Madison Township (part 2 of 2)

ABRAHAM BORKHOLDER, a substantial farmer and respected citizen of Jefferson township, claims the old Keystone State as the place of his nativity, since he was born in Lancaster county, Pa., on the 19th of May, 1831. He is a son of Peter and Barbara (Lehman) Borkholder, both of whom were likewise born in that county, the former in 1802 and the latter in 1804. The Borkholder family genealogy is traced back to sturdy progenitors who came to America from Switzerland. Peter and Barbara Borkholder were married in 1826. and they continued to reside on the old home farm in Lancaster county, Pa., until 1843, in May of which year they set forth for Ohio, making the trip with teams and wagons, by which the household goods and some few farming implements were transported, while a few sheep were also brought, the trip consuming about three weeks. The family settled one and one-quarter miles west of the village of West Jefferson, in Superior township, Williams county, where he secured eighty acres of land, upon which a log house and a double log barn had been built, while about fifteen acres had been cleared. On this farm he continued to reside until his death, on the 19th of February, 1850, while his wife survived until 1873, both having been members of the Mennonite church, while in politics he was an oldline Whig. Of their nine children two died in infancy and one at the age of fifteen years. Annie, who became the wife of George E. Hoskinson, died in Jefferson township, February 9, 1885; Joseph is individually mentioned on another page of this work; Abraham .is the immediate subject of this sketch; Martha, who was the wife of Ralph Scranton, of Bridgewater township, died February 29, 1904 ; Christian and Martin are deceased ; Maria, wife of Oliver Coy, died in Jasper, Mich.. February 20, 1904; Jacob resides in Kunkle, this county ; and Peter died at the age of eighteen months. Abraham Borkholder received a common school education, and was about twelve years of age at the time of his parents' removal from Pennsylvania to Ohio. He continued to aid in the work of the home farm, assisting in the care of the family, until 1855, when the homestead farm was sold and he received his share therefrom. In the same year he purchased eighty acres of wild land in section 35, Jefferson township, erecting on the place a log cabin, twenty by twenty- four feet in dimensions, and also a log stable. His widowed mother, two of his sisters and two of his brothers lived with him until the time of his marriage, in 1864, and in the meantime he was vigorously prosecuting the arduous work of clearing his land of its heavy timber, though lie passed one year in Jackson county. Mich., engaged in clearing land and getting out lumber. Ever since his marriage he has resided on his homestead, the fine development of which shows the energy and good judgment he has brought to bear in his efforts, and his farm is under a high state of cultivation, while he also has been very successful in the raising of high-grade live sotck. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, while his religious faith is that of the Mennonite church, his wife being a Dunkard. November 29, 1864, Mr. Borkholder was united in marriage to Miss NanCy Greek, who was born in Lancaster county, Pa., as- were also her parents, Frederick and Martha (Brubaker) Greek, who came to Richland county, O., in 1842, removing thence to Hancock county, where they remained until 1854. when they took up their residence in Madison township, Williams county, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the father having here followed farming and cabinet making. To Mr. and Mrs. Borkholder have been born four children, concerning whom the following brief record is consistently entered : Ella, born September 19, 1865, is the wife of David Ebcrly, of Jefferson township; Frederick, born October 9, 1867, married Miss Sadie Walker, and he is a successful farmer of Jefferson township; Joseph, who was born February 4, 1873, married Miss Iva Talley, and is engaged in farming in Madison township; Fannie, who was born April 24, 1876, died on the 21st of December, 1882.

JOSEPH BORKHOLDER, of Jefferson township, is another of the sterling representatives of the agricultural industry in Williams county, and is a member of one of its well known pioneer families. He was born in Lancaster county. Pa., March 10, 1830, and is a son of Peter and Barbara (Lehman) Borkholder, both natives of that same county, where they were born in the years 1802 and 1804, respectively. Peter was a son of Joseph Borkholder, and the family originally came from Switzerland to America. Peter Borkholder was married in 1826, and thereafter he and his wife continued to reside on the old home farm in Pennsylvania until 1843, 011 ^ie Ist of May of which year they set forth for Williams county, Ohio, while with them came the family of Isaac Hoffer, who had been residents of Wayne county, Ohio, Mr. Hoffer having been the father of the wife of the subject of this review. The trip was made with horses and wagons, and in addition to the household effects a number of sheep were transported to the new home in the wilds of Ohio, the trip being about three weeks in duration. Peter Borkholder settled in Superior township, Williams county, where he purchased eighty acres of land, of which about fifteen acres had been cleared, while the improvements consisted of a log house and a double log barn. The first year he put in five acres of wheat, and thereafter the work of clearing the land was carried forward by him and his sons. He died on this homestead. February 19, 1850, and his wife passed away in 1873. Both were consistent members of the Mennonite church, and in politics he was an old line Whig. Of their children is given the following brief record: Annie, who became the wife of George E. Hoskinson, of Jefferson township, died February 9, 1885 ; Joseph is the immediate sub- ject of this sketch ; Abraham is individually mentioned on other pages of this volume; Martha, who died February 29, 1904, was the wife of Ralph Scranton, of Bridgewater township; Christian died in 1850; Martin died in 1869, having been a farmer of Jefferson township; Maria, Who died February 20, 1904, was the wife of Oliver Coy, of Madison township; Jacob resides in Kunkle, this county; and Peter died at the age of eighteen months. Owing to the conditions and exigencies of time and place Joseph Borkholder received rather limited educational advantages in his youth, but he made the best use of the privileges of the little log school house, to which he made his way by a blazed trail through the woods, a distance of two and a half miles. Puncheon floors and slab benches characterized the school house, while in the winter the heat was supplied by the yawning fireplace, for which the teachers and the boys cut the fuel. At the age of twenty-five years Joseph Borkholder went to Hardin county, Iowa, in the autumn of 1855, making most of the trip on foot and entering a quarter section of government land. He remained in Iowa until June, 1858, when he returned to Williams county, Ohio. On the 22d of the same month he was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Hoffer, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, being a daughter of Isaac and Susanna Hoffer, who came from Lebanon county, Pa., to that county in 1836, and in 1843 to Williams county. They settled on the farm where their son-in-law, Joseph Borkholder, now lives, in section 2, Jefferson township, where Mr. Hoffer died in 1880 and his wife in 1884. After his marriage Mr. Borkholder settled on the Hoffer place, where he has ever since made his home. In the early days this section was a practical wilderness, very few roads having been constructed, while the main thoroughfares were simply trails through the forest. The nearest postoffice to the home of Mr. Borkholder was Pulaski, seven miles distant, and there also were located the nearest mill and store. Wild game was to be had in plentiful supply, and was largely utilized in furnishing the larders of the sturdy pioneers. Mr. Borkholder assisted in the construction of the roads and gave effective aid in the forwarding of all public improvements and civic interests, having taken a loyal concern in township affairs, but never having aspired to office. He is a stanch Republican in his political proclivities. He has given special study to the science of veterinary surgery, and has been engaged in the practice of this profession since 1874. finding much demand for his services throughout his section, and is skilled in the treatment of all diseases of the domestic animals. Mr. and Mrs. 'Borkholder are prominent members of the Mennonitc church of their township, the church and cemetery being located on their farm. The church was erected in i860, and in its work Mr. and Mrs. Borkholder have been active and faithful, while no residents of the township are held in higher esteem. They have no children.

CHARLES A. BOYVERSOX, of Bryan, is one of the distinguished members of the bar of Williams county, and is one of the influential citizens of this section of the state, with whose annals the family name has long been identified. Aside from his high professional prestige he is distinctively a man of affairs, and his impress upon the civic, political and industrial life of the community has been clear and incisive. As nearly as can be assured from the data available, the presumption is justified that the original American ancestor of the Bowersox family emigrated to the new world from Germany in the early Colonial era of our national history, while the primitive spelling of the name was Bauersauxe. Christian Bowersox resided near Baltimore, Maryland, and was for many years engaged in the boot and shoe business, having learned the shoemaking trade in his youth. He died in Maryland, and his widow, Marv Bowersox, came with her children to Williams county, Ohio, where she died about the year 1858. Both were members of the Lutheran church and they were folk of sterling attributes of character. They became the parents of three children, all now deceased, the youngest having been John Warner Bowersox. father of him whose name initiates this sketch. John W. Bowersox was born in Frederick county, Maryland, January 10, 1808, and was reared to maturity in that state, where he learned the shoemaker's trade. About 1828 he located in Adams county. Pennsylvania, where, at the age of twenty-two years, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Breckenridgc, daughter of Thomas Breckenridge, the family being of Scotch descent and the original name of Stuart having been changed to Breckenridge by the ancestors who removed from Scotland to Ireland during the early wars between Scotland and England. Members of the family came to America in the Colonial days, and from them are descended the numerous representatives of the name in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and other sections of the Union, many having attained to national reputation. About 1831 John W. Bowersox came with his wife to Ohio, making the overland trip from Pennsylvania and taking up his abode in the little hamlet of North Industry, in Stark county, where he worked at his trade until 1838. About that time he entered claim to a tract of land in St. Joseph township, Williams county, and in October of the year mentioned he came hither with his family, consisting of his wife and two children, the journey being made in a wagon drawn by oxen. He erected his rude domicile of logs in the midst of the dense forest, and here he and his family encountered the varied experiences of the pioneer epoch, whose annals read like a romance in these latter days, though the roseate touch of fancy was less in evidence during the period itself, with its arduous toil, isolation and manifold vicissitudes. For fifty-one years John Warner Bowersox resided in this county, and at the time of his death he owned three hundred and forty acres of land, two hundred of which were cleared, representing many years of persistent toil aiut endeavor. The following incidental estimate is reproduced, being specially germane in the present connection: "John W. Bowersox held time, being an uncompromising foe to slavery. For many years he was known as an old-line Whig, and after the organization of the Republican party he transferred his allegiance to the same. In religious faith he was a Lutheran, and his home and barn were frequently used in the early days for the holding of meetings by preachers of all denominations. His wife was reared in the Presbyterian church, with which the Breckenridge family had been identified for generations, but as no organization of this church was established in Williams county in the early days, she joined the United Brethren in Christ, in which faith she died, in 1867, at the age of sixty years. Her husband survived her by more than twenty years, during which he remained faithful to her memory, never marrying again, and his death occurred April 14, 1889, at which time his age wras eighty-one years and four months. Their remains now rest side by side in the cemetery at Edgerton, where also were laid to rest their deceased children and the mother of Mr. Bowersox. " Of the eight children of John W. and Mary J. (Breckenridge) Bowersox three are living, Charles A., subject of this sketch, having been the sixth in order of birth, while he is associated with his maiden sister, Nancy Ellen, in the ownership of the fine old homestead place of one hundred and eighty-five acres, where his sister still maintains her home, having cared for her parents in their declining years with the most devoted filial solicitude and being held in affectionate regard by all who know her. Charles Alexander Bowersox w^as born in the old log cabin home of which mention has been made, the date of his nativity having been October 16, 1846. During his boyhood days it was his to lend his quota of aid in the work of the pioneer homestead, wrhile lie duly availed himself of such advantages as were afiforded in the common schools of the locality and period, continuing to attend the same during the winter months until he had, attained the age of sixteen years. That he made good use of his opportunities, limited though they were, is evident when we revert to the fact that when seventeen years of age he proved himself eligible for the work of teaching in schools of the same grade, and from that time forward he continued to teach during the winter terms and to work on the farm in the summer until he had saved enough money to enable him to realize his cherished and insistent ambition - to enter college and complete a course therein. His ambition wTas thus one of definite action, and during his vacations he undertook whatever labor came to hand, in order to defray his collegiate expenses. Among other avocations at this period in his career, he taught vocal music, both in and out of college, having marked talent in this art. In March, 1870, he was matriculated in Otterbein University, where he completed the classical course, being graduated June 10. 1874, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while three years later the Master's degree was conferred upon him by his alma mater, and his grades were the highest in his student course of all made bv students who had been graduated in that institution up to that time. The determination, self-reliance and singleness of purpose which animated him as a student and which prompted him so to direct his energies as to pay the expenses of his entire college course, gave indication of the man that was to be when the still more practical duties of life were assumed. Shortly after his graduation he became superintendent of the public schools of Edgerton, retaining this position two years. In February, 1875, lie was appointed a member of the county board of school examiners, for a term of two years, and in the autumn of the same year he was elected probate judge of Williams county, of which office he was incumbent three years. Within this period he read law, showing his characteristic power of consecutive application and ready assimilation, and he was admitted to the bar of his native state in September, 1879. He forthwith entered into a professional partnership with Hon. Edward Foster, of Bryan, where they were associated in practice until the death of Mr. Foster, in 1883. Concerning his professional and business career the following epitome has been given : "In the summer of 1883 he was appointed, by Governor Charles Foster, to the position of judge of the common-pleas court for the second subdivision of the third judicial district of Ohio, to succeed Judge Owen, who had been transferred to the supreme bench. Judge Bowersox served one year, completing the unexpired term, but he then declined to become »a candidate for election, preferring to return to his practice, which he has since continued with marked success. In 1878 Judge Bowersox purchased a one-third interest in the Bryan Press, which he conducted one year, doing all the editorial work, although at that time he was serving as probate judge. In 1880 he became a director in the Farmers' National Bank, of Bryan, one of the most solid and popular financial institutions of Northwestern Ohio, and after serving two years as vice-president he was elected to the presidency, of which chief executive office he has since remained in tenure. He is president of the Edon Banking Company, at Edon, Ohio; and also of the Edgerton State Bank, at Edgerton, Ohio, and the First National Bank of Montpelier. Naturegave the judge a good physique aswell as an active and well poised brain, and he is of athletic and powerful build, standing six feet and four inches in height and weighing, proportionately, about two hundred and thirty pounds. Without this combination of mens sana in corfiore sano he could scarcely have endured a tithe of the labor which his business and professional engagements have entailed. In addition to these, however, he has taken a prominent part in political and other affairs, and he has ever been a close student of the questions and issues of the day, as well as of the best professional and general literature. He has a large and select library, and has given special attention to music and literature, having deep appreciation of the refining and gracious elements which touch human life. His beautiful home, 'Elm Gables,* is a center of culture and of refined hospitality. In August, 1890, Judge Bowersox was chosen president of Ottcrbein University, his alma mater, but after two years of effective service he resigned, on account of the pressure of other duties. His ability as a public speaker is widely recognized, and his services in this capacity are in frequent requisition, in a political and general way, including insistent demands for addresses before graduating classes.

Chautauqua assemblies, etc. While in no sense a politician he has rendered efficient service in behalf of the Republican cause, and has been prominent in its councils in Ohio, having been several times a delegate to the state conventions, and in 1881 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature, where he made an excellent record." Judge Bowersox is a director of the Bryan Free Library Association, is a director and vice-president of the Bryan Business Men's Association, and is president of the Mendelssohn Musical Society, of Bryan, one of the leading musical organizations of Northwestern Ohio. He is president of the Bruns-Bowersox Lumber Company, whose principal office is in Bryan. He is a director of the Cleveland & Illinois Mining Co., which owns and operates one of the largest fluorspar mines in the world, the same being located in Hardin county, 111. He is also a director of the Mexican Sewer Pipe Co., having its plant in the city of Mexico. Judge and Mrs. Bowersox are prominent members of the United Brethren church, and he is a member of a national committee which has as its aim the bringing about of a union of the United Brethren, Protestant Methodist and Congregational churches. On the iotli of June, 1875, was solemnized the marriage of Judge Bowersox to Miss Laura A. Jarvis, daughter of Samual and Lydia Jarvis, of Westerville, Ohio. Mrs. Bowersox was graduated in Otterbein university, in June, 1875, and is a woman of gracious presence and distinctive culture, being prominent in the social life of the community and being an artist of much talent. Judge and Mrs. Bowersox have two children - Charles Ralph, born March 28, 1886, and Helen, born August 18. 1896. The son is secretary of the Bruns-Bowersox Lumber Company, is private secretary to his father and is a young man of marked business ability, while his father is placing in his hand practically all of his industrial business interests.

JOHN WESLEY BOWERSOX. a highly respected citizen of Florence township, Williams county, O., was born at North Industry, Stark county, four miles south of Canton. His father, mention of whom is made in the preceding sketch, had the honor of building the first house in the western part of St. Joseph township. On October 14, 1838, John W. came with his parents to St. Joseph township, Williams county, where he grew to manhood and where he received his common school education. In 1861 he removed to Florence township and located on a farm of eighty acres that his father had entered some years before. Here he has since resided and carried on in a small way the business of general farming and stock raising. On September 26, 1864, lie enlisted in Company F of the Sixty-seventh Ohio V olunteer Infantry, and served one year. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, having joined that organization in 1882. On June 9, i860, he chose as his helpmeet along life's journey Miss Amelia Yeager, born in Portage county. O.. September 27, 1837, the daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Duke ) Yeager, both natives of Beaver county. Pa., who came to Ohio in 1840, locating in Florida, Henry county, where Mrs. Yeager died in 1843. After his wife's death John Yeager removed to Wolcottville, La Grange county, Ind., and died there in October, 1862. Of the fifteen children born to these parents fourteen grew to manhood and womanhood. Absalom Yeager, a brother of Mrs. Bowersox, served as a private in Company B of the Second United States regiment in the war with Mexico and an orderly sergeant in Company B of the One Hundredth Ohio volunteer infantry in the Civil war. He was a prisoner for seven months at Belle Isle and Libby prisons. After his exchange he returned to his command and was severely wounded in the knee. He was born in Beaver county, Pa., and died in Henry county, O., in 1898. To J. W. Bowersox and wife there have been born two children. John Elsworth, the elder, was born on the home farm on March 19, 1861, and received his education in the country schools. He now owns a farm of eighty acres and carries on an extensive poultry business in addition to general farming. In politics he is identified with the Republican party. On April 5, 1892, lie was wedded to Miss Sarah Kurtz, born in Florence township and a member of the Lutheran church, by whom he has one son, Harvey Wesley Elsworth. Mary Emma Amelia, the younger child, was born on May 25, 1872. After completing her common school education she was married to Henry Kline, a native of Buffalo, N. Y., where he was born on October 10, 1861. His first wife was Mary Kurtz, a sister of the wife of Elsworth' Bowersox. By her he had three children, named Henry, John and Alva. Roland Smith is the name of a child that Mr. and Mrs. Kline have taken to raise. John Yeager, the father of Mrs. Bowersox, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mrs. Bowersox had two other brothers in the Civil war. Francis Yeager, who served in a Michigan regiment, was wounded and died in the hospital. Thomas Yeager, the other brother, was captain of Company E, Eighty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, and received an honorable discharge.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRACE, who is the popular and efficient clerk of the courts of Williams county, was born near Stryker, this county, on the 29th of April, 1861, and is a son of James L. and Permelia (Shamburg) Brace, the former of whom was born in Williams county, in 1834, being a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this section, while the latter was born in what is now Defiance county, in 1835, Defiance county at that time being a part of Williams county. The father was a farmer during the greater portion of his active career and was a man who commanded unqualified respect and esteem. Abraham L. Brace secured his education in the public schools of the village of Stryker and through well directed discipline, and in early manhood he engaged in teaching, to which vocation he gave his attention for about thirteen years, being successful in his efforts and gaining marked popularity, his pedagogic labors having been in the schools of Williams and Defiance counties and having covered twenty-two terms. On the 9th of July, 1877. "hen sixteen years of age, Mr. Brace, while engaged in youthful sport, met with a severe accident, necessitating the amputation of his left leg below the knee, and this infirmity led him to seek such vocations as were within his power to fill. In 1899 Mr. Brace received the Republican nomination for the office of clerk of the courts of his native county, and was elected by a majority of seventy-one votes. He gave such able service that he was recognized as the logical candidate for the office to succeed himself at the expiration of his first term, and he was re-elected, in 1902, for a second term of three years, his second election having been compassed by the gratifying majority of nine hundred and sixty-five votes. He had previously served as township clerk of Springfield township, and from 1889 to 1893 ^le was assistant postmaster at Stryker, where he maintained his home until his election to his present office, and then removed to Bryan. He is an active worker in the local ranks of the Republican party, is identified with the Knights of Pythias, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Universalist church. December 30, 1901, Mr. Brace was united in marriage to Miss Ella Bowdle, daughter of John Bowdle, of Evansport, Defiance county, and they have two children - Elsie May and Carlton Earl.

AARON BRAXXAX was a man whose life was one of signal honor and usefulness, and he left an indelible impress upon the civic and industrial composition of Williams county, being a representative of one of its pioneer families and here rising to a position of distinctive prominence and influence. The Brannan family is of staunch Irish origin, and the original American progenitor was Hugh Brannan, who was born in county Donegal, Ireland, on the 1st of April, 1798. He was reared and educated in .his native land, where he remained until he had attained the age of twenty-two years, when he immigrated to America and took up his abode in. Columbiana county, Ohio, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, which there engrossed his attention until 1846, when he came to Williams county, where he entered a tract of land in Superior township, the locality becoming known later as Brannan's Corners. There he continued to be engaged in general farming until his death, which occurred May 25, 1866. He was a man of strong mentality and sterling character and was held in unqualified esteem in the community. He was a Whig in politics and both he and his wife were consistent members of the Church of Christ. He married Miss Rebecca Burson, who was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1803, being a daughter of Joseph Burson, of Salineville, that county. They became the parents of five children, namely: Betsy

Jane, who married Robert Scott : John, who married Jane Custard, and Frank, who married Susanna Ewan, are both deceased; Katherine, who married Nathan Ewan; and Aaron, who is the immediate subject of this memoir. Aaron Brannan was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, on the Toth of February, 1835, and was thus eleven years of age at the time of the family removal to Williams county, in 1846. Here he was reared under the conditions of the pioneer days, securing a common school education, which he effectively rounded out through the mental discipline acquired by self effort and through active asso- ciation with men and affairs during the course of a long and useful life. After leaving school he remained on the home farm with his father for a number of years and he then became associated with his brother Frank in the lumber business, operating a sawmill, located near the home farm, until within fifteen years of his death. While he was not always actively engaged in milling and farming he continued to retain his interests in these enterprises. In 1866 he engaged in the manufacture of hubs and spokes in Bryan, continuing the business until 1869, when he sold the same. He then returned to the farm on which he remained until 1880. In the latter year Mr. Brannan erected a palatial brick residence in Bryan, and this was his home during the remainder of his life, though during the decade from 1885 to 1895 he was associated with his son-in-law, Adelbert P. Chilson, in the hardware business at Butler, Ind., where he passed much of his time. In 1895 he retired from active business and he passed the remainder of his life in his home in Bryan, where he died on the 1st of February, 1898. He was an earnest and zealous member of the Church of Christ, as was also his wife, and he with others was instrumental in securing the erection of the Church of Christ in Bryan, in which he served as elder from that time until his death. In politics he gave an unwavering allegiance to the Republican party, ever taking an intelligent interest in the questions and issues of the hour, but never seeking official position of any order. May 24, 1856, Mr. Brannan was united in marriage to Miss Salina Jane Knepper, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Morgan) Knepper. Jacob Knepper was born in Fayette county, Pa., October 2. 1803, and was a son of William and Elizabeth Knepper, who emigrated from Germany to America in an early day and located in Pennsylvania, where they remained until 1816, when they came to Columbiana county, Ohio, being numbered among the early pioneers of that section. In 1833 Jacob Knepper married Mary Morgan, who was born October 13, 1807. She was a daughter of Jeremiah Morgan, who was a soldier in the war of 1812, being killed at Fort Meigs, his son John being also a participant in the same war. Jacob and Mary Knepper came to Williams county in 1852 and located in Superior township, where the latter died on the 28th of June 1855, while the former survived until August 11, 1879. Concerning the children of Aaron and Salina J. (Knepper) Brannan the following brief record is given, the loved mother having been born November 29, 1838, and having been summoned to the eternal life on the 22d of January, 1886. a sincere and devoted member of the Church of Christ : Fossie, born November 8. 1858. is the wife of Adelbert P. Chilson, and they occupy the beautiful old Brannan homestead in Bryan. Mr. Chilson having recently purchased the property. He is employed as traveling salesman for the Cleveland Co-operative Stove Company. Mr. Chilson was born in Georgetown. Defiance county. February 15. 1855, being a representative of one of the well known pioneer families of this section of the Buckeye state. Mr. and Mrs. Chilson have one son, Earl, born November 6. 1896. Ora Roc Brannan. born January 7, 1862. died

February 3d of the following year. Emmett, born May 17, 1864, died on the 20th of the following July. Prilla, born October 31, 1865, resides with her sister. Mrs. Chilson. in the city of Bryan, and is the owner of the old homestead farm which was pre-empted by her grandfather, Hugh Brannan. Katherine, born June 8, 1872, is the wife of Arthur McCormack, of Cleveland, in which city she took up her residence in 1895. For five years she was engaged as a contralto singer in St. Paul's Episcopal church and at present with the Euclid Avenue Church of Christ. Lulu, born April 27, 1874, resides in Cleveland and is a solicitor for the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, having gained a high reputation in her chosen vocation.

JAMES BRANNAN, former county commissioner of Williams county, and one of its representative farmers, is the owner of nearly three hundred acres of fine land in Superior township. He has found no reason to regret his association with the great basic industry of agriculture, through which he has gained success and found enjoyment and happiness. He was born in Columbiana county, this state, on the 1 1 th of May, 1847, and ^ie earliest genealogical data available indicate that his grandfather. Frank Brannan, was born and reared in Ireland, while the first definite information concerning his career in America is that of his being numbered among the pioneers of Columbiana county, O., where he was successfully engaged in farming. He married Margaret Martin, and they became the parents of three children: John W., father of the subject of this sketch; Martin, deceased, and Francis, who is a resident of Central City, Neb. Frank Brannan passed the closing years of his life in Columbiana county, Ohio. After his death Mrs. Brannan, in 1847, came to Williams county with her three sons, where she died. Both she and her husband were communicants of the Presbyterian church. John W. Brannan was born and reared in Columbiana county, and his vocation throughout life was that of farming. In 1847 he came to Williams county and located in Superior township, where he became the owner of a farm, upon which he continued to reside until his death, which occurred October 12, 1859. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church, of which his wife also was a member, and in politics was a stanch Democrat, having held the offices of justice of the peace, trustee and assessor in Superior township, where he was held in high regard by all who knew him. His wife. Margaret, who died in 1896* was a daughter of John McQuilkin, of Columbiana countv. and of their seven children it mav be recorded that Frank L.

is a resident of Denver. Colo. ; James is the subject of this sketch ; Nancy is the wife of James McCarns; and Martin l\.. John H., William M., and Melvin C. are all prosperous farmers of Williams county. James Brannan passed his hovhood on the home farm and continued to attend the schools of Superior township a portion of each year until he had attained his majority. He then learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed as a vocation for four years, after which he engaged in farming in Superior township, on a farm one mile north of his present homestead. He then purchased his present farm, where he has since heen actively engaged in general farming, stock-raising and shipping stock, with the exception of six years, during which he served as county commissioner. He owns two hundred and twenty acres in the home farm, which is improved, with good buildings and equipped with convenient facilities throughout. He also owns another farm of sixty-six acres, located in Jefferson township. The political views of Mr. Brannan are indicated in the stanch allegiance which he accords the Democratic party, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is an elder. In 1896, Mr. Brannan was elected county commissioner, and the efficiency of his service was duly appreciated, as shown by his re-election at the expiration of his first term of three years, so that he served six consecutive years. December 24, 1868, Mr. Brannan was married to Miss Rosina A. Betts, daughter of Amos and Marv (Darling) Betts, of Center township. Mr. and Mrs. Brannan are the parents of seven children, all of whom were born and reared in Williams county ; Charley W. married Ada Mick, and they have four children, Zoe, Verlc, Levi, and Beulah; Harvey J. married Della Patton, and they have six children - Myrtle, Bessie, Ross, Paul, Harvey and Rosina A. ; Mary is the wife of Orlando E. Wolf, and their children are Fern and Lulu; Lulu, the next of Mr. Brannan's children, is the wife of Samuel Cox ; James married Harriet Jacobs and they have two children - Gladys and Hazel ; Solomon R. married Maud Stoy, and they have one son, Estalc, and Klare married' Bertha Tcets. Mr. and Mrs. Brannan are enjoying the fruits of their industrious past, and stand high in the estimation of the community. For some years Mrs. Brannan has suffered from poor health, but has borne her suffering with a true Christian fortitude.

WILLIAM A. BRATTON. SR., a prominent and successful live stock dealer of Edgerton. Williams county. O., is of Irish descent, his ancestors having emigrated to America in an early day. He is the son of James Bratton, a native of Pennsylvania, who was horn near

Harrisburg in Mifflin county, and served with distinction in the War of 1812. In 1847 removed to Ohio and located on a farm in Florence township, Williams county, where he spent the remainder of his days. William A. Bratton, Sr., was reared on his father's farm and educated in the public schools of his home county. When twenty-two years old he removed to St. Joseph township and bought a farm there, on which his son, William A. Bratton, Jr., now resides. His standing in the community was of such a high order that when still quite a young man he was elected township trustee and served with marked ability for several terms. For ten years he was township assessor, filling that responsible position with credit to himself and with profit to the township. He was a member of the board of county commissioners when the new court house, costing one hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars was erected. The building of this magnificent structure for some time required all of his attention, for he and the other members on the board were determined to sec that it was built honestly and within the appropriation. So well was this task performed that the tax payers were well pleased and highly commended the commissioners. I11 1892 he moved from the farm to Edgerton, where he erected a fine home. His time is now wholly taken up with buying' and selling live stock. In politics lie has always been a stanch Democrat, serving frequently on the county central committee and as delegate to county and district conventions. No other man in the community takes a deeper interest in Masonry than does Mr. Bratton. He was joined in the bonds of wedlock to Miss Catherine E. Casler, the daughter of Christ Casler, a native of Pennsylvania, who removed to Ohio, first locating in Stark county and afterwards in St. Joseph township. The subject of this sketch can boast that he not only helped to clear his father's farm, but also that of his father-inlaw. Mr. and Mrs. Bratton are the parents of the following children: Amanda, now Mrs. James Fleightner; William A., Jr., who married Miss Florence Uffer, of Defiance county; Maggie, the wife of John Wines, and Adella May, of Toledo. The following are the grandchildren of William Bratton, Sr., and wife; Maude, Archibald and Pearl, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fleightner; Earl, Clyde and Georgia May, the children of William A. Bratton, Jr., and wife; Tames E. and Fern, the children of John Wines and wife. As an active, useful and enterprising citizen, William A. Bratton. Sr., is respected and highly honored by his fellow citizens.

SARDES ELMER BRENNER, one of the most progressive farmers of St. Joseph township, \\ illiams county, O.. was born December 7. 1862. He is the son of Jacob and Mary (Ridenger) Brenner, the former a native of Wittenberg, Germany, and the latter of Hancock county. O. His grandfather, John George Brenner, emigrated 10 tlie United States in 1830. coming directly to Hancock county, from which he removed to Williams county in 1863. where both he and wife died. His maternal grandfather was a pioneer of Hancock county and died there. Jacob Brenner was born on August 23.

1829, and came to America the following year with his parents. He was reared and educated in Hancock county. In 1863 he removed to Bryan, O., and six months later settled on a farm two miles west of that town. Here he owned three hundred and five acres at the time of his death in 1904. In politics he was identified with the Republican party. He and his first wife were the parents of five children, of whom three are living. His first wife having died in 1869, he married Miss Mary Noffsinger of Defiance county and by her had three children, all living. Sardes Elmer Brenner was reared on his father's farm and educated in the public schools of his home county and the Edgerton high school. In 1887 he bought seventy acres of land on which lie has ever since resided. In politics he is a Republican, having served on the county central committee three years and on the school board for ten consecutive years. On September 7, 1884, he was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Cover, born at Sherwood, Definance county, July 7, 1865, the daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Spurrier) Cover, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Samuel Cover was one of the pioneers of Defiance county and in 1865 removed to St. Joseph township, Williams county, and settled on the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch. He married Rachel Spurrier February 28, 1854, and died July 1, 1898, his wife having died nine years before. They were the parents of six children, two of whom are living. The father of Samuel Cover was also named Samuel, who was born September 6, 1789, and on January 19, 1813, married Elizabeth Cent, born March 6, 1795. He died in Crawford county, O. John Spurrier, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Brenner, was wedded to Miss Mary Runion and died in Defiance county. His widow afterwards married Jonathan Pefley, who died in Defiance county. Mrs. Pefley died at the venerable age of three score and seven. To Sardes Elmer Brenner and wife three children have been born. They are : Otho Oscar, born February 21, 1886. educated in the public schools and now a teacher in Center township; Zoa Elnora, born March 2, 1888, and now a student of Edon high school ; Byron Orin, born September 23, 1890, and a student of Edon high school. The last two both passed the Boxwell examination, the former making the highest grade made in Williams county that year (1903).

GEORGE W. BRINKMAN, one of the native sons of Williams county, who is here successfully engaged in farming and stockgrowing. in Superior township, is a representative of the third generation of his family in the county and is a son of that honored pioneer citizen of Montpelier, Henry Brinkman, who is consistently made the subject of individual mention in the succeeding sketch of this compilation, so that it is not demanded that the family history be again entered in the present connection. George W. Brinkman was born in Montpelier, this county, on the 27th of December, 1862. and was reared to the sturdy discipline of the homestead farm, in Superior township, while he was afforded good educational advantages, continuing to attend the public schools until he had attained the age of twenty years. After leaving school he had charge of his father's farm one year and then instituted his independent career in the same vocation, to which he has ever since given his attention, with the exception of two years, during which he was employed at the county infirmary. His farm comprises eighty acres, in section two, Superior township, is well improved and under most effective cultivation, while he is recognized as one of the progressive and up-to-date agriculturists and loyal citizens of his native county. In politics he accords an unswerving allegiance to the Republican party, and he served one year as supervisor. January t, 1888, Mr. Brinkman married Miss Ida Pickle. Mr. and Mrs. Brinkman are the parents of six children, namely: Myrtle, Gay, Harry (deceased), Leah, Gladys

HENRY BRINKMAN, who is now living retired in the attractive little city of Montpelier, was a boy of about eleven years at the time of his parents' taking up their abode in Williams county, where he has maintained his home for more than sixty years, within which time he has witnessed the development of this section from the pioneer wilds to its present status as one of the most advanced agricultural and general industrial sections of the old Buckeye state. He has personally contributed in no small measure to this development, having been long identified with agricultural pursuits and having ever stood as a loyal and public-spirited citizen, even as he is now numbered among the honored pioneers of the county, the city of his residence being located on the tract of land which his father secured from the government many years ago. Mr. Brinkman claims the old Keystone state of the Union as the place of his nativity, having been born in Lancaster county, Pa., on the 12th of January, 1833, and being a son of George and Catherine (Freidinger) Brinkman, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, while their marriage was solemnized in Pennsylvania, the father having come to America when twenty-two years of age and having taken up his residence in Lancaster county, that state, where he followed farming until 1835, and then came to Ohio, and located in Seneca county, where he maintained his home until 1844, when came to Williams county and took up a tract of wild land where the city of Montpelier is now located, Ohio at that time having practically no railroads and retaining many evidences of the frontier conditions. George Brinkman made his initial trip from Seneca county to Williams county on foot. He reclaimed much of his original farm to cultivation and continued to be actively engaged in general farming there for a number of years, after which lie disposed of his farm and retired from active labor, taking up his residence in Bridgewater township. The inactive life soon palled upon him, however, and in that township lie resumed farming operations, in which he continued until his removal to Montpelier, about 1877, and in this city bis death occurred, in 1879, while his devoted wife passed away in 1881, both having been sincere and consistent members of the German Lutheran church, and he was a Democrat in his political proclivities, having served several terms as supervisor and having held the unqualified esteem of all who knew him. George and Catherine Elizabeth Brinkman became the parents of five children, namely: Henry, Margaret, deceased, Mary, William, deceased, and George, deceased. Mary married William Willguss, a prosperous farmer of Bridgewater township. As before stated, Henry Brinkman was about eleven years old at the time of the family removal to Williams county, so that he had secured his rudimentary education in Seneca county, supplementing this by attending the schools in a log cabin in Montpelier. He has never sought or desired other vocation than that involved in the cultivation of the soil, and from small beginnings he advanced to a position of independence, working indefatigably and consecutively and becoming the owner of one of the fine farm properties of the county, where his course has been such that he has never lacked the fullest measure of popular confidence and esteem. He still owns his homestead place of forty acres, besides several other farms, aggregating all told about 500 acres. His farms are about equally divided between Superior and Bridgewater townships. Since 1903 he has maintained his home in Montpelier, where he is enjoying the fruits of his former years of earnest and well directed endeavor. He is proud of the fact that his accumulations of property arc due to his own perseverance and industry. He is a stanch supporter of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and filled the office of supervisor several times, while he has also served in other minor positions of trust. January I. 1861, Mr. Brinkman was married to Miss Sophronia Beacox, who was born on December 29, 1838, near Canton, Stark county, O. She is the daughter of George and Laura (Seaton) Beacox, the former a native of England and the latter of New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Brinkman were born seven children, viz. : Ada V.. who married William J. Armstrong, and they now reside in British Columbia, and have four children, Harry, Arthur, William and Florence; George W., who resides near Montpelier and who married Ida Pickle, and they have four children living, viz.: Myrtle, Gay. Leah and Gertrude; Herbert, who is a resident of the State" of fWashington, married Clara Morgan and they have two children ; Frank, who resides near Montpelier. married Sophia Beard, and they have two children, Howard and Vera: John J., who resides in California; Leon, who was accidentally killed while driving across the St. Joseph river bridge when it collapsed ; and Mabel, who married John Barnhart and resides near Montpelier.

ANDREW THOMAS BROWN (deceased), who was a director and general manager of the ( )ak Manufacturing Company of Edgerton. Williams countv. O.. was born in Centre township in 1858. He was the son of Nicholas and Sarah (McMannis) Brown, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Nicholas Brown was born in Fayette county, Pa., August n, 1821. He was married in Crawford county, O., on January 23, 1844, where his wife was born December 29, 1825. In 1846 he removed to this county, where he became a prominent and very successful farmer and accumulated large property interests, consisting of several valuable and highly productive farms. For a number of years he was trustee of Centre township, showing that he was interested in public affairs. He died in 1898, highly esteemed by all who knew him. Andrew Thomas Brown grew to manhood on his father's farm and received a fair elementary education in the public schools of his native county. In 1892 he embarked in the agricultural implement business in Edgerton, and after conducting it successfully for one year sold out to Woodward & Harris. From 1896 to 1900 lie was vice-president and general manager of the Edgerton Basket Manufacturing Company. December 10, 1902, Mr. Brown was elected general manager of the Oak Manufacturing Company, a corporation which he helped to organize and of which he was also a director. One hundred and thirty-five men are regularly employed by this company. The basket department makes no less than one hundred and twenty-two different styles of that useful article. Among the other products of this establishment may be mentioned the following: handles, insulator pins, brackets, ironing boards, clothes racks and hardwood lumber. These goods are shipped to all parts of the country. Eighty thousand dollars' worth of goods were sold in 1904. The facilities of this company for manufacturing purposes are second to none. The buildings are new and the machinery of the latest and most approved patterns. The floor space amounts to thirty thousand square feet, with twelve thousand square feet additional for storage purposes. A. T. Brown married Miss Martha Spangler, the daughter of Jacob and Eliza Spangler, who were pioneer settlers of Centre township, having come from Stark county, O., in an early day. Jacob Spangler is a successful farmer and an exemplary citizen. Mr. Brown was corporation treasurer of Edgerton for eight years, having been elected the last time in 1902. He at the time of his death was also serving as trustee of the Edgerton cemetery, having been elected first eight years ago. On June 15, 1905, while Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Brown were walking on the Lake Shore Railroad tracks near Edgerton they were both instantly killed by the Twentieth Century Limited. They had alighted from their automobile and started to walk to the Edgerton coal docks, which Mr. Brown desired to inspect. They left two children, Devillah and Elmer D. A. T. Brown at the time of his deatli was corporation treasurer, treasurer of the local Knights of Pythias lodge, of which he was a member, and treasurer of the board of cemetery trustees. He was one of the best liked men in Edgerton and his friends were legion. His interment was under the auspices of the local lodges of Knights of Pythias, Rathhonc Sisters and Maccabees, assisted by visiting lodges from Butler, Edon, Bryan, Hicksville and Blakcslcc.