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Mr. & Mrs. George P. Baker	GEORGE W. BAKER, one of the younger farmers of Greenfield township, who with his brother August manages the one hundred and sixty-five acres of land owned by their mother, was born in Peru township, Huron county, August 27, 1874.  His parents, George P. and Elizabeth (Miller) Baker, were both of German birth, but spent the greater part of their lives in this country.  The father was twenty-eight when he started life in the United States.  He came direct to Ohio and settled in Sandusky, where he found employment during the winter months in the boiler shops, and during the summer on the lakes.  About 1870 he came to Huron county, locating in Peru township, where he first worked for Philip Erf for a number of years, and then bought one hundred acres of land, on which he lived and farmed until 1902, when he sold it and removed to Greenfield township.  The Peru township farm was largely covered with timber when he first settled there, an entirely different piece of property from that which his successor found, for Mr. Baker had not only brought the fields to a high state of cultivation, but had also erected some fine buildings.  In 1902 he bought from Mrs. Shields the farm that is known as the old Simmons place.  On it he made his home until his death, and on it his widow and sons still live.  It, also, has profited by the Bakers' residence, for the buildings have been remodeled, and a more scientific and up-to-date system of agriculture has been carried on that has increased its productiveness and enabled it to produce a better quality of crops.  Mr. Baker has released from the cares of this world Sept. 19, 1907, but his wife still survives at the age of fifty-six.  She was eighteen when she came to this country with her brother, William Miller, and in the years of her married life became the mother of six children: George, of this review is the eldest.  August was born Jan. 17, 1876.  Lena died at one year of age.  John died at the age of six months.  Albert married Lena Lovell, an adopted daughter of Mrs. Martha Lovell of this township, and they have three children:  Bertha, the youngest of the family, married Peter Zieher and lives at Sandusky, Ohio.  They have one son, Bernhart George.     George W. Baker has always lived in this county, receiving hs8i training to meet the problems of life at home and in the district schools.  For a few terms he was a pupil in the German school of Peru township, so that his education is better than that which falls to the lot of Many boys reared on the farm and compelled to get their lesson at odd moments when work did not claim their time and in the few months during which the school held session.  He has been successful in the farming he has conducted on his land, but has not specialized in any particular branch.      On the 26th of October, 1901, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Merrill Perry, a daughter of Fred and Mary (Gates) Perry, of Penn township, who were among the early settlers of that locality, and have many stories to tell of the changes that have taken place since their residence there.  Mr. and Mrs. Baker have an adopted daughter, Loretia Meyers, an little girl of six years of age.  August Baker, who assists his brother in the conduct of the farm, was married in 1904 to Miss Anna Christ of Erie county.  They have a son George, a stalwart little child in whom many hopes are placed.  The Baker family are members of the Lutheran church of Pontiac, which George P. Baker helped to build and in which he always held office.  The sons are still active in its affairs and in the general tenor of their lives give evidence of its teachings. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 372
	GEORGE A. BARBER.  The farming interests of Huron county find in George A. Barber, a worthy representative and one who is meeting with success in his business enterprise.  He was born in Herman township, this county, Jan. 30, 1856, and is a son of Samuel G. and Matilda (Maltby) Barber, the former a native of Schenectady county, New York, and the latter of Fremont, Ohio.  The grandparents of our subject on the paternal side were Edward and Desire (Kenyon) Barber, while his maternal grandfather was David Maltby.  Both the Barber and Maltby families are of Scotch lineage, while the Barbers rank among the old pioneer settlers of Huron county.  The family was founded in this portion of the state by Samuel G. Barber, the father of our subject, who came here when but seven years of age, and grew up with the county, being a witness of the work of transformation and improvement that has changed the forests of Ohio into richly cultivated fields.      Our subject has in his possession many interesting relics of the old pioneer days, one of especial interest being an Italian violin which is over two hundred years old.  He also has the old gun that his grandfather brought with him from the east, and also a letter received by the Barbers in the early days, directed to this state and dated Feb. 11, 1834.  The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Matilda Maltby, had three brothers who went to Texas, where they were residing at the time of the Civil war.  At the outbreak of hostilities the youngest brother espoused the cause of the Confederacy and became captain in the Louisiana Light Artillery.  The eldest brother was a soldier in the Mexican war and under General Scott went from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico, participating in all of the battles of that campaign.  After the war he went to Galena, Illinois, and later became a friend and associate of General Grant.  During the Civil war he was a brevet brigadier general and assisted in capturing his own brother at the surrender of Vicksburg.  Later he sought parole for his brother and sent him back the the sough.  He sustained a wound at the battle of Fort Donelson which, however, was not fatal.  In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Barber were the following children: Dora, George, Bayard, Jasper and Grace.      George A. Barber, of this review, spent the period of his boyhood and youth upon his father's farm, early being trained to the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.  When not busy with the work in the fields he attended the district schools and thus acquired a good knowledge of the common English branches.  Later he pursued a course of study during the years 1877-1880, in the Ohio Normal University at Ada, Ohio, and after leaving that institution he was engaged in teaching for about eighteen years.  During that period his identification with educational interests was a source of benefit to the communities in which he labored for he proved himself a most competent and able instructor, imparting clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired.  Subsequently, however, he withdrew from that profession and became identified with agricultural interests, purchasing a farm in Fairfield township.  He has resided upon this farm for about fourteen yeas, and it is now one of the well improved and valuable properties in the township.  He has brought the fields under a high state of cultivation, has introduced upon the place all the accessories and equipment necessary to facilitate farm labor, and his well directed industry and energy, which are the salient elements in his career, are winning for him a gratifying measure of prosperity.      It was on the 7th of April, 1885, that Mr. Barber was united marriage to Miss Maud Pratt, who was born in October, 1864, and is a daughter of Edwin D. and Elizabeth (Slyer) Pratt, natives of Huron county, Ohio, and East Liverpool, Medina county, this state, respectively.  Her father, who was a son of Nelson and Finette (Delano) Pratt, traces his ancestry back to the Mayflower.  The Pratts were originally members of the Baptist church, but members of the family later joined the Mormon church and became stanch supporters of that creed.  Hugh F. Barber, who was born on the 18h of May, 1891, is the only child born until Mr. and Mrs. George Barber.  The parents are both members of the Universalist church, while fraternally Mr. Barber is connected with the Masons at North Fairfield, Ohio.  He is public-spirited is his citizenship, doing all in his power to promote the general welfare, while his influence and activity are always upon the side of progress, reform, improvement and advancement.  These qualities constitute him a citizen of worth in the community where he has resided throughout his lifetime and where he has acquired an extensive circle of warm friends. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 482
	WILLIAM BARBER, who for many years has been successfully identified with general agricultural and stock-raising interests in Wakeman township, was born in Wiltshire, England, on the 16th of January, 1828, his parents being Edward and Jane Barber.  In the year 1850 they crossed the Atlantic to the United States, coming direct to Wakeman township, Huron county, Ohio, where they joined their son William, who had made the voyage to the new world in 1848.  Edward Barber, the father of our subject, was a cabinet-maker by trade but after coming to this country turned his attention to farming.  Unto him and his wife were born six children, namely: Mary, Ann, Sarah, Matilda, Elizabeth, William and Edward.  All are now deceased with the exception of William, whose name initiates this review.      William Barber obtained his education in the parish schools of his native land and early in life learned the cabinet-maker's trade, working at that occupation in England until he set sail for the United States in 1848.  After landing in this country he first went to Summit county, Ohio, where he remained for a year being employed at his trade.  On the expiration of that period he came to Wakeman township, this county, and bought twenty acres of timber land, which he eventually developed into a good farming property.  He has given his attention to general agricultural pursuits almost exclusively throughout his entire business career, though for a few yeas he also worked at the carpenter's trade to some extent.  As time passed by and his financial resources in creased he added to his holdings by additional purchase until at one time he owned two hundred acres of rich and arable land, having cleared the timber from one hundred acres.  He cut down and burned enough good timber to have made a fortune at present prices.  In addition to cultivating the various cereals best adapted to soil and climate he has also been engaged in the raising of stock, both branches of his business returning to him a gratifying annual income.  The neat and thrifty appearance of his farm bespeaks his industry and systematic methods.  His crops are of the best, his stock is comfortably housed and in fact everything about the place indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.      On the 6th of May, 1853, Mr. Barber was united in marriage to Miss Hannah E. Stiles, a daughter of Henry and Sarah Stiles of Clarksfield township.  The Stiles family were among the early settlers of Huron county and took a prominent part in community affairs.  Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of eight children as follows:  Anna E.; Frank M., a resident of Chicago; Ella, the wife of Charles Peck, of Viola, Illinois; Edward, living in Delaware; Jane, at home; Henry, who follows farming in Wakeman township; Ida, also at home; and William C., who makes his home at Lorain, Ohio.  On the 6th of May, 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Barber celebrated their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary, on which happy occasion of all their children, as well as a large number of friends and acquaintances, were with them.      Politically Mr. Barber has always given his allegiance to the republican party, casting his first presidential  vote for Fremont in 1856.  Though not active in politics as an office seeker, he has always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day and served in the position of township trustee and also as a school director for many yeas.  His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Congressional church, with which his wife and children are also identified.  He ahs always been active in church and Sunday school work and was instrumental in organizing a Sunday school in the local school-house of which he was superintendent for many years.  He is public-spirited to a marked degree and well merits the esteem and respect which are uniformly accorded him, being a high-minded gentleman of the old school whose entire life has been characterized by industry and integrity.  He has endeavored to exemplify and teaching of the Golden Rules in his daily life and his influence is always found on the side of right and progress.  The worthy poor find in him a sympathetic and helpful friend.  He has now passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey and for sixty years of this time has been a resident of Huron county, within the borders of which he is most widely and favorably known.  Coming to the new world in early manhood, he has felt that the country fully justified his expectations and in this land, where labor is unhampered by caste or class, he steadily advanced and as a result of his persistent energy and unabating industry gained a place among the substantial and representative citizens of his community. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 104
	JOHN V. BARKER, the owner of a well improved and productive farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres in Bronson township, is numbered among the worthy native sons of Huron county, his birth having occurred in that township on the 14th of February, 1877.  His parents, John and Phoebe (Morse) Barker, are likewise natives of this county and were born in the years 1844 and 1848 respectively.  The father, an honored veteran of the Civil war, served for four years as a member of the Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  His family numbers five children, namely: Myrtle, Edgar, John V., Jay and Lucy.      John V. Barker has always made his home on a farm and early became familiar with the various duties and labors taht fall to the lot of the agriculturist.  As above stated, he now owns and cultivates a tract of one hundred and twenty-five acres of land in Bronson township and in the conduct of his farming interests has won a commendable measure of success, owning to his untiring and well directed energy and good management.  He also operates a cider press which his father built in 1886 and which has been in operation ever since.  It was one of the first steam presses in the county.      In 1901, Mr. Barker was joined in wedlock to Miss Frances Coyt, who was born in 1883, a daughter of James an Nellie (Hall) Coyt.  Mrs. Barker has two sisters, Grace and Marguerite.  The political faith of Mr. Barker accords with the principles and policy of the republican party.  His fraternal relations are with the independent Order of Odd Fellows at Norwalk, and he is a worthy exemplar of the craft.  As he has lived in this county throughout his entire life, he has a wide acquaintance here and his many friends know him as a young man of enterprise and worth. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 545
	BENJAMIN BARNES, who has been connected with railroad business for more than thirty years, has, during that time, gained a most creditable record for himself and is numbered among the well known and prominent citizens of this community.  One of Ohio's native sons, he was born on the 8th of July, 1855, a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Fields) Barnes.  The family has long been represented in this country, members of the name having come from England, in the early part of the seventeenth century.      The father of our subject, who was born in 1796, was a native of Virginia and came to Ohio from the District of Columbia in 1828.  He was a painter and glazier by trade and served as a soldier in the war of 1812, assisting in the defense of the capitol and, after its destruction, aided in its reconstruction along the line of his trade.  After his removal to Columbus, Ohio, however, he was identified with the butchering business, being thus engaged until 1856, in which hear he removed with his family to Wakeman, where he operated a mill for a short time.  He again entered the butchering business and was thus connected until his death, which  occurred in August, 1874.  A man of strong convictions, he based his opinions upon his own judgment rather than upon what others thought and, while he possessed a most positive disposition, he nevertheless was quick to forgive when proper apology was offered.  He was married twice, Miss Elizabeth Fields become his second wife.  She passed away July 3, 1905, and they were both laid to rest in the Wakeman cemetery.  In their family were seven children, namely: Nimia, Morris P., Benjamin, Robert, Alice, Albert and Anna, the last two passing away in infancy while the other five still survive.      Benjamin Barnes, whose name introduces this sketch, was reared under the parental roof and attended the schools of Wakeman in the acquirement of an education.  He remained at home until twenty years of age, in the meantime assisting his father in the butchering business.  In 1876, he entered the railroad service and has been engaged in this line of work to the present time.  He entered the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad in 1879, and has been connected with that company for thirty years, operating on the Cleveland & Toledo division.  He has been eminently successful in his relations with railroad business, being promoted from one position to another until he is today serving as passenger conductor, having acted in that capacity since 1890.  Throughout his entire connection with the railroad, he has been most careful and has never had a wreck, has never been seriously injured and none of his crews has ever been injured, a record which is indeed most unusual.      Mr. Barnes was united in marriage on the 29th of November, 1874, to Miss Sarah M. Flower, a daughter of Isaac and Ann (Stratton) Flower, natives of England.  Upon coming to America in 1851, her parents settled in Oswego, New York, where they remained for one year, and then, continuing their westward journey, located at Cooks Corners, in Huron county, in 1852.  In 1856, they removed to Clarksfield, four years later to East Townsend and in 1865 came to Wakeman.  They resided here until 1870, when they removed to Missouri, where they remained two years, returning to Wakeman in 1872.  Throughout these years Mr. Flower had been engaged in the harness business, being a manufacturer and dealer, but in 1874, he became identified with the hotel business in this city, being thus connected until 1894.  In the latter year, he retired from active life while his demise occurred on the 13 of January, 1903, when he had reached the venerable age of ninety-three years.  His wife had passed away Dec. 8, 1896.  In their family were five children, Emma, Alfred, Anna, Sarah  and Frederick, all of whom survive with the exception of Anna, who died in infancy.     The home of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes has been blessed with one son and one daughter, William O. and Lulu May.  The latter is now the wife of James I. Seybert, of this city, and they have one son, Howard Benjamin.  William O. Barnes is also married and lives in Toledo.  He has followed in his father's footsteps and is a conductor on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad.      Mr. Barnes is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership in Gibson Lodge, No. 301, F. & A. M., and belongs to Webb Chapter, R. A. M., of Cleveland, Ohio, while he has taken the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in Masonry.  He likewise is a member of the Order of Railway Conductors.  He is a stalwart champion of the democracy and in former years has been very active and influential in local politics, having frequently represented his party as a delegate at various district, county and state conventions.  He is intensely loyal and public spirited in his citizenship, aiding in all movement and measures which have for their spirited in his citizenship, aiding in all movements and measures which have for their object the substantial and permanent upbuilding and improvement of the community.  He is a great athlete, enthusiastic in the matter of outdoor sports and takes especial delight in fishing and hunting, frequently enjoying, in the company of other kindred spirits, a ten days' trip into the woods and along the streams in the pursuit of his favorite pastimes.  As a young man, he was particularly fond of baseball and yet maintains a keen interest in this national game, possessing considerable skill himself in this line and often joining in games with local teams.  The Barnes home  is modern and attractive in its architecture and surroundings and is a favorite resort with a host of friends to whom its cordial hospitality is freely extended.  Mr. and Mrs. Barnes are genial, companionable people, who not only understand how to enjoy life themselves, but possess the happy faculty of making others enjoy it also, the influence and good fellowship of their home being a potent factor in the social circles of the community. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 275
	JOSHUA B. BARNES was a prosperous farmer, a successful auctioneer and an exemplary citizen of Clarksfield township, where he was born Sept. 27, 1848, a son of William and Helen (Bissel) Barnes.  Both the Bissels and the Barnes were among those families that braved the hardships of pioneer life.  The former of the tow came from Danbury, Connecticut, and the latter from New York state, and both became prominent in their respective communities.  William Barnes grew up at home under the guidance of his parents, assisting in the ordinary work of the farm.  During the winter months he attended the district schools of the county and always stood at the head his class and as the ringleader in all boyish pranks and sports.  At the age of nineteen he went to Michigan, where he worked on the farms of relatives for nine years.  At the end of that period he returned to Clarksfield township, this county, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres in the same neighborhood in which he had been born and in which his parents had lived for so many yeas.  This was his home until his death.  As soon as he took up his residence here he became a prominent figure in the farming community.  Large harvests richly repaid his arduous toil, and the several business enterprises he undertook prospered in proportion.  At the time of his death he possessed two hundred and sixty acres, all fine land to start with, but much improved through the excellent cultivation he practiced for so many years.      On the 21st of December, 1886, Mr. Barnes was married to Miss Belle Kemp, the daughter of John and Susanna (Wellburn) Kemp, of Camden, Lorain county, Ohio, who were married Oct. 15, 1854.  The father was born in Lancastershire, England, Mar. 20, 1821, and came to America with his brother at the age of thirty-one.  He settled in Grafton, Ohio, where he engaged in farm work, and in a short time by industry and economy was able to save enough to buy a farm in Lorain county.  When he arrived in this country he had almost no capital, but he attained to a comfortable position before his death.  Two years after his arrival here he married and became the father of ten children, five of whom are living.  They are Edgar, a commissioner of Lorain county; Mary; Belle; Lucy; and Mabel   William, Ezra, John, Charles, and Elizabeth, are all deceased.  Mr. Kemp died Nov. 13, 1901, and his wife passed away Aug. 4, 1909.      To Mr. and Mrs. Barnes were born two children, Doris E. and Robert W., both of whom are living at home with their mother.      To republican party always found in Mr. Barnes a stanch supporter of its principles and he took an active interest in local politics, serving as township trustee and as a member of the board of education for a great many years.  He also filled the office of justice of the peace for two terms and refused to again accept the office despite the great pressure brought to bear upon him by his many friends.  He was probably the most popular man in the eastern part of the county.      Mr. Barnes was taken from this world Feb. 20, 1909, and is mourned by a large number of persons, who through the intercourse of years had come to know and love the man for what he was.  The success of his work procured the goodwill of his fellow-citizens, but his loyalty and fearless support of what he believed to be right drew to him stanch friends, and at the same time his ready wit and jovial good nature assured him a welcome in whatever gatherings he chanced to be.  He was a hardworking, enterprising farmer and a successful auctioneer, and in all his business dealings was found to be upright and honorable, a man whose integrity of purpose in his intercourse with his fellows was never questioned.  In fact, it may truthfully be said that he was a man who had no enemies.  He was buried in the Methodist Episcopal cemetery at Clarksfield. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 458
	NORMAN A. BARNES, the owner of considerable property in the town of Bellevue, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, June 28, 1824, the son of Norman and Sybel (Parker) Barnes, both of whom lived in that county until their death, which occurred in the case of the father in 838, when he was but forty-seven years of age.  The mother, on the other hand lived to the advanced age of ninety-two, having known forty-five years of widowhood.  The loneliness of these, however, was alleviated through the loving care of ten children, though but few of these exhibited the hardiness of life that distinguished her.  Of this large family but one beside the subject of this Sketch survives, James C., the fourth son.  Those deceased are Walter S., Sylvester, Charles, Lucinda, Mamie, Jane, and two who did not live beyond the period of childhood.      Norman A. Barnes, who was the eighth in this large family, spent the first nineteen years of his life in the county of his birth.  From there he went to Lewis county, New York, where he learned the trade of harnessmaker and lived for two years.  In 1845 he came west to Ohio, pursuing his trade in various cities of the state, such as Dayton, Cincinnati, and others, until in 1849, when he came to Bellevue.  Here he started in the harness business on Main street, and though he was more than moderately successful, his health began to fail him after four years' application and he gave it up.  He then commenced buying and selling live stock, seeking a market in New York and other cities in the east.  For upwards of forty years he was engaged in this business, changing his methods with the changes that passed over the country during all those years, for when he first commenced dealing in live stock, he was wont to go on horseback over the country to any place he heard that fine animals were to be procured.  When he retired from active participation in the business, the life of a stockman had become in many particulars a less strenuous one.      On the 10th of October, 1850, Mr. Barnes was united in marriage to Miss Julia A. Sloane, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Skinner) Sloane who were born Aug. 18, 1786, and Jul. 13, 1792, respectively.  Their birth followed shortly upon the permanent establishment of the federal government, and their death, the father's occurring Nov. 4, 1850, the mother's, Mar. 13, 1862, antedated by but a few years the great struggle for this same government's preservation.  Mr. Sloane was a native of Vermont and his wife of New Hampshire.  Their union was blessed with nine children, all of whom but Mr. Barnes, the youngest, have passed away.  The others were Flavilla, Annetta, Elvira, Lucinda, Joseph, William, Sirenus and Elizabeth.  Mrs. Barnes was born in York, Livingston county, New York, on the 22d of January, 1828, and was the mother of two children, both of whom she survives.  Ella F., who was born Oct. 16, 1851, died Feb. 1, 1900; and Julia F., born July 2, 1853, died in September the year following.      Fraternally Mr. Barnes is connected with the Masons, and has the distinction of being the oldest member of the Bellevue Lodge, No. 273 A. F. & A. M.  Some years ago he was presented with a fine knife, which is hereafter to descend and to be the property of the oldest member.  From 1866, Mr. Barnes dates his affiliation with the organization, and during that time was chaplain of the blue lodge, and counsellor for ten years.  In politics he gives his allegiance to the republican party and has served as councilman of his town for a number of years as the choice of his party.  In the Congregational church, of which he has been a member for sixty-two years, he has held the honorable position of deacon for a long time.  In short, he is a man who in the many years he has made Bellevue his home, has ever stood for its advancement and stability.  He is well known, and the reputation which has spread abroad concerning him is one that might e a credit to any man.  There are but few who can boast that they have lived five years past a half-century in the same house. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 384
	WILLIAM BARNES is numbered among the enterprising and progressive farmers of Townsend township, where he owns a fine tract of land of seventy acres.  He was born near London, England, Nov. 24, 184, a son of George and Sarah (Eath) Barnes, who emigrated with their family to the United States in 1852 and established their home in Cleveland, Ohio.  There the father sought employment working at anything that would bring to him an honest living for himself and family.  Prior to coming to the new world he had engaged in farming on a small scale.  On leaving Cleveland he removed to Camden, where he spent two years and on the expiration of that period he located on a farm in Clarksfield township, where he remained two years.  He then took up his abode upon a farm in Wakeman township and continued agricultural pursuits there until his demise in July, 1895.  Unto him and his wife were born eight children, seven sons and one daughter:  William, Charles, Thomas, King A., Elizabeth, Edward, George and Frederick, and these with the mother still survive.      William Barnes, the eldest of the family, did not enjoy very liberal educational advantages as the family being in somewhat straitened circumstances, his services were needed on the home farm, so that he was permitted to attend school only a few weeks during the winter months and it was not until he had reached the age of eighteen years that he attended the Wakeman school for a full year.  Since reaching mature years, however, he has added to his knowledge by reading and investigation.  During the summer months he assisted in the labor of the home farm, doing a man's work in the fields at an age when most boys are acquiring their education and enjoying the pleasures of life.  In the winter months he worked in the woods, preparing the fuel to supply the household needs and comforts.      Mr. Barnes eventually started out in life on his own account and from his earnings saved the money that enabled him to purchase his present tract of seventy acres, located in Townsend township.  He established a home of his own by his marriage on the 26th of February, 1876, to Miss Emily Westfall and on the 9th of March following they began their domestic life in the house that Mr. Barnes had prepared for his bride.  He then began work in earnest and has continued to follow farming to the present time being now one of the rich and highly cultivated properties of his section of Huron county.       The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes has been blessed with five children: Anna R.; Cora, now the wife of William Sheffield, of Toledo, Ohio; Mary, Walter E., who is married and makes his home in Wakeman township; and William C. who is also married and resides in Townsend township.  Fully realizing his own lack of advantages he solved that his children should receive an education suited to the demands of the time, that they might start out in life well equipped for the eager, strenuous service of this exacting age, and therefore all have graduated from either the Collins or Wakeman high schools, while subsequently the daughters were given the advantages of Oberlin College.      Mr. Barnes is a republican in politics and is well informed on all public questions.  Although he has frequently been urged by his fellow townsmen to accept public office he would never consent to do so, with the exception of filling the position of road supervisor.  He has also been a member of the township school board for several years and takes a deep and active interest in the schools, that his own and other children might be benefited.  He had his family are members of the Wakeman Congregational church,  Mr. Barnes having joined the society forty years ago.  He has always been active in church and Sunday school work.  Public spirited in an eminent degree, he favors all legitimate public movements and is numbered among the enterprising and substantial public movements and is numbered among the enterprising and substantial farmers of Townsend township and Huron county. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 118
	ERNEST W. BECHSTEIN, is a retired agriculturist of Huron County, now residing on his fine farm of sixty acres in Lyme Township. He was born in Wittenberg, Germany, on the 20th of March, 1843, his parents being Louis and Katherine (Strecker) Bechstein, who spent their entire lives in the fatherland. Their family numbered seven children, namely: Katherine and Julia, who are deceased; Anna; Ricka, who has also passed away; Louis; Ernest W., of this review; and William, who is likewise deceased.      When a young man of twenty two years, Ernest W. Bechstein determined to establish his home in the new world and after reaching the United States, he settled near Monroeville, Ohio, working by the month as a farm hand for five years. Subsequently, he was engaged in the operation of a rented farm near Russell's Corners for about a year and in 1871, owing to his close economy and careful expenditure, had accumulated capital sufficient with which to purchase a farm of his own. He bought a tract of one hundred and eighteen acres in Lyme Township, on which he erected a dwelling and for thirty years, was successfully engaged in the cultivation of the farm, making many substantial improvements thereon. On New Year's day of 1900, he took up his abode on his present farm of sixty six acres in Lyme Township, which he had purchased in 1893, and gave his time and energies to its development and improvement. His also owned another tract of thirty three acres in the same township, which he sold, and in 1905 disposed of the old homestead farm of one hundred and eighteen acres to his son. He has put aside the active work of the fields and lives retired, his daughter Ida acting as his housekeeper, for his wife was called to her final rest in 1900. He now rents his farm but still makes his home thereon, in a fine brick residence, enjoying in well earned ease the fruits of his former toil.      On the 9th of February, 1869, Mr. Bechstein was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Donner, whose birth occurred in Germany in 1845, her parents being Frederick and Savina Donner, of that country. Six children were born to this union: William C., living in Crawford County, Ohio, married Miss Minnie Marquardt, by whom he has two children, Elmer and Ora. Charles, is a resident of California. Ernest, who wedded Miss Minnie Hess, passed away at the age of thirty eight years. The children of this marriage, Clarence and Gladys, live on the old homestead farm of their grandfather. Lucy, who became the wife of Louis Hess, has a daughter Frieda. She resides in Sherman Township, this county. Ida is at home with her father. August died at the age of eight months.      Politically Mr. Bechstein is a stalwart Democrat and any movement or measure instituted to advance the general welfare receives his active aid and cooperation. He served as road supervisor for fifteen years and the fine public highways of Lyme Township are the visible evidence of his fidelity and capability in that office. He not only ably directed the labors of the men under his charge but took an active part in the work himself. The case of education has ever found in him a stanch champion and he acted as a member of the school board for a number of years. He is likewise a prominent and valued member of the Lutheran Church at Bellevue, which he was largely instrumental in organizing. He solicited funds for the erection of the edifice and headed the list of subscribers with a donation of four hundred dollars, later adding two hundred to his subscription. Until recently he acted as a trustee of the church but about a year ago met with an accident which prevents him from attending the services. He had a bad fall, dislocating both kneecaps and has since been unable to walk without the aid of crutches. In this country he has found opportunity to give full scope to his ambition and energy and though born across the water he is thoroughly American in thought and feeling and is patriotic and sincere in his love for the stars and stripes. For more than four decades he has been numbered among the honored, respected and public spirited citizens of Huron County and a host of friends are not only willing but eager to testify to his sterling worth.   Source: The History of Huron County - Volume II - By: A J Baughman --- Published: 1909 --- Page 501 Contributed By: Bob Weaver
	FRED A. BECKSTEIN, numbered among the successful and enterprising agriculturists of Lyme Township, where he owns an excellent farm of seventy eight acres, was born in this township on the 20th of June, 1877, his parents being William and Caroline (Longyear) Beckstein. The father, whose birth occurred in Germany, September 20, 1848, came alone to the new world at the age of seventeen years, taking up his abode in Huron County, Ohio. Securing employment as a farm hand, he was thus engaged for about six years and then brought ninety acres of land in Lyme Township, where he continued to make his home until called to his final rest in 1905. Throughout his entire business career, he was successfully identified with agricultural interests and his upright and honorable life won him the warm regard and esteem of all with whom he was associated. He did effective work for the cause of education as a member of the school board and was likewise a valued and helpful member of the Lutheran Church at Bellevue. His wife was born in Richmond Township, Huron County, in the year 1856, her parents, Charles and Mary Longyear, being early settlers of this county. She still survives and has an extensive circle of warm friends throughout this county, where she has spent her entire life. Her family numbers five children, namely: Fred A, of this review; Lewis; William Jr; Carolina, the wife of William Seible; and Abbie.      Fred A. Beckstein obtained his education in the district and special schools of his native township and was reared in the usual manner of farm lads. He worked in the fields when not busy with his textbooks and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops.  In 1908, he purchased his present farm of seventy-eight: acres from Daniel Eichenlaub and has since added many improvements to the property, in the cultivation of which he is meeting with a gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity.  He is practical in his methods and his intense and well directed activity constitutes the basis of the success which has crowned his efforts.      In 1904, Mr. Beckstein was united in marriage to Miss Flora Seible, whose birth occurred in Lyme township, Oct. 18, 1878, her parents being Anthony and Mary (Sipe) Seible, both of whom were natives of Germany.  The father, whose natal day was May 31, 1834, passed away on the 22d of July, 1898, while the mother, who was born Dec. 30, 1837, still survives.  Mr. and Mrs. Beckstein have one child, Clara, born on the 30th of January, 1905.  In his religious faith.  Mr. Beckstein is a Lutheran, belonging to the church of that denomination in Bellevue.  Both he and his wife have always resided in Lyme township and enjoy in large measure the confidence and esteem of those with whom they have come in contact, while the hospitality of their pleasant home is greatly enjoyed by their many friends.   Source: The History of Huron County - Volume II - By: A J Baughman --- Published: 1909 --- Page 489 Contributed By: Bob Weaver
	WILLIAM R. BELL.  Among the residents of Ripley township, who are seeking their fortunes along the line of agricultural pursuits, is William R. Bell, one of Ohio's native sons, his birth occurring in Richland county on the 24th of January, 1841.  His parents were Nathaniel and Nancy A. (Reynolds) Bell, of whom the former was a minister of the Methodist church and a son of John and Hannah (Finch) Bell, who were also the parents of Robert, Jesse, John, Enoch, Davis, Joseph and Stephen.  The mother was a daughter of William Reynolds and a sister of Rachel, Sarah, Benjamin, William, John Shadrick and George.  In the family of Nathaniel Bell and his wife were:  Jesse, William, John, Harriet, Hannah and Jane.      William R. Bell was reared in Huron county and at the usual age was sent as a pupil to the district schools.  He early became familiar with the tasks that fall to the lost of the country lad, for the period of vacation were devoted to the work of the fields.  After laying aside his text-books, he remained under the parental roof for a number of years, continuing to give his father the benefit of his assistance in the operation of the home farm.  He had scarcely attained his majority when Civil war was declared and, responding to his country's call for troops, joined the Union army as a member of Company D, One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  With this command he went to the front and saw much active service, participating in several hotly contested battles, among which were the engagements at Perryville and Lancaster.  He received honorable discharge on the 13th of March, 1863.      After returning home, Mr. Bell took up the occupation of farming on his own account and has continued to direct his energies along that line to the present time.  He carries on general agricultural pursuits, owning a farm of ninety-three acres in Ripley township, and every thing about his place indicates that he is in touch with the modern spirit of progress which is manifest in agricultural lines.  His close application and good management have gained for him a creditable degree of success, and he ranks among the representative farmers of the community.      In was on the 11th of January, 1904, that Mr. Bell was united in marriage to Miss Cloe Jeney, a daughter of Abram and Sally (Griffin) Jeney and a sister of James, George, Warren, Charles, Cornelia and Mary Jeney.  They are members of the Methodist church, in the work of which they are deeply and helpfully interested, while fraternally, Mr. Bell is connected with the Masonic body.  He gives stalwart allegiance to the principles of the republican party which in his opinion are best adapted to conserve the public welfare.  For a time, he served as first lieutenant in the state militia, and is a loyal, public-spirited citizen, at all times upholding those things which are matters of civic virtue and civic pride. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 441
	AUGUST BORES was found in the rich, fertile soil of Huron county ample scope for his activities, and in the years that have come and gone has accumulated a valuable property, comprising one hundred and twenty-six acres of land in Sherman township, on which he resides, while he also owns another farm of one hundred and eighty-six acres in the same township.  His birth occurred in Pontiac, Huron County, Ohio, on the 1st of March, 1862, his parents being David and Anna Marie (Fauchinger) Bores.  His paternal grandparents, John and Catherine (Klepel) Bores, spent their entire lives in Germany.  The grandfather was a soldier in the German army and participated in the war with France, fighting against Napoleon.  Until him and his wife were born five children, namely: John; Louis; Elizabeth; David, and Minnie, who is now the wife of Philip Thoma, an agriculturist of Peru township, this county.  The two last named are the only members of the family who crossed the Atlantic and established their home in the United States.      David Bores, the father of August Bores, was born in Germany on the 22d of January, 1833, and made the voyage to this country in the year 1853, in company with his sister Minnie.  After landing in New York, he at once made his way to Ridgefield township, Huron county, Ohio, where for three years he worked by the month as a farm hand.  About 1856, he rented a tract of land and was successfully and energetically engaged in its operation for a period of six years.  By dint of close economy and careful expenditure, he at length accumulated capital sufficient with which to purchase a farm of his own and eventually became recognized as one of the substantial and enterprising agriculturists as well as representative citizens of the community.  He now owns a well improved farm of two hundred and forty acres in Sherman township, which annually returns to him a gratifying income.  His political allegiance is given to the democracy and he has served as road supervisor and also as trustee of Sherman township, holding the latter position for twelve years.  In the year 1855, he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Marie Fauchinger, a native of Germany, who came to the United States in company with her brother Joseph.  They became the parents of six children, as follows: Joseph, who is now deceased; Elizabeth, wife of C. Wilhelm; Henry; August, of this review; John; and Emma, who is the wife of William Ringlein.      August Bores, whose name introduces this record, obtained his education in the district schools and early in life became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist through the assistance which he rendered his father in the cultivation of the home farm.  He has always given his attention to the work of the fields and that his efforts in this direction have met with success is indicated by the fact that he is now the owner of two well improved and valuable farms in Sherman township, comprising one hundred and twenty-six and one hundred and eighty-six acres of land respectively.      On the 1st of June, 1886, Mr. Bores was joined in wedlock to Miss Helen Bauman a daughter of John and Barbara Bauman whose family numbered three children, as follows: Emma, the wife of Anthony Hammersmith; Mary, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Bores, a brother of our subject; and Helen, now Mrs. August Bores.  The mother of these children has passed away.  Mr. and Mrs. Bores now have five children Otto, who was born in 1887; Alpha whose birth occurred in 1889; Rosa, born in 1891; August, in 1893; and Arthur, in 1900.      Like his father, Mr. Bores is a stalwart advocate of the principles of the democratic party and has served as a member of the school board and also in the position of road supervisor.  Fraternally, he is identified with the Knights of Columbus at Monroeville, Ohio, in which organization his sons, Otto, and Alpha, also hold membership.  The different members of the family all belong to the Catholic church.  Throughout the county in which his entire life has been spent, Mr. Bores is well and favorably known, having won the kindly esteem and regard of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact.   Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 92
	CHARLES F. BROWN, the owner of a well improved and valuable farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Peru township, was born in that township on the 1st of January, 1867, his parents being Jacob and Mary (Adleman) Brown.  The paternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary Brown, both natives of Germany, were among the earliest settlers of Peru township, this county, and here spent the remainder of their lives.  At the time of their arrival this part of the state was practically covered with timber but they resolutely faced the hardships and privations of pioneer existence, built a little log cabin and cleared a tract of land for farming purposes.  They were people of the highest respectability and their labors constituted an important element in the work of early development and upbuilding.  Jacob Brown, the father of Charles F. Brown, spent his entire life in Peru township, where his birth occurred in the year 1837.  He was an agriculturist by occupation and in 1871 purchased the farm on which our subject now resides from James Easton.  He built a commodious residence, also barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock and in fact equipped the place with all the accessories of a model farm.  Subsequently he bought a tract of ninety-eight acres adjoining, on which his widow now resides, giving his time and energies to its cultivation and improvement until called to his final rest in 1904.  He was widely recognized as a most successful farmer and public-spirited citizen, and for a number of years did effective service for the cause of education as a member of the school board.  A Catholic in religious faith, he was a prominent member of that church and his upright and honorable life won him the respect and esteem of all with whom business or social relations brought him in contact.  His widow, likewise a native of Peru township, still survives at the age of sixty-four years.  They reared a family of nine children, as follows: Charles F., of this review; Alfred; Eva, who is the wife of John Grisner and resides at Norwalk, Ohio; Ida, also a resident of Norwalk, who is the wife of Peter McEnroe; Arthur, Otto and Theodore, all of whom live with their mother and operate the old homestead farm; Eleanor, the wife of Peter Lynch, of Norwalk, Ohio; and Laura, who makes her home at Milan, Ohio, and is the wife of William Heddle.      In his youthful days Charles F. Brown attended the district and Catholic schools of Peru township, thus equipping himself by good mental training for the practical and responsible duties of life.  Since putting aside his text-books he has been engaged in the work of general farming and in this line of activity has won a goodly measure of success as the result of his untiring labor and capable management.  His property comprises one hundred and fifty acres of rich and productive land, and on the place are found many substantial improvements that indicate the progress that has been made in agricultural lines.      On the 14th of February, 1900, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Anna Heddle, a daughter of Adam and Anna ( Harn) Heddle, of Huron county.  Like his father, Mr. Brown is a valued and consistent member of the Catholic church.  Having always made his home in Peru township, he is widely and favorably known throughout the community and well deserves mention in this volume as a worthy representative of a family that has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of this county from pioneer times down to the present.   Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 303
	CHESTER B. BROOKS, one of the extensive land-owners of Fairfield township, where he is successfully engaged in general farming, is one of Huron county's native sons, his birth occurring in Peru township on the 6th of January, 1856.  He is a son of Philo and Catherine (Noggle) Brooks, natives of Vermont and Ohio, respectively.  The father, who was born in Windsor in1811, came with his parents to Ohio in 1817, while the mother was born in Greenfield township, Huron county, in 1823.  In their family were the following children:  Helen, Homer, Virgil, Melvin and Chester.      The early life of Chester B. Brooks was passed under the parental roof, and he assisted his father in operating the home farm, early becoming familiar with the best methods of plowing, planting and harvesting.  He later took up farming on his own account, and that his early training was thorough and comprehensive is indicated in the fact that he has since become very successful in his undertaking.  As the years have passed his property holdings and have increased until today he owns four hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land in four separate farms, each of which is under a high state of cultivation.  He also engages to some extent in stock raising and his two branches of business are proving most gratifying sources of remuneration to him.      Mr. Brooks was married, on the 12th of October, 1876, to Miss Ida Jennings, a native of Fairfield, Connecticut, and a daughter of Gresham and Polly (Wheeler) Jennings.  She was born in 1858, and by her marriage has become the mother of two children: Anna M. Lee and Stanley Virgil.  The parents are members of the Congregational church, and their lives are at all times in harmony with the teachings thereof.  they are highly respected in the community in which they reside, while Mr. Brooks has gained many friends in Huron county, wherein his entire life has been passed, and the success which he has attained along business lines together with his honorable and upright manhood rank him among the prominent and representative citizens of Fairfield township. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 478
	CALVIN C. BROOKS, successful because of his unfaltering determination and indefatigable industry, now lives on a farm of eighty-eight acres in Peru township, from which property he derives his substantial annual income.  He is one of the native sons of the county, his birth having occurred in Greenfield township on the 20th of April, 1860.  His parents were William and Sophronia (Parsons) Brooks.  The father, who was born in Vermont in 1809, came to Ohio with his parents when a young man and settled about three iles north of Chicago Junction.  There he developed a good farm property, owning at one time about three hundred acres of land.  His wife was a native of the state of New York and she, too, came with her parents to Huron county, the family home being established in Greenfield township.  The death of William Brooks, occurred in 1869, when he was sixty years of age, and his widow, surviving him for about thirty-five years, died in the fall of 1904.  They were the parents of nine children:  Francis L., who is now living in Fayette county, Pennsylvania; Mortimer, a resident of Oklahoma; Darwin living at Steuben, Ohio; Mrs. Lucy France who is a widow now located at Oklahoma; Parsons deceased; Augustine, residing in Peru township; Calvin C.; Kate, the wife of Samuel Hall, whose home is in North Fairfield, Ohio; and one who died in infancy.      Calvin C. Brooks was reared in Greenfield township to the age of twenty-nine years and in his youthful days attended the district schools, his time being divided between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the home farm.  Since putting aside his text-books his entire time has been devoted to general farming.  He went to Wisconsin a number of years ago and took up one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he lived for five years, when he sold that property.  He also worked at Spokane Falls, Washington, and after a brief sojourn on the Pacific coast he returned to Ohio and purchased his present farm from George Barman.  He has since made a number of improvements on that property and is busily engaged in the work of general farming, transforming the place into rich and productive fields, from which he annually gathers good harvests.      Mr. Brooks married Miss Kathryn Sysel, a daughter of James and Kathryn (Extine) Sysel natives of Bohemia.  This marriage was celebrated Feb. 20, 1895, and unto them have been born seven children:  Blanch, William, Ralph, May, Gladys, Elsie and Grace.  Of this family all are yet living with the exception of Elsie and Blanch.  Mrs. Brooks was born in Bohemia and when fourteen years of age came to his country with some relatives, her parents always remaining in their native land.  Her father is still living there at the age of eighty years, but the mother died June 28, 1895.  They were the patents of seven children: James, who is now in Minnesota; Mary, a resident of Bohemia; Anna, who is also in Minnesota; Jacob, deceased; Kathryn now Mrs. Brooks; and George and Joseph, both of whom are in Bohemia.  By a former marriage Mr. Brooks had a daughter, Elizabeth Bell, who is now the wife of Fred Porter and lives in Waseon, Ohio.  They have two children, Sylvester and Daniel.  By her former marriage Mrs. Brooks had two daughters, Jennie and Agnes who are now living with our subject.      Mr. Brooks is interested in the cause of education and has served as school director for a number of years, doing all in his power to advance the cause of public instruction.  His political allegiance is given to the democracy, which finds in him a stalwart champion, but he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 296
	IRVING J. BROOKS, the editor and owner of The Greenwich Enterprise, was born Apr. 15, 1857, in Bronson township, Huron county, Ohio, and is the son of Franklin and Ann Eliza (Kennedy) Brooks, both of whom were natives of this county.  The mother's ancestors came from the north of Ireland, but the father traced his to England, and counted among them several men who had played an important part in the history of this country from the earliest days.  William Brooks, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a direct descendant of Lord Brooks of England, some of whose progeny came to America and held grants of land near the mouth of the Connecticut river, where the Say-Brooke fort of history, built to protect against the encroachments of the Dutch traders who claimed the territory, was situated.  William Brooks was graduated from Yale College with honors and entered upon the profession of teaching, which he followed for thirty-three years.  During the Revolutionary war he served as quartermaster and took part in the battles of Bunker Hill and Stillwater and was a member of that sturdy band who brought about Burgoyne's surrender.  After the establishment of the Union he was commissioned by the government to survey on the Western Reserve, and Huron county, Ohio, lay within his field of operation.  On completing his work here, he returned to Vermont to bring his family to the new country.  They arrived in 1817 and settled in Greenfield township, Huron county, after having made a trying journey of many days with an ox-team.  The entire land was at that time covered with forests, in the midst of which the family settled, and which they immediately began to clear for the purpose of making a home.  William Brooks was married, Jan. 5, 1775, to Miss Keziah Haskell, who bore to him seven children.      Lemuel Sprague Brooks, the grandfather of Irving J. Brooks, was born in Windsor county, Vermont, Oct. 29, 1806, and was ten years of age when his parents came to Ohio.  He was a man of exceptional muscular power and carried off the honors wherever athletic sports were in favor.  He married, at the age of twenty-seven, Miss Almira Adams, of North Fairfield, Ohio, who bore him two children, Franklin and Esther.  Five years after this union he passed away, in 1838.      Franklin Brooks was born in Greenfield Huron county, Ohio, Jan. 13, 1834.  He grew up to be a man of fine mind, a farmer, and one who wielded no inconsiderable influence in his community.  On the 1st of November, 1855, he was united in marriage to Miss Ann Eliza Kennedy, of Bronson, Huron county, by whom he had four children:  Irving J., Gardiner A., Frank A. and Anna E. Franklin Brooks died Dec. 11, 1897, but his wife still lives.      Irving J. Brooks was reared on the father’s farm, was educated in the country schools, going thence to the Lebanon National Normal School, and to the normal school at Ada.  For several years after completing his education he pursued the profession of teaching during the winter months and was both progressive and popular in this vocation. In the office of the Norwalk Chronicle he learned the printer’s trade, with which trade he ever since has been closely connected.  He left the Chronicle office to go to Cherokee, Iowa, as foreman of the Journal where he worked until 1885, when he went to Mankato, Minnesota, to fill the position of foreman on the Mankato Journal.  Three years later he came to Greenwich, Huron county, Ohio, where he assumed the editorship and proprietorship of the Greenwich Enterprise holding it to the present.  It is a weekly publication of influence in the homes and in affairs generally of the village and township.  It professes an independent republican attitude in matters of political concern, but is an organ that makes for the good and progress of the community that supports it, and during the twenty years that Mr. Brooks has guided is destinies, has won for its owner and publisher the good will of his constituents.  Not only does he own the paper and the printing plant and building, but he also conducts an up-to-date printing business.  Yet these things do not consume all his time, for he has been able to devote a good deal of it to the service of the public.  For a space of fifteen years he served as clerk of the township and of the township board of education for an equal period.  He has also been a member of the school board of the village and also clerk for a number of years.  In politics he is a republican and has been the Greenwich member of the Huron county republican central committee and has frequently been sent to county conventions and been otherwise active in the party.      On Apr. 15, 1886, Mr. Brooks was united in marriage, at Cherokee, Iowa, with Miss Lvdia R. Ruggles, who was born in Waverly, Van Buren county, Michigan, Aug. 21 , 1865, a daughter of Charles P. and Henrietta C. (Hobart) Ruggles.  Her father's people pride themselves on their blood, being an old family.  Her mother was of Puritan descent, tracing a direct line of ancestry to John Alden and his wife Priscilla. Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles never became residents of Ohio.  Mr. and Mrs. Brooks are members of the Episcopal church, but as there is no place of worship of this denomination in Greenwich they attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church, in whose work and interests they have taken large part, Mr. Brooks having been for a number of years a member of the board of trustees, at present filling the office of president of this body, and having been superintendent of the Sunday school for a number of years, and his wife taking equally efficient interest.      Mr. Brooks belongs to a large number of organizations, fraternal, social, and such as are connected with his profession as journalist and printer.  He was a charter member of the Forest Lodge, No. 145, Knights of Pythias, of Norwalk; is a member of Greenwich Lodge, No. 543, F. & A. M., in which he has filled many offices; also of the New London Chapter, No. 110, R. A. M.; and of the National Union.  He is on the roll of members of the Audubon Society of Cincinnati; of the International Typographical Union of Toledo; of the Buckeye Press Association; and of the Sons of Temperance, of Norwalk.  He was formerly a member of Company G, Sixteenth Ohio National Guard, from which he holds an honorable discharge from service.  In his private life, in his public activities, and as the editor of a paper that is a factor in the village, Mr. Brooks wields an influence that is refining, elevating and educational, one too that is widely felt in the community.  Mrs. Brooks is well known in the social gatherings of the village, and the home over which she presides is one of the most attractive and modern of those here. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 227
	WILLIAM D. BROOKS, a prosperous, up-to-date and enterprising agriculturist of Wakeman township, is the owner of one hundred thirteen and one-half acres of rich and productive farming land.  His father, Thomas Brooks, was born in Huttersfield, England, on the 23d of May, 1816, and came to the United States when about twenty-four years of age.  In his native land, he had become familiar with the trades of a machinist and weaver.  On landing in this country, he made his way to Cincinnati, Ohio, but after a short time removed to Akron, being employed in the woolen mills of that city for about two years.  During that period he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Bernell, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Bernell.   Her father, who was likewise an Englishman and was also employed in the Akron mills, subsequently returned to his native land and there passed away.  On leaving, Thomas Brooks removed to Black river, near Lake Erie in Lorain county, where he purchased a farm and during the two years of his residence there his son William was born.  He next took up his abode in Terryville, Erie county, Ohio, where he began the operation of a woolen mill for Speers & Ward.  He operated this mill successfully for probably fifty years, under all the changes of ownership, continuing its management until the factory was finally destroyed by high flood.  It was never rebuilt.  The industry was one of great importance during its time, wool being carded and spun at the mill for families living for miles around, as in that early day the housewives wove their own goods.  In connection with his other interests, Mr. Brooks also conducted a farm, purchasing land as opportunity offered.  He first became interested in Huron county lands at the time he bought some property on the Butler road, it being now a part of the Edward Denman farm.  He continued to reside at Terryville, however, until his sons were grown, when he established his home in Wakeman township on the farm where our subject now lives, the family moving into a log house which Mr. Brooks had previously erected.  This district was still a forest region and wild game abounded, so that the sons found ample opportunity to indulge their love of hunting.  The last deer known to have been killed in Wakeman township, was shot on the Brooks farm by DeWitt Ennis on the same day that the steam sawmill, more lately owned by French & Arnold, on the Butler road was put in operation.  Soon after coming to the United States Thomas Brooks took out his naturalization papers and, though taking no active part in politics, he always kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day.  He was a man of progressive ideas and positive convictions and his influence was always given on the side of right, truth, justice and progress.  Unto him and his wife were born two sons.  Charles, who died some years ago, held a responsible position with the Big Four Railroad Company for fourteen years.  He passed away in Cincinnati and lies buried beside his parents in Wakeman cemetery.  His son, William N. Brooks, is now a resident of Chicago. William D., the other son of Thomas Brooks, is now the only surviving member of his father’s family.      William D. Brooks obtained his education in the district schools of Terryville and Wakeman township.  His time and energies have been given to general agricultural pursuits with excellent success and he is now in possession of part of the family estate, comprising one hundred thirteen and one-half acres of valuable land.  The property is well improved and presents a most neat and thrifty appearance, indicating plainly the supervision of a practical and progressive owner.      In his political views, Mr. Brooks is a stanch republican and takes an active and helpful interest in all matters pertaining to the public welfare. He has capably served his fellow townsmen in the position of road supervisor and also as a school director. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Congregational church, to the support of which he contributes liberally of his time and means. Having now resided in this county for more than fifty years, he is largely familiar with its annals from a pioneer period down to the present time.  Not only has he seen this section of the state grow from a wild country, with only a few white inhabitants, to a rich agricultural country, containing thousands of good homes and acres of growing towns, inhabited by an industrious, prosperous, enlightened and progressive people, but he has participated in the slow, persistent work of development which was necessary to produce a change which is so complete that it has come to be popularly referred to as magical. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 457
	CHARLES F. BROWN, the owner of a well improved and valuable farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Peru township, was born in that township on the 1st of January, 1867, his parents being Jacob and Mary (Adleman) Brown.  The paternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary Brown, both natives of Germany, were among the earliest settlers of Peru township, this county, and here spent the remainder of their lives.  At the time of their arrival this part of the state was practically covered with timber but they resolutely faced the hardships and privations of pioneer existence, built a little log cabin and cleared a tract of land for farming purposes.  They were people of the highest respectability and their labors constituted an important element in the work of early development and upbuilding.  Jacob Brown, the father of Charles F. Brown, spent his entire life in Peru township, where his birth occurred in the year 1837.  He was an agriculturist by occupation and in 1871 purchased the farm on which our subject now resides from James Easton.  He built a commodious residence, also barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock and in fact equipped the place with all the accessories of a model farm.  Subsequently he bought a tract of ninety-eight acres adjoining, on which his widow now resides, giving his time and energies to its cultivation and improvement until called to his final rest in 1904.  He was widely recognized as a most successful farmer and public-spirited citizen, and for a number of years did effective service for the cause of education as a member of the school board.  A Catholic in religious faith, he was a prominent member of that church and his upright and honorable life won him the respect and esteem of all with whom business or social relations brought him in contact.  His widow, likewise a native of Peru township, still survives at the age of sixty-four years.  They reared a family of nine children, as follows: Charles F., of this review; Alfred; Eva, who is the wife of John Grisner and resides at Norwalk, Ohio; Ida, also a resident of Norwalk, how is the wife of Peter McEnroe; Arthur, Otto and Theodore, all of whom live with their mother and operate the old homestead farm; Eleanor, the wife of Peter Lynch, of Norwalk, Ohio; and Laura, who makes her home at Milan, Ohio, and is the wife of William Heddle.      In his youthful days Charles F. Brown attended the district and Catholic schools of Peru township, thus equipping the district and Catholic schools of Peru township, thus equipping himself by good mental training for the practical and responsible duties of life.  Since putting aside his text-books he has been engaged in the work of general farming and in his line of activity has won a goodly measure of success as the result of hsi untiring labor and capable arrangement.  His property comprises one hundred and fifty-acres of rich and productive land, and on the place are found many substantial improvements that indicate the progress that has been made in agricultural lines.      On the 14th of February, 1900, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Anna Heddle, a daughter of Adam and Anna (Harn) Heddle, of Huron county.  Like his father, Mr. Brown is a valued and consistent member of the Catholic church.  Having always made his home in Peru township, he is widely and favorably known throughout the community and well deserves mention in this volume as a worthy representative of a family that has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of this county from pioneer times down to the present. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. I - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 303
	FRED BROWN.  Among the native sons of Sherman township, Huron county, who are engaged in agricultural pursuits and are ranked among the progressive and representative farmers of the community, is Fred Brown, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres in this township.  He was born on the 10th of November, 1855, and is a son of Fred and Margaret (Pirrung) Brown, both natives of Germany.  They came to America about 1841 or 1842 and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where they remained for two years, after which they came to Sherman township, Huron county.  While in Germany, the father was a wagonmaker by occupation and followed that trade during his residence in Columbus, but after his arrival in Sherman township, he devoted himself to farming.  He purchased one hundred acres of land but later sold a part of it, owning at the time of his death eighty-eight acres.  He and his wife were both buried in Sherman township.  In their family were the following children:  Jacob; Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Westrick, of Norwalk; Peter, who lives in Michigan; Margaret, the wife of Sebastian Purcell, residing in Peru township; John, who lives in Michigan; Frank, also of that state; Fred, of this review; Anna, the deceased wife of Henry Schendorf; and Anthony, who resides on and operates the old homestead in Sherman township.  Of this family the three eldest were born in Germany.      Reared amid the scenes and environment of rural life, Fred Brown attended the district schools of his native township in the acquirement of an education.  At the age of sixteen, he put aside his textbooks and engaged in farming for his father until twenty-seven years of age, when he started out for himself, renting a farm for four years.  At the expiration of that period, he removed to Indiana, where he purchased a farm of ninety-five acre of Pulaski county and continued to make that his residence for thirteen years.  He then sold his farm in Indiana and returned to Sherman township in 1900, buying his present place from George Diehr.  He is now engaged in general farming and through his industry, well directed labors and careful management, is meeting with a creditable measure of success.      On the 4th of February, 1882, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Attilia Geiger, a daughter of Rudolph and Ernestina (Ott) Geiger, both natives of Germany.  They were farming people and both passed away in Sandusky, to which place they had removed just prior to their demise.  In their family were the following children:  Louisa, the deceased wife of John Smith; John; Adolph; Mrs. Fred Brown; Mary, the wife of John Weidinger; and Anna, who wedded Joseph Ringlein.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown became the parents of five children, as follows:  William A., born June 1, 1883; Albin P., born May 24, 1888; Frank M., born July 25, 190; Fred R., born Aug. 16, 1893; and Ernestina M., born Dec. 6, 1896.      The family are members of the Catholic church is Bismarck, Sherman township, and are held in high esteem throughout the community.  Mr. Brown given substantial support to the democratic party and is serving at present as township trustee.  He has also been constable, road supervisor and school director, and is a loyal citizen, supporting every measure calculated to benefit the community in its rapid and substantial development. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 188
	THOMAS J. BROWN, a prosperous farmer and stock man of Clarksfield township, was born Mar. 16, 1848, in Sherman township, Huron county, and is the son of William and Elizabeth (Greer) Brown, the former of whom was born in Geneva, Seneca county, New York, but came as a small child, with his parents to Ohio.  Thomas H. Brown, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was of Irish birth and came to this country at the age of seventeen.  He was the eldest of a family of twenty-three children, his father having been twice married, and having by his first wife six, and by his second seventeen children, all of whom lived to young manhood and young womanhood.  On coming to this country, the family settled first in Baltimore, Maryland, which they forsook after a few yeas for Seneca, New York.  Later John and Thomas H. Brown came to Ohio, locating in Ashland county, near Jeromesville, where the latter lived until he was nearly eighty years of age.  He engaged in farming and stock raising and feeding, and became a large landowner, many of his tracts being situated in other townships.  During the war of 1812, he served as soldier, and at one time made the journey from Cleveland to Old Portland, now Sandusky, in a row boat.  He died at McComb, from the results of an accidental injury, at the advanced age in all public affairs.       His son, William, the father of Thomas J. Brown, was born in Seneca county, New York, and came to Huron county, Ohio, prior to his marriage.  Here he engaged in general farming and stock raising and became an influential man in his community.  For a number of yeas, he was treasurer of Norwich township, his home at the time, and he also served as township trustee and a member of the school board for a long period.  He and his family belonged to the United Brethren church, the Union chapel congregation or class of which denomination Mr. and Mrs. Brown has helped to establish.  In fact when Mrs. Brown died, April 10, 1908, the last of the original charter members had passed away.  Mr. Brown had died eight yeas previously, at about the age of seventy-seven, six years younger than his wife when she responded to the call of death.  Both husband and wife are buried in Norwich cemetery.  In the affairs of Union chapel, Mr. Brown ever took an active part and was one of its trustees from the organization until his death.  He was an upright man, whose influence was strongly felt in the community  in which he lived.  He was a soldier in the Civil war, enlisting in Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He had a family of five sons:  Thomas J., James E., Franklin H., William L., and one who died in infancy.  Those living are all farmers and prominent in their respective localities.      Thomas J. Brown spent his boyhood and young manhood on his father's farm, receiving his education in the district schools of the county and in Milan Academy and the schools at Clyde and Geneva, Ohio.  His own schooling completed, he engaged in teaching during the winter months in the schools of Seneca and Huron counties.  During the summer, he worked on the farm.  At the age of twenty-three, he engaged in mercantile business at Havana, Norwich township, to which he devoted his time for about two and a half years, after which he returned to farming in Norwich township, which was his home until March 10, 1904, when he removed to Clarksfield township.  During these years, he has pursued a general line of agriculture and has also engaged in the breeding of short horn cattle.  In the latter work, he has attained quite a reputation beyond the township borders, for his animals are shipped to distant markets, where they are recognized as being of fine, pure breed, and many stockmen have bred cattle from his stock.  He also raises silver Wyandotte poultry, of a high order.  His farm, one hundred acres in extent, is under a fine state of cultivation and gives rich returns for the labor expended upon it.      On the 23d of October, 1873, Mr. Brown was married to Mrs. Jennie Knoles, the widow of Smith Knoles and the daughter of Dennis Downing, of Penn Han, New York, but who at the time of her marriage was living in Seneca county, Ohio.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had no children of their own but have taken three children of other families into their home, and have given them all the educational opportunities and advantages that they would give to their own offspring.      In politics, Mr. Brown has been rather independent.  For twenty years he voted the prohibition ticket, but of late years has voted for whatever men and measures appealed to his idea of right.  He has always shown a great interest in public matters, and never fails to exercise his right of franchise, but he has never sought an office at the disposition of the people.  He keeps well posted on all matters of general concern and is well able to defend his position, taken after he has convinced himself of its justness, against all opposition.  In religious matters, he gives his allegiance to the Congregational church, in which he holds the position of deacon.  In the Sunday school, he is a teacher and assistant superintendent, for he has ever shown a deep concern for  the progress of the work of the church and the school. Source: History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - Page 27

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