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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Defiance County, Ohio
containing a History of the County; Its Townships,
Towns, Etc.;
Military Record; Portraits of Early Settlers and
Prominent Men; Farm Views; Personal
Reminiscences, Etc.
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co.
1883
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Milford Twp. -
CHARLES W. BARRY was born in Milton
Township, Chittenden County, Vt. , Jan. 9, 1823, and attended
district school in his native place until he was fourteen years
of age, when he removed to Erie, Penn, there attending the
academy three years, and for six months teaching mathematics in
Room 2. In October, 1840, he came to this township,
traveling on foot from Maumee City to Defiance, and there being
no bridge at Defiance, he was ferried over by Mr.
Strait. At that time people had almost a horror of the
black swamp, consequently there was little emigration here at
that time, whereas now there is no better spot in the country
than this. Mr. Barry taught school at $10 a
month, and received over $5 a month from the State funds, the
balance being raised by parents in proportion to the number of
children sent. He taught school eight winters, and as
there was no money in those days, deer hides and coon skins were
a legal tender. He has in his possession a grindstone
received from Rev. N. Crary, 1843, for a school bill,
which has done service ever since. He went to Defiance in
1843, twenty-five miles distant, with an ox team and twenty
bushels of wheat, which he sold for 110, and bought a barrel of
salt for $18. He married, Apr. 2, 1845, Miss Uretta C.
Hopkins, who came from St. Lawrence County, N Y., to Farmer
Township. Their family consists of Zoviah, born
Apr. 23, 1846; and Wesley O., born Aug. 23, 1848. Mr.
Barry has resided on the same farm since 1845. In
1846, he was elected J. P., and has held the office twenty-four
years. His first case was in the summer of 1846, without
law books or previous experience. The plaintiff came in
the morning, stating that defendant had taken some of his corn
stalks in the division of a field of fodder. He issued a
summons about 9 o' clock, and made it return able at 3 o'clock
the same day. The parties appeared, and plaintiff obtained
a judgment about 6 o'clock, and if that day had been one hour
longer, he would have collected the debt by execution.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 331 |
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Milford Twp. -
RUDOLPH J. BATTERSHELL was born Sept. 9,
1844, at Berlin, in the county of Holmes, Ohio, and came to
Milford Township in September, 1850, with his parents,
William and Elizabeth Battershell. Mr. B. married
Miss Libbie A. Clarke. His family consists of
Charles C, Allen P., Arthur C. The parents of
Mr. B. are yet living in the township, Mr. B. is a
merchant, and resides in Cicero, which is a sort of village, and
has two blacksmith shops and one shoe store, in a fine farming
country.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 330 |
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Defiance Twp. -
JOSEPH BAUER, JR., came from Baden,
Germany, when he was a young man, with his parents, landing at
Defiance A. D. 1850. His father, Joseph Bauer,
Sr., was married twice, and had three children by his first
wife - Mary, Magdalena and Joseph By his
second wife he had three children, viz., Leopold, Albin
and Rosa. Leopold died at Defiance in 1853.
Mr. Bauer, Sr., also died at Defiance, in 1863,
aged about sixty-eight years. Mary is still living
in Germany. Joseph, Jr., married Catherine Royal,
of Defiance, by whom he had six children, four girls and two
boys. One of the girls (Mary) died in 1879.
Mr. Bauer's wife died in 1877. Mr. Bauer
worked about ten years at repairs on the canal, when he first
came to this country. He kept saloon about seven years;
then went into the brewery business, in partnership with
Lewis Coleman for two years, when Coleman died.
Bauer then ran the business alone one year; then took in
Christ. Diehl as partner in 1871, and they still continue
the business together. Jacob Karst put up the
brewery in 1866. Mr. Bauer has added extensively to
the buildings since he purchased, so that the cost of lot and
buildings at present amount to about $26,000, turning out
annually from 2,500 to 3,500 barrels of beer.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 223 |
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Defiance Twp. -
LIVINGSTON E. BEARDSLEY
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 253 |
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Defiance Twp. -
GEORGE W. BECHEL
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 247 |
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Defiance Twp. -
DR. ANTHONY BECHTOLD
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 245 |
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Washington Twp. -
GEORGE W. BENNER was
born Dec. 18, 1836, in Columbiana County, Ohio, and came to
Tiffin Township, Defiance County, with his parents in 1845.
His parents were George Benner and Barbara Benner.
When they arrived, the township had but few settlers in it and
there was plenty of deer, some bear and a great number of
wolves, wild cats, turkeys and small game. The forests
were quite heavy and hard to clear up. It was then a
common thing to go three or four miles to raise a cabin and take
a dinner along. There were no roads 'to direct any one;
they had to follow blazed trees to a new clearing w here logs
were to roll or a cabin was to be erected. In those days
they made a large quantity of maple sugar each spring, which
brought a fair price. It was so difficult to get feed,
that they had to cut browse to feed cattle in the spring of the
year to save them from starving. There was no hay to be
had at that time, and in the spring of the year it was difficult
to keep stock from starving. The country was new, and all
kinds of hardships had to be endured. He removed to
Washington Township about 1866. For milling, Hilton's
mill at Brunersbrug had to be visited. Mr.
Benner married Miss Jemima Partee Aug.
14, 1856. His children are Clarissa M., Millard
F., Warren W., Emma C. and George F.
These are all grown and all married but George F.
Mr. Benner had three brothers - Jacob, Jesse
and Simon.
Source: History of Defiance County,
Ohio - Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page
360 |
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Defiance Twp. -
ENOS BLAIR was born
in 1839 in Greenwood, Steuben Co., N. Y. His father,
William M. Blair, was born in Massachusetts in 1799, and
died at Litchfield, Mich., in 1846. His mother, Selinda A.
Wheeler, was born in New Hampshire in 1799, and is still
living at Litchfield, Mich. They were married, in 1820, at
Dryden, N. Y., and a few years after moved to Greenwood, N. Y.,
and then, in 1845, to Litchfield, taking with them their
six-year-old son, Enos, and from that time until he was
thirteen he lived on his brother's farm. In 1852 and 1853,
he attended school at Defiance; returned to Michigan, remaining
until 1857, going then to Illinois, working on a farm in summer
and teaching in the winter for two years. He then entered
into the stove trade in Defiance for two years, when he went
into the dry goods business, in the fall of 1863, in partnership
with C. A. Flickinger, and they still continue to do a
thriving and prosperous business. He married, Sept. 2,
1868, Amanda M., daughter of J. J. and Susan M. Myers,
of Defiance,
who was born at Mogadore, in Summit County, Nov. 15, 1848.
They have three children - Eva M., born June 15, 1869;
Hattie A., Nov. 10, 1873; Elmer Enos, July 26, 1876.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 237 |
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Delaware Twp. -
NATHANIEL M. BLAIR was born Mar. 28, 1843,
on the farm on which he now resides in Delaware Township,
distant about two miles from the village of Sherwood. Here
he has always lived on the old homestead and now owns the same,
having bought out the other heirs. He was married Nov.
9,1865, to Miss Emily Jane Tharp, who was born in Farmer
Township, Apr. 17, 1842, and daughter of Elisha Tharp one
of the first pioneers of Farmer Township, who is the only person
now living in that township who voted at its organization for
its first officers. The fruit of this marriage has been
four children, viz.: Clarence D., born July 5,
1867; Elsie L., born July 17, 1869, died Dec. 9, 1877;
Leota E., born Jan. 6, 1871; Annie S. born Feb. 7,
1876. Mr. Blair's grandfather, Joseph Blair,
came from near Detroit to this county in the spring of 1817, and
was a squatter at Defiance until the land sales, when he entered
the farm on which Stephen Harsey now resides, on the
banks of the Maumee at which place he died 1824, aged about
about eighty- five years. He was in the war of 1812.
Peter Blair (father of Nathaniel) was born Feb.
13, 1808, near Detroit, and came to this county with his parents
when a boy of nine years, and grew up on his father's farm.
In November, 1834, he was married to Miss Betsey Hughs,
by whom he had four children, three boys and one girl, viz.:
Mary, Joseph, Nathaniel L. and Benjamin F.; of these,
two are dead; Joseph died in infancy, Benjamin F.
died Nov. 27, 1880. Mary A., married Thomas
Gordon now deceased lives in Marks Township. Mr. B.
settled on the farm now occupied by his son Nathaniel in
1845 or 1846. His first purchase was ten acres, upon which
he built a log-cabin then purchased from time to time in
addition thereto, amounting to 243 acres. While living in
his cabin on the river bottom in times of a freshet, when
the river overflowed its banks and the water came rushing around
his cabin, the family were obliged to take refuge in the loft
until the waters subsided. The sudden rise of the river
often caught his hogs napping in their pens or in the field, and
on such occasions Mr. B. had to get into his log canoe
and paddle around and rescue them as best he could. There
was then abundance of fish in the river and game of all kinds in
the woods, deer in droves, turkeys in large flocks, bears were
plenty and sometimes quite troublesome among the shoats. Mr.
B. kept no gun (a rare circumstance for those days) and very
often had to go out accompanied by his little dog and with club
in hand, club them away. Indians were numerous, but
peaceable and friendly. Mr. B. never had any
trouble with them except on one occasion, when he caught one of
their dogs committing some depredation and Mr. Blair
killed him. The Indian threatened the life of Mr.
Blair and was armed with a large knife. In the
altercation, Mr. Blair gave the Indian one kick
which ended the controversy in the death of the Indian, for
which Mr. Blair was obliged to pay $32. In
the year 1847, Mr. Blair married for his second
wife, Miss Sarah Gordon, of this county, and to them were
born the following children—Thomas J., Peter, George, Nancy,
Laura, Harriet, Evaline and America. Mr.
Blair died on his farm, Dec. 27, 1870, aged sixty-two
years. Nathaniel L. thinks the first schoolhouse
built in the township was built on this farm about the year
1850, and the first teacher was one Mr. Fay, now residing
at Bryan, Williams County, Ohio. Preaching was held at private
residences and schoolhouses until quite recently.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 263 |
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Defiance Twp. -
GIDEON BLANCHARD
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 236 |
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Defiance Twp. -
JOSEPH BLANCHARD
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 236 |
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Defiance Twp. -
LUDGER BLANCHARD
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 236 |
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Defiance Twp. -
WILLIAM GAYLORD BLYMYER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 244 |
Isaac Braucher |
Richland Twp. -
ISAAC BRANCHER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 248 |
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Richland Twp. -
MRS. MARY BRAUCHER
was born Mar. 14, 1807, in Adams County, Ohio, the daughter of
John Washburn, who died in Highland County, Ohio, Aug.
1828, aged fifty three years. Hannah (Burk), his
wife, died in 1851, aged about seventy-five years. Their
children were a follows: Margaret, Christina, Ann, Mary
Ann, Benjamin Burk, Ellen, John Collins, Richard Burk, Elijah
Parker. All are deceased except Mrs. Braucher
and John C. Mrs. Braucher was married to Isaac
E. Braucher Dec. 10, 1824, and to them were born eight
children - Almira, Alphonso L., Adeline L., America R., Annie
M., Harriet Augusta, Benjamin Franklin and Isaac F.
The first winter after their arrival they lived in one end of a
double log house, and the Indians, as they came to town on their
trading expeditions, frequently camped in the other end.
Mr. Braucher helped to build the first schoolhouse
of Defiance, which stood on the east bank of the Maumee, at the
foot of what is now Perry street, and William Semans
was the first teacher. Mr. Braucher was a
blacksmith by trade, and worked at his trade about one year in
Defiance, and then bought a farm of thirty acres, where Mrs.
Braucher now lives, about two miles below Defiance.
Their neighbors were Pierce Evans, Eli
Markle and Samuel Rohn and Hiveleys.
Here Mr. B. carried on blacksmithing, in connection with
his farm, and used to do some work for the Indians, sharpening
some of their tools, etc., and the old Indian chief, Occonoxee,
was quite a frequent caller. Here Mr. Braucher
lived up to the time of his death, Feb. 8, 1878, aged about
seventy-five years. His widow, Mrs. Braucher, who
survives him, is living on the old homestead. In early
days, Mr. Braucher was identified with most of the
township offices, and was among the first Commissioners of the
county. In after life, he became connected with the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and lived a zealous Christian life.
He was a self-made man, having, when he came here, no means.
By economy and enterprise, he gathered together a handsome
property, which consisted in three hundred acres of excellent
land. He was born in Highland County, Ohio, and was a son
of Frederick and Nancy (Earl) Braucher. The former
from Pennsylvania and the latter from either Ohio or Kentucky.
Mrs. Pierce Evans was a sister to Mr.
Braucher, who settled here with her husband before Mr.
B. came. Mrs. B. is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, in which she was raised, and has been a
consistent member during her long life.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio -
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 341 |
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Defiance Twp. -
CHARLES E. BRONSON
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 235 |
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Delaware Twp.
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DAVID BENTON BROWN was born in Morrow County, Ohio, Apr.
17, 18i52, is the second son of Thomas and Rachel Brown,
who were born, the former in Knox County, Ohio, in 1812, the
latter was born in the State of Maryland, 1822. They had a
family of seven children, three sons of four daughters.
One of the girls is dead, the remaining three, and the eldest
son, reside near Bradner, Wood County, Ohio. The youngest
son is principal of the Northern Indiana Normal School, located
at Valparaiso, Ind. The early days of David, the subject
of this sketch, were spent on a farm and attending district
school, until he was eighteen years of age, when he attended the
Normal School at Republic, in Seneca County, passing through a
preparatory course of studios, after which he followed teaching
for two years. In 1871, he took up the study of medicine
at Freeport, in Wood County, Ohio, under N. W. Goodrich,
M. D., and read with him until the winter of 1873, when he took
his first course of lectures at the Physio-Medical Institute of
Cincinnati for the term of five months, after which time he
again returned to Freeport and formed a partnership with his
early preceptor, Dr. Goodrich, and practiced with him and
tended drug store until the winter of 1875, when he took his
second course of lectures at Cincinnati, graduating on the 23d
day of February, 1876, when he returned home considerably broken
down in health from too much confinement, and was not able to go
immediately into practice and face the storms and hardships of
the physician's life. During the summer of 1876, he took a
tour through the West; then returned and located at Bradner,
Wood County, remaining there until July, 1879, when he removed
to Sherwood, Defiance County, his present location, where he is
doing a very fair practice.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio -
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. -
1883 - Page 265 |
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Defiance Twp. -
WILLIAM A. BROWN
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 230 |
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Defiance Twp. -
MRS. ELIZA BRUBAKER, was born in
1803, and lived a large portion of her life in Defiance.
She took a great interest in the Presbyterian Church, of which
she was a life-long member, and was one of the little band of
nineteen who organized the church at Defiance in December, 1837,
and continued an active member of every good work for the
promotion and best interests of the same. She was the
first to organize a sewing society, as one of the helps to build
a church, in which she was permitted to worship to a good old
age, when her spirit took its flight to the church triumphant on
high, Apr. 15, 1879. Mrs. Brubaker was the mother
of Mrs. C. L. Noble, of Paulding Center, Ohio, and
grandmother of Mrs. L. G. Thacker, of Defiance, Ohio.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 234 |
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Defiance Twp. -
JOHN BRUBAKER was born near Chambersburg,
Penn., Oct. 18, 1827, and came with his parents, Daniel and
Catharine (Kiner) Brubaker, to Stark County, Ohio, in 1833,
and from there to Defiance County in 1848; settled on Mud Creek,
in Delaware Township. They were Pennsylvanians by birth,
and had a family of fifteen children, ten of whom grew up.
Seven of this family are now living, viz., John, Margaret,
Catharine. William, Jacob, Ephraim and
Rebecca. John, the subject of this sketch, was
married. June 7, 1852, to Miss Emeline Stoner,
daughter of Solomon and Margaret (Voorhes) Stoner, who
had born to them ten children, five now living, as follows:
Emeline, John W., James A., Whelan and Adeline.
Mr. Brubaker started out in life by purchasing a
wild lot, of eighty acres, in Delaware Township, and put up his
cabin and partly cleared up his farm, and then traded it for a
farm in Adams Township and farmed for a number of years, and
then sold his farm and moved to Defiance, and worked for six
years for the Defiance Manufacturing Company, and from there
went into the Defiance Machine John Brubaker
Works, and still remains Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker, like
their parents, have been blessed with a large family of
children, numbering eleven, eight now living, viz.: Francis
M., William W. , Weston F., Lila U. M., Adeline N., Ida A., John
L. and Sylvester E. all living in or around Defiance.
Weston Forest is engaged in the grocery
business with M. B. Gorman
&Co.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 221 |
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Hicksville Twp. -
EPHRAIM BUTTER, private, Company D, One
Hundredth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisted Aug. 14,
1862; discharged by reason of expiration of term, June 20, 1865.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 305 |
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