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Source:
History of Auglaize County, Ohio
- with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement
of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880
BIOGRAPHIES
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Pusheta Twp. -
LAWRENCE SAMMETINGER was born in Bavaria
July 5, 1815. In 1835 he came to America with his father's
family, and settled in what is now Auglaize County. During
his residence here he has constantly resided upon the farm now
occupied in Pusheta township. In 1863 he was elected
county commissioner, which office he held the ensuing nine
years. In 1863 he was also elected a justice of the peace,
in which capacity he served twelve years. He was married
Dec. 23, 1839, to Miss Rosanna Schurr. Their family
consisted of ten children, as follows: Barbara M.,
Christina R., Mary R., Catharine E., John, George M., William
L., John W., Christian F., and Lawrence C., six of
whom are still living. Mr. Sammetinger still holds
a commanding influence in his community.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio
- with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the
County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 170 |
St. Marys Twp. -
HON. WM. SAWYER commenced work as a
blacksmith's apprentice in Dayton in 1816, when fifteen years of
age. After learning the trade he worked at Dayton and
Grand Rapids, Michigan, but in 1829 came to Miamisburg, O., and
established himself in business. During his residence here
he served five terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, and
became Speaker of the House during 1835-6. In 1838 and '40
he was a candidate for Congress, but was defeated by Patrick
G. Goode. In 1843 he moved to St. Marys, and the next
year was elected to Congress and reelected in 1846. In
1850 he served as member of the Constitutional Convention, and
in Oct. 1855, was elected to the House of Representatives from
Auglaize County. The same year he was appointed Receiver
of the Land Office for the Ottertail District of Minnesota by
President Pierce, and reappointed by President Buchanan,
and served until the inauguration of President Lincoln.
In 1869 he was appointed a Trustee of the Ohio Agricultural and
Mechanical College by Governor Hayes. He also
served as Mayor and Justice of the Peace in St. Marys during a
long series of years.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 153 |
Pusheta Twp. -
CONRAD SCHEMMEL came from Germany in 1832,
and settled in this county. He served as a justice of the
peace twenty-one years, and died at the age of seventy-eight
years. His son George, who was the only violinist
in the county, died at the age of forty-three. Charles
and Rudolph J. now occupy the old place.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio
- with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the
County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 170 |
Moulton Twp. -
THOMAS SCHOONOVER was born in Tioga
County, N. Y., in 1827, and came to this county in 1836.
He followed blacksmithing a number of years in St. Mary-s, and
afterwards moved on his farm in Moulton township, where he now
lives.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio
- with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the
County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 200 |
Douhouque Twp. -
M. N. SHAW, son of Neal Shaw, came
with his father to this township in 1832. This being
previous to the removal of the Indians, he refers to that event
as the most beautiful scene he ever witnessed. He
distinctly remembers the chief, Joseph Parks, who had
charge of the tribe. The money on this occasion was
conveyed in a wagon drawn by four fine horses, richly
caparisoned. A white man named Thomas Elliott was
the driver. He accompanied the Indians to Kansas, where he
married the chief's daughter. About 28 years later their
son visited his father's people at Wapakoneta, but could not be
induced to associate with the young people of the town. He
was perhaps the last descendant of the tribe who visited the old
home. The parting scene when the Indians took leave of the
few whites was solemn and affecting. When he came to
Wapakoneta, it contained but three white families, among whom
was Peter Hammel, who had been a trader among the Indians
for twenty years prior to this time. He has been told by
the Indians that the grave of the chief Wapakoneta is on the
site now occupied by the residence of D. Kritzer or
Mr. Happ.
Source: History of
Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian History of Wapakoneta,
and the First Settlement of the County. - Wapakoneta: Robert
Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 132 |
Ducbouque Twp. -
NEAL SHAW, the father of William H.
Shaw, came to this township in 1833. William H.
was born in Virginia in 1807, and came here in 1834.
He married Elizabeth Lurton in 1837. Their family
consisted of ten children. He still resides on the land he
first purchased near Cridersville. His father was,
perhaps, the first white settler in the northern part of the
township. The road leading from Wapakoneta to Lima was
opened after he came to the township. He was the teacher
of the first schools in the neighborhood. John
Alexander was the first minister he heard preach in the
neighborhood. Mr. Shaw has held different township
offices, and is now justice of the peace, and, although advanced
in years, is still active in the management of his farm and
office.
Source: History of
Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian History of Wapakoneta,
and the First Settlement of the County. - Wapakoneta: Robert
Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 130 |
Duchouquest Twp. -
JAMES H. SKINNER, son of Robert J.
Skinner, was born in 1822, in Dayton, Ohio. He moved
with his parents to Piqua in 1830, and to Wapakoneta in 1832.
At the age of seventeen he helped to lay out the Miami Canal in
the vicinity of St. Mary's. He was postmaster o
Wapakoneta while he was yet quite young, and afterwards kept a
grocery until the spring of 1852, when he sold out and went to
California, where he stayed during 1852 and 1853. Mr.
Skinner returned in 1854, and was ticket agent at Delphos in
1855. In 1856 he was a cattle dealer, and in 1857 he
worked in the office of the Auditor of Auglaize County. He
was elected Recorder in 1860, and re-elected in 1863.
After his second term had expired in 1866 he went into the
banking business, and he continued in that business until his
death, which occurred on the 6th of November, 1878.
Source: History of Auglaize
County, Ohio - with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the
First Settlement of the County. - Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton,
Publisher - 1880 - Page 136 |
Duchouquet Twp.
ROBERT J. SKINNER. Among the early
and most respected citizens of Wapakoneta was Robert J.
Skinner, who established the first Democratic paper
published in Dayton, Ohio, the first number of which was issued
in December, 1816. This paper was continued by him until
1830, in which hear he removed to Piqua, and established in that
town the first Democratic press. In 1832, having received
the appointment from President Jackson of Receiver of the United
States Land Office, at Wapakoneta, he moved his family to that
town, and continued a resident of the place until June, 1849;
when being on a visit with part of his family at the house of a
married daughter of Dayton, himself, wife, daughter, and son,
composing all the visitors, were attacked with the cholera which
prevailed in the city at the time, and, during one week, the
four died of the disease. Mr. Skinner was a man of
positive character, of great enterprise, and a most useful
citizen. He represented Montgomery Co., of which Allen
County formed a part, in the General Assembly, at the sessions
of 1828-29.
Some of the residents of Wapakoneta, about the time
Mr. S. became a citizen of the place, were Col. T. B. Van
Horn, Register of Land Office, Peter Hammel (a French
Indian trader), Captain John Elliott, who was an officer
at Hull's surrender, and had been a number of years
Government blacksmith at Wapakoneta, Jeremiah Ayres, Cummings
& Mathers, Samuel Case, James Elliott and H. B.
Thorn.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 135 |
HENRY SMITH was
born in Delaware. He came from Hamilton County, Ohio, to
St. Marys township in 1820-21. He married Elizabeth
Hinkle, and raised a family of eight children, all of whom
were born in the township of eight children, all of whom were
born in the township except one. They are all residents of
the county.
‡ Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 152 - St.
Marys Twp. |
Union Twp. -
ANDREW SPEES came to the township with his
father, Matthias Spees, in the spring of 1834. They
came from Ross County, and settled on the land he now occupies
in Sec. 18.
‡ Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 188 |
Union Twp. -
JONATHAN STILES was born in Vermont, and,
after various changes in N. Y. and Ohio, finally settled in
Union township, in this county, in 1835. He died in 1857.
His sons George and Elias still reside in this
county.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 187 |
St. Marys -
THOS. S. STURGEON was born in Pennsylvania
in 1803. His parents removed to Miami County in 1819.
In 1829 he married Mary D. Ross, and moved to this county
in January, 1830, and settled in St. Marys. After eighteen
months, he moved to his land adjoining town, where he resided
until his death in May, 1875. Mrs. Sturgeon died in
December, 1868. Three of the children still occupy the old
homestead. Previous to his death, Mr. Sturgeon
erected a very fine farm residence, which he lived to enjoy but
a short time. When he arrived in this township it was
almost a wilderness, inhabited by Indians, while his capital
amounted to fifty cents. Under these circumstances he knew
the hardships and difficulties incident to pioneer life.
During his entire life he enjoyed the respect of all with whom
he came in contact.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian
History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. -
Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page 150 |
NOTES:
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