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BIOGRAPHIES
Source
#1
County of Williams, Ohio.
Historical & Biographical
with An outline Sketch of the Northwest Territory, of the State, and
Miscellaneous Matters.
ILLUSTRATED
Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor - Charles Blanchard, Biographical
Editor
CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO., PUBLISHERS -
1882
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Jefferson Twp. -
DAVID RANSOM
is a native of New Hampshire, and was born in 1811. In 1828, his
parents immigrated into this State, bringing our subject with them, and
settled in Medina County. There the father died in the year 1877,
having been preceded by the mother in the year 1875. In 1839,
Mr. Ransom married Miss Susan Thayer, of Medina County, but
had the misfortune to lose his young wife the following year. In
1854, he came to this township, and purchased ninety-five acres of wild
land, which, by perseverance and industry, he has converted into one of
the best and most profitable farms in the county. In 1862, Mr.
Ransom remarried, choosing for his second partner a sister of his
first wife, Miss Catherine Thayer. To this union there have
been born five children - Frank, Jay, Iza, Erva and Ely.
Mr. Ransom has served his county as School Inspector, and has always
enjoyed the respect of his neighbors and the citizens of the township
generally.
Source: County of Williams, Ohio, Historical & Biographical -
Illustrated - Publ. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor - Charles
Blanchard, Biographical Editor - Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers
- 1882 - Page 761 |
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Mill Creek Twp. -
JOSEPH REASONER was born in
Montgomery County, N. Y., Jan. 31, 1814, and was the eldest of eight
children of Talmond and Desire (Burdick) Reasoner, both of
Dutchess County, N. Y. He passed his earlier years in his native
State, farming and working on the
Eire Canal. In 1837, he came with his parents to this township,
and settled on 160 acres, and was, of course, one of the earliest
pioneers in this part of the county. Jan. 10, 1839, he married
Catherine Welden, of Montgomery County, N. Y. and to their union
were born four children, two of whom are still living - Mrs.
Catherine Repp, of Wauseon, Fulton Co., Ohio, and Mrs. Matilda
Barber, of Dimondale, Eaton Co., Mich. Mrs. Reasoner
died May 3, 1844, and Sept. 16, 1864, Mr. Reasoner married
Leah Lavely of Holmes County, Ohio. To this union six children
have been born, viz.: Francis C., William T. S., George
H. T., Albert E., Dora E. and Mercy I. In politics, Mr.
Reasoner is a Republican, and he has filled many offices,
among which have been those of County Commissioner, Justice of the Peace
(for twenty-four years), Township Trustee, Assessor, Infirmary Director,
etc. In 1875, he removed to and settled on the farm of 120 acres
in Fulton County, where he now lives.
Source: County of Williams, Ohio, Historical & Biographical
- Illustrated - Publ.
Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor - Charles Blanchard, Biographical
Editor - Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers - 1882 - Page 806 |
George Rings |
Brady Twp. -
GEORGE RINGS was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn.,
Apr. 25, 1834, and is the son of John and Anna (Brinker) Rings,
of German ancestry. His father, John Rings, was born in the
same county, Sept. 2, 1804, was a farmer, and also a teamster in the
days of six-horse teams. He came to this county in 1835, and
settled on land now partially occupied by the town of West Unity, then a
dense forest. Some years after, he had a portion of his land
surveyed and laid out into town lots, started the village July 20, 1842,
and named it after Pleasant Unity, a town in his native county and
State. Dec. 8, 1831, he married Miss Anna Brinker, who
became the mother of his four children, viz., Catherine, who died
in 1840, aged about eight years; George, the subject of this
sketch; Susannah, now Mrs. Samuel Shafer, of Montcalm Co.,
Mich., and Margaret, now wife of James w. Howard, present
Treasurer of Fulton Co., Ohio. Mrs. Rings died Aug. 25,
1840, in her thirty-fourth year, and Sept. 7, 1841, Mr. Rings
married Mrs. Rachel C. Hanzey, daughter of Samuel Cliffton,
and to this marriage six children were born - Anna, now Mrs.
Dixon Sindel; William C., who, at the age of seventeen,
enlisted in Company H, Third Ohio Cavalry, and died of typhoid fever at
Murfreesboro, Tenn.; his remains were brought to West Unity and buried
with the honors of war; John C., of Gratiot Co., Mich.;
Harriet now rs. Fred Spade of Hillsdale co., Mich.; Joseph,
who died Sept. 7, 182; and Mary E., who married James Walkup
and died in February, 1874. Mr. Rings was the first Justice
of the Peace elected in Brady Township; he was elected County
Commissioner in 1837, County Treasurer in 1852, re-elected in 1854, and
died in his second term, Apr. 18, 1855. He was the part owner of
the first saw-mill erected in the village, also one of the owners of the
first grist-mill; at the time of his death was engaged in mercantile
pursuits, and was at all times foremost in enterprises tending to the
improvement or development of his town and county. George Rings,
our subject, has grown to manhood in this township, being hardly a year
old when his parents came to the county. He is a farmer and
miller, and one of the proprietors of the Unity Woolen Mills and
Flouring Mills. He was educated in the first schoolhouse erected
in Brady Township, but was able to attend only two or three months in
the year; however, experience has given him a thoroughly practical
education. In politics, he is a Democrat, and in 1858 was
nominated for County Auditor, but, neglecting his canvass, was defeated
by a small majority in a strongly Republican district; in 1877, however,
he was elected to fill the office by a handsome majority. August
6, 1862, he enlisted as a private in the One Hundredth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, but, before being mustered in, was elected First lieutenant
and then appointed Adjutant. He was captured by the enemy near
Jonesboro, Tenn., Sept. 8, 1863, incarcerated in Libby Prison for eight
months, then taken to Danville, thence to Macon, thence to Charlestown,
S. C., where, with about 1,200 Federal officers, he was put under fire
of the Union batteries then bombarding the city. Under this fire
he was held one month, when a yellow fever broke out, and in September,
1864, he was removed to Columbia. At this point he and O. G.
Doughton managed to escape, and after many privations made their way
to Sherman's army in front of Savannah. During his captivity, he
was promoted to a Captaincy, was ordered from Savannah to New York and
thence to Washington, where he was granted leave of absence for thirty
days. At the expiration of this time, he rejoined his regiment at
Wilmington, N. C., and remained with it till the close of the war, when
he was mustered out at Cleveland. Feb. 16, 1871, he married
Mrs. Kate L. Miller widow of James H. Miller, daughter of
James Casebeer, of Hicksville, Ohio, and mother of one son, James
Haywood Miller who was born June 29, 1867. By this lady Mr.
Rings became the father of five children, viz., George C.,
born Dec. 4, 1872; Mary E., May 25, 1874; John Edward,
July 20, 1875; William G., Mar. 9, 1877; and Lucy A., Apr.
21, 1882. Mr. Rings is Post Quartermaster of Royer Post,
No. 19, G. A. R., and is one of the most prominent of West Unity's
business men.
Source: County of Williams, Ohio, Historical & Biographical -
Illustrated - Publ. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor - Charles
Blanchard, Biographical Editor - Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers
- 1882 - Page 683 |
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SOLOMON
ROGERS was born in Bedford County, Penn., Oct. 10, 1817, and was
the youngest of the fourteen children of Eli and Mary Rogers,
also natives of Pennsylvania. When a mere child, Solomon
was left an orphan, and was reared until fifteen years a brother in
Wayne County, Ohio; two years more of his young life, he spent with an
uncle, and then begin the conflict with the world unaided. His
education was rather limited, but he had a natural aptitude for
mechanics, and after a short time passed in farm labor he began work as
a cooper, and followed the business for a number of years. May 27,
1841, he married Miss Cordelia Rogers in Morrow County,
Ohio, she being a native of Richland County, and born Jan. 17, 1827.
They became the parents of six children, viz.: George W.,
Margaret E., Cahtarine, Jonathan , Samuel H. and Emily.
Of these Catherine is the only one now living. The eldest
son, George W., lost his life in the late war. Mr.
Rogers died Jan. 15, 1856, and Feb. 24, 1856, Mr. Rogers
married Mrs. Marilla Sullivan, who was born in Canandaaigua, N.
Y., Dec. 7, 1828. In 1843, Mr. Rogers moved to Fulton
County, Ohio; in 1864; he moved to Butler, Ind., and in 1876 he came to
Stryker, this township, where he has ever since resided, almost
exclusively engaged in bee culture, and he is now probably the most
successful and best posted apiarist in Northwestern Ohio. His
hives are of his own invention, and he handles only Italian and Cyprian
bees, of which he has about 200 colonies. Mr. Rogers is
quite liberal in his religious views, and equally so in politics,
although he always threw his influence against the pro-slavery
party. He was Postmaster and express agent while living at Butler,
and also carried on there a jewelry establishment. While residing
in Fulton County, he worked at carpentering, and everywhere he has
regarded with respect and esteem by his fellow-citizens.
Source: County of Williams, Ohio, Historical & Biographical
- Illustrated - Publ.
Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor - Charles Blanchard, Biographical
Editor - Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers - 1882 - Page 732 -
Springfield Twp. |
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