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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Hancock County, Ohio
From It's Earliest Settlement to the Present Time.
Together with Reminiscences of Pioneer Life,
Incidents, Statistical Tables, and
Biographical Sketches
By D. B. Beardsley
Findley, O.
Publ. Springfield, O.
Republic Printing Company
1881
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RICHARD WATSON and wife are
both dead, and all their living children but one are now
residents of the county. Mr. Watson was a good
neighbor, an enterprising citizen, and honest in all his
dealings. He died, leaving to his children a fine farm,
which he had reclaimed from the wilderness. Mr. Watson,
though a strong partisan of the Democratic school of politics,
did not attempt to impertinently intrude his opinions on others.
He held the office of Coroner of the County for one or two
terms.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
388 |
Union Twp. -
WENMAN WADE
was of that class of robust and pushing frontiersman, who pave
the way for a better civilization and prosperous country, by
boldly pushing out into the wilderness, and enduring the
hardships and privations of pioneer life uncomplainingly.
Honest, industrious and contented. Mr. Wade was one
who enjoyed the confidence of the community in which he lived.
He held the office of Justice of the Peace, and is entitled to
the distinction of being the first person in the county whose
election was contested, as the following notice will show:
"To the Clerk of Hancock Count: - You are requested to
withhold the return of the election of Union township wherein Wenman Wade was elected Justice of the Peace, and the
election is contested, and the said contest is to be tried on
the 13th of September, 1838.
WILLIAM ROLLER,
A Associate Judge."
September the 5th day, 1838.
It does not appear who the contestant was, or the
grounds of contest. I infer that Mr. Wade
established his claim to the office, for in 1841 he was again
elected.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
422 |
Eagle Twp. -
JOHN WALTERS was
born in Rockingham County, Va., June 22, 1814, and in his
infancy his parents removed to Kentucky. His father died
in Shelby County, Ky., in 1824, and the widow, and children, of
whom there were six, removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, two
years later. Here Mr. Walters, having received such
an education only as could be had in a common school of that
day, followed the occupation of a farm hand until 1841, having
by his industry and economy saved money enough, he made entry of
the land on which he now resides, and came to this township, his
mother, and other members of the family having preceded him.
In 1812,
Mr. Walters was married to Miss
Penelope Woodruff, and at once moved into a cabin on his
land, and commenced life in earnest, clearing up and cultivating
a fine tract of land. Mr. W. was the father of
seven children, six of whom are now living. His
health is none of the best, but he seems to enjoy life in his
old days. Mr. Walters united with the United
Brethren Church in 1842, and has ever since been a consistent
member, and was for twenty-five years a class leader, and for
the past nineteen years has held a license to exhort. He
enjoys the respect and friendship of all his neighbors, and is a
good citizen.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
251 |
CHRISTIAN WELTY,
a resident here, was one of those substantial men, who early
sought a home in the west. He was a man of good
judgment, sound mind and strict integrity.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
399 |
JOHN W. WILLIAMS, one of the
early settlers, and proprietor of the village of Williamstown,
died but a few years ago, at a ripe old age, and was perhaps at
the time of his death the oldest person in the township.
Mr. Williams was Post Master for many years, and was ten
times elected Justice of the Peace. He commanded the
confidence and respect of his neighbors, and had many friends.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
399 |
Findley
Twp. -
JAMES H. WILSON Was the son of James Wilson, and
the third son of five children, and was born in York Co., Pa.,
where he resided until August, 1832, when he came to Findley.
On the next day after his arrival here he bought the lots on
which the Commercial House now stands, together with an
unfinished two-story frame building thereon, for the sum of
seven hundred dollars. This same frame building afterwards
became the celebrated "Western Caravansary" tavern, and was the
immediate predecessor of the Commercial House.
For about a year after Mr. W. came here he
worked at the carpenter trade; he then engaged as clerk in the
dry goods store of S. & P. Carlin. After an experience of
eighteen months in this line, he put up a frame building on the
present site of the Carnahan 'block, having exchanged his first
purchase for these corner lots, and went into the mercantile
business on his own account, in which he remained for eighteen
years. In the meantime, in 1848, he put up a large three
story brick building - the largest building then in the town,
except the Court House - and known as the Melodeon Building,
which has just been torn down and removed, to give place to the
magnificent block of T. & W R. Carnahan. In this
building were two store rooms on first floor, offices on second
floor, and a public hall on third floor. In this building
Mr. Wilson had his business room until he retired from
the trade.
After retiring from mercantile business, Mr. W.
was for many years engaged in farming, and looking after his
real estate interests, owning quite an amount of valuable lands.
In 1847 Mr. Wilson laid out into lots, an eighty acre
tract of land on the east side of Eagle Creek, which he called
East Findley. The entire plat of the eighty acres, except
five lots, has been sold, and nearly all the lots built upon.
Mr. Wilson, whilst engaged in the dry goods
business made many trips to New York City for goods. The
travel was made in wagons to the lake at Sandusky City; thence
to Buffalo by lake, by stage to Lockport, by canal to Albany,
and by the Hudson to New York City, occupying from nine to
twelve days each way. Goods shipped at New York would
arrive in Findley in from two to four weeks, if there was no
delay en route.
When Mr. Wilson came to Findley, there were
about a dozen white families here, amongst whom were Squire
and Parlee Carlin, Dr. Rawson, Frederick Henderson, Jonathan
Parker, William Taylor, W. L. Henderson, Mathew, Reighly, Wilson
Vance, Christian Barnd and John W. Baldwin. In
1840, Mr. W. married Susan E. Hutchison, who
deceased July 8, 1880.
Mr. Wilson has for the past sixteen years been
connected with the First National Bank, of Findley, as a
stock-holder and director, and has practically retired from
business. For many years after he came to the county, his
business was such as to extend his acquaintance, and he perhaps
knew every grown person in the county.
Mr. Wilson united with the Seceder Church when
about fifteen years of age, and is still a member of that
organization, which is now known as the United Presbyterians.
After his removal to Findley, there being no society of his
church here, he united with the church at Cannonsburg, of which
he is still a member. Mr. Wilson, by industry and
economy, has amassed a fortune, and is quietly enjoying it.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
305 |
Washington Twp. -
JAMES
G. WISEMAN was born in Greenbrier County, Va., in Aug.,
1790. He served in the war of 1812 as a cavalryman, under
Capt. Lewis. Mr. Wiseman was married
to Elizabeth Summers in 1814, and in September, 1817,
removed to Ohio, settling in Madison County. He and his
wife made the trip from Virginia to Ohio, a distance of more
than four hundred miles on horseback. After two years
residence he removed to Perry County, which place was his
residence until the spring of 1831, when he came to Washington
Township.
Mr. Wiseman was a medium sized man, rugged and
hardy, just the kind of a man to endure the hardships and
privations of a frontier life. He was passionately found
of hunting, and was expert in the use of the rifle, but he never
allowed this fondness for sport to interfere with the real
business of life, that of making a comfortable home for himself
and family. He cleared up a large and rich farm. He
was an honest, genial whole souled man, ever ready to assist the
needy, and no man more fully enjoyed the confidence of his
neighbors.
Mr. Wiseman died in 1873, and his wife survived
him about seven years. They were the parents of thirteen
children, and lived to see all of them become married men and
women except two, one of which died quite young, and the other
was killed in the late war.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
463 |
Pleasant Twp. -
DAVID WRIGHT, SR.,
still resides on the old home farm, made pleasant and valuable
by his own industry and economy. He is passing the
declining years of his life surrounded by his family and
friends, beloved by all.
Source: History of
Hancock County, Ohio By D. B. Beardsley, Findley, O. - Publ.
Springfield, O. Republic Printing Company - 1881 - Page
424 |
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