Salem Township (part 2 of 2)

George W. Strawser resides on section 21, Salem Township, where he owns a farm of 170 acres, bought of John Zimmerman in 1881. He has been a resident of Steuben County since 1872, and has taken an active interest in all the projects of public benefit. He was born in Ross County, Ohio, and in 1843 removed with his parents to Defiance County in the same State, where he grew to manhood. Aug. 15, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-eighth Ohio Infantry, and served till July, 1865, wanting only one month of four years. He was Color Bearer of his regiment in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and Jonesboro, where he was wounded. At the battle of Jonesboro his regiment lost 186 men including the Colonel and six other commissioned oflicers. He recovered from his wound safiiciently to join his reofiment at Goldsboro, and accompanied it to Washington. The Thirty-eighth Ohio did much hard fighting and rendered valuable service in the war of the Rebellion. It was commanded by six difl'erent Colonels. Colonel Phillips fell at Mission Ridge, Colonel Choate at Goldsboro, and Colonel Irving lost a leg at Atlanta, Aug. 6, 1864. After the war Mr. Strawser returned to Ohio.

who died while in the service of his country, at Memphis, Tenn,, April 5, 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Strawser have five children - W. T. Sherman, Amanda J., George D., Mary C. and John W. Mrs. Strawser has one son by her former marriage - Alber J. Higbea. Andrew J. Sutherland^ section 17, Salem Township, was born in Syracuse, N. Y., in 1829, a son of Justice Sutherland, who came with his family to Steuben County in the fall of 1844 and settled on section 16, Salem Township, on a tract of unimproved land. Justice Sutherland built a house, and set out an orchard, and cleared about twenty-five acres of his land, living on the place till 1858, when he moved to Fillmore County, Minn., where he lived till his death. Of a family of seven children, five accompanied their parents to Steuben County, of whom only Andrew J. now resides here. He followed farming till the breaking out of the Rebellion, and in 1862 enlisted in Company B, One Hundredth Indiana Infantry, and served three years; was absent from his regiment but thirty days during his term of enlistment, participating in all the important engagements of the regiment. In 1865 he went to

Leroy Tuihs, deceased, was born in Huron County, Ohio, July 14, 1824, a son of Alfred and Christina Tubbs, natives of New York. "When a child he went with his parents to Kichland County^ Ohio, and in 1855 accompanied them to Steuben County, ind. He was married in Richland County to Ehoda J. Hills, a native of that county, born Feb. 18, 1827, daughter of John and Betsy Hills, natives of New York. Mr. Tubbs bouglit his land of his father, and immediately set to work to improve it. His first house was a board shanty, but the same season he built a log house into which he moved his family the following autumn. In 1869 he built a twostory frame residence, which is one of the best in the township. He cleared sixty-five of his eighty acres and made his farm one of the most valuable in tlie township. He died Aug. 26, 1884. He was an ambitious, hard-working man, and the labor of clearing and improving a heavily timbered farm was doubtless the cause of the disease which culminated in his death. He left a wife and five children - Ida, of Salem Township; Elizabeth, wife of H. H. Ritter; Sarah, wife of John Stumpf; Emma, wife of Joseph Wolf, and Franklin. One son, John A., died at the age of sixteen months. Franklin lives at the old homestead and has charge of the farm. He was born in Salem Township in 1859. He married Barbara Ritter and has one child - Mabel.

John H. Wagner^ druggist and Postmaster, Hudson, Ind., was born in Salem Township in 1855, a son of Jacob Wagner, who came to Steuben County in 1853. He was reared and educated in his native county, remaining on the farm with his parents till manhood. He followed agricultural pursuits till January, 1884, when he moved to Hudson. The following October he bought the drug business of Mr. Zimmerman. He keeps a full assortment of everything in his line, including drugs, medicines, paints, oils, toilet articles and notions. He is a genial, courteous young man and a popular tradesman. He has a constantly increasing trade, and is a valuable addition to the business men of Hudson. Mr. Wagner married Emma Gillen, daughter of John Gillen, one of the early settlers of He Kalb County. They have one son - Ora.

Joh7i Wilson, one of the pioneers of 1836, was born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 6, 1800, and when a child removed with his parents to Cayuga County, IST. Y. Jan. 18, 1821, he was married in Richland County, Ohio, to Dinah Bodley, a native of Cayuga County,

N. Y., and a former schoolmate. Mr. Wilson was reared a farmer. In his early life he taught school in the winter months several years, and also taught singing schools. He removed to Indiana in 1836 and settled on section 3, Salem Township, Steuben County, entering eighty acres of land from the Government. They came from Kichland County with ox-teams, in company with John and Charles Bodley, both of whom settled in Salem Township. There was but one house in the township at that time, a log structure on the farm now owned by the E. T. Hammond estate. Mr. Wilson's was the second. His wife died in 1840, and in 1816 he sold his farm and. made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Brown, till his death, Nov. 4, 1880. Mr. Wilson united with the Presbyterian church when twenty years of age, and after getting his cabin built invited his neighbors to hold religious services there. He organized the first Sunday-school in the township at bis house. He lived a consistent, Christian life, and at his death left the exam])le of a well-spent life. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had a family of nine children, seven born in Ohio and two in Steuben County - Mary Jane, died in September, 1847, aged twenty-one years; Margaret Ann, wife of John Col well; Elizabeth C, wife of Samuel Brown; Kate E., wife of Edmund Shepardson; Melcena, wife of Sylvester Holiday; James H. ; Edwin H. ; Abram Devitt, deceased; Hebecca D., wife of Lucius Meeks.

Otis Wisel was born in Watertown, N. Y., in 1810, the second son of David Wisel. The Wisel family was one of the pioneer families of 1836. Oct. 25, of that year, David and his family, consisting at that time of his wife and three youngest children, and his two eldest sons and their families, settled in Salem Township. David settled on section 10, entering the southwest quarter from the Government. David, Jr., entered forty acres of the southeast quarter of section 9, and Otis bought fifty acres of his father. The father erected a log house and improved twenty acres, living here till his death in 1844. His family consisted of ten children - David, Otis, Ira, Phoebe and Laura came with him to Indiana. The others remained in New York, although all came later to Steuben County. Ira enlisted in the war of the Rebellion in a AVisconsin regiment and died while in the service. Phoebe married Jacob Higgius and moved to Wisconsin; Laura married Andrew Henry and moved to Lenox, Iowa. David, Jr., remained in Salem Township till 1853, when he moved to Fillmore County, Minn., where he lived till 1866, when his house was destroyed by a flood and he was drowned. Otis Wisel improved fifty acres of land, on which he settled, living there till the spring of 1853, when he bought a quarter-section on 22, where he still lives. He has been a hard working man, and cleared thirty acres of his first purchase. He owns 160 acres where he lives, 100 acres improved, sixty of which he cleared with his own hands. He also owns eighty acres of land on section 20. He was married in New York, to Betsey Van Pelt, a native of Montgomery County, N. Y., born in 1811. They have four children - Otis, Jr.; Daniel E,., born March 9, 1837, was the second child born in Salem Township; Elizabeth and George. David Wisel, Sr. , father of Otis "Wisel, Sr., was born in Rhode Island in 1777, and was the seventh son in the seventh generation of seventh sons, the name of each being David, and all up to this David owned and operated the same foundry in Providence, R. I.

John 0. Whysong, a son of Harrison and Amy Whysong, was born in Fayette County, Pa., in 1834. Harrison Whysong was born in Somerset County, Pa., in 1812, and when a boy his parents moved to Fayette County, where he was reared, and married in 1832 to Amy Moore, a native of Alleghany County, Md. In 1851 he moved to Hardin County, Ohio, and in 1861 to De Kalb County, Ind., coming to Steuben County in 1863. He bought a farm of Jesse Rutan, who made the first improvements and built a log-cabin. Mr. Whysong made many improvements, and in 1875 built his present residence. To Mr. and Mrs. Whysong were born twelve children, ten of whom are living - three sons and seven daughters. John C. Whysong remained with his parents till after their settlement in De Kalb County. He remained but a short time in Indiana, returning to Ohio. He soon came again to Indiana and for some time lived with Abraham McCoy, of Smithfield Township, De Kalb County. Soon after the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, Sept, 4, 1861, ho enlisted in Company H, Thirtieth Indiana Infantry. He participated with his regiment in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Battle Creek. At Stone River he was wounded severely, but at his urgent request returned to his regiment at the end of seventeen days, and was assigned to light duty. At the battle of Chickamauga he was again injured, receiving several slight wounds. He was soon after appointed Recruiting Sergeant, reporting to Colonel C. Baker at Indianapolis, and was sent to De Kalb County. He served in this capacity six months, and then rejoined his regiment at Dalton, Ga., and participated in the Atlanta campaign, at the close of which, his time having ex- pired, he returned with his regiment to Indianapolis, and wa& mustered out Sept. 27, 1864. He was a gallant, faithful soldier, and made an honorable record. He tilled all the positions of noncommissioned officers, and the latter part of his term served as Second Lieutenant although he was not mustered as such. Immediately upon his return from the service he was appointed to serve notice on drafted men, a draft having just taken place. He was also engaged in apprehending and arresting deserters till the close of the war. Mr. Whysong was married May 3, 1865, to Rebecca A. Fry, a native of Guernsey County, Ohio. She moved to De Kalb County with her stepfather. A, J. Williams. She died Sept. 26, 1874, leaving a son and daughter - Aletta B. and James B. He afterward married Mrs. Lottie J. Ileara, daughter of George Frederick, of De Kalb County. They have two children - Amy and Ida. Mr. Whysong is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and is serving his third term as Master of Hiawatha Lodge, No. 528, Hudson.

Henry Wright is a native of Salem Township, born May 29, 1850, a son of Elbridge and grandson of Jeptha Wright. Jeptha Wright was born in New Hampshire in June, 1788, and was married in his native State to Betsey Emerson. Soon after their marriage they moved to New York State, where their family often children was born. In early life he worked at the blacksmith's trade, but later bought a farm in Orleans County, N. Y. In 1837 he moved to Ypsilanti, Mich., where he bought an improved farm of eighty acres. The following fall he came to Steuben County for the purpose of getting land for his sons, several of whom had grown to manhood. He bought 133 acres on section 19, Salem Township. Beino^ pleased with the country he decided to settle here, and accordingly returned to Michigan, and the following January moved his family to the pioneer home. The land he had bought was all unimproved. He built a log cabin and began at once to clear the land and prepare it for cultivation. His wife died May 19, 1848, and he subsequently married again. His second wife died March 6, 1872. He died in June, 1874, lacking only three days of being eight-six years old. But three of his children are living - Edward, of Fairfield Township, De Kalb County; Nathaniel E., living on the homestead, and Albert, of Oregon. The deceased who came with their parents to Steuben County were - Mary Jane, who died July 15, 1841, was the wife of Edmond Taylor; Heman, died in 1847, leaving a family; Richard, died March 24, 1857, also left a family; Anson, died Oct. 10, 1858; Elbridge, died May 28, 1879. The latter was born in New York, Dec. 28, 1822. He married Martha Ann Cochran, a native of Ohio, born March 3, 1824. His farm, a part of which is owned by his son Henry, he bought soon after his marriage, and lived here till his death. His wife is still living on the homestead. Their family consisted of eight children, six of whom are living. Henry Wright married Mary E. Frederick, daughter of David Frederick, and has two children - David E. and Charles E. After his marriage he bought eighty acres of land un section 21, which he improved. In iVpril, 1881, he bought 160 acres of the homestead, on which he now lives.

Monroe F. Wright^ a representative of one of the pioneer families of Steuben County, was born in Salem Township, Oct. 2, 1858, a son of Elbridge and Martha Ann (Cochran) Wright. He was reared and educated in his native township, and since attaining manhood has followed agricultural pursuits. He has been successful in his chosen vocation and now owns 120 acres of the old homestead farm of his father, located on the southwest quarter of section 19, Salem Township. Mr. Wright was married to Carrie Parr, a native of De Kalb County, Ind., born in 1858, a daughter of George Parr, an early settler of De Kalb, but now a resident of Steuben County. To Mr. and Mrs. Wright have been born two children - Arthur G. and Cyrus.