JOHN A. WALLACE.  The present well-known and popular mayor of Union City, Ohio, was born in that place June 24, 1871, and is a son of James and Ellen Wallace, natives of county Kerry, Ireland, the former born November 10, 1834, the latter August 20, 1836. Both emigrated to America in 1857, with the hope of finding a home in the new world adapted to their mutual tastes. The father located in Sidney, Ohio, the mother in Toledo, and in 1863 the former came to Union City, where they were married April 9, 1864. Here Mr. Wallace worked as a section hand for four years and then embarked in another business, which he successfully carried on until five years ago, having secured a comfortable competence, which enabled him to lay aside business cares. He is now the owner of considerable farm and city property. His estimable wife died November 26, 1881. Of the eight children born to them one son, Patrick, died in February, 1897, and the others are still living, namely: James; Mary; John A., our subject; Margaret, a music teacher; Bridget, a seamstress; Thomas, a machinist; and Johanna.
     Mayor Wallace attended the public schools of Union City until eighteen years of age, and was then a student at St. Mary's Institute, Dayton, Ohio, for nine months. At the close of his school life he was employed as a salesman for the Peter Kuntz Lumber Company three years, and then commenced the study of law in the office of Williams & Bolen, with whom he remained six months and was with Bell & Ross one year. Since reaching man's estate he has taken quite an active and prominent part in public affairs and at the age of twenty-one was elected a member of the city council. A year later he resigned that position to become city solicitor and at the age of twenty-five was elected a justice of the peace, which office he filled for three years. In the spring of 1900 he was elected mayor on the Democratic ticket by a majority of eighty-five votes, which was the largest majority ever given a city officer in Union City, and that position he is now most cred­itably and acceptably filling. He is wide awake, energetic and progressive, and has made a remarkable record for a young man of his years, and undoubtedly a brilliant future awaits him.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 709

HENRY WARNER, who is living on section 5, Greenville township, was born in Randolph township, Montgomery county, Ohio, March 12, 1835.  His father, John Warner, was a native of Pennsylvania and came to the Buckeye state in 1811, taking up his residence in Montgomery county the following year.  The unsettled condition of the state is indicated by the fact that there were only two cabins in Dayton at that time.  Henry Warner, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Maryland, and during the war of 1812 was drafted for service, but his brother went to the front as his substitute.  He was a farmer by occupation and died in Miami county, Ohio.  The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Charity Hill, and her death occurred when her son, Henry, was only seven years of age.  She had six children, all of whom reached years of maturity.  After the death of his first wife, the father married Polly Booker, and they had nine children.
     Henry Warner is the third child and second son of the first marriage.  He was reared in Montgomery county, Ohio, and the common schools of the neighborhood afforded him his educational privileges.  He remained with his parents until his marriage, which was celebrated in Miami county, October 28, 1858, Miss Elizabeth Stager becoming his wife.  She was born in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1836, a daughter of William and Katie (Ensell) Stager.  Her father was born in the Keystone state, was a tailor by trade and in 1846 came to Miami county, where he died, at the age of eighty-four years.  His first wife died when Mrs. Warner was only six years old.  They had five children, two daughters and three sons.  The father was again married, his second union being with Caroline Walters, by whom he had seven children.  Mr. Warner was the second child and eldest daughter of the first marriage, and was ten years of age when, with her parents, she removed to Miami county.  After their marriage, our subject and his wife located on the old homestead farm of the Warners in Montgomery county, Ohio, and in 1864 removed to Huntington county, Indiana, where he was engaged in general farming until 1869.  They then came to Darke county, locating at Baker, in Neave township, on the Jacob Baker farm, where they remained for two  years.  On the expiration of that period Mr. Warner purchased  the farm upon which he now resides, then a tract of eighty-eight acres, which at that time was poorly improved, but is now under a high state of cultivation.  Upon it are found excellent buildings, good fences, drainage and all the accessories and modern conveniences found upon the best farms of this period.  The land being well cultivated, the harvests return a good income to the owner.
     The home of Mr. and Mrs. Warner has been blessed with the following children:  William H., the eldest, married Frances Arnett and they have two children - Elsworth and Gertie.  Vallandingham married Laura Westfall, and they had three children - Ollie M., Estella E. and Alva. But the mother is now deceased.  Samuel A. married Jennie Kefover, by whom he has four children - Melvin, Isaac, Nellie and Holly.  German, the present surveyor of Darke county and a resident of Greenville, married Sallie Huffman.  Katie is the wife of Burr Evans, a grocer of Greenville, and they have one child, Dorothea.  Mr. and Mrs. Warner also have an adopted daughter, Emma, who has been a member of the family since three years of age.
     Our subject and his wife are members of the German Baptist church and he is a Democrat in politics.  He has served as supervisor of roads and as school director.  He and his wife are people of genial nature and kindly disposition and are very hospitable to friends and strangers.  Their lives have at all times been commendable and worthy of emulation and they command the good will and esteem of all with whom they have been associated.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 336

DANIEL WARVEL.  A native of West Virginia, Daniel Warvel was born in Montgomery county, Sept. 5, 1834.  His father, Christopher Warvel, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, Feb. 27, 1796, three years before the death of General Washington, and after arriving at years of maturity he married Charlotte Lilly, who was born in the same county, June 4, 1799.  Emigrating westward they located in Warren county, Ohio, and afterward removed their home to Montgomery county and thence came to Darke county about 1839.  On arriving in Warren county they offered their last five dollars in payment for a purchase and found that the bill was a counterfeit!  so they began life in the Buckeye state on absolutely nothing.  On arriving in Darke county they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Richland township and thereon built a log cabin.  Red men were much more numerous in that locality than white settlers, and this region was situated on the very borders of civilization.  Deer were very plentiful, and other wild game could be had in abundance.  Farming was carried on by means of the old-fashioned sickles, one of which is still in the possession of the subject of this review.  The father was an excellent hand in the harvest field, being able to cut more grain in a day than the majority of his neighbors.  Many of the roads of the county were not then laid out, and the routes to Fort Greenville were indicated by blazed saplings.  The town of Ansonia was known as Dallas, and Piqua was but a small village, to which Mr. Marvel would haul his wheat to market, returning on the following day.  During the war of 1812 he loyally served his country, and was granted a land warrant in recognition thereof.  In politics he was an old time Whig, and took an active part in the campaign of 1840 when the rallying cry of the Whigs was "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too."  He was one of the leaders in the movement for the erection of the first United Brethren church on the banks of the Stillwater.  The bridges had been carried away by high water, and Mr. Warvel had two horses which he swam back and forth to carry the men back and forth to work on the church.  He was a very generous man, benevolent to the poor and at all times kind and considerate.  He died Mar. 18, 1851, and his wife passed away Mar. 14, 1855.  In their family were nine children, four sons and five daughters.
     Daniel Warvel, of this review, was only four years old when brought by his parents to Darke county, where he has since resided.  He obtained his education in an old log school house, beginning his studies under the instruction of "Uncle David Hantle," a pioneer settler of Richland township.  The slab seats, puncheon floor and rude board desks in which the big boys and girls wrote their exercises formed the primitive furnishings of the building, and were in great contrast with the present tasteful and well-equipped school-houses of today.  Mr. Warvel early became familiar with the work of the farm, and has always carried on farming and stock raising.  At the age of sixteen he started out to earn his own livelihood, working for six dollars per month, and from this sum he saved enough to purchase a set of harness.  At the time of his marriage he located on a farm of forty acres in the vicinity of Pikeville.  He had made payment of four hundred dollars upon the place, incurring an indebtedness for the remainder.  In the log cabin he began life in true pioneer style, and experienced many of the hardships and privations which fall to the lot of the early pioneer settlers, but with characteristic energy he worked on day after day and at length gained the reward which never fails to attend earnest and persistent labor.  He is today the owner of three hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in Richland township, and the place is well improved with all the accessories of the model farm.
     Mr. Warvel has been twice married.  He first married Catherine Kayler, and they had one son, Joseph C., who resides in Canton, Ohio, where he is engaged in commercial pursuits.  The mother died Feb. 3, 1857, and on the 21sth of March, 1858, Mr. Warvel wedded Sarah Powell, by whom he had five children, three sons and two daughters, all of whom are yet living.  Mrs. Warvel was born in Monroe county, Ohio, Jan. 27, 1836, and is a daughter of Levi and Mary (Linn) Powell, in whose family were ten children, five sons and five daughters, nine yet living.  The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and were members of the Reformed church.  The father was a farmer by occupation and is now deceased.  The children of Mr. and Mrs. Warvel are:  Mary A., wife of Abram Ela, a farmer of Richland township, by whom she has two children; Lucy, wife of W. J. Wilson; Laban, a farmer who is married and lives in Richland township; Amos A., a farmer residing in Richland township,
     For sixty-two years Daniel Warvel has resided in Darke county, and his life has been filled with good deeds.  In his business career he sustains an unassailable reputation, for in all transactions he was ever been honorable and upright.  His political support is given to the Democratic party, and his first vote was cast for James Buchanan.  He has several times been chosen as delegate to county conventions, and has been elected to a number of local offices of public trust.  He and his wife were members of the United Brethren church, and in their lives have exemplified their Christian faith, doing unto others as they would that they should do unto them.  They have carefully reared their children, have presented them with comfortable homes and now Mr. Warvel resides in the village of Beamsville in a pretty cottage, where they are enjoying many of the comforts and pleasures of life.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 682

NATHAN S. WARVEL.    One of the gallant defenders of the Union during the dark days of the civil war and now a prominent farmer residing on section 1, Greenville township, Darke county, is Nathan S. Warvel, who was born in Richland township, the same county, Apr. 18, 1839, and is a son of John H. and Mary (Souders) Warvel, natives of Warren and Montgomery counties, Ohio, respectively, and the founders of the family in Darke county, their home being near Beamsville, where they located in 1838.  In 1839 the paternal grandparents, Christopher and Charlotta (Lilly) Warvel, natives of Rockingham, Virginia, also came to Darke county and located on a farm near Beamsville, in Richland township.  They were members of the United Brethren church, and the grandfather donated the logs to construct the first church erected in Beamsville.  He also gave to the town the land comprising the original cemetery at that place.  The first to be buried there was Enos Hathaway, a son of Thomas Hathaway, who died in 1847.  The grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812, under the command of Colonel Methias.  He died Mar. 15, 1851, aged fifty-five years, and his wife departed this life Mar. 14, 1855, aged fifty-six.  Of their nine children five are still living, namely: George, a United Brethren preacher of Butler county, Ohio; Daniel, a resident of Richland township, Darke county; Mrs. Elizabeth Beam, of Ansonia, Ohio; Mary, the widow of Daniel Hartzell, of Pikeville, Darke county; and Mrs. Margaret Hathaway, of Washington, D. C.  Those deceased were:  John H., William, Sarah Ann and Adeline.
     After residing in this county for three years, John H. Warvel, the father of our subject, returned to Montgomery county, owing to his wife's ill health, and there she died, May 15, 1842.  He then located on his father's farm in Richland township, Darke county, where he resided until 1847, when he removed to the farm now owned and occupied by our subject.  He died here Feb. 27, 1898, at age of seventy-nine years, honored and respected by all who knew him.  He served as infirmary director of the county two terms.  He was a man of good business ability and was particularly well qualified for the settlement of estates and as an executor he settled many during his life time.  He was one of the original members of the United Brethren church at Beamsville, and later assisted in organizing the church at Pikeville, being a man of strong religious convictions and an active worker, whose life was in accordance with the teachings of the Golden Rule.  In politics he was independent, voting for the man rather than the party.  He was four times married, his first wife being the mother of our subject, and to them two children were born:  Nathan and Mary, the latter of whom died in infancy.  His second wife was Barbara Ann Holloway, by whom he had two sons:  Allen C., of Bradford, Miami county, Ohio; and Irvin, deceased.  The third wife was Phoebe Horney, and Phoebe, the only child of this union, died at the age of one year.  For his fourth wife he married Elizabeth Beenblossom, who bore him five children: Charlotte, now the widow of Calvin Garver, of Greenville; Sarah Adaline, wife of Adam Johnson, of Darke county; Elizabeth, the wife of O. J. Hager, of Muncie, Indiana; and Emeline, the wife of George Garbig, of Darke county.
     Our subject lived on the homestead farm in Richland township until eight years of age, and then removed to the farm in Greenville township, which he now owns and occupies.  During his youth he assisted his father in the laborious task of clearing and improving the farm, and attended the district schools when his services were not needed at home.  He remained with his father until attaining his majority, and then began life upon his own responsibility.  For a year after his marriage he lived near Beamsville, and then located upon his present farm, where he owns fifty acres of well improved and highly cultivated land.
     On the 23d of December, 1860, Mr. Warvel led to the marriage altar Miss Nancy J. Royer, a daughter of David and Sarah (Grafford) Royer, of Logan county, Ohio.  By this union five children were born, but two died in infancy unnamed, and Mary E., who became the wife of William H. Huber, is also now deceased.  The living are:  Martha L., now the widow of Riley Yonker; and Eva, the wife of G. H. Mills of Beamsville.
     Mr. Warvel joined the "boys in blue" during the civil war, by enlisting on the 2d of May, 1864, in Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered into the service as sergeant of his company.  They were with Hunter on his raid through the Shenandoah valley, and for more than a month were kept constantly on the march.  At Cumberland, Maryland, the company was detached from the regiment and stationed at what was called Fort Cumberland, where they performed garrison duty until their term of enlistment had expired.  One engagement occurred between this force and a part of Colonel Mosby's regiment.  Company G supported the batteries while under fire, repelling the enemy.  Twenty days after his term of enlistment had expired Mr. Warvel was mustered out at Camp Dennison, Sept. 22, 1864.  He had left the plow standing in the furrow when he entered the service, and upon his return home resumed farming.  He is now a member of the Grand Army Post at Greenville, and politically is identified with the Democratic party, while he and his wife are active and consistent members of the Christian church at Beamsville.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 266

DAVID WEAVER.     In the respect that is accorded to men who have fought their way to success through unfavorable environments we find an unconscious recognition of the intrinsic worth of a character which cannot only endure so rough a test, but gain new strength through the discipline.  The following history sets forth briefly the steps by which our subject, now a successful merchant of Baker, Ohio, overcame the disadvantages of his early life.
     Mr. Weaver is a native of Darke county, born in German township Nov. 4, 1853, and is a son of Henry and Eve (Beachler) Weaver, who were born and reared in Montgomery county, this state, and came to Darke county about 1852.  The father, who was born Feb. 8, 1815, is of German descent and a carpenter by trade.  His family came to Ohio from Pennsylvania.  He is still living at the age of eighty-five years, and now makes his home in Neave township.  The mother of our subject died Feb. 7, 1858, aged forty years, one month and two days.  They had six children, three of whom reached adult age.
     David Weaver, the fourth child and only son of this family who grew to manhood, began life for himself at the tender age of seven years, working at first for his board and clothes.  At the age of eleven he became a clerk in a grocery store at Clayton, Montgomery county, and later worked as a farm hand for one man for fifteen years, after which he engaged in farming on his own account for about five years.  In 1894 he embarked in his present business at Baker and now carries a well selected stock of general merchandise.  He has built up a large trade by fair and honorable dealing and has gained the confidence of all with whom he has come in contact, either in business or social life.  Being industrious, energetic and ambitious, he has met with well deserved success, and is now quite well-to-do.  With the exception of three years spent in Montgomery county, he has always made his home in Darke county, and is quite widely and favorably known.  He is serving as postmaster of Baker and is an active member of the Reformed church.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 568

ELIHU WEAVER numbered among the highly respected citizens and representative farmers of Van Buren township, Darke county, Ohio, is the subject of this review.  The family to which he belongs was founded here by his grandfather, Peter Weaver, a native of Virginia, and a farmer by occupation, who on first coming to Ohio located in Highland county, but at an early day removed to Miami county, where he cleared and improved a farm in Newberry township.  From there he moved to Adams township, Darke County, and settled on Greenville Creek.  His last days were spent at home of the father of our subject, Henry F. Weaver, where he died, May 15, 1848, aged eighty-two years.  His wife had died several years previously.
     Henry F. Weaver was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, and there married Susanna G. Winters, also a native of the Old Dominion. They came with his parents to this state, and accompanied the family on their removal from Highland county to Miami county, and later to Darke county, locating in Adams township, where the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, mostly wild and unimproved. He died upon that place November 10, 1865, at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife passed away December 18, 1866, aged seventy-eight years, eight months and eight days. Their children were: John, who died in Bradford, Ohio; Andrew, a physician of Covington; Elijah, who died near Rose Hill; Nancy, wife of Eli Reck, of Missouri; Betsey, wife of Samuel Hill, of Covington, Ohio; Eli, who died in boyhood;. Henry, who died at the age of twenty-eight years; and Elihu, our subject.
     Elihu Weaver was born on the old home­stead on Stillwater river, Adams township, Darke county, July 1, 1833, and during his boyhood this region was wild and the schools poor and quite a distance from his home. His educational advantages were necessarily limited, but for a time he pursued his studies in an old log school-house, one of his first teachers being a Mr. Knowlton. When old enough to be of any assistance he commenced to aid his father in clearing and improving the farm, and remained with his parents until their death. He was married soon afterward and located upon his present farm of seventy-one acres, then mostly wild land, on which was a hewed-log house. To the further improvement and cultivation of his place he has since devoted his energies, until today it is nearly all cleared and under excellent cultivation. He is a stanch I advocate of free silver and Democratic principles, and is an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
     On the 14th of March, 1867, Mr. Weaver married Miss Sarah Weaver, who, though of the same name, was no relative. She was born in Franklin township, Darke county, January 15, 1845, and died April 14, 1879, aged thirty-three years, two months and nineteen days. Her father, Adam Weaver, emigrated to Ohio from Virginia at an early day. To our subject and his wife were born two children: James Edward, born December 30, 1867, who married Lizzie Strowbridge; and Harvey, born January 15, 1874, who married Elizabeth Ludy, and lives in Ohio City, Ohio.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 610

GEORGE WEAVER.     Throughout almost his entire life this gentleman has been actively identified with the upbuilding and development of Darke county, and is numbered among its honored pioneers and representative citizens.  He is now engaged in general farming on section 29, Neave township, and also follows the carpenter's trade to some extent.
     Mr. Weaver was born Aug. 22, 1828, in the township where he now resides, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Eakins) Weaver, a native of Germany, who emigrated to the United States about 1760, when fourteen years of age, and first located in Pennsylvania, where he married.  As early as 1802 he removed to Montgomery county, Ohio, and in 1818 came to Darke county, where he died at the ripe old age of eighty-seven years.  Our subject's maternal grandfather, Benjamin Eakins, was born in Ireland, and was also about fourteen years of age when he came to America.  He grew to manhood and was married in Pennsylvania, and on coming to this state took up his residence in Preble county.
     Peter Weaver, father of our subject, was born Aug. 8, 1802, while his parents were removing from Pennsylvania to Montgomery county, Ohio, and he was reared on a farm near Liberty, being sixteen years of age when the family came to Darke county and took up their residence on section 29, Neave township.  They built one of the first cabins in that township and upon the farm which he there developed Peter Weaver spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1885, at the age of eighty-three years.  His wife who was born in Preble county, Jan. 12, 1807, was killed in October, 1869, by the passenger train on the Pennsylvania Railroad, at Bishop''s Crossing, Darke county.  To this worthy couple were born fourteen children, of whom two died in infancy.  The others were Jonas, who died at the age of twelve years;  George, our subject; Sarah wife of Justus Smith, of Missouri; Elizabeth, who died at the age of eight years; Mary, wife of Jacob Burket, of Springfield, Ohio; Nancy, deceased wife of Aaron Comrine; Benjamin, a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio; William C. and Calvin P., both of Parsons, Kansas; Catharine, wife of Newton Hayes, of Kenton, Ohio; David, deceased; and Margaret, wife of Hanson White, of Kansas.  After the death of his first wife, the father wedded Mary Lambertson, about the year 1872, and to them were born a son, Harry O. Weaver, who is now living in Washington, D. C.  At the time of his death he had eighty-one living descendants, and had had altogether ninety-nine - fifteen children and fifty-two grandchildren, and thirty-two great-grandchildren.
     George Weaver is now the only representative of this family living in Darke county.  He was reared in Neave township and can relate many interesting incidents of pioneer days when this region was all wild and unimproved.  He well remembers when many families had only chairs, tables and bedsteads of their own manufacture and lived in true pioneer style.  In his own home the German language was used altogether and he could not speak a word of English before starting to school at the age of eight years.  His mother made all the clothes for her family, spinning the raw wool, weaving it into cloth, and later converting it into garments.
     Mr. Weaver remained at home until he was married, Sept. 20, 1849, to Miss Caroline Wagner, who was born in German township, Darke county, in 1831, and died in August, 1888.  Her family were among the pioneers of the county.  By this union our subject had eight children: Minerva, wife of Cyrus McKeon, of Greenville; Miranda, wife of John Stephens, of the same place; William E., who died at the age of eighteen months; Peter D., who married Jennie Brown, of Weaver's Station; Elizabeth, wife of M. L. Maxwell, of Kirksville, Missouri; Estella, wife of William Townsend, of Jaysville, Darke county; Rhoda J., now Mrs. Lawrence, of Kirksville, Missouri; and Frank E., who married Ella Baird and lives in Greenville.  On the 27th of July, 1889, Mr. Weaver married Mrs. Jennie S. (Herr) Springer, who was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and is a daughter of Christian and Sarah J. (Chadwick ) Herr, the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Montgomery county, Ohio.  By her first marriage Mrs. Weaver had one son, Victor L. Springer, now a member of Company C, Thirteenth United States Infantry, stationed at Manasug on the Philippine Islands.  Mr, and Mrs. Weaver have a little daughter, Marie, born in Darke county, July 27, 1892.
     After his first marriage our subject remained upon the old homestead for four years, and then removed to the farm where he now resides.  About 1855 ne went to Cass county, Indiana, and built a steam saw-mill on the Indian Reserve, which he operated for three years, and then returned to Darke County.  He purchased a farm in Harrison township, but after operating it for three years, sold out and bought his present farm of one hundred and eight acres on section 29, Neave township.  In 1869 he removed to Greenville, where for seven years he engaged in business as a carpenter and contractor, but at the end of that time returned to his farm.   He has erected many houses, barns and business blocks throughout the county, but now devotes his time and energies principally to general farming, and is meeting with well de served success in his labors.  He is a consistent and faithful member of the United Brethren church, in which he is serving as class leader and trustee, and is a man highly respected and esteemed by all who know him on account of his sterling worth, strict in tegrity and honorable dealings.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Part II - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 687

W. A. WESTON. Washington Allen Weston, deceased, of Greenville, Ohio, was born in Alexandria, Virginia, March 3, 1814, and died at Greenville, Ohio, April 24, 1876. His father, William Weston, was a sea captain and perished at sea. His mother, Rebecca Conyers was an English lady, and died soon after the death of her husband. When an orphan boy of fifteen he came to Ohio, and was six years a salesman in a mercantile house in Dayton, Ohio, where he made a record for fine business talent, industry and honesty. About 1835, with a small capital, he began business in Piqua, Ohio, but the financial crisis of 1836-37 swept away every dollar he possessed.
    Nothing daunted, however, he soon began again in Covington, Miami county, where he prospered and became leader in the public affairs of the community. In 1847 he was elected on the Whig ticket to the general assembly of Ohio and acquitted himself with credit. In the fall of 1848 he located in Greenville and opened the first hardware store of the place. In 1856 he purchased the Dayton Paper Mills and for seven years conducted a thriving business in that city. In 1863 he returned to Greenville, resumed the hardware trade and in January, 1866, became one of the organizers of the Farmers' National Bank of Greenville and president of the same, remaining such until his decease.   He was prominently active in the local enterprises of the community and his generosity was as universal as mankind, with a heart ever open and hand ever extended to relieve the necessities of the poor and unfortunate. He possessed a fine literary and scientific taste and had a very fair education; was a good conversationalist, excelled as a writer and contributed a number of timely articles to the public press of the day. The guiding principle of his life was the golden rule and he practiced its teachings in his daily business. Ever industrious and careful., he accumulated a large competency, provided well for his family and was respected by all who knew him. In his death this community suffered the loss of a good financier and a worthy citizen.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 233

JOHN WHARRY.  John Wharry, surveyor, lawyer and judge, Greenville, Ohio, was born in what is now Juniata county, Pennsylvania, November 27, 1809. His parents were James and Margaret (Crone). Wharry, the former born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1780, the latter in Frederick county, Maryland, February 7, 1780. They came  to Ohio in 1810, and after spending two years in Butler county, settled in Columbus, in December, 1812, at which time there were only three log cabins on the present site of that city. In the summer of 1812 lie was a member of General Findley's regiment that was sent to Detroit to assist General Hull, but he was taken sick on the march and was compelled to return home. His occupation was that of a carpenter, and he made the desks for The first state house in the city of Columbus. He died in that city March 19, 1820. His widow died in Richmond, Indiana, in May, 1848. In 1824 our subject, then a lad of fifteen years of age, came to Greenville, Ohio, and for several years was engaged as a store clerk. He obtained a very fair mathematical education, with some knowledge of Latin. By assisting at the work of surveying and by personal application he obtained sufficient knowledge to become a practical surveyor, and engaged in this business from 1831 to 1851, for most of which time he filled the position of county surveyor. In the fall of 1851 he was elected probate judge of Darke county and served three years. In the spring of 1855 he was admitted to the practice of law, having previously read under the late Judge John Beers, of Greenville, Ohio. April 21, 1838, he married Miss Eliza Duncan, of Warren county, Ohio, who bore him ten children. Mrs. Wharry died December 6, 1868. Until the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, in 1854, Judge "Wharry was a Jacksonian Democrat, but from that time until his death he was a Republican. He was endowed with a remarkable memory and at the time of his death had, doubtless, the best recollection of early events of any man in Darke county. He was a member of the County Pioneer Association. For thirty years he had been connected with the Presbyterian denomination. He was one of the best draftsmen in the county, and an excellent penman, his records, in the department of the interior, in Washington- city, being pronounced unexcelled. He was a fine surveyor, a good legal counselor, a superior business man, and a much respected citizen. Two of his sons served through the late war—James Wharry as captain and Kenneth as assistant surgeon.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 238

ELAM WHITE, a venerable citizen and retired farmer residing at Glen Karn in German township, Darke county, Ohio, was born in Franklin township, Wayne county, Indiana, January 1, 1818. His forefathers were Kentuckians, both his father and grandfather having been born in that state. Both bore the name of James White, and both were by occupation farmers. When a young man James came to Ohio, settling in Butler county and subsequently went to Indiana, and there he married, and there he passed the remainder of his life, engaged in agricultural pursuits. His was a long and useful life and at the time of his death his age was ninety-six years and eight months. Politically he was known as a Jackson Democrat. He took a prominent and active interest in local affairs, served fifteen years as a justice of the peace, and was respected and honored by all who knew him. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Boswell, was a native of North Carolina and was reared partly in that state and partly in Wayne county, Indiana. Her father, Barney Boswell, also was a native of North Carolina, James and Jane White were the parents of twelve children, six of whom are living, Elam, the subject of this sketch, being the eldest son and third member of the family.
     Elam White was reared on his father's farm in Indiana, spending his boyhood days in assisting in the work of clearing and improving the farm, and remaining at home un­til he reached his majority. At the age of twenty-one he came to Harrison township, Darke county, Ohio, and here he was married, May 21, 1840, to Susan Carlinger. She was a native of Baltimore county, Maryland, where her early, girlhood days were spent, but after her mother's death, which occurred when she was eleven years old, she came to Darke county, Ohio, to live with an uncle, Samuel Garlington, with whom she re­mained until her marriage. They resided on their farm in Harrison township until 1898, when they removed to Glen Karn, German township, where Mr. White still lives. Mrs. White passed away April 29, 1900. Of the children of this worthy couple, we give the following record: Theodora is deceased; Lorando Jane is the wife of Robert Downing, of Harrison township, and has five children, Clifton, Lellin, Bland, Samuel and Orda; Maretta is the wife of Henry Bicknell, of Harrison township, and has seven children. Mrs. Eliza Florence Rodford, of Franklin township, Wayne county, Indiana, has seven children, Ida, Oda, Charlie, Ona, Thurman, Early and Winnie. The grandchildren now number nineteen, and the great-grandchildren, two.
     Mr. White began life a poor boy, by honest industry accumulated a competency, and now in his old age is surrounded with the comforts of life—a fitting reward for his years of toil. Politically he has supported the Democratic party ever since its organization.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 754

STEVEN V. WHITE, a speculator of Wall Street of national reputation, was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, Aug. 1, 1831, and soon afterward removed to Illinois.  His home was a log cabin, and until his eighteenth year he worked on the farm.  Then after several years of struggle with poverty he graduated from Knox College, and went to St. Louis, where he entered a wholesale boot and shoe house as bookkeeper.  He then studied law and worked as a reporter for the "Missouri Democrat."  After his admission to the bar he went to New York, in 1865, and became a member of the banking house of Marvin & White.  Mr. White enjoyed the reputation of having engineered the only corner in Wall Street since Commodore Vanderbilt's time.  This was the famous Lackawanna deal in 1883, in which he made a profit of two million dollars.  He was sometimes called "Deacon White, and, though a member for many years of the Plymouth church, he never held that office.  Mr. White was one of the most noted characters of the street, and has called an orator, poet, philanthropist, linguist, abolitionist astronomer, schoolmaster, plowboy, and trapper.  He was a lawyer, ex-congressman, expert account, art critic and theologian.  He laid the foundation for a "Home for Colored People," in Chatham county, North Carolina, where the greater part of his father's life was spent, and in whose memory the work was undertaken.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Pt. 1 - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 162

HENRY WILLIAMS a retired farmer of Rossville and an honored veteran of the civil war. He was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, July 11, 1825. Before his birth his. father had died and he was reared by Michael Castle until he was twelve years of age. He accompanied Mr. Castle to Williamsburg, Montgomery county, Ohio, and continued under his roof for a time. He has depended entirely upon his own efforts since the age of twelve years. He worked as a day laborer and as a farm hand, scorning no employment that would yield him an honest living. As the years passed he was enabled to save some capital, which he invested in land, and its cultivation brought: to him a good financial return. He was married, January 9, 1850, to Sarah Replogle, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Gossand) Replogle. Since that time he has engaged in farming, following agricultural' pursuits mostly in Wooster and Allen townships. In 1856 he settled on a tract of land. of thirty-two acres and after the war he added to his property until it comprised seventy-three acres of rich land. He afterward sold a portion of that, retaining possession, of forty-four acres, which he continued to cultivate until the spring of 1883, when he practically laid aside business cares and retired to his present home, situated on a tract of five acres of land at Rossville. Industry and energy have enabled him to add yearly to his income. He worked in the fields, cultivated his land, and when the crops were harvested he obtained a good return for his labor. Putting aside some of his earnings he is now in possession of a comfortable competence, which enables him to live retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Williams has been blessed with nine children, four sons and five daughters, all of whom are yet living with the exception of William Henry, who was killed by the cars. He was born February 27, 1858, and died June 27, 1896. The other children are still living, are married and have families of their own and there are twenty-eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren living. During the civil war Mr. Williams loyally responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting as a private on the 21st of August, 1861. He was assigned to Company K, of the Fifty-third Ohio Infantry, and for four years faithfully defended the old flag and the cause it represented. He was first wounded at Resaca on the 13th of May, 1864, but remained with his company until the 22d of July of that year, when he re­ceived four shots in front of Atlanta, one in the forehead, two in the right leg and one in the left leg! He was then sent to Tripler hospital in Columbus, where he remained until honorably discharged. From 1865 until 1875 he received a pension of twenty-four dollars per year; for the next eight years he received four dollars per month, the sum then being increased to six and later to eight dollars per month, and since July, 1891, he has received twelve dollars per month. He is a valued member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a stanch Republican and has served as a township trustee and road supervisor. At all times he is as true to his duties of citizenship as when he defended the starry banner upon southern battlefields.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 713

MRS. SAMUEL WILSON.     Mrs. Samuel Wilson has been a witness of almost the entire growth and development of Darke county.  She was born in Ohio, Aug. 21, 1836, and is the second of a family of three daughters, whose parents were Jacob and Ann Rebecca (Staup) Eyler.  Her father was born in Frederick county, Maryland, Aug. 30, 1814, and died Sept. 26, 1886.  He was reared upon the farm and acquired a good education in the schools near his home, but at an early age he was left to care for his widowed mother, and his educational advantages were meager.  He came with his family to Ohio in 1836, locating in Montgomery county, where he resided for seven years.  He afterward spent three years in Greene county and in 1846 came to Darke county, locating in Van Buren township, and in this county he remained until his death.  His political support was given to the democracy, and in religious belief he was a Lutheran.  His wife, who belonged to the same church, was born in Maryland, Apr. 27, 1812, and died on the 20th of November, 1897.  She was an affectionate wife and mother and her teachings have had marked influence over her children, for she was an earnest Christian woman and reared her children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. 
     Mrs. Wilson, of this review, was a little maiden of ten summers when her parents became residents of Darke county.  She remained in Van Buren township until her seventeenth year and pursued her education in the common schools.  She was then married, on the 20th of September, 1863, to Samuel Wilson.  They had little capital with which to start out in life, but they possessed resolute spirits and determined purpose; and the labors of the wife supplemented the work of the husband, who devoted his energies to the tilling of the soil.  The first piece of land which they owned was eighty acres in Van Buren township.  Subsequently they sold it and purchased sixty-five acres in Wayne township.  Their first home was a little log cabin and for six years they resided in Wayne township.  Mr. Wilson being actively engaged in agricultural pursuits.  He also possessed considerable natural mechanical ability and was a practical carpenter and bridge-builder.  Perhaps no better account of his life can be given than to copy the obituary which was published in the Versailles Policy, in June, 1897, five days after his death.  It says:
     "Samuel Wilson was the son of Samuel and Mary Frances Wilson, and was born in Greenville township, Feb. 21, 1829.  His grandfather and two aunts were killed by the Indians near Greenville.  The two aunts, Patsy and Anna Wilson, were murdered in July, 1812.  They had left the stockade to gather berries in the afternoon when they were attacked by the Indians and killed by blows on the head with tomahawks.
     "The parents of the deceased died when he was young, his father being drowned in Greenville creek and his mother died soon after the sad death of the father.  After the death of his parents he was compelled to live among strangers until eighteen years of age when he apprenticed himself to Orrin Culbertson as a carpenter.  He remaned with him until he was twenty-one, when he be came a contractor for himself.  He proved himself to be a good business man.  By frugality he had became a well-to-do and prosperous farmer.
     "In the year 1853 he was joined in holy wedlock with Mary C. Eyler, with whom he lived happily until death separated them.  To them eleven children were born, eight of whom are now living, seven girls and one son.  He was always kind and true to his wife and children.  During his life the deceased proved himself a public-spirited man, serving as the treasurer of Yorktown township for four years, a trustee for one year and commissioner of Darke county for six years.  Thus his life of usefulness in the home, in the community and the county is ended and he has gone the way of all the earth.  In the last solemn obsequies we could but manifest our tender regard for him and tenderly lay the lifeless form to sleep in mother earth, committing his spirit into the hands of the Great Giver of life.  May his rest be sweet!  To his companion is due an expression of our deepest sorrow, for she, most of all, feels this sad separation.  She will be most lonely.  May the infinite Father comfort and abundantly bless her!  May the children profit by the counsels of their father and emulate his virtues!  Remember there is one above who has promised to be a friend to the orphan and the widow.  May heaven smile upon you and bless you.  To the dozen grandchildren we say, mourn not that a loved one is taken away.  These experiences you will meet often along life's pathway.

W. M. WILSON.  William Martin Wilson, lawyer, judge and legislator, was born near Mifflin, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, March 11, 1808, and died in Greenville, Ohio, June 15,1864. His parents were Thomas Wilson and Jane Martin and in 1811 they came to Ohio, passed about a year in Fairfield county, and in 1812 settled in Butler county, where Mr. Wilson was raised. He was educated in Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, studied law with the late Hon. Jesse Corwin, of Hamilton, Ohio, was admitted to the bar in 1832 and then began practice in that place. In the fall of 1835 he located in Greenville and at once took a leading position as a lawyer. For a number of years he served as prosecuting attorney of Darke county. On September 19, 1837, he married Miss Louise Dosey, of Greenville, Ohio. She was born in Butler county April 23, 1815, and died August 2, 1856. In December, 1837, he started the Darke County Advocate, which, with a change of name, is now the Greenville Journal. In October, 1840, he was elected auditor of Darke county and was twice re-elected, thus serving, six years. In the fall of 1846 he was elected to the Ohio senate, from the district composed of the counties of Darke, Miami and Shelby, and1 held the seat two years, during which time he rose to a very prominent position in that body, and came "within one vote of being elected state auditor, having already gained the reputation of being one of the most efficient county auditors in the state. This one lacking vote he could have supplied by voting for himself, a thing which his manly modesty forbade. In the fall of 1856 he was appointed by Governor Chase as common pleas judge of the first subdivision of the second judicial district of Ohio to fill a vacancy. His decisions were distinguished for great research and ability. Being too old to enter the service during the war for the Union, he was, nevertheless, as a member of the military, committee of his district, an active and earnest, supporter of the government. He stood for many years at the head of the Greenville bar and was regarded as one of the best jurists in Ohio, and by his moral worth gave a higher character to the profession. He was a man of unusually quiet and retiring disposition; his words were few, but well chosen, and his sarcasm and repartee were like a flash of lightning on an opponent. At the same time he bore a heart of the warmest and tenderest sympathies. For a number of years he held the office of elder in the Presbyterian church of Greenville. He lived, and died an honest, upright man, in whom, as friend, neighbor and citizen, the community had the fullest confidence.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 234

W. J. WILSON.     When the greater part of the land of Darke county was still wild and unimproved, when the few homes of the early settlers were log cabins situated on little clearings in the midst of dense forests, the Wilson family was founded in this section of the state, and since that early time representatives of the name have been prominent and active in promoting the welfare of the county.
     The subject of this review was born in Wayne township, Mar. 20, 1856, and is the only living son in a family of eleven children, whose parents were Samuel and Mary C. (Eyler) Wilson.  His father was born in Greenville township, Darke county, Feb. 21, 1829, and in the common schools obtaind his education.  His mother died when he was two years old and his father's death occurred previous to that time, so that he was early left an orphan.  In his youth as he missed the care and protection of a home, he met many adversities and hardships, but these developed in him a strong character and resolute purpose, and throughout an active business career he command the respect and confidence of his fellow men.  He had considerable mechanical ability and early entered upon an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade under Oren Culberson, of Greenville.  At the time when he attained his majority he had no capital save the little he had accumulated through his own industry.  He spent his entire life in Darke county and became quite successful in his undertakings.  Locating in York township, about 1830, he there secured large landed interests and was also the owner of property in Richland, Wayne and York townships.  He likewise engaged extensively in stock raising, which proved a profitable source of income.  At his death, which occurred June 12, 1897, he was the possessor of six hundred and forty acres of valuable land, all of which was in York township, with the exception of a tract of seventy-one acres in Richland township.  All of the improvements upon his farm were placed there by him and the property be came one of the most attractive, desirable and valuable in his section of the county.
     As a citizen Mr. Wilson was public spirited and progressive and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, frequently called him to public office.  He served as township treasurer and trustee and in the year 1877 was elected to the important office of county commissioner for a three years term.  He discharged his duties so acceptably that in 1880 he was re-elected, and he gave his support to many marked and valuable improvements in the county.  He appreciated the value of good roads and sup ported all measures in the establishment of the fine pike system, and also believed in draining by ditching.  Many of the bridges in the county were built during his service in office and he co-operated in every measure for the public good.  He was an extremely successful and methodical man, both in his private and public interests, and his integrity was proverbial.  At his death the community lost one of its valuable citizens and the poor and needy a faithful friend, for he never withheld his support from those who were in need of aid.  He contributed toward the erection of churches and did what he could to promote the material, intellectual and moral welfare of his community.  Called to the home beyond, his remains were interred in the Versailles cemetery, where a beautiful Scotch granite monument now stands sacred to his memory.  His estimable wife, who was born in 1836, is still living on the old homestead.  In their family were two sons and nine daughters, and of this number eight are yet living, namely: Cynthia A., who is living with her mother in York township; W. J., of this review, Jennie, the wife of Samuel Sherry, a shoe dealer in Versailles, Ohio; Belle, the wife of Charles Ewry, who was formerly a successful teacher but is now engaged in the hardware business in Portland, Indiana, as a member of the firm of Yount & Ewry; May, the wife of Harry Gilbert a prosperous agriculturist of York township; Mary, the wife of William Yount, of the hardware firm of Yount & Emry, of Portland; Edith, the wife of Samuel Overholzer, a prosperous farmer of Richland township; and Minnie B., the wife of William Hill, a farmer residing in Wayne township.
     Mr. Wilson, whose name introduces this record, has spent his entire life in Darke county, and as he was the only son in his father's family that reached mature years the duties and labors of the farm largely devolved upon him.  He began his education in the schools of Wayne township and later pursued his education in the Lyons school in York township.  This was held in a log school house 24x32 feet, of typical style in its furnishings and structure.  Great changes have occurred since that time in the educational privileges which are now afforded the children of the present generation, for substantial brick or frame school houses dot the country here and there, well qualified teachers are employed and excellent preparation is made that the children may be well prepared for life's practical and responsible duties.  Mr. Wilson continued upon the home farm until 1884, when he bought eighty acres in York township.  Subsequently he disposed of this property and purchased the farm of one hundred and sixty six acres where he now resides.
     As a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Lucy Warvel a daughter of Daniel Warvel, a prominent citizen of Richland township.  She was born May 9, 1860, her parents being Daniel and Sarah (Powell) Warvel.  Their marriage  occurred Sept. 5, 1880, and four sons and three daughters graced the union, but of this number only four are now living - Mar Belle, Samuel C., Eliza May and Ernest Ray.  The parents are giving to their children good educational privileges so that they may be well fitted to meet life's active duties.  Mrs. Wilson has been to her husband a faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey, and her labors and counsel have proved important factors as he has endeavored to gain a competence.  When they began their domestic life they had forty acres of land, upon which rested an indebtedness, but as the years have passed they have become the owner of one of the model farms of York township.  The soil is especially adapted for the raising of corn, wheat and tobacco.  The last named is a very profitable crop and has added not a little to Mr. Wilson's income.  He is also a natural mechanic and built and equipped a blacksmith shop, in which he does his own work, making all repairs on harness and farm machinery as well as shoeing his own horses.  He has a four-horse-power engine and his mechanical ability is supplemented by his modern tools, enabling him to save much time and money.
     Politically Mr. Wilson is a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Samuel J. Tilden.  He has twice been selected as a delegate to congressional conventions and was a delegate to the state convention in Dayton, in 1898.  In 1899 he was elected the land appraiser of York township, and though he takes a deep interest in political affairs he has never been an office seeker, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business interests, in which he has met with very creditable success.  His marked energy, diligence and capable management have enabled him to advance step by step until he now stands upon the plane of affluence md throughout his long and active business  career he has ever commanded the respect, confidence and good will of those with whom he has been associated.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Pt. II - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page  391

GEORGE H. WINBIGLER.  Throughout the greater part of his life George H. Winbigler has been a resident of Darke county and has watched with interest its progress and development, withholding not his support from such measures as he believed would contribute to the public good.  He belongs to the better class of citizens in this community, and the record of his life well deserved a place in its history.  He is a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, born on the 4th of March, 1841, and is the second in order of birth in a family of nine children.  His father, Samuel Winbigler, was born in Maryland, not far from the city of Washington, D. C., and was reared to agricultural pursuits.  His educational advantages were quite limited, for he was only a boy when his father died and he was thus early thrown upon hi sown reseurces.  At the age of fourteen years he became a resident of Montgomery county, Ohio, and from that time until his death was dependent upon his own resources.  In 1845 he emigrated to Darke county, and settled upon ninety-four acres of dense forest land, which had been entered from the government by Jacob Weaver, father of Mrs. Winbigler.  His first home was a log cabin, and the subject of this review well remembers that primitive structure.  The father continued a resident of Darke county until his death, devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits.  In politics he was a Jeffersonian Democrat and supported Stephen A. Douglas, "the little giant of the west."  He served as township trustee and in other official positions, discharging his duties in an able manner.  He and his wife were members of the Lutheran Reformed church in York township, and this organization he aided and also contributed liberally to the building of the house of worship.  He was of German descent, and possessed many of the sterling characteristics of his German ancestry, being economical, thrifty and enterprising.  In this way he acquired a comfortable competence, becoming the owner of one hundred and thirty acres of rich and arable land.  He died May 4, 1876, respected by all who knew him, and a beautiful granite monument marks the last resting place of himself and his wife in the Lutheran cemetery in York township.  Mrs. Winbigler bore the maiden name of Ann Maria Weaver and was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, Feb. 13, 1821.  She died Dec. 9, 1887, at the age of sixty-six years, and, like her husband, was a consistent Christian.  Of their family of three sons and six daughters all are yet living:  Jacob, who resides in Versailles with his family, was formerly a teacher, but is now engaged in the insurance and loan business; George H. is the next of the family; Uriah is married and follows contracting in Ansonia, Ohio; Sarah is the wife of Irvin York, a farmer and stock dealer residing in the old Winbigler homestead; Amanda E. is the wife of James Renchler of Wayne township; Malinda M. is the wife of Levi Kesler, of Versailles, Ohio; Lovina is the wife of Oliver Miller, also of Versailles; Jane is the wife of J. B. Werts, a salesman residing in Wayne township; and Louisa is the wife of Warren Plessinger, an agriculturist of Brown township Darke county.
     George H. Winbigler was a little lad of four summers when he came with his parents to Darke county, and since that time he has resided within its borders.  He was reared to the work of the farm and has always carried on agricultural pursuits.  farmer boys were at that early day important factors in the development and cultivation of the land, and educational privileges were in consequence somewhat limited.  The methods of farming were primitive and Mr. Winbigler can well remember when horses were used in tramping out the wheat on the barn floor.  He can also remember seeing the first locomotive that ever came to Greenville, it making a run over the Dayton & Union Railroad.  At that time he and his brothers had accompanied their parents to the town preparatory to making a visit to Illinois.  Now the county is crossed and recrossed by the iron rails, which have brought all the improvements and advantages of civilization.  Mr. Winbigler has also witnessed the building of all the pikes which constitute such a splendid system of roads in Darke county, and in connection with one of his neighbors, Mr. Berch, he circulated a petition for the building of a gravel pike to Dawn, to intersect another pike, and this road is known as the Winbigler & Berch pike.  He remained with his parents until twenty-five years of age, and during a considerable portion of that time the management of the farm devolved upon him.  When he attained his majority his only property was a horse which his father had given him.
     On the 25th of November, 1866, Mr. Winbigler chose as a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Faith Plessinger, who was born Sept. 20, 1845 and died May 24, 1892.  On the 21st of July, 1894, he wedded Mary E. Hartzell, who was born in Darke county, Nov. 6, 1846, and is a daughter of Philip and Juliana (Harman) Hartzell.  Her father was born Jan. 3, 1811, in Adams county, Pennsylvania, near the famous battle-ground of Gettysburg, and died Apr. 5, 1873, in Darke county.  In early life he followed the hatter's trade.  He never attended school after attaining the age of twelve years and was therefore largely self-educated.  He often studied by the light of a hickory torch or of a rude lamp filled with grease or oil.  In 1836, at the age of twenty-five, he removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio.  He married Juliana Harman on the 18th of October, 1832, and with a party of twelve they came to Darke county, settling at Pikesville.  Only three of this party are now living.  The journey was made in wagons, and the homes of these settlers were primitive.  MrA. Hartzell was always a warm friend of education and gave his children the best advantages in that line that he could afford.  He took an active part in the early development of the county, coming here when there was not a railroad within its borders.  In politics he was a stanch Democrat, and was a true friend of the little red school house.  He and his wife were earnest Christian people, and he was active in establishing the Reformed church at Beamsville about 1840.  He also aided in the erection of the first Reformed church at Greenville, of which he and his wife were charter members.  The Children's Home, a beautiful structure, north of Greenville, is located on a part of the old Hartzell farm.  Mrs. Hartzell was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, Oct. 21, 1810, and died Jun. 6, 1893.  Her youngest brother, Henry, was a drummer boy in the war of 1812 and was killed at the battle of Lake Erie.  In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hartzell were four sons and five daughters, eight yet living, namely: Clara, who was a successful teacher of Darke county and who is the only living charter member of the first Reformed church at Greenville, and is now the wife of C. F. Bartling, who is living retired in Greenville; George is a farmer of Brown township; Maria who resides with Mrs. Winbigler; Julia A., who was formerly a successful teacher of Darke county, now engaged in dressmaking in Greenville, where she is highly esteemed and is known as a capable worker in the Reformed church, being especially active in missionary work; Philip H., who is the twin brother of Mrs. Winbigler, was educated in the Greenville high school, was formerly a teacher, but is now a carpenter and joiner of Springfield, Ohio, where he is regarded as leading citizen, being a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, a Democrat in politics and in religious belief connected with the Reformed church; Neander, a farmer residing at Okarche, Oklahoma, is the father of triplets, Faith, Hope and Charity, and twins, Alpha and Omega; and Reuben H. is married and lives in Springfield, Ohio, where he occupies the position of foreman in the Superior Drill Company.
     Mrs. Winbigler spent her girlhood days in Darke county, and, following in her father's footsteps, became a successful teacher.  She was educated in the public schools and in the normal school of Greenville, and for nine years followed the profession of teaching in Darke county, spending one term as a teacher in the Children's Home.  She is a lady of broad, general culture as well as scholarly attainments, and her work in the schoolroom was signally useful and effective.  She has also been a most active and earnest worker in the church.  She is a member of the Reform Missionary Society, of Pikeville and of Dawn, and was formerly a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
     After his first marriage Mr. Winbigler began farming upon rented land in Richland township.  His first purchase comprised forty acres in that township, but later he sold that property and in 1873 bought ninety-four acres on section 21, of which only thirty acres had been cleared.  His first home was a little log house, but today he has a modern country residence and near by stands a large and commodious barn and other substantial outbuildings.  All the improvements and accessories of a model farm are there found.  His land is of clay and black soil, well adapted to the raising of corn, wheat, oats and tobacco.  His marked industry has been one of the salient features in his success, and his life stands in exemplification of what may be accomplished through determined purpose and enterprise.  In politics he has been an earnest Democrat since casting his first presidential vote for Gen. George B. McClellan.  He has frequently served as a delegate to county and congressional conventions.  He is an anti-expansionist and is always firm in support of his honest convictions.  He has three times been elected to serve as township trustee of Richland township - a fact which indicates the confidence reposed in him.  Both he and his wife are warm friends of public schools and believe in employing excellent teachers.  He has acted as school director for a number of years and in this capacity has done much for the cause of education.  They are earnest Christian people, the former belonging to the Lutheran and the latter to the Reformed church in Greenville, and Mr. Winbigler has contributed toward the erector of four different churches in Darke county.  Both he and his wife are representatives of honored and highly respected families of this community and well deserve mention in this volume.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 646

JOHN J. WINBIGLER.     This well-known resident of Versailles, Ohio, is serving as a justice of the peace in Wayne township, a position which he has filled for four terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.  He is thoroughly impartial in meting out justice, his opinions being unbiased by either fear or favor, and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him is above question.
     A native of Ohio, Mr. Winbigler was born in Miami township, Montgomery county, May 25, 1839, and on the paternal side traces his ancestry back to three brothers Henry, John and Elias Winbigler - who were born in a province of France that now forms a part of Germany, and came to this country prior to the Revolutionary war, in which they all took part.  John and Elias located in Frederick county, Maryland, and Henry in Frie, Pennsylvania.  John was the great-great-grandfather of our subject.  His grandson, Jacob Winbigler. the grandfather of our subject, is supposed to have been a native of Pennsylvania, but he died in Maryland.  He was a soldier of the war of 1812.  The father was born near Harper's Ferry, Frederick county, Maryland, in 1817, and when about fifteen years of age removed to Montgomery county, Ohio, where he was married, in 1838, to Anna Maria Weaver, who was born in Miami township, that county, in February, 1821, and died in Darke county, in 1887.  Her father, John T. Weaver, was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and an early settler of Montgomery county, Ohio, where he located about 1805.  There he entered a large tract of land for his children and engaged in farming, dying there at about the age of seventy years.  On the 2d of November, 1844, the father of our subject came to Darke county and located in York township, where in the midst his of the forest he developed a farm, devoting attention to agricultural pursuits throughout life.  He died May 4, 1876.  In religious belief he was a Lutheran, and in politics a Democrat.  He was widely and favorably known, and was called upon to trustee, serve as a justice of the peace and township trustee.  In his family were nine children, all of whom married and are still living.
     John J. Winbigler, the eldest of this family, was five years old when brought by his parents to Darke county.  His education was not begun until he was ten years of age, when he became a student at a log school-house in York township, and for three months he attended a select school in Jaysville.  He assisted his father in clearing and improving the home farm until he attained his majority, and in 1860 commenced teaching school, an occupation which he successfully followed for about twenty years, in the meantime devoting some attention to other lines of business.  He served three years as a member of Company D, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and did garrison duty most of the time.  At the close of the war he was honorably discharged. July 3, 1865. Returning home he resumed teaching and for three years, from In 1867, engaged in the saw-mill business in York township.  He was also employed as a traveling salesman for a time until 1880.  In 1871 he removed to Versailles, where he has since made his home with the exception of four years spent on the old homestead.
     In October, 1865, Mr. Winbigler married Miss Susana A. Lyons, by whom he had three children that are still living, namely John S., Armena J. and Harry F.  He was again married in October, 1888, his second union being with Leah Plessinger.
     Religiously Mr. Winbigler is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and fraternally is a member of G. W. Larimore Post, No. 445, G. A. R., of which he was the first commander.  By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Democratic party, and he takes quite a prominent and influential part in local politics.  He has served as clerk and assessor of York townhip, assessor of Wayne township two terms, and as deputy assessor many times, having made out about twenty assessment books.  He is now serving his fourth term as the justice of the peace of Wayne township, and is a notary public.  He is also interested in the real estate and fire insurance business.  Mr. Winbigler is regarded as one of the leading and highly respected citizens of Versailles, and it is therefore consistent that he be represented in a work whose province is the portrayal of the lives of the prominent men of Darke county.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 486

JOB M. WINTERS.  Darke county, Ohio, one of the historical sections of the Buckeye state, has within her borders many men who have left the impress of their individuality upon its history—men to whose efforts may be attributed the substantial growth and prosperity of the community and whose labors have led to advancement along social, intellectual and moral lines. This section of the state, which was once the home of the fed men and the abiding place of the noted chieftain well known in connection with Indian warfare which occurred during the time of our sec­ond struggle with England, is now a tract of well tilled fields, the property of prosperous agriculturists, whose sons and daughters stand side by side "with the children of capitalists and bankers in the colleges and universities of today. Washington has said that "farming is the most honorable as well as the most useful occupation to which man devotes his energies," and the utterance is as true today as when spoken more than a century ago. It has been largely due to the agriculturists of the community that marked, changes have occurred in Darke county, until it would almost seem as if a magic wand had been waved over this fair region, transforming the wild forests into blossoming fields. To this class belongs Mr. Winters, the subject of this review.
     He first opened his eyes to the light of day amid the picturesque scenery of the Blue Ridge mountains, his birth having occurred in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, on the 6th of November, 1835. He is the youngest in a family of five children, three sons and two daughters. His parents are George, and Anna (Mann) Winters. Four of the children are yet living, namely: John, who formerly followed carpentering and building, but is now engaged in agricultural pursuits in Pennsylvania; Margaret, who is living in this state; Dorothy, wife of Jonathan Yonker, a farmer of Darke county, Ohio; and Job M. The father of this family was also a native of Pennsylvania and was of German lineage. He obtained a good education and became a mechanic. He died July 12, 1836, at the age of forty-two years, when our subject was a little child. His wife, also a native of Pennsylvania, died July 30, 1855, at the age of fifty-five years.
     J. M. Winters, of this review, was reared on the home farm, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. Pie remained in his native state during his minority and acquired a good practical education in? the common schools. He applied himself dili­gently to the mastery of his studies and thus became able to teach, following that profession for a time. As the result of his industry and economy he had acquired a capital of two hundred dollars by the time he attained his majority, and like many other enterprising young men of the east he determined to try his fortunes in some of the newer districts of the west. Accordingly he came to Darke county, Ohio, and during his identification with the business interests of this locality he has steadily worked his way upward until he has attained a position among the substantial residents of the community. lie chose for a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss Rhoda Brewer, a native of Darke county, their marriage being celebrated on the 1st of March, 1860. Eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, have been born of their union, and nine of the number are yet living. Ella, the eldest, is the wife of Thomas Mitchell, a farmer, by whom she has six children. Clara is the wife of  William Warvell, a resident farmer of Richland township. Marion, a carpenter and joiner by trade, is married and resides in Muncie, Indiana. Rufus, who is also married, is a successful commercial traveler residing in Delaware, Ohio. Orpha is the wife of George S. York, a son of one of the prominent pioneers of Darke county. George, who was a student in the schools of Greenville, Ohio, and a graduate of the Terre Haute Polytechnic Institute, is now a civil engineer, following his profession in Mexico. Clarence is engaged in the dairy business in connection with his father and brother, Oscar, who is the next of the family. Homer, the youngest, is an expert mechanic. Mr. and Mrs. Winters have given their children good educational privileges, thus fitting them for life's practical and responsible duties.
     After their marriage our subject and his wife located on a farm a short distance east of their present beautiful homestead, where Mr. Winters rented land for four years. He then made his first purchase of real estate, becoming the owner of eighty acres on section 28, Richland township. He had little capital and had to go in debt for the greater part of the land, but by diligence and economy was soon enabled to meet the payments, and as his financial resources increased he added to his farm until it now comprises three hundred and forty acres of rich and arable land. The excellent improvements upon it stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. These include a nice brick residence and commodious barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock. Mr. Winters engages in the cultivation of corn, oats, wheat and tobacco and is extensively engaged in the dairy business in connection with his sons, Clarence and Oscar. They began the manufacture of butter in 1895, and today have a very modern and complete outfit, their plant containing a six horse-power engine, a complex Baby de Lavel separator and other requisite machinery. They have a herd of twenty-six Jersey, Guernsey and Durham cows and manufacture a grade of butter which is unexcelled by any on the market. Their annual output is nine thousand pounds, and their business is carried on scientific and practical principles, so, that they are enabled to tell the cost of each cow and the revenue derived from the herd. In February, 1900, their butter was tested at Columbus, at the Ohio Dairymen's Association, where it scored ninety-nine points out of a possible hundred, a fact which is certainly creditable, not only to Mr. Winters and his sons, but to Darke county as well.
     Oscar Winters is an enterprising young business man, well qualified to carry on the enterprise of which he acts as foreman. Having acquired a good preliminary education in the common schools, he took a course in the Dairy School in the State College of Pennsylvania, and is therefore very competent in the line of his chosen work. The firm finds a ready sale for all the butter they can manufacture and expect to enlarge their facilities at an early date.
     For thirty-six years Mr. and Mrs. Winters have resided in Darke county and are numbered among its most highly esteemed citizens. In politics he has been a stanch Democrat since casting his first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas, the "little giant of the west." He has always stanchly upheld the banner of. Democracy and advocated those principles and measures which tend to promote the best interests of the masses. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have elected him for nine consecutive terms to the office of. township treasurer, wherein he has discharged his duties in a most creditable manner. The cause of education finds .in him a warm friend, and for six or eight years he has served as a member of the school board. He has frequently been a delegate to county and congressional conventions and if a recognized leader in the ranks of his party in this locality.  Both he and his wife are devoted members of the Christian church at Beamsville, and contributed generously of their means toward the erection of the house of worship there. He has also aided in the upbuilding of the churches at Brock and Ansonia, and has not withheld his support from other measures and movements which tend to the betterment of mankind. His son, Oscar, is organist in the Sunday school of the Christian church at Beamsville. The family is one of prominence in the community, enjoying the high regard of all with whom they have come in contact.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 650

FRANKLIN WISE.  In this work there is much interest attaching to the records, both personal and genealogical, of those who stand representative of the worthy pioneer element in the history of Darke county, and who are exponents of the progress and prosperity which mark the later years.  To the gentleman whose name heads this record we must accord an honorable place among the leading citizens of the county, and no publication having to do with the annals of this historic reference to his genealogical record and individual accomplishment.
     Mr. Wise was born on the old homestead in Richland township, the land comprised in the same having been entered by his grandfather, John Wise, the entry having been made Aug. 14, 1834, and executed over the signature of President Andrew Jackson, this being one of the oldest deeds of the township and being cherished as an heirloom by the Wise Family.  In the days to come it will be valuable as a relic of the pioneer days.  Mr. Wise was born Jan. 12, 1853, being the sixth in order of birth of the seven sons and two daughters born to Daniel and Catharine (Longenecker) Wise, and one of the eight who are living at the present time, namely: Benjamin L., a farmer of Patterson township, served for three years as a Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion; Iarena is the wife of Tobias Overholser, a farmer of Allen township; Samuel A. is a farmer of Eaton county, Michigan; John M. is a farmer of Mississinawa township, Darke county; Franklin is the immediate subject of this review; Clara A. is the wife of John Cable, a farmer of Wayne township; Harvey is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Ionia county, Michigan; and Daniel C., the youngest, is a farmer of Adams township, Darke county.
     Daniel Wise, father of our subject, was born in the old Keystone state, being of the old Pennsylvania German stock.  The date of his nativity was July 12, 1816, and he died Sept. 18, 1869.  It is presumed that he was about eighteen years of age when he became a resident of Ohio, and he was reared under the conditions prevalent at that time, receiving such meager educational advantages as were afforded in the early subscription schools, which, like other farmer boys, he was permitted to attend for a brief time each year.  He was early inured to the hardships of frontier life, growing to be a strong and sturdy man physically and one of marked mental vigor.  Politically he was an old-line Whig until the birth of the Republican party, when he transferred his allegiance to the new party, which more clearly expressed his views in its code of principles and policies.  He and his wife were members of the German Baptist church.
     Franklin Wise, subject of this review, is a thorough Ohioan, having been born and reared in Darke county, and he has unmistakably embraced the dominating principles of his parents as to the thrift and honor.  He has been reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and has incidentally carried on a successful enterprise in the manufacture of brooms.  He received a good common-school education, which as been supplemented by personal application and practical experience in the affairs of life.  Mr. Wise worked for wages until he reached his majority, after which he prepared to establish his household goods upon a firm foundation.  April 29, 1886, he was married to Miss Ruth A. Craig, who has borne him two daughters - Ethel and Hazel - who are very bright and interesting little maidens.  Mrs. Wise is a native of Darke county, having been born Nov. 10, 1860, a daughter of David and Malinda (Baird) Craig, who became the parents of six sons and five daughters, nine of whom are yet living and all these are residents of Darke county except Lieu Elmer, who is now an express agent at Tiffin, Ohio.
     David Craig was born in New Jersey, Feb. 5, 1814, and died Jan. 5, 1884.  He was three years of age when his parents moved to Warren county, Ohio, and in 1857 he became a resident of Darke county, becoming a farmer by occupation.  Mrs. Wise's great-grandfather in the agnatic line came from Scotland, the name Craig being of the pure Scotch origin.  Malinda (Baird) Craig, mother of Mrs. Wise, was born in Warren county, Ohio, Sept. 16, 1825, and her death occurred July 21, 1898.  She and her husband were members of the Presbyterian church at Greenville and were very zealous in their religious work.  They owned a fine farm two and one-half miles east of Greenville.  Mrs. Wise was educated in the common schools, and she is of that genial and candid nature which will ever insure warm and lasting friendships.  She has been a true helpmeet to her husband and they are known and honored far and wide throughout the section where they have passed their lives.  They began their domestic life on the old homestead of our subject's parents, renting the land at the start, and finally Mr. Wise undertook to purchase the estate, a work which he accomplished within six years, with the aid of his devoted wife, and in addition to this he also cared tenderly for his widowed mother until her death.  The estate comprises one hundred and forty-nine acres and this is kept in a fine state of repair and cultivation.
     In politics Mr. Wise is a Republican, having cast his first presidential vote for Hayes.  Socially he is a member of Lodge No. 605, I. O. O. F., at Ansonia, and also of Stelvideo Grange, No. 295, with which Mrs. Wise is also identified.  He is the treasurer of the grange and Mrs. Wise is overseer.  In religious adherency Mr. and Mrs. Wise maintain the faith of the Christian Scientists, having made a careful study of the wonderful developments and comforting promises to be noted in this line of religious thought.  They are among the representative people of Richland township and are well worthy of this slight tribute in the genealogical and biographical history of the county.
Source: A Biographical History of Darke County, Ohio, Compendium of National Biography - Illustrated - Publ. Evansville, Ind. - 1900 - Page 536