Otsego Township (part 2 of 2)

County, born March 6, 1827. Tliey moved to Defiance County, Ohio, where he followed farmlncr till 1868, when he located in Steuben Countj^, Ind., buying the mill property of Samuel Hnsselman. This propert}'^ he has greatly improved, expending in the past two years about $4,000. Re has a good custom trade, which is constantly increasing. He is one of the best citizens of the village ot Hamilton, and has by his upright dealing won the coniidence and esteem of the business circles. Mrs. Sewell died May 22, 1860. Their family consisted often children - Mrs. Mary Ann Steitsmith (deceased), Abner, Mrs. Sarah E. Weir, Isaac N., Mrs. Melvina Sweet, Nancy, Rebecca (died aged three years), Solomon (died aged nineteen years), James H. and Mrs. Priscilla Kepler. Jan. 31, 1861, Mr. Sewell married Sarah M. Crago, a sister of his first wife, a native of Harrison County, Ohio, born May 5, 1835. To them have been born ten children - Rosa, Green B., Andrew F. (died aged thirteen years), Julia C. (died aged four years), Charles (died aged thirteen years), Lillie May, Aga M., Bertha, Albert E. and Edwin L. (died in infancy). Mr. and Mrs. Sewell are members ot the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a Democrat.

Lewis P. Sisso?i was born in Wayne County, N. Y., Oct. 10, 1817. When he was nine j'ears old his parents, Sanford and Flavia (West) Sisson, moved to Huron County, Oliio, where his father died. His mother died many years later at the residence of her son Sanford, in Michigan. Of a familj^ of fourteen children five are living - Lewis P.; Arnold, Augustus and Mrs. Emeline Fowler, in Michigan, and Lucins P., in Huron County, Ohio. Lewis P. celebrated his twenty-first birthday by logging, wages, 50 cents, and with that capital started in life on his own account. He worked the next four years by the day, month, or job, generally at chopping and clearing land. He has chopped the timber from 170 acres of land. He was married on his twenty-fifth birthday to Mary F. Gifford, who was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., May 1, 1816. She died May 23, 1879. Their only child, Eflie A., born July 18, 1849, married John Cole, and died Oct. 18, 1871. March 30, 1880, Mr. Sisson married Mrs. Catherine (Smith) Strauss, daughter ol Dr. Robert Smith, and widow of Rev. H. F. Adolpli Strauss, to whom she was married Aug. 20, 1863. Mr. Strauss was born in Germany. April 13, 1819. He was a minister of the Lutheran church, located in Union County, 111. Tiiree children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Strauss. Robert Adolph died in September, 1865, aged ten and a half months; Joseph N, died in December, 1871, aged five years and four months. Frederic M. lives vi'itli his mother. Mary A., a daughter of Mr. Strauss by a former marriage, married Oliver Scotten, and lives in Huntington County, Ind. Mr. Strauss died Feb. S, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Sisson reside on a farm of the latter on section 2, Otsego Township. The farm he owns and where he resided till recently is on section 35, Scott Township, and was bought in 1849, when he first settled in the count}'. Three brotliers of Mr. Sisson - Foster, Aus^ustus and Henry - were soldiers in the war for the Union. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mrs. Sisson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was originally a Whig but since its organization has affiliated with the Republican party.

Isaac Slayhaugh was born in Stark County, Ohio, Oct, 29, 1840. In October, 1848, his parents, Leonard and Hannah Slaybaugh, moved to Steuben County, Ind., and settled on 120 acres of almost unbroken land, where the father died May 12, 1873, and the mother Sept. 5, 1880. The family consisted of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living - Mrs. Sidney Barber, Franklin, Mrs. Har. riet Rummel, Mrs. Susan Clining, Isaac, Jacob, William, Mrs. Hannah Larimer, Mrs. Mary Johnson, George and James. Barbara died at the age of seventeen years and two died in infancy. The old homestead has been divided and sold. Isaac Slaybaugh lived at home till twenty-two years of age when, Oct. 9, 1862, he was married to Elizabeth Thresher, a native of Delaware County, Ohio, daughter of David and Sarah Thresher, residents of Steuben Township, where they settled in 1851. The spring after his mar. riage Mr. Slaybaugh bought sixty acres of land in Steuben Township, living there eight years. He then sold his farm and lived on his father's place a year, and in October, 1872, bought the farm on section 12, Otsego Township, where he now lives. He owns ninety acres of choice land, mostly under cultivation, and his buildings are all commodious and in good repair. To Mr. and Mrs. Slaybaugh have been born nine children, eight of whom are living - Adelaide Z., L. Sherman, Sarah H., Carrie A., Mary N., Charles D., Anna A. and Cora E. The next to the youngest child died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Slaybaugh are members of the Baptist church.

Lewis Cass Smithy son of Dr. Robert and Eliza (^Pomeroy) Smith, was born in this township. Sept. 6, 1847. He was named for the old patriot and statesman, with whom his father had been acquainted in the early Territorial days of Michigan. His life has all been spent on the homestead, where his parents settled in 1842.

He was married July 2, 1871, to Elizabeth Bennett, who was born in this township July 24, 1852, a daughter of Abram and Maria Bennett, natives of New York, who in 1843 moved to Seneca County, Ohio, and in 1849 to Steuben County, Ind. Her father was a member of the Seventy-fourth Indiana Infantry, and died Jan. 17, 1863, while in the service of his country. Her mother afterward married Walter Vaughn and resides in De Kalb County, Ind. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born iive children, four of whom are living - Amy, Benjamin F., Leslie and Asa. Robert died Jan. 28, 1885, aged two and a half years.

Hiram Sweet was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., July 1, 1841, a son of Thomas J. and Ormanda Sweet. In 1845 his parents moved to Defiance County, Ohio, where the mother died in December, 1840. Hiram is the fifth of eight children, five of whom are living, the others being - Mrs. Alvira Crocker, Harry, Mrs. Fanny Price and Mrs. Delana Manning. His father afterward married Rebecca Bisby, who died several years ago. His father is now making his house his home and is in the eighty-second year of his age. Of the four children born to his second marriage, three are living - Mrs. Marian Divert, Cyrille and Anna. Hiram Sweet was taken a short time after his mother's death by family friends, by whom he was reared. Aug. 25, 1861, he enlisted in defense of the Union in Company E, Twenty-first Ohio Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. His first general engagement was at Stone River, then Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and the Atlanta campaign. About this time he was taken sick and after his recovery joined the regiment at Wilmington, N. C. He re-enlisted as a veteran and served four years lacking one month; was discharged July 24, 1865. Returning to Defiance he engaged in the manufacture of lumber, cider and jelly, at Farmer, till February, 1873, when he sold out and came to Steuben County, locatino; at Hamilton. The same vear he built a steam saw-mill of twenty-five horse-power, where he has successfully carried on his business of manufacturing. In 1882 he bought 120 acres of land on sections 27, 28 and 34, Otsego Township, which he has improved, erecting a fine residence and other farm buildings, and now has one of the pleasantest homes in the township. Since his residence in the county he has, by his upright dealings, won the confidence and esteem of the community and has made many friends. He was married March 6, 1870, to Meivina Sewell, who was born in September, 1851, daughter of Andrew and Priscilla

Sewell. To them have been born three children - Ora O., Laura B. and Glenn O. Mr. and Mrs. Sweet are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of J3arou Steuben Post, No. 387, G. A. R. In politics he is a Republican.

George W. Swift^ one of the pioneers of Steuben County, settled in Otsego Township in 1836. He was born in the old Bay State in May, 1804, a son of Ephraim Swift, who died while a soldier in the war of 1812. When he was about fourteen years of age he went to Broome County, K. Y., and lived with his maternal grandfather, Solomon Bodfitch, till manhood. He was married in 1826 to Lucretia Gates, a native of Broome County, born in 1807. When they came to this county they had three children - Edward, who died aged thirteen years; Oscar F., and Alice D., now widow of John Cowan. The children born here were - Adolphus, of York Township; David K., on the old homestead; Susan L., wife of Peter Zimmer, and Josephine, who died in childhood. Mr. Swift was one of the honored and trusted men of the township, and is well remerabesred by all the old pioneers for his many good qualities. He served the township many terms faithfully as Trustee and in other positions. He was an active member of the Baptist church and was one of the Deacons. He died after a life of usefulness in 1868, his wife surviving him six years.

John W. Thomas^ merchant and Postmaster, Hamilton, Ind., was born in Wayne County, Ohio, March 1, 1830, a son of Rev. Jonathan and Elizabeth (Beacom) Thomas. He was reared by his grandfather, Michael Thomas, and given a good education. At the early age of fifteen years he began teaching in connection with attending school. When twenty years of age he left school and went to California by the overland route and the winter following went to Portland, Ore., then a small village in the woods, and taught the only school there at a salary of $75 a month. In the spring of 1851 he returned to California and located at Yreka, a mining village, and remained two years, teaching a select school in the winters of 1853 and 1855. In the winter of 1855 he was elected Assessor of Siskiyou County and served two years, and in 1857 was a mining overseer and Deputy SheriflF. In the winter of 1858-'9 he returned home and in the spring of 1860 became established with his brother-in-law, John Holt, in the mercantile business at Richland Center. The following fall he sold his interest and engaged in farming. He was married Sept. 2, 1860, to Juliet Benedict, who died Sept. 2, 1861, leaving an infant daughter fifi>'^ teen days old, which died six months later. Mr. Thomas then left his farm and taking his youngest sister, Henrietta, went to Hillsdale College, intending to complete the course. After passing through the junior year he was obliged to leave school, and in the winter of 1863 and summer of 1864 taught at Angola. He then sold his farm and for six years was engaged in business at Metz. In the meantime he served as Trustee of Richland Township live years. In 1872 he moved to Edon, Ohio, where he engaged in general merchandising, and also conducted a steam saw and grist-mill. He continued in business seven years when reverses in business overtook him and he lost all his property, save his residence. In 1880 he moved to Newville, De Kalb Co., Ind., and engaged in the manufacture of lumber, and in 1882 came to Hamilton and again engaged in the mercantile business, where by his genial and accommodating manner he has built up a large trade which is constantly increasing. He is a prominent and devoted member of the Odd Fellows' order. He was a charter member of Yreka Lodge, No. 180, and of the encampment, and held all the higher offices in each; was also a charter member of the encampment at Angola, holding all the higher offices and representing both the lodge and encampment in the grand lodge of the State; was a charter member of the Mt. Pleasant lodge at Metz and also passed all the chairs of the Florence Lodge in Williams County, Ohio. He was an active man in public affairs while in California. He enlisted in the Rougue River Indian war in 1856, under Captain J. P. Goodale, and participated in several skirmishes and two general engagements, serving under General Jo Lane, United States Senator. He was one of a force of twenty men under Lieutenant Ely, who discovered a large force of Indians at Dry Creek. Sending two of the men to inform General Lane the eighteen held the Indians, nnmbering about 250, at bay four and a half hours before reinforcements came. Fifty-two Indians were killed, and of the eighteen gallant men nine were killed and two died of wounds, Mr. Thomas and one other being the only two who were uninjured. The Indians were followed, although with great loss to the troops, and the next day were captured, thus ending the war. In the days of vigilant committees Mr. Thomas was active in upholding law and order. He was married the second time in 1866 to Phoebe Everhart, who was born in Morrow County, Ohio, in 1842, daughter of James Everhart, of Richland Township. To them have been born four children - Zoe, Thaddeus W., Frank P. and Jona- than p. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is class-leader and is also Superintendent of the Sunday-school.

Rev. Jonathan Thomas was born in Pennsylvania in 1807. When he was seventeen years of age his parents, L. and A. Thomas, moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where he was married in 1825 to Elizabeth Beacom, a native of Maryland, born in 1807, dauc^hter of Henry Beacom, a hero of the Revolutionary war. To them were born ten children; all save one lived till maturity and four are now living - Enoch, of Marshall County, Iowa; John W., of this township; Fletcher, of North Manchester, Ind., a Presiding Elder in the United Brethren church, and William H., of Tama County, Iowa. Elizabeth (deceased), a twin sister of Enoch, was the wife of Rev. E. P. Church. S. Mark died in Iowa. Henrietta was noted for her culture and literary ability, many of her poems and prose articles appearing in the New York Ledger and other periodicals. She married Frank Payton, of Huntington County, Ind., and died at Winterset, Iowa, in 1880, aged twenty-six years. Rev. Jonathan Thomas moved from Williams County, Ohio, to Steuben County, Ind., in 1846, where he resided till after the death of his wife, wliicii occurred in 1863. Since then he has had no permanent residence. He has been a minister of the United Brethren church sixty years, being ordained soon after his first marriage. At present he has no settled appointment, but is doing the work of an evangelist, and expects to do the Master's work till called home. He is now living with his third wife.

George H. Walberry was born in Fremont, Sandusky Co., Ohio. Oct. 26, 1845, a son of Christian and Sophia (Miller) Walberry, his father a native of Germany and came to America in 1840 and married the same year, and his mother of Columbiana County, Ohio, In July, 1846, his father died alone while returning home from the field of a friend where he had been working and his body was not found till three days later. He left two children - Rhoda Ann and George H. May 4, 1854, his mother married William Burket, by whom she had five children - Ellen Jane, George W., Caroline, Angeline and Charlotte. Mr. Burket died Aug. 7, 1864, and his wife survived him till Jan 9, 1883, dying at Elkhart, Ind., where she was visiting. George H. Walberry lived with his mother till sixteen years of age and then began to work by the month in a saw-mill. Dec. 9, 1863, in obedience to a call from the Government, he enlisted in the Ninth Company, First Battalion, Ohio

Sharpshooters. The company was raised by Captain W. L. Stearns, for special service, and by him bartered for a Major's commission, and was assigned to 'the Sixtieth Ohio Infantry as Company Gr. Upon their united remonstrance to the war department tliey were armed with Spencer rifles and served as flankers and sharpshooters for the Second Brigade, Third Division, Mnth Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Mr. Walberry received his baptism of fire at the Wilderness, then followed Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, where he was under fire seven days. He was in the works before Petersburg and on one occasion when volunteers were called for to recover the rifle pits captured by the enemy, he was one of twenty to respond and was one of ten left after the successful charge. Participating in all the engagements of his regiment he did all his duty, never shirking because of danger, and was discharged July 28, 1865. His regiment was the second to enter Petersburg and the second to unfurl its banner on the dome of the court-house. He was in the line at the grand review of the army at Washington. After his return to Ohio he worked at milling till 1875, when, Dec, 5, he came to Steuben County, Ind., and bought the farm where he now lives, on sections 1 and 11, Otsego Township, known as the old Maybry farm, his residence being on section 11. Since his return to civil life he has made a record as honorable as in war and has won many friends. F o the first he has taken an interest in the public affairs of the township, and in 1880 was elected Township Trustee on the independent ticket. Dec. 22, 1867, he was married to Sarah Rinehart, a native of Sandusky County, Ohio, born Sept. 5, 184.7, a daughter of Christian and Barbara (Ramer) Rinehart. Four children have been born to them , three of whom are living - Llewellyn, Perry, and an infant, born Dec. 30, 1884. Cora died at the age of ten months.

Ejphraim B. Williams, the fifth child of Henry R. and Mary Ann (Case) Williams, was born in Orleans County, N. Y., Jan. 10, 1833, and in the fourth year of his age came to Indiana with his parents and settled in Jackson Township, Steuben County. His mother was in feeble health when they left New York and died of consumption Dec. 2, 1836, the year of their settlement. Of the family, Hamilton died at the age of ten years; Maria died at the age of twenty years; Wallace is living on the homestead on section 9, this township, and E. B. is the subject of our sketch. Two years after the mother's death the father married Philura Town, and in 1842 removed to Otsego Township, buying 100 acres on section 9, where he died Oct 9, 1879, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. His widow died in 1882, leaving no children. The youth of Ephraira B. Williams was spent in common with the sons of pioneer farmers, the greater part of the time being devoted to hard work. His educational advantages though limited were well used and he obtained a practical knowledge of the world and a fair business education. He remained at home till manhood, and in 1857 married Susan Pearce, a native of Onondaga County, N. Y., daughter of Ora Pearce, an early settler of Steuben County. He lived the first three years of his married life on section 16, and then moved to his present home on section 17. His farm contains 160 acres of choice land and his residence and farm buildings are commodious and comfortable. Every indication of thrift and prosperity is evident, all of which has been acquired by industry and frugality. His wife died Juno 15, 1863. Feb. 18, 1864, he married Martha Cooper, a lady of culture and refinement, a native of Bucks County, Pa., born Aug. 27, 1833, daughter of William and Lucy Cooper, who settled in Eichland Township in 1844. Her father died Sept. 13, 1869, and her mother at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. S. S. Brooks, in 1880. To Mr. and Mrs. Williams have been born three children - Alma and Lucy are with their paren ts ; Susie, the youno-- est, died in 1881, aged eleven years. In politics Mr. Williams is a Republican.

Peter Zijnmer was born in Portage County, Ohio, June 7, 1839, a son of Adam and Elizabeth Ziramer, who came to Steuben County in 1854 and settled on section 1, Otsego Township, five children accompanying them to their new home - Eliza, the second child, was the wife of George Kettring, and remained in Ohio, where she died; Adam is a resident of Scott Township; Caroline married George Kettring after her sister Eliza's death and died in Ohio; Peter is the subject of our sketch; Catherine is the wife of Henry Gi5ise, of Hillsdale, Mich.; Sophia is the wife of Zachariah Kinne, of Berrien, Mich. The parents were natives of Germany and came to the United States in March, 1831, landing in New York the same day from different vessels. Mrs. Zimmer left Germany the wife of Jacob Petre, who died on the ocean, leaving six children. She became acquainted with Mr. Zimmer in New York and early in 1832 they were married. They went to Lehigh County, Pa., and three years later to Mahoning County, Ohio, and in 1837 moved to Portage County, where they lived till 1854. Mr. Zimmer died in April, 1862, in the seventy-third year of his age.

Mrs. Zimmer died in June, 1864, aged sixty-four years. Peter Zimmer was a faithful son till the death of his parents, remaining at home and caring for them. April 4, 1865, he married Susan Swift, daughter of one of Otsego's pioneers. He commenced housekeeping on his father's homestead, living there till 1872, when he bought 142 acres of land on section 3, where he has since lived. His farm is finely improved, mostly the work of his own hands. His residence is large and commodious. To Mr. and Mrs. Zimmer have been born seven children - Delphena, Oscar, Jesse G., Cassius Clay, Carrie, John and Orville. Mr. Zimmer takes great interest in the education of his children, being determined to give them something of which they can never be robbed. In politics he is an earnest Republican and a believer in the policy of protection for American industries.