EMANUEL HATFIELD, one of the well-to-do farmers of Hardin County, has a fine estate located on section 17, Roundhead Township, and for several years has been numbered among the substantial agriculturists of this locality.  He is practical and industrious in the pursuit of his chosen vocation, and has brought his farm under good cultivation and improvement.
     A native of Carroll County, Ohio, Mr. Hatfield was born March 11, 1838, to John and Sallie (Hites) Hatfield, natives of Maryland.  The parents came to this state about 1833, choosing Carroll County as their home.  There the father farmed rented laud until 1840, the year in which he came to Hardin County, when he made his home in McDonald Township.  His circumstances were such at this time that he was enabled to purchase sixty-two acres of wild land, on which his first duty was to erect a cabin for his family.  He next set himself about the task of clearing the land, on which he made his home for twenty years.  He then sold out, but continued to reside in that township during the remainder of his life, passing away in 1858.  His wife preceded him to the land beyond.  John Hatfield was a Whig in politics, and a member of the Lutheran Church.  The original of this sketch was married, Mar. 1, 1866, in McDonald Township, to Miss Lydia E., daughter of R. A. Poe.  She was born in October, 1846, in McDonald Township, and by her union with Emanuel Hatfield became the mother of four children.  Of these, John E. was born Dec. 28, 1866.  He married Catherine Loomis, and has two children, Rue E. and Herald E.  The next child died in infancy. William Howard and Elisha Estella (twins) died at the age of about four months.
     After being deprived of both father and mother, our subject was compelled to look out for himself, and until 1861 worked at various places, receiving at first only $9 per month.  On the call for volunteers to enter the Union service he promptly responded and was mustered into Company A, Eighty-second Ohio Infantry, serving under Captain Thompson.  The regiment was soon afterward ordered to Maryland and was transported to Grafton, that state, by train.  He first saw the smoke of battle at McDowell, and the next engagement in which he participated was Cross Keys, which was followed by the second battle of Bull Run, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.  After the last conflict the Eighty-second was ordered to Chattanooga, Tenn., where occurred the battle of Lookout Mountain.  After this they joined Sherman on his march to the sea, fighting at Buzzard’s Roost, Bentonville (N. C.), and at various other places.  Although in the service for three years and nine months, Mr. Hatfield was never taken prisoner.  He was discharged at Louisville, Ky., July 17, 1865, and, returning to this county, began farming in McDonald Township. 
     The first property which our subject ever owned consisted of forty acres of wild land.  This he later traded for a tract of thirty acres lying in the same' township, on which he moved.  To this he added at one time thirty-four acres and at another a tract of fifty acres, making in all one hundred and fourteen acres.  Of this he cleared and improved fifty acres, and in 1881 sold it and removed to Roundhead Township, becoming the owner of one hundred finely improved acres lying on section 17.
     Mr. Hatfield is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is active in all good works in his neighborhood.  He is a Republican in politics, and aside from serving as Supervisor of his township has never held office.  He is greatly interested in the cause of education in his district, as his own advantages were limited for attending school, and it is his desire that the children of the present day, especially of his locality, may be afforded every means for being intelligent citizens.
Source: Portrait & Biographical Records of Marion & Hardin Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 277

Source: Portrait & Biographical Records of Marion & Hardin Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 218

ADAM HIBNER, the owner of the homestead on which he yet makes hid abode, is one of the sturdy old pioneers of Washington Township, Hardin County.  He is a worthy representative of the best class of the German-American citizens, than whom there cannot be found better patriots in this, their adopted country.
     The birth of Mr. Hibner occurred Nov. 30th 1813, on a farm in Germany, and there his boyhood passed quietly.  When he was about eighteen years old he commenced learning the weaver's trade, and to this branch of business he gave his energies for many years.  In 1847 he embarked on a sailing-vessel bound for America, and reached these hospital shores thirty days later.  Proceeding to Columbia, Ohio, he was given work on a farm near by, and thus spent the next three years.  He bought the farm where he now resides, on section 34, in 1852, and removed hither five years subsequently.  The entire tract of eighty acres was then covered with thick forests, and the new proprietor set to work with a strong determination to succeed in making a good farm in spite of all difficulties.  Besides his other work, he managed to clear from five to ten acres a year, ox-teams being used to haul away the logs.  A log cabin with clapboard roof and puncheon floor was the home of the family for seventeen years, but in time a more commodious structure was built.
     June 15, 1856, Mr. Hibner married Emma Staadt, who was born in Germany, Jan. 5, 1835, and came to America in 1854.  This union was graced with three children: Jeannette, Mary E. and Adam.  The parents are members of the Lutheran denomination, and are interested in all religious and charitable enterprises.
     As he started out in life without a dollar, Mr. Hibner is truly a self made man, for he has mainly himself to thank for the measure of prosperity that he now enjoys. In his political belief he is a Democrat.
Source: Portrait & Biographical Records of Marion & Hardin Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 404

DAVID HIVELY, who is one of the leading farmers and also one of the largest tax-payers of Hardin County, has a fine estate, situated on sections 1 and 12, Marion Township.  He is a native of this state, and was born in Columbiana County, Jan. 14, 1824.  His parents were Daniel and Barbara (Obenhower) Hively, who were married in the above county in 1822.
     Daniel Hively, it is supposed, was born in the Empire State, as it was from that state that his father emigrated to Ohio in a very early day, settling in Columbiana County.  There Daniel resided until his death, about 1836.  His mother passed her last days with him on the home farm, being at the time of her death, which occurred early in the '30s, about sixty years of age.
     Barbara Obenhower was born not farm from Johnstown, Pa., in 1800, and died in 1865, at the residence of her son, Samuel Hively, of Washington Township, this county.  David of this sketch, attended the district schools of Columbiana County until attaining his majority.  For five years longer he resided under the parental roof, and on coming to Hardin County, which he did about that time, was married.  He then returned to Columbiana County, packed together his belongings and located with his wife in Goshen Township, in the eastern portion of the county.  Here he resided on a tract of eighty acres, which had been entered by his father, and upon selling it some years later bought the property which belonged to his wife’s brothers and sisters in Cessna Township.  He lived on that place until November, 1893, when we find him occupying his present comfortable home in Huntersville.
     The first property of which our subject became the owner included seventy-seven acres.  A year later he added to his possessions a like amount, and sometime thereafter bought eighty acres in Liberty Township.  In 1880 he invested in eighty acres adjoining Huntersville, and also purchased about that time five lots in the village.  In the fall of 1892 he added to his interests in the real estate line the house and seven lots where he now resides.  When he first came to the county his taxes did not aggregate $2 , but at the present time it takes a good income to pay his expenses.
     Of a family of three sons and two daughters born to his parents, David was the second.  The others are Samuel, a resident of Washington Township; Susan, now Mrs. Crawford, of the above township; and Sarah and Moses, who are deceased.  Mr. Hively was married in Cessna Township, Feb. 21, 1850, to Miss Rebecca Matthews, who was born in Crawford County, Aug. 8, 1828.  She is a daughter of Isaac and Nancy (Hamilton) Matthews, the former of whom was born in Trumbull County in 1782, where he was reared to manhood.  He later took up his abode in Wayne County, and afterward in Crawford County, in both of which sections he owned property.  The land was highly improved, and as soon as an opportunity presented itself to dispose of it at a good advance in price, he did so and invested the money in land in Cessna Township, Hardin County, buying at that time the farm on which our subject’s son now resides.  He came here in September, 1848.  During the War of 1812 he served as a soldier.  Isaac Matthews was the son of William Matthews, a native of Ireland, in which country his father was a large stock-raiser.  He died from the effect of injuries received from one of his cattle when preparing to come to America.  His widow, Rachel Matthews, together with her three sons and one daughter, came to the New World, first settling in Pennsylvania.
     Nancy Hamilton was born in New Jersey, Mar. 14, 1790.  She was the daughter of Jonathan and Rachel Hamilton, the former of whom was also born in that state, while the latter was a native of Holland.  To them were born ten children, of whom Rachel was the eldest.  The others were Joseph, Nancy, Sarah, Susanna, James, Catherine and William (twins), Mary and Jonathan.
     To Isaac Matthews and his wife was born a large family of children, fourteen in number.  Of these, Smiley, Jonathan and Levi died when sixty-two, sixty-three and seventy-three years old, respectively; Rachel, who married Joseph Higby, is also deceased; Susan became the wife of James Nelson and is now deceased; William died at the age of fifty-five years; John Wright was four years old at the time of his death; Levina was also four years of age when she died; the next born died unnamed; James passed away at the age of sixty-one years; Elihu is a resident of Washington Township, this county; Rebecca is now Mrs. Hively; Isaac Harvey resides in Story County, Iowa; and the youngest of the family died in infancy.
     To our subject and his wife there were born nine children, of whom we note the following:  Nancy was born in 1850 and died in 1860; Smiley S. died in infancy; Squire M. was two weeks old when he passed away; Mary was born in 1855 and died in 1860; Willis M., who was born in 1858, also departed this life in 1860; Martha Alice was born in 1861, and is now the wife of Charles Vermillion; James M. was born in 1863, and makes his home on the old place in Cessna Township; Sylvanus was born in 1868, and married Henry H. Hugett, of this vicinity; Carrie May was born in 1869 and died in 1873.
     Both Mr. and Mrs. Hively are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Huntersville.  The former in politics is a Republican, having had reason to change his views since the war.  He has served as School Director for many years and was at one time a member of the Grange.
Source: Portrait & Biographical Records of Marion & Hardin Counties, Ohio - 1895 - Page 441