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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
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JACOB ULMER, who is
carrying on agricultural pursuits in Liberty township, Crawford
county, where he is known as a reliable and highly esteemed
citizen, was born on the farm where he now resides, on October
30, 1847, a son of Daniel and Barbara (Brose) Ulmer, and
is one of the eight survivors in a family of eleven children.
The names of these are: Fredericka, the wife of Adam
Durr, of Fort Recovery, Mercer county, Ohio; Abraham,
of Cranberry township, this county; Adam, of Bucyrus;
John, of Fort Recovery; Jacob, of this sketch;
George, of Fort Recovery; Solomon, of Holmes
township; and Samuel, of Sulphur Springs.
Daniel Ulmer, the father of our subject,
was born in Germany, in 1805, and grew up on the home farm, also
working at times for neighboring farmers in 1832 he left his
native land with the intention of finding a better opportunity
in America. After a long and wearisome voyage of six weeks he
landed in New York city and came on into Ohio to Crawford
county, where he knew he would find friends who had preceded him
the years before. Mr. Ulmer came with the
determination to succeed, and immediately entered a small tract
of. land, containing forty acres, in Liberty township, located
one and one-half miles east of Brandy wine Station, and upon it
he erected a log cabin, in the forest, and soon after installed
his bride within it and settled down to a busy life. His wife,
Barbara Brose, was a most estimable young lady,
who had come from Germany on the same vessel with him, and she
made him a loving-helpmate and was a cheerful companion through
the pioneer experiences which. followed. Two years after
marriage Mr. Ulmer sold the forty-acre farm and
bought one of eighty acres, in the same township, two miles
north of Sulphur Springs. Of the eighty acres five were already
cleared, and a log cabin had been built upon it by the former
owner. Here Mr. Ulmer went to work with a
will, cleared and improved the land, and in later years bought
the thirty-acre tract adjoining, erected commodious and
comfortable buildings and made his farm one of the best and most
productive in the locality. He was known far and wide for his
thrift and industry, as well as for his neighborly kindness. On
April 30, 1884, occurred his death, and. the Lutheran church
lost one of its most valued members.
Jacob Ulmer was reared on
the farm and obtained his education at the.-common schools of
the locality. When he had attained his nineteenth year his
father permitted him to start out in life for himself, after
which he worked. at the carpenters trade before and after the
harvest seasons, during- which time he was employed in running a
threshing machine for six years. In 1874 he married Miss
Louisa Ackerman, a native of Liberty township, a
daughter of David Ackerman, who had been born in
Wurtemberg, Germany, and had been one of the early settlers of
Crawford county. Three children were born to Mr. and
Mrs. Ulmer, viz.: Thomas, Alpheus D.,
and Catherine,—all of whom reside at home.
After marriage Mr. Ulmer settled down on
the home place and farmed for his father, on shares, until about
1880; when he purchased the place, consisting of one hundred and
four acres. His aged father then took up his residence with his
son, Samuel Ulmer, the mother having passed away
during the previous year. Since that time Mr. Ulmer
has successfully pursued farming, his land yielding large crops,
and his herds increasing in numbers until he is justly regarded
as one of the most substantial citizens of the locality. In
politics, like his father, he has always been a Democrat, and
has served for several terms as township trustee. His interest
in educational matters has made him a valuable member of the
school board and he is a leading member .of the German Lutheran
church. Mr. Ulmer is one of the highly respected
farmer-citizens of Crawford county.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 849 |
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VALENTINE UNDERWOOD.
The gentleman whose name is mentioned above is a
prominent citizen of Todd township, Crawford county, Ohio, and
is known not only in connection with local farming interests but
in connection with milling interests at Lemert and elsewhere.
Valentine Underwood was born in Crawford county,
Ohio, Sept. 6, 1844, a son of Lorenzo D. and Martha (Warner)
Underwood, who had four sons and two daughters, three of
whom are living. Mr. Underwood's father removed to
Crawford county in the pioneer period of its history, and in
1852 he went to Illinois. Thence after a year he removed
to Centerville, Iowa, where he took up government land and
remained until 1859, when he started for the California gold
fields, Pike's Peak being his objective point, driving a team of
horses overland, but sickened and died by the way. In 1860
his widow took her family to Liberty township, Crawford county,
Ohio, where her son Valentine learned the miller's trade,
in the old Warner flour mill, in which he was employed
continuously for seven years. After that for two years he
operated the old Taylor water-power gristmill in Sycamore
township, Wyandot county, Ohio, under lease. Then, in
company with B. W. Warner, his brother-in-law, he built a
flouring mill at Melmore, Ohio, which he operated for six years,
when on account of failing health, he sold his interest in it to
his partner and bought a farm of seventy-five acres in Todd
township, Crawford county, where he has since lived, devoting
himself to general farming and since his health has improved
somewhat to the manufacture of flour. He leased the Oceola
mills for four years, and since 1897 has operated the Lemert
roller mills, which have a capacity of one hundred barrels.
Apr. 13, 1865, Mr. Underwood married Miss
Lucetta Quaintance, who has born him two children, Tilley
Edwin, who is a coal operator near Corning, Perry county,
Ohio; and Benjamin F., who is an engineer in the Lemert
mill for his father. In politics Mr. Underwood is a
Republican, but he is not an active politician, and has always
been too busy to trouble himself with office-holding, but he is
not without a recognized influence in his party councils, and is
known ass a man of public spirit, who feels much solicitude
concerning important interests of his township and county.
Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County,
Ohio - Chicago: 1902 - Page 724 |
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