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Source:
A Centennial Biographical History
of
Richland and Ashland County, Ohio
- ILLUSTRATED -
A. J. Baughman, Editor
Chicago
The Lewis Publishing Co.
1901
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)
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FRITZ A. OTT.
A prominent and well known German-American citizen, who
has accumulated a comfortable fortune in the tnning and
saddlery business, now residing in Shelby, Ohio, is
Fritz A. Ott, the subject of this sketch. He
was born in Wertheim, Baden, Germany, Dec. 22, 1832, a
son of Seigfried and Magdalena (Bauer) Ott.
Interchange of letters with
a brother established in America created in our subject
a desire to cross the ocean also. This he
accomplished in the spring of 1855, when, with his
younger brother, Frederick, he reached New
York and came immediately to Shelby to join his brother
George, who had been here for several years,
employed by Stephen Marvin, in the tanning
business, which house had been established in 1820.
A welcome awaited the lads, and as George had bought
the business from Mr. Marvin they had immediate
employment; but they soon realized the necessity of
mastering the English language. They were
ambitious and desired to be able to read, write and
converse in it, and as a teacher they secured the
services of the Hon. S. S. Bloom, then a
struggling young attorney, willing in this way to
augment his income. In one year Fritz and
Frederick bought the tanning plant, adding to it
a saddlery line, and with energy, economy and honest
dealing they made it a very successful business,
retiring with a competency. They closed up the
tannery in 1892, but continued the saddlery business
until 1897. Frederick died Oct. 28, 1892.
The marriage of Mr. Ott
was celebrated in March, 1864, to Miss Jennie,
the daughter of Stephen and Sarah (Burr) Marvin
who had come to this place from Connecticut in 1818.
Mrs. Ott was born in Shelby, Dec. 22, 135. One
son and four daughters were born of this union:
Stephen S., who is now a resident of Florida;
Anna Laura, who married George W. Rogers,
Oct. 20, 1890, and left a widow June 21, 1894, with one
little daughter, Amy Ott Rogers; Mrs. Rogers
married W. A. Shaw on Aug. 1, 1899, and resides
in Shelby. The next daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Ott is Emily M., born in 1872; the next
Lena Burr, born in 1878 and died in 1895; and the
youngest child is Georgie E., born in 1882.
The beautiful home of
Mr. Ott is a fine brick residence surrounded by
trees, and it is a privilege to pass time under its
hospitable roof. The family are among the most
highly esteemed members of the Methodist church and are
well known to all the residents of this thriving town.
In politics Mr. Ott is a firm supporter of the
principles of the Republican party.
Source: A Centennial
Biographical History of Richland and Ashland County,
Ohio - Publ. 1901 - Page 370 |
David Ozier and Family
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DAVID OZIER
is engaged in the banking business at Shiloh. The
institution with which he is connected, the Exchange
Bank, is regarded as one of the reliable financial
concerns in this part of the county, owing to the well
known business ability of the proprietor.
Mr. Ozier was born in Mansfield Sept. 24,
1832, and when three years of age accompanied his
parents on their removal to Mifflin, Ashland county.
After a short time spent there, however, the family
returned to Richland county, where our subject was
reared until his sixteenth year, acquiring his education
in the common schools. At the age of sixteen he
started out in life on his own account and has since
depended upon his own resources for all that he has
acquired and enjoyed of this world's goods. Going
to West Unity, Ohio, he served a six-months apprenticship
at the shoemaker's trade and then returned to Richland
county, locating at Olivesburg, where he worked for
three years as a farm hand. Subsequently he
devoted a year to shoemaking and then entered into
partnership with his
brother Nelson for the purpose of dealing in cattle and
other live stock. They disposed of their stock in the
New Jersey markets and conducted a stock farm at Rome,
in Blooming Grove township. For thirty years the
business relations between the brothers was continued
with excellent success. They handled between eight
and fifteen thousand sheep each summer and also sold
large numbers of cattle. The enterprise proved
very successful and brought the partners an excellent
financial return. For three years he walked from
here to New Jersey driving sheep. These trips
required sixty days to make the trip with the sheep.
He also put in two winters driving hogs from here to
Buffalo. These trips required forty-two days.
He received for this service fifty cents per day.
In 1873 Mr. Ozier removed to Shiloh, but
continued in the stock business until 1888, when he went
into partnership with John Smith and
established the Exchange Bank of Shiloh. Four
years later he purchased Mr. Smith's
interest and has since carried on banking alone.
On the 12th of August, 1859, occurred the marriage of
Mr. Ozier to Miss Catherine
Snapp. They have two children: Charles
who is a member of the Independent Oil Company of
Bloomington, Illinois; and Cora, the wife of
Frank Armstrong, with whom and their four
children she made, in 1900, a tour of the European
countries. Mr. Ozier is a Republican
who believes firmly in the principles of protection,
expansion and in the gold standard. His success in
business indicates his accurate and reliable methods and
demonstrates the possibilities that lie before men who
have the will and dare to do.
Source: A
Centennial Biographical History of Richland and Ashland
County, Ohio - Publ. 1901 - Page 208 |
Nelson Ozier |
NELSON OZIER.
It becomes the duty of every American citizen upon
attaining his majority
to support in one way and another the constitution of
the United States. By exercising his privilege of
voting he evinces his fealty to his country and his
pride in its citizenship. In this respect Mr.
Ozier has never failed to show his loyalty, and
as an uncompromising Republican has taken a most active
part in local and county matters in behalf of his party
and friends. He has himself been honored with
public office and is now serving for the second time as
the postmaster of Mansfield. He is an ardent
adherent of the principles incorporated in the platform
of the Republican party and has served long and
faithfully in the ranks of the organization, resolutely
following in the footsteps of the leaders and ever
evincing that intelligent discrimination and integrity
which marked the supporters of Republicanism and
maintained the high standard adopted at the inception of
the party.
Mr. Ozier is also widely known as a
pioneer and prominent and successful business man of
Richland county. He was born in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, on the 4th of January, 1823, and is a son
of Stephen and Margaret (Nichols)
Ozier. His father was born in Delaware and
died in Richland county, Ohio, at the age of fifty-two
years, having been a resident of the county from 1824.
His wife was a native of Belmont, Washington county,
Pennsylvania, and her death occurred in this county,
when she had attained the age of seventy-two years.
They were the parents of four sons and three daughters,
but of the family only two, David and Nelson,
are now living.
The latter pursued his education in the primitive
schools of Richland county and was reared amid the wild
scenes of the frontier, early becoming familiar with the
arduous duties and labors of farm life at that early
period. He was a youth of only about ten summers
when his father died, after which he aided in supporting
his mother and the family. His early business
efforts were in the line of buying stock and wool, in
which enterprise he continued
from 1848 until 1863. For twenty years he was
associated in partnership with his brother David,
who is now engaged in the banking business in Shiloh,
Ohio. The conditions attending stock-dealing at
that time were very different from the present, when
horses, cattle, hogs and sheep are loaded into cars and
shipped to every part of the country. Mr.
Ozier has driven sheep from this county to New
Jersey, taking sixty days to make the trip, often having
charge of from one to two thousand head. He has
also driven hogs from this county to Buffalo, forty days
being consumed upon the road. In his business
affairs, however, he prospered. He made judicious
investments in stock and profitable sales. His
excellent judgment enabled him to quickly determine upon
the good qualities of the animals and his familiarity
with the market enabled him to dispose of them at a time
when he could realize upon his investment.
From the organization of the party Mr. Ozier
has been a stalwart Republican, unswerving in his
allegiance to the principles which have upbuilded the
nation along all lines of advancement. In 1863,
unsolicited by him, he received the nomination for
sheriff and was elected to that office by a majority of
three hundred. when the county usually gave a Democratic
majority of from fifteen to eighteen hundred. His
election was a tribute to his personal worth, his
ability and popularity. He served for one term
during the troublous times of the Civil war and was
perfectly fearless, prompt and decided in the discharge
of his duties. He was a warm personal friend and
admirer of Senator Sherman, and as a
member of the convention he gave his influence and aid
toward securing his nomination for his first term in
congress, the convention being held in Shelby, Richland
county, in 1854. At that time the congressional district
gave a usual Democratic majority of three thousand.
but Mr. Ozier and others labored
untiringly for the interests of their friend who was
destined to occupy so prominent a place in the political
councils of the nation, and he was elected by a majority
of twenty-five hundred. Ever afterward our subject
continued earnest in his support of the Ohio statesman
and took an active interest in securing for him the
large vote he polled in this locality. When
Benjamin Harrison was elected to the
presidency Mr. Ozier was appointed by him
to the office of postmaster of Mansfield. In
March, 1898, he was again appointed postmaster of
Mansfield by President McKinley, and entered upon
the duties of the office in April, so that he is the
present incumbent. He has made one of the best
postmasters that Mansfield has ever had, has increased
the business of the office in volume, has improved its
methods and has made marked advancement in its
administration along many lines.
In 1852 Mr. Ozier was happily married to
Miss Margaret J. Snapp, who was born in Virginia.
Her father, Peter Snapp, also a native of
the Old Dominion, was a stalwart Democrat, and at one
time was a county commissioner of Richland county.
He died in Rome, Ohio, at the age of seventy-six years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ozier have one child, Fred S. They
occupy a pleasant home in Mansfield and also own the old
family homestead at Rome.
Mrs. Ozier is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church and is an estimable lady.
Mr. Ozier is public-spirited in an
eminent degree. National progress and local
advancement are causes both dear to the heart of this
thoroughly loyal son of the republic. His devotion
to his country is above question and his labors have
contributed in a large measure to the welfare and
progress of his adopted county. In manner he is
pleasant and genial, an approachable gentleman who
enjoys the friendship of a large circle of
acquaintances. It is not alone because of special
prominence in public affairs that he has and is justly
entitled to the respect and confidence of his fellow
men, for his personal qualities are such as to make men
esteem and honor him.
Source: A
Centennial Biographical History of Richland and Ashland
County, Ohio - Publ. 1901 - Page 272 |
NOTES:
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