchased his present place, which comprises sixty-two and one-half acres, and which was the original homestead of his wife's parents, having been entered from the government by her paternal grandfather, then descended to her father, and it remained under the Tremain title until Mr. Goodwin purchased the property, on the 25th of January, 1894. Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin have four children: Piercie A., bom August 9, 1890; Leon D.,

August 2, 1893; Helen F., November 2, 1899, and Charles E., February 20, 1905. In politics Mr. Goodwin has been aligned as a stanch supporter of the cause of the Republican party from the time of attaining to his legal majority, and he has served two terms as township assessor, and for the past several years he has been a valued member of the township school board. He and his wife are members of the Christian church, and in a fraternal way he is identified with Delta Lodge, No. 460, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past grand, and with the Fulton Encampment, No. 197, of the same fraternity. Reverting to the family history of Mr. Goodwin, it has been stated that he was the seventh in order of birth of the eight children of Thomas and Rosetta (Keene) Goodwin, and of these children seven are living, Charlotte Tiaving died in young womanhood. The names of the others in order of birth, are as follows : John C., Adella, Jeanette, Agnes M.,

Lucy, Thomas E. and Albert P. Charlotte, who was the sixth child, became the wife of Allen Swartz of Fayette, this county, and was killed by a runaway team, in the very flower of her young womanhood. She is survived by two children. Lucy, the sister next older, is the wife of Harry Persing, of Clyde, Ohio; Jennette is the wife of James Pease, of Traverse City, Mich.; Agnes Margaret is the wife of Courtland A. Knapp, of York township; and the brothers all reside in Fulton county, as does also the eldest sister, Adella, wha is the wife of Alfred Bloom, of Swanton. The father of these children was born at New Church, Radnorshire, in the south of Wales,, and came to America when a youth, his marriage to Rosetta Keene having been solemnized in the eastern part of Ohio, of which State she was a native. She died in Fulton county in 1875, and her husband survived her by nearly a score of years, his death occurring September 3, 1894. Ruth Ann (Tremain) Goodwin, wife of the subject of this review, was born in Fulton county and is the younger of the two children of Daniel M. and Catherine (Market) Tremain.. Her sister, Lillie Arthilla, is now the wife of Robert Carpenter, and they reside in Henry county, Ohio. Daniel M. Tremain was bofn in York township, this county, January 25, 1840, being a son of Gardner and Elizabeth (Miller) Tremain, the former of whom was bom in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, April 15, 1813, and the latter was bom in Dutchess county, New York, March 8, 1814. They were married October 14, 1834, and came to Fulton county, Ohio, in 1836, here passing the remainder of their lives, and each attained advanced age. They were numbered among the early and honored pioneers of the county, which was not organized as such until nearly a decade and a half after they took up their residence here. They became the parents of eight children, of whom three are living, and their descendants are numerous in Fulton county. John J., the eldest of the children, died of smallpox, while serving as a soldier in an Ohio regiment during the war of the Rebellion, his death occurring in a hospital in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1864, at which time he was twenty-seven years of age, having been a member of the One Hundredth Ohio volunteer infantry. Daniel M., the father of Mrs. Goodwin, was the next in order of birth. He also was a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted, in 1861, in Company K, Thirtyeighth Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he was in active service four years and seventeen days. He escaped disabling wounds, but while in the service contracted disease from the effects of which he has never recovered, and in recognition of which he receives a pension. Phoebe E., the wife of John Schloff, died in 1872; Benjamin Tremain died in childhood; Abraham is a retired farmer, residing in Delta, this county; Martha is the wife of A. A. Duamersq, a lumber dealer in Delta; Arthilla died in childhood, and Warren Benjamin, the youngest of the family, resides in Delta. The Markel family was early established in Fulton county. William and Ruth A. (Williams) Markel, parents of Mrs. Catherine Tremain, came here in 1844, shortly after their marriage. William Markel here traded a span of horses and a wagon for eighty acres of wild land, and initiated the development of a farm in the midst of the forest, his cash capital at the time being represented in the sum of six dollars. He became one of the well-to-do farmers of the county, where he died at an advanced age. Mrs. Catherine (Markel)

Tremain died in Delta, in 1891, and five years later her husband was united in marriage to Miss Helen Bay he, who was born in Bluffton, Wells county, Indiana, being a daughter of George and Agnes (Hopplitzel) Bayhe, both of whom were born in Wurttemtmrg, Germany, the death of the former occurring in 1884 and that of the latter in 1892. In his early manhood Daniel Tremain was employed four years as a government mail carrier, transporting the mail from Waterville, Lucas county, to Bryan, Williams county, and making one round trip each week. He encountered many hardships and perils during these years of service in the undeveloped country, and his reminiscences of the early days are graphic and interesting.

SOLOMON GOTSHALL is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Ohio and is one of the prominent and influential landholders and business men of Fulton county, maintaining his residence near Fayette. He was born in Richland county, this state, on the 1st of February, 1836, and is a son of Geoige and Elizabeth (Castle) Gotshall, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, of sturdy German lineage, and the latter was of English descent and was bom in Ohio. At the age of nineteen years, in 1833, George Gotshall came to Ohio and located in Richland county. About two years later his parents also took up their residence in the county, where his father, Solomon Gotshall, engaged in farming, there passing the remainder of his life, as did also his wife. George Gotshall continued a resident of Richland county until 1885, when he came to Fulton county, where he made his home until his death, though he was in Michigan at the time when the summons came to enter the eternal life, his wife having passed away several years previously. They became the parents of four children, of whom Solomon was the first bom. Rachel is the wife of John Bard, of Gratiot county, Mich.; Daniel is a resident of near Fayette ; and Mary is the wife of Adam Dare, of Mansfield, Ohio. Solomon Gotshall was reared on the homestead farm, in Richland county, in whose common schools he secured his early educational training. After attaining his majority he there engaged in farming on his own responsibility, continuing operations in this line four years, at the expiration of which, in 1861, he removed to Williams county, where he was engaged in the same line of enterprise until 1866, when he removed to Gorham township, Fulton county, where he engaged in farming. He also became prominently identified with lumbering and stock-dealing interests, and for a number of years he conducted an agricultqral store, in Fayette, and also controlled an extensive business in the handling of agricultural implements and machinery, such as engines and separators. His progressive spirit became further manifest in his operation of a threshing outfit, and he was the first man in the township to make a success of utilizing a steam engine for power in this line, the first person for whom he did work with the new outfit of this sort demanding that Mr. Gotshall insure his bam against fire while doing the threshing. In 1881 he engaged in the lumber business at Archbold, where he purchased a saw-mill and planing-mill, also equipped for the manufacture of staves and headings. He was with his son, L. D., in this enterprise, and a branch factory is maintained in Delta and Toledo, run by his sons, L. D. and J. W. The Archbold institution is the leading manufactory of the town and in the same employment is given to about 160 men. Mr. Gotshall is the owner of two hundred and forty acres of valuable land in Fulton county, and has taken a foremost part in advancing the agricultural interests of the same. He was the first man to propose the circulation of a petition for the improvement of Bean creek, which has been made to drain in an effective way the southeastern part of Gorham township, increasing the value of the swamp lands in that section by the amount of fifty to one hundred dollars an acre. He had a great deal of opposition in this project, and was compelled to give a bond of $10,000, signed by Heman A. Canfield. Mr. Gotshall was also one of the principal promoters of the Toledo and Western electric railway, coining into Fayette. In this project he also had opposition, many thinking it would be a detriment to the village. But it proved to be the reverse. Mr. Gotshall felt confident that it would be a great benefit to the village and surrounding county, and now feels a pardonable pride in the results of his faithful work. Mr. Gotshall is a stalwart supporter of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and has held various local offioes, including that of trustee of Gorham township, and he was secretary of the school board of that township for eighteen years. He is a charter member of the Fayette Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On the 21st of December, 1856, Mr. Gotshall was united in marriage to Miss Maria Whistler, who was bom in Ashland county, Ohio, being a daughter of Christopher and Eliza Whistler, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Ashland county, Ohio; and her parents took up their residence in Richland county when Mr. Gotshall was six years of age, there passing the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gotshall became the parents of four children: Granville is deceased ; L. D. is a resident of Toledo and is interested in the mills with which his brother is identified in Archbold; Minnie is deceased ; and I. W. is also concerned in the milling business at Delta, Toledo and Archboid* he residing at the latter place.

FRED GRANDY, who is engaged in the livery business in Delta and who is also the owner of a good farm in Fulton township, is a son of that sterling pioneer citizen, Henry R. Grandy, to whom a due tribute is paid on pages 385, 386 and 3 87, so that a recapitulation of the family history is not demanded in the present connection. Fred Grandy was bora on the homestead farm now occupied by his father, in Fulton township, on the 29th of August, 1861, was reared to the discipline of the farm, and his educational advantages were those of the public schools of his native county. He has been engaged in the livery business in Delta since 1900, and controls a large patronage, having the only well-equipped livery in the town. He has done much to raise the grade of horses in this section, having kept thoroughbred breeding stock for many years and being a lover of the noble animals to whose breeding and raising he has thus devoted his attention. He and his wife own a fine farm of ninety-five acres, two miles north of Delta, and also have a handsome modern residence in Delta. He is a stalwart Republican in his political proclivities, and is affiliated with Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons; Octavius Waters Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and Aurora Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, of which last Mrs. Grandy also is a member. February 22, 1885, Mr. Grandy was united in marriage to Miss Eva F. Thompson, who was bom and reared in this country, being a daughter of the late Abraham B. Thompson, one of the old and honored pioneers of Fulton county, concerning whom more specific mention is made in the sketch of the career of his son, Addison B., published on another page of this volume. The only living child of Mr. and Mrs. Grandy is Grace Evelyn, who remains at the parental home. Mr. Grandy served several years as deputy sheriff of Fulton county, and he is at the present time a valued member of the village council of Delta, being one of the progressive business men and popular citizens of this place.

MARSHAL TIMOTHY GRAVES, real-estate dealer and pension attorney of Wauseon, was born in Glencoe, Ontario, Canada, in 1858. He is the son of Peter W. and Hannah (Warner) Graves, both natives of Pontiac, Mich. His grandfather Graves and John Graves, an uncle of the father of the subject of this sketch, saw active service in the War of 1812. The wife of the grandfather Graves, a native of Pennsylania, was Mary Cooley before her marriage. One uncle and three brothers of the subject of this sketch served in the Civil war. Marshal Timothy Graves came from Canada to Ohio when seventeen years old, having received his education in the schools of Glencoe. For four years he was a sailor on the fresh-water lakes and then for two years he was employed in the railway service for the Wabash Company. In 1898 he enlisted in company G. Sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, at the age of forty years, with the rank of corporal, and was discharged May 24, 1899. He was stationed at Cuenfuegos, in the Island of Cuba. In 1901 he came to Wauseon and bought a farm south of the city, and is now living in Wauseon. After coming here he embarked in the real estate business, establishing at the same time a pension agency. He has met with marked success in everything that he has undertaken. In the sale of real-estate he operates in Fulton and the adjoining counties. As pension attorney he does business in many States. Few pension attorneys have served their clients more successfully than he. Mr. Graves has always taken an active part in all matters pertaining to the general improvement of Wauseon. By subscribing liberally to its stock he succeeded in locating in his home city a large canning factory. He married Mrs. Emma C. Fenton, a widow, of Franklin township, Henry county, O. She is the daughter of Rev. N. S. Waden of Henry county, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church North, well-known all over the State of Ohio. The subject of this sketch is commander of Camp Candaleria, No. 20^

United Spanish War Veterans, of Wauseon. He is a wide-a-wake, progressive business man and farmer, part owner of a fine farm of one hundred and forty acres, in a state of high cultivation, one and one-half miles south of the city. A fine modem residence and large barn are among the improvements he has erected on the land.

GEORGE GRAY, a leading contractor and builder of Lyons, is a well-known and popular citizen of this part of the county and is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of Fulton county, which figures as the place of his nativity. He was born in York township, December 5, 1845, and is a son of Charles and Manila (Donaldson) Gray. Charles Gray was born in England, whence he came to America when a young man, and he became one of the early settlers in York township, this county, where he reclaimed and improved a farm of 120 acres. With advancing years, he retired from active labor, taking up his residence in the city of Wauseon, where he died August 16, 1900, at the venerable age of eighty-two years. His first wife, Manila, nee Donaldson, died in 1850, having become the mother of three children, George, James and Mary, the last-named having become the wife of Stephen Coff and being now deceased. For his second wife Charles Gray married Esther Cooper, and they had three children, Charles W., Amos A. and Jennie. After the death of his second wife he married Miss Mell Hodges, who died a few years later, leaving one daughter, Etta. Mr. Gray thereafter consummated a fourth marriage, wedding Elizabeth Cooper, who survives him. George Gray was reared to manhood in Fulton county and duly availed himself of the advantages of the common schools, and farming was his principal vocation for many years. He took up his residence in Royalton township in 1886 and has been a resident of the village of Lyons for ten years. He was identified with agricultural pursuits in this township until 1898, since which time he has followed the trade of carpentry, being an excellent workman and being successful in his efforts. He rendered loyal service in the Union ranks at the time when the integrity of the Republic was menaced by armed rebellion. In October, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he took part in the memorable battles of Stone River and Missionary Ridge, after which he was detailed as division teamster, in which capacity he served until the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge, at Columbus, Ohio, June 22, 1865. He is a valued member of Baxter Post, No. 238, G. A. R., at Lyons, and in politics his allegiance is given to the Democratic party. February 20, 1867, Mr. Gray wedded Miss Mary Kane, daughter of Henry and Mary (King) Kane, who were born and reared in Ireland and who were pioneers of York township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Gray have two daughters: Cora, wife of Michael Heiner, and Clara, wife of William Seward.

RUDOLPH GIGAX, a retired farmer of Elmira, Fulton county, O., is a native of Switzerland, having been bom on a farm about six miles from the city of Berne, July 20, 1850. He is the son of Jacob and Magdalena (Burkholder) Gigax, both natives of Switzerland. Jacob Gigax was a successful farmer in the old country until 1854, when, with his family, consisting of wife and six children, he emigrated to the United States. Coming directly to Ohio, he located in German township, Fulton county, where the present village of Burlington is situated, and followed general farming until his death, on March 15, 1871, aged sixty-four years. His widow survived him until March 15, 1882, aged sixty-seven years. To these parents there was bom a family of nine children, two of whom were bom in this country. Their names follow: Fred, who died in 1904, aged sixty-five years, followed farming in Franklin township; Elizabeth, the wife of L. W. Brown, died in 1881 ; Godlip, a farmer of German township ; Mary, now Mrs. John Keller of German township; Rudolph; Rosetta, the wife of Eli Wyse of Franklin township; Christina, (deceased), the wife of George Younges; John, of German township, and Mary Ann, who died in infancy in Switzerland. Rudolph Gigax was reared on his father's farm and educated in the public schools. Until 1882 he was engaged in general farming, when he embarked in the mercantile business, conducting a hardware establishment for two years. Then he purchased the general store at the village of Burlington and cpnducted it with unusual success for two years. Disposing of this business, he retired to his fine farm, a half-mile north of Elmira. In politics he has always acted independently, preferring to use his own judgment when passing on the fitness of candidates for public office. His success in life is largely due to his untiring energy, his close application to business and his scrupulous honesty in dealing with his fellow-men.

HENRY R. GRANDY. - The annals of the pioneer days read al- , most like a romance to those of the younger generation, but stem reality robbed the era of much of its glamor for those who were active participants in the drama of initial development which- has reached its denoument in the opulent material and civic prosperity of the present day, as the grand twentieth century rolls into the cycle of the ages. Mr. Grandy is one of those honored citizens whose memory links the formative epoch with that of latter-day prosperity, and he is now living practically retired on his fine farmstead, in Fulton township, where he has made his home for nearly sixty years, being a scion of one of the well-known pioneer families of this section. Mr. Grandy was bom in Ginton county, N. Y., on the 9th of Septem- ber, 1832, and is a son of Michael 8. and Anna (Leggett ) Grandy, the former of whom was bom in Massachusetts, December 5, 1802, and the latter was born in New Hampshire, December 21, 1809. They were married in Easton, Washington county, N. Y., on the 24th of December, 1827, and thereafter resided in Clinton county, that State, until 1838, when they came to Fulton county, Ohio, having four children at the time, and three more were born after they became residents of this county. Betsy J., bom October 17, 1828, was married, on the 8th of November, 1846, to Charles Thompson, who is now deceased, and she resides in Edgerton, Williams county, having five children. Judson W. was bom August 2, 1830, and his death occurred January 30, 1858, his wife #and one child having preceded him into eternal rest. Henry R., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth. Samuel P:, born May 21, 1835, married Ann E. Harris, March 27, I^S9, and of their' three children two are living - Jennie, wife of Daniel K. Ladenburg, of Delta, and Charles, manager for the Pittsburg Coal Company in the city of Toledo. Samuel P. resides in Delta and is employed by his nephew, Fred Grandy, of whom mention is made in the preceding sketch. John A., who was bom. January 31, 1839, resides in Delta, being a notary public and a pension attorney. Moses D., born July 13, 1841, was killed in the battle of Honey Hill, S. C., December 1, 1864, having been in service at the time as a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Ann E., bom June 4, 1844, is the widow of William A. Lmgle, to whom she was married, October 25, 1866, and she resides in the city of Owosso, Mich. Henry R. Grandy secured his early educational discipline in the pioneer schools of this section, and his earliest practical duties were m connection with the woric on the farm, in the midst of the primeval forest. The family lived oh rented farms in Swan Creek township until 1845, when the father purchased a tract of eighty acres, comprising a portion of the fine landed estate now owned by the subject of this review, this having been the first permanent home of the family after coming to Ohio. The land was wholly unimproved, and the father and sons found theirs the task of felling the giant forest trees and reclaiming the tract to cultivation, all having rendered due quota of aid in the development of this section. The first house was constructed of logs, being sixteen by twenty-eight feet in dimensions, with a "lean-to," fourteen feet wide, running its entire length at the rear. This was one of the best houses in the locality at the time. A mammoth fireplace occupied one end of the living room, and when this was filled with the crackling logs of burning hickory a generous warmth was diffused and the interior made attractive in a homely way. The cooking was largely done in or in front of the fireplace, and bread was usually baked in an iron kettle, which was embedded in live coals and covered with a highflanged lid, which also held its complement of coals. A later device was the tin reflector, which was supposed to catch and concentrate the heat from a roaring fire and thus do the baking. Mr. Grandy recalls that the roads of those days usually followed the ridges or highest ground, winding around through the forest, by blazed trail, until the desired destination was reached. Some of the larger catbins of the pioneers were often used for religious services, led by the itinerant preachers or circuit-riders of the day, and log houses which had been discarded for larger ones were frequently used for the primitive schools. The nearest mill was at Maumee, twenty miles distant, and the ox teams were principally utilized by the early settlers. Amusements were simple but wholesome, consisting principally of neighborhood parties and "bees" of various descriptions, and hospitality and good cheer were never lacking. September 20, i860, Mr. Grandy was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Cameron, who was born near Lockport, Niagara county, N. Y., June 14, 1840. She was left an orphan in early childhood and was reared by her paternal grandmother. She had two brothers, Joseph and Alexander, the former of whom died in the spring of 1863, while serving in the Union army, and the latter is a resident of Osborne county, Kan. Mr. and Mrs. Grandy had two children, concerning the older of whom, Fred, an individual sketch appears immediately preceding this one. Ida was bom June 8, 1863, and remains with her father on the old homestead. She was afforded good educational advantages and is an accomplished musician, to the teaching of which art she has devoted her attention for a number of years, having large classes in Delta and in the neighborhood of her country home, and she is held in high regard in the community, being popular in its social circles. Mrs. Grandy was called to the eternal life on the 7th of October, 1893, and her remains lie at rest in the Fulton Union cemetery. She was a woman of gentle and noble character and endeared herself to all who came within the sphere of her influence. She was a devoted member of the Christian or Disciples church, with which Mr. Grandy also has been identified for nearly half a century, his daughter also being an active member. In politics Mr. Grandy has ever been a stanch supporter of the Republican party and its principles, having cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has been incumbent of various offices of local trust, -including those of township trustee, district clerk and school director, and his aid and influence have alwaysbeen freely given in support of measures and enterprises for the general good of the community. He inherited a half-interest in the old homestead of eighty acres, and purchased the other half-interest, and here he has maintained his home since he was a youth of sixteen years. He is one of the sturdy pioneer citizens of Fulton county, where his name has ever stood as a synonym of honor, integrity and loyalty.

JOHN A. GRANDY, township clerk of York township and engaged in practice as a pension attorney, at Delta, is an honored member of one of the sterling pioneer families of Fulton county, which has been his home from the time of his birth. He was born in Swan Greek township, on the 30th of January, 1839, the old homestead bengj located three miles east of Delta, and is a son of Mishel B. and Anna (Leggett) Grandy, whose marriage was solemnized in the State of New York, whence they came to Fulton county in 1838, locating in Swan Creek township as pioneers. There the# father developed a farm, becoming one of the prominent citizens of this section and ever commanding unqualified esteem in the community. Concerning him and his wife detailed mention is made in the sketch of their son Henry R. appearing immediately before this one, and to the same reference may be made for genealogical data apropos of the article at hand. John A. Grandy was reared on the home farm, and in the common schools secured his elementary education; which was supplemented by a course in the graded schools at Waterville, Lucas county. His independent career was initiated by his service as a school teacher, and in this way he earned the first money which he ever could definitely call his own. He tought his first term of school when he had just passed his fifteenth year, and he received eighty-eight dollars in gold for his services. He states that never since has he had a sum of money which looked as large to him or one in which he took so great pride. This first pedagogic experience was gained in the winter of 1854-5, and thereafter he continued to teach, especially during the winter terms, until 1863. On the 2d of May, 1864, he tendered his services in defense of the Union, enlisting as a private in Company H, One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served one hundred and forty-five days, at the expiration of which he received his discharge. Thereafter he continued to teach for several years, in the meanwhile devoting much attention to the study of higher branches of learning, and in the winter of 1864-5 he was employed as principal of the Delta schools. In May, 1865, he sold his farm in Swan Creek township - a property which he had acquired some time previously, paying for the same with money earned by teaching - and he invested the proceeds in a general store at Centerville, now known as Swanton, where he conducted a profitable business until 1875, when his establishment was destroyed by fire, entailing an almost total loss, as his insurance indemnity was very small. This misfortune made it impossible for him to resume business, and he again had recourse to his ability as a teacher, continuing his work in the school-room, and also working as a fire-insurance agent, until 1883. He then went to Hand county, South Dak., where he secured a homestead, to which he proved title in due time, continuing to reside on the place about five years and then returning to his old home. After returning from the West he taught one term of school, and in 1889 he adopted His present profession of prosecuting pension claims before the various departments in Washington, in which field of endeavor he has been specially successful, gaining proper recognition of the claims of many deserving veterans of the Civil war. He is also a notary public, and has served consecutively as township clerk since 1892, through successive re-elections every two years. In political matters Mr. Grandy is a stalwart supporter of the principles of the Republican party, in whose cause he has been a somewhat active worker in a local way. He served four years as a member of the .board of school examiners of the county, and has always maintained a deep interest in educational affairs. In a fraternal way he is a valued member of McQuillin Post, No. *171, G. A. R., of Delta, and is also a member of the National Union, a social and beneficial order. On New Year's day of the year 1863, Mr. Grandy was united in marriage to Miss Amelia L. Quiggle, who was born in Hampden, Geauga county, Ohio, being a daughter of Calvin and Louise Quiggle, who came to Fulton county in 1852, here passing the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Grandy has five brothers and two sisters. Romanso C. is a resident of Michigan; Horatio H., Clarence C. and Frederick E. reside in Delta; and Elmer C. maintains his home in Hartford, Conn.; Lucy is the wife of Russell G. Merrill, of Lincoln, Neb.; and Maria is the wife of Jacob N. Bechtol, of Toledo, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Grandy have three children. Frank, who is now engaged as salesman in a mercantile establishment in Delta, was here engaged in the general merchandise business for himself until his place was destroyed by fire, in December, 1904. He served thirteen months during the Spanish-American war, as a member of Company G, Sixth Ohio Volunteers, his command having been held in reserve for a number of months at Chickamauga Park and having been on duty in Cuba about six months. Jessie is" the wife of Frank Shumaker, engaged in the meat-market business in Delta, and they have one child, Elmer. Mary, the youngest of the three children, still remains at the parental home, being one of the popular young ladies of the community.

SYLVESTER GREEN, a prominent farmer and popular citizen of Royalton township, was bom in Fairfield township, Lenawee County, Mich., on the 28th of June, 1843, and IS a son of James and Eliza (McConnell) Green, both of whom were bom near the city of Belfast, Ireland, where they were reared and where their marriage was solemnized in the year 1830. In the same year they left the Emerald Isle and set bravely forth to establish for themselves a home in America. They remained several years in the State of New Yofrk, and then came to Toledo, Ohio, where the father secured employment in connection with the construction of the Maumee canal. He was thus engaged about one year and then settled in Fairfield township, Lenawee county, Mich., where, in 1840, he purchased forty acres of land, retaining possession of the same about two years and then exchanging the property for a tract of eighty acres, in the same township. This latter farm he reclaimed and improved and there both he and his wife continued to reside until his death, which occurred in September, 1888, at which time he was seventy-nine years of age. His widow still survives and has reached (1905) the venerable age of ninety-one years. They became the parents of ten children, of whom six attained years of maturity - Eliza, James Henry, Sylvester, William, Rachel and George. Eliza, who is deceased, was the wife of Edwin Smith, and Rachel is the wife of Richard N. Miller. Sylvester Green had an adequate experience in strenuous work during his boyhood and youth, since he aided in the reclaiming and cultivation of the pioneer homestead, in Fairfield township, Lenawee county, Mich., and his educational training was limited to the somewhat primitive schools of the locality and period. He continued to remain at the parental home until his marriage, in 1869, when he purchased a farm of eighty acres in his native township, where he continued to reside until 1875, when he purchased forty acres there and then came to Royalton township, Fulton county, where he purchased forty acres, in Section 9, later adding forty acres of adjacent land, clearing a considerable portion of the place from the wild condition, and he has continued to add to his landed estate from time to time until he now owns three hundred and six acres, lying in Royalton township arid across the Michigan line in his native township of Fairfield. It includes also the little homestead of twenty-six and one-half acres where he now resides, a portion of the same being within the corporate limits of the village of Lyons, where he has an attractive home and where he has maintained his residence since the autumn of 1902, being practically retired, though .still having a general supervision of his extensive farming interests. He is a stalwart Republican and has been incumbent of minor offices in his township, including that of landappraiser. He is affiliated with Lyons Lodge No. 622, I. O. O. F., and with the adjunct organization, the Daughters of Rebekah, of which latter Mrs. Green also is a member. He and his wife are prominent members of the Lyons Christian church, in which he is a deacon. Mr. Green has been three times married. August 9, 1869, he wedded Miss Lavina Catlin, daughter of Burge Catlin, of Norwalk, Ohio, and she died in 1878, leaving two children - Almon B., who married Miss Fannie Oaks; and Mary L., who is the wife of Arthur Wood. For his second wife Mr. Green married Miss Eliza Catlin, sister of his first wife, and she died in 1887, leaving no children. He later married his present wife, whose maiden name was Celia Catlin and who is likewise a sister of the two former wives of Mr. Green/ No children have been born of this union.