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Source:
History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County
with
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of
Pioneer and Prominent Public Men
by C. W. Williamson
Columbus, Ohio
Press of W. M. Linn & Sons
1905
BIOGRAPHIES
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Duchouquet Twp. -
GEN. GEO. W. ANDREWS was born in Medina,
Orleans County, New York, Sept. 1, 1825. He is the son of
Joel and Anne (Lewis) Andrews. His father was a
Quaker, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits. His
grandfather, on the maternal side, John Lewis, was a
major in the Revolutionary army, and was a descendant of the
Lewis family of Rhode Island, who, as Baptists, took a
prominent part in the religious controversies of the Roger
Williams period. The earlier culture of the General
was received at the Quaker institution, "Nine Partners'
College," in Duchess County, New York, and in Oberlin
University, of Ohio. At the age of eighteen, he began the
study of law at Granville, Licking County, and in 1845 was
admitted to the bar at Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio. He
subsequently entered the practice of his profession at Lima,
Allen County, and was at once elected prosecuting attorney.
During his stay of three years at this place, he established and
edited the "Lima Argus" with marked ability. In
148k he came to Wapakoneta, and established the "Auglaize
Republican." The same year he was elected prosecuting
attorney, and was re-elected in 1850. In 1856, he was
elected to the lower branch of the Legislature, and was
re-elected in 1858 and 1860. In 1861, at the request of
Governor Dennison, he left the Legislature, and returned
home, and within two days raised a company of volunteers, and
entered the service with the commission of captain. He was
afterward successively promoted to the rank of major,
lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and brevet brigadier-general.
In 1864 he left the service, after an honorable career as a
soldier, and resumed the practice of his profession. In
1873 he was elected to the State Senate, and upon the
organization was made chairman of the committees on "Judiciary"
and on "Military Affairs," and a member of the committees on
"Public Works," "Fees and Salaries," "Soldiers' and Sailors'
Orphans' Home," and "Privileges and Elections." He has
been a distinguished member of the bar, and has conducted to
successful issues many important cases, while, as an official,
he has a record free from blemish; having often, under difficult
circumstances, labored successfully for the interests of his
constituency, and the welfare of the general community. In
1875 he was re-elected to the Senate. He is still engaged
in the practice of his profession at Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County - by C.
W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn & Sons -
1905 - Page 126 |
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Duchouquet Twp. -
COL.
GEORGE W. ANDREWS was born in Medina, Orleans county, New
York, Sept. 1st, 1825. His father, Joel Andrews,
was a Quaker, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits.
His grandfather on the maternal side, John Lewis, was a
Major in the Revolutionary army, and was a descendant of the
Lewis
family of Rhode Island, who, as Baptists, took a prominent part in
the religious controversies of the Robert Williams
period. The early education of Andrews was received
at "Nine Partners' College," in Duchess county, New York.
He was also an attendant at Oberlin College for a brief period.
At the age of eighteen he began the study of law at Granville,
Ohio, and in 1845 was admitted to the bar at Norwalk, Ohio.
Subsequently he entered the practice of his profession at Lima,
Allen County, and was at once elected prosecuting attorney.
Within the three years of his residence at Lima, he established
and edited the "Lima Argus." In 1848, he moved to
Wapakoneta, and established the "Auglaize Republican." He
was elected prosecuting attorney in 1848, and re-elected in
1850. In 1873 he was elected to the senate of the
Legislature, and was re-elected in 1875. In 1861, at the
request of
Governor Dennison, he left the Legislature, and returned home,
and within two days raised a company of volunteers, and entered
the service with the commission of captain. He was
afterward successively promoted to the rank of major, lieutenant
colonel and colonel. In 1864 he left the service and
resumed the practice of his profession. In 1873 he was
elected to the State Senate in which he served two terms.
After his retirement from the Senate, he resumed the practice of
law until 1885. During the last two years of his life he
was a sufferer from lung disease of which he died Nov. 28th,
1887.
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County - by
C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn & Sons -
1905 - Page 622 |
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St. Mary's Twp. -
THE ARMSTRONGS.
This hardy pioneer family moved to the army post at St. Mary's
in 1818. Judge John Armstrong came up from
Greenville, Ohio, in June of that year and built a cabin
on the west branch of the St. Mary's River. Like the other
pioneers, he appropriated a portion of the land that had been
cleared by the armies stationed at the post. A number of
good horses that he brought with him were all stolen by the
Indians. Of all those who moved into the township in that
year, and for several years afterward, Judge Armstrong
was the man of courage, good sense, and integrity. These
traits of character were soon recognized, and he thereby became
the master spirit of the community and of Mercer county.
Judge Phelps, in his History of Mercer County, says, "So
late as 1836, where I came here, Judge Armstrong was the
man of most force, largest influence, and best informed citizen
whom I met. He was during the latter years of his life and
at the time of his death, judge. He died in 1839."
David Armstrong, son of Judge Armstrong,
was born in Virginia in 1800. A few years after his birth
the family moved to Jackson county, Ohio, and five years later
to Greenville, Ohio. When the Edsalls came up from
Greenville in 1818, David Armstrong accompanied them.
His citizenship, of the township and town, dates from that
summer. He immediately entered upon a business career, which
terminated only at his death at the early age of thirty-three
years. He and his father engaged in boat building, and
boating, between St. Mary's and Fort Wayne. In the
meantime Judge Armstrong purchased a farm southwest of
St. Mary's, ever since known as the Armstrong farm.
David and his cousin William Armstrong for a time did
a large business int eh purchase and transportation of goods
from Dayton to Fort Wayne and Defiance. The goods were
transported on wagons from Dayton to St. Mary's, where they were
loaded on perouges and floated down the river. The
boat-yard was located on the hill in front of where the Fountain
Hotel stands. In 1825 David Armstrong was elected
county auditor of Mercer county. In 1827 his cousin
William Armstrong was also elected auditor of the county.
After retiring from office David resumed his former
occupation, but it was a hard life, and his naturally strong
constitution gave way from exposure, and he died in 1833, at the
age of thirty-five years. His only brother joined the gold
hunters in 1849, crossed the plains to California, where he died
in 1852. Of his sisters, Nancy married John
Blew; Polly married Richard R. Barington; Rebecca,
who never married, and Sarah, who married William
Armstrong, her cousin.
David Armstrong's wife,
Eleanor Scott, died in 1852. Two children were born to
them, Harry, who died in 1849. and David, Jr.
David Armstrong, Jr., was born Sept. 28, 1833.
His first school days were passed in the typical log school
house, in which he obtained such an education as the times
afforded. "He has a distinct recollection of St. Mary's as
it used to be in his childhood days - a roughly built hamlet,
with but few houses, and those constituted mostly of logs - and
is familiar with every stage of the city's development, from the
days when the Indians used to frequent the little village to the
present."
"Mr. Armstrong spent the early part of his life
on a farm. In 1855 he secured a position as clerk in a
store in St. Mary's. Five years later he embarked in the
dry goods business for himself, beginning on a small scale, and
for forty-eight years has been the leading dry goods merchant of
his native city.
Mr. Armstrong was married in 1854 to Miss
Fredonia C. Rankin, a native of St. Mary's. She died
in 1864, after a happy wedded life of ten years, leaving one
child, R. H. Armstrong, who is at the present time a
prosperous boot and shoe merchant of St. Mary's.
Mr. Armstrong was married a second time to
Miss Henrietta Carr, a native of Indiana. Of this
marriage two children have been born, Nellie, the
deceased wife of J. S. Stout, and Lillian, at home
with her parents.
William Armstrong married Miss Sarah
Armstrong, his cousin, daughter of Judge
Armstrong. Of this union four children were born:
Elvira, who married Augustus Dieker;
Rebecca, who married John Keller; John
Armstrong and Elza.
Elza Armstrong was the fourth white child
born at St. Mary's, and is the oldest white person living, born
in the town. He is at the present time (1905)
Superintendent of the Children's Home at Athens, Ohio.
Elza relates a thrilling experience that his
father had with an Indian about 1831. "Elza was
playing with a large dog in front of their house in St. Mary's,
when an Indian on a pony came along and made an attempt to run
over Elza, when the dog seized the pony by the nose,
thereby throwing the Indian. This enraged the savage to
such a degree that he attempted to kill the dog. Elza's
father interfered, and in the melee the Indian lost his upper
teeth and received many sore bruises, when he withdrew.
The chagrin and ill will of the Indian were so great that Mr.
Armstrong was never afterward safe in his presence unless
armed. The enmity of the Indian continued until some one
told him that his enemy, the white man, wore a pair of blue
glasses through which he could see a great distance, and that
the Indian would be in danger a mile away. This frightened
the savage, and he immediately sought the white man and made
friends with him."
Source: History of
Western Ohio & Auglaize County - by C. W. Williamson -
Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn & Sons - 1905 - Page 673 |
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