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BIOGRAPHIES
† Source:
Biographical Record of Wayne & Holmes Co.
Publ. Chicago:
J. H. Beers & Co.
1889
(Contributed by Sharon Wick)
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1889
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JACOB NAFTZGER,
(deceased) was born in Harrison County, Ohio, in - 1812, the second
of seven children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Miller) Naftzger.
His father was a native of Pennsylvania, but came to Ohio in a very
early day. Jacob Naftzger, Jr., began life a poor boy,
but by industry and good management became a wealthy man, owning at
his death over 1,000 acres of land in Harrison and Wayne Counties.
In 1841 he married Miss Susan Gotshall, daughter of Daniel
and Mary (Harpelhorn) Gotshall, former a native of Pennsylvania
and a pioneer of Harrison County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs.
Naftzger had a family of eight children, six of whom are living:
Catherine, Daniel, Eliza, Alice, Emma
and Alexander. Mr. Naftzger died in 1888, and
his widow now lives in Wayne Township, at the comfortable home left
her by her husband, her daughter Alice, a refined and
intelligent lady, being at home with her. Mr. Naftzer
was in his political views a Democrat. He always took an
interest in the public affairs of his township, but was never an
aspirant for official honors.
Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne
County, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page
537 |
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JEREMIAH R. NAFTZGER
is one of Wayne County's best known citizens, and is
proprietor of the Empire Flour and Feed Mill, at Wooster, the first
mill ever built in Wayne County, having now been in existence for
more than sixty years, and being widely known all over that section
of the country. He was born in Congress Township, Wayne
County, Apr. 8, 1826, a son of John and Elizabeth (Rider)
Naftzger, the former a native of Lebanon County and the latter
of Fayette County, Penn. The father was a miller and also a
farmer, and in 1816 he and his wife migrated to Wayne County, where
he resumed those occupations. When he first came to Ohio
John Naftzger first stopped in Conotton, where he built a mill.
He afterward built two mills on Killbuck Creek, which became noted
in the early history of the county, and supplied the material for
the "staff of life" to thousands of the early pioneers. About
the year 1829 the mother of our subject passed away, and the father
later was married to Catherine Haag, a native of
Germany, who a few years afterward joined the majority, and he chose
a third partner, who still survives. His first wife became the
mother of eight children, and the second of two. Of his third
marriage there was no issue; of the first wife's children two are
now living. Jeremiah R. and a daughter, Mrs. Eliza
Hower, of Chautauqua, N. Y.; her husband was at one time a
merchant of Cleveland, Ohio. The two children of the second
wife are also living, one in Dakota and one in Indiana. In
August, 1866, the sturdy old pioneer was called home, at the ripe
age of eighty-eight years. His life had been one of struggle
and hardship, but his steadfast perseverance in the course he had
marked out for himself enabled him to overcome all obstacles, and
make his life a success in the broadest sense of the word. He
bequeathed to his children not only a good estate, but also the
priceless heritage of a good name. He was in his younger days
a Whig, but on the formation of the Republican party he joined its
ranks and thereafter fought under its banner. He was one of
the original founders of the United Brethren Church in Wayne County,
and was for years its principal sustainer and supporter. His
mill served as a place of worship for the protracted meetings, and
his house was a harbor of refuge for the ministers who visited this
then new region. As indicated by the name, the Naftzger
family is of German descent, but their ancestors settled in
America at an early day, and one of their descendants was a soldier
in the Revolutionary War.
Jeremiah R. Naftzger, the subject proper of this
sketch, followed in the footsteps of his father, and also became a
miller and farmer, working for his father until he had attained his
majority. In 1847 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna
Henney, a native of Wayne County, and a daughter of Peter
Henney, one of Wayne County's pioneers. Her parents
were among the first settlers on Muddy Fork, then a part of Wayne
County, but afterward transferred to Ashland. When her father
had been but a short time in Wayne County, he was out one day
looking for his cows, and while unarmed came upon a huge bear, but
by vigorous shouting frightened him off, and it has always been an
open question which of the two was the more frightened - bruin or
the man. To Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah R. Naftzger came
eight children, of whom Mary E., Newell R. and
Cyrus L. are deceased; Albert W. is a resident of
Wooster, and a miller by trade; Emma is the wife of John
Blandford, of Wooster; Frank A., Adella and
Alice are still under the parental roof. In 1866 Mr.
Naftzger made his home in the city of Wooster, where he has
since continuously resided. He bought his mill in Wooster from
Mr. Miller, paying him therefor the sum of $16,000.
He had bought from his father sixteen years before that time, in
1850, what was known as the Armstrong Mill, on the Killbuck, and in
1864 he bought the Canaan Mill, and removed it to the site of the
Armstrong Mill, which his father had built. In 1867 he built
the pleasant residence on Pittsburgh Avenue which he now occupies.
It is on a hillside, overlooking his mill and fish-ponds, of which
he has two, the work of his own hands. One of these ponds is
stocked with carp and the other with black bass. His mill now
grinds about 30,000 bushels of wheat annually, and is fully supplied
with all the modern inventions in milling, using the roller process.
Its product finds a ready sale, and the business is constantly
increasing.
Mr. Naftzger was formerly a Whig in politics,
and like his father joined the Republican party on its formation,
having ever since remained a member of that party. The family
are all respected members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which
the father joined nearly twenty years ago. He takes a deep
interest in religious matters, and is always foremost in all its
good works. He is a member of the orders of the Iron Hall and
of the Royal Arcanum. He is widely known and greatly respected, and
is classed among the most enterprising public citizens of both town
and county, always lending a helping hand to any enterprise for
their advancement. In addition to his milling he is also
interested in the business of ice-cutting, which gives employment to
large numbers of men in winter, when other labor is scarce.
Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne
County, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page
384 |
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ISAAC NEWKIRK Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne
County, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page 116 |
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H. M. NEWKIRK Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne
County, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page 116 |
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DAVID NICE.
This well-known and prosperous merchant of Wooster was born in
Medina County, Ohio, July 26, 1854. His father, Aaron K.
Nice, was a native of Pennsylvania, and when a young man removed
to Ohio, where he married Sarah Lesher. The mother
passed from earth in 1871, and in 1877 the father followed her to
the grave.
David Nice is a self made man. He first worked at
farming and afterward for two years was employed as a newsboy on the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In 1873 he came to Wooster to learn
the trade of book-binder, at which he worked for seven or eight
years, and then turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, for
which he has shown himself eminently qualified, and in which he has
been very successful. After giving up book-binding, he
embarked in the hat and cap business, to which he afterward added
gent's furnishing goods, and has built up a fine trade, which is
steadily increasing in magnitude. In 1886 he moved to his
present quarters, adding boots and shoes to his already large stock.
He keeps a full line of these goods and of the kindred articles
usually found in first-class stores of the kind, doing the largest
business in the county in this line, and much greater than is to be
found in many larger cities than Wooster. He keeps a full line
of domestic and foreign goods carrying a stock valued at $20,000.
May 22, 1879, Mr. Nice, was united in marriage with Miss
Alice, a daughter of Samuel and Susan (Albright) Taylor,
natives of Wayne County, and they have three children: Mabel,
Walter and Mary. David Nice is prominent in
the social as well as the business circles of Wooster. He is a
member of the Royal Arcanum, of the Knights of Honor, and of the Odd
Fellows order, lodge and encampment. He and his wife are both
members of the English Lutheran Church.
The success Mr. Nice has met
with in business is due to the energy and tact he has always
displayed. He knows the value of reputation to a merchant, and
always aims to do a little better than he promises, and his stock is
always kept up to the demands of his patrons. He is
universally recognized as one of Wooster's enterprises and
progressive young business men, and has undoubtedly a bright career
before him.
Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of Wayne
and Homes, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page 213 |
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WILLIAM NOLD Source:
Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne
County, Ohio – Publ. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. – 1889 -
Page 590 |
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