GEORGE H. WAGGONER, owner of a valuable farm in Sandusky township, Sandusky county, is a native of the county, born Nov. 10, 1851, in Washington township, where he spent his boyhood days, and received his early education, later attending one term at Oberlin College.
     Mr. Waggoner remained on the home farm until twenty-three years of age.  On Dec. 10, 1874, he was marred to Miss Mary E. Engler, of Sandusky township, Sandusky county, in the same house in which they have since lived.  Shortly after their marriage his father purchased the farm - 142 acres - for which he paid $15,000, and later deeded the entire tract to his son George in consideration of $3,000.  Here the latter has resided since his marriage, during which time he has much improved the place, in the way of under-drainings, erecting new buildings, etc., in general making it one of the best farms in Sandusky county.  When Mr. Waggoner has been engaged in general farming, he has also paid much attention to the raising of good stock, including horses, cattle and sheep, and he is a prosperous, thorough-going agriculturist.  To Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner have come four children; Orie Ordell, born Sept. 2, 1878, has attended the district school and paid special attention to music, having been organist for the past three years at Mount Calvary U. B. Church; Chester C., born July 20, 1881, has attended the home school (he is interested in the Sunday-school); Vernie May was born Oct. 11, 1886 (she us taking music lessons); and Elmer E.., born Nov. 30, 1889. 
     Samuel Waggoner, father of George H. Waggoner, was born Dec. 12, 1827, in Perry county, Ohio.  About 1830 he came with his parents to Washington township, Sandusky Co., Ohio where he made his home until within the past three years, since when he has lived in Fremont.  His wife, Sarah (Miller) was born Aug. 28, 1831, in Ohio and they were married in February, 1851.  To their union were born nine children, of whom George H. is the oldest; Caroline died in infancy; Clara s the wife of H. A. Bolan and has one child; Eugene married Hattie Boyer, and died in 1892; Henry married Emma Carr, and has two children: Malvina, Mrs. Charles Keefer, of Sandusky township, has four children; Charles E. married Ellen King; Hattie is Mrs. Chester Wolf; Miland D. died at the age of fifteen.  Mr. Waggoner's paternal grandfather, George Waggoner was born Nov. 10, 1795, and died at the age of ninety-six years; the grandmother, Margaret (Klingler), was born May 10, 1802, and had nine children, three of whom are living.  At the time of his death the great-grandfather John Waggoner was a member of George Washington's bodyguard during the Revolution.  Mr. Waggoner's maternal grandfather, Isaac Miller, was born July 19, 1805, and was killed during the construction of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad, in 1847; his wife, Elizabeth (Stierwalt), was born July 5, 1800, and they had three children, all of whom are living.  They were all early pioneers of Sandusky county.
     Mrs. Mary E. Waggoner was born Dec. 4, 1854, in Washington township, Sandusky county, and when a child moved with her parents to Sandusky township, where she has since lived.  She was educated in the district schools of Sandusky township, and for five terms was one of the leading teachers of the county.  Her father, Nehemiah Engler, was born Feb. 17, 1832, in Ohio, where he is still living.  He was one of the leaders of the Democratic party in Sandusky county, served as county infirmary director six years, and is now on his farm in Washington township.  His wife, Sarah A. (Shively), was born July 19, 1835, in Ohio.  They were married June 4, 1854, and their union was blessed with six children:  Mary (Mrs. Waggoner),  William W. (married Alice Henricks, and they have one child), Minerva Jane (Mrs. N. Hetrick, who has three children and lives in Kansas), Hattie Odell (Mrs. F. Karbler, of Fremont, who has one child), Perry Sherman (of Findlay, who married Sophia Elky, and they have one child), and Joseph Rollin (who died at the age of twenty-two).  Mrs. Waggoner's paternal grandfather, David Engler, was born Mar. 27, 1797, and his wife, Edith (Burgoon), was born June 8, 1803.  He died about 1856, but she survived to the advanced age of nearly eighty-eight years.  To them were born nine children, of whom seven are now living.  The maternal grandfather, Joseph Shively, was born March 30, 1812, and his wife Susan (Overmyer), was born April 16, 1809.  To them came nine children, all yet living.  The grandparents on both sides were early pioneers of Sandusky county.
     Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner have been prominent members of the United Brethren Church since 1874, and have been active in all lines of Church and Sunday school work since their marriage.  For twenty years Mr. Waggoner has been superintendent of the Sunday-school of Mt. Calvary U. B. Church, of which his estimable wife has been Church chorister for nearly a score of years.  He has been a trustee of the Church and parsonage for fifteen years, and the life of the Church and Sunday-school is due in the large measure to the untiring efforts of himself and wife.  Mr. Waggoner is also deeply interested in educational matters, and has been school director for six years.  His visit to the World's Fair was as much a matter of intellectual development as of recreation.
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of SANDUSKY & OTTAWA, OHIO - J. B. Beers & Co. 1896 - Page 328

  GEORGE H. WAGGONER, one of Sandusky Township's prominent citizens and successful farmers and stock raisers, belongs to one of the old pioneer families of Sandusky County.  He was born in Washington Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, Nov. 10, 1851, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Miller) Waggoner, a grandson of George Waggoner and a great grandson of John Waggoner, the latter of whom was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and at one time a member of the body guard of General Washington.
     Samuel Waggoner was born in Perry County, Ohio, in 1827, and in 1830 accompanied his father, George Waggoner, from Perry County, Ohio, to Sandusky County.  He still survives and resides in his comfortable home on Birchard Avenue, Fremont.  When the Waggoner family settled in Washington Township they had few neighbors as the pioneers were just then beginning to come and for many years a log house sheltered the family and until his death, George Waggoner was engaged in the clearing up of his timbered land.  Samuel Waggoner continued the improvements his father had commenced and remained in Washington Township until advancing years caused him to seek retirement, when he removed to Fremont.  He is a leading member of the United Brethren Church.  In spite of the weight of years Mr. Waggoner still takes an interest in public affairs, particularly in the success of the Republican party, with which he has been identified since its formation.  His wife and  a number of his children have passed away, but six of the latter still survive, as follows:  George H.; Clara, wife of Harry Bolen, of Washington Township; Henry, of Washington Township; Melvina, wife of Charles Keefer, of Washington Township; Charles E., of Washington Township; and Hattie, wife of C. E. Wolfe, of Fremont.
     George H. Waggoner was reared to manhood in Washington Township and all his life has been more or less interested in agricultural pursuits.  He was educated in the township schools and enjoyed one term at Oberlin College, after which he settled down to farming and stockraising.  He owns a valuable farm of 140 acres, situated in Sandusky Township, and a second farm, of fifty-five acres, located in Washington Township.  These farms are well stocks and finely improved.  On Dec. 31, 1907, he moved with his family to a tract of sixteen acres located a mile west of the city limits of Fremont, on which he had built a fine home in the summer.  Formerly Mr. Waggoner raised Shorthorn cattle, but no longer makes that a feature.
     On December 10, 1874, Mr. Waggoner was married to Miss Mary E. Engler, who was born in Washington Township, December 4, 1854, and in her infancy was brought to Sandusky Township by her parents, who were Nehemiah and Sarah A. (Shively) Engler.  Both parents were born in Ohio.  After the marriage of their daughter, they moved back to Washington Township and there the father died Dec. 26, 1905.  Mrs. Engler is a beloved member of Mr. Waggoner's household.  For a number of years the late Nehemiah Engler was a man of high standing in public life in the county, serving two terms as a member of the board of directors of the Sandusky County Infirmary and also in local offices in Sandusky Township.  He was a men of fine education and was one of the pioneer school teachers of the county.  Of his children the following survive:  Mary E.; William W., of Washington Township; Minerva J., wife of Noah Hetrick, of Douglas County, Kansas; and Perry S., of Carey, Ohio.
     Mr. and Mrs. Waggoner have four children, namely: Ora O., who is the wife of Walter Root, and they have five children - Walter O., Mary B., Perry, Eva M. and George D.; Chester C., who lives in Oklahoma; and Verna M., and Elmer E., both of whom reside at home.  Mr. Waggoner and family are members of Mount Calvary United Brethren Church, of Washington Township, of which he is a trustee.  For years he has been active in the work of the Sunday School and has served as its superintendent for a period of thirty-five years.  In politics, Mr. Waggoner is a Republican and some years since was chosen by his party as its candidate for county commissioner.  He is an interested and useful member of the Sandusky County Pioneer and Historical Society.
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of SANDUSKY & OTTAWA, OHIO - Publ. J. B. Beers & Co. 1896 - Page 536

FRANK WELKER, the genial and popular proprietor of the "Empire House," Clyde, Sandusky county, one of the most excellent country hotels in the State, was born in Hancock county, Ohio, July 20, 1849, and is a son of George W. and Rebecca (Burger) Welker.
     The father of our subject was a native of Pennsylvania born in 1808, and in his earlier years he learned the stonemason's trade.  On coming to Ohio he settled in Stark county, and after his marriage took up his residence in Hancock county.  In 1864 he moved to Clyde, where his death occurred the following year.  His wife, who was born in 1812, still survives him, and is now living with her son Frank.  In the family of this worthy couple were seven children who grew to mature years, to with: (1) N. B., who joined the army soon after the breaking out of the Civil war, becoming a member of Company A, Twenty-first O. V. I., in in which he did service under Gen. Sherman; at the battle of Atlanta, in 1864, he was wounded, and died a few days later, his remains being interred in the National Cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn.  (2) G. W., a plasterer by trade, resides in Findlay, Ohio.  (3) W. W. Died at Mount Clemens, Mich., and his remains were brought back to Clyde for interment.  (4) E. E. is engaged in cigar-making in San Diego, Cal.  (5) Maria J. is the wife of John Mungen, a resident of Fort Wayne, Ind. (6). Frank, our subject, comes next in order of birth.  (7) R. R. makes his home in Columbia county, Ind., where he is engaged in the restaurant business.
     Frank Welker has spent his entire life in the State of his nativity, and since the age of fifteen has made his home in Clyde.  After pursuing his studies in the public schools of this place for two years, he became connected with railroading.  He first went upon the road as a news agent, and then became a brakeman on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad.  His next undertaking was as proprietor of the "Empire House," at Clyde.  In 1886 he purchased the hotel, which for ten years previous had been vacant entirely remodeled it and built a new addition.  Soon it was ready for occupancy, and today it is one of the most popular hotels in the smaller cities of Ohio.  In his work here Mr. Welker is ably assisted by his wife, who bore the maiden name of Julia Gosslin.  The hotel is neat and well kept, has the reputation for setting the best table of any country hotel in the State, and the earnest efforts of the proprietor and his wife to please their patrons has made it very popular with the public.
     Mr. Welker one of the ten stockholders who own the Clyde Driving Park, and has two fine trotting horses, "Katie C." and "Silver Leaf," superb specimens of the noble steed.  In his political views he is a stalwart Republican, and he is a popular, genial gentleman, one who wins friends wherever he goes, and well merits the high regard in which he is held.
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of SANDUSKY & OTTAWA, OHIO - Publ. J. B. Beers & Co. 1896 - Page 239

CASPER WHITTAKER - See Charles F. Holder biography in Ottawa Co.

LEWIS K. WRIGHT, the subject proper of this sketch, has seen the development of Scott township, Sandusky county, from the time it was a wilderness down to 1895.  He was born July 13, 1812, and is the son of William and Polly (Squire) Wright, who were born in Vermont in 1784, and Canada in 1788, respectively.
     At the age of twenty-four years our subject came to Scott township, Sandusky county, at a time when no roads were made in the township, and when it took two days to go to Fremont and back, a distance of ten miles.  He cleared a fine farm, and made a comfortable home for himself and family, which he is now enjoying in his old age.  On May 7, 1835, he was married to Miss Finette Lockwood, of Madrid, N. Y., and their union was blessed with three children:  (1) Ellen C., born September 4, 1836, now residing with her father and mother at Tinney, Ohio; (2) Levi L., born Sept. 12, 1838, married to Julia Green of Fremont, and now residing in Lincoln county, Tenn., and (3) William L., born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, September 26, 1847, and married to Almeda Tinney, daughter of Darwin Scott and Sarah (Wiggins) Tinney, pioneers of Scott township (to them were born three children - Clara F., born Sept. 3, 1874, was graduated in music from the Musical School of Indianapolis, Ind., June, 1895; Ralph R., born Sept. 29, 1880, is also a musician and member of the Tinney cornet Band, and Stella E., born Sept. 9, 1882, who is also developing her musical talent on the piano; the children inherited their musical talents from their father, who is a violinist and also a cornetist; he in turn inherits his ability in this line from his mother and her ancestry); William L. is a merchant, having a general store at Tinney, Ohio, and is also engaged with his father in farming.  Politically the Wright family are Democrats.  Mrs. William Wright was born March 5, 1852, at Tinney, Ohio, where she has always resided.
     The father and mother of our subject were pioneers of Sandusky county, Ohio, and the father died in 1856.  They reared a family of four children, of whom our subject is the only one living; the other children were:  Martin, born in 1810; Harriet, born in 1814, and Solomon, born in 1816.  Our subject's paternal grandmother was born about 1756, and died in 1820; she was born in Vermont, and moved to New York, where she married Solomon Squire.  The maternal grandfather of our subject was born in Lower Canada in 1756, and was the father of three children.
     Levi Lockwood, the father of our subject's wife, was born April 24, 1781, in Vermont, and died Jan. 13, 1854; he went to New York, and thence to Ohio, locating near Cleveland, where he died.  His wife was born Mar. 20, 1788, in Connecticut; they were married Mar. 30, 1803, and were the parents of ten children; she died Oct. 10, 1850, in Brighton, Ohio.  The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Wright, Nathaniel Lockwood, was born in 1750, in Connecticut; he moved to Vermont, thence to New York, and died in 1830.  His wife, Annie (Bostwick), was born about 1754 in Vermont, and moved to New York.  Mrs. Wright's maternal grandfather, Reuben Stone, was born about 1756, and his wife, Deborah (Comstock), was born about the same time, and died in 1855.
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of SANDUSKY & OTTAWA, OHIO - Publ. J. B. Beers & Co. 1896 - Page 169

SOLOMON S. WRIGHT, an honored pioneer of Scott township, Sandusky county, was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., Aug. 25, 1816, and died in Helena, Sandusky county, Ohio, June 5, 1892.
     He came to Ohio with his parents in 1835, settling in Scott township, where he resided until 1877, when he purchased a store in the village of Millersville.  Mr. Wright, like his brother, settled in Scott township when it was comparatively a wilderness, and lived, not only to see it one of the best agricultural townships in Sandusky county, but helped to make it such, clearing and making for himself a good home, and an excellent start in life for his children.  In 1856 he was married to Miss Louesa Brownell, formerly Rhode Island.  Mr. Wright began his career as a merchant in the little village of Greensburgh (Tinney), in 1856, and the firm of S. S. Wright & Brother was well and favorably known throughout Sandusky and adjoining counties as one of the most substantial county general merchants in that part of the State.  Mr. Wright was a man noted for his integrity and uprightness of character.  He left a wife and two sons.  His funeral services were held at his residence at Helena, June 7, 1892, the sermon being preached by Rev. Schumaker, of Tiffin, and the interment was made in Metzger Cemetery. 
     His wife, Louesa Brownell, war born Oct. 12, 1837, in Rhode Island, and now makes her home near Fremont.  Her father, Horace Brownell, was a native of Rhode Island, born in 1811.  In 1830 he came to Ohio, bought a farm in Scott township, where he died June 10, 1869.  He was one of the pioneers of Scott township, making for himself and family a comfortable home from the wilderness where he first located.  His wife was born in Rhode Island in 1813, and died at Gibsonburg, in February, 1887.  She was the daughter of Amasa and Debora (Ross) Harris, who were the parents of four children:  Elias; Louesa, born Oct. 12, 1837; Julia, born May 15, 1842; and Mary, born Oct. 12, 1844.   Louesa Brownell's (Mrs. Wright) paternal grandfather, George Brownell, was born about 1786; his wife, Mary Bussey, was born about 1790.  They had one child, Horace Brownell.  Mrs. Ross, was born about 1773, and was the mother of a large family.
     The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Solomon S. Wright are as follows:  Silas E., born Jan. 22, 1857, completed his education in Fostoria Normal School, and has been associated with his father in business at Millersville; on Dec. 21, 1885, he was married to Anna Schumaker, of Toledo; about 1888 they left Millersville and located on the farm where he now lives, and where he has erected a good house and outbuildings, Mr. Wright is a member of the I. O. O. F., and politically is a Democrat.  To them have been born two children - Inez, born Oct. 18, 1886, and Martin, born Jan. 9, 1890.  Mrs. Wright was born Dec. 3, 1864 in Toledo, where she was educated, after which she learned dressmaking, which she followed until her marriage.  She is the daughter of John C. and Mary Schumaker.  Her father was born, Aug. 11, 1829, in Hanover, Germany; his wife was also born in the same place in 1833; they were married Apr. 1, 1853, and had a family of six children.  Mrs. Wright's paternal grandfather was born in Germany in 1814, as was also his wife, about the same year.
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the counties of SANDUSKY & OTTAWA, OHIO - Publ. J. B. Beers & Co. 1896 - Page 121