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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
A History
of Seneca County, Ohio
A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress,
in People, and in its Principal Interests
- Illustrated -
- Vol. II -
Publ. The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago-New York
1911
| CHARLES
C. DROWN. A man much esteemed in the community,
whose support is always given to just causes and whose career as a
business man, has been marked by prosperity, progress and honorable
dealing is Charles C. Drown. Mr. Drown has not always been
in business, but has had some experience as an agriculturist and in his
youth for a time followed the profession of a teacher in the district
schools. HE was born May 19, 1866, in Pleasant township, Seneca
county, and is the son of Joseph R. and Mary J. (Bowersix) Drown
received his education in the district school and at Heidelberg College
and then began upon his career of two years in the pedagogical capacity.
After his marriage he and his bride located upon property in
Pleasant township but in 1897 found it expedient to give up farming and
took up the hardware business, building up one of the largest trades in
the county, amounting to over $18,000 per year. This unqualified
success has come through his own efforts, for he is a man of indomitable
purpose and great executive ability. He is in truth one of the
most prominent citizens of Pleasant township and his prosperity has
contributed materially to that of the whole community. Mr. Drown resided upon the homestead of his parents until his marriage to Ella J. Snyder which was solemnized Dec. 14, 1892, the parents of Mrs. Drown being Bartlett and Mary M. (Whitmire) Snyder. She was born Mar. 16, 1866, and received her education in the district schools and Heidelberg College. She taught for five or six years in this and Clinton townships and her efforts in the training of the youthful mind were both conscientious and successful. She is German in extraction, her parents, Bartlett and Mary M. Snyder, having come here from Bavaria, in the early days with their parents, their residence in this country having been of about seventy years duration. The father was born Dec. 26, 1821, and the mother Sept. 19, 1829. After reaching America they finally drifted out to Ohio and located on land south of Tiffin. They were married after their parents had settled in Ohio, the year in which their union took place being 1850 and nine children were born to them, namely: Sarah, Mary, John, Lizzie, Louisa, Eva, Anna, Calle and Ella, Mrs. Drown being the youngest of eight daughters. Few men take a more lively and none a more intelligent interest in public matters, than Charles C. Drown. He is a Republican, but is independent insofar that he is willing to vote for the best man to fill an office no matter what party he represents, principle weighing more with him than mere partisanship. That he is the friend of good education has been recognized generally and for ten years he has given valuable service as a member of the school board. He is a member of the Reformed church and takes an active part in its affairs, contributing generously to its support and advancing in every way all the good causes promulgated by it. That he finds time and strength for anything aside from his large business is an evidence of his unusual energy and his many friends and admirers attest that whatever he attempts, whether a campaign for the increase of trade, the putting through of a beneficial educational movement, the strengthening of the church body, etc., is well and capably done. Mr. and Mrs. Drown have one child, a daughter just growing to young womanhood, named Mary O., whose birth date was Apr. 21, 1894, and whose education has been completed as far as the Old Fort high school. A sketch of Mr. Drown’s venerable father, Joseph R. Drown, including data concerning his sisters, Ina and Mary A., occurs on other pages of this volume, whose mission is to chronicle the parentage and deeds of all such good and valuable citizens. SOURCE: A History of Seneca County, Ohio - Vol. II - 1911 - Page 574 |
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| HENRY H. DROWN
- One of Seneca county’s representative citizens is Henry H. Drown,
a man of versatile talents who has made a success of many lines of
endeavor,—such as general agriculture, produce, stock buying and
selling, hardware and real estate. In the capacity of a public
spirited benefactor he has served the interests of the community well
and one of his most notable achievements was his assisting in securing
the right of way for the Nickle Plate Railroad. Although from time
to time Mr. Drown has made a change of residence and has
engaged in business in other states, he has always paid Seneca county
the compliment of returning. Mr. Drown was born Sept. 29, 1839, and is the son of Solomon and Fannie (Dennis) Drown, natives respectively of Maine and New Hampshire. They were married in New England, but came to Ohio in 1836 and took up their residence on Butternut Ridge in Adams township, Seneca county, where they farmed until his death in 1858. Solomon Drown was a good business man as well as a judicious agriculturist and he finally became the possessor of a fine six hundred acre farm. He was a man much respected in the community and his advise was greatly sought in public matters. He was active in politics and he was the champion of good education and the building of schools. He was a Whig and later, upon the organization of that party, became a Republican. He was married twice, first to Betsy Hatch and afterward to Fanny Dennis, who bore him the following nine children: Dennis, Charlotte. D. C., J. B., Rebecca, J. R.. Lucy J.. Henry H. and Elvira. Mr. Drown was educated in the district schools, and upon his father’s farm received his training in the most successful methods of the great industry of agriculture. He resided upon the old homestead until his father died and engaged in farming until he was about twenty-three years of age. His first venture far afield was when he went to the state of Illinois and his stay there was of six months’ duration. He returned to Ohio and in Green Creek township bought eighty acres of land, upon which he began operations in the produce business and proved sufficiently successful. He then took up the buying and selling of stock. He again decided to try his fortunes in another locality and removed his goods and chattels to Iowa, where, in Liscomb, Marshall county, he engaged in a hitherto untried line of endeavor, the hardware business. This was a new settlement and it was his distinction to build the first business house in the town, which property he subsequently exchanged for a farm of one hundred and forty acres located near the town, and received in addition some six hundred dollars. He again returned to Seneca county, making the journey from Liscomb, Iowa, a distance of one thousand miles, driving a span of colts, and during the entire trip having slept in a house but two nights. He proceeded to dispose of his Iowa property, getting in exchange the farm known as the Chapen farm and located in Green Creek township, Sandusky county, the said tract consisting of about sixty-five acres. He was also the possessor of two hundred acres on the county line. Again he followed his inclination for change, and disposing of this property bought two hundred and forty-five acres in Pleasant township, Seneca county. He at once assumed a position of importance in the locality where he and his family were so well known, and it was about this time that he assisted in securing right of way for the Nickel Plate Railroad through the section, which has proved of immeasurable value and advantage to those effected. He was also in the employ of Smith & Company, buying stock, wool, etc., for them, and managed his own farm meantime. In 1886 the love of change which has ever seemed to be innate in Mr. Drown again asserted itself and he removed to Wichita, Kansas, and in this thriving city he engaged in the hardware and real estate business. This again was a new departure. In his two years in the Jayhawker state he built three large business houses, and otherwise had dealings of an important character. Again his native Seneca county drew him as the magnet draws the steel and he came back to engage for a time in the wool business, in which he had previously achieved success. A few years later he retired from life of such an active character as that in which he had previously been engaged, having an ample competence and being well justified in enjoying its comforts in greater leisure. He is a large landowner, possessing hundreds of acres in this and other states. One of his properties is a drug store in Logan, Kansas, which is operated by his grandson, Earl Drown. He is of a social nature and finds no small amount of pleasure and profit in his lodge relations, which extend to the Masonic fraternity and to the Knights of Pythias. When eighteen years of age, in 1858. Mr. Drown married Susan Hihlman, of Seneca county. They had one child, Melville W., born in July, 1859 and died in April, 1900. He studied to be a Physician, being educated in the Medical College at St. Joe, Missouri, and also at St. Louis, and he practiced his profession at Lenora, Norton county, Kansas. He took as his wife Mabel Emery in 1882 and seven children were born to their union of whom only two are living. They are Earl M., who married Blanche Eckerman, and Dale, who resides with them. On the 6th day of August, 1863, when he was twenty-three years of age, Mr. Drown married Miss Barbara H. Stephens, of Castalia, born Nov. 27, 1838, in Dundee, Scotland. She is the daughter of Alexander and Jessie (Grant) Stephens, natives of Scotland, who left the land of the thistle to seek better fortunes in America in 1839. They resided in New York city for three years and went from that metropolis to Canada, where they stayed but a short time, then going to Detroit, from Detroit to Huron, Michigan, thence to Monroeville, and thence to Castalia, Erie county, Ohio, in which latter town lie settled permanently and engaged in business, his death occurring some twenty-eight or thirty years thereafter. A family of children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Drown. Mary, born Feb. 15, 1865, became the wife of F. A. Burress, of California, and they have one child. Harold Drown Burress. Mrs. Burress was a teacher and the principal of the Wichita city schools for fifteen years before she married. Mr. Drown ’s second child is Jessie G., who was born Aug. 16, 1866, and is now engaged in teaching in Cleveland. She received her education in the Greenspring Academy, graduating with the class of 1885, supplementing this with literary and scientific courses. She is a successful teacher, standing high in her chosen profession, and having had fourteen years’ experience in Wichita, Kansas, and seven as one of the teaching staff in the Halle school located at Cleveland. The third child, Myrtle, was born Sept. 20, 1867, her short life being terminated by death July 19, 1887. The fourth child, Elmer L., was born July 13, 1874. He has been twice married, his first wife, Catherine Schwan, dying Aug. 6, 1900. They had three children: Howard H., born Feb. 14, 1897; Willard G., born May 12, 1898; and Helen, born Oct. 25, 1899. He married Ruth Woody, of Wichita, Kansas, in 1901. She was a teacher in the public schools there for a number of years. Elmer Drown is a business man of Greenspring and is very prominent in all of its affairs. SOURCE: A History of Seneca County, Ohio - Vol. II - 1911 - Page 805 |
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| JOSEPH R. DROWN
- A well known factor in the many sided life of Pleasant township
is Joseph R. Drown, who is entitled to particular consideration
as a progressive agriculturist, a Civil war veteran who gave cheerful
and faithful service to his country in her greatest hour of need, a good
church man, and one whose record in public office is unimpeachable.
Joseph R. Drown is a native of Erie county, Pennsylvania, where
his eyes first opened to the light of day Dec. 22, 1835. The
parents of Mr. Drown were Solomon and Fannie (Dennis)
Drown, natives of New Hampshire and Maine, respectively, the
former’s father, John Drown, being of English descent and
a farmer by occupation. They were married in the state of New York and
one year after the birth of him whose name initiates this sketch they
came on to the newer state of Ohio and bought land in Adams township,
Seneca county. Joseph R. Drown resided under the home roof until he was about twenty-five years of age, or about the year 1859 or 1860. He had been educated in the district schools and at Republic under those well remembered educators, T. W. Harvey and Aaron Schuyler and he was at the date mentioned the possessor of an eight years’ experience as a school teacher, his pedagogical activities having begun at about the age of eighteen years. His career was interrupted by the breaking; out of the Civil war, and his enlistment under the Union flag was made in the month of May, 1864, as a member of Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His immediate officers were Captain Huntzberger and Colonel Whistler. During the period of the conflict between the states Mr. Drown was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Bowersox, their union being celebrated in the month of February, 1864, at Tiffin, Ohio. She was born Oct. 31, 1843, the daughter of Jacob and Susan Gettinger Bowersox, natives of Maryland, who came here about the year 1836 or 1837 and located on the farm which is still owned by the subject, it having at that early day virtually been reclaimed from the wilderness. In the matter of making a choice of a life work Mr. Drown followed in the footsteps of his ancestors and secured some two hundred of the fair and fertile acres of Seneca county as his own. His industry and thrift and the assistance of his faithful wife and helpmeet have been rewarded and he stands as one of the veteran and substantial citizens of the section. His three children are all residing in Pleasant township, secure in the enjoyment of the respect of all who know them best. Charles C. Drown, the eldest child and only son, was born May 19, 1866, received his education in the district school and at Heidelberg College, Tiffin, and is engaged in the hardware business at Old Fort, in whose affairs he plays a prominent part, being in truth one of the most widely known men in Seneca county. Zua was born June 23, 1868, and is the wife of Gibson Barto of Pleasant township. She, like her brother, was educated in Heidelberg College. Mary A., born May 16, 1879, is the wife of Frank Hover, of Pleasant township. In his political faith Mr. Drown is Republican, giving, enthusiastic support to the men and measures of the Republican party. He is the friend of good education and it was due to the efforts of several such as he that the adoption of the present excellent school system in this township was brought about. His public service includes several years as township trustee and member of the board of education. Among those additional interests which engage his attention is the Mutual Telephone Company, of which he is a director. SOURCE: A History of Seneca County, Ohio - Vol. II - 1911 - Page 573 |
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