JOHN W. BARINGER, Pleasant, Holgate, p.o., was born in Mahoning county, O., in 1843, and was a son of Absalom and Sarah (Rakestraw) Baringer.  She was born in New Jersey and her husband was a native of Germany.  They were married in Mahoning county.  Absalom died in Defiance county in 1866.  They had twelve children, seven of whom are now living.  Two sons enlisted, Levy R. and John W.  John W. lost his right arm in an engagement at Atlanta, while serving in Company D, 100^th Ohio Volunteers.  He enlisted Aug. 4, 1862, and was discharged May 17, 1865, from the Cleveland hospital.  He now receives a pension of thirty-six dollars per month.  Levy served in the 111^th to the close of the war.  The other children were Benjamin R., Esther J., Lydia, Sophia  and Caroline.  John W. was married in 1868 to Charity Povenmire, of Defiance county, in 1868.  They have seven children: Mary E., Olive R., Luther B., Ernest E., Harriet E., Charles F. and Sarah V.  John W., settled in Holgate and was appointed postmaster in July, 1874, and served until 1885.  He was made ticket, express and freight agent of the railroad and resigned in 1880.  He was justice for two terms and is now assessor. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 645

JOHN H. BARR, Flat Rock, Florida p. o., a veteran soldier of the War of the Rebellion and owner and proprietor of the Florida steam saw and planning-mill, was born in Fairfield county, in 1840 and enlisted Sept. 5, 1861, in Company H, 15^th Ohio Regiment, under Colonel Moses Dickey; re-enlisted and served until Nov. 21, 1865, at which time he was discharged at San Antonio, Texas.  He was promoted to sergeant.  He was married in December, 1869, to Frances L. Hurd, of Lorain county, who was born in 1851.  They have had seven children: Gertrude, Sherman, Luella, Arthur, Bessie, Mable and George W., who died at the age of nine years.  John H. was a son of John and Barbara (Lamott) Barr, of Pennsylvania.  They were married in Fairfield county, O., and settled in Defiance county in 1846.  They had a family of nine children, seven of whom are now living: J. M., J. H., W. J., L. M., Nancy, Sarah J., and Mary.  John was born in 1804 and died July 6, 1883.  His wife Barbara, died in1850.  John H. became engaged in the manufacture of lumber of 1870, and settled in Flat Rock township in 1875, where he built his present steam saw-mill in 1876.  He is now engaged in the manufacture of, and dealing in pine lumber, lath, shingles etc.  
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 645

WILLIAM J. BARR, Flat Rock, a veteran soldier, who lost the use of his limbs through palsy, which was contracted during service, on July 3, 1865, just before the discharge of his regiment which occurred July 18, 1865.  HE enlisted Oct. 5, 1861, under Captain L. Y. Richards, in Company A, Sixty-eighth Ohio, under Colonel McCoy.  He now receives a pension of seventy-two dollars per month.  He is an active, ambitious man and bears his affliction without a murmur.  He was married Sept. 10, 1867, to Catharine I. Miller.  They have had two children: William Logan (born May 10, 1869) and Mary Beatrice (born July 6, 1874).  William J. was a son of John and Barbara (Lamott) Barr.  Catharine was a daughter William and Mary (Noggle) Miller, who were early settlers.  They had one daughter, Catharine I.  Mary had by her third husband, Washington Lowry, a family of five children: Rebecca J., who married Charles G. Shull; George O.; Susan C. married Isaac Hersberger; Theresa A. married William H. Gunn, and Ellen.  Mr. Lowry died in 1843.  She married her third husband, John Barr, in 1858.  He died July 6, 1883, in the eightieth year of his age. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 646

CORNELIUS BARTLOW, Barltow, Deshler p.o., was the first settler in Bartlow township, and from him received its name.  He was born in Lycoming county, Penn., Oct. 5, 1811, and has been married twice.  His first wife was Sarah McMahan.  They had four children.  Only one is now living, Mary A.  His second wife was Elizabeth Medley.  They have had one child John T.  Mr. Bartlow has held the office of justice of the peace for mine years, and township treasurer for twelve years. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 646

CLINTON E. BEAR, Ridgeville p.o., was born in Ridgeville, Henry county, in 1863 and was married in 1884, to Mary Graphius, who was born in Findley, Hancock county.  They have had one daughter, Estella.  Clinton E. Bear, was a son of Joseph and Barbara (Barstow) Bear.  Barbara was born in Germany, in 1824, and her husband, Joseph, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1815, and was a son of Henry and Susan Bear, of Pa.  Joseph settled in Ohio, Stark county, in 1839, and came to Henry county, in 1844.  They were married in 1845, and had a family of eight children: Henry, Susanna, Mary, Vianna, Eliza, John, Clinton E., and Edward.  Joseph was a carpenter, builder, and farmer, but has now retired.  Clinton E., is engaged in the manufacture of lumber, and erected a steam saw-mill in connection with George Harmon, in 1884.  He also owns and runs an improved steam thresher. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 647

CHARLES F. BEARD, Napoleon, was born in Manchester, Eng., in 1837, and was married in 1863, to Hannah Edwards.  They settled in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1864.  His wife died in 1870, leaving two sons, Joseph H.  and William A.  Charles F. married his second wife, Hannah Walker, in 1873.  She was a native of England.  They had three sons and two daughters; two children are now living: George W. and Walter James.  Mr. Beard is a machinist and inventor and manufacturer of engines and boilers from three to ten horse power, circular and wood sawing machines, emery grinders, vises, steam heating fixtures, and does a general custom work.  He purchased his business interest in 1878, and has been constantly increasing the business until now he has a splendid trade. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 647

FREDERICK BEAVERSON, Pleasant, Holgate p.o., a pioneer resident of Holgate, was born in Stark county, in 1844, and was a son of Samuel and Maria (Weyber) Beaverson.  Maria was born in France, and her husband, Samuel, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1814.  They were married in Stark county, and settled in Fulton county, in 1850.  They have twelve children: John, Frederick, Samuel, Jr., Andrew, Jacob, Henry, Rosanna, Rebecca, Maria, Susan, Elizabeth, Sarah.  Fred enlisted in 1863, in Company G, 85^th Ohio, served for three months, re-enlisted in the 86^th Regiment in 1863, under Colonel Lemert, and was discharged at Cleveland, in 1864, being at that time third corporal.  Fred settled in Holgate, in 1874, and became engaged in the grocery and saloon business.  He was married in November, 1874, to Mary E. Sapp, a daughter of Emanuel Sapp, of Flat Rock.  They have had four children, three are now living:  Walter, Samuel, and Ralph.  Mr. Beaverson built his present residence in 1882. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 647

C. BISH, Bartlow, Deshler p.o., was born in Fairfield county, O., in 1849, and when six years of age moved to Hancock county, where he remained until the winter of 1876, when he settled in Bartlow township.  He was married in 1879 to Mary A. Lansing.  They had a family of four children, three of whom are now living:  William M. (deceased), Ida M., David S., and Grover S.  Mr. Bish is now engaged in farming, and owns a finely cultivated farm of 120 acres. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 648

ALFRED H. BLAIR, Washington, Texas p.o., was born in Portage county, O., in 1825, and settled in Henry county in 1863.  He was engaged in the stock business in 1845, frequently passing through Henry county on his way to Indiana, he became familiar with the county at an early date.  He was a son of Alfred and Julia (Miller) Blair.  Julia was born in Vermont and her husband in Massachusetts.  They were married in Portage county, in 1824, and had a family of six children, four of whom are now living: Alfred H., Elston, Henry M. and Samantha.  The father died in 1835, and the mother in February, 1882, at the age of eighty-three years.  Alfred H. Blair, was married in 1853, to Clarissa Vaughn, of Vermont.  She died in 1854, and he then married Jane Silvernail, in 1863.  She was born in Greene county, N. Y.  They have had a family of three children, Mary, Carlos and John.  Alfred B. Blair has been township trustee, assessor, and now resides on a homestead of 80 acres. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 648

LEWIS BOCKELMAN, Freedom, Napoleon p.o., was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1831, and was a son of Henry and Catharine Bockelman, who had a family of eight children, six of whom emigrated to America; they were Lewis, Mary, Fred, Frederick, Henry and August.  August enlisted and died at the Fairfax Court-House.  Catharine and William remained in Germany.  Lewis emigrated to America in 1860, and settled in Adams, Defiance county, O.  He enlisted in August, 1862, in Co. K, 107^th Ohio Regiment, under Colonel Meyers, and served to the close of the war, after which he was discharged at Cleveland.  He returned to Adams, and became engaged in the carpenter and builder trade.  He was married in 1867 to Anna Eggers, who was born in 1849.  She was a daughter of John H. and Mary (Shuette) Eggers.  They have had a family of eight children, four of whom are now living: Emma, Anna, Mary and Charles.  He purchased his first farm in 1866, and in 1876 came to Napoleon to reside, where he became engaged in the mercantile business.  In 1880 he purchased and removed to his present fine farm of 120 acres, all of which he has improved, and on which he has erected some model farm buildings.  He has been trustee for four terms, and is secretary of the Farmers Insurance Company, which became a fully reliable institution under his able management. 
Source:  History of Henry & Fulton Counties - edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich - Syracuse NY - Publ. D. Mason & Co. 1888. - Page 648