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Source:
A Centennial
Biographical History
of
Crawford
County, Ohio
- ILLUSTRATED -
"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote
ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride
by remote generations."
- MACAULAY
Publ. Chicago:
The Lewis Publishing Company
1902
DANIEL BABS |
DANIEL BABST
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 398 |
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JACOB BABST |
JACOB BABST
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 84 |
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OBADIAH BANKS.
The family of Banks, which produced the well-known
resident of Texas township, Crawford county, Ohio, whose name is
the caption of this article, is the same old colonial family of
which the late General Nathaniel P. Banks, warrior and
statesman, was a representative. Obadiah Banks
comes of a good old New York family and was born in Cayuga
county, that state, November 29, 1834. His father, Rhesa
Banks, was born in Connecticut and married Lucinda
Mead, who bore him seven children, of whom the subject of
this sketch was the first in order of birth. Ursula and
Marion, twins, were next in order of birth and they are
both dead. The next born was Sybil, who has also passed
away. Their fifth child, Celestia, married Martin
Welsh The next in order of nativity was Ellen, who
is the wife of C. Jump, of Benton, Crawford county, Ohio.
Their youngest child, David, lives in Texas township,
Crawford county. In the course of events Mr. and
Mrs. Banks removed with their children to Crawford
county, Ohio, and settled in Texas township, where Mr.
Banks bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he
developed into a good farm and on which he spent the remainder
of his life, dying in 1885, at the age of seventy-five years.
His wife died ten years earlier. He was a man of prominence in
the township and was influential in public affairs and for a
time he ably filled the office of township trustee.
In 1854, when his parents located in Texas township,
Obadiah Banks was twenty years old. He remained with
his father, assisting him in the management of his farm until
June, 1864, when he married Miss Jane Mulsog,
by whom he has two children, Eva, who married C. H.
Miller, who is a school teacher at Bucyrus, Ohio:, and
Truman, who is a member of his father s household.
Soon after he was married Mr. Banks located on his
present farm, which has been his home since that time, except
for three years. He owns eighty acres of well improved land,
which he is cultivating profitably and is regarded as one of the
well-to-do farmers of the township. He has always taken a deep
interest in the causes of education and temperance and is a
member of the Prohibition party. That he is not without
considerable influence in local affairs will be Understood when
the fact is considered that he has held the office of constable
six years and has for four years been township trustee of Texas
township. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and
has always contributed liberally toward the maintenance of
Christian worship in his neighborhood. All in all he is a man of
much public spirit, who is ready at all times to assist any
measures which he deems likely to further the general
interests of his fellow citizens.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 819 |
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REV. JOHN BEAL.
The Rev. John Beal, whose life has been devoted to
agricultural pursuits and to spiritual work among his fellow
men, is a gentleman of wide influence, teaching by example as
well as precept of the development of one's higher nature
through the influences of Christianity. He was born in
Holmes township, this county, on the 9th of June, 1857, and is a
son of Conrad Beal, a native of Lycoming county,
Pennsylvania, who, after arriving at years of maturity, married
Elizabeth Wagner, and unto them were born the following
children: Daniel, of Bucyrus township; Magdeline,
wife of J. D. Durr; Solomon, of Chatfield township;
Lydia, wife of Samuel Shawl, of Liberty township;
Sophia, who married Jacob Berger, of Holmes township;
and John, of this review. It was in the year 1848
that Conrad Beal left his home in the Keystone state and
came to Crawford county, taking up his abode upon a farm in
Whetstone township, where he remained until 1854, when he
settled in Holmes township upon a farm of eighty acres now owned
by Jacob Meck. There he lived until 1869, when he
went to Chatfield township, purchasing two hundred and forty
acres of land, constituting the farm which is now owned by
Emanuel Kalb. There Mr. Beal continued to carry
on agricultural pursuits until his life's labors were ended in
death and he was called to the home beyond. He passed away
in October, 1895, at the age of seventy-one years, his birth
having occurred in 1824, and his wife died in 1900, at the age
of seventy-four. They were consistent Christian people,
holding membership with the Pietist church.
Rev. Beal, of this review, was a lad of twelve
summers when the family removed to Chatfield township. At
the age of eleven years he began working as a farm hand, and was
thus employed for two years, while throughout the remainder of
his minority he assisted his father in the work of the home
farm. His educational privileges were those afforded by
the common schools, but subsequent reading, study, experience
and investigation have broadened his mind, added to his store of
knowledge and made him a well-informed man.
On the 8th of August, 1880, Mr. Beal was united
in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Elizabeth Lust, a
daughter of Conrad Lust, and their marriage has been blessed
with the following children: Mattie, Laura E., John W.,
Frederick N., Reuben E., Jessie D. and Edna N.
Soon after their marriage Mr.
and Mrs. Beal began their domestic life upon her father's
farm, where they remained for five years, and in 1885 they came
to their present home in Chatfield township, where Mr. Beal
has made splendid improvements. He is carrying on general
farming and stock-raising with good success, his labors bringing
to him a desired financial reward. His progressive methods
are indicated in the attractive appearance of the place.
During the past eleven years he has also served as the minister
of the Pietist church, and his labors have been productive of
great good, as he has put forth strong efforts for the spiritual
advancement of the neighborhood. He votes with the
Democracy, and is known as a public-spirited citizen, deeply
interested in everything pertaining to the welfare of his native
county and contributing to its advancement along material,
social, intellectual or moral lines.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 463 |
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JAMES P. BEALL.
For almost half a century James Perry Beall has been a
resident of Crawford County, and throughout the greater part of
the period has been identified with agricultural pursuits, but
at the present time he is living retired. He has passed
the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, and in the
evening of life is enjoying a well earned rest - the fitting
crown of many years of labor.
He was born on a farm in Harrison county, Ohio, May 13,
1828, his parents being James Perry and Minerva (Huff) Beall.
The father was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1797,
and was a son of Colmore Beall, who was of Scotch
lineage. Representatives of the family have become very
numerous in the country since the first of the name took up his
abode in the Keystone state. The family there founded has
since scattered until it is now represented in various states of
the Union and its members have become prominent in business,
professional and political life. The father of our subject
was reared in the country of his nativity and was there married
to a Miss Albert, by whom he had two children - Zenas,
now deceased, and Mrs. Jane Chance, now a resident of
Todd township, Crawford county. The father was a farmer by
occupation. His first wife died in Pennsylvania and
afterward, when a young man of about twenty-seven years, he came
to Ohio, settling in Harrison county, where his father had
entered land from the government.
James P. Beall, Sr., settled in the midst of the
wild forest, becoming one of the pioneers of the county, where
he resided for thirty years. He then sold his property
there and came to Crawford county, where he resided until his
death, which occurred in 1870, when he was seventy-three years
of age. After taking up his abode in Harrison county he
had formed the acquaintance of Minerva Huff whom he
married. She was of a Virginian family and was born in the
Old Dominion. By her marriage she became the mother of ten
children: Casander, William, Elizabeth and Colmore,
all now deceased; James Perry, of this review; Cyrus,
who died while serving in the Union army during the Civil
war; Rebecca, deceased; John, who also died while
a Union soldier; Minerval deceased; and Zephaniah,
who also served in the Civil war and is now a resident of Fulton
county, Indiana. The mother died about 1874, at the age of
seventy-three years.
Mr. Beall, whose name forms the caption of this
review, was reared in Harrison county, Ohio, amid pioneer scenes
and privations, and was educated in the old primitive log school
house, which was built with a huge fireplace in one end large
enough to hold immense logs. The windows were made by
removing a log from one side and one end, and filling the
aperture with glass. The desk was formed of boards resting
on pegs driven into the walls, and there were slab seats,
resting on wooden pegs. In such a school Mr. Beall
learned to read, write and "cipher," but was only instructed in
arithmetic for thirteen days. In after years, however, he
applied himself to study at home, even after his marriage
continuing his educational work, for he realized the value of
education and wished to prepare himself for the duties of life.
He worked on the home farm and remained under the parental roof
until his marriage, which occurred in 1848. For three
years thereafter he worked as a farm hand in Harrison county,
and rather than remain idle one spring, before the time for farm
work, he spent one week at splitting rails for thirty-seven and
a half cents per day. He thus began an independent career
under rather difficult circumstances. During the fifth
year after his marriage he cultivated a rented farm of one
hundred and thirty acres and after paying his rent in cash he
had four hundred dollars clear above all expenses. This
was the result of hard work and good management. In 1852
he came to Crawford county, and the first year he was here was
the year he rented lands and cleared the four hundred dollars,
and the next year he could not rent to suit him, and, being
offered a good proposition to work as a hired hand, he accepted
the proposition. In 1854, he purchased the farm upon which
he now resides, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of rich
land. He has since prospered in his undertakings and at
one time had extensive landed possessions, but has since sold
much of it, although he still owns two other farms in connection
with that upon which he now resides. He has engaged quite
extensively in raising stock, mostly sheep and hogs, but for
several years has lived a retired life, having in the meantime
acquired a handsome competence, which supplies him with all of
the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
In 1848 Mr. Beall was married to Miss Mary
Ann Kecklar, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1827 and went
to Harrison county, Ohio, with her parents during her early
girlhood. Mr. and Mrs. Beall have had seven
children: James Perry and John W., who are
deceased; Mary Margaret, the wife of Charles B. Henry,
a farmer of Bucyrus township; Lauraette, the wife of
Edward Hill, also a farmer of Bucyrus township; Dorsey
Lincoln, an attorney living in Toledo, Ohio; Eva Minerva,
the wife of Wesley Beal, an agriculturist of Bucyrus
township; and Nora Ellen the wife of John I. Milliken,
who also engages in the tilling of the soil in the same
township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beall are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church. He joined the church in
early manhood and for many years he has been a leader in church
work, serving as Sunday-school superintendent, church steward
and in other offices. He has labored earnestly and
conscientiously for the spread of the cause of Christianity
among the people of this locality and has molded his life
according to the teachings and tenets of the religious
organization with which he is connected.
Mrs. Beall's parents were John and Rosanna
(Gordon) Kecklar. Her father and mothers were born in
Pennsylvania, but her grandparents, both paternal and maternal,
where born in Germany, and on coming to this country settled in
Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandparents were Michael
and Mary Ann Kecklar, and the maternal grandparents were
Josiah and Martha Jane Gordon. They lived and died in
the Keystone state. Mrs. Beall was born in Adams
county, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and when she was seven years of
age her parents came to Ohio and settled in Harrison county.
Here her mother died, but her father died in Kansas, while on
his visit to a daughter living in that state. Martha
Jane, Mary Ann, Rosanna, Josiah and Malinda
are the living children born unto John and Rosanna Kecklar.
Their father was a blacksmith by trade, but farmed the greater
part of his life.
An uncle of Mrs. Beall, Josiah H. Gordon,
soon after his marriage removed to the south and was there
living when the Civil war came on. In the conflict he
became a Confederate soldier and rose to the rank of general and
was killed in battle. By profession he was a lawyer, and
he was one of ability.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 152 |
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DANIEL BECK.
The record of a life well spent and useful is always interesting
and edifying and it is to be regretted that the brevity
necessary to the plan of this work does not admit of the
introduction of all details of the life of such men as the late
Daniel Beck, of Jefferson township. Crawford
county, Ohio.
Daniel Beck, who is descended from good
Pennsylvania ancestry, was born in Westmoreland county,
Pennsylvania, in 1818, and lived there until 1830, attending
school and assisting- about the home work. In the year last
mentioned, in company with his father and other members of his
family, he went to Crawford county, Ohio, where Adam
Beck, the father, built a grist-mill within the borders of
Jefferson township, and took up land and engaged in farming.
Daniel grew to manhood as his father's assistant in his
agricultural and other enterprises and remained with him until
1845, when, at the age of twenty-seven, he married. Then under
an independent arrangement he took charge of his fathers farm,
on which he lived until 1855. In 1857 he located on the farm
which became known as his homestead and on which he died
November 30, 1892. In politics he was a Republican and he
exerted a recognized influence upon public affairs.
In 1845 Mr. Beck married Nancy
Lareiner, who was born in Perry county, Ohio, February 5,
1821. Their son Robert W. is dead. Their son Joseph
lives in Indiana. Their sons William and Shannon
and their daughter Louisa are dead. Their daughter
Margaret is living in Morrow county., Ohio. Mrs.
Beck, who survives her husband, is the daughter of Robert
Lareiner, a native of Ireland, who at the age of six years
was brought to America by his parents, who settled in
Pennsylvania. Later Robert and one of his brothers went
to Fairfield county, Ohio, making the journey out from
Pennsylvania on foot. Mrs. Beck's first
recollections of home are of a floorless log cabin, and she
states that she never had anything, to do with a stove until
after her marriage. The Beck homestead, now under
her control, consists of eighty acres of rich and well
cultivated land, which is a valuable agricultural property.
Mrs. Beck is one of a family of twelve children and
the only one now-living.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 822 |
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ANTHONY BENDER.
Among the enterprising citizens of Crawford county is Anthony
Bender, who is extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits
in Vernon township. His marked ability has done much to
promote the business activity of the community, and in
agricultural circles he enjoys an unassailable reputation.
A native son of the Buckeye state, his birth occurred in
Richland county, on the 20th of March, 1849. The
educational advantages which our subject received in his youth
were extremely limited, as his services were required in
improving and cultivating his father's land, but as time has
passed he has greatly added to his knowledge by constant reading
and observation. He remained at home until after his
marriage, when he located on what is now known as the Hanley
farm, then the property of his father, located in Cranberry
township, where he resided for three years. Returning to
the home farm, he was there engaged in agricultural pursuits
with his brother John for the following three years, on
the expiration of which period he removed to Tiro, where he
remained for four years, and during that time operated the
homestead farm. In 1885 he removed to the place on which
he now resides, the land also belonging to his father and
consisting of seventy-five acres, but after a few years he was
enabled to purchase a tract of eleven acres, and a few years
later became the owner of another tract of twenty-four acres.
After his father's death he inherited the seventy-five acres on
which he resided, and his landed possessions now aggregate one
hundred and ten acres. In his farming operations Mr.
Bender has ever followed the most improved methods, and as
the result of unremitting toil and excellent business ability he
has won for himself a name and place among the leading business
men of his locality.
On the 26th of August, 1876, he was united in marriage
with Miss Catherine A. Kahler, a native of New
Washington, Crawford county, and a daughter of Conrad Kahler
a retired carpenter of that city. He came with his parents
to Crawford county, Ohio, when a little lad of five years.
On their arrival here the family erected a hut out of brush, and
in this rude domicile Mr. and Mrs. Bender have been born
four children - Ella E., the wife of Wilson Hoover,
a farmer of Sandusky township, Crawford county; and Frank B.
Burton S. and William, who are still at home.
In political matters Mr. Bender casts his ballot in favor
of the Democracy, and in his social relations he is a member of
Tiro Lodge, No. 592, K. P. Mrs. Bender is a
prominent and active member of the Lutheran church. The
business career of our subject is one most commendable. He
is thoroughly reliable in all relations with his enterprise and
careful management has secured a most gratifying success.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 775 |
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JACOB BENDER.
One of those business men whose probity is well known and whose
career has thus far been distinguished for enterprise is
Jacob Bender, one of the leading agriculturists of
Crawford county. A native son of the Buckeye state, his birth
having occurred in Richland county, on the 8th of January, 1840.
His patents were Jacob and Catherine (Hoffman)
Bender, and they had eleven children, nine now living,
namely: Jacob, the subject of this review; Henry,
a resident of Cranberry township, Crawford county; Charles,
who resides near Knoxville, Iowa; Christena, widow of
Peter Stiving, of Richland county; Anthony, of
Vernon township, Crawford county; William, of Auburn
township, this county; Lizzie, wife of Cyrus
Cross, also a resident of Auburn township; John, who
makes his home in Vernon township; and Philip, of
Sandusky township.
The father of this family was born near Heidelberg,
Germany, on the 5th of October, 1816, while the mother was born
at the same place on the 13th of August, 1816, and there they
attained their majority and were married, that event occurring
in 1840. In the same year they bade farewell to their native
land and sailed for the United States, and after arriving in
this country, they located in Richland county, Ohio, near
Shelby, where Mr. Bender purchased forty acres of
timber land. They took up their abode in a small cabin which had
been built by a former owner,, later adding twenty acres to
their original tract, and there they resided for a number of
years, when they purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres
four miles south of Shelby. There they made many substantial
improvements, continuing to make their home there until 1862,
when they sold that place and removed to Crawford county, Mr.
Bender buying the farm of George Cummings,
which contained about two hundred acres of land, located on the
present site of old De Kalb, a part of the town having been
built on a portion of the land. At one time he also owned three
hundred acres of land in Iowa and two hundred acres in Michigan.
On his Crawford county farm he spent his remaining days, passing
away on the 26th of September, 1897, at the ripe old age of
eighty years, eleven months and twenty-five days. He was an
ardent Democrat in political matters, but was never an office
seeker, and he became known as on of the most reliable,
straightforward and progressive agriculturists of his locality.
His wife died on the 15th of January, 1885, and both she and her
husband were zealous members of the Lutheran church. While in
Germany she was a member of the Reformed church, while he was a
Catholic, but after coming to America they both united with the
Lutheran denomination and remained true to its teachings until
their death.
Jacob Bender, whose name introduces this
review, enjoyed only the educational privileges afforded by the
old pioneer log school house of the neighborhood, with its
puncheon floor and slab benches, and he remained under the
parental roof until eighteen years of age. He then removed to
Michigan, where he spent about three years engaged at work in a
livery stable and sawmill, but that work proved too heavy for
one so young and at the close of that period, in 1861, lie
returned to Ohio. On his arrival in this state he was engaged by
a Mr. Crim to cross the plains to California with
a drove of horses, reaching the Golden state after a journey of
three months and three days, although a part of the train did
not arrive until ten days later. Mr. Bender
remained in Sacramento, California, about two years, working in
a sales stable and at other occupation. In 1863 he again came to
Crawford county, where he was employed as a farm hand for a
time, and later, when the building of the Mansfield, Cold Water
& Michigan Railroad was begun, he was employed at making cross
ties for the company and afterward working on the grading of the
road. This work covered the greater part of two years, after
which he purchased seventy-two acres of his present home place
and settled down to the quiet pursuits of farm life. He has
added to his original purchase until the homestead now contains
eighty-six acres, and he also owns a tract of one hundred and
sixty acres in Cranberry township, and a town residence in Tiro.
The year 1865 witnessed the marriage of Mr.
Bender and Miss Elizabeth Molder, a
native of the Empire state and a daughter of Jacob
Molder, who came from Germany to New York, entering land in
Niagara county. About 1837 he sold that place and came to
Richland county, Ohio. Unto our subject and wife have been
born six children, as follows: Anthony, who makes his
home in Sandusky township, Crawford county; Catherine,
who is still at home; Mary, a resident of Tiffin, Ohio;
Marion, of Auburn township, Crawford county; Nettie,
who also resides in Tiffin; and Cory, deceased. Mr.
Bender gives his political preference to the Democracy,
but is liberal in his views, voting for the men whom he thinks
best qualified for public office. The family are members of the
Lutheran church, and in the community where they. reside they
enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends and
acquaintances.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 860 |
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JOHN
BENDER. A resident of Crawford county, John
Bender has for many years been prominently identified with
the agricultural interests of his locality, and has contributed
materially to the advancement and progress of the county through
this channel. He is a well informed man, possessed of
broad general information, and in his nature there is nothing
narrow or contracted. All who know him esteem him highly
for his genuine worth, and it is with pleasure that we present
the record of his life to our readers.
Born in Richland county, Ohio, on the 15th of December,
1852, he is a son of Jacob Bender, also a prominent
agriculturist of Crawford county. Upon the homestead
property our subject spent the days of his boyhood and youth,
and his labors in the fields were alternated by study in
the district schools of the neighborhood. After reaching
mature years he and his brother Philip began farming the
old homestead as renters, which they continued until the brother
removed to a place of his own, and our subject then continued
operating the home farm alone for a time. After his
father's death he purchased eighty acres of the place, the tract
containing all of the farm buildings and two years later, by his
perseverance and constant toil, he was enabled to purchase an
additional forty-five acres, and his landed possessions now
aggregate one hundred and twenty-five acres, all being under a
high state of cultivation and improved with all the modern
accessories and conveniences of a model farm of the present day.
He is practical and progressive in his methods of farming, and
in the management of his business affairs he displays a sound
judgment that has brought to him a merited success.
In 1884 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bender
and Miss Tracy Brady, a native of Henry county, Ohio, and
a daughter of Cornelius and Anna (Keys) Brady. The
father was one of the earliest pioneers and most prominent
farmers of Henry county, and he now makes his home with his son,
Alphonses. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bender have
been born ten children, - Edith, Ralph, Anna, Romain, Virl,
Ollie, Moodie, Oliver, Otis and Lais, all still under
the parental roof. In his political faith Mr. Bender
is a stanch Democrat. The family enjoy the hospitality of
many of the best homes of Crawford county, and their circle of
friends is almost co-extensive with their circle of
acquaintances.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 636 |
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PHILIP BENDER.
Honored and respected by all, there is no man in Crawford county
who occupies a more enviable position in business circles than
Philip Bender, who for many years has devoted his
energies to the tilling of the soil and to the raising of a high
grade of stock. A native of Richland county, Ohio, his
birth occurred on the 5th of April, 1857, a son of Jacob
Bender, also of this county. Our subject received his
education in the primitive schools of his locality, and on his
father's farm he was early inured to the work of field and
meadow. In 1881, in company with his brother John,
he assumed the management of the homestead farm, which they
continued for about ten years. On the 8th of December,
1891, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth May,
a daughter of Lewis May of Vernon township. For one
year after his marriage our subject continued farming the old
home farm in partnership his marriage our subject continued
farming the old home farm in partnership with his brother,
although he maintained his residence in Tiro. In March,
1893, he removed to the farm which he now owns and occupies, he
and his father purchasing of William Hanley one hundred
and sixteen acres, our subject becoming the owner if forty-six
acres, while his father took possession of the remaining seventy
acres. Subsequently Mr. Bender purchased his
father's interest in the tract, thus becoming the owner of the
entire one hundred and sixteen acres. In 1900 he rebuilt
his barn, and has improved his place in many other ways until it
is now one of the valuable and attractive homesteads of the
township. In addition to the raising of the cereals best
adapted to this soil and climate he is also extensively engaged
in the breeding of Aberdeen cattle, and in both branches of his
business he has met with a high and well-merited degree of
success.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bender has been
brightened and blessed by the presence of two children, -
Carrie M. and Clarence T. The family is one of
prominence in their locality, and are attendants and liberal
supporters of the Lutheran church. Mr. Bender gives
his political support to the Democratic party. He is an
energetic business man of marked ability, a progressive citizen
and justly popular in his wide circle of acquaintances.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 613 |
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WILLIAM BENDER.
There are few men whose lives are crowned with the honor and
respect which is universally accorded to William Bender,
but through many years' connection with Crawford county's
history his has been an unblemished character. With him
success in life has been reached by his sterling qualities of
mind and a heart true to every manly principle. He has
never deviated from what his judgment would indicate to be right
and honorable between his fellow men and himself, has never
swerved from the path of duty, and now, after a long and useful
career, he can look back over the past with pride and enjoy the
remaining years of his earthly pilgrimage with a consciousness
of having gained for himself by his honorable, straightforward
career the confidence and respect of the entire community in
which he lives.
A native son of the Buckeye state, he was born in
Richland county, Ohio, on the 26th of March, 1850, a son of
Jacob and Catherine (Hoffman) Bender. In his youth he
enjoyed only the educational privileges afforded by the pioneer
log school houses of his day, but in later life he greatly added
to his knowledge by reading, study and practical experience,
thus becoming a well-informed man. After his marriage he
located on eighty acres of his present home farm, then the
property of his father-in-law, which he rented for eleven years,
and during that time he also dealt quite extensively in stock,
thus greatly augmenting his income. In 1882 he purchased
one hundred and four acres adjoining his present farm on the
east, and in 1885 he purchased of his father-in-law his present
homestead, thus making the home farm to consist of one hundred
and eighty-four acres. He also owns three other tracts of
land, aggregating one hundred and fifty acres, all of which is
located in Auburn township with the exception of fifteen acres
in Vernon township. Mr. Bender has been very
successful in his faring and stock-raising interests, and he is
today accounted one of the substantial and leading citizens of
his locality. During his many years of labor he secured a
competence sufficient to enable him to lay aside the active
cares of a business life and to rest in the enjoyment of the
fruits of his former toil. In 1889 he erected a handsome
and commodious farm residence, and in the following year he
rebuilt his barn, his place being now supplied with all the
accessories and conveniences known to the model farm.
On the 3d of September, 1873, Mr. Bender was
united in marriage with Miss Cornelia Sawyer, a daughter
of Albanus Sawyer. Three children have graced the
marriage of our subject and wife, namely: Rilla May, the
wife of John W. Hutt, of Richland county; Minnie
Luella, who is now sixteen years of age; and Ruth Ione,
a little lady of eight years. Mr. Bender gives his
political support to the Democracy, and although he has never
been as aspirant for political honors he has served for many
years as supervisor of his district, discharging the duties of
that position to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
He is not connected by membership with any religious
denomination, but he has been a liberal contributor of both time
and means to the Lutheran church, having assisted materially in
the erection of the house of worship in Tiro. He
generously co-operates with all movements or measures intended
for the betterment of humanity. No trust reposed in him
has ever been betrayed, and in every relation of life he is true
to duty and to the right, - a loyal and patriotic citizen.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 698 |
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SMITH W. BENNETT.
Probably no profession affords a wider field for individual
enterprise and ability than does the legal profession, and this
fact has attracted to its ranks multitudes of ambitious young
men in every generation since law became reduced to a recognized
science and increasing civilization has demanded a finer
discrimination between justice and injustice. "Through
struggles to success" has certainly been the history of Mr.
Bennett. Handicapped by physical disability, but with
strong determination and perseverance, he has steadily advanced
until today he occupies a conspicuous position among the
distinguished members of the bar of this portion of Ohio.
He was born in Apollo, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania,
on the 8th of May, 1859, and is a son of William B. and Mary
A. (Herron) Bennett, both of whom were natives of western
Pennsylvania, and removed from the Keystone state to Ohio in
1862. On the 4th of April, 1864, they took up their abode
in Bucyrus. The mother died in May, 1899, at the age of
seventy years, and the father is now retired in Bucyrus.
The only school privileges which Smith W. Bennett enjoyed
were those afforded through the educational system of Bucyrus.
He was graduated in the high school here in June, 1879, but his
study had not been continuous. During his fifteenth year
he was ill, being confined to his bed for one entire year with
necrosis of the tibia, which left him crippled in the left limb
and forced him to remain away from school for three years,
naturally a lover of books, he spent much of his time in reading
and in his youth had a desire to enter the literary field, but
thinking that he was not sufficiently well educated, upon
leaving school to become a writer, he undertook to learn a trade
from which to derive means sufficient to enable him to prosecute
a college course. Physical weakness, however, forced him
to give up this work and he was persuaded by his mother to read
law. He at first had no inclination to do this, but
complying with her request, he soon became deeply interested in
his studies - an interest that has grown stronger as he has
mastered the principles of jurisprudence and learned of the
wonderful science which has developed into the present intricate
legal system. His long illness, though difficult to be
borne at the time, proved, as Mr. Bennett says,
"the most beneficial thing that ever happened" to him. In
early inured him to suffering and turned his thoughts toward
books. Necessity and his mother's influence turned his
thoughts to the law and success has attended his efforts in this
direction. He has contributed as a writer to the
literature of his profession, as well as to various magazines
and periodicals. For thirteen years he was a partner of
General E. B. Finley, of Bucyrus. During a part of
that time the firm was known as Finley, Eaton & Bennett,
and later became Finley, Beer & Bennett, the second
member being Judge Thomas Beer, of Bucyrus.
Afterward the firm became Beer, Bennett & Monnett, and
thus remained until January 1, 1898, when it was dissolved.
Mr. Bennett then went into the office of Hon. F. S.
Monnett, attorney general of Ohio, as special counsel, and
after the termination of Mr. Monnett's term, remained
with his successor, the Hon. J. M. Sheets, in the same
capacity. He has had charge of very important cases in
state and federal courts, and in the supreme court of the United
States, at Washington. Some of the most important
questions of taxation have been settled by causes in which
he participated, especially that concerning the taxation of
shares of national banks.
On the 12th of January, 1891, Mr. Bennett was
united in marriage to Miss Effie Monnett, of Bucyrus,
Ohio, a daughter of Rev. T. J. Monnett, of Bucyrus and a
graduate of Monnett Hall of the Ohio Wesleyan University,
at Delaware, this state. She died October 26, 1898,
leaving two children, Hugh M., born February 22, 1898,
and Grace Lizetta, born January 2, 1896. On the
28th of November, 1900, Mr. Bennett was again married,
his second union being with Miss Annie Drought, of
Bucyrus, daughter of William H. Drought, and a lady of
refinement and social distinction. Mr. Bennett
holds membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church, at
Bucyrus, but while an adherent to that denomination, is liberal
in his views, according to others the right which he reserves
for himself of forming his own opinions upon all such matters.
In his political views he has always been a Republican, and has
assisted the cause of the party "on the stump" since the
Blaine campaign of 1884. He belongs to the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks and to the Knights of Pythias
fraternity, and has attained the thirty-second degree of
Masonry. At the session of the Ohio State Bar Association,
held in July, 1901, he was elected its secretary, which position
he now holds. Viewed in the personal light he is a strong
man, of excellent judgment , fair in his views and highly
honorable in his relations with his fellow men. His
integrity stands as an unquestioned fact in his career.
His life has been manly, his actions sincere, his manner
unaffected and his example is well worthy of emulation.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 853 |
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GEORGE O. BLAIR, M. D.
Although Tiro, Ohio, is fond of boasting of its
desirable location and its healthful breezes, it welcomes among
its citizens a physician who comes with good credentials, who
displays the requisites which go toward making not only an
addition to the professional circles but also to those of
society and business. Among those who have found a
congenial home and an encouraging and increasing practice in
this prosperous town is Dr. George O. Blair, who has been
a resident since 1896.
The birth of Dr. Blair was in Cardington,
Morrow Co., Ohio, on Feb. 12, 1865, and he was a son of James
and Amy (Carr) Blair, who were the parents of eight
children, the seven survivors being: Eva, who is the
widow of Zenas Worthington, of Cardington, Ohio; Mary
and Robert, who are at home; George O., the
subject of this sketch; Addie, the wife of George
Crane, of Columbus; Amy, the wife of Roy Quay,
of Iberia; and Kate, with her sister in Columbus.
James Blair was born in Richland County, Ohio,
in 1816, and grew to maturity there, acquiring but a limited
education. In is young manhood he read medicine there,
acquiring but a limited education. In his young manhood he
read medicine for a short time, but circumstances caused him to
give up the study and he devoted his time thereafter to farming.
After leaving home he remained a short time in Knox County,
Ohio, and then went to Morrow County, where he married Miss
Ensign and had a family of six children, the three survivors
being: Alex, of Cardington, Ohio; Daniel,
of Mansfield, Ohio; and Anna, the wife of James
Duncan of Chicago, Illinois. After the death of the
mother of these children Mr. Blair married our subject's
mother, who still survives. When he left his parents' roof
it was as a poor boy, but his life was one of energy and
industry, and he left to his family, at his death, a fine,
well-improved farm of one hundred and three acres, securing to
his wife a comfortable competency. In political life he
advocated the principles of the Republican party, and was
prominently identified with the Masonic order. Mr.
Blair was very successful in both his farming and
stock-raising, and possessed excellent judgment in regard to
real estate.
The mother of our subject was born in 1837, and
she was a daughter of Daniel Carr, both parents belonging
to old New England stock. During her childhood she was
bereft of her mother, and she was reared by a family of the name
of Robinson, of Knox county, and grew into a most
estimable woman, respected and valued in the Presbyterian church
and beloved by her old neighbors, among whom she still resides,
on the old farm at Iberia.
Dr. Blair was reared in a pleasant home and
acquired the foundations of his education in the common schools.
Later he became a student at the Ohio Central College and at
Muskingum College, at New Concord, Ohio, and after passing a
most satisfactory examination, prepared to teach school.
Perhaps, however, he inherited from his honored father the
inclination toward the medical profession, which had been
subdued in the latter, and instead of becoming a pedagogue he
entered upon a course of medical reading in the office of Dr.
W. C. Bennett, at Iberia. After one year of study, on
Sept. 15, 1889, he entered the Starling Medical College, of
Columbus, where he attended lectures during that and the
following winter, again entering Dr. Bennett's office,
returning to the college during the winter of 1891-2, in March,
1892, entering the Kentucky Medical College at Louisville, at
which he graduated with honor, on June 20, 1892.
Upon his return to Iberia, Dr. Blair entered
into practice in association with his former preceptor, and
remained with him until the following January, when he located
in Louisville, Ohio, where he opened an office and for three
years enjoyed a lucrative practice. In April, 1896, Dr.
Blair decided to make Tiro his home, and since that time he
has built up a growing practice and has the esteem and
confidence of the whole community.
The marriage of Dr. Blair was on Mar. 28, 1894,
to Miss Pearl Macintosh, who was a prominent lumber
dealer of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. To our subject and
his estimable wife one child has been born, - Mary Gladys,
on Feb. 9, 1895.
Mr. Blair is a member of Tiro Lodge, No. 502, K. of
P., and also of the American Medical Society. He is still
a student, for, like the leading members of his noble
profession, he is not willing to allow any modern specific for
disease or new method of treatment to escape his notice.
Outside of his professional duties the Doctor has proven himself
a useful and desirable member of both social and business
circles.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 476 |
|
JAMES BLAND |
JAMES BLAND, M. D.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 642 |
|
B. B. BLISS |
JULIUS J. BLISS
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 54 |
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JAMES BRINE.
Men popularly known as Pennsylvania Dutchmen have gone
forth from the Keystone state to all parts of the west and
southwest and wherever they have gone they have planted the
standard of enterprise, prosperity and popular enlightenment and
have maintained it wherever they have flung it to the breeze.
Crawford county,. Ohio, was, perhaps, specially favored in
receiving a large number of settlers of German antecedents and
of Dutch ancestry from her sister state beyond the Alleghenies.
A name that has become well known in Texas township, Crawford
county, Ohio, and the history of which may be traced through
many generations of such sturdy men and women as have here been
referred to is that of Brine, which is most worthily
represented by James Brine, who was born in
Northampton county, Pennsylvania, August 6, 1833. James Brine
was brought up on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and educated
in the public schools, and at the age of eighteen entered upon
at three-years' apprenticeship to the shoemaker's trade. After
completing his apprenticeship he worked at his trade in
Pennsylvania until 1855, when he went to Seneca county, Ohio,
and worked on a farm by the month at Honey Creek for five years.
After that he rented a farm nine years and managed it with such
success that at the expiration of that time he was able to buy
the farm of sixty acres on which he now lives- He has purchased
twenty acres elsewhere and now owns eighty acres, which he
devotes to general, farming. December 27, 1860, Mr.
Brine was married in Seneca county, Ohio, to Amanda
Fotelman, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, who
had emigrated to Seneca county with her parents two years
before. James and Amanda (Fotelman) Brine became
the parents of six children, the following items of information
concerning whom will be interesting in this connection. James,
their first born child, is dead. Their daughter Nora,
born next after James, is the wife of Warren
Johnson, of Lykens' township, Crawford county, Ohio.
Alfred, their third child in order of birth, is dead. Their
daughter Cora married Benjamin Hushouer, of
Texas township, Crawford county, Ohio. Their daughters Mattie
and Ruth are members of their household. It has been one
of the ambitions of Mr. Brine's life to bring his
daughters up to be good women and to educate them in such a
manner as to enable them to take the station in life to which
their mental attainments and personal graces entitle them.
In political affiliations Mr. Brine is a
Republican, proud of the history of his party and ardently
devoted to its principles and work. Taking a broad and
comprehensive view of all public questions and knowing that,
like charity, national progress begins at home, he has, while
not being an office seeker or in the ordinary sense of the term
a politician, given his aid to the utmost possible extent to
every movement tending to advance the interests of his township
and county.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 817 |
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JACOB BROEDE, who is
carrying on general farming and stock-raising in Lykens
township, where he owns and operates two hundred and forty acres
of land, is one of the worthy German-American citizens of
Crawford county. His birth occurred in Bavaria, Germany, August
25, 1832, his parents being Adam and Catherine (Blinn) Broede.
Upon his father's farm he was reared and in the schools of his
native land he acquired a good education. At length he
determined to try his fortune in the new world, believing that
better advantages were here afforded young men. Accordingly he
crossed the Atlantic in 1851 and after a voyage of twenty-two
days upon a sailing vessel he made his way to Utica, New York,
where he worked as a farm hand, by the month, for two and a half
years. On the expiration of that period he returned to Germany,
on account of his father's death, and assumed the management of
the home farm, which he operated for six years. He then again
came to America, spending three months in the Empire state and
in the fall of 1860 he arrived in Seneca county, Ohio, where he
remained for seven months. On the expiration of that period he
purchased eighty acres of land in Chatfield township and for
three years made his home thereon, buying his present farm in
1864. He purchased one hundred and twelve acres of Albert
Hammond and a few years later added to this a tract of
fifty-six acres. His landed possessions now aggregate two
hundred and forty-eight acres, and thereon he is successfully
engaged in general, farming and stock-raising, his business
ability, careful management and enterprise enabling him to
overcome all obstacles and work his way upward to prosperity.
Mr. Broede has been twice married. He
first wedded Jacobina Poth, and unto them was born
a son, August, who is now overseer of the brewery owned
by the firm of Poth & Sons, of Philadelphia, the senior
partner being his uncle. For his second wife Mr.
Broede chose Eva Ehresmann, and they have
eight children: Jacob J., of Seneca county; Adam,
who is now living in Iowa; Emma, the wife of Albert
Angeny; Albert, a resident farmer of Seneca
county; Malinda, the wife of Henry Kurgis;
Henry, Lizzie and Charley, all at home.
Mr. Broede exercises his right of
franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy
and, while he keeps well informed on the issues of the day, has
never sought office. He belongs to the German Reformed church
and is a man of genuine worth. He has never had occasion to
regret his determination to come to America, for in this land of
the free he has found the opportunity he sought for advancement
in the business world and has hot only gained a comfortable
competence, but has won many friends.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 811 |
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WILLIAM S. BROWN,
who is now actively connected with the railway service as
engineer of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago line, and makes
his home in Crestline, was born in Crawford county, August 20,
1862. His father, Joseph Brown, was also a native
of the same county, and was born July 7, 1834. The grandfather
became one of the early settlers of this portion of the state,
arriving in Crawford county with a rifle, which was all the
property that he had in the world. His energy, resolute spirit
and capable management, however, enabled him to secure a
handsome competence. He occupied six hundred and forty acres of
land, some of which he entered. from the government, and at his
death he still owned a valuable tract of one-hundred and forty
acres, having in the meantime sold the other portion of his
property. Joseph Brown was reared to farm life and
from his father he inherited a large and desirable tract of
land. He lived upon this farm for fifty-seven years and was one
of the best known agriculturists of the community. He married a
Miss Smith, who was born in the town of Frederick,
Wayne county, Ohio, September 14, 1837, and pursued her
education in one of the log schoolhouses that were common at
that day. In 1854 she came to Crestline with her father, who was
a prominent business man of this city, connected with the lumber
trade and with the. clothing business. In his political
views Joseph Brown was first a Whig, but in 1856
he voted for James Buchanan and afterward became a
Republican. He died on the old homestead in 1896, and thus
passed away one of the honored pioneer settlers of Crawford
county.
William S. Brown, whose name introduces this
record, spent his boyhood days in his fathers home, pursued his
education in Crestline, and at the age of twenty-one years he
entered upon his business career, following farming and also
working in a sawmill for his father, devoting two years to the
latter business. He then entered the railway
service being employed as a fireman on the Pennsylvania
line in 1885, acting in that capacity for seven years, after
which he was promoted to engineer in 1892. Through
fifteen-years he has been in the employ of the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne & Chicago road, and during that time has had only one
accident and that was of a very slight character, no one being
injured. The car, however, broke down on account of being
overloaded. Mr. Brown is devoted to his work and
the responsible duties that devolve upon him, discharging them
with careful faithfulness, allowing nothing to interfere with
them.
In 1887 occurred the marriage of William S. Brown
and Miss Luella Walters, who was born in Richland county,
Ohio, July 22, 1862, and is a daughter of George and Mary
Jane (Simpson) Walters. Her parents were born in Richland
county, and there the father died, but the mother is still
living. Mrs. Brown was educated in Crestline and
by her marriage has become the mother of two children: Helen
May and Ruth Lucile, both natives of
Crestline, the former born January 17, 1889, the latter July 7,
1891. Mr. Brown is a member of the Knights of
Pythias fraternity, the Maccabees and for nine years has been
connected with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. His
political support is given to the men and measures of the
Republican party and in religious faith he and his wife are
Methodists, holding membership in the church of that
denomination in Crestline.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 862 |
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JOHN BURGBACHER.
The pioneer history of Crawford county would be incomplete
without mention of this gentleman, who for more than sixty-five
years has made his home within her borders, his time and
attention being given largely to agricultural pursuits. He has
assisted in reclaiming the wild land for purposes of
civilization and in many ways has contributed to the substantial
development and growth of the county. He has always been an
interested witness of its improvement, from the time when the
region was dotted here and there with rude log cabins, down to
the present, when fine farms and thriving villages indicate the
prosperous condition of a contented and happy people.
Mr. Burgbacher was born
in Wurtemberg, Germany, June 23, 1824, a son of Johannes
and Rosina (Bypus) Burgbacher. In 1835 the
father brought his wife and children to America, sailing in June
of that year and reaching New York after a voyage of sixty-two
days. From the eastern metropolis they proceeded by lake and
canal to Sandusky and thence by team to Crawford county. He was
a wagon-maker by trade, but after coming to this country he
located on the farm where our subject now resides, purchasing
eighty acres of land, of which four acres had been cleared,
while a log cabin had been builded. The land was covered
with heavy timber, beech, oak, elm and ash, but the father and
his sons at once began to clear away the trees and prepare the
fields for cultivation. For four years after their arrival the
father and his son John tilled what corn they planted with a
hoe. The deer were so numerous that they would often come to the
hay stack and feed with the cows. Everything was wild, the land
was in its primitive condition and the work of progress and
improvement seemed scarcely begun, but in course of time all
this was changed and the farm is now one of the most valuable
farming properties in the county. The father died in 1842, at
the age of sixty-seven years, while his wife passed away
December 14, 1850. They were the parents of five children.
Mr. Burgbacher, of this review, was
eighteen years of age at the time of his father's death. He then
assumed the management of the home farm, which he has since
operated and which has continuously been his place of residence
since 1835. He to-day owns one hundred and seventy acres of rich
land, all under a high state of cultivation, and his farm is one
of the best improved in this portion of the county. He is
energetic and progressive in his methods and his earnest labor
has brought to him success as the years have gone by.
On the 3d of July, 1849, Mr. Burgbacher
was united in marriage to Miss Susan M. Koenig,
a native of Germany and a daughter of William and Marie L.
(Fay) Koenig, who came to America in 1833 and located in
Chatfield township, Crawford county. He. secured eighty acres of
wild land, where Gottlieb Knichtis now living, and
erected thereon a log cabin of one room. This contained besides
a stove, a table and chairs, three beds, and in that room the
father, who was a cooper by trade, also engaged in the
manufacture of barrels. Both he and his wife spent their last
days in the home of our subject and both died when eighty-two
years of. age. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Burgbacher have been
born nine children: Otto P., who died in childhood;
Mary, wife of William Hohl, of Lima, Ohio;
John, a resident farmer of Defiance county, Ohio; William,
of Chatfield township; Rosa, the wife of Jacob
Bringle, of Chatfield township; Henry and Jacob,
who are deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of F. E. Hiser,
who is engaged in the operation of a sawmill and tile factory in
Carrothers; and Hannon, a merchant of Seneca, Ohio.
Mr. Burgbacher has been a
prominent factor in public affairs for many years and has been
called upon to serve in many positions of honor and trust. In
1862 he was elected county commissioner and served for two terms
of three years each, being chosen to the office as the
Democratic candidate. In 1853 he was elected justice of the
peace and since that time has continuously served in the office,
with the exception of nine years. He has also been trustee for
many years and school director for forty years, and in every
office in which he has been called to serve he has discharged
his duties in a manner winning him the highest commendation of
all concerned. He and his wife hold membership in the Lutheran
church and are earnest, consistent Christian people, everywhere
honored and esteemed for their sterling worth. Mr.
Burgbacher aided in laying out some of the roads of the
county and has ever borne his part in the work of public
progress as a citizen who has the general good deeply at heart.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 807 |
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