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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of
Genealogy Express
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Welcome to
PUTNAM COUNTY,
OHIO
History & Genealogy
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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen & Putnam
Counties, Ohio
Containing Biographical Sketches of Many
Prominent and Representative Citizens,
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the
Presidents of the United States
and Biographies of the
Governors of Ohio
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Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co.
1896
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GO to 1896 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX PAGE >
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of TABLES of CONTENTS and BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES >
St. Mary's Immaculate Conception Church
Ottoville, Ohio |
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B. F. SEITZ,
a native of Union township, Putnam county, but
now a prosperous farmer of Sugar Creek township,
was born Sept. 16, 1853, a son of David and
Lydia (Hufford) Seitz, natives respectively,
of Fairfield and Perry counties, Ohio. Daniel
Seitz, the father of David, was a
native of Virginia of German descent, was
pioneer of Ohio and died in Fairfield county,
where David was reared and was married.
In 1847 David came to Putnam county,
bought a tract of land in Union township where
he still lives, and which now comprises 190
acres under a good state of cultivation; he has
filled the office of land appraiser and also of
township trustee and several minor offices, and
is quite prominent before the public as a member
of the Primitive Baptist church. He has
given a great deal of attention to short-horn
cattle and has raised some graded Percheron
horses that have netted him high prices.
He has had born to him ten children, of whom
four died young, the six who grew to maturity
being named as follows: Elizabeth,
married to T. J. Clevenger, a farmer;
Nancy, who was married to S. D. Clevenger,
but who, with her child, is now deceased; D.
W., ex-county surveyor; B. F. the
subject of this notice; Lavina, married
to R. T. Evans, a farmer, and Diana,
who married S. Z. Hiestand, became the
mother of three children, and is now deceased.
B. F. Seitz was reared upon the home farm until
after reaching his majority. In 1877 he
married Miss Sarah J. Funk, who was born
in Sugar Creek township Feb. 11, 1855. For
a year he lived on rented land, then built on a
tract of eighty acres in the woods that his wife
inherited; he next purchased an adjoining tract
of eighty acres, making 160 acres in all, which
he has ditched, tiled, brought under a fine
state of cultivation and improved with a
commodious two-story frame dwelling, two large
barns, two out-houses for all purposes,
orchards, etc. He raises graded stock in
considerable quantities, and also carries on the
usual general farming. He takes a lively
interest in public affairs, and has served two
years as president of the agricultural society;
while he is a democrat in politics, he has no
aspiration for public office, but lends a
willing band toward assisting to fill public
positions with good men. In religion he
is, with his wife and two children, a member of
the Christian church.
Henry Funk, father of Mrs. Seitz, was a
native of Fairfield county, Ohio, and an early
settler of Union township, Putnam county; he
married Elizabeth Clevenger, a member of
the Clevenger family so well and
favorably known throughout Sugar Creek township.
Mr. Funk died in October, 1860, was a
member of the Primitive Baptist church, and his
wife expired in August, of the same year,
leaving eight young children, of whom four grew
to maturity, viz.: Benjamin F., of
Allen county, Ohio; Mary E., wife of
John Manuel, also of Allen county; Sarah
J., wife of Mr. Seitz, and George
W., a farmer. The union of Mr. and
Mrs. Seitz has been blessed with six
children, as follows: John D., born
June 9, 1878; Maud, born Sept. 14, 1879;
Peter, born Oct. 3, 1882; Benjamin,
born Mar. 30, 1884; David, born Oct. 26,
1885, and Bessie, born July 28, 1894, and
died Sept. 19, 1895. Mr. Seitz
stands very high in the esteem of his
fellow-citizens, who respect him for his honest,
straightforward conduct in life and for his
willingness to assist on all occasions where his
services may be required, either for the public
weal or for private good.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 501 |
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DANIEL W. SEITZ
was born Sept. 16, 1850, in Putnam
county, Ohio His great-great-grandfather,
a native of Baden, Germany, after serving his
country in the army and being honorably
discharged, emigrated to America, about the year
1764, and settled on a farm in York county, Pa.,
where he reared a family of six daughters and
three sons, the latter being named Lewis,
John and Andrew. Of these,
Andrew located in Virginia, but, not liking
the institution of slavery, moved to Ohio in
1801, where he reared a large family. The
second son, Daniel, grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, was born in 1791, in
Virginia, and was a soldier in the war of 1812.
He was married to Elizabeth Heit June 1,
1813, and settled on a farm in Fairfield county,
Ohio, where he reared a large family, of which
David, father of our subject, was born
Dec. 12, 1819, and was married to Lydia
Hufford, born June 17, 1823. She is a
daughter of Daniel and Nancy Hufford, of
Perry county, Ohio.
Having received a common-school education, our subject
began teaching school in 1871, and followed this
vocations at farming, or attending school.
He attended school at Lebanon, Ohio, several
terms, graduating in the commercial department
of that school, as well as completing some of
the higher branches of mathematics. From
1879 to 1882, in connection with Prof. J. L.
Geyer, he conducted a normal school at
Kalida, Ohio, and during this time, in addition
to teaching, carried himself through a course of
surveying and civil engineering.
Familiarizing himself with the practical part of
that profession during the four succeeding
years, in 1886 he was elected county surveyor,
which office, having been reelected in 1889, he
held until Jan. 1, 1893.
In 1885 Mr. Seitz became a member of the Ohio
Society of Surveyors and Civil Engineers a
society organized by civil engineers of high
standing and professional ability, for the
interchange of new ideas and the advancement of
the profession, of which society he is still a
member. He has been city engineer of
Leipsic, Ohio, since 1891, and in 1894
constructed for that town the first brick street
improvement in the county.
On Oct. 17, 1882, Mr. Seitz was married to
Miss Josephine R. Carey, who was born Oct.
17, 1860. She is a daughter of Simeon
and Catharine J. (Wetherell) Carey. To
them have been born Raymond Carey, Nov.
30, 1883; Bessie Irene, Dec. 19, 1885;
Lydia Lenore, May 22, 1890; Cloyd
Hufford, Feb. 5, 1893. In 1895 and
1896 Mr. Seitz published an atlas of
Putnam county, which has proved to be of great
value to its patrons. (See sketch of
D. Seitz, page
496.)
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 577 |
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DAVID
SEITZ, a member of a large and prominent
family, of which there are now about 500 members
living in many states of the Union. Was born in
Fairfield county, Ohio, Dec. 12, 1819.
JOHN SEITZ,
great-grandfather of subject, was born in Germany,
served his country in the army, and when honorably
discharged immigrated to America an located in
Virginia, where he farmed until his death. His
son Lewis, the grandfather of the subject of
this sketch, was born in Baden, Germany, before his
father came to America. He received his
education in Virginia, in the German language, spent
his childhood days on a farm, and in early life
joined the Baptist church of which he became a
Predestinarian minister. He married Anna
Beery, and two years before Ohio was admitted as
a state (1801), he moved to Fairfield county, took
up some government land and improved it; here he
followed farming and preaching until his death.
He had seventeen children, three of whom died in
infancy; all the ret lived to rear families, and
were named as follows: John, born 1790;
Daniel, 1791; Catherine,
1793; Mrs. Eliza Hite, 1794; Mrs. Mary
Spitler, 1895; Abraham, 1796; Jacob,
1797; Noah, 1798; Mrs. Lydia Bretz,
1800, who were all born in Virginia; after he moved
to Fairfield county the following children were
born: Mrs. Susanna STALEY,
1801; Lewis, 1802, who when grown to manhood
entered the ministry; Mrs. Annie
Huddle, 1805; Mrs. Rebecca
Friesner, 1807, and Peter, 1810, who was
also a preacher. In politics Lewis Seitz
was a democrat.
DANIEL SEITZ, second
son of John
and father of the subject of this sketch, lived on
his father’s farm, working faithfully until June 1,
1813, when he married Elizabeth, the daughter
of Andrew and Rebecca Hight, and located on a
farm near the old home, here they welcomed to life
eleven children: Mrs. Rebecca Friesner,
deceased; Mrs. Anna Emmens, of Pleasant
township; Mrs. Elizabeth Hendricks, deceased;
Andrew¸ who died in infancy; David¸
the subject of this sketch; Samuel, who lives
in Union township; Daniel, who died in
childhood; Lewis, John and Isaac, all
of whom are now deceased; Catherine¸ wife of
P. Hufford. On May 14, 1831, his good
wife took her departure for the long journey, whence
no one returns, and he was left alone to care for
this large family; but Apr. 15, 1832, he married
Catherine Beery, and his marriage was blessed
with eight children: Mrs. Saphronia Blosser; Mrs.
Mary Huddle, deceased; Diana, wife of
Dr. Morris, of Columbus Grove; Mrs. Sarah Ann
Shoemaker, deceased; George, now living
in Shelby, Ill.; Noah, who died while serving
his country in the late war; Prof. Enoch, one
of the greatest mathematicians of this county, and
who died in Kirksville, Mo., in November, 1883, and
was buried at Greenville, Ohio, leaving a wife and
four boys, the widow now holding the position of
superintendent of the Kirksville public schools,
which place she fills with credit to herself and
satisfaction to the parents of the children who
attend; Levi, the youngest child born to the
second marriage of Daniel, died in childhood.
The father, Daniel, Served his country
faithfully for one year in the war of 1812. In
politics he was a democrat, and was trusted with
numerous offices, bobbling, of these, that of
township treasurer two terms, and that of township
trustee a number of years. He was also in
active and consistent member of the Baptist church,
in which he held office until his death, Oct. 14,
1864. His second wife is still living at the
advanced age of eighty-seven years.
David Seitz, the
subject of this sketch, passed his boyhood on the
farm in Fairfield county, Ohio, where he received
his education in the common schools, and at the age
of twenty-two years learned the carpenter’s trade.
On Oct. 3, 1844, he was married to Lydia Hufford,
who was born June 17, 1823, in Perry county, Ohio,
her parents,
Daniel and Nancy (Nelly) Hufford, being Dunkards,
and natives of Pennsylvania, who had early moved to
Perry county, and were among its early settlers.
Mr. and Mrs. David Seitz had ten children, viz:
Elizabeth, wife of T. J. Clevenger; Nancy,
wife of Stephen Clevenger, deceased;
Daniel W., a civil engineer; Benjamin,
now living in Sugar Creek township; Levina,
the wife of Richard Evans; Diana, wife of
Samuel Heistan, deceased; Lydia, who died
an infant; David and Samuel (twins),
of whom David died in infancy; also an
infant, deceased.
After his marriage David
remained three years in Fairfield county, Ohio, and
on Oct. 7, 1847, removed to Putnam county, where his
father had purchased and given him 160 acres of
uncleared land. He set resolutely to work and
soon had built for himself a house of logs and had
cleared a small patch around it, which in latter
days he enlarged. He at once returned to
Fairfield county, and as it was before the days of
steam and electricity and rapid transit, walking
being the only means of locomotion for the hardy
pioneers, and roads even were not then cut through,
he walked the entire distance – one day walking
fifty miles and carrying a pack weighing seventeen
and one-half pounds. On this farm, which he
has cleared out of the woods and redeemed from its
wild state, he still lives, honored and respected by
all. In politics he believes in the democracy, and
in 1870 he was elected land appraiser, which office
he held for ten years. He has been intrusted with
numerous other offices, serving as justice of the
peace three years, and township trustee for a number
of years. He has been a member of the Baptist
church since December, 1875, and has served in the
capacity of clerk and deacon. He can gather
around him, in the pride of his old age, twenty-one
grandchildren and one great-grandchild. In August,
[888, at Bloomfield, Ohio, he attended a reunion of
the
Seitz
family, nearly 500 of its members being
present and some coining from California. He has
always been known as a progressive, industrious man,
and while looking with care to his own affairs he
has had time to look after the interest of the
neighborhood, as is attested by the numerous offices
lie has faithfully held.
John Seitz,
brother of David
Seitz and son of Daniel and Elizabeth
Seitz, was born Apr. 19, 1827, in Fairfield
county, Ohio. He was given a common-school
education while living on his father’s farm. When
grown to manhood he came to Putnam county and bought
the home where his widow now resides. On Feb. 3,
1853, he married Sarah, the daughter of
Samuel Clevenger (see his sketch); this
lady was born in Putnam county, Apr. 8, 1835, and
here received her education. After their marriage
the young couple moved to the uncleared farm which
the husband had recently purchased, and by united
labors they soon had a place cleared and a log cabin
built, into which they moved March 14, of the same
year. This union was blessed with three
children:
Susanna, wife of Jacob Best, a
farmer and stock buyer of Union township; Albert,
a fanner, married and living on the old homestead,
the comfort and pride of his widowed mother;
Samuel Lee, who died at the age of eight
years. John Seitz was prominent
member of the Baptist church, and a democrat in
politics, and his neighbors trusted him with the
office of township trustee. He was known as a
useful citizen and a conscentious man, and
none had aught against him. Death called him away
Mar. 17, 1885, his good wife, and one daughter and
one son being left to mourn his loss.
Source:
Portrait and Biographical History of Allen and
Putnam Counties, Ohio, Publ. 1896 - Page 496 |
SAMUEL SEITZ |
SAMUEL SEITZ,
of Union township, Putnam county, Ohio,
prominent both as an elder and as a preacher in
the primitive Baptist Church, is the son of
DANIEL and Elizabeth (Hight)
SEITZ, and was born in
Fairfield county, this state, Dec. 14, 1821.
During his boyhood days he worked on his
father's farm and attended school, and when old
enough he learned the carpenter's trade with
Joseph Hendricks who is now his
brother-in-law. Oct. 4, 1847, he came to
Putnam county, where he had some uncleared land;
on this he began to clear a farm, and continued
to work at his trade. Here he built
himself a house, and on Nov. 14, 1850, he
married Mary, the daughter of Samuel
and Elizabeth (Gander) Clevenger (see sketch
of Samuel Clevenger); this lady was born
in Putnam county Dec. 6, 1830, and received a
common-school education. At the age of ten
eyars she went to live with her aunt, Mrs.
Nancy Clevenger, with whom she lived at the
time of her marriage. The young couple,
with bright hopes before them, moved to the
newly cleared farm, where they have since lived
and prospered. One day, a few months after
moving into her new home, while at work in front
of the cabin, Mrs. Seitz saw a deer
coming toward the house; she ran in and hastily
closed the door to keep it out. At another
time she and her aunt succeeded in killing a
fawn which the dogs had crippled. This
happy union was blessed with six children, four
of whom are still living: Chloe,
the wife of James W. Loy, who sells
engines and farming implements at Columbus
Grove; Belle, the wife of Willis H.
Grey, a prosperous farmer of Union township;
J. Edson, a farmer living on the old
homestead, and Nancy, still at home.
In 1858 the subject of this sketch united with the
Primitive Baptist church, and in 1871 he began
preaching. In 1872 he was set apart, and
ordained a minister and was given charge of
three churches, two of which, of the Sandusky
association, he still ministers to. He has
been preaching there faithfully for twenty-three
years. He is an earnest and enthusiastic
worker and his labors for the Master have been
rewarded. In private life he is respected
by all. In politics he has cast his lot with the
democrats and has been honored by them by being
elected to numerous offices. In 1853 he
was elected assessor and held that office two
terms. In 1858 he was elected township
trustee, and held that office for three terms,
and during the 'sixties he was elected justice
of the peace, which office he held for six
years. He has been school director, and
has been intrusted with numerous other minor
offices. In 1861 he built his present home and
surrounded himself with many of the luxuries and
conveniences of this progressive age, where he
enjoys the fruits of a well-spent life and can
look back with pleasure on his early days in the
wild forest which stood where his farm now
stands, and many are the stirring incidents of
this early life.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 496 |
ADAM SMITH |
ADAM SMITH,
a prominent and enterprising farmer of Pleasant
township, Putnam county, Ohio, is a native of
Franklin county and was born July 25, 1840.
At the age of eight years he lost his father,
but continued to live on the farm with his
widowed mother until he was nineteen years old,
when he hired out as a farm hand, continuing as
such for about six years in all. About
this time, in 1862, he volunteered in company B,
One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio infantry, for
three years, but on examination, three months
later, failed to pass muster and was discharged.
He then again found employment by the month at
good wages for two years, but during this
interval, in 1863, was married and made his home
on lbs portion of the home farm, adding to his
original share until he became the owner of 110
acres; in 1872 he sold this property and came to
Putnam county and bought 160 acres of the tract
on which he still lives, to which he has since
added 161 acres. The land was all wild at
the time of the original purchase, improved with
a small box house only; to-day it is all cleared
excepting three acres, is ditched and tiled, is
under cultivation, and improved with a tasty
two-story frame dwelling, substantial barn,
commodious cattle sheds and other outbuildings,
all supplied with water through the agency of a
wind-mill—making the place one of the most
desirable pieces of property in the county.
All this has been acquired through the practical
financiering and industrious habits of the
owner, his only capital at the start having been
his interest of thirty-two acres in the old
homestead.
Mr. Smith has always been a democrat in
politics, has filled some of the minor township
offices, but has never sought political
recognition. He has always taken great
interest in educational matters and at great
expense to himself secured the erection of the
school-house on the land adjoining his farm. He
is recognized as one of the most enterprising
and wideawake men of the township and stands at
the head of its financially sound citizens.
He is public spirited in the extreme, and always
leads the lists of contributions to charitable
objects and heads all movements for the public
good. His contributions to church and are
always liberal, and public enterprises of merit
invariably find in him a ready supporter—his
stock even in the P., A. & W. R. R. now
amounting to $500, and he has also subscribed
$50 to the Lima Northern, now in course of
construction.
Mr. Smith was first married to Miss
Mary Dillaine, daughter of Joseph
Dillaine, of Ohio, and to this union were
born two children — Anna, wife of
Joseph Sherrick and mother of two
children, and Cora, wife of Henry
Wildermuth, of Franklin county. The
mother of these children died May 23, 1867, a
member of the Primitive Baptist church.
The second marriage of Mr. Smith
took place, in 1868, with Miss Susan
McKelva, daughter of James McKelva,
a tailor of Canal Winchester, Ohio, where he
died Nov. 7, 1892, the father of six children,
viz: Susan, Emma and Matilda,
by a first marriage, and James, Oliver
and George by a second marriage. To
the second marriage of Mr. Smith
have been born ten children, in the following
order—William, yet at home; Edward,
married and settled down to farming; James,
Lena M., George and Estella,
also at home; Oliver E., died young;
Mary, Zoe and Adam, all three
at home.
WILLIAM SMITH, the father of our subject,
Adam Smith, was a native of Virginia,
was a tanner by trade, and came to Ohio when
Chillicothe was the capital of the state.
He secured a contract for building a portion of
the Ohio & Erie canal, and after finishing his
contract settled down to farming. He was
first married, in Ohio, to Christina
Schoonover, who bore him five children,
named Abram, Isaac, William,
Mary and Eve. His second
marriage was with Jane Hanover,
daughter of John Hanover, a
Baptist minister of Ohio, and to this union were
also born five children, viz: John,
who after marriage was thrown from a horse and
killed; Sarah, wife of Amos
Funk, of Martinsburg; Christina, and
Jackson, who is now a neighbor of Adam,
our subject.
William Smith, the father of these two families,
was well and favorably known in Franklin county,
Ohio. In politics he was a democrat, and
in religion a member of the Primitive Baptist
church, in which faith he died, in 1848.
John Hanover, the maternal
grandfather of our subject, was a minister in
the Baptist church, and also died in 1848.
Adam Smith, our subject, can never
be sufficiently commended by the people of
Pleasant township for the good he has done, but
it may be hoped that many will yet emulate his
noble acts.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 521 |
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JACOB SMITH, JR.
- The potentiality of the individual in any
specific case is to be shown, no matter in what
line of effort he directs his endeavors—whether
it be in the electrical field or commerce where
competition is rife, in the councils of the
state or nation, where are directed the policies
which concern the public interests, or in the
quieter province which has to do with regaining
from mother nature the benefices she has in
store —there is certain to be a measure of
success attained if the efforts be consecutive
and earnest.
The subject of this sketch is recognized as one of the
most prominent, progressive and prosperous
farmers of Union township, and it is with
satisfaction that we accord him representation
in this work. He was born in Sandusky,
Ohio, Feb. 16, 1840, being the son of
JACOB and Mary (Meyers)
SMITH to whom more
definite reference is made in the biography of
our subject’s brother, Joseph Smith,
appearing on an another page in this volume.
He was a child of two and a half years, when, in
1842, his parents moved to Putnam county, where
he was reared to farm life, receiving his
education in the public schools. His
father had purchased an unreclaimed tract of
land, and in his youth our subject assisted in
the work of clearing away the timber and
bringing the farm to a high state of
cultivation.
On the 3rd of February, 1870, Mr. Smith
was united in marriage to Bernidina
Rieamann, daughter of John and Clara
Rieamann, and to this marriage have been
born five children: Mary, wife of
Joseph Osterhage, of Kalida,
Charles, born Dec. 25, 1879, at home;
Lewis, born Aug. 27, 1881; Clara,
born May 27, 1884; and Nora, born Apr. 14, 1888.
The wife of our subject was born in Greensburg
township, this county, on the 22d of January,
1847, and her parents are still residents of
this township.
For two and one-half years after his mar riage, Mr.
Smith continued to reside on the parental
homestead, and then removed to tin place where
he now lives, the same being contiguous to the
old home farm. At the time he assumed
possession of this place it was but partially
cleared, and until 1885 the family maintained
their abode in a primitive log-cabin. Prosperity
crowned the efforts of Mr. Smith,
and in the year noted he gave a tangible
evidence of this by the erection of his present
handsome and commodious residence, which is of
modern architectural design and which affords a
home where they enjoy the comforts and many of
the luxuries of life. The entire family
are communicants of the Catholic church.
Although a supporter of the principles of the
democratic party, Mr. Smith has
been averse to holding public office, though for
some time he served efficiently as township
supervisor. Though repeatedly urged to
become a candidate for offices of public trust,
he has invariably declined. He has
attained a position prominence and influence in
the county, being one of its most prosperous
agriculturists and one who holds the confidence
and esteem of all who recognize his sterling
worth of character.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 511 |
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JOSEPH SMITH,
who is recognized as one of the most prosperous
farmers of Union township, Putnam county, is a
son of JACOB and Mary
(Meyers) SMITH, and
was born in Sandusky, Ohio, on the 29th of June
1842. He traces his lineage to stanch old
German stock, his father been born in the
kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, on the 19th of
March, 1806, the son of NICHOLAS
SMITH, a farmer and a prominent member of
the Catholic church. He reared a large
family of children, six of whom are still
living, as follows: Joseph, Anthony,
Frank, Christina, Mary and Mina.
Joseph Smith, father of our subject, was
reared on a farm in his native fatherland, and
there received his education and eventually
acquired the trades of marble-cutter and
brick-mason. His ambition finally
overstepped the limitations which were set in
his native land, and, in 1836, he emigrated to
America and located at Sandusky, Ohio.
Three years later he assumed the
responsibilities of the married estate, by
taking unto himself a wife in the person of
Mary Meyers, daughter of Martin.
She was born in Switzerland, on the 16th of
September, 1815, and while she was still very
young her parents died, and in 1837 she came to
America, and two years latter married Jacob
Smith. They became the parents of four
children, viz: Jacob, a farmer of Union
township, Putnam county; Joseph, to whom
this memoir is dedicated; Mary, wife of
Jacob Lobenthal, a prominent
lumber dealer of Henry county; and one daughter
who died in infancy. After his marriage
Jacob Smith was engaged in working at
his trade, and in connection with this carried
on farming operations. His advent in
Putnam county dates back to Nov. 1, 1842, and
upon his arrival here he settled in Union
township, where he entered eighty acres of
government land, which he reclaimed and improved
and brought into a high state of cultivation.
The old homestead now figures as the home of the
subject of this review. From that early
time, when he essayed the subduing of the
wilderness, until the time of his death, which
occurred Mar. 18, 1891, Jacob Smith
continued to be identified with the agricultural
interests of Putnam county, and was a man whose
correct methods and absolute probity gained and
retained to him the good will and confidence of
the community. In his political
proclivities he was a stanch democrat, and religously
was a devout member of the Glandorf Catholic
church, as is also his estimable widow, who now
retains her home with our subject.
Joseph Smith was reared to the free and
independent life of a farmer and was afforded
such educational advantages as could be secured
in the public schools of the county. Feb.
18, 1873, occurred his marriage to Theresia
Kahle, daughter of John Frank and Delia
Bernidina (Wilberdean) Kahle, the former of
whom was born in Germany in the year 1802, being
reared and educated at Glandorf, and coining to
America at the age of thirty-three years.
He located in Greensburg township, Putnam
county, Ohio, where he entered a section of
government land, reclaimed the same and evolved
productive fields. He was twice married,
the maiden name of his first wife having been
Jane Meyer, and she bore him one son,
Gustavus, who died while in service
during the late war. After the death of
his first wife, Mr. Kahle married
Delia B. Wilberdean, daughter of
George Wilberdean, and of the
offspring of this union seven children are still
living: Delia, wife of. William
Mough; Elizabeth, wife of Henry
Steckshulte; Frank, a farmer of
Greensburg township; Theresia, wife of
our subject; Ignatius, a banker of
Ottawa; Paulina, wife of Henry
Recker, and Mary, wife of John
Schroeder, of Greensburg township.
The mother of Mrs. Smith was born
in Oldenburg, Germany, in 1816, came to America
at the age of sixteen years and located in
Jennings, township, Union county, where she was
eventually married. She died Jan. 31,
1890, aged seventy-five years. Mr.
Kahle was a democrat in politics and held
many important offices of public trust in the
gift of his party. His death occurred in
April, 1876. To our subject and his wife
six children have been born, viz: Mary,
Jan. 9, 1874; Bernidina, Aug. 2, 1876;
Helena, Feb. 1, 1880; Pauline, deceased in
infancy; Molly, born Apr. 17, 1884;
Frances, July 12, 1887. Mrs.
Smith was born in Greensburg township,
Putnam county, on the 19th of May, 1853, and was
here reared and educated; she and the other
members of the family are communicants of the
Glandorf Catholic church. The town of
Glandorf was named in honor of Mrs.
Smith’s father, who was one of the prominent
and influential men of this county.
After his marriage our subject located on his old
homestead, where he has since resided.
Seven years ago he erected a commodious and
attractive residence which is fitted with those
modern improvements and accessories which
contribute so much to the comfort of life.
The beautiful home is one notable for its
hospitality and is a favorite resort for parties
made up of representatives of the best families
of Kalida and other towns of the vicinity.
Mr. Smith is a stalwart democrat,
is progressive and public-spirited and is one of
the most popular residents of this section of
the county.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 512 |
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LORENZO SMITH
and SANFORD SMITH - It is with a feeling
of distinctive gratification that the publishers
refer in this work to the life history of two
brothers, who are unmistakably to be numbered
among the prominent and influential farmers of
Putnam county, and whose ancestral history has
been one of intimate identification with the
pioneer epoch in the annals of this state -
touching the period when were essayed the
initial steps in reclaiming this now favored
section from the sylvan wilds which
characterized the locality in the pioneer days.
Robert Smith, grandfather of our
subjects, was a native of Scotland, whence he
emigrated to America in company with his brother
William. They were still young men at
the time of their leaving their native land, and
were unmarried, and upon arriving here they
settled in Somerset county, Pa., and there
engaged in work at the tailor's trade.
Robert Smith married Elizabeth Little,
a native of that county and a daughter of
Adam and Mary Little. They remained in
Pennsylvania until the family circle had been
brightened by the appearance of three children,
when, in 1826, they removed to Harrison county,
Ohio, subsequently taking up their abode in
Tuscarawas county, where they passed the
remainder of their days. In his politics
Robert Smith was in old-line whig, and in
their religious faith he and his wife were
stanch adherents of the Presbyterian church.
Their children in order of birth were as
follows: Adam, Leonard, Mary A.,
Thomas, John, Robert B., Harvey and
David.
Adam Smith, the father of our subjects, was born in
Somerset county, Pa., June 26, 1821, and
accompanied his parents on their removal to the
Buckeye state. He was reared to maturity
on a farm and is his later life he never severed
his allegiance to this important and honorable
line of industry. His education was such
as was afforded in the common schools of the
place and period, and and he was but a small boy
when his parents moved to Ohio. Later he
removed with them to Carroll county, where, in
the year 1844, he was united in marriage to
Margaret Shouse, who was born in that
county, on the 3rd of October, 1820, the
daughter of Barnard and Rachael (Palmer)
Shouse; the former of whom came from
Pennsylvania to Carroll county at the age of
sixteen years, and was there engaged in teaching
until his eldest grandchild had attained
sufficient age to come to him for instruction.
He also became the proprietor of eighty acres of
land, which he cultivated successfully. In
politics he was an old-line whig and he and his
wife were members of the Presbyterian church.
They eventually moved to Decatur county, Ind.,
and there remained until their death. The
children of Adam and Margaret Smith are
as follows: Sylvester, deceased; Mary
E., deceased; William C.;
Salathiel L.; Arthur L.; Lettie J.,
wife of J. C. M. Doenges; Lorenzo
and Sanford (twins); Madison S.
and Edson E., deceased. Mr. and
Mrs. Smith resided in Carroll county two
years, and then moved to Tuscarawas county,
where they remained until the fall of 1859, when
they removed to Hancock county and there
remained one year, after which, in the spring of
1860, they removed to the farm where our
subjects now reside and where the venerable
mother still retains her home. At the time
of their coming to this place the land was a
veritable wilderness, and when it is stated that
in the family there were nine small children, it
may be imagined that strong hearts and willing
hands were demanded in providing for the
maintenance of the family, and that there were
many hardships and vicissitudes to be endured.
They cleared up the land and made for themselves
a good home and an honored name in the
community. The old homestead comprises 240
acres, has a good dwelling house and other
permanent improvements, and is one of the most
fertile and productive places in this section.
In his political proclivities Adam
Smith was an old-line whig and subsequently
identified
himself with the republican party. The
honored father, to whom was extended the utmost
filial solicitude, entered into eternal rest on
the 17th of November, 1880, full of honors and
of good works, and a devoted member of the
Methodist church, of which his estimable widow
is still a member.
Lorenzo and Sanford Smith, who are
twins, were born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio,
Apr. 16, 1857, and they were but two years of
age when their parents moved to Putnam county.
Ever since that early age they have been
residents of Monroe township and have seen it
transformed from a wilderness into its present
fertile and productive condition, and have
themselves contributed toward the reclaiming of
the old home farm. They were rocked in a
republican cradle and have never deviated from
the political faith which was instilled in their
minds. They still remain with their mother
on the old homestead farm, and together here own
120 acres, and forty acres located further west
in the same township. They are devoted to
their mother and to their farming interests, and
in their efforts have been duly successful,
being numbered among the progressive young men
of the township.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 515 |
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SALATHIEL L. SMITH,
is one of the substantial and prosperous men of
Putnam county, and owns a fine farm of 200 acres
in Monroe township. His paternal ancestry
traces back to Scotch origin, while on the
maternal side his lineage is German. His
grandfather, ROBERT SMITH
emigrated from Scotland in the year 1810, being
still a young man and unmarried. He first
settled in the state of Maryland, and some years
later married Elizabeth Little, of
Pennsylvania, and after this event they lived in
that state a few years and then removed to
Harrison county, Ohio, and later to Tuscarawas
county, being among the early and honored
pioneers of the state. Their children were
Mary, Adam, John,
Leonard, Robert, Harvey, and
David, who met his death in the late war
of the rebellion. The parents were
Methodists in religion and both died in
Tuscarawas county.
ADAM SMITH, father of our
subject, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, in
June, 1821; he married Margaret Shouse,
who was born in Carroll county, Oct. 20, 1820.
After their marriage they settled in Harrison
county, later moved to Decatur county, lnd.,
finally returned to Ohio, and took up their
abode in Tuscarawas county. In 1860 they
came to Putnam county and settled in Monroe
township,
where, in the primitive wilderness, they
purchased a farm of eighty acres, end prepared
to make for themselves a home. Wild game
was plentiful, but settlers were few and far
between.
Mr. Smith was compelled to cut away the timber
before he could find sufficient space to erect
his modest log cabin, and it is needless to say
that the little pioneer family had to encounter
all the hardships and privations of life on the
frontier. Mr. Smith was a stanch
republican in politics after the war issue came
up, and was an ardent anti-slavery man. He
was prominently identified with the Methodist
church, and he and his wife were charter members
of the first organization of that denomination
in Monroe township. They were honest,
industrious and God-fearing people, who
endeavored to rear there sons and daughters to
lives of honor and usefulness. Mr.
Smith was chaplin in the grange for many
years. He died in November, 1880, and his
widow, who has now attained the venerable age of
seventy-five years, still retains her home on
the old homestead, being vigorous in both mind
and body. Adam Smith was one
of the most honored pioneers of this section,
and was well known all over this portion of the
county. Of the children, Sylvester
died about the age of fourteen; Commodore;
Salathiel L.; Arthur T., Lettie J.,
wife of Conrad Dennis; Lorenzo and
Sanford (twins), concerning whom individual
mention is made on another page; Madison, J.
D. and Edson, both of whom are
deceased.
S. L. Smith, our subject, was born in Decatur
county, Ind., Feb. 25, 1852, and was reared to
farming. He aided in clearing his father's
farm, and also his own. In his youth
educational advantages were limited, but he
availed himself of such opportunities as were
offered, and to-day he is a man of broad general
information. May 19, 1881, he was united
in marriage to Ellen Ranes, who was born
in Defiance county, Ohio, Aug. 13, 1863, a
daughter of Wilkins and Mary E. (Tucker)
Ranes. Her parents were married in
Allen county, Ohio, and after a few years they
removed to Defiance county, where they resided
for several years, and then took up their abode
in Putnam county, this being in the year 1862;
the father became the owner of an eighty-acre
farm in Monroe township, and this he brought
into effective cultivation. In politics he
was a democrat and held a number of offices in
the gift of his party. Both and his wife
are devoted members of tin Christian church, in
which he was a deacon for many years.
Their children were named as follows: Lemuel,
William H., Elizabeth,
Theopilus, John, James,
Sarah (wife of Henry Sanford),
Ellen (wife of subject), M. Catherine
(wife of John Spencer), Rebecca
(wife of Harry Hartone), Joseph
and Daniel. Our subject’s children
in order of birth are: Delbert Elva J., Zella
(deceased), Letha and Zelma.
After his marriage, Mr. Smith
settled on a part of his present farm, his
possessions in the township now comprising an
area of 200 acres, of which 120 acres are
cleared and in a high state of cultivation, the
place being well equipped with permanent
improvements in the way of substantial
buildings, which on; subject has himself
erected, while on the farm is kept a fine grade
of live stock.
Mr. Smith is a stanch republican and has been
trustee of his township on three different
occasions. He has also served as township
treasurer, having maintained a lively interest
in political affairs of a local nature.
Mr. Smith is a zealous member of the
United Brethren church. Our subject is one
of the most successful farmers and most
extensive land owners in the township, and his
success is particularly grateful to note, from
the fact that he is the architect of his own
fortune, having gained his marked degree of
success largely through his own efforts, with
the faithful aid and encouragement of his
devoted wife. He is one of the most highly
honored and most influential men of this section
of the county and is well entitled to a full
representation in this connection.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 513 |
|
|
SANFORD SMITH - See
Lorenzo Smith
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 515 |
|
|
W. W. SMITH,
editor and publisher of the Leipsic Free Press,
is a son of JOHN and Mary Jane (Boylan)
SMITH. John Smith was a son of
Nimrod and Mary (Saner) Smith, the former of
whom was a native of Pennsylvania and settled in
Stark county, Ohio, at an early day.
Subsequently he removed to Hancock county, where
he died, his death being caused by the
accidental discharge of a gun, from which he was
trying to extract the ball. Nimrod
Smith was one of the true pioneers of his
day, and was very fond of hunting, combining in
himself the two spirits that paved the way for
the settlement and civilization of this country
- that which cleared the land of its surplus
timber and the other which destroyed the wild
beasts of the forest.
JOHN SMITH, the father of W. W. Smith,
was born Nov. 19, 1826, in Stark county, Ohio.
He was reared a farmer, and in 1859 settled on
120 acres of land in Blanchard township, Putnam
county, near Gilboa, in which latter place he
now resides, having retired from active business
life. John Smith was married
twice—first, June 14, 1849, to Miss Jane
Boylan, who died Aug. 28, 1851; to them were
born two children, viz: Maroa J., wife of
Irvin Blair, of Hubbard, Iowa, and
W. W., tile subject of this sketch.
His second wife was Miss Susan
Farver, to whom he was married May 25, 1854.
To this marriage there have been born seven
children, viz: Mary E., born Mar.
5, 1855, married to a Mr. David Hoskins,
and died Sept. 5, 1880; Eugene F., born
Feb. 28, 1857, and died Apr. 6, 1877;
Clarissa A., born Dec. 5, 1858, and died
Feb. 26, 1873; Benjamin M., born Mar. 27,
1862, and died Sept. 25, 1863; Norris A.,
born Mar. 18, 1864, and died Mar. 31, 1877;
Cora M., born Jan. 12, 1867, and married to
Otto Harman; Burton S., born Jan. 16,
1870, and died Mar. 29, 1877.
W. W. Smith, the subject of this sketch, was
born Apr. 5, 1850, in Hancock county, Ohio.
He moved with his father to Putnam county in
1859, where he was reared on a farm. His
primary education was obtained in the common
schools, and subsequently he attended high
school at Findlay, Ohio, and Heidleberg college
at Tiffin, Ohio. For a number of years he
followed school-teaching in his county, and in
1878 established the Leipsic Free Press, which
he has since conducted, and in connection
therewith he has one of the finest equipped job
printing offices to be found anywhere in the
county. Politically Mr. Smith is a
democrat, and in 1894 he was appointed
postmaster at Leipsic, Ohio, which office he is
still filling. Fraternally he is a Mason,
and is a member of Ottawa chapter and council;
he is also an Odd Fellow and a Knight of
Pythias. On Aug. 27, 1874, he married
Miss Viola Baughman, daughter of Abraham
and Jane (Boak) Baughman who settled in Van
Buren township in 1835. Mr. and Mrs.
Smith are the parents of two children, viz.:
Clyde L., born Aug. 31, 1878, and
George F., born June 14, 1888. Mr.
Smith is one of the live, energetic members
of the democratic party in his county, always
taking an active interest in its success and
general prosperity. Broad minded and
liberal in thought, he concedes to all the
qualities, whether they agree or differ from him
in their conviction. For this, he clearly
sees, which many do not, is the only way to have
the same qualities conceded to him.
Occupying the position he does, as editor of a
paper, he is in a position to impress this
thought upon the public mind.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 507 |
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ISAAC
STALEY, mayor of Dupont, Putnam County, Ohio,
one of the foremost citizens of Perry township, as
well as of the county, was born Jan. 7, 1829, in
Pickaway county, Ohio, a son of John and Arah
(Kirby) Staley. The father, John Staley,
wa a son of Peter and Eve Staley, natives of
Germany, and the former a farmer; they were parents
of eight children, viz: Melchoir, Peter, Latie,
Jacob, Sallie, Elizabeth, Eve, and John,
the lat named the father of our subject.
Shortly after his marriage Peter Staley came
to America and became a pioneer of Virginia.
There his three sons - Melchoir, Peter and
Jacob - entered the volunteer service as
soldiers in the war of 1812; later they and the
father came to Ohio in a four-horse wagon, being
several weeks on the journey, and settled in
Pickaway county. Peter Staley was at
one time, a wealthy and prosperous planter of
Virginia, but, being overtaken by business reverses,
he moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, and entered a
large farm in the woods, and this he cleared up and
otherwise improved but later moved to Allen county,
Ohio, where he purchased a farm, on which he passed
the remainder of his days, dying about 1845 in his
seventy-fifth year a stanch old-line whig. His
widow reached the ripe old age of eighty-eight
years, when she also passed away, honored and
respected as her husband had been.
John Staley was born in Virginia in 1801,
and when twelve years of age came to Ohio with his
parents. He was partly educated in his native
state and partly in Pickaway county, Ohio, and when
a young man went to Pike county, Ohio, and learned
the gunsmith’s trade. In 1826 he was united in
marriage with Miss Arah Kirby,
daughter of James and Phenie Kirby, this
union resulting in the birth of six children, viz:
Elizabeth, wife of John McClure,
of Paulding county; Isaac, our subject, the
mayor of Dupont; Rosanna, the wife of John
Miller, of Lima, Allen county; Lorenzo,
of Van Wert county; Henry, of Paulding
Center, and Harriet, wife of William
Atmer, of Allen county. The mother of
these children was born in Maryland in 1810, and was
one of the thirteen children born to James and
Phenie Kirby— the former being of English and
the latter of Irish descent. Of the family of
thirteen children mentioned, Mrs. Staley
is the sole survivor. When a child she came to
Pickaway county, Ohio, with her parents, but later
the father went to Illinois, where he was killed in
the Black Hawk war, while defending the frontier
from invasion by the blood-thirsty redskins.
For twenty years Mrs. Staley was a
member of the Methodist church, but for the past
thirty years the Christian church has claimed her
adherence and active work in its behalf. After
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Staley resided for two
years in Pickaway county, and in 1829 moved to Allen
county, where they entered eighty acres of land
among the pioneers, and here Mr. Staley
cleared up a farm, but also continued to work at his
trade. He was an old-line whig and an active
member of the Methodist Episcopal church; he stood
high in the esteem of his neighbors as a good farmer
and useful citizen, and died in 1874, deeply mourned
by family and friends. He was a kind father
and affectionate husband, and a truly upright man in
all the relations of life.
Isaac Staley, whose name introduces this
biographical memoir, laid the foundation of his
education in the pioneer log school-house of Allen
county, but this has been supplemented by
industrious and comprehensive home study since he
reached his majority. He learned from his
father the trade of a gunsmith, became very
skillful, and worked at the business for a number of
years. In 1850 he was joined in wedlock with
Miss Martha Gilbert, and this union has been
blessed with eleven children, viz: Clinton J.,
of Paulding county; Caroline H., wife of
Edward Keltner, also of Paulding county;
Calvin R., deceased; Mary E., married
to Marion Thompson, of Van Wert county;
Victoria A., deceased; Lillie J., wife of
James Shearer of Paulding county; Edward
M., sheriff of Paulding county; Ida M.,
deceased; Isaac L., of Paulding county;
William H., deputy sheriff of same county, and
Arthur, of Fort Wayne, Ind. Mrs.
Staley was born in Canada, Feb. 1, 1833,
although her parents were natives of New York and
leading members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
After marriage Mr. Staley followed his
trade of gunsmith, to which he added that of
machinist, remaining in Allen county until 1864,
when he moved to Paulding county, and purchased
eighty acres in the wild woods, built a log house,
and cleared a neat and comfortable farm on which he
lived two years, and then moved to the banks of the
canal, where he purchased several small tracts,
which he also cleared, but still continued to work
at blacksmithing. He next engaged in the
timber trade, of which he made an entire success,
and in 1880 rented out his farm and has since
devoted his entire time to timber— for ten years
acting as superintendent for Moses Bros.,
of Cleveland. In 1881 he moved to Dupont,
where, as a leading republican, he has held many of
the more important of the township offices, and
where, as mayor, he has given the utmost
satisfaction to all concerned. As a member of
the Methodist church he has been most active for
fully half a century, of which period he has served
for forty-five years as Sunday-school
superintendent. He is in every sense a
self-made man, and not one in the county of Putnam
stands higher in the respect of his neighbors and
fellow-citizens generally.
Source:
Portrait and Biographical History of Allen and
Putnam Counties, Ohio, Part II, Publ. 1896 - Page
524 |
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WILLIAM R. SUMMERLAND,
one of the progressive and successful farmers of
Monroe township, Putnam county, Ohio, is one of
the self-made men of whom the county is justly
proud and one whose present prosperity is due
entirely to his persevering industry, sound
sense and integrity of purpose. He is of
German descent, and his father, William R.
Summerland, was a native of Switzerland,
who, soon after coming to this country, settled
in New York state. The senior Summerland
was here united in marriage to Miss Phebe
Clapper, and the young couple, in the early
period of their wedded life, removed to Logan
county, Ohio, where they made a good farm home
and lived during the remainder of their lives.
The father died in 1850, and the mother passed
away about 1884. They were the parents of
six children, their names, in order of birth,
being as follows: Perry (deceased),
Thomas (deceased), John,
Delilah (deceased), Sarah and
William R.
William R. Summerland, our subject, the youngest
of the family, was born in Logan county, Ohio,
Oct. 18, 1850. He was reared upon the home
farm, where his early educational discipline was
received at the common schools of that day.
He was united in marriage, July 12, 1872, to
Miss Samantha E. Pettit, a native of
Coshocton county, Ohio, who was born Sept. 27,
1856. She was the daughter of Moses and
Sarah (Soverns) Pettit, and granddaughter of
Joseph Pettit, who were also natives of
Coshocton county, Ohio. Moses and Sarah
Pettit were there married, and in 1862
removed to Putnam county, and settled in
Blanchard township. Their children are six
in number, their names, in order of birth,
being: Mary M., Nathaniel, Samantha E.,
Jasper E., Robert and Catherine.
After the marriage
of William and Samantha Summerland they
settled in Blanchard township, but in 1887 they
removed to their present home in the township of
Monroe. It was then a new tract of land,
consisting of eighty acres, but by dint of hard
labor they have cleared it of timber, drained it
and made it a most productive farm as well as a
very comfortable home. Our subject is in
politics a democrat, and as such he takes an
intelligent interest in affairs of public
import. His whole life has been passed in
the honorable calling of agriculture, and in
this portion of the county he stands high as a
successful and prosperous farmer and as a man
among men.
Source: A Portrait and
Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert
Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: A. W. Bowen &
Co. - 1896 - Page 534 |
J. W. SUMMERS |
|
T. J. SWEENEY |
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