Wood County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1897 (part 8 of 17)

John Young, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Kentucky. He was a great hunter, and his brother William was a friend and companion of Daniel Boone. The Young family is of Scotch origin.

James H. La Farree. the efficient manager and secretary of the Bowling Green Natural Gas Co., enjoys in a marked degree the confidence of the stockholders in that prosperous enterprise, and has won, by his energy, integrity and good judgment, an enviable reputation throughout the community. He is a native of Wood county, born September 26, 1837, on his father's farm, near Stony Ridge.

His grandfather, David La Farree, came from the vicinity of Strasburg, which then belonged to France, over a hundred years ago, and settled near Chambersburg, Penn., where his son, James La Farree, our subject's father, was born January 9, 1797, and spent his youth. Arriving at manhood, James La Farree married Miss Elizabeth Sifford, who was born in Maryland March 12, 1800. Her father, Christian Sifford, was a prominent citizen of Frederick City, Md., and had been an under-professor at Heidelberg University previous to his coming to America. She was one of a large family, of whom six - John,

After their marriage, our subject's parents came to Ohio, locating at Lancaster, in 1820. Later they went to Maryland, where they remained two years, and then returning to Ohio, again settled at Lancaster. In 1832 they moved to Perrysburg, Ohio, and bought government land near Stony Ridge, in Wood county. At that time the old Western Reserve and Maumee turnpike was not built, and these courageous pioneers had to make their way through the woods as best they could. Mr. La Farree was a cabinet maker by trade, and carried on that business for some time in addition to his farm work. He was a Democrat, as every member of the family has always been, and he had at first only two fellow-partisans in the township. He and his wife were members of the M. E. Church. He died of cholera, August 2, 1852, his wife surviving him until September 10, 1888, when she died at the old homestead. They had seven children: John, born March 20, 1820, was a resident of Troy township, and died December 12, 1888; Augustus, born March 5, 1826, was a soldier during the first years of the Civil war, and died August 3, 1865; Cornelia, born March 31, 1831, is the wife of M. B. Richmond, of Crawfordsville, Ind. ; Samuel, born March 22, 1834, lived at Umatilla, Oregon, and died May 16, 1866; James H. is the subject of this sketch; George W. , born February 9, 1841, lives in Perrysburg; Frances, born April 1 2, 1 844, is the wife of Samuel Swope, of Troy township.

James H. La Farree was educated in the district schools near his home, and in the public schools of Perrysburg. Not content with these opportunities, he has followed an extended course of private study, and kept well posted on the subjects which interest the best minds of the day. At the age of fifteen he learned the cooper's trade with a neighbor, Joshua Chappel, and afterward taught school for some time. He then engaged in bridge building, and later became foreman of the planing-mills at Perrysburg, holding that position thirteen years. In July, 1880, he came to Bowling Green, and became foreman in a planing-mill; but on becoming connected with the Natural Gas Co., he undertook the management of that business. Since July 1, 1886, he has had exclusive control of their interests.

In April, 1861, Mr. La Farree enlisted for three months in Company C, 21st O. V. I., and served in West Virginia; but after two months' service, being taken sick, he came home, and was sick for nearly two years. In February,

In 1863, Mr. La Farree was married to Miss Ella G. Norton, who was born in Perrysburg May 12, 1846, They have six children, all living in Bowling Green: Lloyd. Erne, Alice, Kate, Daisy and Rex. Another daughter, Winifred, died in 1 880, at the age of four years. Since 1863 Mr. La Farree has been a Mason, and he is a member of Phoenix Blue Lodge, Perrysburg, and Crystal Chapter, Bowling Green.

Chester Willis Norton, Mrs. La Farree's father, was in his day one of the leading men of Wood county. He was a native of Henderson, N. Y. , born about 1820, and came in an early day to Perrysburg, Wood county, with his father, Chester Norton, who was a merchant. Chester

W. Norton was married in 1842 to Theresa Curtis, who was born in New York State about 1827, daughter of Jairus and Susan (Alexander) Curtis, natives of Vermont who settled at Perrysburg in a very early day.

John McMahan. The subject of this personal narrative is one of the most successful stock raisers and progressive farmers within the borders of Perry township, owning a good homestead of eighty-five acres in Section 1 1. He has made his special field of industry an eminent success, and is highly esteemed and respected by those who know him best. A native of Ohio, he was born in Spencer township, Hamilton county, January 14, 1816, and is the eldest of the four children of Hugh and Elizabeth (Stump) McMahan, the others being Mary, wife of John McClow, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Andrew, who for over forty years ran a sawmill, and died in Cincinnati, in August, 1894; and Jane, wife of Edward Collins, also of the same city. When only a boy, his father died, but his mother kept the family together, living in a small house given her by her father. She passed away in Hamilton county in 1836.

John McMahan attended the subscription schools, paying fifty cents a month tuition, and the wood used for fuel was also contributed by the pupils. He followed various occupations during his youth, and as he lived near where the Little Miami river flows into the Ohio, he often made a few cents by catching minnows for the gentlemen who came out from Cincinnati to fish. At the age of twenty-two, he began to work at I the carpenter's trade, at which he was able to

In Hamilton county, in August, 1843, Mr. McMahan wedded Miss Martha Matthews, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of George Matthews. To them was born a son - Walter, who died in Florida, in February, 1894. After the death of his first wife, our subject married Sarah Seaman, who was a daughter of William Seaman, and was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, where she departed this life, leaving one child - Martha, now Mrs. Lewis Beckman, of Perry township.

In March, 1857, Mr. McMahan came to Wood county, walking fram Tiffin to Fostoria, and on his arrival in Perry township erected a house for Nathan Hatfield. In the following October he was united in marriage with Miss Jane A. Hatfield, a native of Ashland county, Ohio, and a daughter of Nathan Hatfield, and they became the parents of the following children - Sarah J., who was born November 4, 1859, and became the wife of Charles Shunk, of Perry township, where she died; Nathan E., who was born December 26, 1861, and died while young; Hugh, who was born December 6, 1865, and is a farmer of Perry township; Louisa, who was born March 16, 1864, and died at the age of nineteen years; William H., who was born February 2, 1869, and lives at home; Warren P. , of Perry township, born September 7, 1874; and Minnie D., born February 18, 1877. After ten weeks of illness, the mother of this family died August 2, 1895, and her remains were interred at Fostoria, Ohio. She held membership with the Evangelical Church.

In the fall of 1857, Mr. McMahan went to Cincinnati, where for two years he worked with his brother in a sawmill, but in March, i860, returned to Wood county, purchasing forty acres of new land in. Section 33, Perry township, only a few acres of which had been cleared. He erected a two-story frame house upon the place, 18 x 32 feet, with a kitchen, 14x16 feet, and one story in height. For sixteen years he was employed in the sawmill of Nathan Hatfield, but in | April, 1878, removed to his present farm in Section 11, Perry township, where about half of his I eighty-five acres had been cleared, and on the j place stood a small log house, a short distance east of his present home. The neat and orderly appearance of the property manifests to the most casual observer the thrift and care of the proprietor, and shows conclusively that he understands his business thoroughly. He has erected all the buildings upon his farm, and, besides general 1 farming, has been very successful in the raising of hogs, never having lost a single one by cholera, when they were dying all around him. His first vote was cast for William H. Harrison, later he became a Democrat, but for nearly twenty years has now voted with the Republican party. On that ticket he was elected justice of the peace in Perry township, where he served for three years. He joined the I. O. O. F. in Cincinnati, with which he held membership for a number of years, and for fifty years has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

J. B. Wilson, of Bowling Green, the wellknown deputy treasurer of Wood county, holds in a marked degree the esteem of the public as an able and energetic official, having served the county in several responsible positions. He is a native of Wood county, born in Grand Rapids, December 31, 1853.

His father's family was originally from Germany, but his grandfather, John Wilson, was born in Pennsylvania, and in early manhood came to Ohio, where he was prominent among the early settlers. He died in Stark county September 27, 1866, a't the age of seventy-five years. His son Matthew, our subject's father, was born in Fayette county, Penn., February 12, 1812. After coming to Ohio with his parents he married Miss Elizabeth Blythe, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, October 31, 1823, the daughter of a leading pioneer, Samuel Blythe, later of Weston, Wood county. He was of mixed English and Scotch blood, and his parents settled in Jefferson county during the territorial period. Our subject's parents lived in Wayne county for four years after their marriage, and then moved to Grand Rapids, Wood county. From 1853 to 1867 Mr. Wilson, Sr., was employed in a store as clerk. They returned to Wayne county to spend the remainder of their lives, and died there - Mr. W'ilson on January 27, 1887, and his wife on December 7, 1891. They were devout adherents of the Methodist Church.

Our subject was the youngest of their three children. David, the eldest, lives in Wayne county, and C. H. in Chicago, 111. With the exception of a few years in Wayne county during boyhood, Mr. Wilson has spent his life in Wood county. In 1879 he was made principal of the schools of North Baltimore, holding that position until 1881, when he resigned to accept the office of deputy auditor of Wood county. His faithful service was appreciated by the people, and after six years as deputy he was elected auditor, being re-elected on the expiration of his first term. He has recently accepted the appointment as deputy treasurer. He was married December 31, 1878, to Miss Catherine Simon, a native of Wood county. They have four children - Milo D., Cecil B., Charles and Gladys. Politically he is a Republican, "dyed m the wool," his father having been an early supporter of that party. He was a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Minneapolis in 1892, and voted for Hon. Wm. McKinley for President. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the K. of P.

Derastus Lee. It is an undisputed fact that Bloom township contains some of the leading farmers of Wood county, and among the foremost of these is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He is the representative of one of our pioneer families, those who endured the hardships, privations and difficulties attending a settlement in the "Black Swamp " in the early "forties," and whose labor transformed the heavily timbered wilderness into productive fields. He passed his youth in the midst of the most primitive surroundings.

His grandfather, Lemuel Lee, was born in Connecticut. He was compelled to make his own way in the world from an early age, owing to the death of his father and the scattering of the family, and when a young man he came to Ohio, locating in Columbiana county. At that time Ohio had not yet been admitted as a State; within its limits was to be found much land upon which no "pale-face " had ever set foot, and in fact it was only along the eastern border that it was safe for a white man to take up his abode. Lemuel Lee married a Miss Jackson, and they had a large family, of whom six sons and two daughters lived to adult age. He was not a man to accumulate property, and in his circumstances there was but little opportunity to do so, but he made an honest living. He died about 1854.

George J. Lee, one of the older sons, bom in 1806, was our subject's father. Reared on a frontier farm, his schooling was very limited; indeed, to use his own expression, he was "educated with the grubbing hoe." During his boyhood but few schools were to be found, and they were the subscription schools patronized by the well-to-do classes. He was a large boy before he ever attended one, and then the humiliation of reciting in classes composed of children much smaller than he almost drove him to leave school, which he would have done had it not been for the encouragement of the teacher, his uncle, James Gordon. This one term of three months was the limit of his educational advantages. On February 4, 1830, he married Miss Hannah Wollam, a native of the same county, born in 1805. Her father, Henry Wollam, was a well-to-do farmer of that neighborhood, owning an excellent farm which he had redeemed from its primitive state, and improved with some unusually good buildings for that time. Before his marriage George Lee had learned the tanner's trade; but an attempt to engage in it met with little success, and he settled upon a farm on Beaver creek, where our subject first saw the light. As time passed, and the future of his children became an important problem, he decided to go farther west where land was cheaper, and September 25, 1841, he started for Wood county with his household goods in a large wagon, on which his wife rode with the younger members of the family, which then included six children. This conveyance was drawn by two oxen, with two horses as leaders. Ten days later they arrived in Montgomery township, having made a short visit in Richland county with friends, and a temporary home was made with John Vosburg until a suitable location was found. Mr. Lee entered 160 acres of land, which was in its primitive condition - not one tree having been cut upon it - and his first work was to clear a spot for the building of his log cabin. His brother, Henry, had accompanied the party, and he entered eighty acres adjoining, then returned home, where he died a few years afterward, having no direct heirs, and a onethird interest fell to our subject's father, who later bought the remaining two-thirds. He also bought another tract of forty acres, and at the time of his death owned 280 acres. He was a man of influence in his community, Democrat of the "Jacksonian stripe," and he took great interest in public affiairs. For many years he and his wife were members of the Protestant Methodist Church. This venerable pioneer couple lived several years beyond their ' ' Golden Wedding Anniversary"; they died within two and one-half years of each other, both having passed fourscore years, and their remains rest in West Millgrove cemetery.

Ten children were born to them as follows: Henry, January 10, 1831, living in Jerry City; Derastus, April 27, 1832; Samuel, August 29, 1833, died in Bloom township, May 16, 1855, of consumption; Mary J., April 7, 1835, married Adam Graham, of Montgomery township; Jackson, June 19, 1837, enlisted August 15, 1861, in Company H, 49th O. V. I., was wounded at

Chickamauga, September 19, 1863, and died the next day, his body never being recovered; Milo, March 15, 1839, died in Bloom township, April 30, 1858, of consumption; Sarah A., October 18, 1840, married Philip Brubaker, of Bloom township; Susanna, May 9, 1842, is the wife of Benton Musser, of Gratiot county, Mich.; John H., September n, 1844, died of consumption, January 13, 1862, in Bloom township; and Benjamin F., October 27, 1846, died March 23, 1847.

Derastus Lee was about nine years old when he came to this county, but there was plenty of work upon his father's farm, and even at that age he could " pick brush " in the clearing. With no modern machinery and but few tools, and those of the rudest sort, the work of the farm and household required the help of all, and schools were but little thought of, so that his educational opportunities were very limited. After he attained his majority he for one term attended the select school taught by Alfred Kelley, the pioneer teacher of West Millgrove. His own experience has given Mr. Lee a great desire to see facilities for education brought within the reach of everyone, and he is the ardent supporter of any improvement in the schools of to-day. On September 25, 1858, he married Miss Mary E. Vallance, a native of Ashland county, born June 22, 1837. Her parents, James and Elizabeth (Brubaker) Vallance, came to Wood county in September, 1849, settling in Perry township. She had fared no better than her husband in educational advantages, attending the schools of her day for about three months. At the time of his marriage Mr. Lee had by work and ' ' dickering " secured a team of horses, a wagon, a plow, and a harrow, the first horse, which he bought of his uncle, Lemuel Lee, being paid for by $30 in money and the chopping of ten acres of timber. With this outfit he started in business on his own account, taking the old homestead on shares. His residence for the first eleven years was in an old log school house which he had fitted up. There were many days of toil and but few of recreation in those years; but he and his wife were young, strong and ambitious, and their mutual affection made their old cabin a happy home. During this period Mr. Lee bought 160 acres of timber land in Section 12, Bloom township, which he still owns although he has never lived there. In the spring of 1871, he purchased eighty acres in Section 10, to which he moved. For twenty years he was engaged in threshing, in addition to farming, sometimes with a partner, sometimes without. His work was always faithfully done, and while thus employed he gained a wide circle of friends in different parts of the county. He did not spare himself over his tasks, and frequently when he had been busy up to a late hour of the night, he has crawled up to the side of a straw stack to sleep till morning. He has added to his land at various times until he now has nearly 800 acres, making him one of the largest landowners in Wood county, and most of his property is good farming land, which can not be said of some other extensive holders. Probably there is not another instance in Wood county of a poor boy becoming, through his own efforts, the owner of so large an estate. Industry, wise and economical management, and shrewd bargaining have made this progress possible, his estimable wife deserving, also, a large share of credit.

F. , September 25, 1862, is a well-to-do farmer; Jacob E., July 31, 1864, is at home; Charles W. , October 11, 1867, died February 2, 1868; Hattie E. , February 6, 1869, married Samuel Dennis, of Bloom Center; Perry M., March 12, 1871, is a progressive young farmer; Florence, June 4, 1873, married Elza Wright, of Bloom township; Mary Ettie, October 1, 1875, died March 21, 1876; and RhodaV., December 25, 1878, is at home. Among the foundation stones of Mr. Lee's tasteful and commodius residence is a relic of pioneer times - the top stone of an old handmill once belonging to his father's neighbor, Peter Painter, and many a time during his boyhood did Mr. Lee walk through the woods which lay between the two farms, carrying corn which he converted into meal with the aid of that stone.

Coming from a family in which consumption has claimed several members, Mr. Lee's death has been often predicted, yet he is hale and hearty, and bids fair to live many years. At the age of sixty-four he can perform a day's work which would do credit to one twenty years his junior. In October, 1894, he met with a serious injury. While nailing a board on a fence the nail broke and a flying piece struck him in the left eye, entirely destroying the sight. He is a good neighbor, kind-hearted, out-spoken, and a man of strict integrity. In politics Mr. Lee is a Democrat, and he is one of the chief counselors of the party in his locality. He formerly attended conventions and caucuses with great regular- ity, but he has never been an office seeker, and, although he has served creditably as trustee of his township, he has often declined to become a candidate for other positions. He once led the "forlorn hope " against the overwhelming Republican majority in the county, having been selected by his party as the candidate for county commissioner, and he succeeded in reducing the majority - a notable achievement, as things stood.

Frederick Yeager, a prominent citizen of Perrysburg, and a brave veteran of the Civil war, was born in Perrysburg, Wood Co., Ohio, February 22, 1844, a son of John J. and Elizabeth (Helfrich) Yeager. The grandfather, also named John J. Yeager, was a soldier in the French army, and died in France. The grandmother, whose maiden name was Margaret Liber, came with her second husband, Lorenze Hirtzel, to this country in 1854, and both died of cholera at Perrysburg eight weeks after their arrival. Mr. Hirtzel had also been a soldier in the French army. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Yeager were farmers in Lucas county, Ohio, where they died and were buried. They were members of the Roman Catholic Church.

John J. Yeager, father of our subject, was born June 7, 1821, in Alsace, France (now in Germany), and was married to Elizabeth Helfrich, a native of Germany, born November 19, 1819, in Hessen-Darmstadt. In 1840, prior to their marriage, they came to America, becoming acquainted at Perrysburg, where their wedding took place May 16, 1843. He was a farmer by occupation, and was thus employed until the breaking out of the Civil war, when, loyal to the interests of his adopted country, he decided to offer his services in defense of the government. Accordingly he organized a company, of which he was made captain, and which became a part of the 111th O. V. I. He entered the service in the fall of 1862, remaining therein some eighteen months, during which time he was present at the siege of Knoxville and in other noted engagements. In February, 1864, he was taken so ill that he was obliged to resign his command and return home. In 1868 he was made commissioner of Wood county, which office he held until 1871. His death took place at Perrysburg April 27, 1891. In religious faith he was a Methodist, in politics a Republican, and he was a most worthy citizen. His wife died January 16, 1890, leaving their only child, the subject of this sketch.

and had entered Baldwin University at Berea when Gov. Brough called out the 100-day men to serve in the war of the Rebellion. The patriotic impulses of the young student would not allow him to remain inactive at a time when the youth, as well as the grey-haired men, of his State were pressing to the front, and, like his father, he joined the Union forces, enlisting in Company F, 144th O. V. I., in which he served until August 24, 1864. On October 5, same year, he re-enlisted, this time in Company E, 1 8 1 st O. V. I., and took part in the battles of Murfreesboro, Decatur, and Nashville, after which he became a member of the 23rd Army Corps, 2nd Division, 3rd Brigade; he was present at Raleigh, N. C. , where Johnston surrendered to Sherman, April 20, 1865. He was honorably discharged at Salisbury, and returned to his home at Perrysburg, where he carried on farming for three years, embarking in mercantile business, in which he was engaged for the succeeding twenty-two years.

In politics a Republican, he has filled public positions of honor and trust, including township clerk (one year), to which office he was elected in 1 870, though the township is strongly Democratic; township treasurer four years, from 1877 to 1881; was on the school board eleven years, and mayor of Perrysburg two years. In 1891 he was elected county treasurer, and was the second man born in the county to hold that office. In 1893 he was re-elected, and has filled the responsible position to the satisfaction of the public, and with credit to himself. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is prominent in the G. A. R., filling all the chairs in that order. On December 5, 1865, he was married at Perrysbprg to Miss Fidelia E. Kreps, who was born September 1, 1844, and four children have blessed this union, as follows: Minnie E. , born

January 16, 1867, now the wife of S. H. Sanford (both are teachers in Little Rock University, Little Rock, Ark.); John O., born April 6, 1870, employed in a mercantile house in Toledo (he married Sarah Lindsey, and they have one child - Madeline); Merton F., born September 12, 1873, still at home; and George Legrand, born July 7, 1876, also at home. Mr. Yeager has always held a prominent place in the community, and is highly esteemed as a loyal and publicspirited citizen.

Hon. E. F. Day, mayor of Risingsun, is also one of the most prominent business men of that vicinity, being the head of a well-known firm of contractors and builders, and of the oil company known as Day, Burnett & Winchell.

His grandfather, Dr. Stephen F. Day, was a successful physician in Wayne county, Ohio, where he continued his practice to an advanced age. His wife, Elizabeth (Strause), a native of Pennsylvania, died in her seventy-sixth year in Montgomery township, Wood county, at the home of their son, Stephen F. Day, Jr., our subject's father. He was born in Wayne county, February 28, 1827, and came to Wood county at the age of fifteen. He lived near Longley until his marriage, in September, 1849, in Scott township, Sandusky county, to Miss Mary A. Phillips, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, October 26, 1828, the daughter of David and Mary A. (Bates) Phillips. The young couple began housekeeping near Risingsun, upon an uncleared tract of eighty acres, which Mr. Day sold after making some improvements. In the fall of i860, he purchased 150 acres in Scott township, Sandusky county, and lived there until 1883, when he moved to a farm in Gratiot county, Mich. Later he went to Coffee county, Tenn., but, not liking the place, he only remained one winter, and returning to Wood county traded it for forty acres in Section 1, Perry township, where he now resides in a comfortable home. When a young man he worked at the carpenter's trade, but farming has been his chief occupation. Of his family of ten children all are married and well settled in life. They are - Emily, Mrs. Martin Shively, of Risingsun; Ezra F. , our subject; Charles H., of Risingsun; David, of Seneca county, Ohio; Jane, Mrs. Edwin Ballinger, of Risingsun; Emanuel, a resident of the same town; the twins, Rosetta (Mrs. William Bovie, of Scott township, Sandusky county), and Rosanna (Mrs. Charles H. Williams, of Risingsun); Willis, who also lives at Risingsun; and Effie, Mrs. Eli Hollenbaugh, of Seneca county, Ohio.

Mr. Day first saw the light September 3, 1852, in Section 25, Montgomery township, and his early education was such as the district schools of that day and locality afforded. He was stout and active, and helped his father to clear up two farms during his boyhood; but at twenty-one he began to learn the carpenter's trade, for which he had already shown remarkable aptitude. Under the training of Adam Shively, of Scott township, Sandusky county, he readily mastered the details of the business, and then continued for two years as a partner. After this he engaged in contracting and building, and he has put up some of the finest residences in that locality. His ability as a mechanic is of the highest order, and he draws his own plans after a system which is unexcelled for simplicity and effectiveness. In

On January 17, 1878, Mr. Day was married in Tiffin, Ohio, to Miss Charlotte Riley, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Mossgrove) Riley. They began housekeeping in Risingsun, in a very comfortable home which he had previously prepared, and here six children were born to them: Alfred J., Ada L., Bessie E., Homer

F., Ethel, and Minnie. All are at home, and the first two are members of the class of 1896, Risingsun High School. Their mother departed this life November 17, 1891, and her mortal remains were consigned to earth in Trinity cemetery, Sandusky county. Mr. Day has since formed a second matrimonial alliance with Miss Ida Mills, of Ohio county, W. Va., the daughter of James Mills.

As a financier, Mr. Day has shown marked ability. His earlier years were by no means prosperous, and he was obliged to borrow money for the first ham that he ever had in his house; but his industry and shrewd management have brought a good reward. He owns eighty-three acres of land in Seneca county, and some very valuable town property for residence and business purposes, in Risingsun, and his oil interests and other enterprises now bring him, under his constant and judicious care, a fine competence. In principle he is a Democrat, but party lines are secondary with him to the public welfare. No man commands more fully the confidence of his fellowmen, and he began his public service at the age of twenty-one as clerk of Scott township, Sandusky county. He was the first mayor of Risingsun, and has since been elected several times, this being his fifth term. His decisions have never been reversed in the courts, and it may be said that he displays rare legal talent, all the more remarkable from his lack of early training. He has drafted ordinances and documents such as other incumbents of the office have not attempted; as an enemy to the disorderly element he has the esteem of the better classes. His popularity is proven by his repeated election to this office, and he has also served as treasurer of the village, and has been a member of the council every year except one since the incorporation of the town. Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F.

Judge Guy C. Nearing, of Bowling Green, now (1896) serving his second term as judge of the probate court of Wood county, has for nearly twenty years been a prominent member of the legal fraternity in the county.

He comes of old pioneer stock, and is of German descent. His grandfather, Guy Nearing, left central New York in 1817 to settle in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he died in 1840 at an advanced age. He was a contractor by occupation, interested in canal construction, and in a number of important buildings, among them the old court house and jail at Perrysburg, and a mill on the river. He was twice married; by his first wife he had three sons - Horatio, Zepheniah and Neptune (our subject's father) - and by his second wife he had two daughters, and three sons - Freeman, Henry and Emilius; of these Freeman died in infancy; Henry lives near Tontogany; and Emilius (who was deaf and dumb), followed the carpenter's trade in Fulton county until his death, in August, 1890. Of the daughters, one married, and died in Wood county; the other died in infancy.

Neptune Nearing, our subject's father, was born in New York State in 1808, and died in Wood county in 1844. He learned the cabinet maker's trade in his youth, but was engaged chiefly in assisting his father on his contracts. For a few years he conducted a hotel at Texas, Ohio, and then retired to his farm in Plain township. He returned to New York State for a wife, and married a distant relative, Mrs. Stella Nearing Parsons, who was born in Vermont in 1809, and died in 1890. Of their three children, the eldest, Scott, died in infancy; Sarah Rosetta is now the wife of J. Hayes, of Chicago, 111. ; our subject being the youngest.

Guy C. Nearing was born at the old farm in Plain township March 12, 1843, and had the ordinary educational advantages of a country boy of his time. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in Company B, 6th O. V. I., was first sent to West Virginia, was later transferred to the Ohio region, and finally to the army of the Cumberland. He was in several noted battles - Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge - and after three years' service received an honorable discharge, leaving the army with the rank of sergeant. In December, 1862, he was wounded at Stone River, and fell into the enemy's hands. He was sent first to Nashville, and later to Louisville, and was absent from his command until the following May.

On his return home he attended school for a short time in Perrysburg, aad then engaged in teaching during the winter time, though he was a farmer in summer. Thus he continued until 1873, when he began to study law. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in Bowling Green, where his strong vitality and commanding presence, his gift of accurate and rapid analysis of legal principles, and his untiring energy, brought him quick recognition in professional circles. He is also interested in various commercial enterprises, being a director in the First National Bank, having extensive investments in the oil fields of Wood county, and owning a farm of 120 acres in Center township. Politically he is a Republican, and he is regarded as a leader in county and municipal affairs, holding various offices. He has been a member of the city council, city solicitor, clerk of Center township, and since 1891 has been probate judge, having been reelected to this second term by a large majority over an able and active competitor. He is a member of Wiley Post No. 46, G. A. R. , and also takes an active interest in fraternal organizations, being a prominent Mason, a valuable member of the Blue Lodge, in which he has filled all the chairs, and a Royal Arch Mason; he also affiliates with the subordinate lodge, I. O.O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs.

On December 13, 1865, our subject married E. V. Rockwood, a native of Lorain county, born January 27, 1846, and they have one son, Charles R. , who is deputy probate judge. As leading members of the M. E. Church, they take a prominent part in the social and philanthropical movements of that progressive body, and are also ready friends of every worthy enterprise outside of denominational lines.

Giles C. Rockwood, father of Mrs. Nearing, was born, in 1819, in New York State, and was a carpenter by trade. He came to Ohio with his parents in 1829, and was here married, in 1845, to Laura C. Wack, by whom he had three children: E. V. (Mrs. Nearing); Hoyt O., who died in October, 1877, leaving two sons - William P. and Ernest C. ; and Frank P. , who died in infancy. In 1849 Mr. Rockwood went to California, and was absent ten months. Mrs. Rockwood was born, in 1819, in Vermont, and in 1834 came to Ohio with her parents, Frederick W. and Hannah Wack, the former of whom was born in Colchester, Conn., and moved to Vermont. Frederick W. Wack was the only child of Frederick Wack, who came to this country from Germany when a boy, and died while serving in the Colonial army in the Revolutionary war.

Sylvester Abbott, in whose death the community lost one of its most valued citizens, was born July 13, 1812, near Boston, Mass., and at the age of five years came to Greene county,

N. Y., where he acquired his education and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, following that pursuit until his removal to Ohio, in 1833. He located in Huron county, where for a time he again engaged in carpentering, and then fitted himself for the legal profession, being admitted to the bar at Toledo.

In Huron county he was married, January 25, 1836, to Alzina Morey, by whom he had one child, John, born October 27, 1836, who is now a physician in Illinois. The mother died January 27, 1837. On May 3, 1838, Mr. Abbott wedded Maryette Caswell, and they became the parents of eight children, namely: Reuben, born April 11, 1839, of Bowling Green; May Elizabeth, born April 10, 1841, now the wife of Byron Niles, of Michigan; Melvin L., who was born June 2, 1843, is a merchant of Bowling Green; George M., who was born August 26, 1847, is a farmer of Michigan; Sarah, born September 28, 1850, is the wife of I. L. Hankey; Alice

E. , born April 20, 1855, is the wife of Sylvester Ordway, of Bowling Green; Lewis, born December 1, 1857, is a farmer of Wood county; one died in infancy. The mother of this family passed away November 24, 1875, and for his third wife Mr. Abbott, on March 22, 1876, wedded Helen Robins, a lady of culture and refinement, who successfully followed school teaching. She is a daughter of Eliakim and Susanna (Brown ) Robins, the former a carpenter of Huron county. To this union have come two children: Celesta G. , who was born July 24, 1879. and died February 23, 1891; and Jerry B., born June 4, 1881, still at home.

Mr. Abbott practiced law in both Huron and Wood counties, coming to the latter in 1853, at which time he purchased 160 acres of land in Center township. In connection with law practice he carried on agricultural pursuits, planting an orchard and making many other excellent improvements, while the well-tilled fields yielded to him a handsome income. He continued fanning until his death, which occurred January 16, 1891. For several years he served as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with most conscientious fidelity. He was ever faithful to a trust reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature. His business career and his home life were alike above reproach, and he had the warm regard of many personal friends. Mrs. Abbott is still living on the homestead in Center township, and is an intelligent lady of genial manner and kindly disposition, who is held in the highest esteem by her neighbors and the community at large.

Lorin Smith, one of the most prominent and highly respected farmers of Montgomery township, was born October 1 1 , 1822, in Kiltzheim, Baden, Germany. In his native country his name was spelled Lorentz Schmitt. His parents were John J. and Anna M. (Bauman) Smith, the former of whom was a farmer in Baden, and owned a nice little home of twenty-six acres, where he lived in comfort, and was considered well off.

Frances, Margaret, Eva, and Lorin. As they grew up the question of finding homes for them was a matter of concern to the parents, and, as glowing reports of the wealth and land of the United States had reached the old country, it was decided to send the eldest son, John, and his sister, Emily, who had then reached the years of maturity, to investigate the truth of these stories of the New World. They accordingly came to the United States, and at Stockbridge, Mass., soon found employment, the son in a hotel. Emily was married soon after her arrival in this country. The reports sent back to the family were so satisfactory that two years later Frank and Frances joined their brother and sister, and were so pleased with the success with which they met that it was decided best for the rest of the family to come also. In 1830, the parents and other children left their old home, driving to Paris, France, with their own team. There the horses and wagon were sold, and they went by boat down the river Seine to Havre, where they took passage for the United States on a three-masted vessel, "The Baird," which had formerly been a mail vessel, and was taking her first trip as an emigrant boat. Their destination was New York, and they were fifty-two days on the ocean, during which time they had a narrow escape from capture by pirates.

At New York City the family was met by the son, John J., and they concluded to come to Ohio, then considered the "Far West." This western trip had been under consideration for some time by those of the family already in the United States, and was one of the motives which induced the parents to emigrate. The journey was made up the Hudson river to Albany, thence over the Erie canal to Buffalo, and by lake to Cleveland, Ohio, where a house was rented and a temporary home made, while the father and eldest son looked about for suitable land to purchase. Land could be bought where the great city of Cleveland now stands, for eight dollars per acre; but learning that there was better land farther west they set out on a journey which ended in Peru township, Huron Co., Ohio. The incident which caused them to locate here was a common one in the history of the western States. Halting at a spring to drink they found the water exceptionally cool and clear, the land in the vicinity and the location on the ridge between the sources of the Huron rivers favorable to health and industry. The physical features of the country corresponded with their correct ideas of agriculture, and they lost no time in obtaining the land, which had been somewhat improved, and on which an excellent orchard was then growing. This farm was known as the "Old Johnson Farm " at the time of their purchase. The family were moved to Huron county from Cleveland with an ox-team.

The Smith family had a fair amount of money on their arrival in America, as their property in Baden had brought in considerably over $1,000, and they were able to begin life in this country in a very fair way. After a few years residence in Huron county the father began to look around for more cheap land. A large portion of Wood county was then government land, but it was known as the "Black Swamp," and did not tempt many settlers. The father was a good judge of land, and seemed to think that Wood county had a great future. He entered, after looking around, 162 acres in Section 5, Montgomery township, and the deed, signed by Andrew Jackson, bears the date of December, 1835, and is now in the possession of our subject. A few years after the family located in Huron county, the other members of it came west from Massachusetts, except Emily, who had married Joseph Keller, and died in Boston. Of the other children, John J., Jr., died in Huron county, Ohio; Frank died in the same county in 1872; Frances died in Freedom township, Wood county; Margaret married Peter Stang, and died in Huron county; Eva is the widow of Joseph Addleman, and lives in Huron county; our subject is the youngest of the family.

Lorin Smith had studied in the schools of his native land, and was a very bright boy, being able when seven years of age to both read and write the German language. After coming to Huron county he attended school there and obtained a good education. He worked on the farm with his father, and, being an obedient son, the latter showed his appreciation by giving him 162 acres of government land in Montgomery township. Wood county, out of which, however, he was to give his sister Frances fifty acres, which he did. This was in 1841, and two years later Mr. Smith visited his land, and made some improvements on it. In the fall of 1844 he built a cabin of hewed logs, 20 x 30 feet, which had a shingle roof, the shingles for which he himself cut from oak trees. Being thus provided with a home, the young man secured for himself a wife in the person of Miss Mary T. Addleman, to whom he was married in Huron county, January 7, 1845. Mrs. Smith was born March 19, 1824, in the same village in Baden as her husband, and is the eldest child and only daughter of John P. and Mary Addleman. Her parents left Baden in the spring of 1831, and drove with their own team to Paris, where they waited two weeks for the horse market to open. Selling their horses, they went by boat to Havre, sailing from there on the vessel "Henry III," which landed them at New York City after a voyage of fifty-four days. They spent the winter of 1831-32 in Buffalo, and in the spring of the latter year bought a farm three and a half miles from that city, where they lived until the fall of 1836. In that year they moved to Huron county, two and a half miles southwest of Norwalk, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their family consisted of four sons and one daughter. On January 14, 1845, our subject and his bride started to their new home in Wood county. Three teams were necessary to haul them and their goods, the roads through the timber being very bad. Two days were occupied in the journey, which was a rough and tedious one. They at once began to make improvements upon the place. Their cabin was a good one, but sparsely furnished, and the country about them was in a primitive condition. Many of their friends had predicted their failure to put up with such a pioneer life. This, however, only aroused their determination, and instead of disheartening them inspired them to new effort. A plentiful supply of provisions had been brought, which sufficed until the land produced its first crops of wheat and corn. Maumee was the nearest milling point, and it required two days under the most favorable conditions to make the trip. In June, 1847, the aged parents of our subject came to make their home with them, and on September 21, of the same year, the mother died and was buried upon the farm. She was sixty-seven years of age. The father lived with our subject until 1853, when he returned to Huron county, and there died at the age of eightyfour years. This worthy couple were consistent members of the Catholic Church, and were honest, industrious German people. The father was never naturalized, and consequently never voted, but in all things was loyal to his adopted country.

In the course of a few years the results of Mr. Smith's long days of hard work were manifest in the fertile fields and blooming orchards into which the land had been transformed. He bought eighty acres additional; but when the Civil war broke out, and it was very hard to procure sufficient help, he disposed of this property. The old log house continued to be the home of the family, and in it all the children were born. These are as follows: Mary T. , born October 27, 1845, *s now Mrs. Peter Hettel, of Wapakoneta, Ohio; Caroline J., born November 22, 1847, is the wife of James Fish, of Freedom township, Wood county; Louisa A., born April 25, 1850, is the wife of William Davidson, of Center township, Wood county; John L. , born April 13, 1854, died December 21, 1885; F. B., born October 31, 1856, was married October 22, 1895, to Miss Julia Shepler, of Bradner, Ohio (he is a farmer in Freedom township); Charles L. , born April 4, 1859, was married December 19, 1889, to

Miss Nellie Brandeberry, of Pemberville, Ohio; Frances A., born May 4, 1862, was married October 29, 1889, to George Adams, of Montgomery township. In 1869 Mr. Smith built his present elegant brick residence, which is the finest farm house in Montgomery township, and one of the best in the county. He has added to his original property at various times until he now owns 276 acres, and he has given his sons 170 acres. The land is rich in oil, and is admirably adapted to farming purposes.

The life of Mr. Smith presents an excellent example of what industry, perseverance and good management can accomplish. No man has worked harder than he, and many a moonlight night, in his early days, has found hitn toiling away until a late hour. He has become a master of the art of agriculture, and is able to procure the best results from his work. He has developed his splended farm from its primitive condition, and in doing so has spent the best years of his life. With his excellent wife, who has shared in all his labors and privations, he deserves the greatest credit for the success to which he has attained. This estimable couple have passed their fifty-first year of married life; have reared a large family, of which they may justly be proud, and have accumulated a handsome competency in an upright, straightforward manner. No one can accuse Lorin Smith of dishonesty, or question his Integrity. In all his business dealings he has never been sued, and he is to-day a man whom everyone respects. He became a naturalized citizen in 1843, but though a loyal Democrat has never been an office seeker. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic Church, although not able to attend the services on account of the distance. Notwithstanding the many trials and years of toil through which Mr. Smith and his wife have passed, they are well preserved, and Mrs. Smith, although over seventy-two years of age, is still able to do her own house work. Their life has been full of usefulness, and in the evening of their days, which they are enjoying in ease and comfort, they can look back over the past years with the consciousness of duties well performed.

Hiram Johnson, an honored veteran of the Civil war, who is now living retired in Liberty township, was born in Lisle, Broome Co., N. Y. , July 2 7, 1837. His father, Stephen Johnson, was also a native of the Empire State, and when a young man learned the trade of wood turning, which he followed until his marriage to Eunice Thurston, also a native of New York. Several years later they removed from Broome county, to Bradford county, Penn., where Mr. Johnson took up land, and followed farming in connection with his trade. In 1855 he located thirty miles northwest of Chicago, in Lake county, 111., where his death occurred about 1865, and his wife survived him only two years. Their children were Liddy, deceased wife of Peter Tanner, of Iowa; Girard, who became a farmer in Minnesota, but has not been heard from for ten years; Hiram; and Edwin, a farmer of Wisconsin.

Mr. Johnson, of this review, was educated in the schools of New York and Illinois, and at the age of twenty-two began learning the mason's trade, which he has followed through much of his life in connection with farming. During the Civil war he manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting, in 1862, in Kankakee, 111., as a member of Company K, 76th 111. V. I. He participated in the battle of Shiloh, then went down the Mississippi river to the Gulf and to Mobile. Ala., participating in the battle at that place and the siege at Fort Blakely. Being taken ill, he was sent to the hospital in New Orleans, where he remained until honorably discharged in 1865, when he at once returned to his home in Paxton, Illinois.

Mr. Johnson was married in Ford county, that State, in 1859, to Liddy Metzger, who was born in Ohio, in 1837, and for twelve years they lived in Paxton. In 1871 they came to Wood county, taking up their residence on six acres of land in Liberty township, which he still owns. For many years he followed his trade, and since 1892 has derived a good income from two oil wells that he has sunk upon his place, and which are excellent producers. This has enabled him to lay aside active business cares. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three children - Corbin, of Lucas county, Ohio; Edgar and Clarence, at home. In politics, Mr. Johnson is a Republican.

Narcisse Sanglier, deceased, was one of the most prominent residents of Liberty township, Wood county. He was born October 24, 1827, in Loir-et-Cher, France, and was a son of Jacob Sanglier, a merchant, who died in that country. Our subject was one of a family of seven children, namely: Virginie, who died in France; Pascal, a scholar and linguist, who married an heiress, and died in Egypt many years ago; Narcisse, subject of this sketch; Adrian, now living in France; Victor, a resident of Tiffin, Ohio; Ovid, still living in his native land; and Adeline, who died in France.

For ten years after attaining his majority our subject was employed as a baker in Paris, and then crossed the Atlantic to America. He landed in New York, made his way to Cleveland, and for one year was employed in the Berea Stone Quarry. He then removed to Milton Center, Wood county, and after a year took up his residence in Liberty township. He was married in Milton Center to Lucine Kubler, who was born in Switzerland February 8, 1838, daughter of Howard and Celestine (Kuinn) Kubler. Her parents were both born in 18 10 in Canton Berne, Switzerland, and came to America in 1853, locating in Cleveland, Ohio. The father followed farming in his native land, but worked as a laborer after coming to this country. He died in 1858. Both were members of the Roman Catholic Church. In their family were four children - Mrs. Sanglier; Louise, who died in Cleveland; Joseph, who died in January, 1895, in Denison, Texas; and Christopher, who went west several years ago, since which time no news has been received of him.

Upon their marriage, our subject and his wife located in Liberty township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits. He first purchased twenty acres, wild and unimproved, but he added to his farm from time to time until he became the owner of a valuable property, which he continued to cultivate until his death, May 3, 1894. In 1887 the first oil well was drilled on the farm, which now contains fifteen wells, and these are a good source of income to the family. Mr. Sanglier was a capable business man, and by his well directed efforts acquired a handsome property.

home; Nelson, who died at the age of twelve; Justin O. , whose sketch follows; Ashel; Louise; Martha, who was married September 3, 1895, to C. C. La Point, of Erie, Mich.; Lucy, deceased; Rose; Maggie and Alice. Ashel Sanglier, who operates the farm, was born October 6, 1867, and throughout his life has aided in the work on the old home place. He acquired his education in the district schools, is a young man of excellent business ability, and now owns 140 acres of land on which are two oil wells. The landed possessions of the family aggregate 1,020 acres. Ashel Sanglier was a member of the Democratic Central Committee for four years, and also served on the executive committee for one term. In April, 1896, he was, by the choice of his friends, nominated for trustee, and was elected by a majority of thirty-three votes, thus overcoming a Republican majority of 1 20, and is also a member of the county board of election. No better recommendation could be given a young man than this flattering compliment. The entire Sanglier family are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Lucy Sanglier, now deceased, was born on the old Sanglier homestead in Liberty township, September 17, 1874. She grew up under the care of her parents, and at an early age manifested unusual mental activity. As she budded into womanhood her rare qualities of mind and heart crystalized into an ambition for education. She attended the district school until 1894, when she entered the Ursuline convent, in Toledo, Ohio, where she completed the full course of study required by that institution, giving special attention to vocal and instrumental music. Having mastered the elements of education essential to a full round complete womanhood, she returned to her home, where she continued to discipline herself; and by that subtile knowledge, known only to a woman of culture and refinement, wound herself around the hearts of her old associates, and made herself doubly dear to the members of her immediate family.

She became revered as a companion, and respected as a model for others. Her high degree of mental and personal culture was only equaled by her zeal in practice of religion. She had aspired to make herself something more than ordinary as an individual, and had attained much of her ambition; but that Mighty One " That doeth all things well," called her to immortality at a period when it was least expected - just when she had attained full maturity of womanhood, and when she was most dear and most useful to all who knew her. September 26, 1896, was the fatal day when the silent hand of the Divine Master stole through the lattice of her room, and with His magic power beckoned the spirit forth, leaving all that was mortal of Lucy Sanglier like a waxen figure - white and motionless.

Those who mourn and miss her have the sacred consolation of knowing that if it is possible for the human soul to attain the ideality the Christian sees through the eye of faith, then, e'er her last pulsation ceased, the halo of a glorious eternity crowned her.

Justin O. Sanglier, one of the wealthiest and most enterprising farmers in Plain township, was born in Liberty township, Wood county, March 2, 1865, the son of Narcisse and Lucine (Kubler) Sanglier.

Mr. Sanglier was brought up on his father's farm, attending the district school, and assisting in work at home until his marriage, on February 7, 1893, to Miss Adaline Cousino, whose birth took place in Michigan, July 31, 1867. Three children have been born to them: Martha B. ,

Mr. Sanglier is now the owner of one of the finest farms in Plain township, comprising 120 acres of highly cultivated land, upon which are many improvements, and a very large brick residence, in which the family make their home. The Sanglier family is well known throughout the county as wealthy and influential people, and our subject, by his industry and progressive methods, is rapidly adding to his already large possessions. He is popular throughout the community. In religious belief he is a devout member of the Catholic Church. Politically he is a stanch Democrat.

Jesse Hager, one of the most prominent representatives of the commercial interests in this county, was born March 22, 1865, in the town of Bloomville, Seneca Co., Ohio, and is a son of Christian and Mary (Snyder) Hager, the latter of whom is now deceased.

Our subject was only a boy when his parents came to Wood county, and he was reared on the old family homestead in Jackson township. There he assisted his father in clearing and developing the eighty acres of land, and otherwise improving the property. His education was acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty-one he left home and entered the employ of the W. F. Dewey Company, of Hoytville, with whom he remained for about a year. He next secured a clerkship in the company's store, where he remained about three years, when he was promoted to the position of bookkeeper, and also made manager of the store. Since that time he has done all the buying for the store, paid all the employes, and has not only gained the confidence of the company but also won a high position in commercial circles, and is now one of the stockholders and directors in the business. He has the faculty of ably managing and directing others, and his just treatment has gained him the respect of his employes, and the confidence of his patrons.

On June 20, 1880, in Hoytville, Mr. Hager was united in marriage with Miss Emma J. Dennis, who was born in 1870 near Findlay, Ohio. They made their home in Hoytville, and occupied a high position in social circles, making many friends, and Mrs. Hager's decease, which occurred April 20, 1 896, after an illness of four years, was widely mourned. She was buried in the McComb (Hancock county) cemetery.

In addition to his other property Mr. Hager owns a third interest in the Hoytville opera house, and a half interest in a large grain elevator. He is truly a self-made man, and has not a dollar that he has not himself honestly earned. His political support is given to the Democratic party, and he is a wise counselor and able leader in its ranks. He has been honored with a number of local offices, for four years capably served as mayor of Hoytville, has also been township clerk and township trustee, and is now the efficient postmaster, and treasurer of the corporation, also of the school district and township. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity of Hoytville.

I. S. Bowers, M. D. , one of the leading physicians of Perrysburg, was born in Canada West, now the province of Ontario, December 14, 1856. Jacob Bowers, his grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, and by occupation a lumber dealer, owning large tracts of land in this country and in Canada, and operating a number of sawmills. He made frequent trips to Canada, and at one time took up his residence there, and passed his last years in Ontario, where he died. His son, Isaac W. , our subject's father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1824, and on arriving at maturity engaged in his father's business, to which he succeeded at the death of the latter. He married Miss Jane Camp, a Canadian lady, who was two years his junior, and for some years they resided in that country, removing to Michigan when our subject was four years old. In 1876 he came to Perrysburg, where the family resided until

1887, in which year he moved to Ypsilanti, Mich., where he died suddenly September 22, 1893. He was a highly esteemed citizen, a consistent member of the M. E. Church, and in politics a stanch Democrat. He left a widow and six children, viz.: Parmelia, the widow of

A. F. Shepard, formerly t>f Toledo, Ohio, who was killed in a railway accident at that city; Cordelia, the wife of W. M. Thompson, of Owosso, Mich. ; Frances Mary, who married Edward Harris, of Monroe county, Mich.; I. S., our subject; Freeman E., a prominent young attorney of Perrysburg; and Estella J., one of the most popular young ladies of the best circles of Perrysburg social life.

Dr. Bowers received his elementary education in the Michigan district schools, later attending the high schools at Perrysburg and Monroe. At an early age he commenced the study of medicine with an uncle at Fond du Lac, Wis., but on his father's removal to Perrysburg he became associated with him in the "wood-pulp" business, which he continued for two years, when he resumed his studies under the direction of Dr. Rheinfrank, of Perrysburg. He was graduated from the Detroit Medical College in 1881, and at once located at his home, where his wide acquaintance and high standing gave him an advantage not to be found among strangers. He had- previously practiced as an under-graduate with his preceptor, and from the first he has met with encouraging success, his practice increasing in value and extent each year.

Our subject was married to one of Perrysburg's amiable daughters, in the person of Miss Sophia Witzler, who was born in March, 1856, and they have two children. Merlin and Helen. In politics the Doctor follows the faith of his father, voting the Democratic ticket, and at the present time he is president of the board of pension examiners of Wood county. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F. , Fort Meigs Lodge, and has passed the chairs, and the K. of P. , in which latter organization also he has passed all the chairs, been chancellor of Perrysburg Lodge, and is now serving as deputy grand chancellor. He holds high rank among his professional brethren, and belongs to the American Medical Association, the Northwestern Ohio Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, and the Wood County Medical Society.

John A. Stearns, a wealthy, retired agriculturist, residing in Bowling Green, is a native of Ohio, born July 6, 1839. in Montgomery township, Wood county, a son of Justus Stearns.

John A. Stearns was about twelve years old when his father moved to Perry township, and his boyhood was mainly spent in the hard toil of clearing his father's two farms, and helping in the sawmills, so that his educational opportunities were quite limited. In 1864 he enlisted in Company E, 144th O. V. I., for one hundred days, and at the end of the term came home.

On January 1, 1862, Mr. Stearns was married to Miss Elizabeth Myers, a native of Crawford county, Ohio, born February 5, 1842. They have had five children, of whom four are living: Elmer, born November 20, 1862, a farmer and oil pumper at Bays, married Miss Naomi Buvinger, and has one child - Flora; William S., born October 31, 1865, married Miss Minnie White, and they live in Liberty township; Charles, born May 24, 1868, married Miss Lillie Lashway, and they have one child - Lawrence; Frank, born July 4, 1870, married Miss Estelle Parker, and they have one child - Helen; and Alma, born September 8, 1872, died October 2, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Stearns also reared an adopted daughter, Ada Daily, who was born February 11, 1 868. She married Fred Hendricks, of Plain township, and they have one child - Ina.

After his marriage Mr. Stearns lived for two years on a farm in Perry township, and later moved to Plain township, where he now owns 300 acres of land which is given to general farming. At the present time he is also interested largely in oil producing. After living at the farm for over thirty-three years, Mr. Stearns and his wife moved to Bowling Green to enjoy the wealth which has come to them during their years of effort. They are prominent members of the Presbyterian Church at Bow-ling Green. In politics he is a Republican, and has held an influential place in the party councils for many years, and was for six years a trustee of Plain township. Socially he is affiliated with Lodge No. 641, I. O. O. F. , the G. A. R. , Neibling Post - both of Weston.

Mrs. Elizabeth Stearns is a daughter of Josiah and Elizabeth (Parks) Myers, both natives of Hampshire county, \V. Va., where they w-ere married, and afterward, in 1839, moved to Ohio, the journey being made in a covered wagon. There were born to them eight children, viz. : William, Samuel, Lambert and John, all of whom served in the Civil war, Samuel and John veteranizing (they camped one winter on or near their grandfather's farm in West Virginia; many of their relatives served in the Confederate army); Evaline, w-ife of B. Jones; Elizabeth, wife of our subject; Anna, Mrs. C. Wooley; and Camilla, wife of Joseph Davis. There was also an adopted son, named Sidney Brows, who served in the Civil war, the family thus (the sons-in-law having also joined the army) giving no less than nine able-bodied men to the Union cause.

On arriving in Ohio, Mr. Myers took up government land in Crawford county, where he lived from 1839 till 1866, in which latter year he removed to Missouri where he died in 1879, his wife in 1870. His father, William Myers, was a native of Pennsylvania; the father of Mrs. Myers, Samuel Parks, was a minister of the M. E. Church, in Virginia. In his political preferences,

Mr. Myers was an ardent Whig, later a no less zealous Republican, and a true friend to the bondman, his Ohio home being for a long time knowm as an "Underground railroad station," where fugitive slaves were cared for and given a lift on their desperate "run to Canada." In addition to his prominence as a successful agriculturist in Crawford county, he acted as guardian for many estates, so great was the confidence reposed in him by the people, and he served with much ability and characteristic fidelity in various public offices of honor and trust, among which may be mentioned that of county commissioner, an incumbency he filled for several years. No one was better known in Crawford county, and when he left no one was more missed than Josiah Myers.

Justus Stearns (deceased). As one of the pioneer agriculturists of Wood county, a good citizen, and an enterprising and prosperous business man, the subject of this sketch held for many years a prominent place in the community with which his activities identified him. The family of which he was a worthy representative is an old one, and it is probable that the numerous branches in this country could all be traced to three brothers, Isaac, Charles and Nathaniel Stearne, who came from England in the ship "Arabella" with Gov. Winthrop, and landed at Salem, Mass., June 12, 1630. The spelling of the name has been changed by many from the original Sterne to Stearns, Sternes, Sterns, Starns or Stearnes. Richard Sterne, Archbishop of York during the reign of James II, was of this same fanyly in England.

The late Justus Stearns was born in Clifford township, Allegheny Co., Penn., July 8, 1810, where his grandfather, John and William Stearns, Silas Otis and James Stearns, who were natives of Connecticut, had settled in the latter part of the eighteenth century. John Stearns reared a large family, among whom was a son Janies, our subject's father, who was born August 5, 1 777. The family moved to Pennsylvania a few years later, where John Stearns died, his wife surviving him several years, and dying at the age of eighty years. James Stearns was^narried in Allegheny county, Penn., to Miss Abilene Hardin, a daughter of Amos Hardin, and settled upon the farm where our subject was born, remaining there until the fall of 1822, when he moved to a farm near Bloomingdale, Richland Co., Ohio, his household goods being transported by an ox-team in primitive fashion. He died there of lung disease, May 5, 1837, and his wife survived him until in September 1 8(5 1 , when she died in Berrien county, Mich., at the home of their youngest son. Both were members of the Baptist Church. While he made a comfortable living, he was not a man to accumulate great wealth, nor did he possess the robust physique with which his sons were endowed. Ten children were born to this estimable pioneer couple, the names with dates of birth being as follows: Lydia, January 6, 1804 (married James Wells, and died in Berrien county, Mich.); Amos, January 8, 1806 (he was a farmer in Troy township, DeKalb Co., Ind., where he died); Phoebe, January 21, 1808 (married Hiram Stevens, and died in what is now Morrow county, Ohio); Justus, July 8, 1810; William, February 17, 1814 (he was a farmer in Chautauqua county, Kans. , and died there); Rhoda, February 16, 1817 (married Asa Fields, and moved to Utah, where she died); Masena, March 24, 1819 (married, first, William Hebbert, and, second, Dayton Mills, and died in Berrien county, Mich., November 29, 1895); Wealthy, October 22, 1821 (married William Herbert (deceased), and resides at Bloomdale); Silas, March 15, 1823 (died in Berrien county, Mich.); and Otis, in February, 1829 (he is now a farmer in Berrien county). With the exception of Amos, all of the sons followed the political faith of their father, and were Old-line Whigs.

Justus Stearns attended school at his native place for some years, but at the age of twelve he came to the new farm in Ohio, where the hard toil of pioneer life occupied his time. He was a strong, robust boy, and, his parents being poor, he often worked hard and late to obtain needed articles of clothing. His only capital was a strong constitution and a mind fertilein resources, but he managed to make his way in life and attain more than an ordinary degree of success. He was married, March 1, 1832, in Richland county, to his first wife, Miss Sarah A. Davis, and in the following year he moved to Wood county with his wife and one child, Mary J., and entered land in Section 31, Montgomery township. He made his home there in the midst of the wilderness, building his first cabin on the east branch of the Portage river, and many years of toil and privation were undergone before the forest became a well-ordered farm. Five children were born to his first marriage: Mary J., July 28, 1833 (now the widow of J. H. Bucher, of Perry township); Silas D., August 9, 1835 (resides in the State of Washington); James H., September

9, 1837 (died in Perry township in May, i860); John A., July 6, 1839 (now resides in Bowling Green); Orrin, May 9, 1841 (died in Perry township). The mother of these died April 12, 1843, and was buried in West Millgrove cemetery. On July 3, 1843, Mr. Stearns was married, near Greensburg, Sandusky county, to Miss Eliza Cross, by whom he had five children: Sarah A., the widow of Wilson Patterson, of Weston, who died July 18, 1894; Newton and Nelson, twins, the former of whom is a farmer in Plain township, the latter deceased in infancy; and two other children who died at an early age. The mother died July 28, 1850, and on October

10, 1850, Mr. Stearns married Miss Mary Hall, a native of Fairfield county, born January 12, 1822, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Mills) Hall. Her great-grandfather came from Ireland at an early date. Five sons and two daughters were born of this union: Josiah H., a prosperous farmer, of Perry township; Benton, a farmer of Weston township; J. D. and C. D. , prominent farmers of Perry township, and Wilson E. , a well-known farmer of Plain township; Belle and Laura died in childhood. The mother of this family died April 16, 1887, and was buried in Weston. On July 17, 1888, Mr. Stearns was united in the bonds of matrimony for the fourth time, his bride being Mrs. Mary A. Keyes, whose maiden name was Schooley; she had been twice married, first to a Mr. Silverwood, and, second, to Samuel Keyes. She survives, and now resides in Bowling Green, in an elegant residence completed shortly before the death of Mr. Stearns.

In the fall of 1850 Mr. Stearns moved to West Millgrove and built the first hotel in that place; but not liking that business he soon gave it up. In the spring of 1851 he traded his first farm to R. W. Kelly for a farm in Perry township, and some money to boot. Here he lived for more than thirty years, adding to his possessions from time to time until he owned over 700 acres. Soon after the completion of the B. & O. railroad through Deshler, Ohio, Mr. Stearns and his sons, J. H. and S. D. , became interested in a town site there, and in various industries, mercantile and manufacturing, and also in a hotel enterprise, all of them requiring an outlay of many thousands of dollars. The ventures were attended with success for a time, but later proved a failure, leaving heavy obligations to be met. A forced sale of his extensive property would have caused serious loss, but with rare business sagacity he devised a way out of his difficulty. He sold to his sons, J. H. and S. D., some of his real estate located in Perry township for a good price, taking their notes, and, as they were of the energetic, clear-headed sort who can make the most of a chance when they get it, they promptly paid their notes as they matured, enabling him to pay his debts without serious inconvenience, the whole business reflecting credit on all concerned. Mr. Stearns possessed great foresight, and the debts of his own contracting were never the source of any trouble to him, his temporary reverses being caused through entanglement with the affairs of others. In 1885 he moved to Plain township, where he had bought a large tract of land, which was supposed to be worthless, but he improved it and sold it at a handsome profit. His last years were spent in Bowling Green, where he died September 8, 1888. and his remains now rest beside those of his third wife, at Weston. He was a man of great vitality and strength, and his feats of lifting at "raisings," in his prime, were remarkable. For over fifty years he was a member of the Disciples Church, to which he contributed liberally, and he was throughout his life a leader in any enterprise or movement which appealed to his judgment as likely to benefit the community.

Herman Mannhardt, native of Wurttemberg, Germany, was born May 17, 1846; entered the common schools of his country at the age of five years, the Latin or high school at seven, and completed the course when fourteen years old. He then immediately began the study of medicine with his father, Dr. F. Mannhardt; at sixteen entered the standing army, was promoted from step to step to assistant surgeon, in which capacity he served during the Austrio-Prussian campaign of 1866. He took his discharge in

1868, when he came to Custar, and has resided and practiced his profession there ever since. In 1876 he went to Cincinnati, took a course of lectures and graduated.

Templar and K. P. ; politically he is a Democrat. He has been mayor of Custar ten consecutive years, and for twenty years clerk of the board of education.

J. H. Stearns. This prominent and prosperous farmer of Perry township is a member of the well-known family of that name in the county, and of which a sketch appears on a preceding page.

Our subject was born in Perry township, November 8, 1851, the eldest child of Justus and Mary (Hall) Stearns. His education was obtained in the district schools of his locality, and he was brought up on the same farm which he now owns and resides on. On September 17, 1871, he was married to Miss Ella, daughter of Adam and Mary Wininger, who was born in Loudon township, Seneca Co., Ohio, October 9, 1853. The young couple went to housekeeping on the farm of Mr. Stearns' father. The T. & O. C. railroad was then in progress of construction, and Mr. Stearns, Sr. , had a contract for grading which he sub-let to our subject, on the completion of which the latter received in pay eighty acres of land in Jackson township, this county. About 1874 or 1875, soon after the B. & O. R. R. was put through to Deshler, Mr. Stearns bought land extensively near that place, eighty acres of which he platted in town lots, and sold to an advantage. During his residence at Deshler, which was about three years, he was engaged in filling contracts for ditching, timber, etc., and at the end of this time he returned to Perry township, and bought 120 acres of the farm on which he now resides. His various investments had brought in a large amount of money, but owing to his kindness in going security and bail for people who left him to pay their indebtedness, he lost a considerable portion of his property. He now, however, is the owner of 210 acres of as good land as can be found in Wood county, and is prospering as a man of his indomitable courage and perseverance is bound to do. In spite of his adverse fortune at times, he has known no such word as discouragement, and has at once set about remedying any disaster that might overtake him. In an expressive Western phrase he is a "hustler," and has not a superior in the township for ability to succeed in what he undertakes. " Cy," as he is familiarly known, is popular throughout his community, and has many warm friends, who admire his industry, go-aheadativeness and cheerful disposition.

He has also been the treasurer of the township* but has refused a re-election. He is a member of the Evangelical Church at Salem, in which hehas held offices of trust and honor. He is a liberal contributor, not only to his own Church,, but to other religious denominations, and hasassisted in the organization and building of various religious and other institutions. Socially he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees, at Fostoria.

1874; John A., born June 23, 1878; Wilber H., born October n, 1880; Alice E., born April 14, 1884; and Justus, born September 4, 1886. The beloved wife and mother passed to her final rest October 2, 1894, and was buried in the cemetery at Fostoria. She was a most estimable woman, and a consistent member of the Evangelical Church. Her departure was deeply mourned by her family, but Mr. Stearns is devoted to his children, and endeavors to fill the place of the departed one by unremitting attention to their comfort and interest in their welfare.

C. F. Munger, a farmer of wide reputation in Perry township, is a native of Brunswick township, Medina county, where he was born August 6, 1842, his parents being Caleb and Anna (Fairfield) Munger.

The subject of this sketch first went to school in Seneca county, Ohio, to which place his parents moved when he was six years old. He was reared to the duties of farm life, and, as he was an only son, was early taught the rudiments of the work. He lived at home until October, 1861, when he enlisted in Company B, 55th O. V. I., to which he was transferred from Company F, at his request. He served continuously with his regiment, in which he played the cornet, until, in Louisville, Ky. , he suffered from a partial sunstroke, and was taken to Pertry township by Orrin Stearns, where he was ill for some time. He first enlisted for three years, at the expiration of that time re-enlisting for the remainder of the war. Owing to his bad health he sought other work than that of farming, but none suited him so well, and he returned home and went to work for his father.

On September 26, 1869, he was married, in Perry township, to Miss Amanda Stewart, who was born in Crawford county, Penn., February 5, 1847. Her parents,- Samuel and Mary M. (Renner) Stewart, came to Wood county in 1849. The father was a tailor in his younger days, later taking up farming. He died in Fostoria, Ohio, at nearly eighty years of age, and his wife at the age of seventy-two. Their family consisted of eight children, four boys and four girls. Our subject went to housekeeping on the home farm after his marriage, and entered into partnership with his father, which continued until about 1888, when he paid off the other heirs and became sole owner of the eighty acres; he has since added to this, now owning 1 10 acres. In 1862 a substantial brick residence was built, and here our subject lives, his father living with him. Mr. and Mrs. Munger are the parents of four, children, namely: Edith, now Mrs. Lemuel Good, of Seneca county; Anna L. , who married John Strawman, of Seneca county: and Raymond and Charles P. , both residing at home.

Mr. Munger has always been a stanch Republican, and has served as trustee of Perry township, and two terms as assessor. He has been for many years director of School District No. 1 . Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Munger is stewart.

Caleb Munger, the father of our subject, was born in Connecticut November 6, 1802, and th'e mother in Massachusetts in 1803. Both were school teachers, and received a fair education. They moved to Brecksville township, Cuyahoga county, whence they went to Brunswick, Medina Co., Ohio, then to Liberty township, Seneca county, and in the spring of 1859 they came to Perry township, where Mr. Munger bought eighty acres of land in Section 25. about thirty -five of which were cleared, and on which were a log house and barn. Here Mrs. Munger died in [882, and was buried in Fostoria. Two children were born to this couple, Ann S.. now the wife of W. P. Dicken, of Seneca county, andoursubject. Mr. and Mrs. Munger were brought up in the Congregational faith; but when they, came to Seneca county there was no such denomination in their vicinity, so they joined the Presbyterian Church, of which they were original members in Fostoria.

Politically Mr. Munger was originally a Whig and Know-Nothing, later joining the Republican ranks. He cast his first vote for John Ouincv Adams. He has voted for every President since that time, and has never missed an election. He has never sought office, but has always taken an active interest in the success of his party. He is a well-preserved man for his advanced years. When eighty-one years old he broke his right leg, but in four weeks was able to walk around - an exhibition of remarkable v itality. He was reared as a farmer's boy, his father owning a small farm, and obtaining a living by the hardest kind of work. Mr. Munger was employed in burning charcoal, cutting hoop-poles, etc. The Munger family is remarkable for its longevity : The father of our subject is over ninety-three; one of his sisters died at the age of ninety-five, and another at ninety-three, while a third lived to be eightyseven. Edward, an uncle of our subject, is living in Chicago at the age of eighty-four years.

Henry Padgham, an intelligent and energetic farmer, and a substantial and reliable citizen of Perry township, having his home in Section 26, was born in the County of Kent, England, September 19, 1829, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Underdown) Padgham. The father, who was born in England, January 29, 1794, decided to seek a home in the United States with the hope of bettering his financial condition, and consequently, in the spring of 1851, he started with part of his family for the New World, including the following members: Joseph, of Farmington.

N. Y. ; Walter, a farmer, who died in Iowa; Elizabeth, who was married, and died in Michigan; Philip, judge of the district court of Allegan, Mich. ; David, an agriculturist of Manchester, N. Y. ; Annie, wife of N. Aldrich, of Washington, D. C. ; and Alfred, who died cn route , and was buried at sea. Two sons, Thomas and John, had preceded the family, coming in 1845, and were living in New York State, while our subject and his brother William did not arrive in this country until 1853. In the family of twelve children all but two grew to adult age. Until the death of his wife, in 1863, the father made his home in the Empire State, and then came to Perry township, and lived with our subject for awhile. Life seemed to lose its charm for him after the deaih of his wife, and he died in Michigan at the age of eighty-five years. He had three brothers who lived to be over eighty-three years of age - John, who died in Australia; Joseph, who passed away at the home of our subject; and William, who died in England. In politics the father was an ardent Republican.

In the common schools of England Henry Padgham received his education before his twelfth year, and as a farmer boy he worked until eighteen years of age. At that time he enlisted in the standing army of Great Britain for twelve years, but before the expiration of that term concluded to come to America, where their family was then living, and bought his release for twenty-five pounds, English money, or $125. He had served for five years and one hundred and sixty-three days, a portion of the time in Lon- don and in other parts of England. On July 31, 1853, he and a brother, William, took passage on the "Patrick Henry," which landed them at New York, September 7, following, and from there they went to Farmington, the same State, where their parents were then living. For four years our subject worked as a farm hand near that place, after which he located near Fostoria, Ohio, where his brothers, William and Thomas, were residing. For eighteen years the former was employed by C. W. Foster.

The first home of Mr. Padgham in Wood county was with his brother Thomas, whom he helped to clear his farm during the first year, and later worked as fireman in Crocker's mill, at Fostoria. On November 27, t86o, he purchased forty acres of land in Section 26, Perry township, only about nine acres of which had been cleared, and a log cabin constituted the improvements. He had secured the land from William Jones, and had gone in debt for half the amount, but he went earnestly to work, and each season saw more of the land ready for cultivation. He now has fifty acres of rich and arable land, upon which are good and substantial buildings, but for the past five years he has left its cultivation to others, and now practically lives retired from active farm work.

At Victor, Ontario Co. , N. Y., in November, 1857, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Julia Padgham, of the County of Kent, England. She died on September 27, 1883, from paralysis, and was buried at Fostoria. Mr. Padgham later wedded Rachel A. Huff, by whom he had one child - Ruth M. The mother died October 28, 1886, and was also interred at Fostoria.

In 1863, Mr. Padgham was elected captain of the Home Militia, and on May 2, 1864, enlisted in Company E, 144th O. V. I., doing guard duty at Wilmington, Del., until mustered out in the following August at the close of his term. He supported the Republican party until 1884, since which time he has been an ardent Prohibitionist, and has served as trustee of Perry township. For twenty-six years he has been a sincere and earnest Christian, a member of the Methodist Church, and to all worthy objects contributes lib- j erally of his means. |

D. E. Coe, one of the pioneer citizens of Perry township, was born in Frederick county, Md. , June 24, 181 S, and is the son of Thomas and Ann (Souder) Coe.

that State, September 12, 1833, leaving four children. Mr. Coe married again, and left Maryland for Seneca county, Ohio, over the National pike, in a large wagon drawn by four horses (Pennsylvania style). He arrived, October 2, 1833, one mile east of Tiffin, Ohio, where he had previously bought 240 acres of land, and on which was a log cabin. There Mr. Coe died at the age of seventy-one. He was the father of nine children, of whom but two survive, D. E. and Caroline, now the widow of 'Thomas Shaw, of Seneca county.