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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio
Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co.,
1880
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
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1880
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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Page 623
F. W. WALTON,
physician, Piqua ; was born Nov. 3, 1813, in Connecticut, and when but
a child was left motherless; thereafter, he was under the jurisdiction
of his uncle, in Madison Co., N. Y., where he acquired his primary
education; early in life, he had access to his uncle's medical
library, but his preceptor was the well-known Dr. S. H. Potter, of
Syracuse, N. Y., now in Hamilton, Ohio. In 1855, Dr. Walton
graduated from the Syracuse Medical College, of New York, and the same
year passed an examination, and holds a diploma from the Eclectic
Medical Institute of Cincinnati; two years later, he located in Piqua,
where he has been favorably known since ; he is among the older
physicians of the city. His nuptials with Clarinda Hall were
celebrated in Lenox, Madison Co., N. Y., Dec. 11, 1834; they trod the
path of life for nearly two score years, when she passed away ; the
issue of their union was two sons, Samuel W. and Frederick L.,
who both became druggists, which they followed during life; in 1874,
the Doctor married for his second wife Ada Peterson, born in
Staunton Township, Miami Co., Ohio; she is a daughter of Ralph
Peterson, in honor of whom the station (Peterson) on the D. & M. R. R.
took its name.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 623
A. WENDEL,
jeweler, Piqua. Among the business men of Piqua who deserve mention,
is Mr. Wendel; he is a native of Rhenish-Prussia, born
in 1821 ; came to the United States in 1850; spent a little more than
a year in Dayton, whence he came to Piqua and commenced business as a
traveling jeweler; in 1856, he established himself in business here ;
has conducted it ever since, and built up a reputation and business
which have placed him among the leading business men of Piqua ; he has
been a property-holder here since 1853, and is now one of the
substantial citizens ; his residence is located on Sycamore street. He
married, in 1851, Miss Fanny Friedlich, sister of A.
Friedlich. whose biography appears in this work ; they have had
seven children, six of whom are living—Jacob (who is now assisting in
the store). Samuel, Helen (now Mrs. A. Simon, of Greenville),
Bertha (now Mrs. Sol. Rosenfeld, of Portland, Oregon),
Rosa and Sadie. Mr. Wendel has always taken an
active interest in the public welfare, and his children are all
graduates of the high school; Bertha was elected teacher after
her graduation, and taught about three years with great acceptance.
Mr. Wendel was one of the constitutional members of the Ansheemeth
congregation, and has acted as Rabbi since its organization.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 623
I. J. WHITLOCK,
Piqua. Mr. Whitlock is a native of Ohio, born in Butler Co. in
1828; his youth was spent on a farm until 18 years of age; he then
commenced working at the carpenter's trade, which he has followed ever
since; he came to Piqua in 1853, and was employed at carpentering
exclusively until 1860, when he purchased of Willis Buckles the
sash, door and blind factory at the corner of Broadway and Boone
streets, which he rebuilt and enlarged in 1869, and is now. in
addition to his regular factory work, engaged in contracting and
building, and also deals in builders' material; Mr. Whitlock is
both an architect and draughtsman, executes his own plans, and.
understanding the details of his work, is enabled to secure a high
degree of efficiency, being, indeed, the leading contractor and
builder of the city. He married, in 1853, Miss Mary McGuire, also of
Butler Co.: she having died in 1854; in 1856 he married Miss
Margaret, daughter of Zachariah Flomerfelt. of Shelby Co..
formerly a resident of the vicinity of Piqua. Mr. Whitlock's residence
is at the corner of Boone street and Broadway, opposite his factory.
He has a family of four children—Wilbur F., Mary E., John E.
and Harry E.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 623
STEPHEN WIDNEY,
retired farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Piqua; born in Franklin Co.,
Penn., April 9, 1806; is the son of John and Mary (Johnston) Widney,
who, in 1810, sold their farm and a mill property and removed to Ohio,
then known as the "backwoods" they settled in Miami Co., three miles
northwest of where the city of Piqua now stands, but which then
consisted of two log cabins; he bought a quarter-section of land, with
3 acres cleared and a log cabin on it, and entered three
quarter-sections adjoining, one for each of his three sons; his uncle,
John Johnston, then Government Agent for five or six of the Indian
tribes, brought his family at the same time and settled within one
mile of them; at that time, there were no settlers outside of their
location, and, with the exception of three or four families, from two
to four miles on the south of them, the Indians, for the first year,
were their only neighbors, but they were not troublesome, with the
exception of stealing two of their horses, one of which they never
recovered, and, occasionally, their fat hogs, when running in the
woods, although that was often done by others, on the Indians' credit:
the first year, they raised potatoes sufficient for their own use; the
next year, nearly all their own provisions; and the third year, they
had grain to sell to new settlers. They had nine children— three sons
and six daughters; their first cabin was about 20x24 feet, and,
besides their own family occupying the beds, they often had eight or
ten Indians to sleep on their blankets on the floor. During the war of
1812 to 1815, some of the settlers went into "block-houses;" the
country was patrolled by rangers, and, although the Government kept
and fed from 2,000 to 3,000 Indians, in the immediate neighborhood, to
keep them from joining the English in Canada (which many of them did),
yet no serious depredations were committed in this vicinity, though
some were in other parts of the county. In 1815, the first schoolhouse
was built, a round log cabin about twenty-four feet square; the first
teacher was a young Kentuckian, returning from the war, who fought his
last battle with Harrison where Tecumseh was killed; he taught one
quarter, and wore out about one black-haw switch every day, often
taking a whole bench-row at a time, in order, as he said, to make them
mind their books; in 1818, a number of the settlers joined together
and built a brick schoolhouse, twenty-five feet square, with a good
fireplace in each end, a jointed floor, benches and desks of slabs; a
teacher was employed at $500 per year, paid by subscription, and
taught most of the time for about seven years; and here Mr. Widney,
the subject of our sketch, with a number of other boys, graduated as
"Bachelors of General Knowledge," which consisted in being pretty well
grounded in the three R's—honest reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic—and a
smattering of English grammar; this house was for years used as a
church, on Sabbath Days, and here, on alternate Sabbaths, the
Methodist circuit riders dispensed the Gospel with no uncertain sound
; most of them were "sons of thunder," and Mr. Widney, when a
boy, has heard old Abbot Goddard, on a still evening, from the
schoolhouse to his father's, a distance of three-fourths of a mile
through the woods ; not many went to sleep under the Gospel ministry
in those days. In 1818. Mr. Widney's father was elected, by the
Legislature, one of the Associate Judges for the Court of Common
Pleas, for the county, and served in that capacity for seven years;
the Court was held in a log building which would not now be thought
good enough for a stable; and many persons attending Court, for want
of other accommodations, had to stop at a private house; yet the
scales of justice were held with as even a balance as now, and not
half the "red tape" to untie to come at a decision. After the peace
with England in 1815, the count}' began to settle up rapidly, and,
soon, to wear the aspect of civilization; everything was low-priced
but dry goods and groceries; wheat, 25 cents per bushel; corn, 10
cents; oats, 6 cents; but the people raised flax, dressed and
manufactured it themselves, carded, spun and wove their own wool, made
it up at home, and were generally prosperous and happy. In 1827, Mr.
Widney cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams, and
since voted with the Whig, and latterly with the Republican party,
when he thought such vote would best subserve the public interest, but
has always been an independent voter; in 1836, Mr. Widney's
father, after a life of honest enterprise, came to the close of his
71st year; then death came, in a quiet hour, and found him at peace
with his God and surrounded by friends; his mother lived on for nine
years, and then her vigorous frame and active spirit felt the
weariness of age, and she, too, laid herself down to rest by the side
of him with whom, for nearly fifty years, she had traveled life's
dusty road; they sleep in Upper Piqua Cemetery, with many of their old
pioneer associates, who, with them, helped to redeem the Upper Miami
Valley from a savage wilderness, and make it the luxurious home of
future generations ; may their sleep be sweet, and honored alike be
the humble mound or statelier stone that marks their graves.
"When spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mold,
She there shall dress a sweeter sod
Than fancy's feet have ever trod."
On Feb. 12, 1839, Mr. Widney was married to Eleanor Hunter,
daughter of Joseph and Jane (Eaton) Hunter, who came from Franklin
Co., Penn., in 1812, and settled within one mile of his father's; by
her he had one son—John W., now living on a farm two miles
north of Piqua; Aug. 12, 1842, his first wife died; Jan. 1, 1845, he
married Eliza J. Williams, daughter of Samuel and
Eliza (Armstrong) Williams, of Mt. Auburn,
Cincinnati; by her he had four children, three now living—Samuel
W., Eliza J. and Mary J.
Mr. Widney has always been engaged in agriculture, principally in
stock farming, grazing of cattle and feeding hogs, and has succeeded
in most of his enterprises; in 1865, having acquired what he
considered a competence, he sold most of his landed property and
bought a suburban residence adjoining Piqua, with seven acres of
ground attached; here, with a farm one mile from town which he
retained to himself, and which he superintends, he finds ample
exercise for his age and capabilities; having been always accustomed
to an active out-door life, he feels that, while health and strength
permit, he can enjoy no other; with one of the largest private
libraries in the county, he finds that rainy days are not necessarily
gloomy, and that, while youth has its hilarious mirth, age may have
its calm enjoyments.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp.
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Page 625
THOMAS J. WILEY,
tanner and currier, Piqua. He was born in Piqua, 1835, and is the son
of Thomas and Hannah Wiley, who were early residents of Piqua;
Thomas J., has always resided here; he began working at the
tanner's trade when a young man, and has since followed the business;
in 1868, his step-father, Joshua Worley, who established the
tannery in the south part of the town, being deceased, Mr. Wiley
took it in charge and has been the principal manager since; the firm,
T. J. Wiley & Co., are now carrying on the tannery and are also
dealers in leather and shoe findings of all kinds; their store, over
which Mr. Wiley presides, is located on High street, fronting
Market space : Mr. Wiley is one of the present old residents ; he is a
leading member of the Green street Methodist Episcopal Church, and a
useful, respected citizen. He married, in 1864, Miss Tillie,
daughter of Josiah Finfrock, who was also an early resident of
Piqua,
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 625
ISAAC H. WILT,
grocer, Piqua. He is the son of Isaac, Sr,. and Elizabeth Wilt,
who were both natives of Pennsylvania, where she died in 1868 ; Isaac
now survives in his native State. Their children were nine in number,
Isaac H., being the second youngest; he was born in Adams Co.,
Penn., in 1846, and was raised to the life of a farmer's son ; his
education was obtained in the common schools of his native State; at
the age of 20 he engaged in a grist-mill, which he followed three
years in Pennsylvania ; at this time he came West, engaging in a mill
at Dayton, Ohio, where he was under the employ of a good milling firm
a period of seven years; owing to his ill health, which had been
brought on by exposure in the mill, he was necessitated to flee from
its duties : this being in 1877; he came to Piqua and opened out his
present business on south Main street, he carries a full line of
groceries and notions, and has built up a healthy trade. In 1872, his
marriage was celebrated with Flora A. Melhorn, who was born in
Adams Co., Penn., in 1844; two daughters are the fruits of their
union, Maggie M., and Imogene E.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 625
CHARLES T. WILTHEISS,
tobacconist, Piqua. Mr. Wiltheiss, a native of Germany, born in
1844, came to the United States in 1855, and to Piqua in the following
year; he has been engaged in the manufacture of cigars from a boy, and
commenced business for himself in 1861; he is now senior member of the
firm of Wiltheiss & Chryst, manufacturers of cigars and dealers
in tobacco ; in addition to their city retail trade, they do a jobbing
business, keeping a team on the road constantly; Mr. Waltheiss
takes a great interest in archaeology, and his collection of
antiquarian specimens is extensive, and includes some very ancient and
rare samples ; his contributions to the archaeological department of
the Smithsonian Institution are valuable. He married, in 1866, Miss
Rosa, daughter of Daniel Schnell; they have four children.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 626
K. L. WOOD,
dealer in and breeder of French and Clyde horses, Piqua. K. L. Wood
takes special pride in breeding and raising fine horses, which are
second to none in the county ; a portion of his stock was exhibited at
the World's Fair in England (being their native country), where they
were awarded the highest honors. He was born in Union Co., Ohio, in
1824, and raised on the farm, where his education was advanced to a
limited degree ; he being brought up on the farm, gave him access to
the handling of stock from childhood, in which his utmost delight
was-placed ; he remained in his native county until coming to Piqua in
1870, during which time he bred and raised stock; his investment in
horses is perhaps more than any other in Miami Co. ; he is now located
in Third Ward of Piqua, one of the finest locations to be found ; it
affords a grand view of the town, and is but little disturbed by the
unpleasantness of dust and noise. Mr. Wood is Guardian of the
H. E. Loomis Paper Manufacturing Co., one of the leading
enterprises of that place. In October, 1848, he married Hannah Coe,
a native of Union Co., Ohio; three years later she passed away; two
children were born to them, now both deceased. He married, for his
second wife, Mary M. Smith, of Union Co., also; their
companionship continued for a period of fourteen years, when death
seized her and she was consigned to the silent tomb, April 16. 1872 ;
by this union five children were born to them, of whom two are now
living—Lewis H.. and Rosa. Oct. 10, 1876, he married Lizzie Spencer;
one child, Mattie, was born to them, now deceased. Mrs. Wood
is a native of Belfast, Ireland, but has been a resident of Miami
Co., since 1863.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
Page 626
MRS. MARY J. WRIGHT
is a member of the McCorkle family, whose settlement in Miami
Co. dates back to Indian days. Her grandfather, Joseph McCorkle,
came from Tennessee at a very early day John, the father of
Mary, being at that time a boy of 15 years. John married a
Miss Margaret Walker, formerly of Baltimore, Md.; they had
seven children, of whom Mrs. Wright was the eldest. Mr. John
McCorkle died about 1830, his wife surviving him many years, dying
about 1860. Mrs. Wright was first married to Rev. David
McDonald, and they had five children—Bessie, Sarah
(deceased), John, Margaret and Robert. Mr.
Wright, her second husband, was from Urbana, and belonged to an
old family of Champaign Co.; he too, is now dead, and Mrs. Wright
makes her home in Piqua.
Source:
The History of Miami County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1880
- Washington Twp. |
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