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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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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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Jackson Twp. -
JOHN LAUFERSWEILER, hardware and general provision merchant, is
one of the thorough-going, progressive men of Minster and has
done much to promote the business interests of the town.
That which has contributed largely to his success has been the
thoroughly reliable and methodical business principles which
have governed his dealing in all transactions and established
for him the popular favor which strict probity alone can secure,
his motto being: "Honorable representation and fair
treatment to all." What he has accumulated in the way of
this world's goods is the result of his own exertions, in he
started at the bottom of the latter. He was born in
Prussia, Germany, on the 25th of April, 1844, and his parents,
Peter and Anna M. (Friederick) Laufersweiler, were also
natives of the old country.
The father was a cabinet maker and carpenter by trade,
and he remained in his native country until July, 1847, when he
sailed with his family from Antwerp to New York, reaching the Land
of the Free in about three weeks. They came via the Lakes
to Toledo, Ohio, and thence by canal to Minster. Mr.
Laufersweiler purchased about ten acres of land between
Minster and New Bremen, and here he worked at his trace until
quite aged. He died in 1880, when seventy-seven years of
age, and the mother on the 10th of August, 1867, at the age of
sixty years. Both were members of the Catholic Church.
Seven of the twelve children born to them grew to maturity, and
one, a daughter, died on the ocean.
The subject of this sketch was three years of age when
he crossed the ocean to America, and his educational facilities
in youth were rather limited. This he remedied in a
measure by attending evening school after reaching the age of
eighteen. He remained with his parents, assisting in
cultivating the small farm, until grown, and was on the tow-path
for six months, the canal passing within a few rods of their
home. When about sixteen years of age, he drove the United
States mil from New Bremen to Piqua for eight months, and when
nineteen years of age he served an apprenticeship at the
tinner's trade for two and a half years in Minster. In
1866, he purchased an interest in the hardware business, managed
this for about ten years, and in 1876 purchased his partner's
interest and became sole proprietor. In 1880, he erected a
large two-story brick block, in which he has since conducted
business, and now carries a large and complete stock of
hardware. He is highly popular and enjoys an extensive
acquaintance and patronage within the city and surroundings.
To his hardware stock he has added groceries and provisions and
buys country produce.
In the year 1867, our subject was wedded to Miss
Agnes Sprehe, of Minster, Ohio, who died in 1882.
Eight children were the fruit of this union: Josephene,
Bemodine (deceased), Charles, Joseph, Frank (deceased),
Cecelia, Katie, and Laurens (deceased). In 1885,
Mr. Laufersweiler was married to Miss Anna Schmueckner
of Covington, Ky., and three children have been born to them:
Ida, Loretta and Olive. A Democrat in his
political affiliations, Mr. Laufersweiler has ever been
prominent and influential in local politics. He has been a
delegate to county and district conventions, has served as Clerk
of the town for eight years, a member of the Council for two
years, Mayor eight years and Treasurer for three years.
Thus it may be seen that he is well informed on political and
general topics and is a prominent political factor, not only in
the township, but in the county. He and Mrs.
Laufersweiler are members of the Catholic Church.
Our subject is a stockholder in the Citizens' Bank and
a Director in the same. He was appointed Notary Public in
1884, and was reappointed by Governor Campbell, in 1890.
He owns stock in the minster Cooperage Company, of which he has
been president since its formation. He is also president
of, and a stockholder in the Minster Manufacturing Company.
In 1866, Mr. Laufersweiler engaged in business seven
dollars worse off than nothing, for he was seven dollars in debt
when he purchased a half interest n the stock. He has met
with unusually good luck and has always contributed his share
towards the advancement and improvement of the town. He
has been Secretary of the Building and Loan Association of this
place for twenty years.
(From Portrait and Biographical Record.)
Source: History of Western Ohio &
Auglaize County - by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio -
Press of W. M. Linn & Sons - 1905 - Page 846 |
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Duchouquet Twp. -
MRS. SARAH WHITNEY LAYTON was born in
Shelby township, Orleans county, New York, May 17, 1825.
Her father, James Whitney, moved to Adrian, Michigan,
when she was three years old. Prior to moving to Adrian he
purchased a large tract of land adjoining the town. That
portion of Michigan in 1828 was inhabited by various tribes of
Indians. Mrs. Layton remembers that the Indians
came to Adrian in the fall to trade, and that they camped on her
father's farm. She also remembers that a tribe of Indians
camped one fall near the village, and that they all became
intoxicated in the afternoon and evening except Indian Jack,
who was placed on duty to see that no acts of violence were
committed. John Jackson, a lawless character of
Adrian, with a few of his comrades, crossed the river in the
evening to visit the Indian carousal then in progress.
Soon after reaching the encampment Jackson got into an
altercation with Indian Jack, which resulted in his
striking the Indian on the right temple, killing him instantly.
Jackson escaped to one of the extreme western
territories, where he supposed he was safe from Indian
vengeance. In after years, when the Indians moved West,
Jackson was located and killed by them.
James Whitney resided on his farm near Adrian
until 1833, when he sold it and moved to Nottawa, St. Joseph
county, and purchased eight hundred acres of land near Sand
Lake. Here he resided until 1839, when he sold his
property and moved to Logan township, Auglaize county, Ohio,
where he resided until his death, which occurred August 28,
1851.
After moving to Nottawa Sarah was sent back to
Adrian to attend school, and remained there until the family
moved to Auglaize county, when she left school and accompanied
them. After remaining with the family for five years on
what is now known as the Gochenour farm, she returned to
Adrian, to complete her education. After an attendance of
nearly three years at school, she sent for her brother and
accompanied him on a packet boat from Toledo to St. Mary's, it
not being considered safe in those days for girls to travel
alone. When they arrived at St. Mary's, they stopped at
John J. Rickley's hotel and made inquiry for a school.
Teachers were scarce and in demand at that time. Within a
few days, forty pupils were secured at two dollars per pupil.
After a visit of five weeks with her parents, she returned to
St. Mary's and taught the subscription school for three months.
Her services having been satisfactory to her patrons, she was
re-employed for the winter term. An attack of typhoid
fever, however, prevented her from fulfilling her engagement.
The year following her recovery from typhoid fever she was
invited to take charge of a subscription school to be taught in
the old Methodist church in Wapakoneta. John Nichols
and James Skinner each paid the tuition of a pupil, as
they said, "to have another young lady in town."
She came to Wapakoneta in 1849, and boarded with
John J. Rickley, who had been elected county treasurer of
Auglaize county. Mrs. Layton states that the old
church in which she taught was built mainly by James Elliott,
in 1838. "It was a pretty good building for the time, but
quite unpretentious in appearance. But it proved to be a
very useful church, as it was used by all the Protestant
denominations in town for years, and also for school and court."
At the close of a three months' term at Wapakoneta, she
engaged to teach a term of school in what was then known as the
Crow Settlement. Her reputation as an efficient teacher,
by that time, became known all over the county. She
received more invitations to teach than she could accept.
A Methodist protracted meeting was held in that neighborhood
during the winter at which time she joined that denomination,
and of which she has been a consistent member for more than
fifty years. She next taught a term of school in the Burke
district, five miles north of Wapakoneta. In 1850 she
taught school in the Berryman district, near Fort Amanda.
The school was considered a hard one to govern, and she was
employed to teach it on account of her known ability as a
disciplinarian. It is needless to say that she taught the
school to the satisfaction of her patrons. The
Whetstones, Berrymans, and Richardsons were among the
patrons of the school. One of the incidents that she
recalls to mind is that Russell Berryman came into the
schoolhouse on Christmas Day, carrying a three-bushel bag filled
with delicious apples, and emptied them on the middle of the
floor, and invited the teacher and their children to help
themselves. This was her last term of school. In
May, 1851, she was married to W. V. M. Layton of this
county. To them were born five sons and one daughter as
follows: Cyrenius A., Florence, Otho, Clarence, Bernard,
and Leslie. Bernard is the only surviving
member.
Colonel Layton died in 1879, since which time
she has resided on West Benton street. She has been a
dutiful wife and an indulgent mother, beloved by all her
children.
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County
- by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M.
Linn & Sons - 1905 - Page 634 |
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Pusheta Twp. -
JOHN LENOX, one of the early pioneer of
Pusheta township, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, Oct. 18,
1809. When he was two years old his father moved to Shelby
county, Ohio and settled near Sidney. The family suffered
all the privations and dangers peculiar to that turbulent time.
Six thousand Indians were encamped around the Indian agency at
Piqua from 1812 to 184. It was not until after of the
Thames that any pioneer north of Dayton could consider himself
safe from marauding Indians.
Feb. 14, 1833, Mr. Lenox, having accumulated one
hundred dollars, attended the public land sale at Wapakoneta.
Having made a memorandum of a number of desirable tracts of
land, he bid on each one in succession, as it was presented by
Van Horn, the auctioneer and was over-bid in each
instance, until the last tract on his list was reached. He
bid one hundred dollars for the east half of the southeast
quarter of section twenty-three, and was again over-bid; at that
moment his father-in-law, Ebenezer Stevens, tapped him on
the shoulder and told him to bid higher, that he would be
responsible for the additional cost. After a few more bids
Mr. Lenox was declared the purchaser. It would be
difficult to convince any person of the present day that the
purchase was not the best one that he could have made. He
afterward became the owner of two hundred acres of land.
Immediately after the purchase of his land he moved into an
Indian cabin, that was so small that it became necessary when he
had company to move the chairs and table out of the building to
make room for beds on the floor.
Mr. Lenox was three times married. His
first wife, Miss Hettie Stevens was a daughter of
Ebenezer Stevens, of Shelby county; of this marriage ten
children were born. Two years after her death he married
Miss Jane Bailey who died in 1847. For his third
wife he married Miss Catherine Noble a sister of Henry
Noble, one of the pioneers of Noble township of this county.
No children were born of the second and third marriages.
Mr. Lenox was a man of influence in his township
during his time, and could always be depended upon as a promoter
of measures for the public welfare. He was always a stanch
supporter of public schools, and a liberal contributor to the
support of the ministry, and the erection of churches. He
lived to see a beautiful and productive country develop from the
dense forest into which he had moved, and in his old age was
permitted to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
He died Feb. 14, 1891.
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize
County - by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of
W. M. Linn & Sons - 1905 - Page 753 |
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Duchouquet Twp. -
BENJAMIN LINZEE,
Judge of the Probate Court of Auglaize county, was born in
Athens, this State, September 24, 1828. He is the son of
Robert and Electa (Reynolds) Linzee, natives,
respectively of Virginia and New York states. His paternal
grandfather, William Linzee, who was born in Belfast,
Ireland, emigrated to this country as early as 1769, at which
time he located in Virginia. He came to this country on
the same vessel as did Colonel Crawford, the latter of
whom located in Pennsylvania.
"William Linzee was a farmer by occupation, and
had but one brother. The father of our subject came to
this State in 1792, and put on the first shingled roof in the
State of Ohio, the work being done for Colonel Putnam at
Marietta. He also constructed the first macadamized road
in the State, which was completed in 1818, and led from Athens
to Marietta. At the time of accepting the contract for
this work, he was only eighteen years of age, but a first-class
carpenter.
"Robert Linzee, on removing to Hocking Valley,
cleared up a farm in that section, where he resided until
October, 1831, which was the date of his removal with his family
to St. Mary's, Auglaize county. Here he located on the
north side of the Reservoir, where he was residing at the time
of his decease, which occurred Jan. 31, 1851. His wife,
who had borne him five children, preceded him to the
better land by a number of years, having died in February, 1832.
"Judge Benjamin Linzee is the eldest of the
three surviving children of the parental family, his brother and
sister being Andrew J., and Ruth, Mrs. D. Riley.
He was a lad of nine years, when he was brought to this
county, and was reared to manhood by his father, his mother
having died when he was quite young. He carried on his
primary studies in the best schools which that day afforded,
supplementing the knowledge gained therein, however, by a course
in a select school at Piqua.
"He of whom we write grew to manhood on his father's
farm, which he aided in clearing and placing under excellent
farm, which he aided in clearing and placing under excellent
tillage. When reaching his majority, he left the parental
roof, and when twenty-three years of age was elected to the
responsible position of treasurer of Mercer county, the duties
of which office he performed most acceptably for nine years.
Coming to Wapakoneta in 1867, Mr. Linzee embarked in the
hardware business, which branch of mercantile trade he followed
for three successive years. Then, determining to make the
profession of law his calling in life, he read law under the
most eminent jurists of the place, and in 1882 was admitted to
the bar. He practiced his profession successfully until
1888, when he was elected to his present office, which position
he has filled with credit to himself and satisfaction to the
public. Judge Linzee is one of the oldest citizens
in the county, and is well and favorably known throughout its
boundary.
"In 1848 Frances Timmonds, who was born Aug. 5,
1831, became the wife of our subject, and of their union have
been born two children, only one of whom is living, Katherine,
the widow of Rev. I. G. Hall. In social matters,
the Judge is a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, and being a man of strong convictions, does not
hesitate to express them freely and frankly with all the vigor
he can command. The usual amount of praise and
fault-finding has been measured out to him as Judge, but his
character as a man of honor, integrity, and public spirit has
never been questioned."
After the publication of the foregoing sketch in the
Biographical Record of Auglaize, Logan, and Shelby Counties,
Judge Linzee completed his nine years of service as
Probate Judge, when he resumed his law practice.
Three years ago (1900) he withdrew from practice, and since that
time has given his attention to the cultivation of his farm and
to his oil interests.
Source 1: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County -
by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn &
Sons - 1905 - Page 636 |
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Wayne Twp. -
SAMUEL LOWMAN was born in Virginia in
1807. His parents moved to Champaign county, Ohio, when he
was fourteen years old. He experienced all the hardships
of a pioneer life having helped to clear his father's farm, and
after his marriage cleared one for himself. In 1829 he
married Miss Mary A. Plummer of Clark county, Ohio.
Five years later he moved to Wayne township and entered eighty
acres of land in section 3. Wayne township was at that
time a portion of Allen county, between places called in early
times, "Devil's half acre," and "Devil's backbone." The
former place was so named on account of the swampy nature of the
land, over which an extensive log bridge was built. The
latter name was given to a narrow, gravelly ridge, remarkable
for its geological structure, and of only sufficient width for a
wagon road. He erected a log house on the only traveled
road at that time, leading to Bellefontaine. This house,
being the only one for many miles on that road line, became a
stopping place for travelers.
Mr. Lowman was a man of strong sense, strict
integrity, and marked force of character. He died Feb.
6th, 1904.
Source: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County - by
C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn & Sons -
1905 - Page 744 |
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WILLIAM LUSK,
son of Charles and Anna Lusk, was born in Virginia July
14th, 1817, and when about eighteen years of age came with his
parents to this county. He had very limited educational
opportunities in the old State, and here it fell to his lot to
work rather than attend school. The father was a strict
temperance man, and the son became likewise an advocate of
sobriety, and, notwithstanding the influences by which he was
surrounded during his youth when liquor was a factor in the
fields, he is able to say that he has never used intoxicating
liquor during his whole life. In 1833 he united with the
Methodist Episcopal church, and in 1859 was licensed as a local
minister, which relation he sustained until the present time.
From 1839 to 1845 he lived in Missouri, but returned to Auglaize
county at the latter date, where he has since resided. He
owns a large tract of land, west of St. Johns, on which he has
built for himself an elegant residence. The upright life
that he has lived commands the respect of all who known him.
Source 1: History of Western Ohio & Auglaize County -
by C. W. Williamson - Columbus, Ohio - Press of W. M. Linn &
Sons - 1905 - Page 722 |
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