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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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Defiance Twp. -
HENRY SAUER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 232 |
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Defiance Twp. -
PETER SCHLOSSER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 224 |
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Defiance Twp. -
JOHN JACOB SCHNEIDER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 219 |
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Defiance Twp. -
JOHN LAWRENCE SCOTT
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 234 |
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Milford Twp. -
JACOB D. SERRILL was born in Darby,
Delaware Co., Penn., Aug. 28, 1811, and came to Milford Township
in 1850, directly from Delaware County, Penn. When he
arrived, there were William G. Pierce, Sidney Aldeman, Samuel
Deihl, Frederick Lane, William Wilcox and others in the
township. Mr. S. helped to make the early roads.
The first schoolhouse was a cabin, and the first teacher Dr.
James, in District No. 7. Preaching took place,
generally, in the schoolhouses or private cabins. The
preachers were old Mr. Chapman, for the United
Brethren, and Nathaniel Crary for the
Universalists. The Methodists had an occasional discourse.
They have a small church on Section 10, and a few members.
He was not an adept in the hunting business, and consequently
did not follow it up. He attended the mills at
Clarksville, which was then quite a business village. The
village then contained two taverns, two stores, two doctors,
Ladd and a student, and perhaps eighteen houses, and a grist
mill. It has now about twenty- five inhabitants, and has
gradually gone to decay. The post office is now at
George W. Chapman's and named "Mile," and one at Cicero
Corners, called "Cicero," which has been in existence since
1861. J. D. Serrill had the office at his house,
and was Postmaster from 1853 to 1801. It was removed to
the house of Reuben Hyde and then to Mr.
Chapman's, and he appointed Postmaster. Mr.
Serrill has been Treasurer of Milford Township, Trustee and
Postmaster a number of years. He has in his homestead 120
acres of land, under good cultivation, with a good brick house
and frame barn. He resides in an old style log cabin,
which he is loath to give up. He possesses many relics of
other Jays, that are both curious and interesting. Among
these is a family Bible published in 1628, in London, containing
the old family record at that time! He also has an almanac
printed by the celebrated Dr. Ben Franklin
in 1748, at Philadelphia; a Bible published in 1773, and the
family record of his aunt Pearson; an almanac of 1811; a
prayer-book of his mother, bearing date 1800; a silver ladle and
punch-bowl of his grandfather, used before the American
Revolution; a silver set, used at the same time, before 1775, by
his grandmother; an old silver tea pot, and pot, a sugar bowl,
etc., used by the same parties before 1775. Mr.
Serrill, for reasons best known to himself, has remained
single. He is a gentleman of fair abilities, and a man of
some culture. The right lady has not been found to make an
impression on his heart and render his declining years happy.
He is in the enjoyment of good health, and possesses good social
qualities.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 327 |
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Defiance Twp. -
FRANK J. SHEAD
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 224 |
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Defiance Twp. -
PHILIP SHIRLEY. We give below an
article, dated Feb. 26, 1883, from that worthy old pioneer,
Philip Shirley, Dupont, Putnam Co., Ohio: My
father, Nathan Shirley, started from Ross County,
Mar. 1, 1825, with sixteen other families, among whom were
the Tittles, Hammons and other families, and when
a wagon would stop all would stop and help repair it, and it was
on one of these occasions that I saw two Indians for the first
time in full costume. There were several four-horse teams,
one of which was my father's and all four were needed, as
sometimes we were axle deep in mud. The company kept some
ten men in advance to chop roads around bad places and fallen
trees, which made a great distance of unbroken road. At
the mouth of the Blanchard River, Thomas McClish
had lately settled, who was the last white settler until we
arrived near Defiance. At the Little Auglaize, at Fort
Brown, we were met by several pirogues that carried part of our
loads and assisted in crossing Little Auglaize, Blue Creek,
Flatrock and Six-Mile Creeks. We passed Ooconoxee's Indian
town some twelve or fifteen miles south of Fort Defiance, which
contained some 300 Ottawa Indians, who had a long line of small
hewed-log houses, some fifty or more in number, and other canvas
or elm-bark wigwams for dwellings, and a few sleeping places
fixed some fifteen or twenty feet above ground on four posts set
in the ground to avoid mosquitoes. It was a show to
immigrants, consisting of Indian men and women and children
nearly all naked up to ten or twelve years old, more than a
hundred horses and more than a hundred dogs, all in a state of
active enjoyment.
One mile south of Defiance, I saw the first herd of
deer, some nine in number, bounding by our emigrant train,
apparently not much frightened, and seen and remarked by nearly
every one.
On the 1st of April, 1825, we arrived in Fort Defiance,
some moving into the Fort, some moving down on the Maumee River.
My father moved into grandfather's (Robert Shirley, Jr.)
house, double log (cabins), for a few days; then on his
grandfather's farm, later known as the Frazee farm,
one mile south of Defiance, for three years; then on my father's
farm, six miles south of Defiance, now known as the Town Newton
farm, into his new double log cabin, which was good enough, and
used for a dwelling, tavern, church, and Justice's office when
my father was elected Justice of the Peace.
In 1840, my father moved into his new two- story frame
house just in time for the wedding of his eldest daughter,
Rachel, to Shadrach H. Carey, and in 1844 Nathan
Shirley's wife died, and father and the family kept house
for eight years, giving a dinner to myself and Elizabeth
Prowant on the 9th day of October, 1849. My father
was married to Mrs. Ann P. Hankins about 1852; then sold
his farm and bought and made a farm at old Milldam, four miles
south of Defiance; then sold and moved to Junction, being one of
the proprietors of that town, where he died in 1872, after an
active life of over forty-seven years, holding the office of
County Commissioner in Williams County and acting as Colonel of
the militia for a number of years. After Paulding County
was organized he served as Justice of the Peace, and was an
accepted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as
class leader and doing other church duties, and being a member
for over fifty years, having belonged, together with my mother,
to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ross County. They
having raised seven bo3-s and six girls, five of whom are still
living, myself in Dupont, Putnam County; C. D. Shirley,
in Clark's Hill, Tippecanoe County, Ind.; John W. Shirley,
in Paulding County; Stephen M. Shirley, in Defiance
County, and Nancy M. Dils, in Defiance.
About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., and my
father bought and donated to the Methodist Episcopal Church a
town lot, on which the neighbors and minister, Rev.
Pattee, built a hewed-log church, near where the present
brick church now stands. About the year 1827, Robert
Shirley, Sr., moved into his two-story hewed-log
house on his farm one mile south of Defiance. ln the your
1828, Elias Shirley and his wife, Phebe
Hudson, settled on their farm, four miles south of Defiance,
now known as the Shots farm, once while Uncle
Elias and Aunt Phebe were eating their
breakfast, in came a large, rough looking old Indian who said he
was buckata (hungry; and pointing down his throat. Uncle
told aunt to give him some victuals on a plate (which was good
treatment for Indian beggars) and generally well received, but
on this occasion the Indian appeared angry and asked to eat at
the table which uncle denied him. He ate his meal,
appearing to be angry, and left in an unthankful manner.
About three weeks afterward, Uncle Elias Shirley
was attending a public sale of James Hudson's
property, preparatory to moving to Fort Wayne to work at the
brick mason trade, and about 11 o'clock, he noticed that same
old Indian and a young Indian looking on at the sale and
observed the usual mean countenance of the old Indian. The
two Indians soon left and went up to Elias Shirley's
house, finding his wife and child alone. The old Indian
ordered the woman to get the two Indians something to eat and to
put it on the table. He ordered what to get, and watched
her closely while she got it, and the tea and sugar from the
bureau drawer, etc. When the meal was got agreeably to
order, the two Indians sat down to eat, the old Indian ordering
her to get whatever was needed. The young Indian got up
from the table first and started out of the house, and when ho
got to the door, and beckoned the woman to him and told her to
make her escape for the old Indian intended to kill her, and the
young Indian went up the road. The old Indian finished his
meal and went to the window and looked up and down the road,
apparently to see if any one was passing, and while so doing the
woman took the child and ran toward the river, thinking to wade
across the river to Abraham Hudson's farm,
but the old Indian overtook her at the river, after running a
quarter of a mile. He drew his butcher knife and drove her
back to the house and set a chair in the middle of the floor and
made her sit down in it, and told her if she got up he would
kill her. He then took hold of the child and tried to take
it from her. But she was resolved never to let go of it.
So they pulled till she thought it was badly hurt. He
finally let go of the child and commenced dancing around her.
He soon went to the window again to watch the road. She
went out of the house in another direction and got behind a
large sugar tree, and feared the child would cry. She saw
the old Indian come out of the house and look all around, and
thou he ran toward the river as before, and she took to the
woods and went down the river two or three miles to where the
sale was. They were still selling, and she, knowing her
safety, and not wishing to interrupt the sale, stood in the
thicket of bushes near by quite awhile, until the sale closed,
when she appeared and told her story, when her husband, Elias
Shirley, took his gun, mounted a horse and rode for his
house, followed by his brothers Nathan, James and
Robert and many neighbors, and when they reached the
house they found it knee deep in feathers, two feather beds
having been ripped open and emptied on the floor. A few
gallons of lard had been poured over the feathers. The
chairs had been thrown on the fire in the fire-place, and then
thrown on the feathers. Medicine bottles were all broken.
The bureau had been robbed of its contents, sugar, tea, etc., a
large iron kettle had been chopped down to the bottom with
Shirley's ax, and all was quiet. Some forty neighbors
went in pursuit next day, rationed for an Indian hunt.
They went to Occonoxee's village, but the Indian had gone
to the woods to hunt. They ate their dinner at the village
and while there some men drew a figure of an Indian on one of
their doors with a big heart, and several of the men shot the
heart full of holes. The men divided into companies of ten
men each and separated, and went up Flatrock Creek, Blue Creek
and Little Auglaize River, with orders not to shoot a gun until
the Indian was found and then they were to shoot signal guns
until they all got together. One company found the two Indians
at their camp on Flatrock Creek, and signaled all together.
When Nathan Shirley and Elias Shirley and
their company came up to the Indians, the old Indian's head was
all white with feathers, and Elias Shirley begged
for a gun to shoot the old Indian, but Nathan and others
refused to give him a gun, and they had the old Indian lodged in
jail at Defiance, where he was confined for some time for trial.
The young Indian was allowed to go at large, as being only a
coward in bad company. The chiefs of the Ottawa nations
were called together by their agent and a settlement made by
paying Elias Shirley $100, it being a low estimate
of the property destroyed without any compensation for damages.
The Indians said this Indian was a bad man and often abused
their families and caused them much trouble. They said
they were sorry that Shirley was prevented from shooting
the Indian, and the Indian was released from prison with orders
never to be seen in that neighborhood, and if he ever came back
Shirley was permitted to shoot him. Elias
Shirley said he met him once afterward in Defiance, but when
they recognized each other the Indian dodged away and he never
saw him again. The next summer, when Nathan Shirley and
some hands were clearing on his new farm preparatory to moving,
Occonoxee, the chief, and Segatchaway (Oc-co-noxee's
brother), Dr. Kickwas, Sco-be-nah, Poke-shaw,
and several other Indians, Oc-co-nox-ee said to Nathan
Shirley: "You are Colonel Shirley, and I am
Oc-co-nox-ee, chief; your men shoot Indian on wigwam door,
Indian no like it." Shirley seeing the situation,
said: Come to the house; and Shirley took a piece of
charcoal and drew a large picture on a board of a white man
having a hat on, and a large heart, and said, "Indian, you shoot
at it. Several of the Indians took aim and shot through
the heart. Then Oc-co-nox-ee shook hands with
Shirley and said, "good friends," and the Indians went away
well satisfied.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 208 |
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Adams Twp. -
JOHN SHRIMPLIN was born Nov. 10, 1840, in
Knox County, Ohio, and came to Adams Township, Defiance County,
Ohio, with his parents, Abraham Shrimplin and his
mother, Susannah. His mother died Apr. 10, 1875.
Mr. Shrimplin yet resides in this township and is
its present Clerk.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 255 |
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Highland Twp. -
AUGUSTUS SKIVER was born in Hocking
County, Ohio, Dec. 25, 1821, and came to Defiance County with
his parents, David and Nellie Skiver in the winter of
1837. They had intended to go through to Iowa, but found
this country to be alive with game, and, being great hunters,
concluded to locate here and settled down on Section 19, of
Highland Township, at which place the parents died - Mr.
Skiver in 1870, age sixty-seven years, and Mrs. Skiver
(being very much older than her husband, yet she outlived him
about ten years) Feb. 23, 1880, age nearly one, hundred and
eleven years. Mrs. Skiver, was a resident of
Defiance County, for over forty years, and was the mother of
eight children, six of whom are now living. Although the
old family record has been lost, it appears from evidences
gathered from herself and others that she was born in Rockingham
County, Va., on Easter Sunday, A. D. 1769. She was seven
years old when the Declaration of Independence was made.
She distinctly remembers many incidents of those early
Revolutionary times. She removed to Ohio after the war of
the Revolution, when it was an unbroken wilderness and
notwithstanding the many hardships of pioneer life, has never
known what it was to be sick. She lost the use of her eyes
about twenty years previous to her death from a cataract, but
otherwise has enjoyed the use of her faculties, her mind being
clear to the day of her death. Her descendants , of whom
there are a large number living, are residents of Defiance
County. The funeral services were held at the house of
Isaac Skiver.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 313 |
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Delaware Twp. -
SIMON P. SHOOK was born in Columbiana
County, Ohio, July 12, 1822 settled in this county in 1854; was
married in Crawford County, July 6, 1854, to Catherine Miller,
who was born in Harrison County, Ohio, Mar. 9, 1830. They
have had a family of seven children, as follows: Mary
Ophelia, born Nov. 7, 1854; John V., born Oct. 4,
1856; Francis Marion, born Oct. 1, 1858; Ada Adelia,
born Apr. 14, 1861; and died June 1, 1862; Ulysses
Grant, born Mar. 27, 1863; Oscar Howard, born Feb.
25, 1867; and Emerson Wilbur, born Sept. 3, 1871.
Mr. Shook enlisted as a private in the late war of
1861-65, but failed to pass the necessary examination and was
discharged at Cleveland, Ohio, Nov., 1863. Mr. Shook's
parents, John and Mary (Gregg) Shook were early pioneers
of Ohio, immigrating from Pennsylvania to Columbiana County in
1804, afterward removing to Richland County, and from there to
Crawford County, then to Williams County, 1845 or 1846.
Both died in Williams County. Mr. Shook's parents
David Miller and Mary (Shuss) Miller, settled in this county
in 1854, and here her mother died Sept. 17, 1866.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio -
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. -
1883 - Page 265 |
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Delaware Twp. -
HENRY SLOUGH was born Sept. 16, 1813, near
Baltimore, Md., and removed to Pickaway County, Ohio, with his
parents, in 1821, where he followed the occupation on farming.
He was married to Miss Elizabeth Hayes, of Pickaway
County, Apr. 10, 1834, and in 1842 he removed from there to
Defiance County, settling in what was known as Newberry, in
Delaware Township. He found the country new here, with few
settlements except along the Maumee River, and extensive tracts
of low, wet timber land extending for miles on either side of
the river, with game, such as deer, bear, turkey, wolves, wild
cat,, etc., plentiful. The roads were new and almost
impassable. He went to Brunersburg to mill the first time
on horseback, and to Defiance to do his trading. From here
Mr. Slough removed to Paulding County, renting a farm
near New Rochester, and after remaining in said county some six
or seven years, he removed back to Defiance County, settling on
a tract of 120 acres of land, he had purchased in Section 16,
Delaware Township, and erected a cabin house and commenced
clearing up a farm where he now resides. Mr. Slough's
family consists of Isaac N., William A., John W., Henry H.,
Henry J. and Harriet J.; all living except Henry
J. The boys have all been honored by their
fellow-citizens with the offices of Justice of the Peace and
other township offices. J. W. Slough was Sheriff of
the county four yeas, from 1864 to 1868, and William A.
Slough was Auditor five years, from 1876 to 1881.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 263 |
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Delaware Twp. -
CHARLES SMITH was born in York County,
Penn. Apr. 24, 1809, and attended school and grew up in that
county and married Miss Susannah Crowl, of the same
county, Sept. 8, 1833; continued to live there until 1837, and
then removed to Licking County, Ohio, Harrison Township,
remaining there until 1857, when he came to and settled in
Delaware Township, Defiance County. He settled on Section
10, in Delaware Township, where he now lives. Had to foot
it some distance on logs along the path to his land, to keep out
of the water. The timber was quite large and very heavy,
and ponds were plenty and nearly covered the surface of the
ground. The land is now well drained and makes good farms,
and is easy to cultivate. His children are Lydia A.,
William H , Lucinda, and Francis M., all living and
grown and married and have families. Both boys, Francis
M. and William H., were in the war of 1861-65.
Jacob Smith, an uncle, was in the war of 1812.
Mr. Crowl (Mrs, Smith's father) was in the war of
Independence, in 1770. Mrs. Smith is dead.
She went with her husband to Mattoon, Ill., and was there but
sixteen days when she took sick and died Apr. 30, 1880, aged
sixty-nine years. Deer were quite plentiful when he
arrived in the country. Coons and turkeys are yet
numerous. William H. married Rachel McFeeters
Feb. 26, 1865; and has three children—Clara, Anna
and Charles Ray. Francis M. married
May E. English Nov. 26, 1808. They have had two
children—Alice Netta and Harry E. Alice
is not living. Lydia married Mr. H. C.
Sinsebaugh, of Licking County, September, 1850, and is at
Mattoon, Northern Illinois. Lucinda married John
M. Johnson. Mrs. Montgomery Evans was a sister of Th
omas Warren, and was born in Huntingdon County, Penn.,
1787, and died Aug. 1, 1875, aged eighty-eight years and four
months. Her father moved to Ross County, Ohio, in 1811,
and to Delaware County in 1812, where she was married to Mr.
Evans in 1815, and in the following year they packed
their household goods, loaded them on two horses, one of which
Mrs. Evans rode and carried their infant son, and
following an Indian war trail they wended their way to Defiance
to fill the mission of the pioneers. Their route was
through an unbroken forest, and a solitary campfire at night,
the howl of the wolf, the gloom of the forest were all in
striking contrast with the home the young mother had left.
Mr. Evans was at home in the woods, having served
as a spy under Gen. Winchester and Harrison.
Now they were going to reside amongst the tawny tribes so
recently their deadly foes. We may well imagine the
feelings of a mother, surrounded by hosts of these same Indians,
with but few whites on the river. Arriving at Defiance, they
first located in one of the block-houses in Wayne's fort, using
the magazine for a cellar, where they remain I'd about eighteen
months. They then moved to Camp No. 3, on the left bank of
the Maumee, about five miles below Defiance. Here Mr.
Evans remained until 1823, when he in company with
Thomas Warren, moved to Delaware Township on (ho
right bank of the Maumee, some seven miles west of Defiance.
The river was frozen over and they moved on the ice. The
next spring, James Partee and John
Plummer made sap troughs and tapped a few sugar trees, from
which Mrs. Evans made 300 pounds of sugar.
About the year 1825, an express mail was established from Fort
Dearborn (now Chicago), by Fort Wayne to Detroit. The mail
was carried by a Frenchman, who passed over the route once in
two weeks. Mr. Evans' house was a regular station
on this route. After locating at Delaware, his provisions
became exhausted before they could raise a crop. Mr.
Warren went down to Prairie Damasque then the residence
of Samuel Vance (brother of ex-Gov. Vance,
of Ohio), where he bought two bushels of wheat which he wished
to sow, but failed to get any corn for bread. On his way
home, he thought of the destitution of his sister and her little
children, and made up his mind to get his seed wheat ground at a
horse mill just started by Mr. Hively, about three
miles below Defiance. He called at the mill and proposed
to pay for the grinding, but Mr. Miller, like
Mr. Warren, wanted bread. The toll amounted to
about one-third of the two bushels. He reached home with
his unbolted flour. It was then sifted and divided into three
grades. The bran they ate when they wore very hungry, the
other grades were used as occasion required.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 262 |
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Delaware Twp. -
MR. E. B. SMITH was born May 9, 1837, in
Crawford County, Ohio, and came to Defiance County in 1850.
He married Miss Rebecca A. Shoe, of Clermont County,
Ohio, and came to Defiance County in 1850. He married
Miss Rebecca A. Shoe, of Clermont County, Ohio. His
family are Elizabeth, Louella, Charles, Isaac, Oscar, Lucia
U. (died when three months old). He purchased and
built at Delaware Bend in 1847. Mr. S. says his
orchard was set out in 1830, by Mr. Snook, on the edge of
the bottom. The apple threes planted by Montgomery
Evans, and James Shirley were planted about the same
time.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 266 |
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Delaware Twp. -
E. T. SMITH was born in Clark County,
Ohio, Apr. 12, 1837. His father came from Maryland to
Clark County in 1806, and from there to Paulding County in 1850,
at which place he died Feb. 22, 1870. His mother's
maiden name was Catharine Brendle. Mr.
Smith was married to Sarah S. Wheaton, in Paulding
County, Dec. 23, 1860. Her parents were William
Wheaton and Sarah (Hall) Wheaton.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith have no family of their own, but they
have an adopted son, Freddie A. Smith, born Oct. 27,
1870. Mr. Smith was in the war of the
rebellion for a short time, having enlisted in Company I,
Forty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Sept. 8, 1864,
and served till June 13, 1865. His paternal grandfather
was in the war of 1812. Mr. S. is now engaged in
the milling business at Sherwood, Delaware Township, the firm
being Boor & Smith.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 264 |
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Latty Twp. -
J. M. SMITH, an industrious farmer of
Latty township, was born in Wayne township, Auglaize county,
Ohio, on the 23d of August, 1853. He is the son of W.
B. and Nancy (Clark) Smith, natives of Ohio, and was reared
and educated in the common schools of his native place. At
the age of twenty-five years he came to Paulding county and
purchased his present farm of sixty acres, which is well
cultivated. In every respect Mr. Smith is a
thorough farmer who understands his business and sticks to it
closely, the result being that he has obtained success and
established himself as a worthy and useful citizen. His
marriage occurred in February, 1877, at which time Miss
Rebecca Cox became his wife. They have three children,
whose respective christian names are: Ernest V., Forest
E., and Francis M. Smith. Politically, Mr.
Smith is a member of the democratic party, though not deeply
interested in partisan contests.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 67 |
Residence of
John Snider,
Tiffin Tp., Defiance Co., OH |
Tiffin Twp. -
JOHN SNIDER
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio -
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 353 |
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Delaware Twp. -
U. R. SNOOK, M. D., gives the following in
reference to his family:
WILLIAM SNOOK entered his land in
Delaware Township in the spring of 1824 (where the B. & O. R. R.
now crosses the Maumee River), buying on both sides of the
river. He moved with his family into the new home in the
same fall. He first moved from near Trenton, N. J., to
Warren County, Ohio. During the Black Hawk war, he was a
private in the Ohio militia, who participated in the expedition
that defeated and broke up the strength of that celebrated
savage chieftain. Some time during the winter of 1827-28,
my uncles, George, John and Peter, who were boys
from fourteen to eighteen years old, went out on a coon hunt, as
was the then prevailing custom of the country, as coon skins
were the main medium of exchange—in fact, were legal tender for
all commodities of life purchasable in the then vast wilds of
Northwestern Ohio. In fact, they were in this county
(Paulding) used to pay taxes with. After killing several
coons, and being about three miles from home, they found what
appeared to be a "den tree," or a tree in which, as was often
the case, several coons made a home during the winter months,
and they proceeded to fell the tree. When it fell, my
uncle George (being the eldest) with the dog ran in to
the top of it, to kill the coons as soon as they should run out
of the hole. But instead of being a lot of coons, it
proved to be a large black bear, which at once grappled with my
uncle, giving him a true bruin embrace, and; at the same time
laid hold of his left arm with its vice-like jaws, biting it
through in three places, stripping the flesh from the bone; then
biting him in the left cheek or side of his face, laying the
bone bare.
All this time the other two boys, John and
Peter, were doing all they could to disable the bear with
their axes, using them with all the skill and force that boys of
their age were capable of, and avoiding striking George
with them. After some time spent in this unequal contest,
uncle George succeeded in throwing his right hand and arm
down the bear's throat so far that it choked him, and they both
fell together in the snow, my uncle covered with his own blood,
which flowed freely from his wounds. When bear and boy
fell together in the snow, John and Peter
succeeded in pulling George from the bear, and managed by
strenuous exertions to drag him home, as he was so weak from the
loss of blood that he could not walk or stand alone without aid.
The next day an Indian ran across the spot where the fight
occurred, and traced up the bear for a few rods from where it
occurred, and found it so prostrated from the wounds received in
its struggle with the boys that it could not rise from the place
where it lay, and he dispatched it with his tomahawk. At
the time my grandfather (William Snook) settled in
Delaware Township, there was only one store (trading post as
they then were called) in Defiance, and only some five or six
families, and the old fort.
Montgomery Evans was my
grandfather's nearest neighbor, he having settled about one and
a half miles above and on the opposite side of the river from
him. "Uncle Sammy Hughes," as he was called, lived
some three miles away. There were some three or four more
settlers, but I cannot recollect their names, who settled along
the Maumee about the time ray grandfather did. There were
no mills or roads in the country at that time, the river being
the only thoroughfare, except Gen. Anthony Wayne's "
trail" as it was called—a road cut through the woods on the
south side of the river from Fort Defiance to Fort Wayne, which
at this date was impassable except during the winter months,
when well frozen up; then persons going with a team must carry
an ax to cut out any fallen timber which the wind had blown down
across the "trail." The river, during spring, summer and
fall, was used as a means of transportation, the early settlers
using the canoe, "pirogue," or " slaptogether," which they
pushed up and down the stream with the "setting pole," and after
a time the keel boat came into use. During the winter
months, when the river was frozen over, it was used as a road,
and heavy loads hauled from various points with ox teams mostly.
As I above remarked, there being no mills in the county, my
grandfather "hollowed out" a round hole in a birch log with his
ax, then after burning this with fire to get out the ax marks
and then scraping out all the coal and charred wood, placed the
corn in it and with the aid of a spring pole with an iron wedge
fastened in the lower end of it, would in this way reduce the
corn to meal, so they might have "Johnny-cake" with their
hominy, venison and bear steak. Truly we of this modern
age, civilization and improvements can hardly realize the
hardships of our old pioneers, who first, ax in hand, began the
herculean warfare upon our gigantic forests, and natural
obstacles that our fathers had to contend with. In the
fall of 1828, my grandfather ( Robert Murphey) on
my mother's side, settled with his family in what is now known
as Carryall Township, Paulding County, about one and one-half
miles above where Antwerp is now situated. At that time
there was only one other family in that settlement, Thomas
Runyan, who had settled there in the spring before.
They both came from Hamilton County, on the Big Miami River.
Some time during the summer and fall of 1832, Antwayne,
a chief of the Pottawatomies, and several of his braves, after
having imbibed somewhat freely of the white man's " fire-water,"
paid my grandfather Murphey's residence a visit, the men folks
being all out at work, and only grandmother and aunt being in
the house. The Indians, as was their custom when peaceable
and not on scalping bent, and bloody slaughter, unbuckled their
belts, depositing scalping knives, tomahawks, guns and bullet
pouches in one corner of the log-cabin, distributing themselves
around the capacious fire-place where grandmother was cooking
the noonday meal. Antwayne squatted directly in the middle
of it and in the way of her getting at her culinary efforts.
This was not to be endured, and after grandmother had requested
him several times to get out of the way, he replying in his
broken English, "Me good Injin, me no hurt white squaw, Me big
Injun, me heap good Injun, Me no hurt white squaw," she drew
from its resting place over the "jice," the family rod, and at
once bestowed " on big Injun," good Injun's naked shoulders,
with no light hand, good, sturdy blows, which made him howl with
pain, and jump up in great surprise. Giving the
characteristic whoop of defiance, he sprang for his deadly
weapons of war, but as he did so, the other braves caught and
forced him out of doors, where they in one accord declared that
he should not hurt white squaw who was "heap much brave, whip
Injun." They finally succeeded in pacifying him, and after
securing his accouterments they departed in good humor.
If they had not been under the influence of whisky it
is hard to tell how the rash act of grandmother would have
ended, probably in a bloody tragedy.
I was born in 1835, five years previous to the removal
of the Indians from this part of the country by the Government
in 1840. My father's Indian name was "Tobochimo," from the
fact that he never in his dealings with them took any advantage
of them in his trading. I recollect seeing our door yard
filled with them, bartering coon and deer skins with my father
for corn. In 1849, my father, Hon. Wilson H. Snooks,
was elected as Representative to the Ohio Legislature.
During the late rebellion, my family took an active part in it.
My uncle, John S. Snook, being Captain of Company G,
Fourteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and I,
Quartermaster Sergeant in same company, during the first three
months' service or first 75,000 troops called out by President
Lincoln. At the organization of the Fourteenth Regiment
for three years' service, my brother, J. S. Snook, Jr.,
enlisted as a private in August, 1861. and served in that
command until the close of the rebellion with only the loss of
two day's duty by sickness, being in every engagement that the
regiment took part in and was the only one left of the color
bearers on guard at the battle of Jonesboro, Ga. , and the first
one to scale the rebel works and carry our flag in triumph over
the breastworks amidst the enemy. At the organization of
the Sixty-eighth Regiment, my uncle, John S. Snook,
became its Major, and I a private in the rear rank of Company C.
The Major was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and at the battle
of Champion Hill, Miss. , during the Vicksburg campaign under
Gen. U. S. Grant, was instantly killed, being shot through
the heart near the close of the battle when the victory was
ours. He now rests in a gallant soldier's grave on the
field he so bravely and gallantly helped to win, having the love
and respect of all the "boys" who yet survive of his gallant
Sixty-eighth. From Revolutionary days down to present
time, whenever our country needed defenders with musket in hand,
our name was ever found doing battle for the preservation and
perpetuation of our noble and glorious Republic.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 258 |
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Defiance Twp. -
BURR B. SOUTHWORTH
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 248 |
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Delaware Twp. -
MRS. ELIZABETH SPEAKER was born May 9,
1817, in Lewis County, Ky., and came to Defiance County, Ohio,
and settled in Delaware Township, with family of James
Shirley, in 1839, in what was known as the "Bend," on the
Maumee River. The persons arriving previous were Tobias
Mulligan and father, Montgomery Evans and sons.
Mr. Shirley improved his farm in the "bend." He
lived thirteen years and died in 1852. She then married
Charles Speaker June 10, 1853. He died Dec. 16, 1872.
His estate caused much litigation. The children were -
William, Robert, Eliza, Alexander, Louisa, Sylvester, Elizabeth,
Emma and Frank, by her first husband. Four
children are living, one by the first and three by the last
husband. The family records are lost. The first
settlers were George W. Hill, James Shirley, G. Lumbard, G.
Blair and others.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 261 |
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Mark Twp. -
G. W. SPEALMAN was born in West
Brookfield, Stark County, Ohio, Sept. 10, 1835. His father
was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., in 1805, and is now
living in Stark County with his third wife. His mother was
born in Holmes County, Ohio, A. D. 1809, and died Feb. 7, 1851.
Mr. Spealman was married Nov. 15, 1857, to Miss
Blanche S. Kirk, at Massillon, Ohio. Her ancestors
were Scotch. In the spring of 1858, Mr. Spealman
moved to La Salle County, Ill., and in the fall of 1863, came
back to Stark County to take charge of a steam mill which he had
left in 1858. While in Illinois, three children were born
to him, viz.: Charles B. the eldest, born Aug. 19, 1858;
Alice Mary, Feb. 16, 1861; Estella Tabitha, Aug.
10, 1863, died Nov. 18, of the same year; and Ella, born
at Massillon, Ohio, May 30, 1866. In September, 1875, he
moved to Holmes County and entered into saw mill pursuits.
While there, his son James Alexander was born, Aug. 3,
1876. On the lst of May, 1880, accompanied by his son, he
started for Defiance County for the purpose of manufacturing
lumber having shipped their portable mill previously), and
located and erected their mill on H. and B. Horzer's farm,
about one mile north of the Village of Mark Center. Nov.
3, 1861, his daughter, Eva Blanche, was born. He
moved his mill the same fall to the village of Mark Center,
where he continues to do business. Nov. 15, 1882, his daughter
Allie M. was married to the Rev. M. T. Ayres on
the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Spealman.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio -
Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 321 |
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Defiance Twp. -
VIRGIL SQUIRE
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 220 |
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Noble Twp. -
BARNETT G. STATLER
was born in Danville, Knox Co., Ohio, Mar. 2, 1822, son of
Mathias statler, who was born in Hagerstown, Va., Dec. 28,
1787. Mathias Statler, Sr., Barnett's grandfather,
when a boy fourteen or fifteen years old, in 1764, ran away from
his home in Berlin, Germany, and concealed himself in a vessel
which sailed for America, landing at New York in November, 1764.
He served during the Revolution, and for a gallant act, whereby
he saved an officer's life, he was given a farm near Hagerstown,
Md. He had determined to return to Germany and wed, if
possible, a young woman, Katie, the playmate of hi youth,
but shortly before sailing, a German emigrant ship arrived with
his mother and Katie on board. Mathias and
Katie were married and settled on the farm near
Hagerstown. Of their four children, Mathias was the
eldest. At seventeen, he left home, went to Pittsburgh and
there learned the blacksmith trade. At the age of twenty,
he removed to Stillwater, Belmont Co., Ohio, and worked at the
trade. Jan. 1, 1811, he married Nancy Groves, a
daughter of Capt. Groves, a Revolutionary officer.
She was born Apr. 25, 1793, the eldest of a family of thirteen
children. Her father was English and her mother Irish.
Mathias was drafted in the service in the fall of 1814 and
left Stillwater with twenty-five others for Port Meigs.
They arrived just in time to assist in burying the dead, and
soon after went to Fort Defiance. When they reached it,
peace was declared, and they returned home. Mathias
soon after removed to Danville, Knox County, where he engaged in
backsmithing and keeping tavern. Shortly after, his house was
destroyed by fire and the eldest daughter, Rebecca,
perished in the flames. Of their thirteen children, ten
grew to manhood and womanhood. Of these, Barnett
learned the blacksmith trade. He traveled about a great
deal, and at Lima, Ohio, met Laura E. Slayton, whom he
married Dec. 29, 1845. She was of Scotch and English
descent. After marriage, they removed to Kalida, Putnam
County, where he worked at his trade eight months. He came
to Defiance Aug. 1, 1846, and blacksmithed for William
Warren a short time at $20 per month. He then built a
shop on the site of P. Kettenring's machine shops, and
later further down the canal near Green's printing
office. He followed his trade here for thirteen years;
then traded his property and removed to the farm in Noble
Township where he now resides. He has since followed
farming very successfully. Mr. Statler has five
children, three daughters and two sons.
Source: History of Defiance County,
Ohio - Published at Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page
336 |
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Defiance Twp. -
FREDERICK F. STEVENS
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 212 |
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Milford Twp. -
ALPHA STONE was born May 15, 1797, in
Luzerne, Warren Co., N. Y., and Rhoda Orton, his
wife, was born Dec. 1, 1800, in Willsboro, N. Y. to whom he
was married Sept. 6, 1818. They had a family of nine
children, all of whom lived to become men and women, but one.
Mr. Stone removed with his family to Milford
Township in 1846, and in 1856 to Farmer Township, where he died
three years later.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 331 |
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Defiance Twp. -
REV. WILLIAM B. STOW
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 231 |
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Defiance Twp. -
CHARLES CARROLL STRONG
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 236 |
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Adams Twp. -
JACOB SWARTZ was born Nov. 2, 1802, in
Warren County, Ohio, and came to Adams Township in 1836, and was
at its organization. Mr. Swartz has been
dead many years. He found the country wild, with bear,
deer and wolves and plenty of Indians. The forests were
very heavy and water found in abundance everywhere. The
neighbors of Mr. S. were one or two miles away. The
principal settlers were Adams, Bishop and
Phineas, Eli Markel, John Hornish, Darius Jones, John
Scott, Jonathan Davison, John and Jacob Hively, Mr. Grubb, Jacob
Shock, Mr. Swartz, etc. Mr. Swartz
married Miss Sarah Becktell, of Montgomery County, Ohio,
in November, 1828. His family consists of Sarah,
Elizabeth, Philip, Catharine (dead), Rachel S.
These are all married. Miss. Swartz died
about 1866, aged about sixty-eight years.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 255 |
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Farmer Twp. -
HARRY SWEET, son of Thomas J. Sweet,
was a member of the One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio Volunteer
Infantry during the entire late war, and was wounded twice.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at Chicago:
Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 274 |
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Farmer Twp. -
HIRAM SWEET, another son, belonged to the
One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and saw
active service throughout the war.
Source: History of Defiance County, Ohio - Published at
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co. - 1883 - Page 274 |
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