Fulton County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1905 (part 8 of 15)

FRANK C. MERRILL, at present township trustee of Fulton township, and one of the extensive farmers and popular citizens of this section, was born in the township where he now resides, on the 7th of August, 1859, being a son of Osias and Jane (Vaughan) Merrill, the former a native of the State of Maine and the latter of Holmes county, Ohio. They were children at the time when the respective families came to Fulton county and settled in the same neighborhood in Fulton township, about 1838. Osias and Jane (Vaughan) Merrill were reared and educated in this county, the latter dying on the homestead farm in Fulton township. Her husband later consummated a second marriage, and he was a resident of Swan Creek township at the time of his death. Of the four children of the first marriage Frank C. was the third in order of birth. Horace A. is a successful lawyer m the city of Toledo; James Eugene is the present auditor of Fulton county; and Minnie is the wife of William Biddle, residing on the old Merrill homestead, which was also the Vaughan homestead. Frank C. Merrill passed his boyhood days on the home farm, and after duly taking advantage of the local school privileges he continued his studies in the graded schools at Wauseon. After leaving school he resumed his connection with the agricultural industry, with which he has ever since been prominently identified, save for a period of three years, during which he conducted a general store in the village of Ai. He inherited one hundred and thirteen acres, to which he later added by the purchase of a contiguous tract of fifty-six acres, his farm being one of the best-improved and bestmanaged in the township of Fultoij. Mr. Merrill has always affiliated with the Republican party, and has been a zealous worker in its ranks, usually attending the county conventions and at all times showing a public-spirited concern in local affairs. He has previously been called upon to serve as township trustee, to which office he was again elected in 1904. His honored father was likewise prominent and influential in local matters, and for a period of six years, from 1865, he held the office of county auditor, and he was also a member of the State constitutional convention of 1873, a stanch supporter of the Union during the Civil war and he was an ardent Republican from the time o^{he organization of the party until the time of his death. His remains? were laid to rest beside those of his first wife, in the cemetery at Ai. Frank C. Merrill is a member of Swanton Lodge, No. S55, Free and Accepted Masons, and with Berry Grange, No. mi, at Ai. In 1882 Mr. Merrill was united in marriage to Miss Etta Nobbs, a daughter of James' H. and Anna (Fetterman) Nobbs, representatives of prominent pioneer families of Fulton county, where Mrs. Merrill was born and reared. Her paternal lineage is of English and .her maternal of German extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Merrill have seven children: Herma, Clayton, Florence, Roy, Lucy, Koryl, and Mildred. Herma is now the wife of William Walters, and they reside on a farm adjoining that of her father. Mr. Walters is a son of Orlando Walters, mentioned elsewhere in this publication.

THOMAS MIKESELL, an honored citizen and retired farmer of Wauseon, is a representative of old and prominent families of Fulton county, and it is fortunate that in this work it is possible to enter a concise genealogical record, in addition to touching the more salient points in his individual career. George Mikesell was the grandson of a German immigrant who settled in northern Maryland early in the eighteenth century. George Mikesell was born near Cumberland, that State, December 15, 1776, and he resided in that locality until he was about twenty years of age, when he removed to the vicinity of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and a fe\fr years later took up his abode in Somerset county, that State. There, about 1794, he married Mary Bayes, daughter of Stephen Bayes, her birth having occurred April 28, 1773. This worthy couple became the parents of eight sons and four daughters. In the autumn of the year 1830 George Mikesell came with his- family to Ohio and located in Holmes county, and in September, 1837, he came to what is now Qinton township, Fulton county, where he passed the remainder of his life. He was a stone and brick-mason by trade, and followed this vocation until he, was well-advanced in years. In the spring of 1838 he put up a small kiln of brick, and with the product from the same he built a substantial fireplace and chimney for his log house, the brick thus manufactured having been the first made in Qinton township, and perhaps the first in the county. George Mikesell died October 9, 1&40, and just one week later his devoted wife followed him to file. life eternal. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. William Mikesell, son of George and Mary (Bayes) Mikesell, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1810, and he was there reared and educated, remaining on the farm until he had attained the age of twenty years. In 1830 he accom-

Eanied his parents on their removal to Holmes county, Ohio, where e rented land and engaged in farming. In 1832 he went to visit his old home in Pennsylvania, and when he returned the great flood of the Ohio river was on, the steamboats being enabled to run through the streets of Steubenville, Ohio. He was taken across the river in a rowboat, the river being at that time about four miles wide at the crossing point. May 23, 1833, he married Margaret Bayes, who was bom June 4, 1811, being a daughter of Thomas Bayes, and she died December 4, 1855. They became the parents of two sons and one daughter. In 1836 William Mikesell, in company with his brother-in-law, Thomas Bayes, Jr., came to the wilderness of what is now Fulton county, and they made entry of fourteen eighty-acre tracts of land, for themselves and certain friends, traveling about much of the time on foot, as they had only one horse, which they rode alternately. In April, 1837, William Mikesell came with his family to their new home, making the trip with an ox team. Their embryonic farm was located in Section 14, Township 7 north, Range six east. The roads were so deep with mud that the trip from Holmes county consumed about three weeks, and they arrived on the last dav erf die month mentioned. Their little log cabin was erected in a few days' time, and that first spring Mr. Mikesell cleared two acres of his land and planted the same with corn, securing a fair yield. By hill he had cleared five more acres, which he sowed to wheat, securing a goodly crop, having brought sufficient flour with him to last untS he could raise grain for further supplies. Deer, wild turkefs, pigeons, etc., were plentiful, and there was never a scarcity of meat in the family larder, for he was a successful hunter. Wild honey was readily secured and a supply was always kept in the house, and wild fruits also offered a valued contribution to the fare of the pioneers. The market town for this locality was Maumee City, which was twentysix miles distant in a straight line, but which was many miles farther in actual travel, as the primitive roads wound about on the higher ground. Grain had to be hauled to that town to be sold or ground for family use. Mr. Mikesell also sold many deer hams, as well as the skins of deer, mink and coon, and in 1840 he paid the entire purchase price of a horse through his sale of such commodities. He continued the reclamation of his farm and was prospered in his labors. He never held public office except that he served) one term as justice of the pefcce and two terms as township treasurer. His actual attendance in school covered a period of only six months, and yet he gained a fair education and was well-informed and possessed of mature judgment. He and his wife were converted soon after their marriage, and they ever afterward continued faithful and devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and their little home in the wilds of Fulton county was the stopping place of the early-day circuit riders of the church and was the place for holding the services. They were among the first members of the class which developed into the society which comprises the Methodist Episcopal church in Wauseon. Although it was the common custom in the early days to use whiskey freely at the harvest season and in the raising of buildings, Mr. Mikesell never used it or furnished it to others. Notwithstanding his attitude in this respect he never had difficulty in securing help in his farm work. He was an official in his church for many years, thus continuing until within a few years of his death, which occurred July 13, 1883. His firsts wife died in 1855, as has already been noted, and in the following year he married Mrs. Catharine (Pfouts) Bayes, widow of Meek Bayes, and they became the parents of one son, David, who is now a resident of Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Catharine Mikesell died December 26, 1869. Of the children of the first marriage the daughter died in infancy. John, born July 12, 1837, grew to manhood on the home farm, and in April, 1861, he enlisted in the Fourteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, for a term of three months, serving in West Virginia and receiving his discharge in August, 1861. He re-enlisted, becoming ai member of the Sixtyeighth Ohio volunteer infantry, in which he rose to the position of fife major, serving with this command until after the battle of Fort Donelson, when, through exposure in the storms of February, 1862, he contracted^pneumonia, from which he died, on the 12th of March. The other scfn, Thomas Mikesell, figures as the immediate subject of this review and is duly mentioned later on in this context. William Mikesell continued to reside on the old homestead farm until his death. He was nearly six feet in height, weighing more than two hundred pounds, and was possessed of great strength. He was genial and kindly, tolerant in his judgment, and ever tried! to avoid trouble with his neighbors and all others with whom-he came in contact in any of the relations of life. Thomas Bayes was born April 30, 1775, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and he died, in Fulton county, Ohio, September 2, 1850. He was a son of Stephen Bayes, of English and Scotch descent. About 1797 he married Ann McMillen, who was born March 31, 1776, and they became the parents of six sons and three daughters. About 1820, in company with his family, Mr. Bayes removed from the old Keystone State to Holmes county, Ohio, where he bought a farm, upon which he lived until 1837, his wife having died in 1836. He then sold his farm, and in September, 1837, with a large company of relatives, came to Ginton township, Fulton county, this section then being a part of Lucas county, and here he passed the residue of his life. He was a blacksmith by trade, and for a number of years had a shop in this county. He was the first justice of the peace in Ginton township, which was organized in 1838. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, served the public in different capacities, and he was an especial friend of the poor. He was an active Christian from young manhood, being a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in whose faith he passed to his final reward. He was always found doing good, ever counseling the adjusting of difficulties between his neighbors without recourse to law, and he was humanity's friend at all times, ever holding the respect and confidence of all who knew him. Margaret (Bayes) Mikesell, daughter of the honored pioneer just mentioned, was bom in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1811, and accompanied her parents on their removal to Holmes county, Ohio, where on the 23d of May, 1833, she was united in marriage to William Mikesell. She proved a faithful helpmeet, a kind and loving mother, and was a gentle and faithful Christian. She knew the trials, labors and hardships of pioneer life, but hers was the faith that made faithful in all things and her life was one of signal purity and grace. Her health began to fail about 1851, and after much suffering from cancer she passed away on the 4th of December, 1855. Thomas Mikesell, son of William and Margaret (Bayes) Mikesell, was bom on the homestead farm, one mile north of the present city of Wauseon, on the 9th of August, 1845, and this farm continued to be his home until 1902, when he sold the property and removed to Wauseon, where he has since lived practically retired. He attended the district school until he was thirteen years old, and thereafter he found amplified advantages in the high school at Wauseon, attending the same during several winter terms, assisting in the work of the farm during the summer months. In June, 1863, Mr. Mikesell enlisted in Company H, Eighty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, for a term of six months, serving until February 10, *1864, when he received his honorable discharge. His command assisted in the pursuit of Morgan during his historic raid through Ohio, in July, 1863; and in the expedition, under General DeCourcey, which resulted in the capture of Cumberland Gap, Kentucky, September 9, 1863. Within his term Mr. Mikesell was detailed and served as fifer of his company. He taught school in his home district during the winter of 18667, and the next winter was similarly engaged in Kosciusko county, Indiana. In the autumn of 1868 he went to Jasper county, Iowa, where he taught school that winter, after which he taught a three months' summer school in Sullivan county, Missouri. Returning to the old homestead in the autumn of 1869, he worked on the farm and also taught school during the ensuing two winters. In 1872 he was identified with the operation of a photographic business in Wauseon, after which he returned to the farm. In 1865 Mr. Mikesell began the study of meteorology, and since November, 1869, he has kept a systematic record of the weather conditions. In October, 1882, when the Ohio Meteorological Bureau was organized, he was appointed one of the observers, and has ever since continued to make reports to Columbus and Washington. In 1902 he was appointed special observer of the corn and wheat region service, and has reported by telegraph each day, from April 1st to September 30th, each year. In connection with the weather observations he nas made phrenological observations for many years, these records being very interesting as showing the effect of climate on vegetable growth. In 1875 Mr. Mikesell began the systematic study of the birds of this region, and since 1883 he has kept a record of their habits and of the dates of arrival and departure of the migratory species, and of the relative numbers each year. A summary and discussion of these observations, by Professor J. Warren Smith, was publjshed in 1904 by the United States Weather Bureau. In 1887 Mr. Mikesell was elected secretary of the Fulton County Pioneer and Historical Association, serving in that capacity until 1895, and he has taken much interest in preserving the early historical data of the county. In 1889 he was chosen secretary of the Fulton County Agricultural Society, retaining this incumbency sixteen consecutive years. He has seen the county fair grow from a representation of about fourteen hundred and fifty entries, in 1889, to more than thirty-three hundred, in 1904, and the amount of premiums paid from less than seven hundred to more than twenty-five hundred dollars. In politics Mr. Mikesell is a Republican, he is affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic, and both he and his wife are zealous and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has been an official since 1887, having been secretary of the official board of the Wauseon church from that year to the present, and he has been treasurer of the board of stewards since 1894. It may be said that in his special studies and observations his purpose has been to increase the sum total of knowledge concerning nature and natural phenomena. November 23, 1873, Mr. Mikesell was united in marriage to Miss Martha Herriman, who was born near Ottokee, Fulton county, Ohio, April 21, 1850, being a daughter of John and Lettie (Wood) Herriman. She was about six years of age at the time of her mother's death, and was reared in the home of Thomas J. Case. There have not been any children born to this marriage.

HECTOR L. MILES, proprietor of a saw-mill and lumber business at Delta, was born in Norwalk, Ohio, August 2, 1852. He Js a descendant of a family that has long been established in America, the ancestral farm being located between Lockport and Buffalo, where the Miles' ancestors were very early settlers. He is the son of David T. and Mary (Lee) Miles, both natives of New York State. David Miles removed with his parents to the vicinity of Norwalk when a lad of thirteen years, married at Brownhelm, Erie county, O., and located on a farm near Norfolk. Then he removed to Fulton county, about 1865, locating.on a. farm in the northern part of the county. After a residence of seven years here he removed to Clyde,

O., and three years later to Williams county, where his wife died. Since her death he has been making his home with his children, and is now living at Delta. There were four sons in this family: Fitch, the eldest, who died at the age of eighteen years; Hector L.; Lewis L., a coal and feed dealer of Delta, and Llewellyn, an electrician at the Spitzer building, Toledo, where he has been employed for a number of years. Hector L. Miles was educated at Clyde and took a business course at Adrian, Mich. He began his business career as a clerk in a dry-goods store in Clyde, where he was employed for three years. Then he embarked in the grocery and notion business in TJelta and conducted it very successfully for four years. While he was thus employed he was married, his wife owning an interest in the business in which he now embarked. His partner was A. A. Dumar, whose interest Mr. Miles purchased after three years. Since his purchase of the plant Mr. Miles has greatly enlarged it, conducting for a number of years a brick and tile factory in connection with it. This was subsequently sold, and a general line of lumber and building material, including lime and cement, was added. The plant, which gives employment to an average of ten men, includes a complete planing-mill outfit and does a general custom work besides a large amount of general work in sawing. In politics he is identified with the Republican party, having held the offices of councilman and school director in Delta. Being at earnest advocate of the temperance cause, he desires the supremacy of the principles of the Prohibitionists. Together with his wife he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and takes a deep interest in religious and temperance work, serving at this time as treasurer of the officia) board of the church. He is a member of Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons, Octavius Waters Chapter, No. 154, Royal Arch Masons, and of the M. W. of A. On November 13, 1879, he was wedded to Mrs. Van Fleet, a widow, whose maiden name was Louisa M. Griffin. Two sons by this union are living. They are: Roy H., who is in the employ of his father, and Dorr L., a carpenter and joiner. Both live at home. An only daughter, Bessie by name, died at die age of nine years.

DAVID R. MILEY is one of the prominent farmers of Clinton township, and has passed his entire life in Fulton county, being a member of one of its well-known and highly-honored pioneer families. He was born in Clinton township, February 13, 1853, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Goodrich) Miley. He was reared op the home farm, and after attending the district schools continued his Studies in the public schools of Wauseon and Bryan. He has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, bringing to bear marked energy and good judgment and thus gaining success through his operations. His present farm has been his home since 1874, and comprises sixty acres of most productive land, in Clinton township, and the permanent improvements are of excellent order, including an attractive farm residence. In political matters he is a socialist, and is a man Of well-fortified opinions as to matters of public policy. He and his wife are member* of the Christian church. In 1873 Mr. Miley was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Doyle, who was born in Toledo, Ohio, August 5, 1851, being a daughter of Charles W. and Deborah (Clayton) Doyle, who removed from the Empire State to Toledo* Ohio, where the mother died. Mr. Doyle passed^ the closing years of his life in Chicago, Where he died in 1899, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Miley. have six children, whose names, with respective dates of birth, are as follows: Blanche, November a, 1876; Leona, May 24, 1878; Eadl L., May 4, 1881; Maud E., December 2, 1882; Grace, March 21, 1885; and Mabel M., January 14, 1886. The original American progenitor of the Miley family was John Miley, who was born in Germany, September 14, 1784. His father was a man in most modest circumstances, but was possessed of that sturdy integrity of character which has denoted those of the name in the succeeding generations. In company with his father and one brother, John Miley immigrated to America, believing that here could be found better opportunities for gaining independence through personal effort. They were unable to provide money for the payment of their passage on the ocean, and thus came with the understanding that upon their arrival in the new world the owners of the vessel on which they sailed would be permitted to sell their services to the highest bidders, thus gaining recompense for the cost of passage. John thus was sold to a man in Philadelphia, Pa., serving in the capacity of hostler until he had paid the amount for which he had been bound, and thereafter being retained in the employ of the same man for a few years. He finally married Miss Eva Margaretha Schuler, who was descended from noble stock in Germany, but who was bom in Pennsylvania. Her marriage to John Miley was solemnized in Lancaster county* Fa., in i8nn By good management Mr, Miley secured a tract of land in the Chestnut Ridge district of Pennsylvania, later disposing of this property and removing to the ,Ligonier valley of Pennsylvania, whence he came to Ohio, first settling in Columbiana county and later removing to Holmes county* where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, developing a good farm and there passing the remainder of his life, his death occurring September 15, 1845. His widow survived him by many years. She was bom November 23, 1784, and died, on the home farm last mentioned, December 10, 1870. They became the parents of eight children, namely: John (2d), bom in Lancaster county, Pa., May 30, 1812^ Jacob, bom in Lancaster county, July 4, 1814; George, bom in the same county, December 12, 1816; Rachel, born in Westmoreland county. Pa., February 14, 1819; Matthias, bom in Columbiana county, Ohio, March 21, 1821 ; David, borii in the same county, December 4* 1824; Levi, bom in same county, February 5, 1828; and Jesse, born in the same county, March 14, 18^0. All of the children attained maturity, married and reared children, all continued identified with the farming industry and all left the heritage of worthy lives and worthy deeds, to posterity. John Miley (2d), is one of the sterling pioneer citizens of Fulton county. August 15, 1837, he married Elizabeth Peterson, and they became the parents of five children, - Henry, Thomas, William C., Jacob, and Margaret E. Jacob, second son of John Miley (ist), settled in Fulton county at a time when it was still practically a wilderness, coming here from Holmes county. He was thrice married, first to Delilah Wells, second to Sarah Berry and third to Elizabeth Goodrich, two children being born of the third marriage, - David and Rhoda Josephine. George Miley also came to this county in the pioneer days. He married Letitia Wells, March 21, 1839, and they became the parents of these children: Jesse, Benjamin, William B., Mary E. (deceased)* Rufus (deceased), and Levi. Rachel Miley, on the 26th of January, 1837, married William McConkey, who died in 1847. Four children were born to them, - Levi, Margaret (deceased), Adaline (deceased), and Isaiah. July 21, 1853, Mrs. Rachel McConkey married James Wells, and they became the parents of two daughters, Rachel and Sophronia. Mr. and Mrs. Wells were likewise early settlers in Fulton county. Matthias Miley also came to this county in an early day. He married Delilah Cramer, and they became the parents of eleven children, - Josephine (deceased), Catherine, Rachel, Elizabeth, Harvey, George, Mary, Eli, Delilah, and Elmina (deceased). After the death of his first wife Matthias Miley married Catherine Garrett, September 20, 1868, and they became the parents of one child, Amos. After the death of his father David Miley located on the old home farm in Holmes county, and, with his brother Levi, gradually purchased the interests of the other heirs, the two brothers becoming the sole owners of the farm, while their mother lived with them until her death. David married Elizabeth Garrett, November 27, 1849, and they became the parents of four sons, - Harmon, Amos (deceased), Lewis, and Elias. Lervi Miley first married Isabelle Mc- Farland, who died January 4, 1861, having borne four daughters, - Sarah E., Eliza, Emma L. (deceased), and Jennie. His second marriage was with Eliza Garrett, March 2, 1862, and they became the parents of three chlidren, - Belinda, Florence (deceased), Leonard S., and Adaline Margaret/ Jesse Miley also came to Fulton county, but later removed to Iowa, where he died. May 27, 1852, he married Jane Evans, and their children are Mattie A., Alverda J., Maggie L., Oliver B., and Levi J.

THOMAS MILEY merits recognition 'in this history by reason of his prominence as one of the representative farmers of Fulton county and also by reason of the fact that he is one of those who represented the county in the Union ranks during the Civil war. He is the owner of a well improved farm of fifty-five acres, in Clinton township. Mr. Miley was born in Holmes county, O., on the 16th of December, 1841, and is thus a member of one of the pioneer families of that section. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Peterson) Miley, the former of whom was bom in Westmoreland county, Pa., in which State his wife also was bom. They came from Holmes county to Fulton county in 1847, and located on a farm in the midst of the forests of Clinton township, where the father developed a productive place, *being one of the honored citizens of the community. He died on the

20th of February, 1892, and his wife passed to the life eternal March 28, 1903. The father of John Miley was a native of Germany, whence he came to America in an early day, locating in Pennsylvania, where he became a prosperous farmer. Concerning his children it may be recorded that Rachel is the* wife of James Wells (deceased), and resides in Wauseon; Jacob is deceased; Matthias died February io, 1905; David died in 1903; Levi also is deceased; George is a resident of Spring Hill, this county; Jesse died in Illinois; and John was the father of the subject of this review. The following data are entered in regard to the children of John Miley: Henry, born in 1837, is a resident of Swan Creek township; Thomas is the immediate subject of this review ; William C., born in 1844, is a farmer west of Wauseon ; Jacob M., born in 1850, resides in Wauseon; Margaret, born in 1852, is the wife of Peter Fister, of Toledo. Thomas Miley was about six years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Fulton county, where he was reared to manhood on the home farm, and his early educational advantages were those afforded by the common schools. He has always been identified with agricultural pursuits and has owned and operated his present attractive farm since 1867. In 1863 Mr. Miley tendered his services in defense of the Union, enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until ,the close of the war, taking part in many important engagements. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, and has ever been loyal and public-spirited as a citizen. He served three years as township trustee and for twenty years as road supervisor. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church. -Ill 1866 Mr. Miley was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Doyle, who was born in New Jersey on the 22A of February, 1845, being a daughter of Charles W. and Deborah (Clayton) Doyle, who took up their residence in the city of Toledo, Ohio, in 1847, and who eventually removed to Chicago, where the father died in September* 1900, his wife being also deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Miley have four children: John C, is a successful farmer of Clinton township; Cora is the wife of Perry Lawrence, of Delta, this county; Myrtle is the wife of Lewis McCane, of Wauseon; and C. Arthur is associated with his father in the work of the home farm.

WILLIAM C. MILEY, a representative of one of the old and -well known families of Fulton county, is a veteran of the Civil war, has held various offices in his community, and he is now the owner of a most attractive and well-improved little farm of fortythree acres, one mile west of the city of Wauseon. Mr. Miley was born in Holmes county, Ohio, on the 22d of January, 1842, being a son of John and Elizabeth (Peterson) Miley, both of whom were bom in the State of Pennsylvania,, and they were numbered among the pioneers of Holmes county, Ohio, where they remained until 1847, when they came to Fulton county, making the trip with team and wagon and locating on a tract of wild land in Clinton township. The fat! ier became one of the well-to-do farmers of the county, and here passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring February 20, 1892, and his wife passed away March 28, 1903. The father of John Miley was born and reared in Germany, and early came to America, settling in Pennsylvania. Concerning the children of John Miley the following is a brief record: Henry is a resident of Swan Creek township; Thomas is individually mentioned in the preceding review; William C. is the? subject of this sketch; Jacob M. is a resident of Wauseon; and Margaret is the wife of Peter Fister, of Toledo. William C, Miley was reared on the home farm, in Fulton county, and completed his youthful education in the common schools of Wauseon. He has made farming his vocation through life and has resided on his present homestead since 1900, having previously been the owner of a farm in Chesterfield township, where he made his home about twenty-five years. In March, 1864, he enlisted in the Union service, becoming a private in Company E, One Hundred and Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer infantry, with which he served until the autumn of that year, when he received his honorable discharge. He is a member of the post of the Grand Army of the Republic in Wauseon, and both he and his wife are devoted members of the Christian churdi. In politics Mr. Miley is a stanch Republican; he served four years as trustee of Chesterfield township, and he was clerk of the school board for the long period of fifteen years. In 1865 Mr. Miley was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Lightfoot, who bore him one son, Harry Mason Miley, who resides in Morenci, Michigan. The latter married Miss Ida Griggs and they have one son. In 1901 Mr. Miley consummated a second marriage, being then united to Lucinda Mikesell, who was bom June 12, 1850, being a daughter of Adam and Polly (Jones) Mikesell. Her parents came to Fulton county, from Holmes county, in 1846, and her father conducted a little general store in his house before the present city of Wauseon had any buildings to mark its site. Both he and his wife died in this county, his death having occurred in 1861, as the result of the rupturing of a "Mood vessel.

CHRISTOPHER K. MILLER is one of the successful farmers of Gorham township, where he has a well-improved homestead of ninety acres, clear of incumbrance and acquired through his own well-directed efforts. He was bom in Brady township, Williams county, Ohio, January 14, 1858, and is a son of Adam and Melvina (Green) Miller. The father was bom in Richland county, Ohio, being a son of Peter Miller, who was bom and reared in Pennsylvania, whence he and his wife came to Ohio in the pioneer days, here' passing the remainder of their lives, having located in Richland county prior to 1825. Adam Miller was reared and educated in Richland county, being one of a large family of children, all of whom were natives of said county. At the age of fourteen years he initiated his independent career, removing to Fort Wayne, Ind., and about seven years later he located in Williams county, Ohio, where his marriage was solemnized, his wife having been bom and reared in Medina county^ where her parents were early settlers, her father being of Scotch an- cestry. Adam Miller was the owner of a good farm in Williams county at the time of the outbreak of the Gvil war, and,, preparatory to going forth in defense of the Union, he sold his farm. He then enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and ' Eleventh Ohio volunteer infantry* with which he went to the front. In the battle of Franklin* Tenn., he received a scalp wound, which incapacitated him for a time, but after recuperating he rejoined his regiment, with which he continued in service until the close of the war, having been with Sherman's forces on the ever-memorable march from Atlanta to the sea, and having taken part in a number -of the most important battles of the great internecine conflict. After the close of his military career he returned to Williams county, where he continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until 1885, when he removed to Michigan* both he and his wife being now resident of Frontier, Hillsdale county, that State, where he is living practically retired, being seventy-seven years of age, in 1905. He and wife became the parents of ten children, concerning whom the following brief record is entered: Jane is the wife of George Finch, of Owosso, Mich.; Ellen is the wife of Samuel Wasnich, of Frontier, Mich.; Christopher K. is the immediate subject of this sketch; Wealthy Ann is deceased; Martha is deceased; Etta is the wife of Byron Miller, of Frontier, Mich.; Emma* deceased; Della, deceased; William. B. resides in Frontier, Mich.; and Orpha is the wife of Edward Hukill, of the same village. Christopher K. Miller was reared and educated in Williams county, and as a boy entered upon an apprenticeship at the brick-layer's trade, to which he devoted his attention until his marriage. He then rented land in Gorham township, Fulton county, where he was engaged in farming for the ensuing five years, at the expiration of which, in 1885, he purchased eighty acres of his present farm, going into debt for the property, to which he has since added ten acres; ana by energy and good management he has cleared the place from indebtedness, has made excellent improvement and gained a position among the substantial farmers and representative citizens of the township. He is a Republican in his political proclivities and has been called upon to serve in various local offices, and in a fraternal way he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On the 19th of July, 1880,. Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Alice Ritter, born January 27, i860, in Gorham township, and she is the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Barr) Ritter, of £orham township. Her parents were bom in Seneca county, N. Y., and were numbered amorig the honored pioneers of Gorham township, where the father died in 1893, a* the a8e of sixty-four years, his wife passing away in 1901, at the age of seventy-three years. They reared a family of four daughters and one son, all of whom are living. They are: Matilda, who is the wife of George A. Cottner, and resides in Gorham township; Elnora, who is the wife of Fred Feill and resides in Gorham township; Alice, wife of the subject of this sketch; Carlton, who married Miss Qara Reed, and he resides in Onsted, Mich., and the youngest child is Della, who married William* L. Moray and are residents of -Gorham township. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have two children : Elta M.,

DANIEL T. MILLER is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Fulton county, which has been his home from the time of his birth, and it was his to represent the county as one of die valiant soldiers of the Union during the War of the Rebellion. He is one of the well-known and highly-esteemed farmers of Pike township, where he has a fine farm of eighty acres. Mr. Miller was bom in Pike township,, on the 27th of August, 1844, and is a son of Reuben and Elizabeth (Toms) Miller, the former of whom was bom in Maryland and the latter in Pennsylvania, and they took up their residence in Fulton county in 1843. The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, but after cpming to Ohio gave his attention principally to farming. He died in 1847 and his widow later became the wife of John Hancock, her death occurring in 1855. The only child of her second marriage was Martha, but of die first union were born ^ight children : Jeremiah, Mary J., Rachel A., Sarah, Catherine, James, Daniel T«, ai)d Alexander. Of the number two are living. Daniel T. Miller was reared on the home farm and has been identified with agricultural pursuits throughout his entire active career. In September* 1862, at the age of eighteen years, he enlisted in Company I, Thirty-* eighth Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served until the dose of the war, having been mustered out in July, 1865, He took part in the battles of Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Wildcat and other important engagements, besides many skirmishes. He is an appreciative member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a Republican in his political faith. In 1871 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Susan Cowan, who was bom in Erie county, Ohio, January 12, 1842, and they have two children, - Sarah K, wife of Elmer J. Murray, of Toledo, O. ; and Emmett V., who is engaged in fanning in Pike township.

JAMES W. MILLER is a successful farmer and dairyman of York township and holds prestige as one of the representative citizens of this section of the county. He was bom in Pike township, a short distance from his present homestead farm, on the 18th of August, 1859, being a son of Jeremiah and Nancy (McQuillin) Miller. His father was bom in the State of; Pennsylvania, and as a young man came to what is now Fulton county, being numbered among the very early settlers of Pike township, where be reclaimed a farm from the virgin forest. He passed the closing years of his life in the village of Delta, having retired from active labor, and there he died at tne age of sixty-eight years. His widow still resides in that village, being a representative of one of the old and honored families of the county, her father, David McQuillin, having settled here in the early pioneer epoch. Jeremiah and Nancy (McQuillin) Miller became the parents of two sons and six daughters: Lydia J. is the wife of Ezra Mc- Quillin, of Delta; Mary is the wife of Hugh Casler, of Bucyrus, Ohio; James W. is the immediate subject of this sketch; Cora remains with her widowed mother; Hattie is the wife of Dewitt C. Cleghom, a farmer near Lyons, this Gounty ; Moms is a successful farmer of Pike township; and Minnie is the wife of Charles Rollo, of Dune Park, Porter county, Indiana. James W. Miller was afforded the advantages of the excellent public schools of Fulton county, and he has been continuously concerned in agricultural pursuits from bis youth to the present. He was married in 1884 and thereafter lived on a farm in Pike township until 1895, when he and his wife came into possession of the old Thompson homestead, that of Mrs. Miller's parents, and the place of her birth. Hie farm is one of the best in York township,, being eligibly located near the village of Delta, comprised of one hundred and forty acres of most productive land, and the improvements are of a high type, including one of the handsomest country residences to be found within the limits of Fulton county. This residence was built by Mrs. Miller's father and is modern and model in all its equipments and appointments. Mr. Miller devotes his attention largely to the dairying department of his farming enterprise, selling the product to the Helvetia milk-condensing plant, in Delta. He also carries on successful operations in general farming and stock-raising. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, appreciative of the principles and policies which have conserved the success of the party, but never having been a seeker of office of any description. He is affiliated with Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons, at Delta, and both he and his wife are members of the adjunct organization, the Order of the Eastern Star. April 24, 1884, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Cara D. Thompson, daughter of Abraham B. and Susan Thompson, concerning whom due mention is made in a detailed way on other pages of this work, under the titles of Abraham B. and Ira Thompson. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children, all of whom remain at the parental home, namely: Walter* E., Clarence, Ethel, and Louise.

JAY H. MILLER, M.D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Wauseon-, was bom in Bucyrus, O., on October 16, 1862. On his father's side he traces his genealogy to German ancestors, who estate lished themselves in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolutionary war, and the McBrides, as represented by his mother, are of Irish antecedents, three generations removed. The McBride family located ip New York, whence the parents of the mother's family removed to Crawford county in pioneer days. Here Isaac and Elizabeth (Mc- Bride) Miller, the parents of Dr. Jay H. Miller, were bom and reared. Isaac Miller, who was bom in 1834, has devoted all of his productive days to successful agricultural pursuits. His wife died in 1900, aged sixty years. Thefe were bom to these parents two children. They are: Mrs. Isadora Watson of Hillsdale county, Mich., whose husband, Philip D. Watson, is engaged in farming and stock-raising; and Jay H., the subject of this sketch. Jay H. Miller, from childhood until he attained man's estate, was a resident of Defiance, O. His literary education began in the Defiance city schools and was supple^ mented by a teacher's course in the Ohio Normal University at Ada.

At the age of sixteen he taught his first term of school and continued in that profession for thirteen years, teaching in Ohio and Kentucky. At the age of twenty-three he began his preparatory work in medicine under the tutorship of Dr. S. T. Botts of Glasgow, Ky. His preparation for teaching and his successful experience in that profession had familiarized him with some of the elementary work in medicine, particularly along the lines of Anatomy, Physiology and Chemistry. In 1886 he entered upon a professional course in the Hospital Medical college of Louisville, Ky., and was graduated from that institution in 1888. After graduating he engaged in the practice of his profession at Lucas, Ky., where he remained one year, when he concluded to go farther south. For the next eleven years he was located at Denton, Texas, where he conducted a very successful pract^e. While his sojourn in the South was eminently satisfactory to Dr. Miller, both in a professional and social sense, yet it did not seem entirely like "home/* and he decided to return to the North. Coming to Wauseon in October, 1900, he soon after formed a partnership with Dr. Charles E. Bennett, whose personal sketch appears under proper title in this volume. Drs. Bennett & Miller have the best equipped medical office in Fulton county and enjoy an extensive and lucrative practice, both in medicine and surgery. They have the only "X-Ray" machine in the county, an instrument that constitutes an important adjunct to their professional work. The Doctor is still a member of the North Texas Medical Association, with which he identified himself while in the South. Since locating at Wauseon he has become a member of the Fulton County Medical Society and the Ohio State Medical Association. In the discharge of his professional duties, Dr. Miller is careful and methodical, a close student of professional literature, and fully abreast of the onward march of medical and surgical science. He is a member of various social and beneficial societies, prominent among which is the timehonored Masonic fraternity. The Doctor is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of the Modem Maccabees and the Modem Woodmen of the World: In 1886 Dr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Lillie B. Adams, then a student of Liberty Female college at Glasgow, Ky., her nativq place. She is the daughter of W. T. and Amanda B. (Carpenter) Adams, both natives of Kentucky. Her paternal family traces their genealogy in direct line to the famous Adams family of Massachusetts, while the maternal ancestors, the Carpenters, were also identified with the American Revolution. Mrs. Miller is a lady of high literary accomplishments, and possesses the maternal characteristics which render her a model wife and mother. This happy union has been blessed with the advent of four children, whose presence gladden the hearts of loving and indulgent parents. Their names are : Mina C., Carl A., W. Paulena and Bessie Ruth. Dr. Miller and wife are members of the Christian church, both taking an active interest in religious work. The family sustains high social relations in the community with which their lot has been. cast. The Doctor is a sociable, pleasant gentle- man, whose cheery presence in the sick-room does much to alleviate the sufferings of the sick and despondent He possesses a commanding presence and a distinguished personality.

JOHN D. MILLER is one of the progressive farmers and prominent citizens of Pike township, where he has maintained his home since 1877. He was bom in Reed township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the 13th of November, 1850, and is a son of Daniel and Maria (Lemmon) Miller, the former of whom was bom in Seneca county, Ohio, on the 15th. of June, 1824, arid the latter was bom in Seneca county, New York, on the 20th of May, 1827. Their marriage was solemnized in Seneca county, Ohio, on the 20th of May, 1847, a°d they reared a family of seven children, namely: Hannah J., John D.; Jeanette L, Charles R., Francis, Cassius C., and Lemmon S. The father was engaged in agricultural pursuits during his active career and was one of the honored citizens of Seneca and Crawford counties, and a prominent member of the Grange. He died on the 8th of January, 1892, and his loved wife passed away on the 5th of July, 1898. She was a sister of Judge Reuben C. Lemmon (deceased), of Toledo, Ohio, who was formerly a resident of Fulton county, and also of Mrs. Henry S. Isbell, who now resides in Delta, this county. John D. Miller secured! his early educational training in the schools of his native county. He continued to be associated with his father in farming operations until he had attained the age of twenty-four years, when he purchased a half interest in a harness and saddlery business of Bucyrus, Crawford county, continuing to be identified with this enterprise for two years, when impaired health caused him to dispose of his interests in the business. In the spring of 1877 came to Fulton county and purchased his present farm, which comprises eighty acres and upon which he has made excellent improvements, developing the place into one of the fine farms of the county. Mr. Miller has not hedged himself in with the affairs of a personal import, but has shown himself loyal to the interests of the community and has taken an active interest in public affairs. He is a stanch adnerent of the Republican party, and he has served as road supervisor,, as a member of the school board and as township trustee, hav-v ing been elected to the last mentioned office in 1902, serving one term. He is a deacon in the Christian church and an active worker in the same, as is also Mrs. Miller, and he is a member of Aetna Grange, No. 310. In Crawford county, Ohio, on the 14th of March, 1877, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Clemma L. Beard, who was born in Seneca county, this State, on the 20th of September, 1858, being a daughter of Philip A. and Lucy (Richard) Beard. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children, whose names, with respective dates of birth, are as follows: Roy D., born April 26, 1879; Reuben C., born April 29, 1880; Archie F., born January 8, 1882; and Zelma Joyce, born January 24, 1897.

parents, Peter and Catherine (Greninald) Miller, were natives of Pennsylvania and of German ancestry. Early in 1843 Peter Miller removed to Fulton county and located on a tract of heavily-timbered land lying one-half mile north of the present site of Swanton, then without existence. Here Joseph Peter Miller grew to manhood amid the environments of pioneer life. He assisted in clearing the parental farm and attended the country schools about three months out of each year. The farm embraced one hundred and twenty acres, and a vast amount of labor was required to prepare it for cultivation. His father died at the age of seventy-four years and his mother at the age of seventy-two. The subject of this sketch is the only child born to their marriage. While working for his parents, Mr.4 Miller acquired a tract of unimproved land. Early in 1861, in response to his country's call for defenders, he enlisted in the Union army for a period of three months, but the term of enlistment expired without his command reaching the scene of conflict. On August 6, 1862, he re-enlisted, joining Company H of the One Hundredth Ohio volunteer infantry, and was sent to Covington, Ky., where General Buell's army was confronting that of his brother-in-law, General Bragg. After his baptism of fire at Fort Mitchell, near Covington, a part of his regiment was stationed at Richmond, Ky., to guard the loyal Tennesseeans while joining the Federal army. This detachment was driven away from that post by a superior force of Confederates. Rejoining his regiment at Lexington, Ky., he was assigned to duty with the Twenty-third army corps, first under General Buell ana later under General Burnside. While under the command of the latter his regiment participated in the battles of Strawberry Plains and the battle and siege of Knoxville, where forty thousand Confederates were defeated by twelve thousand Federate protected by fortifications. At the battle of Strawberry Plains, five companies of the One Hundredth Ohio were captured by the Confederates and confined for eleven months in military prisons, when those who survived the hardships of prison life were exchanged and returned to their commands. Mr. Miller and six companions of Company H escaped capture because they had been previously detailed for train-guard duty. The organization of the companies captured was maintained by securing a number of recruits. Unfitted for active duty by chronic diarrhoea and heart disease, Mr. Miller was placed on detailed service at Knoxville, where he remained until July, 1865, the date of his discharge from military service. On returning home he was convalescent for some months, but the tender ministrations of a loving mother and a more healthful diet enabled him to receive a fair degree of health during his young manhood days. With advancing years, however, his infirmities have been augmented, compelling him to seek the lightest labor possible as a means of livelihood. In politics he has been a life-long Republican, and as such has held various offices in the town and township. He is actively identified with Quiggle Post, No. 289, Grand Army of the Republic, of which organization he was post commander for seven years, and his wife held membership in the Women's Relief Corps until it dis- banded. In religious matters he and wife are affiliated With the Methodist-Episcopal church. On July 12, 1866, he was wedded to Miss Sarah Temperance Farnsworth, a native of Lucas county and the daughter of J. P. and Louisa (Miller) Farnsworth, pioneers of that county, the former now living at Waterville, O., and the latter having died in young womanhood. Three sons were born to this union, two of whom are yet living. Their names follow: Willis, who died at the' age of three years; John W., and Ernest Edson of Toledo.

ROBERT D. MILLER is numbered among the prosperous and enterprising farmers of Pike township. He was born in Richland county, Ohio, on the 25th of December, 1867, and is a son of Anthony Wayne Miller and Electa (Wilson) Miller, both of whom Were born and reared in the old Buckeye State. Anthony W. Miller was bom in Richland county, on the 10th of August, 1834, and his wife was bora in Ashland county, their marriage having been solemnized in 1865, after the father had rendered gallant service as a Union soldier in the War of the Rebellion. He enlisted on the nth of August, 1862, and he continued in service until the close of the war, having been mustered out at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, in July, 1865, and having duly received his honorable discharge. He took part in the engagements of Arkansas Post, Milliken's Bend, the sieges of Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi, and in many other engagements of minor importance. In June, 1864, while with his command on the Red river, he was captured by the Confederate forces, and was held prisoner until the close of the war. At the time of his capture he weighed one hundred and eighty-five pounds, and when released his weight was but ninety pounds, - this fact indicating the hardships and privations which he endured in the interim. In 1881 Anthony W. Miller removed with his family from Richland county to Fulton county, locating on the farm where his son, Robert D., now resides. The parents now reside on a homestead in Dover township. Robert D. Miller received his educational discipline in the public schools of Richland and Fulton counties, and as a youth he learned the carpenter trade, becoming a skilled workman and continuing, to follow his trade as a vocation for ten years, after which. he again turned his attention to farming and stock-growing, in which lines of enterprise he has met with gratifying success,' being progressive in his attitude and availing himself of those facilities and methods which foster the maximum returns from the efforts put forth. His farm comprises eighty acres of most productive land and die place is equipped with excellent buildings and other substantial improvements. In his political adherency Mr. Miller is aligned with the Republican party, and while he takes a loyal interest in local affairs of a public nature he has never been an aspirant for office. He was a member of the Ohio National Guard for a period of five years, has served as captain* in his camp of the Sons of Veterans, and is affiliated with the Ancient Order of Gleaners and the Patrons of Industry; On the 31st of May, 1903, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Ella Guilford, who was bora in Fulton county on the 17th of Novem- ber, 1880, being a daughter of Lucien and Harriet (Graves) Guilford, the former of whom was born in the State of New York, in October, 1846, and the latter of whom was born in Mercer county, Ohio, on the 26th of November, 1844. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have one son, Wayne G., who was born on the 2d of September, 1905.

JOHN MOFFITT, a successful photographer of Delta, is a native of Milan, Mich., having been born there July 11, 1877. He is a son of Horace and Ella (Sundburg) Moffitt, both natives of Michigan, where the former now resides, the latter having died there, December 24, 1886. They were the parents of one son, John, the subject of this sketch. John Moffitt grew to manhood in his native town and enjoyed excellent educational advantages. Having learned the harness-makers' trade, he plied that avocation with marked success for three years. Then he decided to learn the photographers' art, which he has so successfully conducted for the past nine years. On April 10, 1898, he removed to Delta and purchased the business of O. H. Bauch, established there, and he now owns the only artgallery in the place. It is needless to state that he is an accomplished artist, for the excellent character of the work turned out by him and his unusually extensive patronage speak louder than words. His gallery is equipped throughout with the most modern instruments, and no pains is spared to make the work first-class in every particular, notwithstanding the fact that there is no competition in Delta in his line. His patronage is not confined to Delta, but extends to all parts of the county, successfully competing with all similar institutions in Fulton county. He makes a specialty df children's work, of which many fine specimens may be seen in his artgallery. In politics Mr. Moffitt is identified with the Republican party. He also holds membership in Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons. On June 9, 1904, at Delta, he was married to Miss Freda E. Bradley, a daughter of E. A. and Martha (Hauble) Bradley, the former deceased and the latter a resident of Delta. E. A. Bradley and wife are the parents of four children, three daughters and one son. They are: Ella, Freda E., Rachel and Joseph, all married except Joseph, and all residents of Delta, except Ella, who resides in Toledo, O.

ALEXANDER Y. MONTGOMERY, agent of the United States Express Company at Delta, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, December 9, 1835. He is the' son of James and Mary (Young) Montgomery, both natives of Pennsylvania. James Montgomery grew to manhood on his father's farm and after his marriage to Miss Maty Young removed to Belmont county, O., in 1833. Here he and his wife lived on a farm to a ripe old age, he dying quite suddenly when in apparently perfect health. They were the parents of four children, three boys and one girl. Their names follow: Alexander Y., Ruth Ellen, Leroy and Ross. Leroy is living in Kansas and two of the others died in mature life. Alexander Y. Montgomery attended the district school four months of each year after he was nine years old, but his education was acquired more by contact with business men and by reading good books than by attendance at school. Growing to manhood on the home farm he followed farming until June io, 1861, when he enlisted in the Union army. The company to which he belonged enlisted at first for only three months, but was one of the first to respond to the three years' call. He enlisted in Company E of the Second West Virginia infantry. This arrangement was in keeping with the understanding that Pennsylvania and Ohio, even before the establishment of a State government, would assist the embryo State of West Virginia to remain in the Union. His regiment served under Generals Siegel, Milroy, Fremont and Pope throughout West Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, participating in the battles of that valley and the Rappahannock River. After the second battle of Bull Run the regiment was sent up the Kanawha to the salt works at Charleston, where it routed the Confederates while engaged in making salt. Returning to the valley they wintered at Martinsburg. In 1863 the regiment was mounted and sent on scouting duty to West Virginia and Virginia, in which capacity it continued until mustered out of service, June 22, 1864. After a brief visit at home Alexander went to Pittsburg, where for about eight months he was employed in the Beaver Creek oil field. In the spring of 1866 he came to Delta, where he still resides^ For about sixteen years he was engaged in the grocery business. Then he was appointed postmaster of Delta under President Hayes, serving eight years, when by virtue of a change of administration he was superseded by a man of different political faith. Before he quit the postoffice he accepted the agency of the United States Express company at Delta, and for fully twenty years he has successfully conducted the company's business at that point. In connection with the express business he also operates a stationery and book store. Being interested in the success of the public schools, he has served as a member of the school board. Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Fulton Lodge, No. 248, Free and Accepted Masons, of Octavius Waters Chapter, No. 154, Royal Arch Masons, of Delta Lodge No. 460, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Fulton Encampment, No. 197, and of McQuillin Post, No. 171, Grand Army of the Republic, being past post commander of the last-named organization. He has passed the principal chairs of .all of the above mentioned associations. In politics he is an active Republican and his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was married in Trumbull county, O., to Miss Mary McCorkle, a native of that county. Two daughters have been born to this union, Mrs. Lena Z. R. Koos, of Delta, and Mrs. Harry H. Ham, of Wauseon. The business career of Mr. Montgomery has been an unusually successful one and as a result he has accumulated considerable property. Among his properties are two fine business houses and a handsome residence. By dint of hard, earnest effort and good judgment he has earned well-merited success.

ISAAC LESTER, one of the prosperous farmers of Gorham township and a member of one of d it pioneer families of Fulton county, was bom on the homestead farm, in the township mentioned, on die 23d of July, 1849, his birth-place being one mile east of his present home. He is a son of Thomas C. and Mary (Lepard) Lester, the former of whom was bom in Cayuga county, N. Y., February 22, 1819, being a son of Crandhll Lester, a representative of an old and prominent family of the Empire state, and Mary (Lepard) Lester was bom in Fairfield county, Ohio, where her parents settled in an early day. The parents of Thomas C. Lester removed from Ohio to Allegan county, Mich., becoming pioneers of that section and passing the remainder of their lives on a farm near Wayland, where both were laid to rest Thomas C. Lester was a successful school teacher when a young man, and later turned his attention to farming, becoming one erf the prominent agriculturists of Gorham township, where he died in 1891, and his wife is still living on the homestead. They became the parents of six children, namely: Isaac, subject of this sketch; Nelson, a resident of Duluth, Minn.; Frank, deceased; Lee, engaged in the operation of die old homestead; Olive, wife of A. D. Way, of Waldron, Hillsdale county, Mich. ; and Al, a resident of Duluth, Minn. Isaac Lester passed his boyhood and youth on the home farm, in Gorham township, and after attending the district schools, supplemented the rudimentary discipline by a course in the graded schools of Fayette. In 1875 he purchased thirty-three acres of land, in Gorham township, to which he has since added until he now has a well-improved and highly-productive farm of eighty acres, die greater portion of the tract having been cleared when he came into possession of the property, and he has made excellent improvements bn the place, which is one of the handsome rural homesteads of this part of the county. Mr. Lester is a natural mechanic and has worked to a considerable extent at the trade of carpenter, finding his services in much requisition along this line. In politics Mr. Lester is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Christian church. He has held various local offices, including that of township supervisor, and he commands the unqualified esteem of the people among whom his entire life has been passed. January 12, 1875, Mr. Lester was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Snyder, daughter of Jonas and Sarah (Held) Snyder and a native of Morrow county, Ohio. Her father was bom in York county, Pa., on the 26th of October, 1825, and in 1835 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Morrow county, Ohio, where be was reared to maturity. October 15, 1861, be came with his family to Fulton county, locating on the farm now owned by Mr. Lester, who purchased the place at the time of his marriage, in 1875. April 17,

1902, Mr. and Mrs. Snyder came to live with their daughter, Mrs. Lester. Mrs. Snyder died, June 30, 1903, at the age of seventy-five years, one month and eight days, and Jonas Snyder died, July 26,

1903, aged seventy-seven years and nine months, so that in death they were not' long divided. Mrs. Snyder was bom in Lebanon county, Pa., May 22, 1827, and in 1832 her parents removed thence to Morrow county, Ohio, where she was united in marriage to Jonas Snyder, on the 24th of September, 1848. They came to Fulton county, October 10, 1861, and on the 5th of the following May removed to a farm one-half mile west of the present Lester homestead in Williams county, where they maintained their home many years. Both were devoted members of the Lutheran church. They became the parents of four children: William, who is a resident of Adrian, Mich. ; Frank, who resides in Fayette, Fulton county, Ohio; Amelia, who is the wife o fthe subject of this review, and Sarah Jane, the wife of David Kibler, a prosperous farmer of Williams county. Mr. and Mrs. Lester have five children: Jennie M. is the wife of Nelson Brink, of Fayette; Charles T. also resides in Fayette; Miles J. is a resident of Adrian, Mich. ; Elmer L. and his wife are associated with his parents in the operation of the home farm; and Nora is the wife of John Severance, of Adrian, Mich. Mr. and Mrs. Lester have one granddaughter, Lois E Brink, bom February 17, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Lester lived on their farm over thirty years, but recently they decided to leave the farm and they purchased a beautiful home in Ailvordton, Ohio, where they moved on November 14, 1905, to enjoy the rest of their days.

LEE LESTER, who is one of the well-known citizeps and prominent farmers of Gorham township, was. born on the old homestead where he now resides, on the 19th of June, 1857, and here he has made his home from the time of birth, and he has; proven a worthy successor of his father, who was one of the honored pioneers of this section of the State. His farm comprises ninety-seven acres, is improved with good buildings and is maintained under effective cultivation. Mr. Lester is a Republican in his political adherency and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. January 21, 1885, he was united in marriage to Miss Alphreta McDaniels, of this county, who was born in Sandusky county, Ohio. They have one child, Crandall. Thomas C. Lester, father of him whose name introduces this article, was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., February 22, 1819, and his parents early came to Ohio, becoming pioneers of Seneca county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. He was a son of James and Esther (Crandall) Lester, both of whom were born in the State of New York. Thomas C. Lester settled in Williams county, Ohio, in 1837, securing a tract of wild land, in that portion of the county which is now included in Fulton county, which was organized about thirteen years later. In 1848 he located on the farm which is now the home of his son Lee, in Section 7, Gorham township, developing the place and making it one of the valuable properties of this section of the county. He continued to reside on the old homestead until his death, in 1891, at the age of seventy-one years. He was a stanch Republican and was an influential factor in public affairs of a local nature, having served in various township offices. He was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years. February 10, 1848, in Seneca county, he was married to Miss Mary A. Lepard, daughter of Isaac.

and Nancy (Huffman) Lepard. She was bom in Fairfield county, Ohio, whence her parents removed to Seneca county, where they made their home until death. Thomas C. and Mary A. Lester became the parents of six children: Isaac, who is a resident of Williams county; Nelson, who makes his home in Duluth, Minn.; Frank, who is deceased; Lee, whose name initiates this sketch; Olive, who is the wife of Albert D. Way, of Hillsdale county, Mich.; and Allen, who is a resident of West Superior, Wis.. The mother is now residing with her son, Lee, at eighty-four years of age.

AARON LEVY, a retired merchant of Archbold and one of the honored pioneer business men of the town, where he is treasurer of the Archbold Milling and Elevator Co., and also has other interests of importance, has been the architect of his own fortune, coming to America from a foreign land and bending his energies to well-directed effort until prosperity finally crowned his labors. He was born January 9, 1842, in France, where he was reared to the age of fifteen years, there receiving fair educational advantages. He then came to America, remaining a few years in New York city, and then coming to the middle West, locating in Butler, Ind., in May, 1867, and for a time going about through various parts of that State, as well as Ohio, engaged in peddling, and he manifested the utmost frugality and showed his good judgment by carefully saving his earnings. In March, 1869, he engaged in the mercantile business in a small way, in Spring Lake, Williams county, whence he came to Archbold in 1871. The town was at that time a mere hamlet, with only two or three stores, and he established himself at the corner of Broadway and Depot streets, opening a small stock of general merchandise. At this location he built up an excellent trade, gaining the confidence and respect of the community and there continuing his general merchandising enterprise until 1891, when he disposed of his well-equipped establishment, having since lived practically retired. He was one of the organizers of the Archbold Milling and Elevator Company, in which he is one of the principal stock-holders and also treasurer. Mr. Levy is liberal in his views and has done his share in furthering the material and social advancement of his home town, taking a lively interest in public affairs' and having been a valued member of the village council; and he has contributed to church and charitable work and proven a loyal and helpful citizen. In politics he supports the cause of the Independent party. April 9, 1872, Mr. Levy was married to Miss Caroline Hirsch, of Archbold, and they have eight children: Sarah remains at the parental home; Benjamin is a clothing manufacturer in Chicago; Henry is a resident of Toledo; Ida is the wife of Myer Greenberg, of Toledo, Ohio; Rose is the wife of Lee Dreyfus, of Chicago; Louis also resides in Chicago; Emil is attending school in Terre Haute, Ind.; and Ruth remains beneath the home roof.

AUGUST LINDAU, who is living retired in the village of Archbold, has had a somewhat eventful career and was for many years identified with railroading interests, principally in the capacity of engineer. He was bom in Landau, Standahl, Germany, February 2, 1844, being a son of Christian and Caroline Lindau, and he was about eight years of age at the time of his parents' immigration to America. They settled in Adams township, Defiance county, Ohio, where the father continued engaged in farming until his death, in 1865, his wife also dying in that county, and the remains of both lie at rest in the Ridge-Road cemetery, in Adams township. Of their children the following is a brief record: Caroline becaine the wife of David Coulter and both died in Wausecm ; Louisa is the widow of Christopher Dittmar and resides in Ridgeville, Ohio; Christopher is a resident of Napoleon, this State; Frederick also resides in that village ; August was the next in order of birth ; Charles is a resident of Archbold ; Dora is the wife of Christopher Shultz, of Napoleon; and Minnie died in early childhood. August Lindau secured his elementary education in his native land and supplemented this by study in the public schools of Defiance county, Ohio, continuing to be identified with farming in Adams township, that county, until he was seventeen years of age. He then went to Janesville, Wis., in which vicinity he farmed two years, passing the following eighteen months in Wauseon, Ohio, after which he was engaged in the blacksmith business about one and one-half years, in this county. He then returned to Rock county, Wis., being employed as agent for a brewery in Janesville for one year. The following year he was engaged in business in Rockford, 111., after which he passed about a year as a merchant in Napoleon, Ohio. He then conducted a hotel about a year in Wichita, Kan., after which he located on a claim which he secured in that locality, but two years later he went to the Black Hills, but found that the conditions of the Indian treaty were such that prospectors could not be allowed in the district, so he made his way to Colorado, whence he returned about a year later to the Black Hills, where he remained about two and one-half years, engaged in teaming and mining. He then went to St. Paul, Minn., where he became fireman on a locomotive engine. In 1873 he was promoted to the position of engineer, working twelve years on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha lines, and being passenger-train engineer between St. Paul and Stillwater for five years. Thereafter he was associated with- his brother in a business enterprise at Napoleon, Ohio, for one year, and he was then employed by the Great Northern Railroad company in Minnesota and Wisconsin, working as engineer on the various branches and remaining twelve years. Thereafter he was employed in a similar capacity on the various branches of the Great Northern railroad, running a passenger engine between Duluth and St. Paul for ten years. In his long experience in railroading he had a number of wrecks, but was never seriously injured. He quit the railroading business in November, 1894, since which time he has maintained his home in Archbold, to which place he made his first visit as a boy, more than fifty years ago, the town being then a little hamlet in the midst of the forest. Mr. Lindau was among the organizers of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and was prominent in its ranks, having held various offices in the same and having been a delegate to its national conventions at San Francisco and Minneapolis. In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, taking much interest in the promotion of the party cause. November 20, 1863, Mr. Lindau was married to Miss Nina Hitchcock, of Janesville, Wis., and they became the parents of four children - Charles, Bert, William and Lucius. All are deceased except Charles, who resides in Minnesota. Mrs. Lindau's death occurred November 20, 1900, in Archbold, where she was laid to rest.

JAMES W. LIVINGSTON, a i prosperous and honored farmer of Amboy township and a veteran of the Civil war, is a native of the old Keystone State of the Union, having been born in Bedford county, Pa., on the 27th of October, 1834, and, being a son of William and Jane (Grove) Livingston, both of whom were likewise born in Pennsylvania, being members of sterling pioneer families of the State. Shortly after the close of the War of the Rebellion they removed to Iowa, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father having been a farmer by vocation. James W. Livingston was reared and educated in his native county, where he learned the allied trades of stone-mason, brick-mason and plasterer, becoming an expert workman in each branch and thus being well fortified for the battle of life. In 1855 he located in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he followed his trade four years, at the expiration of which he removed to Toledo, where he was similarly engaged until the outbreak of the Gvil war, when his intrinsic patriotism led him to offer his services in defense of the integrity of the Union. November 4, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Sixty-seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, with which he served nearly three years, being discharged by reason of physical disability. On the 30th of June, 1862, he was ship-wrecked oh Chesapeake bay, opposite a lighthouse and twelve miles distant from Fortress Monroe. At this' time he received the injuries which later resulted in his discharge from the service. He took part in the battles of Winchester and Port Republic, besides several skirmisher, and his military record is one betokening fidelity and valor m all regards. In 1865 Mr. Livingston took up nis permanent residence in Fulton county, purchasing forty acres of land in Section 23, Amboy township, where he has ever since maintained his home and where he has the confidence and good will of the entire community. He reclaimed a considerable portion of his land from the; wild state and has made good improvements on the place, including substantial buildings, and the farm is devoted to diversified agriculture and to the raising of live-stock of good grades. He is a valued member of Irvin Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Metamora, and served one term as commander of the same, ever showing a deep interest in his old comrades in arms. In politics he is an uncompromising Republican. In i860 Mr. Livingston was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Welch, daughter of Nathaniel arid Drusilla (Phillips) Welch, who were well-known pioneers of Amboy township, and the children of this union are here designated : Thomas, who is engaged in paints ing, in Swanton; Tama J., who is the wife of George Wood, of West Pullman, Chicago, 111.; Sarah, who is the wife of Allen Spooner, of Michigan; Susan, who is the wife of Lee Ketchum, of California; Williim, who is a painter by vocation and a resident of the paternal home; Virginia, who is the wife of Thomas Shaffer, of Amboy township; and Lyman, who remains at the parental home, being associated with his father in the management of the farm.

JOHN LUKE, who is one) of the representative citizens and pro* gressive farmers of Fulton township, and who is incumbent of the office of township trustee, was born in this township, on the 15th of September, 1850, and is a son of Jacob and Amanda (Schrock) Luke, the former of whom was born in Holmes county, Ohio, and the latter in the State of Pennsylvania. They were married in Holmes county and, early in 1850, came to Fulton county, and the father purchased a tract of wild land, in Fulton township, and this he has reclaimed and developed into one of the valuable farms of the county, the same comprising one hundred and sixty acres and having excellent improvements. He is one of the well-known and prosperous farmers .of the county. His first wife died when their son John was a small child, and he later married his present wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Kreiger. Of the three children of the first marriage two are living, John being the younger. His sister, Malinda, is the wife of Jacob Enfield, of this township. Six children were born of the second marriage - William H., Isaac, Amanda (deceased), Edward, Franklin and Harvey. The sons are all residents of Fulton township, engaged in farming, and the youngest remains at the parental home. John Luke secured a good common-school education and his earliest recollections are in regard to the work and scenes of the pioneer farm, in whose cultivation and improvement he early began to lend his aid. He has always been identified with agricultural pursuits, through the same has gained marked prosperity, and for many years he did a large business in the operation of threshing outfits, having owned several machines, including those operated by steam. In the spring of 1877, shortly after his marriage, Mr. Luke located on his present farm, which comprises one hundred acres, all of which tract is available for cultivation except about ten acres, which are oovered with val-r Uable young timber. The improvements on the place are of substantial order, and thrift and prosperity are indicated on every Side. Mr. Luke is an uncompromising advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party, he has served as trustee of his township since 1899. He has also served as constable, and for many years has been an efficient member of the school-board of his district. He is affiliated with Swanton Lodge, No. 528, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past grand, and both he and his wife hold membership in Berry Grange, No. mi. They are regular attendants of the German Reformed church. December 31, 1876, Mr. Luke was united in marriage to Miss Etta Taylor, a daughter of Lucius P. and

Susanna (Ozmun) Taylpr, the former of whom was born in Massachusetts and the latter in Ohio, their marriage having been solemnized in the city of Cleveland. They located in Fulton county in 1884, and Mr. Taylor has ever since resided; on the same farm, in Pike township, his wife having passed away in 1892, They became the parents of three sons and six daughters: Lucy Ann, Orrin O., Jesse, Charlotte (deceased), Emma, Ida, Etta, Olive and Henry. Orrin met his death while serving in the Civil war, and Jesse, who was likewise a soldier in that conflict, is deceased. All the others reside in Fulton county except Emma, who lives in Cuyahoga county. Mrs. Luke was educated in the public schools, having completed a course in the high school at Wauseon, and she was successfully engaged in teaching in the schools of this county for eleven terms, prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Luke have one son and one daughter. Edith Pearl is the wife of Isaac Everett and they reside in Fulton township, having one daughter, Hope, four years of age. Verne, who is a student in a business college in the city of Adrian, Mich., has been associated with his father in the work of the home place.

GEORGE McGUFFIN, M. D., a successful physician and surgeon of Pettisville, was born in London, Ontario, March 3, 1872. His father died when George was only eight years old, and his mother is still a resident of London. Eleven children were born to the parents, six sons and five daughters. Dr. George McGuffin was reared in London, where he received a liberal education in its excellent schools. After completing the course in the London schools, he entered the Western University located there, in 1896, and four years later was graduated from that institution. His first work after graduation was to serve for three months as physician in an insane asylum. He next located at Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, where he continued the practice of medicine for about nine months and then returned to London. Soon after this he made a visit to Dr. Baker of Delta, O., an old acquaintance of his, and was so favorably impressed with the country and its thrifty people that he decided to locate in Fulton county and practice his profession there. Returning to London he was united in marriage to Migs Minnie Piercy, of the same city, and immediately came to Fulton county, O., locating at Pettisville, in June, 1901, and here he now enjoys a lucrative and rapidly growing practice. Thoroughly posted in his profession and quite skillful in the practice of surgery, the Doctor is an active member of the .Fulton county and Ohio State medical societies and the State medical association. His connection with these organizations is not confined to mere membership, but he takes an active part in the discussions that come before them. He is identified with the Masonic and Pythias fraternities. To him and wife there have been born two children, named Kenneth and Marjorie.

JACOB L. McKIMMY is known as one of the progressive and able business men of the younger generation in Fulton county, and his initiative and executive powers have shown forth in high relief through his building up of one of the largest brick and tile manufactories in this section. Jacob Luther McKimmy has the distinction of being a native of the beautiful Old Dominion State, having been born in Preston county, Va., on the 6th of May, 1871, and being a son of Perry and Caroline (Wotring) McKimmy, of Irish and Holj. l. McKimmy. land Dutch lineage, respectively. In

1874 his parents took up their residence in Lenawee county, Mich., where the father became a prosperous farmer of O^en township, and he and his wife still maintain their home there. They have eight children, namely: John, Theodore, Nathan, Jacob Luther, Saloma (wife of David Cowel), Frederick, Alva and Addie. Jacob L. Mc- Kimmy was reared on the home farm, in Ogden township, Lenawee county, Mich., and he was afforded the advantages of the public schools, making good use of his opportunities and amply fortifying himself for the handling of his business affairs in later years.

On attaining his majority he came to Fulton county and purchased a farm, in Amboy township, operating the same two years and then exchanging the property for the brick and tile .plant of which he is now proprietor. The following description of the plant was recently published in a local paper and is consistently reproduced in this connection: "The brick and tile plant is Agnes McKimmy.

located two miles south and one-half mile east of Metamora. It is owned and operated by J. L. McKimmy,* who purchased the property of A. H. Crissey, in 1895, and at once began to improve and enlarge the plant, which now has* the most modern facilities for the manufacturing of brick and tile. In 1897 Mr. McKimmy erected a shed 30x100 feet, the following year he added 100 feet to this shed, making it 30x200 feet in dimensions, and in 1899 he built another shed, 30x100 feet, while in the following year he erected still another, 30x75 feet, making in all a building 30x375 feet, built throughout of first-class material and utilized only for the drying of brick and tile. The engine room is 30x40 feet, and the machinery is run by a 25- horsepower engine, with crusher and a modem automatic cut-off in the same room. The automatic cut-off is a wonderful piece of machinery, doing its own work and cutting off the tile perfectly and regularly. The machinery conducts the clay from tne man who feeds the crusher to the man who sets it on the wheel-barrow, a perfect green tile, without any help from human hands. The daily output of the plant is ten thousand three-inch tile, and* the. plant is kept in operation usually from April until October. The ldlns used are of the Stewart patent, while soft coal is used as fuel. Each of the two kilns has a capacity of twenty-five thousand three-inch tile, and it requires from thirty-six to forty hours to burn each kiln. In each of the seasons of 1904 and 1905 thirty-seven kilns Were burned, and the average amount of tile in stock is about 500,000, ranging in diameter from three to twelve inches. Mr. McKimmy has never 3ret shipped any brick or tile from his plant, the farmers in the surrounding country using the entire output. He employs a corps of ten men during the season of manufacturing, and keeps one man in the yards during the winter season. In 1897 be built a reservoir, 95x300 feet, and this furnishes an adequate supply of water at all times, while in the winter it yields ice not only for the ice-house in the yard, a building 24x50 feet, but supplies many of the farmers in the locality. From the local ice-house also many families are supplied in the summer" season. Mr. McKimmy was but twenty-four years of age when he started for himself in the brick and tile business, but by his energy and integrity he has built up an enterprise that} is not only of great benefit to himself but also to the farmers of this section." In his political allegiance Mr. McKimmy is a stanch Republican, and in a fraternal way he is identified' with Sanders Tent, No. 421, Knights of the Maccabees, in Metamora. January 1, 1893, he was married to Miss Agnes Boyce, daughter of Stephen and Mary (Dumeresq) .Boyce, of Delta, this county, and four children have been born of this union - Ora L., Lester I., Ellis L. and Iva M., the last-named being deceased.

HAULCEY MANN, a prominent and successful farmer of Wauseon, is the son of Francis Price and Mary Elizabeth (Lyon) Mann, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of New Jersey. His grandfather, Charles Mann, who was a pioneer settler of Knox county, O., came to that county from New York. He married Miss DeWitt, a native of Knox county. As far as the subject of this sketch knows Charles Mann had no brothers or sisters. Francis Price Mann, born near Mt. Vernon, Knox county, in 1815, came to Williams county, O., from Morrow county, same State, in 1857. In 1862 he removed to Franklin township, Fulton county, where he bought a farm and lived on it for several years. Then he removed to Morenci, Lenawee county, Mich., where he died in 1882, aged sixty-seven years. His wife was bom in Essex county, N. J., January 11, 1822. Hale and hearty at the age of eighty-three years, she enjoys the best of health and makes her home with the subject of this sketch. She is the daughter of Haulcey and Harriet (Rose) Lyon, and the granddaughter of Samuel Lyon. The following are the children of Francis

Mich.; Charles Mann (deceased), who died in Royalton township* Fulton county; Haulcey Mann, the subject of this sketch, and John Borough Mann of Lenawee county, Mich. Haulcey Mann, reared on a farm and educated in the public schools of his home county* chose farming as his occupation. He first farmed in Franklin township and then removed to Dover township, where he bought a farm. Selling this place he bought a farm in Clinton township, Fulton county, which for the past thirteen years he has owned and successfully operated. His farm is in a high state of cultivation and is rated as one of the best in the county. Having been reared on a farm and carefully trained for that work it is no wonder that he innow one of the most prosperous farmers in that section of the State. He married Miss Mary Ann Dennis, daughter of John and Nancy (Dodd) Dennis, both deceased, who came to Fulton county from Delaware county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis are: William Dennis, of Clinton township; Charles Dennis, of Franklin township; Alfred Dennis, of Dover township; Mary Ann, the *vife of the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Susan Hittle (deceased).