Delaware Twp. -
REV. HENRY VAN DEMAN, (deceased) Delaware, was a native of Brownsville, Penn., where he was born April 1, 1798, the son of John Van Deman, a farmer; Henry came to Ohio at an early day, and at first entered upon a rural life, but subsequently entered school, graduating from Athens College, and soon afterward commenced the study of theology with Dr. Wilson, of Chillicothe, Ohio, and, in about the year 1823, was licensed to preach; for a short time he was a missionary in Highland and Adams Cos., Ohio. In 1824, he married Sarah Darlington, of West Union, Ohio, and came to Delaware the same year; after a residence of about six months here, he took charge of the Presbyterian Church, and remained its regular minister for some thirty years, when he retired from preaching; May 19, 1872, the Rev. Mr. Van Deman was relieved of his earthly cares and passed into life immortal; having lived a life of usefulness, he died beloved and honored, leaving a wife and seven children. Mrs. Van Deman was born in Ohio Jan. 2, 1802, the daughter of Joseph Darlington, who was a member of the convention that framed the Ohio State Constitution at Cincinnati; also filled the office of Clerk of Adams County for fifty years. Mrs. Van Deman’s husband and a brother, Meredith Darlington, were volunteers in the army of the war of 1812.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, pp. 648-649
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

Delaware Twp. -
J. D. VAN DEMAN, attorney at law, Delaware; was born in Delaware, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1832, and is the son of Rev. Henry and Sarah (Darlinton) Van Deman; his mother is a native of Kentucky, and his father of Pennsylvania; he graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan University, in 1851, then entered the law office of Powell & Buck, at that time one of the leading law firms of Delaware; in 1851, he was admitted to practice at the Delaware Co. bar, and associated himself with Judge T. W. Powell, forming the law firm of Powell & Van Deman; this partnership continued until 1862, when the firm of Carper & Van Deman was formed, and is to-day the oldest as well as one of the strongest law firms in this part of Ohio. Mr. Van Deman was Prosecuting Attorney two terms, and Mayor of Delaware four years; was the first Mayor of Delaware after it became a city; in 1876, he was a candidate for the office of District Judge of the district embracing the counties of Delaware, Licking and Knox; he made a gallant run, reducing the usual majority nearly 1,000 votes. Mr. Van Deman is director of the C. &. T. R. R., and has been since its organization; he is also one of the directors of the First National Bank of Delaware. He is a Republican. He was married, in 1861, to Miss Lydia Runkle, of Ohio, daughter of Judge R. E. Runkle; they have three children––two daughters and one son. Mr. Van Deman, when a lad, entered a school taught by Mrs. Murray, near where the court house stands, and in the basement learned his A B C’s : on the second floor of the same building he prepared himself for college.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 648
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

Trenton Twp. –
T. H. VANKIRK, physician and surgeon P. O. Condit; is a son of Asher and Elizabeth Vankirk; his father was born in 1808, in Washington Co., Penn., and came to Knox Co., Ohio, in 1862, and to Delaware Co. in 1874; the mother was a daughter of John and Elizabeth Stephenson; her father was killed by lightning when she was an infant; she was born in 1812, in Waynesburg, Penn., and came with her husband to Ohio; he died Aug. 9, 1876, and she Oct. 20, 1877; they were both members of the Disciples Church. The Doctor was born Oct. 13, 1831, near Washington, Penn., where he made the best possible use of such educational advantages as the schools of his native town would allow; he attended Washington College four years, and taught school from the age of 18 until he was 30, a portion of this time in Ohio and Illinois; in 1860, he bought a farm, upon which he lived two years, and then bought a flock of sheep in Knox Co., which he drove to Illinois, herding them in McLean Co.; while there he taught one term of school at Twin Grove; returning to Knox Co., he entered mercantile business in 1865, at Rich Hill; he then completed his medical course, to which he had been applying himself by attending three terms of lectures at the Cincinnati Eclectic College, graduating in 1869; he then began practice at Mt. Liberty, continuing for two years; then practiced one year in Johnstown; in 1873, he began at Condit, where he has since resided, in the enjoyment of a lucrative practice. He was married, in 1858, to Laura A. Jewell, a daughter of Harrison and Mary Jewell, of Licking Co.; she died in 1861, in Pennsylvania; in 1869, he married his second wife, Frances J., a daughter of Alden Allen, of Knox Co.; they have three children––Charlie, Harry and Leet. The Doctor is now serving his fourth term as Justice of the Peace, and has held other positions; himself and wife are members of the Disciples Church at Mt. Liberty; he has a good property in Condit and Mt. Liberty, and is a member of the Masonic Fraternity.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 836
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

THOMAS VANFLEET, miller, Galena; is a son of George and Christiana (Bidlock) Vanfleet; his father was born in 1796, in Pittston, Luzerne Co., Penn., and came to Ohio on foot in 1818, in company with G. D. Nash, when he engaged in carpentering and distilling at Galena. In 1852, he died; his wife was a daughter of Hileman Bidlock; she was born in 1804, and came to Ohio in 1820 with her parents by team; she was a descendant of the Puritans. They had seven children, all of whom live in Berkshire Township except one. Mrs. Vanfleet died in 1873. Thomas Vanfleet was born Oct. 10, 1823, in Galena (then Zoar), and has spent his life at this quiet little village; his younger days were spent in attending school and farming; at the age of 17, he began working at the joiner’s trade with Warren Allen, continuing one year; he then worked for Sterns one year, and for John Cullison one year; in 1846, he again worked for Sterns; in 1847, went to Southern Illinois, and engaged in making fan-mills for Thomas Phillips, of Cincinnati; in 1848, he went to Kentucky, and engaged in the same business at Smith’s Mills, Hopkinsville; for a short time, when he went to Tennessee, and followed the same business at Port Royal, Montgomery Co. While in Kentucky, Mr. Vanfleet was quite an intimate friend of Gov. Powell. In 1849, he bought a team at Smith’s Mills, Ky., and went to Springfield, Mo., where he engaged in making fanning-mills, in partnership with Thaddeus Sharpenstine, continuing until 1852, when he returned to Ohio, and on May 12, 1852, was married to Elizabeth Perfect, a daughter of William Perfect. She was born in 1825, in Trenton Township. By her he had four children––Lucy and Jay, deceased; Kate and Charlie, living. After marriage, they went to Missouri, where he was engaged in setting up his business at fanning-mills, and in May, 1853, they returned to Ohio, and bought a farm of Hill’s heirs, and farmed that two years, afterward selling, and took a trip through Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin, and then returned and engaged in the mercantile business with Ira Derthick; also in milling, continuing near two years; they then divided the property, Mr. Derthick taking the store and Mr. Vanfleet the mill. The wife of Mr. Vanfleet met with a terrible accident, which ended her life. She was standing near an upright shaft, when her clothes became entangled, crushing her in a manner to cause death almost immediately; it was a melancholy occurrence, and one the community did not soon recover from. He was again married in 1863, to Lucy E. Carpenter, a daughter of Robert Carpenter, of Berkshire Township; she was born in 1832; by her he had four children–– Nellie, Frankie, Jim and Carpe. He owns a saw and grist mill at this place; the grist-mill is so as to be run by both steam and water; has also forty acres of land in Berkshire Township. He is a member of the School Board; also of Galena Lodge, No. 404, I. O. O. F., and has held office in same. Faithful and reliable in all the relations of life, and of robust constitution, he bids fair for many years more extended usefulness in the county and in the town where he resides.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, pp. 695-696
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

Delaware Twp. -
F. P. VERGON, proprietor of Greenwood Lake, Delaware, was born in the eastern part of France Dec. 16, 1829, and is the son of John G. and Elizabeth (Burlett) Vergon, who are natives of France; John G. Vergon was a poor farmer in France, who accumulated a little property and managed to eke out a living for his family; he was a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte for four years, and participated in the prominent battles under this great leader; he was with Napoleon in his march over the Alps. He married in France, and in 1834, with his wife and five children, sailed for America, and, in June of that year, landed in New York City; he came direct to Ohio, and located in Delaware Co., on the farm where F. P. Vergon now lives; here they purchased 113 acres of land; a double log cabin and a small barn were all the improvements on the place; they were the first French family to settle in this part of the country; he knew no language but the French, and had a hard time in purchasing and trading with the settlers around him; but, with a determination to succeed, went to work with a will, clearing the farm of timber and brush; with good management and industry, and the help of his wife and children, he succeeded in life, and when he became old he had enough property to make him happy and his family comfortable; in his old age, he was a favorite with all, happy and trying to make others happy; a few years before his death, he suffered from a severe attack of whooping cough which, perhaps, hastened his death; he died in 1870 at the age of 77½ years. F. P. Vergon was raised on the farm; he owns three finely-improved farms in Delaware Co.; his home farm is improved with a residence for himself and family, then a comfortable home for his mother, a fine barn and outbuilding, an icehouse from which he supplies Delaware and its vicinity with pure ice, from the well-known Greenwood Lake, a body of water covering about thirty acres; in 1874, Mr. Vergon stocked the lake with fish, principally bass; this enterprise has proven a success, and the lake swarms with fish. During President Hayes’ visit to Delaware in 1879, Mr. Vergon’s son, Lemorteen, caught a bass weighing 4½ pounds, and presented it to the President for his breakfast. No lover of nature, of beautiful scenery, and all that is calculated to please the eye, should fail to visit Greenwood Lake. Mr. Vergon was married in 1856 to Miss Martha L. Smith, daughter of A. Smith, Esq.; she died in 1857. He afterward married his present wife, Miss Kate L. Jones, daughter of John L. Jones; she was born in Prince William Co., Va., and moved thence to Lewis Co., the home of Stonewall Jackson, who was one of her playmates and a distant connection; by this marriage they have seven children; Mrs. Elizabeth Vergon died Feb. 23, 1880, aged 86 years.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 648
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

Scioto Twp. –
CHARLES L. VIENOT, wheelwright Ostrander; was born near Montpelier, France, Jan. 20, 1834; is son of George F. and Catharine (De Poutot) Vienot, both natives of France; they were the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom are now living; the father was a farmer, and a prominent and influential man; he departed this life in 1875, and his wife in 1862. Charles passed his youth on his father’s farm, and received a good education. When 18 years of age, he emigrated to the United States, landing at New York City May 6, 1853. After remaining in the city three days, he engaged with a man from New Jersey to learn the wagon-maker’s trade. After serving an apprenticeship of two years, he went into another part of the State, and worked in a carriage manufactory for some time, and from there went to New York City, where he remained some months, working at his trade; he then returned to New Jersey, and worked for his former employer. In the spring of 1856, he came to Delaware Co., Ohio, and began working at his trade in the city of Delaware, where he remained about three years; from there he went to Bellepoint, and for eight years remained there; he then bought a farm, on which he lived four years, when he sold out and came to Ostrander, where he has since resided. He was united in marriage with Mary E. Talley Aug. 21, 1862; she was born in Delaware Co., Ohio, May 23, 1843; they had one child––Frankie M., born Aug 23, 1863. In 1874, Mr. Vienot returned to his old home in France, visiting the principal cities of his native country, and saw much to interest and instruct him; he was gone more than four months. Before his return, he went to Southwestern France, where he purchased two fine Percheron Norman horses. One of the horses died during the passage home; the other he brought through safely, and it is to-day one of the best of that stock in Ohio. Mr. Vienot is a hardworking, industrious man, and a respected citizen.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, pp. 737-738
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.

Delaware Twp. -
JOHN W. N. VOGT, physician and surgeon, Delaware, is one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Delaware; he was born in Seven Mile, Butler Co., Ohio, May 1, 1852, and is the son of Rev. John Vogt; in 1863, he came to Delaware and began the study of medicine, remaining in the offices of Dr. Hyatt, of Delaware, and Dr. Kinsman, of Columbus, some six years, when he entered the Columbus Medical College and graduated from this institution in 1875; Dr. Vogt came to Delaware and began the practice of his profession, entering a partnership with Dr. E. H. Hyatt, which continued for about two years; since then the Doctor has been practicing alone and meeting with very good success. In 1878, his friends placed him on the Republican ticket for Coroner of Delaware County, to which office he was elected by a handsome majority.
Source: History of Delaware County and Ohio; Chicago: O. L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 649
Contributed by a Generous Genealogist.