Wood County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1897 (part 1 of 17)

Biographical sketches

>T. LUTHER BLACK, of | Bowling Green, is one of the most prominent citizens of Wood county, throughout which he is known and esteemed, not only as a successful business man, but also for his high character, and his splendid record as a brave soldier in the war of the Rebellion. On his father's side he is of Irish descent, his great-grandfather having emigrated ; from Ireland to this country at an early day. His grandfather Black was killgd by accident while raising his barn in Perry county, Ohio. ; On the mother's side the grandfather was of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, while the grandmother, who was a Miss Oatley, was a native of Scotland. From these sturdy ancestors our subject has inherited the best traits - traits that have manifested themselves in his long career of useful activity. !

Capt. Black was born in Washington township, Wood Co., Ohio, May 18, 1836, and is a son of John and Phtebe (Skinner) Black, the former of whom was born in Mercer county, Penn., when ten years of age moving with his > parents to Perry county. Ohio. In 1831 he took up his residence in Wood county, and was one of the first three pioneers of Washington township, where at that time over one thousand Indians dwelt. While living in Perry county he married and had two children, and on removing to this county he took up some unimproved land which he cleared and converted into a productive farm, in the meantime experiencing all the trials and privations incident to the life of early settlers. In politics he was a Democrat, in religious faith an Old-school Presbyterian, and he was a man of irreproachable character. He died August 21, 1 1861, his wife passing away at Hull Prairie in 1883, and both are buried at Tontogany, Wood M county. To this worthy couple were born seven children, of whom the following record is given: - f 1 ; William resides in Newport, Mich., where he has held the offices of deputy sheriff and collector of the port: during the Civil war he en- listed at Olmsted Falls, Minn., and proved a brave soldier. (2) Elizabeth A. married A. P. Treadwell, and lives at Hull Prairie, Wood county. (3) Minerva J. became the wife of Joseph Jeffers, and died at Waterville, Lucas Co., Ohio. (4) Calvin lives at Washington, Kans. (5) Luther is the subject of this review. (6) Catherine married Dr. A. Eddmon, and lives at Tontogany. (7) Mary is the wife of Dr. E. R. Wood, of Belle Plaine, Kansas.

Luther Black grew to manhood on his father's farm in this county, attending the schools of that locality and those at Waterville, and also the seminary at Maumee. After leaving school, he for four years taught in the district schools of Wood county, and for two years in Champaign, 111. About this time the whole world was electrified by the outbreak of the Civil war, and the partiotism of the young teacher induced him to lay aside his ferule for an army musket, and offer his services in defense of the stars and stripes. On April 27, 1861, he enlisted in

Company B, 21st O. V. I., three-months' service, which was passed in Virginia, at the termination of which, his father having died in the meantime, he was obliged to return home in order to take charge of the family. There he remained until 1864, on May 4 of which year he organized Company B, 144th O. V. I., of which company he was made captain. While at Berryville, Va., he and seven of his men were taken prisoners by the Rebels and sent to Lynchburg, thence to Libby prison where they suffered the horrors of slow starvation, and where all except himself and one other fell victims to cruel treatment. Three months after his capture, Capt. Black was released by exchange, and his patriotic zeal being still unabated, in spite of the terrible scenes through which he had passed, he raised another company, of which he was also made captain. This was Company K, 185th O. V. I., which afterward saw much service in Kentucky in the vicinity of Cumberland Gap, where they had frequent skirmishes with the guerrillas. The regiment was mustered out at Lexington, Ky. , in September, 1865.

Wood Countt, Ohio

His career as a soldier being ended by the cessation of hostilities, and the return of peace to the land, Capt. Black returned to private citizenship, and, having in the meantime purchased the old homestead, carried on farming there for two years. At the end of that time he engaged in the drug business, in Tontogany, which he conducted some eighteen years, and then, being elected county treasurer on the Republican ticket, he, in 1 88 1, removed to Bowling Green. That responsible office he held for two terms, or four years, such being the limit of the law, fulfilling its duties in a most creditable manner. The Captain then established himself in the clothing business, and some six or seven years ago became interested in the oil wells of Wood county. On February 20, 1894, he sold out his clothing establishment, since when he has given all his attention to his oil interests. He is now a part owner in sixty-one wells in this county, and a member of various firms connected therewith, the most prominent of which is that of Black, Reese & Hazlett, who own a number of productive wells, and are doing an extensive business. He is also cultivating a couple of farms which he owns in the vicinity.

In i860 Capt. Black was married to Miss Sarah J. Camron, a native of New York State, who died three years later, leaving one child, Frank H., who was killed by a railroad accident when fourteen years old. On January 16, 1873, the Captain married Miss Georgie A. Cooper, who was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., daughter of James and Almira (Brooks) Cooper, who were married in 1840. James Cooper traces his ancestry back to the year 1661, as follows:

(1) James Cooper, of Stratford-on-Avon, England, born in 1661, died in 1732; came to Philadelphia, Penn., in 1682; had eight children - Esther, James, Joseph, (2) Samuel, William, Benjamin, Isaac and Rebecca. James Cooper owned a lot on Chestnut street, Philadelphia, opposite Marble Custom-house. (2) His son William had six children - Rebecca, (3) Thomas, James, Joseph, Samuel, and Letitia. He died in 1736. (3) His son (3) James was twice married, and had fifteen children; by his first wife, Hannah (Hibbs), he had eight children - Susanna, (4) Janies, William, Letitia, Levi, and Benjamin; j by his second wife, Elizabeth (Wager), (3) James had seven children - Amelia, Marmaduke, Me- I shach, Laodosia, Naboth, Noah and Alpheus.

(4) James Cooper, son of (3) James, and grandfather of Mrs. Capt. Luther Black, was born in Moreland, Montgomery Co., Penn., March 6, 1753; served in the navy and army of I

Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary war, and participated in the battles of Monmouth and Germantown. He was married three times: first to Naomi Nelson, by whom he had three children - Hannah, Naomi and Caroline; by his second wife, Mary (Albertson) he had no children; by his third wife, Sarah (Comely), he had children - Courtland, (5) James, Henry, William, Nancy, Hamilton, George and Amos. The father of these died May 1, 1849, in his ninetyseventh year. He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, served as judge on the bench, and was a large land holder, owning property whereon a portion of the city of Philadelphia now stands. He and his wife were both Quakers.

(5) James Cooper, son of (4) James Cooper, and father of Mrs. Black, was born November 23. l79 5. in Philadelphia. He was own cousin to James Fennimore Cooper, the distinguished American novelist. James Cooper was twice married; first time to Sarah Rice, by whom he had six children - Esther, Ezra, Ruth, Hannah, William and Alonzo; by his second wife, Almira (Brooks), he had two children - Georgie A. (Mrs. Black), and James B. , an inventor who resides in Minneapolis. The sons, Ezra, Alonzo and James B. , were all soldiers, making for themselves an enviable military record. The father of these was a mar. of superior education and acknowledged ability, for which, indeed, the entire family have been noted. He was a pronounced Abolitionist, and an outspoken advocate of the cause of freedom to all mankind. Migrating to Ohio about the year 1844, he settled at Waterville, Lucas county, where for many years he served as a magistrate. During his busy lifetime he owned several flouring-mills and sawmills, doing an extensive business in both those lines of industry. He died there in 1868, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow, who is now passing her declining years at the home of her daughter, was born, in 1812, in the town of Champion, Jefferson Co., N. Y. , daughter of Joseph Brooks, a Revolutionary soldier from Massachusetts. She was a cousin of Amos Kendall, who was postmaster-general under President Jackson's administration, and when a young man taught in the family of Gen. Clay, afterward holding many offices of honor and trust. He became an able attorney at law, and was influential in the establishment of the first Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Washington, D. C.

To Capt. and Mrs. Black have been born two children: Marie C. and James L. , the latter of whom at present is a student at Oberlin College. The Captain is a consistent member of the

Presbyterian Church, in which he is. an elder; socially, he is affiliated with the F. & A. M., Wood County Lodge, No. 112; is a member of Crystal Chapter, No. 157, and of Toledo Commandery, K. T. , at Toledo, Ohio. In politics he has always been an ardent Republican, his first vote being cast for Abraham Lincoln, and he has never failed to deposit his ballot, save twice - first when he was in Libby prison, and again, in i 880, when he was too ill to go to the polls. Capt. Black was delegate to the State Convention, and was honored with election as alternate delegate to the National Convention, to be held at St. Louis in June. He has served as president of the school board and of the gas board, and is a director of the American Foundry & Machine Co., also of the First National Bank, of Bowling Green. During the past year he has been interested in gold mining in California, being identified with a joint-stock company. In every relation in life, Capt. Black has borne an honorable part as an upright, patriotic, loyal citizen, and is justly classified among the social representative men of Wood county.

John R. Hankey, the well-known capitalist of Bowling Green, has, by his varied business enterprises, done much to develop the natural resources of this region, and to open up its commerce. In judgment of human nature, and statesmanlike manipulation of a complex situation, he has few equals; but his shrewdness is combined with rare kindliness of heart, shown in many ways characteristic of the man. It has been said that if simple justice were to rule the business world, there would be no need for "charity," and the subject of this sketch is one of the first to try to bring this high ideal of human brotherhood into practical effect in his relations with his employes. In his large planing-mill at Bowling Green he inaugurated, some years ago, the co-operative system, issuing stock to his men and carrying it for them until such time as they could pay for it from their savings, and paying back money, so invested, at any time at the request of the shareholder. This plan has succeeded admirably, and to the lasting profit of all parties concerned.

The members of the Hankey family, living in Bowling Green, aredescended from Louis Hankey, a native of Germany, who emigrated to America at an early day. It is related that he had just enough money to pay his way across the Atlantic and furnish his own provisions. The vessel he set sail in lost her course at sea, and the passage consumed so much more time than was anticipated, that his stock of food became exhausted long ere he reached land again, that he became indebted to the ship for part of his board. On reaching New York, he was "sold" by the ship's company, or agents, as was the custom in those days, they getting the money for his time, which he worked out with a farmer. He afterward became a minister of the Evangelical Church, and also followed agricultural pursuits. He married a Miss Less, whose father served in the Revolutionary war seven years, and our subject remembers hearing his grandmother often tell of how she could trace the path the soldiers took by the blood left on the ground from their shoeless feet. In later life Louis Hankey lived in both Stark and Summit counties, Ohio, in which latter he and his wife passed their last days. This estimable couple were the parents of seven children, as follows: John, father of the subject proper of this sketch; Catherine, married to John Himmelright, of Summit county; Jacob, who lived in Summit county, Ohio, near Akron; Lydia, married to Rev. Miller, a minister of the Reformed Church; Sarah, married to a Mr. Hawk; Louis, living in Wayne county, Ohio; and Samuel, a farmer, residing at Copley, Ohio.

J. R. Hankey is a native of Ohio, born in Wayne county, March 16, 1843, a son of John and Polly (Fostnight) Hankey. the former of whom was born in Schuylkill county, Penn., in 1814. He was a farmer and merchant by occupation, and early in life came to Ohio, first locating in Wayne county, during the war of the Rebellion moving to Medina county, where he died in 1868. He was three times married; first to Miss Polly Fostnight, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1819. and by her he had seven children, as follows: Solomon died in infancy;

Sarah married William Shammo, and is deceased; Lewis W. is a minister of the Evangelical Church at Tiffin, Ohio; John R., the subject proper of this memoir, comes next; then I. L. ; two died in infancy. The mother of these departed this life in Wayne county in 1854, and Mr. Hankey subsequently married Miss Margaret Reach, who died fifteen months after marriage; she had one child that died in infancy. For his third wife he wedded Miss Sarah Strouse, of Richland county, Ohio, by which union there were two children: Isaiah S., of Bowling Green, and Sarah Katherine, wife of A. L. Sourwine, a farmer in Crawford county, Ohio.

Ohio, where he entered the arena of business in the capacity of clerk in a clothing store. While so engaged the war of the Rebellion broke out, and at the first call by the President for threeyears men to defend the Union, the lad, fired with the spirit of true patriotism, enlisted June 4, 1 86 1, in Company E, 4th O. V. I., which was attached to the army of the Potomac, Gen. Sumner's corps, under Gen. McClellan ("Little Mac"). Private Hankey participated in many battles and skirmishes, and established for himself the record of a good, dutiful and brave soldier. He took part in the battles of Winchester, Port Royal, Port Republic, and in all the engagements in front of Richmond in 1862; was at the siege of Yorktown, the battle of Fair Oaks, the seven-days' retreat, battles of second Bull Run and Antietam, up to and including that of Fredericksburg. At second Bull Run he had a very narrow escape from death, his haversack being blown to pieces by an exploding shell. His personal injuries were not serious, but his rations were entirely lost, and for several days he had to depend upon the generosity of his comrades for food. After the battle of Fredericksburg Mr. Hankey was stricken with typhoid fever, necessitating his removal to the hospital, whence on his recovery he was transferred to the Invalid Corps, in which he served at different localities until his honorable discharge from the army, June 4, 1864, after an arduous and loyal service of three years, during which he never shirked his duty, but cheerfully and without a selfish thought risked his young life - amid shot and shell, in dreary and wearisome marches and countermarches, in the trenches and at the storming of bastions - that the integrity of the Union might be preserved.

Returning to Wooster, Ohio, Mr. Hankey found his old position in the store awaiting him, and that his salary had recommenced from the day of his discharge. He did not remain much longer, however, with the firm, for on the first day of January, 1867, we find him engaged by a Philadelphia woolen-goods house to represent them "on the road," a line of life better suited to his natural energy and push, and no doubt palatable to a certain love he had for "adventure," inoculated into him by his army experience. With this firm he remained ten years, in all, during which time, in January, 1869, he and another established a clothing and merchant tailoring store in Findlay, Ohio (at the same time retaining his connection with the Philadelphia firm, as traveler), and they conducted the same conjointly till 1871, when Mr. Hankey sold out his interest to

In August, 1 874, he and Mr. White established a clothing business at Bowling Green, Wood county, under the firm name of Hankey & White, which they successfully carried on up to January 1, 1877, at which time our subject discontinued commercial traveling. On April 1, same year, he removed with his family to Bowling Green, where they have since made their home. In that city he has become identified with various undertakings, among them being the planing-mill already referred to; he has also been interested in gas and oil enterprises, the firm of Hankey Brothers being among the most extensive promoters in that line in this region. He assisted in organizing, and was a heavy stockholder in, both the Bowling Green and the Crystal Glass Works, formerly located at Bowling Green; and stockholder in the Foundry and Machine Shop. He was one of the founders of the First National Bank of that city, and is still vice-president thereof. He has been an extensive dealer in real estate, much valuable property in and about Bowling Green having changed hands with him. He built and owns the fine new Opera House block on Main street, the Hankey block, north of the Opera block, besides the National Bank and Exchange Bank buildings. Indeed, it can be truly said of him that he has stood ready with his energy and means to assist in any and every measure tending to the development of the industries of northwestern Ohio, more especially Wood county and the city of Bowling Green, whose present prosperity is due to him more than any other one person. For thirty-nine years he has not been a day idle, having been either in the employ of others, or in business for himself.

In 1867, at Wooster, Ohio, Mr. Hankey was united in marriage with Miss Emma T. Van Houten, who was born in Wooster, in 1846, daughter of the late Philo S. and Elizabeth (Bartol) Van- Houten, and three children have graced this union: Rufus P. (married to Miss Nettie Long, of Bowling Green), Harry G. and Philo S.; of whom, Rufus P. and Harry G. have an interest in their father's planing-mill; Philo S. was employed in a bank at Bowling Green, but at present, owing to impaired health, is sojourning in the "Sunny South."

Philo S. Van Houten, father of Mrs. Hankey, was born in Marcellus, N. Y. , December 25, 18 to, and by assiduous industry, strict integrity and indomitable perseverance rose from comparative obscurity to be cashier of the Wayne County Bank (now' the Wayne County National Bank),

Wooster, Ohio, an incumbency he filled with fidelity and ability for the long period of nearly a third of a century - in fact up to his death, which occurred April 9, 1881. He was a man of irreproachable private character, whose domestic life and habits were of that quiet and unostentatious kind so well calculated to endear him to family and friends.

On January 2, 1840, Mr. Van Houten married Miss Elizabeth Bartol, who was born in Elizabethtown, Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1820, daughter of Mathias and Elizabeth (Jontz) Bartol, both also natives of the Keystone State. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters - George and John (who died in Ohio); Abraham (who died in California); Elizabeth; Margaret (Mrs. William Still), and Sarah (Mrs. Michael Rahn), all now deceased. The parents moved to Wayne county, Ohio, in the summer of 1831, and there passed the rest of their honored lives. The father was called to his final rest in 1843 at the age of sixty-two, the mother dying in 1863, aged seventy-two. Mrs. Elizabeth Van- Houten was a girl of eleven years when her parents removed to Wayne county, and as will be seen was nineteen at the the time of her marriage. Nine children were born to her and her husband, only four of whom survive, namely: Mary (Mrs. Wellington Curry, now of Chicago); Emma (Mrs. John R. Hankey); Edward, in California, and Anna (Mrs. Frank Eshelman), of Pittsburg, Penn. Those deceased are Jane (Mrs. Lee Scobey, who died in Wooster), Harry, Charles, John, and Caroline (who died in infancy). The mother of these was called from earth February 12, 1895. Like her husband she was a sincere and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; was an ardent advocate of the cause of temperance, and a member of the organization known as the Evergreen Social Temple. By everyone who knew her she was justly held in the highest esteem, and is affectionately remembered for> her many good qualities.

In his political preferences, Mr. Hankey is an uncompromising Republican, ever taking a lively interest in the affairs of the party as a recognized leader in its ranks, in Ohio, his ability, wealth and public spirit securing for him a powerful influence in the party councils. Never an office seeker himself, yet, such is his popularity and usefulness, he has oft-times been sought after to fill positions of honor and trust. He has served as township treasurer twelve years; as member of the school board; and as trustee of the State Blind Asylum, five years. In local politics he is an honest but hard fighter, and his all-round influence enables him to assist a friend or effectually bar the way to any adversary. For years he has been one of the most zealous factors on the county executive committee, and, while honorably aggressive, has on all occasions proven himself to be a most liberal and generous opponent, true to his colors and promises, and securing alike the acclamation of his friends, and the respect of his rivals. In the fall of 1895 he was elected to the Thirty-third District of Ohio in the State Senate, the first time he has been called by election to any State office. Socially, he is a member of the F. & A. M., Royal Arcanum, I. O. O. F. and G. A. R. The family have an elegant home in Bowling Green, surrounded by an atmosphere of comfort and refinement, and enjoy the respect and esteem of a wide circle of warm friends.

Erasmus D. Peck, M. D., deceased. Among the able and cultured people who came from the East in the early days, and settled in Perrysburg, giving to its society a notably refined and intellectual tone, none took higher rank than did the late Dr. Peck and his estimable wife.

The Doctor was born in Stafford, Conn., September 16, 1808, a member of one of the old Colonial families, and was educated in theschools of Munson, Mass., and at Yale College, where he was graduated from the Medical Department in 1829, and was well fitted for the leadership, wherever his lot might be cast. The Peck family is of English origin, and the first of the American line, William Peck, settled in Connecticut in 1720. Dr. Peck's father, Daniel Peck, was a prominent physician in his day, and married a descendant of a well-known New England family, Miss Persis Lad«h by whom he had six daughters and four sons. After his graduation Dr. Peck came to Ohio, for some time living in Portage county, but in 1834 he came to Perrysburg. where for over forty years he practiced his chosen profession. He formed a partnership, at first with Dr. E. T. Tremaine, and later with Dr. James Robertson, but in 1854 his nephew, Dr. H. A. Hamilton, joined him in practice. This partnership continued until Dr. Peck's death, which occurred December 25, 1876. A man of commanding influence in all lines of effort. Dr. Peck took a prominent place in the councils of the Republican party, which he entered on the disorganization of the old Whig party. He was a member of the Ohio Legislature in 1855-57, and in 1870 was elected to Congress, serving in the Forty-first and Forty-second sessions. He then retired from active participation in politics, and resumed his professional work. He was married in 1834 to Miss Mary Thorndyke Lincoln, a native of Jeffrey, N. H., who was born in 1808 and died in 1873.

H. E. Peck, the only child of these honored pioneers, was born in Perrysburg, April 30, 1838. He was educated in the schools of his native place, and has made his home there except one year he spent in the South, and one year in New York State. For twenty-five years he was engaged in the mercantile business, and on retiring from that he served four years as deputy collector of customs of this district. In 1873 he was married to Miss Mary C. Robinson, who was born in Middlebury, Ohio, and they have two children: Charles L. and Augustus H., the latter of whom is at school in New York.

Collister Haskins. Among that dauntless set of Eastern men who, ambitious to carve out for themselves homes from the then wilds of the West, and who left peaceful firesides and braved the dangers and privations incident to a frontier life, is he whose name introduces this memoir. Born of good parentage at North Prescott, Mass. , August 25, 1799, young Haskins was early educated to habits of virtue, morality, order, industry and economy, and was therefore well prepared for the task before him. He removed to the Maumee river, settling at Waterville in 1817, and, June 16, 1818, was married to Miss Fanny, daughter of Martin Gunn, of that place, the cere- l mony being performed by Seneca Allen, a justice of the peace. The mother of Collister Haskins, a woman of many virtues, was an own cousin to President Franklin Pierce. The parents of Mrs. Haskins - Martin and Sarah (Winslow) Gunn - | were from Massachusetts, becoming early settlers I in the Maumee Valley; the Gunns were of Scotch descent.

To the marriage of our subject and wife were born children, as follows: Two (a boy and a girl) who died in infancy; Delia, who died unmarried at Portage; Wealthy, the wife of John DeWitt, a farmer of Wood county; Sarah, the wife of Joseph Clark, a resident of Missouri; j Henry, a resident of Butler, Ind., whose first wife was Hannah Fernside, and whose present wife was a Miss Hutchinson; Chrissa, who married Isaac Van Gordner, and resides in Portage, Wood county; Cynthia, the wife of Capt. James W. Knaggs, who resides near Portage; Charles, 1 deceased; Eunice, the wife of Jesse Lane Roller, a prominent druggist and business man of Toledo.

Pioneer Haskins, it will be observed, was only a boy of eighteen years at the time of his marriage; but, possessed of a good constitution, and being of a resolute and determined will, he at once set out to make for himself and family a home. During his stay on the Maumee river, he passed some three years on what is known as Granger's Island. In July, 1824, he entered, from the government, land in Section 12, Liberty township, this county, and in September following removed to the east half of the northeast quarter of the same section. When his cabin was ready to be raised, his friends came from Waterville, twelve miles distant, to assist him. This cabin was built of logs, and stood near the bank of a creek, not far from the old stockade made by Gen. Hull in 1812, and which was occupied by a few soldiers during the war, as an advance post on the "middle route" to the Foot of the Rapids. Here Mr. Haskins began trading with the Indians. He kept a variety store, being supplied with such goods as were then in demand, and purchasing his goods from Gen, John E. Hunt, of Maumee City. During the first four years of his residence in Wood county, Mr. Haskins' nearest neighbor was at Miltonville, twelve miles north, and his next, twenty-two miles south. Through his efforts a post office was established at "Haskins Place," in January, 1829. He laid out the village of Portage in 1836, and was an honored citizen of that place and vicinity throughout his life. For some years after Mr. Haskins settled on the site of Portage, the Indians still lingered in their old homes, retaining almost undisputed possession of their sugar camps and hunting-grounds, although the whites were rapidly appropriating the sites of their villages and their favorite fishing-grounds. A description of the Indians of this vicinty as they were from 1825 to 1840, which is of great interest, was given to history by our subject. The death of Mr. Haskins occurred at his residence in Portage, May 7, 1872, after a life of great usefulness to the pioneer people among whom he passed the vigor of his manhood. He had lived a pious life, and when death came it had no terrors for him, his last words being: " It is all right; glory to God."

With other early pioneers, Mr. Haskins passed through the hardships and privations incident to such a life, and performed the labors, which fell to his lot, with patience and cheerfulness, never murmuring at his misfortunes or losses, but ever laboring to make others happy, sacrificing his own means, ease and quiet for others without reserve. His enemies, if he had any, were few, and his friendship was constant and sincere. He was a member of the Baptist Church. He was careful in his words and acts, calm in his demeanor, intelligent in his conclusions, and outspoken in his sentiments, when he deemed it duty to speak thus, yet always mindful lest he might needlessly give pain or offense. Such a character was not formed hastily, resembling rather the oak which is the growth of centuries. In the death of an old man, whose memory is retentive and pure, much that is valuable to society dies with him.

A. E. Royce. The successful career of this leading business man and capitalist, who now holds the position of president of the Commercial Banking Company, of Bowling Green, proves the truth of the old saying. "There is always room at the top." The story of the lives of such men can not too often be told, that it may become an incentive to others whose early opportunities were no greater, and whose chances for success are fully equal to those of the subject of this sketch.

Mr. Royce was born in Huron county, Ohio, July 25, 1844, and is the only child of William and Elizabeth (Scammon) Royce. His father was born in New Hampshire in 1822, removing from that State to New York, and thence to Huron county, Ohio, where he located in Fairfield township. The greater part of his life he spent in the lumber business. In 1871 he located in Bowling Green, where his death occurred in 1884. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Elisha Royce, the father of William, was a lumberman in New England, but after removing to Huron county followed farming until his death, which occurred when he was at an advanced age. The Royce family are of Scotch and Irish extraction. The mother of our subject was born in Cayuga county, N. Y., November 23, 1824, and is still living, strong in body and mind. She makes her home in Bowling Green.

Mr. Royce spent his boyhood days in Huron county, attending the common schools and working on his grandfather's farm in his leisure hours, the first money he ever earned being made in this way. On the death of his grandfather, however, the property was divided among the heirs, and he was thrown out of employment. He was then about seventeen years of age, and with the few dollars he had saved he went to Toledo, Ohio, to seek employment and to carve out his fortune. He began in a very humble way, hiring out as a common laborer, and carrying plank into a chair factory to be modeled by more skillful hands into furniture, receiving for this work seventy-five cents per day. The grit and pluck of his sturdy Scotch ancestors were soon manifested in this young lad, for he made himself so useful that at the end of ten years he was still in the employ of the same company, but no longer as a common laborer. At this time he was the chief engineer, at a salary of $110 a month.

It was during the latter part of his services in this factory, that what Mr. Royce regards as the most important event in his life occurred. Almost every evening as he went home from work, carrying his tin dinner-pail, he would meet upon the street the then opulent wholesale grocer, Peter Berdan, returning after his evening meal to look after the interests of his large business. The quiet demeanor of this successful merchant attracted the attention of our- subject, and he philosophised that even Mr. Berdan must have started in an humble manner, and concluded that others with sufficient tenacity of purpose could do the same. Evening after evening he passed the old merchant in his regular walk to the store, and gradually Mr. Royce formed his resolution to give up his salary and position, and start in business for himself. Thus, without having the slightest knowledge of it, Mr. Berdan wielded a strong influence over our subject, who often points out this incident as an illustration of the unconscious power each individual in society exerts for good or evil upon the younger generation around him.

With the courage of his convictions, Mr. Royce resigned his position, and with money he had saved up, purchased a horse and wagon, made his own harness, and began business as a huckster. This he carried on in Toledo, then removing to Bowling Green, where he rented a vacant room and started a grocery store. He hauled his entire stock of goods, about $150 worth, from Toledo at one load, in his one-horse wagon, put them up on the shelves of his room at night, and at early dawn had the doors opened to customers. Thus the first great step in the career of one of the most successful men in northern Ohio had been attained, and his first ambition, which was to have a business of his own, was gratified. It was on a small scale, to be sure, but from this humble beginning Mr. Royce has built up a large and flourishing trade. As his means increased he extended his operations in various directions, investing largely in property in Bowling Green, which then village he foresaw was destined to become a place of importance in trade in northern Ohio, especially as a grain center. He sold out his grocery stock in 1 884. Prior to this he had embarked in the grain business, buying a car-load of corn, had it shelled by hand, and shipped it to Tontogany on the little railroad which was at that time the only one running through Bowling Green. . He was obliged to act himself as fireman in order to get this shipment to market at Toledo, and thus may well lay claim to being the pioneer grain shipper of that section of the county. Subsequently Mr. Royce built a small corn crib, which was afterward converted into an elevator, run by horse power, which he operated alone for some years, finally taking in as a partner Mr. J. J. Coon, of Toledo. The manner in which this business has succeeded is best told by its present condition, this firm now owning two large elevators, besides a mill in Bowling Green, and a mill in each of the following places: Tontogany, Custar, Hoyt's

Corner, North Baltimore, and Dunbridge. Mr. Royce has entire charge of the business, and has enlarged it from that one car-load of corn, shelled by hand, to 1 10 car-loads per week.

Soon after selling out his grocery business, in 1885 Mr. Royce organized the banking firm of Royce, Smith & Coon, and opened a private bank in Bowling Green, which was re-organized in 1890, under the laws of the State, as a stock company with $100,000 capital. This is one of the soundest financial institutions in Ohio, and Mr. Royce is its first and only president. He also owned the second oil well drilled in this county, but finding he had already all the business he could attend to, he soon disposed of his interests in that direction. He owns a large amount of property in Bowling Green, and erected what is known as the Royce Building.

Our subject was married October 31, 1867, to Elizabeth Curson, who died in 1877. One child was the result of this union, Maud, who was born November 29, 1871, and is the wife of F. E. Whitaker, a merchant of Bowling Green. The present wife of Mr. Royce, to whom he was married January 31, 1888, was Miss Hattie Cargo, and they have one child named Ethel. Mr. Royce is a Republican in politics, but in local affairs is not bound by party lines, voting for the men he considers the best for the offices. Socially he belongs to the I. O. O. F. and the Royal Arcanum, and is prominent in all philanthropic work and enterprises which have for their object the welfare of the community.

Hon. Asher Cook (deceased) was born in Luzerne county, Penn., May 3, 1823. In early childhood he came with his parents to Richland county, Ohio, and a few years later moved to

Perrysburg, in Wood county. After a few years residence there, the family removed to Chicago (then a mere village), but not liking the place they soon returned to Perrysburg, where the subject of this sketch spent the remainder of his life. The journey from Chicago to Perrysburg, about 250 miles, was overland, and Asher, who was a mere lad, traveled the whole distance on foot, driving a few cattle, which, with a team, constituted the bulk of his father's possessions. The father was a stone mason and plasterer by occupation, and the son learned and followed the same trades for a short time. He worked as a common laborer in the construction of the Mad River railway (now the Sandusky division of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis railway) ; also served for a time as a common sailor upon the lakes. His ambition and thirst for knowledge, however, soon led him into a higher and broader sphere of usefulness. Without means, other than the earnings of his daily labor, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the common branches of learning, as well as several of the higher, and he had an especial liking for the study of languages. Without the benefit of a college training he was able to read, with ease, Latin, French, German and Spanish. His large private library contained no less than 275 volumes in those languages, and he spoke German and French almost as fluently as he did the English language.

Having acquired the necessary general education, he studied law, and in 1849 was admitted to the bar. In the practice he was associated with, and pitted against, the ablest lawyers in northwestern Ohio, and was second to none of them in ability and knowledge of the law. The late Chief Justice Waite once said of him: "In knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles of law, Asher Cook has no equal in the Maumee Valley. " Immediately on his admission to the bar, our subject was elected prosecuting attorney of his county, and in 1852 was elected probate judge.

In 1853, Judge Cook was married to Miss Amanda Hall, youngest daughter of Judge Jairus Hall, of Vermont. She died during the cholera epidemic, of 1854. Soon after her death Judge Cook went to Europe, and spent a year in study at Paris and Heidelberg, after which he returned to Perrysburg and resumed the practice of law. In 1858 he was married to Miss Sophia Hitchcock, eldest daughter of W. J. Hitchcock, then a prominent merchant of Perrysburg.

Slavery question, he cast his lot with that branch of it known as the "Free Soil Party." He took an active part in the organization of the Republican party, being a member of the Pittsburg Convention, at which that party, as a National organization, had its birth. Several months before the Pittsburg Convention, a public meeting j was held at Portage, in Wood county, at which | resolutions were adopted embodying the princi- j pies contained in the Pittsburgplatform. In calling this meeting, and in framing the resolutions which it adopted, Judge Cook was the leading spirit. The organization formed at that meeting is claimed, and believed to have been, the first of the local organizations out of which sprang the party which has cut so large a figure in Ameriean history. At the opening of the Rebellion, Judge | Cook raised, and commanded Company C, 21st O. V. I., during its service under the first call for volunteers, and commanded his company at the battle of Carrick's Ford and in other engagements. He afteward raised and commanded Company F, 144th O. V. I. From 1862 to 1864 he repre- j sented Wood and Ottawa counties in the Fifty- i fifth General Assembly of Ohio. He was a delegate to the Convention which nominated Gen. Grant for the Presidency in 1868. In 1873 he was elected to the Convention to revise the State Constitution, and was made chairman of its committee on education. He showed marked ability in the deliberations and debates of the Convention, and was recognized as among the best constitutional lawyers in that body of able men.

Throughout his professional and political career, Judge Cook's great ability, his unquestionable integrity, his genial courtesy and fairness won for him the profound respect and esteem of his associates and competitors. Fond of travel, he in 1879 spent a year traveling with his wife over Great Britain and Continental Europe, and in 1883 he did the same, extending his travels to Egypt and Palestine. Asa Free Mason he was active and prominent, and in his daily life ! exemplified all that is best in the doctrines and teachings of the Order. His domestic and social life was full of tenderness and sympathy for others, and filled with unostentatious acts of charity which were known at the time only to j himself and the recipients of his bounty. He continued in the active practice of his profession j until his death, which occurred January 1, 1892. |

W. M. Richard, one of the prosperous farmers of Perry township, is a descendant of that old pioneer family of Jacob Richard, who came from Ashland county, Ohio, to Wood county in !

1851. That gentleman was the grandfather of our subject, and his parents were John and Catherine Richard. In Eagleville, this county, he was born July 13, 1857, and after completing his education at Pleasant Grove school in Perry township, he gave his entire time to the cultivation of the old homestead. There his first ideas of farming were obtained under the able direction of his father, and after the latter's death he took entire charge of the place, which he now owns and operates.

After the removal of his widowed 'mother to Bloomdale, where she now resides, Mr. Richard kept "bach" for several years; but on April 22, 1894, he was joined in wedlock with Mrs. Alice Black, widow of Lafayette Black, and daughter of John and Charity ( Reigle ) Sherwood. She was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, July 29, 1856, and by her former marriage has one child - May, born January 9, 1880.

Mr. Richard has been quite successful in his life work, and his neat farm shows the thrift and enterprise of the owner, who is an unassuming gentleman of excellent character, upright and honorable in all things. He is a member in good standing of the Church of Christ, at Eagleville, as are also his wife and daughters, and he uniformly supports the principles of the Republican party. On the 1st of March, 1889, he met with quite an accident while sawing wood, losing three of the fingers off his right hand, and, although handicapped to some extent, he has become able to perform almost all kinds of farm labor.

Harmon Swerlein, an enterprising young agriculturist, residing near Weston, was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, September 26, 1857, a son of John and Theresa Swerlein, both natives of Germany, and pioneer settlers of Wyandot county. Our subject was educated in the district schools of the vicinity of his birthplace, and worked upon his father's farm until he attained his majority. In 1880 he bought a farm of 135 acres, partly in Weston township and partly in Grand Rapids, which he has improved, remodeling the house and barns, and cultivating the land after the most approved methods.

1852, in New Pittsburg, Wayne Co., Ohio, the only child of John and Ann Speck, who were born in Chambersburg, Penn., the former of whom died in 1869, the latter in 1859. Mrs. Ellen Swerlein was a student of Heidelberg College, and for many years a prominent teacher of

Wyandot and Seneca counties. Our subject and wife have no children. Mr. Swerlein's industry, integrity and good sense have secured to him, in an unusual degree, the respect of his community. In politics he is a Democrat.

Willard V. Way. We quote from the address of D. K. Hollenbeck, Esq. , delivered at the dedication of the Way Library and its presentation to the people of Perrysburg, November 23, 1892 (and from which this sketch is taken), our subject being the donor, and to whom reference is made:

" We are now met to call to remembrance the acts, and in a fitting manner to do honor to the name of another, whom I believe I am fully justified, in the words of the poet, in designating as ' One of the few, the immortal names, that were not born to die.' I feel that upon us, as residents of this village by reason of the benefits and advantages, which do, and will, accrue to us personally in this instance as the 'favored few,' is imposed the duty, and to us is granted the pleasure and opportunity of recognizing in a befitting manner, one of the greatest benefactors our village has ever known, and ' one whom we should delight to honor;' and it has been deemed quite proper and appropriate that at the time of transferring this building to the care and custody of the council of this village, for the use and benefit of whose citizens it has been provided, some record be made of its origin and present condition, and also that proper recognition be awarded to him whose generosity has conferred upon the present and future residents of our village this library building, the several thousand volumes of books already provided and to be placed therein, and the many thousand more of volumes which as time passes will find places on these shelves.

"Willard V. Way was born in Springfield, Otsego Co., N. Y., August 3, 1807. His father, Samuel Way, was a farmer in very moderate circumstances, and the early life of the son was spent on the farm, he periodically attending the country schools, such as they were at that early date, as his condition of health would permit (he in his young days suffered from ill health). Before reaching his majority, the family were fully convinced of the fact that he would be unable to earn a livelihood, and his attention was turned to acquiring an education, hoping that by his head, so to speak, he might be enabled to accomplish that which he was precluded from doing with his hands. After taking a preparatory course in Hardwick Academy, one of the popular educational institutions of its class of that day, at the age of twenty-three, he entered Union College, from which he graduated in due course, after being subjected to many privations and hardships in providing the means for his college expenses, made necessary by reason of his father's limited means. His case is but another one of the many thousands in proof of the old but true saying that,

4 where there's a will there's a way.' On leaving college Mr. Way entered the law office of Bangs & Haskell in the village of LeRoy, in the State of New York, but his legal studies were completed in the office of Payne & Wilson, in Painesville, Ohio, and he was admitted to practice in this State in 1832, from which date he soon became and was widely known as an honored member of that most honorable profession. After having been thus admitted, and after having traveled over several of what were then known as the ' Western States,' Ohio included, in search of a location, in 1834, he settled in Perrysburg, no doubt to a greater or less extent drawn hither by the beautiful location of the village on the banks of the beautiful river now so aptly and appropriately called, the 4 Hudson of the West;' and here he remained until his death, and he now sleeps in the cemetery at the foot of the granite shaft erected to designate his resting-place to future generations.

"Soon after his location in Perrysburg, Mr. Way was married to Miss Sophia Hodge, then living in Buffalo, N. Y. , who survived him until September 20, 1892, when she departed this life at Mansfield, in this State, at the age of eightyfive years. Several years since, after her removal to Mansfield, as the result of a fall, Mrs. Way became and remained almost helpless, and a great sufferer until her final departure, and she is now at rest beside her husband -

"If there are any who were living in this vicinity at the time of Mr. Way's location here, we need not remind them that those were 4 pinching times,' and Mr. Way was obliged, with the other pioneers of this then comparatively new country, to endure all the privations and hardships incident to that early day, and in the years immediately following, as the occasions were presented, like some of his cotemporaries who thought a position of affluence would thereby sooner be attained, than by a strict attention to the business of his chosen profession, he was lured into the whirlpool of speculation, and for the time being, financially ruined. But he 'would not down.' His reverses seemed but to incite him to more vigorous action, and to create in him a more settled purpose and firm determination to recover the ground he had thus lost, and to attain that position for which he had been striving; and, as the result of after years of toil, privations and hardships, he found himself in independent circumstances, and we, his friends and neighbors, now know that all his labors and self-denials were not alone to accumulate means for his own self-gratification, but, as well, to advance our interests individually, as the interests of our village. Mr. Way's attachment for the home of his adoption seems never to have weakened or wavered, and the time that elapsed between the date of the execution of his will and the date of his death shows conclusively that the final disposition of his estate was not the result of any hasty conclusion, but rather made after calm and mature deliberation. If, in the words of another, I was asked -

I would answer, possibly there does, but I am certain that, in the light of recent events, you would unite with me in the earnest protest that Mr. Way was imbued with an entirely different spirit.

" Mr. Way was a strictly honest man, and withal prudent and economical, and, while living, was sometimes charged by his more inconsiderate friends and fellow citizens with being inclined to carry his ideas of economy, at least in public matters, to that extreme, that the work in hand was sometimes weakened, rather than profited by by his suggestions. However, when one calls to mind the circumstances surrounding him in the early years of his residence in our village, and the struggles he then passed through, I think his peculiarity in this regard is very easily and satisfactorily accounted for, and subsequent events lead me to say that Mr. Way was evidently misjudged.

" Willard V. Way departed this life on August 25, 1875, now more than seventeen years since, leaving a Last Will and Testament, with the conditions of which, no doubt, you are all more or less familiar. After making certain bequests amounting in the aggregate to over $15,- 000.00, by the 8th item in his will Mr. Way devises and bequeaths to this village all the remainder of his estate (except what is given for a public park), to be used in establishing a public library in this village for the use of its inhabitants under such regulations as may be prescribed by the council of the village, subject to the following conditions: $15,000.00 of his estate shall be invested in safe public interest-bearing securities, to remain a perpetual fund belonging to said village, the interest of which, only, is to be used in the purchase of books and works properly belonging to a public library. The remainder of the bequest for the use of a public library may be used as the council of said village may deem most for the interest of the library in the purchase of a lot, and erection of a suitable building for the library and literary halls, and purchase of books, and for no other purpose. It was to give effect to the conditions in this latter clause that the council, on March 25, 1890, requested the executors to purchase a site and erect a library building thereon, and that duty having been performed, it now remains for them, and becomes their duty, to give some account of their stewardship.

" Mr. Way also left $5,000, the interest of which to be used to defray the expenses of a scholar to any college he may choose, the scholar, to receive the benefits, to be the one from the graduating class of the Perrysburg High School standing the highest every fourth year. In politics, Mr. Way was a Democrat, and in his younger life he took quite an active part in political affairs. At one time he served the people of the county as prosecuting attorney.

" For many years prior to his death he was a confirmed invalid, and suffered greatly, although during those latter years he traveled a great deal, searching for some relief or specific whereby the hand of death might possibly be stayed ' yet a little longer. ' "

L. C. Cole, of Bowling Green, who has more than a local reputation as a lawyer, orator, politician, and business man, is a descendant of an old English family, the American branch being traced to three brothers - Joshua, Elijah and Ezekiel - who came over to Maryland in the time of Lord Baltimore. They were Baptists in faith, and did not remain in that colony during the struggles which resulted in religious toleration, but went to other sections, one to New England, one to Virginia, where his descendants still live, and the other, the ancestor of L. C. Cole, to Washington county, Penn., whence, as the country developed, later generations came west, settling in Ohio.

Thomas Cole, the father of our subject, was born in 1808, in Jefferson county, Ohio, where he spent his life in agricultural pursuits, and died in 1859. He married Miss Mary Jackman, a native of the same county, born in 1814, who survived him many years, dying in 1882. Four children were born to them: Caroline, who mar- ried I. J. Jackman, of Wellsville; L. C. , whose name introduces this sketch; Isaac, who died at the age of fourteen; and Elizabeth, the wife of W. P. Cooper, of Wellsville.

The subject of this sketch first saw the light September 14, 1849, and grew to manhood at the old home in Jefferson county. He attended college at Mount Union and Richmond, and afterward read law with Judge Robert Martin, of Steubenville, Ohio. In 1872, at Newark, Ohio, he was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of his profession at Massillon, Ohio, where he remained from June, 1873, to April, 1887, when he came to Bowling Green. His ability soon won him the confidence of the people of Massillon, and he was elected to various important official positions. From 1875 to 1880, he was city solicitor until his election in 1884 to the State Legislature, in Stark county, where he served two terms. Being an influential and outspoken Democrat, his side of the House nominated him for Speaker, and came within one vote of electing him.

Having become interested in the Bowling Green Glass Co., Mr. Cole decided to locate there, the better to look after that and other business enterprises. The glass factory burned down in 1891, and as the gas was exhausted in that vicinity the company did not rebuild. Mr. Cole is at present president of the Swayzee Glass Co., at Swayzee, Ind., and looks after the financial interests of that concern. He is a director of the First National Bank, of Bowling Green, and a member of several leading oil companies, operating in Wood county and in Tennessee. Aside from his prominence in business and professional circles, Mr. Cole is an enthusiastic Democrat, takes an active interest in political affairs, in which his influence as a leader in that party is widely recognized. He was a member and secretary of the State Central Committee six years; member of the Executive Committee four years, and secretary of the same during the memorable campaign of McKinley and Campbell, in 1891. Being urged by his political friends to permit himself to be nominated for probate judge of Wood county, in 1894, he consented - unwillingly on his part, on account of the extent of his private business - but at the election, though running well ahead of his ticket, he was defeated. Socially, Mr. Cole is a member of the F. & A. M. , Order of Elks, Knights of the Maccabees, Royal Arcanum and K. of P. In religious faith he and his family are members and active workers in the M. E. Church.

Miss Martha J. Douglass, to whom he was married in 1872, Mr. Cole has a true helpmeet. She was born in 1849, in Richmond, Ohio, where they were fellow students, and where they formed an attachment in which intellect as well as heart found congenial companionship. They have had two children, Tom D. (aged sixteen) and Nellie S., the latter of whom died in June, 1895, at the age of fourteen. Mrs. Cole is the daughter of Thompson and Rebecca (Dougherty) Douglass, the former of whom was born at Pittsburg, Penn., and was a son of Robert Douglass, a native of Scotland, and, on his mother's side, a direct descendant of the Stuarts. Thompson Douglass was thrice married, first time to Martha Johnson, by whom he had one child, Emery Pyle, who served in the war of the Rebellion, and died in the army. The second wife of Mr. Douglass was Rebecca Dougherty, who bore him six children: Leonidas, who enlisted in the Union army at .the age of eighteen, and died of sickness in 1862; Homer, deceased in 1881; Martha J. (Mrs. Cole); Mary, who died in 1882; Theodore, living at the old home in Richmond, Ohio; and Ida, wife of G. McIntyre, a farmer of Carroll county, Ohio. The third wife- of Thompson Douglass was Emeline Wallace, now his widow, and still living at the old home.

Mr. Cole stands in the front rank of the leading business men of Wood county, and is one of the most prominent and prosperous. His fame as an erudite and accomplished scholar, a ripe lawyer, a brilliant orator and a close student of political economy, is not confined to the city of his adoption, but extends throughout the entire county, and even far beyond its limits.

Jacob Richard, deceased. Between 1740 and 1750 two distinguished families came from Europe and settled in southern and southeastern Pennsylvania - the paternal ancestors from Germany, the maternal from Switzerland. Fleeing from oppression and persecution in the Fatherland, they sought homes and happiness in the New World, where some of them joined their destinies in business and marital relations.

Jacob Richard was born July 31, 1803, near Pleasant Unity, Unity township, Westmoreland Co., Penn., the second child but first son of John and Mary (Poorman) Richard. His grandparents were Jacob and Polly (Radebaugh) Richard, both of whom were residents of Franklin county. His grandfather was married five times, and had children by four of his wives. The old homestead was in Letterkenny township, Franklin county, and is quite fully described in the public records. He died upon it at the age of eightythree. His children, in the order of birth, were: (i) John, the father of the subject of this memoir, born in Franklin county, and died there in May, 1835. (2) Mary (called "Polly") married

Peter Poorman, of Hamilton township, same county. (3) George, who lived in Somerset, Perry Co., Ohio, and died July 31, 1864, in his eighty-fourth year; he was a wealthy, patriotic merchant, and a zealous Republican and Methodist. (4) Elizabeth, married to Jacob Humbarger. (5) Susannah, married to Jonathan Foltz, an uncle of M. A. Foltz, present proprietor and editor of the Public Opinion , of Chambersburg. (6) Jacob. (7) Sarah, married to Henry Snider. (8) Daniel.

John Richard, the eldest son, was married in 1800 to Mary Poorman. He died in May, 1835, and his widow in January, 1S47. They had seven children, viz.: (1) Elizabeth, married to

Jacob Mykrantz. (2) Jacob, our subject. (3) j Catherine, married to Rudolph Sease. (4) Polly, married to Joseph France. (5) John, now living in Gratiot county, Mich. (6) George, who died I several years ago in Pittsburg. (7) Margaret, ] married to George Bear. ,

Jacob Richard, the second in the above mentioned family, removed with his parents to Westmoreland county, Penn., sometime prior to 181 1, and spent his youth upon the farm, acquiring the rudiments of an English education, consisting of reading, writing and arithmetic. The study of the New Testament and the reading of U. S. History were obligatory; English grammar and geography were not taught. On November 4, 1823, he was joined in matrimony to Rebecca, youngest daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Stough) Richard. She was born in what is called " Culbertson's Row, " Franklin Co. , Penn., December 16, 1804. Her father, Charles Richard, was one of a family of two brothers. John and Jacob, a half-brother, Conrad, and three full j sisters: Maria, married to a Sullenberger; Catherine, married to a Lose; and Rebecca, married to Henry Crow.

Charles Richard was born in Berks county, Penn., September 27, 1755. and died in Westmoreland county, same State, August 17, 1852, | in his ninety-seventh year. He was married ; April 22, 1774, to Elizabeth Stough, who died January 13, 1826, in her sixty-ninth year. After his marriage he entered the Revolutionary army, and was with Washington at Long Island, White Plains, Trenton and Valley Forge. He crossed the Delaware with Washington, and aided in the capture of the Hessians, on Christmas Day, 1776; | passed through the siege and horrors of Valley Forge during the memorable winter of 1777-78. With a furlough in his pocket, and a pair of new shoes in his knapsack, he lay down on the night of December 23, 1777, intending to start home the next morning, but during the night his shoes were stolen. Undaunted, he started, as planned, and traveled fifty miles in his stockings, leaving bloody tracks to mark his route. From the marriage referred to sprang eight children, viz. : George; Charles; Molly, married to Henry Smith; William; Elizabeth, married to George Fortney; John; Sarah, married to Jonathan Fry; and Rebecca, who married Jacob Richard, and died May 6, 1881.

Returning again, Jacob and Rebecca had three sons born to them in Westmoreland county: John, July 14, 1825, deceased Octobers, 1878; Reuben, May 23, 1829, lost on the ill-fated " Sultana, " April 27, 1865 ; and Charles, October 3, 1831, now residing at Bloomdale, Ohio. In 1835 the family removed to Ashland county, Ohio, where they resided until March 26, 1851. P'ive other sons were born at Ashland, viz. : William S., a resident of Bloomdale; George, November 28, 1837, killed at the raising of a barn near Eagleville, May 18, 1861; Franklin, March 27, 1841, a resident of Bloom township; J. Fraise, a sketch of whom follows; and Simon, March 29, 1846, at present residing in Bloomdale.

In 1851, the Richard family was removed from Ashland county to Wood county, arriving, March 29, at their destination on what is now the farm owned by W. S. Richard, a mile northeast of Bloomdale. All was wilderness and discouragement. The little round-log, one-story cabin stood in the midst of a dense forest. Without, on every hand, were water, and frogs, and owls, and wild game - in short, all the elements of pioneer life in a new country. With brave heart and resolute will, assisted by a loyal wife and industrious boys, the father went to work to establish a home and hew out a fortune. Gradually, as by magic, the heavily timbered forest was converted into fertile fields and blooming orchards, and the very elements of discouragement became sources of rich development and substantial comfort.

Time passed on. The family of boys became one of men. Mr. Richard, the father, was honored by his neighbors with their confidence, and several times he served them in the responsible position of township assessor. The trying period of war came. Five sons went into the service of their country - Reuben in Company B, 102nd O. V. I.; John, Charles and J. Fraise in Company B, uith O. V. I.; and W. S. in Company E, 144th O. V. I. The first four entered the service in the autum of 1862, and all returned except Reuben, who, as an exchanged prisoner from the Cahaba death-pen, was a victim of the "Sultana" disaster.

Jacob Richard was a man of good judgment, somewhat impulsive, but generous, kind, honest, industrious and law-abiding. Politically, he was reared a Democrat, and supported Douglas for the Presidency in i860. When the war broke out, and his sons and neighbors entered the service of their country, he abandoned his old party and became first an ardent Unionist, and afterward, by necessity, a determined Republican. Religiously, he was reared a Presbyterian, but some five years prior to his death he was immersed and joined the Church of Christ, at Eagleville, in whose faith he peacefully expired on the night of April 1 , 1891.

Rebecca, his wife, was reared a member of the Reformed Church, but during her residence at Ashland, Ohio, she became a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which her husband was a deacon at that time. She was kind, affectionate, industrious, devoted to her family, and a considerate and peaceable neighbor. She was known in the community as "Aunt Becky," and was universally beloved. She had no enemies. Her later life was saddened by several trying events: first by the sudden death of her son George, on May 18, 1861, by a falling plate in the raising of a large barn at the home of Robert Jacobs, two and one-half miles north of her home; secondly, by the enlistment of her five sons in the army; thirdly, by the tragic death of Reuben; fourthly, by the death of John, October 8, 1878, after enduring, unhurt, the experiences of an active soldier's life for three years; and, lastly, by the death of her life partner, as related.

It may not be amiss to note a peculiarity or two respecting these families. (1) - On the paternal side Jacob and John were favorite names. In the present instance Jacob had two sons whom he named John and Jacob. He was the son of John, who, in turn, was the son of Jacob, and so on. (2) - So far as the record goes, the two ancestral familes were always law-abiding citizens, not one of them having ever been convicted of a henious crime. (3) - On the maternal side three generations had representatives in three wars, all of whom were named Charles - all musicians: Charles Richard the war of the Rebellion. (4) - All of them have been intensely American and patriotic in their sentiments. [Contributed by Prof. J. Fraise Richard, of Washington, D. C.

Prof. J. Fraise Richard, Educational Evangelist, historian and literary writer, was born near Ashland, Ohio, January 18, 1844, and is the seventh son of Jacob and Rebecca Richard.

At the age of seven our subject removed with his parents to Bloom township. Wood county, and his youth was spent in clearing up and working the farm which 'Squire W. S. Richard now possesses, near Bloomdale. His education prior to the war was secured in the district school known as " Hopewell," and included the ordinary English branches. His intense thirst for knowledge was not gratified, however, by simple school studies. He read all the books and papers which came within his reach, and did his most effective study in front of the fireplace whose light was furnished by burning chips and hickory bark. By these aids he was enabled to teach his first school at Eagleville, in the winter of 1860-61, he being then but sixteen years of age. The autumn of 1861 was spent by him at Seneca County Academy, under Prof. Aaron Schuyler, the prince of mathematicians, logicians and psychologists. .

On the 5th of August, 1862, his books packed to return to the Academy, Prof. Richard responded to President Lincoln's call for troops, and enlisted as a member of Company B, 1 1 ith O. V. I., and went with his regiment to the field, serving in Kentucky and Tennessee. Unsolicited on his part, he was made postmaster of the regiment, and served successfully as chief clerk at brigade, division corps, army and department headquarters, a portion of the time for Gens. Cox, Foster, Stoneman, Schofield and Palmer. He was twice offered a captain's commission, the latter time as assistant adjutant-general in the regular army. All such military honors he I declined, however, and in September, 1865, he returned to civil life, to enter upon his educational work which had been interrupted for three years. He attended the Northwestern Christian (now Butler) University, at Indianapolis, and after one year's study of language, mathematics and logic, transferred his studies to Lebanon,

| Ohio, where he graduated from the business, scientific and classic courses at the National ! Normal University, in August, 1869. He was an instructor in the institution until August, 1870, when he organized the Northwestern Normal I School at Republic, in the building previously oc- cupied by Profs. Thos. W. Harvey and Aaron Schuyler. This institution soon outgrew its facilities; and, the citizens neglecting to supply ampler apartments, it was, upon the request and assurance of Charles Foster and other citizens, removed to Fostoria in the autumn of 1 874. The attendance the first year in the new site was 508 students, exceeding the facilities possessed. Owing to lack of suitable buildings, the school was consolidated, in the autumn of 1875, with the Normal School at Ada, which fact gave that school its strength and efficiency. The Republic school was the progenitor of the large schools at Valparaiso and Angola, Ind., and of others in the West. It was an educational leaven, whose influence has extended from ocean to ocean.

Prof. Richard superintended the public schools at Alliance, Ohio, in 1 877 -78 ; was principal of a flourishing Normal School at Mansfield from 1878 to 1882; lectured in institutes in a number of States from 1882 to 1885; spent his time in historical writing from 1885 to 1889; and since 1890 has been employed in the City of Washington (his present home) in official, educational and literary work. For thirty-five years he has been a writer for the secular, religious and educational press, his writings being published in mediums of general circulation.

On October 6, 1867, our Subject was married, at Freeport, to Miss Emma D. Strong. From this union have issued two sons: Livy S., and Vernon I. The former is editor-in-chief of the Scranton (Penn.) Tribune ; the latter is a mere boy, living with his mother in Ohio.

Prof. Richard's first vote was cast in 1864, at Knoxville, Tenn., for Lincoln and Johnson. Since then his affiliation has been with the Republican party. He is a stanch Republican, but does not belong to the party in a servile sense. Religiously, he has been identified with the Church of Christ since June 2, 1862. He has never smoked a cigar nor chewed a quid of tobacco in his life, nor has he tasted a drop of any intoxicants, even beer, since May, 1859. Indeed it can truly be said his life work has been a source of inspiration and encouragement to the young.

J. C. Lincoln, M. D., who is one of the best known and most highly respected physicians and surgeons of Bowling Green, where he also carries on an extensive drug business, was born in Albany, N. Y. , May 22, 1844.

Miss Ada Boughton. The Lincoln family were among the early settlers of New York State, as were also the ancestors of Mrs. Lincoln, among the latter being Maj. Reuben Boughton, a hero of the Revolution. Mrs. Lincoln was born in the same city and the same year as her husband, and was the only daughter among eighteen children, her father having been married three times. In 1844 Dr. Lincoln's parents came west, settling first in Watertown, Wis. , where the father followed farming until 1852, when his wife died and he removed to Winona, Minn. There he resided about ten years, when he went to Marshalltown; Iowa, where he still lives. He belonged to the Democratic party until the war of the Rebellion, when he became a Republican; in religious faith he is a member of the Baptist Church.

Our subject is the youngest of two children. His elder brother Charles was born in 1841, and the story of his life reads like a romance, although similar to that of many who took part in the trying scenes of the war between the North and South. At that time the family was living in Minnesota, and he joined the first regiment of volunteers, going at once to the front and taking part in the first fatal battle of Bull Run. There he was taken prisoner, with a number of others, and carried first to Richmond, afterward confined in the terrible stockade at Andersonville, and later at Castle Pinckney, where he was finally exchanged and sent home. Three times during this period he made his escape, hiding in the forest, and for days living upon raw and parched corn. Each time he was recaptured, the last time when within only two or three miles of the Federal lines. This was a few days previous to his exchange, and when he was released he was sent to the hospital at Washington completely broken down in health, and a shadow of his former self, being reduced, by a course of slow starvation, from a strong young man weighing 190 pounds, to an emaciated invalid whose weight was but eighty pounds. When sufficiently recovered, he returned to Minnesota, and during the Indian troubles in that State, in 1863, he assisted in organizing the Second Minnesota Cavalry, of which he was made first lieutenant, afterward promoted to captain, and which was stationed at Fort Ridgely, where he died from the effects of hardships endured during his life in Confederate prisons.

Dr. Lincoln made his home with his parents, and had commenced the study of medicine when the Civil war broke out. After the battle of Bull Run, in \yhich his only brother, above mentioned.

was engaged, and whose name was reported in the list of the killed, our subject determined to offer his services to the cause for which his brother had sacrificed his life. He accordingly recruited 347 men for the 1st Minnesota Regiment, the same in which his brother had served, and joined the command at Camp Stone as assistant surgeon. A year had passed since Charles had been taken prisoner, and the family was still under the impression that he was dead, as his letters to the members had been intercepted by the Rebel authorities. Dr. Lincoln was at this time camped with his regiment near Savage Station, when an officer informed him that a boat-load of Federal prisoners was being exchanged, and he received intimation that his brother was among them. The boat, however, passed out of sight just as he reached the landing, and he was unable to confirm the report. Some time later Dr. Lincoln was seriously wounded at the battle of Fair Oaks, and was sent to hospital in New York City, where he remained three months, it afterward transpiring that his brother was in the same city all the time, although neither knew of the other's presence.

On recovering from his wound, Dr. Lincoln returned to his home in Minnesota, after which he became a student in Lawrence University, at Appleton, Wis. , remaining there three years. He then read medicine for a year with Dr. Ford, of Winona, after which he entered Rush Medical College, at Chicago, from which he was graduated with the degree of M. D. in 1871. In Franklin county, Iowa, he began the practice of his profession, but, the climate not agreeing with him, he came to Ohio and located near Fostoria, where he remained until 1873. Since that date he has been a resident of Bowling Green, where he has built up a large and lucrative practice, identifying himself also with the leading interests of the city, taking a leading place in all matters pertaining to its advancement. He has been a member of the city council and of the board of education; was medical pension examiner under President Harrison, and was the unanimous choice of Wood county for congressman some two years ago. He has large property interests in Bowling Green, among which is his handsome residence, one of the best in the city, built at a cost of $14,000, and the fine brick structure occupied by his large and well-kept drugstore and office. He is also half-owner of the Lincoln & Tuller block, and it is chiefly due to his enterprise that these handsome structures have been erected. He is a member of the State Medical Society, and also of the American Medical

Dr. Lincoln has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Emma Norris, of Fostoria, Ohio, who was born November r, 1854, and died December 12, 1883. Two children were born of this union; John H., a graduate of the high school of Bowling Green, and now a partner in his father's drug store; and Eudora, who graduated from the Bowling Green High School, in 1895, and is now a student in Oberlin College. The second wife of Dr. Lincoln, who was Miss Nettie Willard, is a cousin of Miss Frances E. Willard, of W. C. T. U. fame. Dr. Lincoln and his wife are popular in society, and their charming home is the abode of refined and cultured hospitality.

E. B. Beverstock, a prominent agriculturist of Washington township, living near Tontogany, was born in Rutland county, Vermont, October 5. 1835.

His grandfather Beverstock came from England in the latter part of the last century, but of his history and that of his family but little is known. Daniel Beverstock, our subject's father, was born in Swanzey, N. H., in 1793, and during the war of 1812, he took charge of the family of his brother Silas, who entered the army. Among the family relics treasured by our subject are two artistically designed specimens of Indian workmanship, a peace club and a war club, captured from the savages by his uncle, Silas. Daniel Beverstock, who was a farmer by occupation, married Miss Sabrina Barney, a native of Vermont, and came to Ohio in 1855. After one year passed in Wood county, he located in Richland county, where he died in 187.6; his wife in 1865. He had been a Democrat throughout his life, but his last vote was cast for Hayes. There were nine children in his family, namely: Alma

S. is the widow of Asa Spaulding, of Richland county; Constant resides near St. Paul; Lyman W. died in Vermont; J. B. (deceased) was formerly a grain dealer in Richland county, and later in Huron, Ohio; Silas is a farmer at Lexington, Ohio; Fannie is the wife of Homer Wells, of Cass county, Mich. ; Loraine, who never married, lives in Cassopolis, Mich. ;our subject comes next; and Ann lives in Lexington.

E. B. Beverstock, to use his own words, '-graduated out of a spelling book at the common schools of Vermont," and his parents being poor, he commenced working at the early age of eight years. He was nineteen years old when he came with his parents to Wood county, and for some time worked by the month; but finally settled on a farm of his own on the confines of the present village of Tontogany, where he now owns 150 acres of land. On December 8, 1859, he married Miss Victoria Virginia Kuder, a native of this county, born June 12, 1839, a daughter of Solomon Kuder, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere. She died January 14, 1882, leaving seven children: Otis, a well-known resident of Bowling Green; Edward and Ella (twins), the former a rising young attorney of Bowling Green, member of the firm of James & Beverstock, while Ella is the wife of Reuben Johnson, of Tontogany; Arthur J., born March 24, 1866, and married March 1, 1890, to Miss May Klinepeter; Belle, born November 13, 1867; Clarence, born September 4, 1877; and Edna, born January 25, 1880, are all at home.

Mr. Beverstock entered the army in 1862, enlisting in Company G, 1st Regiment, O. L. A., assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, first in the Fourth, and later in the Fourteenth armycorps. He took part in over thirty battles and skirmishes, among them the engagements at Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Franklin and Nashville. At Stone River he received two bullet wounds within five minutes - one in the ankle and one in the instep - on which occasion eight men and twenty-two horses were killed, twenty-two men wounded, and four guns and two caissons were taken by the enemy. Returning home, in June, 1865, he resumed the peaceful occupation of farming, which he still continues. His present residence, a fine building, was erected in 1878. A Republican in politics, he is a leader in his party. He served as county commissioner six years, and was one of the four appointed by the Judge of the Common Pleas court, in March, 1894, to act on the building and furnishing of the new court house, which cost in the neighborhood of $300,000; for several years he also served as township trustee. Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F., K. of P., and G. A. R., has been president of the agricultural society and is now its treasurer. Mr. Beverstock is a man of superior intelligence, a great student of the Bible and of the better class of literature, and he takes an interest in all progressive measures, both at home and abroad.

Edson Goit (deceased), for many years a prominent and successful member of the Wood County Bar, and an extensive merchant and land owner, was born in Oswego county, N. Y. , October 17, 1808.

and during his boyhood he found but little time or opportunity to improve his mind by the aid of books, but such chances as presented themselves he availed himself of, and by the time he was twenty years old he was capable of teaching, and did teach a district school. Before he was of age he started for the Western country, as Ohio was then called, at which time, when there were neither railroads or canals, and but few wagon roads, a journey from New York thither was of no small magnitude. However, with all his worldly effects tied up in a bundle, young Goit surmounted all difficulties, " took the road," and soon found himself at Tiffin, in Seneca county. Here he worked at odd jobs, taught school both there and in Fremont, comparatively insignificant villages in those early days, in the meantime reading law' with AbelT. Rawson. In due course he was admitted to the bar to practice law, and, being desirous of seeking the best possible place for a young attorney to establish himself at, he chose Findlay to commence business in, a village some thirty-five miles distant. Mr. Goit had but little money, but plenty of energy and muscle, so with his rather scanty wardrobe and a few law books tied up in a package, he set out on foot for his new destination. On his arrival at Findlay, then the small country town of Hancock county, which had recently been set off from Wood county, he took up his abode with the family of the late L. Q. Rawson, and became the pioneer of the legal profession in that part of the State. But there was no demand for his services; Blackstone and Coke were at a discount, and by the end of six months, nearly all his means being gone, he decided to leave the place. However, things suddenly took a turn for the better, prospects gradually brightened; business came, clients increased in number, and all thoughts of leaving Findlay vanished from his mind. Mr. Goit now went to board with William Taylor, who kept the tavern. While he was here Mrs. Tavlor's sister, Jane Patterson, and brother, arrived from Pennsylvania on horseback, and not long afterward (February 21, 1833), Mr. Goit and Miss Patterson w'ere married. From that time on his fortune seemed to be made. Frank, straightforward and generous, he made friends with all with whom he came in contact; settlers began to come in very fast, and business rapidly increased. By the year r 840 he had accumulated quite a competence, at that time owning nearly 2,000 acres of the best land in and about Findlay, besides bas ing over ten thousand dollars in ready cash.

overwork, his health began to fail, so he decided to vary his occupation somewhat, which proved to be an unfortunate step. He engaged extensively in mercantile business, and, besides a large store in Findlay, he opened branch establishments in Bluffton, Gilboa and Ottawa, all of which he had to entrust largely to the management of clerks, for he was still carrying on considerable law practice, as well as much other business, and taking an active part in politics, and in every public enterprise in the town and county. He endorsed notes, and went bail for young men who were trying to get a start in business, than which nothing seemed to afford him more pleasure, for he was a man of broad generosity, and had a large confidence in his fellow men. Such, and other generous traits in his character, led him, unfortunately, into much pecuniary difficulty, and in 1857, when the financial panic swept over the country, he found himself but ill-prepared for it, and by the time the dark clouds had passed he beheld his fortune a mere wreck. In the midst of all this others as well as himself had been ruined, and where he happened to be bondsman, creditors fell back on him, so that he found himself harrassed from all sides. But he did not succumb to the storm, and at this point is where his manhood and sterling honesty shone brightest. He made no assignment, nor did he go into bankruptcy, but went to work with renewed power and energy. Every one had faith in his integrity, and as he went on converting his property into means whereby to pay debt after debt, dollar for dollar, he found himself at the end with but little of his former fortune left. It is a satisfaction to know that in spite of all his misfortunes, Mr. Goit had in his later days a comfortable competence left for himself and remaining family, and as he himself said a short time before his death, "After so many ups and downs in my life, I am glad that if I do not get well I shall at least die square with the world."

To the marriage of Mr. Goit with Miss Patterson were born Edson Goit, Jr., January 8, 1 838; William, June 26, 1840; Laquirna, April 14, 1843, and Theodosia, April 8, 1846. Mrs. Goit's death occurred April 24, 1863, at Findlay, Ohio, and on December 19, 1865, Mr. Goit was married to Sara Ann McConnell, and to the marriage were born: Ida Mary, May 19, 1867 - died married Mary K. Freeman, and to them was born one son, L. C. William died September 1 , 1896. Theodosia Goit, on March 29, 1866, was married to George W. Trichler, M. D. Dr. Trichler was a native of Bellefontaine, Logan Co., Ohio. He was a gallant officer of the 57th O. V. I. during the late Civil war, serving as captain of Company G, and after the war removed to Riga, Mich. , where he practiced his profession for twenty-three years, and where he was actively and prominently identified with the affairs of the place. He served several terms as postmaster, and for years conducted a drug store. In 1889 he removed to Bowling Green, Ohio. His death occurred September 27, 1890. To the marriage' of Dr. Trichler and Miss Theodosia Goit were born: W. S. Trichler, December 29,

1867, now a practicing physician, who, on October 9, 1893, was married to Theresa Thiel (born May 4, 1867), and to them was born, October 7, 1895, a daughter - Lucile; Alice, born September 30, 1871, was on June 23, 1890, married to E. C. Lossing, of Bowling Green, associate editor of the Tribune , and they have two children - -Milton, born April 2, 1891, and Gladys, born September 20, 1 894; and Theodosia May, born May 1, 1879.

It is said of Mr. Goit by all his clients, that he would not, for the sake of money, encourage litigation. In his professional capacity he was a peace-maker among men, always counseling the settlement of difficulties, without going into court, if it was consistent with the honor of both parties. He was a sincere friend, and in his most prosperous days never forgot those Who were his friends at the beginning, when he was poor. He died in 1880, at the age of seventy-two years, revered and honored as an upright, earnest, honest man, with but few blemishes, few enemies, and almost numberless devoted friends. In religious faith he was a member of the Presbyterian Church; in social connection, he was affiliated with the I. O. O. I'., subordinate lodge; in politics he was an ardent Republican.

Mr. Lossing, whose name is mentioned in connection with this family, is a native of the State of Michigan. He was engaged as a teacher for several years before corning to Bowling Green, some half dozen years ago. He was one of the practical men connected with the Glass Works, and since the establishment of the Evening Tribune , August 22, 1892, he has been identified with that paper, first as reporter, and since August, 1894, as associate editor. Mr. Lossing is a bright young man, and we predict for him a

A. J. Manvii.le, M. D., was for many years a well-known druggist of Bowling Green, and, in former years, a leading medical practitioner of that place. He first saw the light May 9, 1834, in Plfiin township, in what is now the city of Bowling Green, and was the second white child born in that township. His parents were Eli and Elizabeth (Maginnis) Manville, and his paternal grandparents were pioneers of Delaware county, Ohio, where his father probably was born.

Eli Manville was also a physician, and took his first course in medicine at the medical college at Lexington, Ky., in the days when Henry Clay, then in his prime, was a patron of that institution. He subsequently was graduated and took the degree of M. D. from the .Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati. His first permanent location was at Terre Haute, Ind., where he formed a partnership with an old-established physician, and practiced his profession for a short time. Dr. Manville was soon afterward elected a member of the Indiana Legislature, and became to some extent engaged in general business. He owned two flat-boats, which he loaded with all kinds of produce, shipping to New Orleans; this enterprise, however, proved a disastrous one, as both the boats and their cargoes were sunk in the Mississippi. This crippled him financially, and, returning to Delaware county, Ohio, he there resumed his medical practice, and shortly afterward was married to Elizabeth Maginnis. In 1834 Dr. Manville removed to Wood county, and settled on the prairie which was afterward the site of the township to which he gave the name of Plain. Here he practiced for a number of years; but as the place was sparsely settled, and the opportunities for making money were few, he joined the western tide of emigration, going to Illinois and locating in a small town, finally removing to Chicago, where he died in 1865.