Seneca Township (part 40 of 60)

America. There were no steamers at that time and the sailing craft was upon the bosom of the Atlantic for forty-seven days before it reached the harbor of New York. The Trott family did not continue long in the east, coming at once to Ohio. They stopped first at Sandusky city and ina short time Mr. Trott had his family cumfortably located cn a small farm near that place. In 1865 he came to Seneca county and purchased one hundred and forty acres of land in Seneca township, constituting the farm upon which our subject now resides. He continued its cultivation until his death, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, for his life's labors were ended in 1869. His widow still survives him, at the old home, and is now in her ninety-first year, being well preserved in her faculties. Three of the brothers of our subject were soldiers of the civil war, responding to the country's call for aid in suppressing the rebellion of the south. Of these Henry is now deceased, while Frederick is in the west and Jacob resides in Adams township.

Christian Trott accompanied his parents to Seneca county at the age of seventeen years. He is almost entirely self-educated and! has earned the proud American title of a self-made man. He did not have the opportunity to attend school, for when eight years of age he began earning his own living, working on a berry farm for fifteen cents per day. When his father died he took charge of the home farm and has since resided thereon, devoting his energies to its further cultivation and improvement. He has cared for his mother, returning in his filial affection the love and care which she bestowed upon him in his early youth. On the gth of March, 1875, he was united in marriage to Miss Tabitha Eakin, and unto them have been born eight children, as follows: Emma, wife of George Wagner ; George, a resident of Idaho; Ida, the wife cf Andrew Wagner; Mary, who is teaching school and resides with her parents: Frank, engaged with the Pennsylvania Railroad; Ella, who married William Walton; Clara and Cora, both at home. The family have a very pleasant home on the old farm, and the members of the household enjoy the warm regard of many friends in the community. Mr. Trott owns one hundred and ninety acres of valuable land bordering the Sandusky river, the tract being rich and arable and returning to him excellent harvests as a reward for his labor. The Trott residence stands on an eminence about one hundred feet above Jow water of the principal river in northern Ohio, commanding a delightful view of several miles of as fine a section of country as the state affords. Mr. Trott's methods are progressive and a glance will indicate to the passer-by that the owner 1s a man of industry, careful management and practical ideas. He votes with the Republican party, having endorsed its principles since becoming an American citizen. In 1896 he was appointed commissioner of Seneca county, serving for eight rnonths. In 1890 he took the United States census for his township. He belongs to Wiyandot Lodge, F. & A. M., of McCutchenville, and enjoys the high esteem of his brethren of the fraternity, being treasturer of his lodge for thirteen vears. Mr. Trott certainly deserves great credit for what he has achieved in life. Without any pecuniary advantages or influential friends to aid him at the outset of his career, he has advanced steadily to an honorable position of affluence, overcoming ail obstacles and difficulties by determined purpose, his trials seeming to come as an impetus to renewed effort. He is now classed among the representative agriculturists of Seneca county and his career is in many respects well worthy of emulation. A man of independent and earnest thought, his line of action has come from a line of reasoning based upon his own observation and familiarity with passing events, not being governed by the ideas of others unless they seem to him based on sound principle and' reason.

Minrad Bork is a representative of an honored pioneer family of Seneca county, and throughout his entire life he has resided within the borders of this county, his birth having occurred in Bloom township on the 3d of October, 1856. He is a son of Frederick and Margaret (Young) Bork. The former was born in Germany and was a son of Philip Bork, with whom he came to the United States, taking passage on a sailing vessel which reached the harbor of Baltimore after forty days.

The family at once continued their westward journey, and on arriving in Seneca county made a location in Bloom township. Here the grandfather was connected with the development of a tract of wild land and with agricultural pursuits until his death, which was occasioned by an. accident on the railroad. The first possession of the Bork family in this county was a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of wild land which they secured from the government, and their pioneer home was a little log cabin built in the usual pioneer style save that it contained two rooms instead of the usual number - one. With the work of clearing and developing this farm Frederick was actively associated, and throughout the years of lis residence here he carried on agricultural pursuits. Here he reared his family of ten children, as follows: Philip, a farmer of Seneca township; Eva; Frank, a farmer of Eden township; Magdaline, the wife of G. Fred Buchman; Mary, who has passed away; Lewis, a resident of Benton county, Indiana; John P., who is living in Eden township; Minrad, the subject of this review; and Philomenia and Elizabeth, both living in Tiffin.

The subject of this review was only four years of age when his father removed to the farm upon which he now makes his home. Here he was reared to manhood and early became familiar with the work of the farm in all its departments. laboring in the fields and meadows. He also attended the district schools. pursuing his studies through the winter months when the work of the farm was practically over for the year. He assisted his father throughout the period of his minority and when: thirty years of age he took charge of the old homestead and has since' devoted his energies to its cultivation. In 18&4 he purchased this property and he now owns two hundred and forty-two acres, all in one tract in Seneca township. His fields are well tilled and surround good farm buildings. In his pasture lands are seen high grades of stock, and all modern equipment and accessories are found upon his place. He makes a specialty of raising Durham cattle and has some fine specimens of that breed. One hundred and fifty-five acres of his land is under cultivation and annuaitly he harvests rich crops.

Bork and Miss Annie Reinhart, by whom he has three children, Edward, Clara and Joseph. The parents are wetl known in the community, having always resided in Seneca county, and the hospitality of many of the best homes of the locality is extended freely to them. In his political affiliations Mr. Bork is a Democrat, and while he always casts his ballot for the men and measures of the party and loyally advocates its interests, he has never sought or desired public office. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church.

It is a notable fact that Ohio's sons always have a deep attachment for their native state, and indeed Ohio's history has been a wonderful one in many respects. Her sons have become prominent in every walk of life, and several of them have become the nation's leaders, occupying the chair of chief executive of this great republic. One man alone, or even a few men, do not constitute the strength of the commonwealth. It is the aggregate endeavor of loyal citizenship of the vast majority, and in this respect Ohio has been fortunate, for her representatives have been enterprising, resolute men, who have striven with natural conditions until they have made the country bloom and blossom as tie rose, and have carried forward the work cf progress and improvement until Ohio occupies a leading position in the great galaxy of the Union. Mr. Bork, of this review, is numbered among the wide-awake, alert men of Seneca county, and to-day is successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits in Seneca township.

He was born in Bloom township, January 19, 1841, and is a son of Frederick Bork, whose birth occurred in Germany, whence he crossed the Atlantic to America in 1834 in a sailing vessel, which after a voyage of forty days dropped anchor in the harbor of Baltimore. With horses he proceeded westward until he reached Seneca county and tcok up his abode in Bloom township. Mr. Bork entered one hundred and sixty acres si land from the government, constituting the farm upon which Peter Stuckey now resides. As this district was heavily timbered, logs were the best available material for building houses, and he erected a little log cabin containing two rooms, the structure being formed of round logs. With determined purpose he undertook the task of clearing his land, which was covered with walnut and hard-wood timber. Many trials and difficulties were to be endured by the pioneers, but they met these with resolute hearts and continued their labors until success crowned their efforts. Frederick Bork was accompanied to Ohio by his father, Philip, and family, and the former was accidentally killed on the railroad at Monroe, Michigan. It was in August, 1838, that Frederick Bork was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Young, a native of Germany, who came to America two years after the emigration of her husband. Ten children were born of this union: Philip, our subject; Eva; Frank, a farmer of Eden township; Magdaline, the wife of G. Fred Buchman; Mary, who has passed away; Lewis, a resident of Benton county, Indiana; John P., who is living in Eden township; Minard, of Seneca township; and Philomenia and Elizabeth, both living in Tiffin.

When the family arrived in Seneca county their cash capital consisted of but two hundred dollars, but in a frontier region determination, hard work and perseverance count for more than money. At the time cf his marriage Frederick Bork brought his bride to the old! homestead farm in Bloom township and there he remained until 1861, when he removed to Seneca township, taking up his abode on the place where his son Minrad now lives. It continued to be his residence until 1885 when he removed to Tiffin, there to enjoy a well earned rest, living in retirement until the 31st of January, 1899, when he was called to the home beyond in his ninety-first year. He was a consistent member of St. Joseph's Catholic church, to which his wife also belonged. Her death occurred June 13, 1891. At one time he was the owner of nearly three hundred acres of land' in Eden and Seneca townships, and his property was all acquired through his own untiring efforts, his life record proving conclusively what a potent force are diligence and resolution in the active efforts of business life.

Philip H. Bork was born and reared in Bloom township, where he spent the first twenty years of his life. He attended the public schocis and assisted in the labors of the home farm, going with his father's family to Seneca township in 1861. He was married on the 22d of October, 1872, to Miss Mary Fisher of Fremont, and unto them have been born two children, - Mary M. and Frank O., - both at home. The son has been a student in Heidelberg College. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bork settled upon the farm which has since been their home. The same fall he sowed some seed for fruit trees and gradually increased his nursery business until he now has an excellent nursery of three acres and enjoys a very liberal patronage in that direction. His farm comprises one hundred and three acres and is divided into fields of convenient size, where each year he harvests good crops of wheat, oats, corn and other cereals adapted' to this climate. He has made a close study of the best methods cf farming and his broad experience has enabled him to so direct his efforts as to win success in his undertakings. He and his family are communicants of St. Joseph's Catholic church and in politics he is a Democrat, though in local matters he supports the best men, - those whose

One of the well-known, representative farmer-citizens of Seneca county, Ohio, is Abraham H. Delaplane. whe has been identified with the progress and agricultural development of this county fc: a number of years. He has lived in various sections of it, his farm in Seneca township being his present home.

Mr. Delaplane is a native of Maryland, a state which has contributed to Ohio many of the latter's best and most progressive and successful citizens. The birth of our subject was in Frederick county April 14, 1831, and he was a son of Frederick and Fanny (Huff) Delaplane, who removed from Maryland to Ohio in 1846, locating in Seneca county, in the vicinity of Tiffin. Later they occupied a farm near American, Ohio, and there our subject continued to reside with his parents until 1852. His education was acquired in the common schools of this locality, and was such as was afforded the farmer youths at that time, consisting principally of irregular attendance during a few winter sessions. Mr. Delaplane has supplemented his early education with reading, travel and association with men, and is now, notwithstanding former advantages, a well informed citizen.

When the whole country was aroused over the finding of gold in California Mr. Delaplane joined a party going to the west and made the trip by water in 1852. He visited the various mining camps and remained engaged in prospecting and mining for a period of two years, with varying success. He then came back to Mexico, Ohio, bought a threshing machine and outfit and for several years followed the threshing business, this proving very lucrative. After his marriage, in 1859, Mr. Delaplane settled down to farming, locating first on a tract of good land in Venice township, which he cultivated for three years. Then he took charge of a farm in Eden township, on which he carried on farming with success for two years, finally permanently locating, in 1863, on his present well cultivated and highly productive farm in Seneca township, which has been his home ever since. Mr. Delaplane is a practical and experienced farmer and stock-raiser, takes a deep interest in his vocation and devotes close attention to it. .

The marriage of Mr. Delaplane was in 1859, to Miss Mary A. Pennington, who was born in Eden township, Seneca county, a daughter of Adam and Cynthia Ann (Wagner) Pennington, and five children were born to this union. Three members of this family are now deceased, namely: Nellie, Lena and Ettie, all of whom died of consumption in young womanhood, the survivors being as follows: Jennie, who married Barn Burton and resides in Gratiot county, Michigan; and John F., who is a farmer in Wyandot county, Ohio.

In political sentiment Mr. Delaplane has always been in affiliation with the Republican party, but he is a man of quiet, domestic tastes and has never sought political recognition. During his residence in the far west he saw life in many phases and under many conditions, and it only gave him a more sure conviction that in the long run the fruits of the soil are more satisfactory than the products of the mines. He is a man whe is highly regarded as trustworthy and honorable in all business transactions and worthily represents Seneca township as intelligent and progressive.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Delaplane are consistent members of the Mc- Cutchenville Methodist church, where they are valued for their many estimable traits of character. Their home is one of hospitality and they enjoy the respect and esteem of a wide circle of friends.

James M. Bare

James M. Bare is a representative of the farming interests of Seneca township. He was born near Mexico, Wyandot county, Ohio, June 29, 1832, and is a son of Abraham Bare, who was born in Virginia, and 'who, as a companion and helpmate for the journey of life, chose Polly Miller. They became the parents of eight children: Ephraim, a resident of Wyandot county; John, who has passed away; James M., the subject of this review; Mary, the wife of Lewis Palmer and resides in Henry county; Elizabeth, the widow of Hosea Palmer and resides in Iowa; Eliza, who married John Istone, a resident of Iowa; Abraham, who makes his home in Wyandot county; and Emma, who became the wife of Lewis Lundy, of Wyandot county. The father of these children renioved from Virginia to Fairfield county, Ohio, and it was there that his marriage took place. He remained in that county until 1827, when he went to Wyandot county and entered eighty acres of land from the government. Upon this claim he built a log cabin of one room. It had a puncheon floor and a chimney built of mud and sticks, through which the smoke had its egress from a broad fireplace. The land was covered with a dense growth of timber, the trees growing so thick that the sunlight could hardly penetrate to the ground beneath, but in the course of time this was cleared away and the fields brought forth good harvests. The father was a cabinetmaker by trade, and in addition to his other work he engaged in making coffins for the early settlers. He afterward operated a carding machine and continued to make his home upon the farm which he developed in Wyandot county, it being his place of residence until his death, which occurred in 1869, when he was sixty-nine years of age. His wife died in 1866. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and all who knew them respected them for their genuine worth and many acts of kindness. Mr. Bare was particularly prominent in church work and was a man of strong temperament whose influence for good was widely felt. He was also known on account of his temperance principles and by reason of the work which he accomplished in behalf of the county in laying out roads and otherwise assisting in its pioneer development.

It was upon the old farm homestead described above that James M. Bare first opened his eyes to the light of day. There he spent his childhood and youth, enjoying the sports common to boys of that period and assisting in the cultivation of the fields. He remained under the parental roof until January 1, 1855, at which time he was married, Miss Eliza Pennington becoming his wife. They are now the parents of five children, who are yet living: Ada C.. who married Charles Mangus; John, who is the proprietor of a hotel in Buffalo, Illinois: Elva, a brick and tile manufacturer of Tiffin; Alma, the wife of Rev. John T. Miller, a minister of the Church of God; and James L., a merchant at McCutchenville. Seymour. the eldest, became a farmer of Eden township and is now deceased.

After his marriage Mr. Bare rented a part of his father's farm and continued to make his home thereon for fourteen years, on the expiration of which period, in 1868, he came to Seneca county and purchased the farm upon which he now resides. He owns here one hundred and ten acres of land, and the soil is productive and returns to him golden harvests in rewards for his labors. He also engages in the raising of stock

Bare was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife, and in 1878 he was again married, his second union being with Miss Ellen Bercaw. They have a pleasant home in Seneca township and have made many warm friends during their residence in this county. Mr. Bare exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party. Hecan relate many interesting incidents concerning pioneer life in Ohio and his knowledge comes from practical experience. He attended school in the little building which was erected of logs and in which the seats were made of slabs. The other furnishings were as primitive and the methods of teaching were totally unlike those of the present day. Great changes have occurred, not only in educational lines, bnt in all departments of life, and no one has been more in favor of progress

William Ash

It is now our privilege to touch briefly upon the life history of one of the representative and successful citizens of Seneca county, - one whe has passed practically his entire life within its borders, being a member of one of its pioneer families and a man who has commanded at every stage of his career the unqualified confidence and esteem of the community, as is evident when we revert to the fact that he has been a long 'time incumbent of offices of distinctive trust and responsibility. He has achieved a high measure of success through his indefatigable and welldirected efforts and is one of the substantial and honored citizens of Jackson township, where he has a finely improved landed estate of six hundred acres.

Mr. Ash claims the old Keystone state of the Union as the place of his nativity, having been born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of April, 1830, a son of George and Letitia (Reed) Ash, of whose six children three are living at the present time, namely : Upton, a successful farmer of Liberty township; William, the immediate subject of this review; and Sarah, the wife of George Sour, of Jackson township. The father of our subject was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1799, and removed thence with his family to Seneca county, Ohio, as one of its pioneers in 1833, our subject being at thet time a child of about three years. George Ash entered a claim to one nundred and sixty acres of heavily timbered land in Liberty township, reclaimed and otherwise improved the place and here continued to make his home until his death, at the patriarcial age of ninety years, his wife having passed away at the age of sixty-eight years.

In the primitive log school-house of the pioneer epoch William Ash received his early educational training, and he well recalls the meager equipments of the little institution of learning, with its puncheon floor, slab benches and wide fireplace. He contributed his quota to the work of the homestead farm until the time of his marriage, in 1852, when he inaugurated his independent career by purchasing eighty acres of his present fine estate, much of which has been cleared and improved under his personal direction. As success crowned his efforts he continued to purchase additional land, until he now has upward of twelve hundred acres, all within three miles of the home farm of four hundred acres. The same is one of the most attractive rural homes in this favored section of the state, having a commodious residence of pleasing architectural design, together with excellent barns and other farm buildings of the most approved type. He now keeps all his eight farms rented. He has himself converted five hundred acres of wild land into valuable farms. His lands are now valued at from eighty to one hundred dollars per acre. He was about the first to begin the use of tile for underground drainage, - a feature of improvement that he has continued, laying tile every year for twenty-five years, till all his farms are in most excellent condition. He has spent thousands of dollars in tiling, but this has converted flat land covered with water much of the year into the mest productive farms of the state. About the year 1870 Mr. Ash began buying and shipping live stock, his operations extending over a wide area. For about a decade and a half he was extensively engaged in stock- raising, doing much to promote the interests of this important industry in this section of the state, and incidentally, through his discriminaion and marked business acumen, attaining a success of a distinctive order,

In politics Mr. Ash has ever given an unqualified allegiance to the Republican party, and as one of the able and honored citizens of his community he has naturally been called upon to serve in local offices of important nature. He was incumbent of the office of justice of tite peace for the long period of twenty-seven years, within which he did much to bring about an amicable adjustment of minor difficulties among his neighbors ; he served three terms as trustee of Jackson township, and in 1890 was elected land appraiser of his township. He is one of the leading stockholders in the First National Bank of Fostoria, in which he has held the office of vice-president for the past fourteen years.

On the 1st of January, 1852, Mr. Ash was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Trumbo, who was born in this county, the daughter of Enoch Trumbo, one of the pioneers of the township. Mr. and Mrs. Ash became the parents of three children, of whom two survive, namely : Ellen, the wife of Alfred Mowrey, of Jackson township; and Charles, who is engaged in farming and grain dealing at Amsden and was elected in 1901 to the office of treasurer of Seneca county, being a well-known Republican worker, chosen in a strong Democratic county, the first instance of the kind in the county. The youngest, Jessie Fremont, died when seven years old.

Among the leading and successful farmer citizens of Seneca county, Ohio, William H. Zeis has long been one of the representative men. Since 1883 he has been a resident of Seneca township and has been all his life identified with the interests of Seneca county.

December 24, 1838, and he was a son of Jacob and a grandson of Martin Zeis, the latter of whom was one of the pioneer settlers of Seneca county and one who was notable in its early enterprises. As early as 1816 Martin Zeis left Germany on a sailing vessel, bound for the United States. Three long months were spent on the Atlantic ocean, and the tired voyagers then made their way to Frederick county, Maryland, where they lived for eleven years, Mr. Zeis having brought his family with him. It was just at this date that the agricultural advantages which settlement in Ohio promised began to attract sturdy pioneers from other states, who saw in this opportunity a future provision for the large families which at that time were not unusual. Hither came grandfather Zeis and his ten children, the trip consuming a long time, on account of the poor roads, many of them almost impassable. Mr. Zeis located in Liberty township, Seneca county, entering here one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government, and here the remainder of his life was spent. By trade he was a shoemaker and he carried this on in connection with farming and became one of the leading citizens of his township. He was a man of great industry and was earnest in his desire to promote the advancement of his township. It was his personal effort which cut the first road through the forest from Shiloh church to Cromer Station, his land covering a part of the present site of the village of Cromer. With the assistance of his many sons he soon built a comfortable log cabin and established here a family which has ever since been one of respectability in the county.

Jacob Zeis, who was the father of our subject, was born in Baden, Germany, and he accompanied his parents to America and was his father's helper in his early settlement in Seneca 'county. He married Abbie Craun for his first wife, and they had three children, the survivor being Martha, the wife of Thomas Guinn, a resident of Iowa; John M. and Jacob being deceased. The second marriage of Jacob Zeis was to Elizabeth Lauer, who was born in Wittenberg, Germany. She came to America at eighteen years of age and died in her sixty-second year. Fourteen children were born to this union, of which our subject was the oldest. The others were as follows: Lewis, deceased: Jacob, of Clinton township; Christiana, deceased; Daniel, a private in the Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry, who died during the war; Rebecca, the widow of David Fought, of Seneca township; Lucinda, deceased; Theodore, deceased ; Matilda, deceased ; Charles, a resident of Indiana; Truman, a resident of Hopewell township; Benjamin, a farmer of Liberty township; James, the farmer on the old homestead in Liberty township; and Leander, a resi- 'dent of this township.

After his first marriage Jacob Zeis bought eighty acres of land in Liberty township and there he made his home during the continuance of his life. This farm is now the property of his son, James F. Zeis.

The early life of William H. Zeis, of this biography, was spent on the old home farm in Liberty township. He embraced every educational opportunity within his reach, his advantages being limited. He recalls very distinctly the old log schoolhouse with its uncomfortable slab benches whereon the children of his day sat with aching backs, on account of no supports being provided, while a scarcity of books was felt by almost all of the pupils. The teacher was usually partly paid by subscription and was expected to board around among the families. Many romances have been written of those days, but Mr. Zeis needs none of these, as he easily recalls them and is able to compare the chances which the children of today enjoy beyond those offered to their forefathers.

There was plenty of work to be done on the home farm and Mr. Zeis remained assisting his father until he was twenty-seven years of age. Then he married and bought sixty acres of land and for two years operated both that and his father's farm, moving then into Seneca township and operating a farm there for the two following years. Mr. Zeis then removed to his former home in Liberty township, where he made many substantial improvements and remained from 1870 to 1883, coming then to his present most desirable farm in Seneca township. Here Mr. Zeis owns one hundred and fifty-five acres in section 27, and has given his attention to general farming and stock-raising. He is well known in agricultural circles and his methods of farming and management of

Although the greater part of his life has been given to cultivating the soil, Mr. Zeis has had other interests, and has always arrayed himself on the side of law and order. In 1862 he became a member of the Home Guards and was with Company E, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment, when it went, in 1864, to serve in the defense of the nation's capital. It is a weil-known fact in his locality that he is an uncompromising Republican.

The first marriage of Mr. Zeis was to Miss Ellen Cromer, who was a daughter of Ezra Cromer, and the children of this union were as follows: Ira N., who is a practicing physician in Carey, Ohio; Daniel W., who is attending a dental college of Columbus, Ohio; and Elizabeth, who died in infancy. Mrs. Zeis died in 1872. The second marriage of Mr. Zeis was to Miss Sarah Cromer, who was a sister of his first wife, and the children of this marriage are as follows: Ezra E., Jesse W., and Lula L., all residing at home.

Mr. Zeis is highly esteemed in his township as an honorable man and is known to be interested in matters of public moment, having always done his part to advance every worthy enterprise, looking to the agricultural development of this part of Seneca county.

Ezra Cromer was born in Maryland, of German origin, and married, in Liberty township, Seneca county, Sarah Craun, a sister to Abbie Craun, the first wife of Jacob Zeis. His home adjoined the Zeis farm at Cromer station, which was located on his farm and named in his honor. He died there at sixty-eight years of age. His widow now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Zeis, aged eighty-six, well preserved. Mr. Cromer and wife were active in the Methodist Protestant church, in which he was a class-leader, and his life very much devoted to the growth and advancement of the church and of the moral upbuilding of the community,

Philip Dewald

During the pioneer epoch in the history of Seneca county the De- Wald family was founded within its borders by John and Elizabeth (Reisick) DeWald, who, leaving their litthke German home across the sea, took up their abode in Hopewell township, Seneca county, Ohio, in 1833. The members of the family took an active and prominent part in the development of this section of the state, aided in transforming its wild lands into rich farms and in other ways promoted the progress and advancement which made a once wild region the home of a contented, prosperous people. On first arriving in the county John DeWald took up his abode north of Bascom, but owing to the swampy condition of the land he remained there but a short time and then located one mile south of that city, where he spent the remainder of his life, passing to his final rest in 1850. On one occasion during the early pioneer days he and his wife were returning to their wilderness home from a journey to Tiffin, when the wife suddenly called her husband's attention to what she called a "large black dog." After a glance the husband immediately handed the reins to his companion, and, grasping a small hickory stick which he had cut for a cane, sprang from the wagon in pursuit of the animal. The latter proved to be a large black bear, which, rearing on its hind feet, prepared for battle; but Mr. DeWald by rapid and repeated blows killed the animal after a fierce struggle! Unto Mr. and Mrs. DeWald were born ten children, three of whom still survive: Maria, the wife of Jacob Starber, of Tiffin; Peter, a prosperous armer of Loudon township, Seneca county; and Philip, the subject of this review.

The latter was but two years of age when he was brought by his parents from Bavaria, Germany, where he was born in 1831, to the United States, the family locating in Hopewell township, Seneca county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, and after his father's death his time was occupied in looking after the homestead farm. After his marriage he continued to make his home on the old place until about 1881, when he purchased eighty-two acres of the farm which he now owns, in Loudon township. As the years have passed by and prosperity has rewarded his well directed efforts he has been enabled to add to his boundaries a tract of forty acres just across the road in Hopewell township. From his early youth he has been obliged to make his own way in the world, and all that he now owns stands as a monument to his untiring energy and his excellent business ability. He can recall vividly to mind the time when Tiffin was no larger than the village of Bascom at the present day, when the now rich and populous county of Seneca was a vast wilderness and when wild animals roamed at will. In the wonderful transformation which has since taken place he has nobly borne his part, and he is now numbered among the honored pioneers of this portion of the Buckeye state.

Mr. DeWald was united in marriage to Miss Mary Merganthaler, a native of Loudon township, and they have six children, - John, Anna, Henry, Ellen, Cora and William. The daughter Cora is the wife of Vernon Slosser, a prominent farmer of Hopewell township. Mr. De- Wald gives his political support to the Democracy and is a member of the German Reformed church.

George W. Rosier

One of the well-known and substantial citizens of Seneca county, Ohio, is George W'. Rosier, who is now retired from agricultural activity, but who owns some of the most valuable farming land in Seneca township.

The birth of Mr. Rosier took place in Baltimore county, Maryland, April 3, 1841, and he was a son of Abijah and Dorcas Rosier, farming people of that county. His earliest recollections are connected with rural life and agricultural activity, and the life of the farmer has been the one of his choice ever since. He was sent to the common schools of his locality and acquired a fair knowledge of the elementary branches but he early found it a necessity to begin an independent career for himself. At the age of sixteen years Mr. Rosier became an inmate of his uncle's home, and remained on the latter's farm until 1861. At that time public feeling was at fever heat, and with other young men of his locality Mr. Rosier became a member of a company of home guards, the branch of the service being known as Pennell's Legion, and it was composed of various regiments of cavalry, infantry and artillery. This company of which our subject was a member, continued in the service for a peric t of thirteen months, being occupied mainly in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, at points in Maryland, and also in West Virginia.

After the close of his army service, in the winter of 1862, Mr. Rosier went north with the object in view of obtaining a satisfactory situation on some farm, and before spring opened he had secured an excellent position on a farm in Wood county, near Fostoria. Here his industry and knowledge of farming made him a valued assistant, and he remained on ~ this place for one and one-half years. Desiring to see more of the farming section, he then went to Seneca county and worked on a farm in Thompson township for two years, later coming into Seneca township, where he worked for a time for others, but, noting the richness of the soil and the excellent advantages of location enjoyed in this township, he later purchased forty acres. Here Mr. Rosier carried cn farming successfully, gradually accumulating means and experience, and here he made his home until 1890. At that time he moved to the farm which he now occupies, which is an estate comprising one hundred and fifty-six acres, one hundred and forty of which he has under a fine state of cultivation. He has engaged in a geveral line of farming, and has been one of the excellent stock-raisers of this section of the county, his methods of carrying on all agriculturai operations having a thoroughness about them which has resulted in a prosperous condition. In 1901 Mr. Rosier retired from active labor, turning the great farm over to his son and his son-in-law, who 'are capable and efficient farmers. This farm is well improved, three comfortable residences and two commodious barns being among the substantial improvements.

The first marriage of Mr. Rosier was to Miss Amelia Fought, who died in less than two years thereafter. His second marriage was November 27, 1867. to Miss Caroline Yambert, who was a daughter of Rev. Aaron Yambert, a well-known and most highly esteemed clergyman of the Evangelical Association. Four children were born to this marriage, viz.: Laura, who is the wife of A. P. Gremlich; Annie, deceased, who was the wife of I. B. Crumrine; Ida, who is the wife of Ira Montrose: and Frank H., who operates the home farm.

Mr. Rosier has always been a member of the Democratic party. Both he and wife belong to the Evangelical Association, in which they are highly valued. Although Mr. Rosier is now one of the solid, substantial men of his township, he is entirely self-made, having had scarcely any assistance in establishing himself. Early in his career he realized that the foundation stones of success were industry, honesty and perseverance, and all through life he has possessed the requisites, the result being that he is able to spend the evening of his days in comfort, enjoying the knowledge that he has won the confidence and esteem of friends. and neighbors.

George E. Smith

Among the well known and highly esteemed citizens of Tiffin, Ohio, is George E. Smith, who has resided in this city since 1894, and is now filling the responsible position of private secretary to Congressman James A. Norton, a position for which the practical knowledge, the college education and the versatile gifts he possesses, particularly fit him. |

The native state of Mr. Smith was Michigan, where he was born on September 6, 1854, in Kalamazoo county. His parents were Rev. M. I. and Mary (Edwards) Smith, the former of whom was born in Connecticut but reared in Auburn, New York, where he remained until his marriage, going then to Michigan, where he was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church for a period of twenty-five years. During" the civil war he entered the Third Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and served as chaplain of that regiment. He was a man of parts and learning, always ready to promote by tongue and pen the cause of education, and his sixty years of life showed fruits of piety and usefulness. He was a nephew of Lieutenant Governor Ingersoll, of Connecticut.

The mother of our subject, Mary (Edwards) Smith, was born, reared and educated near Syracuse, New York, and survived her husband for some years, dying January 2, 1901, at the age of seventy-eight years. She was a consistent member of the Methodist church, a devoted wife and

George E. Smith passed his early life with his parents and in his youthful days attended the schools in the locality in which his father was stationed as a clergyman of the Methodist church. Later he pursued a higher education in the colleges both at Albion and at Lansing, Michigan. preparing then to take up the study of law. His reading was with the well known Judge Buck, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and in 1875, Mr. Smith was admitted to the bar. For about ten years he practiced law in that city, but an accident which happened to him, in 1884, bringing on peritonitis, made it necessary for him to lay aside business care for several years. A sojourn in Florida enabled him to regain a measure of health, but when he returned to active life he decided to entirely change his business, and accepted the management, im 1886, of a large factory, in Sandusky, Ohio.

In 1889, when Mr. Norton was appointed commissioner of railways and telegraphs, by Governor Campbell, he made Mr. Smith his chief clerk, and in this office he served for several years, finally resigning during the administration of Governor McKinley. Mr. Smith then became the traveling representative of the Safety Lighting & Heating Company, through western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan, making contracts with the railroads in the interests of this company, which is a New York corporation.

In 1894 Mr. Smith came to Tiffin and became associated with the Tiffin Bent Wood & Lumber Company, continuing with that concern until he accepted his present congenial position with Hon. James Norton. As secretary to this statesman he is brought into touch with public affairs and he is known as a very judicious, diplomatic and most efficient official. Mr. Smith has been actively identified with the Democratic party ever since his youthful days, and has been prominent in all local conventions, including those of city, county and state, ever since he has been a resident of Ohio. His ability as a worker is highly rated. He has shown his

Mr. Smith was married, in 1880, to Miss Susan Booth, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. eared in the Methodist church, under the loving care of worthy Methodist parents, Mr. Smith early imbibed the principles of that religious body, and they have ever been an influence in his life. He has served the church in many capacities, has been a delegate many times and represented his church in the annual conferences of that denomination. His literary work has excited considerable favorable comment. In 1893 he published a book of poems which ranks high in literary merit, and is now engaged on a historical work, intended to cover - a recent epoch in the nation's history. He has a ready pen, but much of his work in the newspapers, although of great value, is not traced directly to him.

John Martin

In the best development of Seneca county John Martin bore an important part. He was identified with the agricultural interests of this section of the state from pioneer days, and while promoting the material welfare of the community also gave an active and liberal support to those measures which tended to advance its intellectual and moral status. His life was filled with good deeds and kindly thoughts, and all who knew him entertained' for him the highest regard, by reason of his upright, honorable life. Over the record of his career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, and his example is well worthy of emulation by his many friends. )

Mr. Martin was born on the farm on which his widow now resides, in August, 1845, the only child of Michael and Mary (Shafferly ) Martin. The father was a native of the Emerald Isle, and in the land of his birth he spent the first thirty-eight years of his life, coming thence to the United States. Some time later, in the '30s, he made his way to Ohio, where he secured employment on the Maumee canal, but while thus engaged he had the misfortune to break his leg, which rendered him a cripple for life. He then entered a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, the birthplace of our subject, and he and Michael Martin, David Lahey and John Whalen were the first to locate in this section of the state. There Mr. Martin lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years, and' his wife reached the ripe old age of ninety-two years. She was a native of the fatherland, and when about forty years of age came with her parents to America. Her people were in very limited circumstances, and she was therefore obliged to earn her own livelihood. Mr. Martin was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic church, and a few years before her: death his wife also united with that faith.

John Martin, the immediate subject of this review, was early taught the value of industry, and when a youth the arduous task of clearing new land and placing it under cultivation fell to his lot, for his father was a cripple and unable to perform hard labor. For about twelve years, in addition to his work on the farm, he also sold fruit trees through this section, and thus he became well known to many. of the residents of the county. His life furnishes a striking example of the boys who secure their own start in life, - determined, self-reliant boys, willing to work for advantages which many others secure through inheritance, destined by sheer force of character to succeed in the face of all opposition and to. push to the front in one important branch of enterprise or another. Asa man his business ability was constantly manifest, showing unlimited possibilities, nothing too great to grasp and master, and he arose to 2 foremost pcesition among the business men of Seneca county.

The marriage of Mr. Martin was celebrated in January, 1866, when Miss Otilla Huth became his wife. She was born in Hopewell township, Seneca county, a daughter of Nicholas and Eva (Swing) Huth, both natives of Germany. The mother was brought to America when a child, but the father remained in his native country until about forty years of age, when he, too, crossed the ocean to the new world, settling in Hopewell township, two miles south of Bascom. Twelve children blessed the union of our subject and wife, but only eleven are now living, namely: Mary E., the widow of Henry Eschenbrenner and a resident of Tiffin; Mathilda, the wife of Charley Kimmet, of Liberty township; Margaret E., the wife of Nicholas Brickner, of Jackson township; Ellen L., the wife of J. H. Seewald, of Toledo, Ohio; Sarah, Alice and lsabelle, at home; Susan, of Norwalk, Ohio; Mary J., the wife of Joseph Kimmet, of Liberty township; and John E. and Michael S., at home. Mr. Martin gave his political support to the Democracy, and the family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church. He was a man of firm convictions, honest purpose, kindly nature and upright life, and the world is better for his having lived. He departed from the scenes of earth's activities June 11, 1897, but his memory is still enshrined in the

Within the confines of Seneca county will be found many successful and honored business men who are of the second generation of their families to have become prominently identified with the industrial activities of this favored section of the Buckeye commonwealth, and such is true in the case of Levi Boyd, who is a native son of the county and who has here passed his entire life, being now numbered among the influential and prosperous farmers of Jackson township and a citizen who commands the confidence and esteem of the community where he has lived 'and labored to goodly ends.

Mr. Boyd was born on the homestead farm in Jackson township, on the 12th of November, 1846, being one of the ten children of William and Eliza (Dick) Boyd, and one of the five sons who still survive, namely: Sarah E., the wife of David Wirick, of Jerry City, Wocd county; Eli W., of Jackson township, Seneca county; and Edwin D., Ellis, and our subject, also residents of this township. William Boyd "was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1816, and as a young man he emigrated to Ohio, locating in Seneca county, where for a number of years he devoted his attention to making shingles, crossties, etc., all the work being accomplished by hand. Later he purchased forty acres of heavily timbered land in Jackson township, reclaiming the same to cultivation and eventually adding to his possessions until he had a good farm of one hundred and eighty acres, the greater portion of which was cleared under his personal direction. Here he continued to maintain his home until his death, in 1891, when he passed away in the fullness of years and well earned honors. His original political affiliations were with the Whig party, but he joined the Republican party at the time of its organization and ever continued to give it his support. He was a devoted and active member of the Reformed church, as is also his wife, who was born in Pennsylvania, about 1822, and who still maintains her home on the old farm.

Levi Boyd early became inured to the various duties of the farin, and his educational privileges were such as were afforded in the public schools of the locality. Upon attaining his legal majority he assumed charge of the homestead, which he worked on shares, and thus continued until one year after his marriage, in 1868, when he removed to his present fine farm, which was then the property of his father-in-law. After operating the place for two years he purchased forty acres adjoining it on the south, and there maintained his abode until 1890, when he purchased eighty-four acres of his father-in-law, simultaneously removing to the same and also purchasing forty acres lying contiguous on the east. In recent years he has made some changes, and his farm now comprises one hundred and twenty-six acres, well improved and under most effective cultivation. He has given his attention to diversified farming and has 'been very successful in his operations. In politics Mr. Boyd has given an unswerving allegiance to the Republican party, and he served six years as trustee of his native township, where he is held in the highest regard by all who know him. He is a member of the Canaan United Brethren church and is serving on its board of trustees, being treasurer

August 19, 1868, Mr. Boyd was united in marriage to Miss Melissa J. Long, whe was born on the farm which is now his home, the daughter of Benjamin L. Long, one of the representative pioneers of this township. Mrs Boyd was summoned into eternal rest in the year 1890, leaving three children, - Elsie R., now the wife of Charles Nichols, of this township; Benjamin F., who remains at the paternal home; and Margaret M., the wife of J. B. Stein, of Morgantown, West Virginia. February 28, 1893, Mr. Boyd was married to Mrs. Mary (Bloom) Sprout, who was likewise born in this county, being the daughter of William Bloom, one of the well-known business men of Fostoria, and widow of Daniel Sprout.

Joseph Rodegeb

The family of which the subject of this memoir is a most honored representative is a pioneer one of Seneca county, and its members have borne their part nobly in the work of progress and improvement. He was born in Bloom township, Seneca county, November 4, 1847, a son of Jacob and Magdalena (Neiswander) Rodegeb. The father traced his nativity to the Old Dominion, where he was born on the 31st of January, 1795. When a young man he came to Seneca county, Ohio, where he entered two hundred and forty acres of land in Bloom township, a part of which is now owned by John Newcome, there erecting a log cabin in the forest. He was one of the early pioneers of the township, and his life's labors were ended in death on the gth of August, 1850. His wife was called to her final rest in 1877. This worthy couple became the parents of ten children, four of whom still survive, namely: Henry, a resident of Michigan; Magdalena, the wife of William Ringle, of Attica, Ohio; Daniel, who makes his home in the state of Washington; and Joseph, the subject of this review.

youth were extremely limited. When he was but sixteen years of age he was left in charge of the homestead, three of his brothers being in the Union service and the other in Michigan, and with the exception of eighteen months spent in the lumber regions of Michigan he remained on the old place until his mother's death. He then exchanged his interest in the homestead for an eighty-acre tract in Bloom township, to which he removed, and there he made his home for the following nine years. Selling that property in 1888, he then purchased his present home farm in Venice township, two miles east of Attica, which consists of one hundred and one acres of rich and productive land. He has made many improvements on his place, has placed his fields under a fine state of culti-. vation, and in many ways has added to its value and productiveness and attractive appearance.

In 1871 Mr. Rodegeb was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Summers, and afterward, April 5, 1894, Miss Emma Long became his wife. She is a native of Venice township, Seneca county, and a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Swartz) Long, now deceased. This union has been blessed with two children, - Lorena May and Joseph Fred. Mr. Rodegeb gives his political support to the Republican party, and he is an active worker in its ranks.

During the war five of the Rodegeb brothers served in the army, two losing their lives as the result of the exposure. They were Jacob, who was in the Fifty-fifth Ohio and died at Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Isaac was in the Ferty-ninth and died also in hospital; Henry enlisted from Michigan in the First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, and served three years; and Daniel and Joseph both were in the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Regiment, and after a short service his mother secured Joseph's release on account of his minority.

Phieip Rissabe Rae

In the history of the agricultural interests of Seneca county the name of Philip Kissaberth occupies a leading place, for through many years he has been one of the representative farmers of the county, pro- gressive, enterprising and persevering. Such qualities always win success, sooner or later, and to Mr. Kissaberth they have brought a handsome competence as the reward of his well directed efforts.

A native of Tiffin, Ohio, he was born September 5, 1845, a son of George and Catherine Kissaberth. The father was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he was reared and married, and some time in the "30s, in company with three brothers and a sister, came to the United States, locating in Tiffin, where for several years he was employed in a warehouse. He then removed to a farm in Hopewell township, and later purchased the tract of fifty acres-on which our subject now resides, and there he passed away in death in 1864, in his fifty-first year. By his marriage to Catherine Osman he became the father of eight children, six now living, namely: Gabriel, a resident of Fostoria; William, a prominent farmer of Putnam county, Ohio; Jacob, an agriculturist of Loudon township; Philip, the subject of this review; George, of Gilboa, Putnam county; and Sophia, the wife of George Cramer, of Bucyrus.

Philip Kissaberth, of this review, was reared from a child on the farm on which he now resides, and the educational privileges which he enjoyed in his youth were those afforded by the common schools of the neighborhood. After his father's death he took charge of the home farm and continued to care for his aged mother until she, too, was summoned to the home beyond, at the age of eighty years, after which he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the old homestead and thus 'became its sole owner. He is now the possessor of one hundred and twenty acres of rich and fertle land. From his early years he has been industrious and persevering in whatever enterprise he has undertaken, and by diligence and economy has accumulated a competence for his declining years. He has been a life-long supporter of the Democracy, and has been calied upon to fill many positions of honor and trust within the gift of the people of his township. He has served with efficiency as supervisor of Loudon township, and was long a member of the school board, of which he was made a clerk and director.

her father, Jacob Smith, was one of the early pioneers, settling upon 2 tract of wild land near the present Kissaberth house, and there Susan was born. Her parents both died there, he at eighty and her mother, whose maiden name was Susannah Deppler, at seventy-six. He came to the 'United States from Switzerland, his native land, and settled in Buffalo, and later moved to Wayne. Four children have been born unto this union, 4s follows: George, who farms his father's land, living on the old Smith homestead; Jonah, a resident of Seneca township; Rosa, the wife of Andy Frankert, of Loudon township; and Jesse, deceased. The family are members of the Zion German Reformed church at Bascom, in which Mr. Kissaberth has long served as a deacon.

John G. Droll

One of the most straightforward, energetic and successful agriculturists of Seneca county is John G. Droll. He is public-spirited and thoroughly interested in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of his locality, and for many years he has been numbered among its most valued and honored citizens.

A native son of the county, Mr. Droll's birth occurred in Seneca township, March 21, 1859, a son of George and Catherine (Brownstetter) Droll. The father was born in a little German home across the sea in 1829, but in 1846 he came with his parents to America, locating in Seneca township, Seneca county, Ohio. After the death of his father he became the owner of eighty acres of land in that locality, and there he made his home until 1874, when he sold his possessions there and bought the farm on which our subject now resides. That property continued to be his home until 1892, and in that year, leaving his son John on the place, he located on a small farm of eight acres near New Rigel, where he has since lived in quiet retirement, enjoying the rest which he has so truly earned and richly deserves. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Droll was blessed with twelve children, eleven of whom still survive,

John G. Droll, whose name introduces this review, has spent his entire life in Seneca county, and to its public-school system he is indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed in his youth and early manhood. As a life occupation he chose that to which he had been reared, and throughout his entire business career he has been engaged in the tilling of the soil, his efforts in this direction having been crowned with a high and well-merited degree of success. His political tendencies connect him with the Democratic party, and religiously he is a member of St. Patrick's Catholic church.

The marriage of Mr. Droll was celebrated on the 17th of November, 1885, when Miss Elizabeth Hug became his wife. To this union were born six children, - Josephine, Charlie, George, Barbara, Leo and Scophia, - all at home. Death entered this happy family circle on the 12th of September, 1898, when the wife and mother was called to the home beyond. Her life was beautiful in its purity and Christian virtues, and her memory will long remain as a blessed benediction to her immediate family and friends.

Commodore P. Meeker

This sterling representative of one of the pioneer families of Ohio is a native son of Seneca county, where he was reared to maturity upon a farm, early beginning to assume the practical responsibilities of life and lending his aid in connection with the reclamation and improvement of the old pioneer homestead. That he has lived and labored to goodly ends is clearly indicated in the position which he holds in the confidence and high regard of his fellow men and in the success which has crowned his efforts as an exponent of the great basic art of agriculture, which has been his vocation throughout his entire business career. His fine farm is located in Jackson township, and no resident of the community commands a fuller measure of respect and esteem. This epitome of his life history wili be read with interest by his many friends and will serve as a permanent memorial to his sterling character and worthy life.

Named in honor of the distinguished hero of the battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Perry Meeker was born in Eden township, Seneca county, Ohio, on the 4th of September, 1833, the son of Charles and Rachel (Clark) Meeker, of whose eleven children eight survive at the present time, namely: Jacob, Angeline, Charles, Jane, Charity E., Thomas, Commodore Perry and Hannah. The father of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, and when he was twelve years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio, and they first located in Fairtield county, but later came to Seneca county, where the grandfather of our subject took up eighty acres of government land in Eden township, being one of the first settlers in that locality and there reclaiming his farm from the forest. Here he passed the residue of his life, having been successful in his operation and having acquired about three hundred acres of land. Charles Meeker was reared to maturity on the old' homestead farm in this county, and shortly after his marriage he began his independent operations as a farmer, eventually becoming the owner of a large landed estate and standing as one of the influential men of Eden township, where he lived to attain the patriarchal age of ninetytwo years.

Commodore P. Meeker, the immediate subject of this review, remained on the old homestead' during his youthful days, and as his services were early in requisition in connection with the farm work, his educational advantages were reduced to a minimum, but by personal application and association with practical affairs in later years he has become a man of broad general information and strong mentality. At the age of eighteen years Mr. Meeker went to Wood county, where he was employed at farm work until his marriage; at the age cf twenty-one, when he located on a tract of eighty acres owned by his father in that county. There he continued to reside until 1863, when he located in Eden township, Seneca county, and there remained one year, at the expiration of which he settled on his present homestead farm, in Jackson township, where he has since maintained his home. The farm com- prises eighty acres, and was covered with a heavy growth of timber when he located on the place. He cleared all but fifteen acres of the land and placed it under most effective cultivation, making the best of improvements as opportunity permitted and developing the place into. one of the most attractive and valuable in this section. The value of the farm is greatly enhanced by the fact that there are nine productive oil wells on the same, this being a source of no inconsiderable revenue. Though he has ever taken a proper interest in public affairs of a local nature, Mr. Meeker has never sought office and has msintained an independent attitude in politics. |

Mr. Meeker was united in marriage to Miss Emma Bassett, who: was born in Wood county, Ohio, and of this union seven children have been born, of whom five survive, namely: Charles, a resident of Hatton, Wood county; Nelson, who is a farmer near Rising Sun; Percy, who resides in the same locality; William, a resident of Findlay; and Minnie, the wife of Daniel Baker, who has charge of our subject's farm.

Martin Lichtle

Among the honored and venerable citizens of Seneca county is the subject of this review, who has here maintained his home for a period of half a century, winning a definite success by means of the agricultural industry, to which he devoted his attention during the long years of an active business life. He is now retired and is enjoying that repose and rest which are due to him now that the shadows of his life begin to lengthen in the golden west. His career has been without shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, and thus he has ever commanded the confidence and esteem of his fellow men, his more than four-score years resting lightly upon him and being crowned with honor.

Mr. Lichtle is a native of the province of Alsace, Germany, which at the time of his birth, on the rst of November, 1817, was still a part of France. There he was reared to years of maturity and there he learned the trade of weaver, to which he devoted his attention until 1852, when he emigrated to the United States, making the voyage on a sailing vessei, Maria Teresa, and arriving in the port of New York city forty-two days after embarking. From New York he came to Tiffin, Ohio, and for three months after his arrival he was employed in connection with the construction of the Big Four Railroad, after which he purchased thirty acres of land in Loudon township and here settled and began his career as a farmer. Success crowned his energetic and well-directed efforts and he was enabled to add to his original tract until he had accumulated a finely improved landed estate of two hundred and sixty acres. He continued in agricultural pursuits in an active way until his advanced age led him to lay aside the cares involved, and he recently sold his farm property to his sons John and Andrew and his son-in-law, Joseph Brickner, and he now makes his home with the son first mentioned. In politics he has ever given his allegiance to the Democratic party, and his religicus faith is that of the Catholic church, of which he has been a communicant from his youth. At the age of twenty-seven Mr. Lichtle was united in marriage to Miss Therese Murey, who likewise was born in Alsace, France, and who accompanied him on his removal to America. She died twenty-two years since, and his second wife, who is still living, was Mirs. Christina Roth. Of their nine children six survive, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of Peter Caser, of Indiana; Rosa, the wife of Joseph Brickner, of Loudon township; John, also of this township; Andrew, who likewise operates a portion of the old homestead; and Michael and Joseph, who reside in the city of Cleveland.

John Lichtle, son of the subject of this sketch, still resides on the old' homestead farm where he was reared, having purchased one hundred acres of the same of his father, and he is known as one of the energetic and progressive farmers and stock-growers of this section, while his course has ever been such as to retain to him uniform respect and esteem. Like his honored father, he is Democratic in politics and a communicant of St. Patrick's Catholic church. He was born on the 3d of July, 1857. John Lichtle has been twice married, - first to Miss

Sophia Sigman, who died in August, 1897, leaving seven children, namely: Anna, Mary, Emma, Dora, Frederick, Isabel and Henry. On the 25th of January, 1899, Mr. Lichtle wedded Miss Catherine Myers, who was born in this township, the daughter of Joseph Myers, and of this union one child has been born, - Florence.

Henry Rinebold

Throughout his entire life Henry Kineboid has been numbered amoung the residents of Jackson township, Seneca county. His birth occurred on the farm on which he now resides, on the 18th of August, 1856. His father, Jacob, was born in Perry county, Ohio, in 1821, but - when a boy he was brought by his parents, John and Catherine (Wuninger) Rinebold, to Seneca county, the family locating in Loudon township, where the son Jacob grew to years of maturity. He was here married to Mary A. Lambright, and they became the parents of nine children, seven of whom still survive: Noah, Elizabeth, Henry, Ann, Mahala, Rachel and Jacob. The two who have pased away are John and Margaret. After his marriage Mir. Rinebold purchased eighty acres of school land in Jackson township, to which he afterward! added another eighty-acre tract and still later another tract of eighty acres, and in addition he also had forty acres in Wood county. His remaining days were spent in his home in Jackson township, and his eyes were closed in death on the 4th of March, 1894. During his entire life he was a stanch supporter of the Democracy, and was a worthy and acceptable member of Zion German Lutheran church. His wife passed to her final reward on the 16th of August, 1887. In coming to Jackson township he located on the present farm, which had been leased to another man, who had made some slight improvements, including a log house, and this was his home until erecting the present brick residence in 1861. He cleared out the greater part of one hundred and sixty acres and his life was devoted to the cultivation of his farm.

Henry Rinebold, whose name forms the caption of this review, received a common-school education in his youth, and from an early age he has been identified with the work of the farm. After his marriage he assumed the management of the homestead farm, and here he has spent his entire life. After his father's death he became its owner, and the place now consists of one hundred and twenty acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation. This farm also contains eleven oil wells, all of which are excellent producers, and are yielding to their owner a handsome financial return. Although his business interests are such that they claim nearly his entire time and attention, he is at all times a public-spirited and progressive citizen, actively concerned in all that pertains to the welfare of his fellow men, and his political support is given to the Democracy. He is generally found in the party conventions and has often been called upon to be a party representative in various campaigns, generally polling a handsome vote.

Mr. Rinebold was married May 27, 1877, to Miss Lodema Sheffler, a native of Wood county, Ohio, and a daughter of Conrad and Presida (Buchtle) Sheffler. Three children have blessed this union, namely: Ora Z., the wife of W. R. Mazey, of Delphos, Ohio; and Harvey D. and Wilbert Henry, at home. The family is one of prominence in Seneca county, and their pleasant home is the center of a cultured society circle.

Jacob Ecker

In a recent editorial touching the German element in our complex social fabric a ieading Chicago daily spoke as follows: 'The German is thoughtful, deliberate; the nation is fortunate in which he is numerous. His mind, profound, thorough, painstaking and free from sudden emotion, acts as a balance wheel for its environment. Germany has supplied to the United States splendid elements of citizenship."" None can doubt the truth of these statements, and in nearly every section of the United States the German-American figures as a valued and potent factor. The subject of this review is a worthy representative of this type, and his life has been one of signal usefulness and honor, while he has commanded uniform confidence and esteem by reason of his sterling character. He has passed the greater portion of his life in Seneca county, and here he has attained success through his own efforts, being numbered among the substantial farmers of Jackson township. He has depended on his own resources from his boyhood, and through his welldirected efforts and determinate purpose has achieved independence and a high degree of prosperity.

Mr. Ecker was born in the kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, and in the fatherland he was reared to the age of sixteen years, having secured his educational training in the excellent schools of Bavaria. As a lad of sixteen he emigrated to America, making the trip in a sailing vessel and being on the water for seventy-six days. Shortly after his arrival he came to Seneca county, making Fostoria his destination, and for the ensuing six years he was employed on various farms in this locality. At the expiration of this period he rented land and engaged' in farming on his own responsibility, continuing operation under these conditions for twelve years, within which time he accumulated sufficient money to justify him in the purchase of his present farm, which comprises ninety acres. When he located here the improvements made were of primitive order, a log house and a log barn having been erected on the place. which now has a fine residence and other buildings of the best type. while the land has been brought under a high state of cultivation. In addition to the homestead Mr. Ecker also cultivates the farm of one hundred and sixteen acres owned by his wife, the same being also located in this township. In political matters Mr. Ecker gives a stalwart support to the Democratic party, and his religious faith is that of the Reformed church, while his wife holds membership in the Lutheran church. He takes a lively interest in all that concerns the well-being of the community and he served for fifteen years as school director of his district.

and Elizabeth (Rinebold) Stahl, and of this union three children have been born, namely: Amelia, the wife of John Heughberger, of Leipsic, Ohio; Ephraim, who is associated with his father in his farming operations; and Annie, the wife of Elmer Ash, of Gratiot county, Michigan.

Mrs. Ecker's parents have both died since the above sketch was written, - the mother on the 6th of March and the father on the 3d of May, 1902.

This gentleman was one of the honored pioneers who aided in laying the foundation on which to erect the superstructure of Seneca county's present prosperity and progress. Through the period of early development he was an important factor in the improvement and advancement of this section of the state, and was also concerned with the broader interests which had to do with the welfare of the commonwealth.

Jeremiah Pankhurst was born in Kent county, England, on the gth of January, 1809, and when twenty years of age he left the land of his birth for Canada, where he remained but a short time and then went to New York. He subsequently made his way to the Buckeye state, where for a number of years he was engaged in work on the canal. The year 1834 witnessed his arrival in Seneca county, where he entered forty acres of land in Loudon township, to which he afterward added until he became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres, but in 1847 he disposed of that property and purchased the one hundred and twenty acres where Mrs. Pankhurst now resides. He was very successful in his chosen line of occupation, and at one time he owned as high as seven hundred acres of land, but he afterward divided his property among his children, assisting each in turn as it came time for them to start on the journey of life on their own account, till his estate became reduced to three hundred acres at his death.

Mr. Pankhurst was married in 1836, when Miss Mary Williams became his wife, and one child, Moses, came to bless their home, but he was called upon to lay down his life on the altar of his country at the battle of Stone River, at the age of twenty-two. The loving wife and mcther was also called to the home beyond, and in 1841 Mr. Pankhurst wedded Miss Lucy A. McDougle, a native of Culpeper county, Virginia, and a daughter of Benjamin and Nancy (Updyke) McDougle, who came to Seneca county as early as 1834. By his second marriage Mr. Pankhurst became the father of thirteen children, but only seven of the number are now living, namely: Daniel, John, Peter, Wesley, Amanda <A., the wife of Robert Bingham, of Jackson township; Celinda, the wife of Joseph E. Chilcote, also of Jackson township, and Lucinda A., at home.

Mr. Pankhurst gave his political support to the Republican party, and he was honored with many of the public offices of his township. He was called from this earth on the 17th of October, 1884, passing away in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was long a faithful and consistent member. His was a long, active and honorable life, and his name is indelibly inscribed on the pages of Seneca county's history.

Anson A. Anderson

The first half of the nineteenth century was characterized by the immigration of that pioneer element which made the great state of Ohio what it is. These immigrants were sturdy, heroic, upright, sincere people, such as constitute the intrinsic strength of a commonwealth. It scarcely appears probable that in the future history of the world another such period can occur, or indeed any period when such a solid phalanx of strong-minded men and heroic, self-sacrificing women will take possession of a new country. Too careful or too frequent reference cannot be made in the pages of history concerning those who have figured as with this brief review of the personal history of Mr. Anderson it is our privilege to touch incidentally and specifically upon interesting data in regard to the sterling pioneer family of which he is a member and which has been identified with the annals of the Buckeye state since an early period in the last century. Our subject is known as one of the influential and worthy citizens and successful agriculturists of Seneca county, where he has passed practically his entire life, since his parents here located' in the year of his birth.

Anson A. Anderson is a native son of the Buckeye state, having been born in Franklin county, Ohio, on the 18th of March, 1833, the son of John and Candacy (Chaney) Anderson, who became the parents of seven children, of whom only our subject and his sister Nancy survive, she being the wife of Joseph Hoover, a prominent farmer of Hopewell township. John Anderson was born in Pennsylvania, about the year 1804, and from that state his parents emigrated to Ohio while he was a boy, locating in Franklin county, where his father took up a tract of wild land and where he was residing at the outbreak of the war cf 1812, for which he enlisted, his death occurring at Fort Findlay while he was still in the service. His widow subsequently became the wife of a Mr. Jacob Eisenhart, and of their three children two survive, - Jacch, a resident of Michigan; and Harriet, of Williams county, Ohio. The father of our subject was reared on the pioneer homestead in Franklin county, receiving his educational discipline in the primitive schools cf the place and period and early beginning to share in the arducus work of the farm. In that county occurred his marriage to Miss Chaney. and then he came to Seneca county in 1833, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1876, while to him was accorded unequivocal esteem in this section of the state, where he was a pioneer settler. Upon coming to the county he entered claim to seventy acres cf government land, in Hopewell township, the same being heavily timbered and practically untouched by the hand of man. He made a clearing and erected a little log house, and then set himself vigorously to the task of reclaiming the farm, eventually making good improvements and son-in-law, Joseph Hoover, previously mentioned. Mr. Anderson continued to reside on this homestead until his death, prior to which he had ° added to his landed estate in the county until he was the owner of more than two hundred acres. His wife had died two years previously.

Anson A. Anderson, the immediate subject of this review, was indebted to the pioneer schools of Seneca county for the educational advantages which were his in his youth, and he continued to assist in the improvement and cultivation of the old homestead until he had attained the age of twenty-three years, when he inaugurated his independent career by securing employment at farm work. Two years later his marriage occurred, and shortly afterward he rented a farm in Liberty township, where he continued in agricultural pursuits until 1872, when he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm, in the same township, subsequently adding to the same by the purchase of contiguous tracts until the home farm now has an area of two hundred and forty acres. That he has been successful in his farming, which has been diversified from the start, is shown in the acquisitions he has thus made and in the fine improvements which are to be noted on the place, while he has further augmented his landed estate, being the owner of forty acres in Jackson township, sixty acres in Loudon township and eighty in Hopewell township, this entire property being well improved and under effective cultivation, the aggregate area of the estate being four hundred and twenty acres, so that our subject is to be designated as one of the extensive landholders of the county, as he is also known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen and as a man of irreproachable character. He has exerted a timely and valuable influence in public affairs of a local nature, maintaining an independent attitude in politics, and the popular confidence in which he is held has been signalized by his election to offices of trust and responsibility, since he served six years as justice of the peace and two terms as trustee of Liberty township. He is a communicant of St. Andrew's Catholic church, of which he is a trustee. His family also hold membership in the same church and are prominent in the social life of the community.

riage to Miss Catherine Corrigan, who was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Peter and Catherine (Nolan) Corrigan, who were among the honored pioneer farmers of Seneca county, Ohio, where he died at sixty-four years of age. Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Anderson all are living except Addie, who died at the age of seven years. The others are here named in the order of their birth: John, Jessie, Nettie, William V., James, Frank, Lawrence, Charles and Louis.

As one reviews the history of the county and looks into the past to see who were prominent in its early development he will find that througn a long period the name of Byers has been closely connected with the progress and advancement of this section of the state. For many years Henry Byers, of this review, has been a resident of Seneca county. Wild was the region into which he came when a boy of fourteen years, and from that early period he has been prominently identified with the history of the community.

A native son of the Buckeye state, his birth occurred in Stark county, February 20, 1838, a son of Jacob and Nancy (McLoughlin) Byers. The father was born in Frederick county, Maryland, but when a boy he came with his father, John Byers, to Stark county, Ohio, where the latter entered land from the government. Wild was the region at that early day. Its forests stood in their primeval strength, the prairie land was still unbroken, and the Indians roamed through the dense woods, seeking the game which could be had in abundance. There the son Jacob grew to years of maturity, and after his marriage he settled down to the quiet and peaceful life of a farmer. About 1852 he removed to Seneca county, purchasing eighty acres of land, which now forms a part of our subject's present farm, and there he spent his remaining days on earth, passing away at the age of eighty-three years.

became identified with the Republican party, and his religious preference was indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church. Of his eight children only three now survive, - Jeremiah S., a prominent farmer of Jackson township, Seneca county; Eliza, the wife of Isaac Cook, of Grattan, Michigan; and Henry, the subject of this review.

The latter grew to years of maturity on his father's farms in Stark and Seneca counties, and to their public schools he is indebted for the educational advantages which he received in his youth. When the trouble between the north and the south threw the country into civil war he nobly put aside all personal considerations, and in 1862 became a member of Company K, One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. With his regiment he took part in the battles of Perryville and Murfreesboro, but at the latter engagement he was wounded and taken prisoner. After a confinement of three weeks in Libby prison he was paroled and sent to the hospital at Annapolis, thence to the parole camp and later to Camp Chase, where he was ordered, after being exchanged, to join his regiment at Bridgeport, Alabama. Mr. Byers participated in all the battles in which his regiment took part excepting that of Chickamauga, and at the close of hostilities he was mustered out of service, receiving an honorable discharge in June, 1865, after which he returned to his home and again assumed the management of the homestead farm, which had been his task since his sixteenth year. Two years after returning from the war he was married, bringing his bride to the old family homestead, and after his father's death, in the early "80s, he purchased the place. Prior to this time he had also become the owner of a forty-acre tract adjoining, and thus his landed' possessions were increased to one hundred and twenty acres, where he is now extensively engaged in general farming. He is a business man of much more than ordinary abiiity, and his unremitting toil and close attention to business throughout his active career have been the means of winning for him the handsome competence which is to-day his.

state of her nativity, her birth having occurred in Muskingum county. They became the parents of four children, but two of the number, Fannie J. and Margaret E., have passed away in death, at eighteen and thirteen respectively, and the two surviving ones are Sarah E. and Arthur E., both at home. The loving wife and mother has joined her children in the spirit world, having closed her eyes in death in 1888. Mr. Byers gives his political support to the Republican party, but, although he is a public-spirited and progressive citizen to a marked degree, has never been a seeker after political preferment. For many years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, but that congregation afterward disbanded, and he has never since allied his interests with any denomination, although he is a constant attendant at divine worship. His social relations connect him with Ash Post, G. A. R., at Kansas, this

Dr. Isaac Kagy, who was born on the farm on which he now resides, February 2, 1828, is a representative of one of the old and prominent families of Seneca county. His father, John Kagy, was a native of the Old Dominion, having been born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, on the 17th of January, 1797, a son of Rudolph and Hannah (Siple) Kagy, who became the parents of the following named children: John, Jacob, Christian, Abraham, Catherine, Barbara, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Rudolph, Henry and Martin. In the year 1819 this family left their home in the Old Dominion state and came to Ohio taking up their abede on a pioneer farm near Rushville, Fairfield county, where the grandfather of our subject died at the age of fifty-five years, his widow long surviving him and passing away at the venerable age of ninety-one years of age when he accompanied the family on their removal to Fairfield county, and after his arrival there he engaged in farming and teaching school. In 1822, at a public land sale, he purchased the farm on which our subject now resides, in Eden township, but this did not become his permanent place of residence until 1827. His first home here was a log cabin of one room, the domicile being twenty feet square and being constructed of round logs. This continued to be the family home for ten years, at the expiration of which period the present substantial brick residence was erected on the same site, in 1837. It is finished in walnut and butternut timber taken from the farm, and the brick utilized was also manufactured on the homestead, this having been one of the first brick houses to be erected in the county. Mr. Kagy secured his original homestead, of one hundred and sixty acres, from the government, and at that time it was covered with a dense growth of native timber, principally walnut, but as the years passed he succeeded in effectively reclaiming the land and soon the fields were under an excellent state of cultivation. Here he continued to make his home until the 4th of April, 1865, when he removed to an adjoining farm, and from that time until his death he lived in quiet retirement, enjoying the fruits of his former toil and endeavor. He was a worthy member and active worker in the Baptist church, in which he long held the office of deacon, and in all the relations of life he was signally true, faithful and honorable, commanding the high regard of all who knew him.

In Fairfield county, on the 3d of December, 1820, Deacon John Kagy was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Hite, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, on the 25th of July, 1801, and they became the parents of ten children, concerning whom we here incorporate a brief record. Andrew, who was a graduate of the Cincinnati Medical College, was long engaged in the practice of his profession at Union Mills, lowa, where his death occurred in the year 1871; Hannah became the wife of Henry Boroff, and her death cccurred in 1853; Rudolph, who was born May 13, 1826, became a successful farmer in Marion ccunty, Illinois, where he located in the year 1861 and where his death ccecurred on the 29th of June, 1901; Isaac, the next in order of birth, is the immediate subject of this review; John B., who is a prominent attorney-at-law of Salem, Illinois, and ex-judge of the county court, was for many years a professional partner of Judge Silas L. Bryan, the father of William Jennings Bryan; David, who was born May 23, 1832, died in Illinois, on the 8th of February, 1887, having been there engaged in farming, while he was also a successful teacher for a number of years ; Rachel, who was born May 3, 1834, is the wife of Benjamin Huddle, of Marion county, Illinois; Catherine, who was born on the 25th of January, 1837, became the wife of Hiram J. Cummings, and she died at their home, in Pierce City, Missouri, on the 19th of March, 1885; Levi, who was born October 29, 1838, is a resident of Fostoria and was formerly incumbent of the office of auditor of Seneca county; and Amos H., who was born January 16, 1841, is a prominent attorney of Kansas City, Missouri. The father of these children lived to attain the venerable age of eighty-eight years, his death occurring at the home of his daughter Rachel, in Illinois, whence his remains were brought to the old home in Seneca county and interred in the Kagy cemetery. His cherished and devoted wife passed away at the age of eighty-five years.