BIOGRAPHIES.
Source:
A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio
containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative
citizens :
together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents
of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio.
Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.,
1896
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HARLAN
F. LARUE, one of the most successful educators of Harrison
Township, Van Wert county, is a son of Joseph LaRue.
Harlan was born Sept. 15, 1861, on his father's farm in Harrison
townships. He was educated in the district school and at
Worthington (Ohio) Central normal, and for two years, also, was an
attendant at Denison university, at Granville. In 1880 he
began the work pertaining to the profession in which he became so
prominently identified as the seasons passed by. The Center
school district, No. 5, Harrison township, was the second scene, for
four months, of his initiatory triumph, followed next by two terms
in his home district; and then the school in district No. 8,
Pleasant township, was under his charge one year; next, in the same
township, No. 6 was taught under him for a year; then he returned to
district No. 6, and devoted another year to that school, following
which he taught two years in his home district; for the period of
two years following he taught in the Central high school of Harrison
township, and then took a necessary rest for a year; the following
two years he had charge of district No. 2, thus making the longest
record of any other instructor in Harrison township. Mr.
LaRue has been an active member of the Van Wert Teacher's
institute. He is not a believer in corporal punishment, but
has never failed to maintain an effective discipline by other and
milder methods.
The marriage of Mr. LaRue was celebrated Mar.
31, 1887, with Miss Mary Louisa Bauserman, who was born Sept.
25, 1863, a daughter of Jacob and Jane (Harvey) Bauserman,
who were of Irish descent and the parents of four children: Ruth,
Eliza, Mary L., and Allie. Mr. Bauserman was
a farmer of considerable consequence, owned 120 acres of land, which
he pre-empted and died in July, 1865, a member of the Presbyterian
church. After his marriage, Harlan F. LaRue passed two
years in Pleasant township, and then settled in Harrison township,
where he now has a most pleasant home on a farm of forty acres
(belonging to his wife, being purchased with money she inherited),
which he has partly cleared from the woods. The children born
to Mr. and Mrs. LaRue were named according to birth, as
follows: Ethel Leora, Feb. 7, 1888; Vere Princess,
Nov. 6, 1890; Zora G., May 14, 1892, and Frank Irving,
Nov. 15, 1894. In their religious affiliations Mr. and Mrs.
LaRue are Baptists. Politically Mr. LaRue is a
republican. For one year he was a lecturer for the Patrons of
Husbandry.
JOSEPH LARUE, father of Harlan
F. LaRue, a substantial farmer of Harrison township, Van Wert
County, Ohio, is a son of Lambert and Jane (McBride) LaRue.
His paternal grandfather came from France, settled in Virginia, and
was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. Alexander
McBride, the maternal grandfather of Joseph RaRue,
was of Scotch-Irish descent and was also a patriot of the
Revolutionary war. Lambert La Rue, grandfather of our
subject, was born in Washington county, Va., was reared on a farm,
was a soldier in the war of 1812, was married in his native state,
and thence came to Ohio, where he located, first on Long Island,
some forty miles below Wheeling, then moved to Richland county,
where he cleared up a good farm, and finally came to Van Wert
county, in 1854, and settled on a farm of eighty acres in Pleasant
township, and here died in November of the same year, at the age of
about sixty-two years. To Lambert LaRue and wife
were born ten children, as follows: Alexander, Jane, John,
Abraham, Elizabeth, Margaret, Martha, Mary, Joseph, and another.
Mr. LaRue was for many years an elder in the Presbyterian
church, of which his wife was also a devout member; in politics he
was a whig.
Joseph LaRue was born in Richland
county, Ohio, July 24, 1836, received the ordinary education and was
reared to farming and also to the carpenter's trade. He came
to Van Wert county with his parents, and April 30, 1857, married
Miss Matilda Eller, who was born June 16, 1839, in Richland
county, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Hilburn) Eller, who
were of German and Irish descent respectively, and the parents of
nine children, viz: Polly, John, Frederick, Betsey, Sarah,
Jeremiah, Matilda, Miriam and Rachel. Jacob Eller,
was a son of Abraham Eller and came from Richland county to
Van Wert county in 1849, cleared up eighty acres of land in Pleasant
township, and here died. Two years after marriage Joseph
LaRue came to Harrison township, in the spring of 1860, settled
on a forty-acre farm, on which he lived about twelve years, and
later increased it to eighty acres.
May 2, 1864, Mr. LaRue enlisted, at Van Wert, in
the 100-day service and served until honorably discharged, at Camp
Chase, Ohio Aug. 28, 1864. He then veteranized, Sept. 1, 1864,
in company B, Seventy-eighth Ohio infantry, and in June, 1865, was
mustered out, on account of the close of the war, at Columbus, Ohio.
He saw service at Point Lookout, Md., was with Sherman on his
celebrated march to the sea, and at Milton, Ga., was injured by an
iron rail falling on him while tearing down a railroad water-tank;
but he continued on the march, although he could not always carry
his knapsack, and eventually reached Washington, D. C., with the
victorious troops and witnessed the grand review of May 23-24, 1865.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. LaRue have been
born seven children, in the following order: Sarah J.,
Harlan F., Col. Ellsworth, Orland Sherman, Almon V., Iona D. and
Viola M. Mr. and Mrs. LaRue are members of the Baptist
church, and in politics is a republican. He is also a member
of the G. A. R., Capper post, No. 231, at Convoy, and likewise a
member of the grange. His social standing, it is needless to
add, is among the most respectable families of Harrison township.
Source:
A Portrait and biographical
record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio -
Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Pages 727-729 |
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HARRISON LEATHERS, a prominent
farmer and miller of Ridge township, Van Wert county, is a native of
Fairfield county, Ohio, and was born Oct. 31, 1834, a son of
Christian and Catherine (Shupe) Leathers, the
former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Maryland,
and each was about four years of age when brought by their parents
to Ohio. Christian Leathers became quite well to do,
through inheritance, and died in Van Wert county, honored and
respected by all who knew him, Sept. 17, 1864, a member of the
English Lutheran church. Mr. Leathers came to Van Wert county
in 1852, and of his family of eight children, brought with him, the
survivors are three sons and two daughters. The eight alluded
to were named, in order of birth, as follows: Noah, who
died in infancy; Louis, who grew to manhood and reared a
family, who are now all deceased; Eliza, deceased wife of
Job Fowler; Mary, wife of Asa Pollock; Harrison,
our subject; John F., who reared a family of his own, and
died in 1894; Abraham, a Lutheran clergyman, and Sarah,
wife of S. R. Moneysmith. The father of his family made
his first purchase of land in Van Wert county in section No. 34, of
Ridge township, part of which land is now in the possession of the
subject of this sketch.
Harrison Leathers was reared on his father's
farm and also enjoyed the usual school advantages. April 15,
1858, he was united in wedlock with Miss M. A. Cummings,
daughter of Emanuel and Mary (Redman) Cummings - the former a
native of Logan county, Va., and the latter of Ohio. Mr.
and Mrs. Cummings has born to them a family of ten children, as
follows: Mrs. Leathers, called Adeline by her friends;
Lucretia E., who died in childhood; May Margaret,
deceased wife of William Hill - also deceased, having been
killed in battle; James Wesley, who died at the age of eight
years; Rebecca Jane, widow of David Hart; Susannah,
who died when three years old; Sarah, who also died in
childhood; Nancy, died an infant; Malissa Ann, is the
wife of George Null, and William Jefferson, who lives
in Noble county, Ind. The mother of this family died Dec. 27,
1855, and Mr. Cummings next married the widow of Judge
Beard; this lady bore the maiden name of Eliza Jane Scott.
After the death of this lady, Mr. Cummings took for his third
wife Rachael Margaret Todd, who bore him two daughters -
Irene and Maggie - and she, too, was called away by
death. Mr. Cummings next married Susan Bell, who
also deceased, and he himself died Dec. 28, 1887. To the
marriage of Harrison Leathers and Miss Cummings have
been born four children, viz: E. A., residing on a farm near
his father's, and wedded to Jennie Bell; W. C., in the employ
of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad company, and who first
married Ella Young and then Jennie Leslie; Delora Virginia
is the wife of W. C. Gilliland, and Florence Emma Bell,
the youngest child born to Mr. Leathers, is the wife of J.
G. Prill.
At the age of twenty-eight years, Harrison Leathers
enlisted in company A, Ninety-ninth Ohio infantry, in August, 1862;
he was in a number of raids and battles was on one occasion disabled
and confined some time in a hospital, but served until the close of
the war, receiving an honorable discharge, and on his return home
re-engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Leathers are
members in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Leathers are members
of the Lutheran church, in which he has been an officer the past
thirty years, and also for many years has been superintendent of the
Sunday school. Politically, Mr. Leathers is a
republican, and has served as clerk, trustee and assessor of his
township. Mr. Leathers is the owner of 172 acres of
find farming land in Ridge township, beside some valuable lots in
Middlepoint, and is doing a large grain business. His social
standing is as excellent as his business relations, and his
integrity and strictly honest methods of dealing have won for him
the respect of all who knew him. He is also a member of the I.
O. O. F., No. 251, Van Wert, Ohio.
-Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Page 429 |
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HENRY
G. LEHMANN, the subject of this review, holds
distinctive prestige as one of the representative citizens
and most prominent business men of the city of Van Wert,
where he conducts, under the firm name of H. G. Lahmann &
Son, an extensive retail dry-goods business, and it
would be flagrant neglect were there failure to incorporate
a review of his life in this compilation. Mr.
Lehmann traces his lineage back to the German empire,
and on either side to families of prominence and influence,
being the son of GABRIEL and Anna
E. (Bochman) Lehmann, the former of whom was a native of
Baden and the latter of Bavaria, Germany. The
grandfather in the agnatic line was Leopold
Lehmann, was a soldier for six years under the great
Napoleon in Spain, and participated in the campaign through
Russia; was also a physician of eminence, and emigrated to
the United States about the year 1834, and soon after his
arrival located in Columbus, Ohio, where his wife died.
His family comprised seven sons and four daughters, all of
whom accompanied him on his emigration to the United States.
After a time he removed from Columbus and took up his abode
near Fremont, Ohio, where he was engaged in the practice of
his profession, and where he remained in practice until his
increasing age compelled his retirement. He thereafter
maintained his home with his son, Ludiger, near
Rising Sun, Wood county, Ohio. until his death, which
occurred July 27, 1872.
Gabriel Lehmann, father of our subject,
was born in Baden, Germany, in the year of 1819, and was
there reared and educated. At the age of sixteen years
he was apprenticed to learn the tailor's trade, in which he
became an expert workman. In 1842 he began business
upon his own responsibility, at Fort Wayne, Ind., and after
one year he moved to Charloe, which was then the county seat
of Paulding county, and there conducted business for one
year, when he settled in Delphos, then called Section 10,
and established him self as a merchant tailor, and a dealer
in men's furnishing goods. In 1860 he effected the
purchase of a farm in Washington township, Van Wert county,
and here he resided at the time of his death, in 1879.
In politics he was originally a Whig, but became a
republican upon the organization of that party. He was
reared in the faith of the Roman Catholic church, but before
attaining his majority joined the Presbyterian church, of
which he was a member at the time of his demise. In
1842 Gabriel Lehmann was united in marriage to
Anna E. Bochman, and they became the parents of the
following-named children: Henry G., the immediate
subject of this review; Charles L.; Frederick H., and
Matilda, who became the wife of Rev. G. H. Priddy,
and who died in 1874.
Henry G. Lehmann, the subject of this sketch,
was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., Dec. 27, 1842, and his
youthful years were passed at Delphos, where he was able to
secure a good practical education. At the age of
thirteen years' he began his business career by engaging as
a salesman in a dry-goods establishment at Delphos, Ohio.
When his father retired to his farm, our subject accompanied
him and there remained until Aug. 19, 1861. At this
time he responded to that imperative call which the nation
made to all loyal men to aid in suppressing armed rebellion,
and he enlisted in company H, Thirty-second regiment of Ohio
volunteer infantry, in which he served his full term, and
then re-enlisted in the same company and regiment at
Vicksburg, Miss, on the Ist of January, 1864. He was
honorably discharged from the service of the United States
on the 3d day of August, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio, his
military record having been one of distinction and one in
which he may well take pride. Sept. 1, 1862, at Winchester,
Va., he was appointed sergeant, and Nov. 7, 1862, at
Vicksburg, Miss., he was detailed as clerk of the
headquarters of the Seventeenth army corps, Maj.-Gen.
James B. McPherson, commanding. Upon the
reorganization of the department and army of
the Tennessee, under Maj.-Gen.
McPherson, in 1864, he was detailed for duty as clerk in
the adjutant—general's office of said department and army,
continuing to serve in that capacity until he was detailed
for similar duty in the adjutant-general's office, war
department, at Washington, D. C., in June, 1865, which
incumbency he retained until he was relieved at his own
request, in order to enable him to be mustered out of the
United States service, his regiment having been mustered out
July 31, 1865. This antedated his discharge a few
days, the date of the later being Aug. 3, 1865. In
token of his loyal and valiant service Mr. Lehmann
was awarded the "medal of honor," on the 4th of April, 1864,
said medal having been conferred by Maj.-Gen. McPherson,
commanding the Seventeenth army corps. Mr. Lehmann
participated in all the battles of the Allegheny mountains
in West Virginia; in the engagements at McDowell, W. Va.
Cross Keys, Va.; Harper's Ferry, Va., 1862; and all the
engagements of the Vicksburg campaign in 1863, and the siege
and surrender of that stronghold.
After the close of his military service our subject
returned to the parental homestead and shortly afterward
accepted a position as bookkeeper for A. B. McCurdy &
Co., hard ware dealers in Van Wert, which incumbency he
retained for six years. He then associated himself
with David Casto and John S. Eyler
under the firm name of Casto, Lehmann & Co.,
and engaged in the hardware business, securing excellent
patronage and continuing the prosperous enterprise until
1874. By this time his health had become seriously
impaired, rendering it imperative that he should seek less
sedentary occupation, and accordingly he disposed of his
business interests, purchased a farm and was engaged in
agricultural pursuits until the year 1882. In that
year he became identified with the mercantile business in
Convoy by purchasing a dry-goods establishment in that
place, and he there conducted a successful business until
1888, when he came to Van Wert and established his present
enterprise, which he has since conducted with a marked
degree of success, the establishment being one of the best
equipped and most popular in the city, and a representative
patronage being accorded.
In his political adherency, Mr. Lehmann
is stanchly allied with the republican party, and
fraternally is a member of the W. C. Scott post, G.
A. R., of Van Wert, and is also identified with the Knights
of Maccabees. In his religious convictions he holds to
the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he
holds official preferment as trustee. In 1866 Mr.
Lehmann was united in marriage to Eliza J.
Zimmerman, daughter of Abraham Zimmerman, and to
this union have been born the following children: William
A., who is associated with his father in business;
Anna L., wife of D. H. Shepard; Mary E.; Rosa
B.; Levi F.; M. Pearl; John L.;
Alice A., and Henrietta G. Mary E., Levi
F. and John L., died in infancy.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Page 441 |
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CHARLES R. LONGSWORTH,
senior member of the firm of Longsworth & Agler,
photographers of Van Wert city, was born in Pleasant
township, Van Wert county, Ohio, Oct. 25, 1870, and is a son
of Solomon R. and Catherine (Somerset) Longsworth.
He comes of a long line of honorable ancestry, most of whom
followed the occupation of agriculture. The father,
Solomon R. Longsworth, was born in Frederick county,
Md., June 7, 1830, and was a son of Solomon
Longsworth, also a native of Maryland, but born of
English parents. Solomon Longsworth,
about 1832, emigrated to Van Wert county from Maryland and
died a year later. He was an old-time whig in
politics, was a farmer by occupation, was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church, and married Catherine
Boyer, who died about 1871. She, like her husband,
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was the
mother of the following children: Wesley, deceased;
Mary A., widow of James Clarke,
of Noble county, Ohio; Joshua, deceased, who lived in
Kansas; Phillip, deceased; Dr. William, of
Convoy; Enoch, of Worthington, Ind., and Solomon
R., deceased.
Solomon R. Longsworth, as may be readily
inferred by what has been said above, was quite young when
he was brought to Van Wert county. Here he was reared
by his mother, was educated in the common schools of the
day, and brought up to perform farm work, that being the
most that could be done at that time. On Nov. 11,
1851, he married Catherine Somerset, daughter of
John and Rachael Somerset, who, when they came, west,
first settled in Allen county, but later removed to Van Wert
county. Mr. Somerset was a republican in
politics, was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
served in the war of 1812, and died in 1872. His wife
died about 1860. Their daughter, Catherine, who
married Mr. Longsworth, was born Nov. 24,
1831, in Allen county, Ohio, but was educated in Van Wert
county, to which county she had been taken in her youth by
her parents. She was a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church. She and her husband were the parents
of nine children, viz: Samuel W., deceased;
William A.; John F., a merchant of Van Wert;
Elmer A., engaged in buying, pressing and selling hay in
Van Wert; Frank, a railroad man of Fort Wayne, Ind.;
G. W., a telegraph operator of Continental, Putnam
county, Ohio; Charles R., of Van Wert; Chloe R. C.,
a teacher of Van Wert; and S. O., a clerk in Van
Wert.
After his marriage, Solomon R. Longsworth
settled down on a farm near Middle point, which he cleared
and improved, and which, about 1863, he sold, and then
purchased a farm of 120 acres, where his son, William A.,
now lives. Some time afterward he purchased forty
acres more, and still later, forty other acres, making his
farm consist of 200 acres of land. This is now one of
the best farms in Van Wert county, and is well improved. In
politics Mr. Longsworth was a republican, and he was
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Of his
church he was a trustee for several years, and he was active
in its support. He was drafted into the service of the
government during the war and served 100 days. His
death was caused by small-pox in 1873, and his widow died in
1879 of heard disease.
Charles R. Longsworth was but two years old when
his father died, and only seven years of age when his mother
was taken away. Thus thrown upon the world, he was
reared by different relatives until he was twelve years of
age, when he went to live with H. Springer, of Ridge
township, remaining with that gentleman four years. He
then attended school at Middlepoint for about one year, when
he received a certificate to. teach school, and taught his
first term in Union township. This profession he
followed four years, in the mean time studying photography
with the view of adopting that as his profession for life.
In 1892 he opened a studio in Rockford, Ohio, remaining
there about a year, and in 1893 removed to Van Wert, where,
in company with D. E. Agler, he opened a studio and
has been engaged in business there ever since.
Mr. Longsworth was married in Van Wert Mar. 25,
1891, to Lydia E. Klinger, born in Van Wert, Ohio,
Oct. 8, 1867, and a daughter of Jacob A. and Jane
(Holden) Klinger, both natives of Ohio. To this
marriage there has been born one child, Orr E. Mr.
Longsworth is a republican in politics, and both he and
his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Both are good people and are highly esteemed by all who know
them.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Page 464 |
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WILLIAM N. LONGSWORTH, M. D., of Convoy,
Tully township, Van Wert county, Ohio, is one of the oldest
and most honored members of his profession of Van Wert
county, and was born in Frederick county, Md., Feb. 13,
1818, of English and German descent. Solomon
Longsworth, grandfather of the doctor, came to America
while still a young man, was married, in Baltimore county,
Md., to Miss Nelson, daughter of Henry Nelson,
the union resulting in the birth of eight children, viz.:
Solomon, Basil, Susan, Harriet, Betsey, Nancy, Sirak
and Caty.
Solomon Longsworth, son of the Solomon
mentioned in the above paragraph and father of our subject,
was born in Baltimore county, Md., in 1789, received a
common-school education, became a farmer and made his home
on the old farm in Baltimore county, Md., until he was
married to Katie Boyer, of German descent, but a
native of Montgomery county, Md., and this union resulted in
the birth of nine children, viz.: John W., Caleb, Joshua,
William N., Enoch G., Solomon R., Mary A., Susan
(deceased in infancy), and Cornelius, who also died
in infancy. In 1843 Mr. Longsworth removed with
his family to Guernsey county, Ohio, where he bought a farm
of 160 acres, which he increased to 200 acres, but, two
years later, in 1834, he removed to Richland county, and
early in 1846 came to Van Wert county, and purchased eighty
acres of land in the unbroken forest of Washington township.
This land he also cleared up and then purchased eighty
additional acres, but lived to enjoy his new possessions two
years only—dying late in 1848, at the age of fifty eight
years. His widow, however, continued to reside on
these premises for several years, Mr. and Mrs.
Longsworth both were members of the Methodist Protestant
church, of Mr. Longsworth was a local
preacher, and, as may well be supposed, a devoted Christian
and laborer in the vineyard of the Lord. He was a
patriot, and of his nine children he gave one, John W.,
to the service of his country during the late Civil war, and
John W., in turn, gave up three children of his own
to the service.
Dr. William N. Longsworth received his
preliminary education in his native county, and in 1832 came
to Ohio with his parents, with whom he resided on the farm
until 1844, when he began the study of medicine at Congress,
Wayne county, under Dr. Leander Fire stone, who was a
prominent medical man of his day, and who, before his death,
occupied a chair in the medical department of Wooster
university. Dr. Longsworth next attended
lectures at the Cleveland Medical college, and after
graduation began practice in Lorain county, but at the close
of three years he relinquished this somewhat contracted
field and chose Van Wert county as the scene of his future
professional labors; here he located in Van Wert, in 1853,
and practiced until 1873, becoming known as one of the most
skillful physicians that had ever entered Van Wert county,
and enjoying the respect and confidence of the people of Van
Wert and adjoining counties. He accumulated a handsome
competence, and for a time sought relief from the active
practice of his profession, but he was of too nervous a
temperament and of too active a mentality to entirely
abstain from business.
In 1873 the doctor established a factory in Lima, Ohio,
for the production of wooden handles for agricultural
.implements, etc., and carried on the factory over eleven
years; he then sold his factory to his son, Ira R.
Longsworth. In 1885 the doctor settled in Convoy,
Van Wert county, and here resumed the practice of medicine,
meeting with the same success that had elsewhere attended
him, but at the close of four years he again relinquished
the practice of his profession and established a notion
store, and also became agent for the Adams Express company,
a position he still retains.
The first marriage of Mr. Longsworth was
solemnized Sept. 22, 1847, with Miss Sarah A. Doolin,
a daughter of William and Sarah (Ury) Doolin, of
Wayne county, Ohio, and this union resulted in the birth of
one son, Myron V. Longsworth, the mother dying in
1855. The second marriage of the doctor was with
Miss Olive Richey, daughter of' M. F. and Sarah
(Eaton) Richey, the former one of the oldest settlers of
Harrison township, Van Wert county. To this second
marriage of the doctor have been born eleven children, viz:
William (died at the age of thirteen years), Ira
R., Lawrence R., Clara P., Howard,
Lucy, Walter (died in infancy), Horace,
(also died in infancy), Reece F., Shirley N.
and Katie. Dr. and Mrs. Longsworth are
members of the Presbyterian church, of which he has been an
elder many years, and in politics he is a stanch republican.
He is a strict temperance man, and a Good Templar, and in
1886 was elected mayor of Convoy.
Source: A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., 1896 - Page 462
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NOTES: |
