Charles P. Hoffman Family

The Charles P. Hoffman farm is located one-half mile east of Colton, in Section 22, Washington Twp. It is presently owned and operated by Jim and Jerry Westhoven of the well known Westhoven family of Washington Twp.

The great-grandfather of Charles P. Hoffman was Matthias Hoffman, a native of Germany. Records state that he was a lad of seven years oid when he and other members of his family immigrated to America and located at Baltimore, Maryland in the mid 1750's. Charles' great-grandmother was of Swiss and English ancestry.

Charles' grandfather, Jacob Hoffman grew up as a farm boy and like his father, operated a large farm and also engaged in hauling heavy freight over the mountains between Baltimore and Hagerstown.

Those menacing Alleghenies had to be surmounted to provide markets for excess produce and .to share some of the necessities and comforts of the times in the coastal settlements. Those crossings undoubtedly were at great physical cost to both man and beast.

Charles' father, Matthias, known as 'Tice' in Maryland, followed the same work as his forebears. Besides operating a large farm of several hundred acres, three generations of Hoffman men engaged in hauling freight over the then famous Cumberland toll road to Hagerstown, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and other market cities.

In 1855, Charles' father, Matthias or 'Tice' married Lucinda Beaver whose ancestors immigrated to America from Germany in 1732. In these early generations the family were all members of the Reformed Mennonite Church.

Charles P., called 'Charley' by family and friends, was born August 10, 1871 near Ringold, Maryland near the Mason-Dixon Line. He was the youngest of six children.

During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, inland waterways were being expanded, rail transportation was put into use and more products were being manufactured locally. This was the beginning of mechanical revolution and more families were steadily migrating west of the Allegheny Mountains.

In 1875 when Charles P. 'Charley' was four years old, his family migrated to Bascom, Seneca County, Ohio. When 'Charley' was about eight or nine years old, the family then moved to Henry County, making settlement on what was then known as the LeBarr farm in Section 21 near Colton. For a couple of years or so they lived in a log cabin located across the field east of the Gramling-Guyer Homestead about 1/4 mile south of Colton. Their second residence was the Miriam farm which later became the Ira Barlow farm home, one-half mile east of Colton.

Charley's eldest brother Jacob B. remained in Bascom and established his home there. He had one son and two daughters. The son died in infancy. Jacob B. was employed by the New York Central R. R. System.

Brother Samuel M. married Ada Davis and established his farm home in Washington Twp. north of Colton. They had one daughter, Opal. She married Asa Reighard and they had three children; Paul, Dorothy and Deloris. After divorce, Opal later married Clarence Rodesiler.

Another brother, John H. died at the age of four years.

Sisters Alice and Anna May married two brothers, Adam and Hezekiah Gramling respectively. An account of their families is given elsewhere in this volume.

This family were members of the United Brethren Church for many years. Sometime in the 1890's 'Pap' and 'Mother' Hoffman, as Charley's parents were called, joined the newly established Methodist Church at Colton

In 1882, Charley's father bought 200 acres of timber in Section 22, Washington Twp. Very little or none had even been cleared. Young Charles soon learned to do a man's work and helped with the clearing. As soon as possible, a large barn and a good sized granary with corn crib were built.

On Nov. 12, 1890, Charles P. Hoffman and Myrtle M. Holford were united in marriage. She was the daughter of Charles and Mary Jane (Franklin) Holford. Her father was a native of Lorain County, Ohio and her mother of Missouri.

When 'Charley' and Myrtle were 27 and 25 years old respectively, they assumed complete responsibility for purchase, clearing, building and operating the farm. 'Pap' and 'Mother' Hoffman were respected members of the household for their remaining years. They assisted with many and sundry tasks as long as they were able and their respected council was invaluable. This arrangement enabled Myrtle to do never ending tasks with garden, poultry, and dairy chores. She was a good teamster at harvest time too.

About the turn of the century, a large two-story eight room house was built with large food storage basement under the main section. Not long after that, in mid-summer, the barn full of hay, harvest, machinery and eight head of horses was destroyed by lightning. One could only wonder that our ancestors did not lose courage after such reverses. However, with the moral support of 'Pap' and 'Mother' Hoffman, loyal friends and farm helpers, preparations were made to build another barn. This barn, somewhat smaller than the first, is still standing. One part of this double barn is 40 feet by 66 feet and the other part 36 feet by 40 feet. The east section had concrete floor and facilities for 20 dairy cows.

'Charley' and Myrtle had three children. A son, Lonnie, born March 8, 1901, died three days later. A daughter Edna B. was born July 20, 1905 and a daughter Irene M. was born May 25, 1908. Edna married Jett C. Bryan, a World War I veteran and merchant in Liberty Center for 25 or more years. Edna was a teacher in the one room country schools of Washington Twp. for eight years. Finally, married women were no longer hired. In the years following World War II married women were again accepted. After an interval of many years and a determination to be "up to date" and a good teacher, Edna resumed her education and taught 12 years in Springfield Local Schools of Lucas County. Irene married Vern La Plante. He owned and operated a Radio Television Sales & Service in Toledo the last 25 years of his life. He expired in 1974. Irene and Vern have one son, Lloyd. He has two children, Gregory Lewis and Tina Marie. Lloyd is an electronics engineer at Owens-Illinois Research in Toledo, Ohio.

Before 1910 all of the 200 acres was tillable, fenced, and much, much drainage tile was laid. In those days tiling was laborious and tedious work. Besides farming, there were many other chores. For several years during the early part of this century, fifteen to twenty cows were milked by hand night and morning. Milk was cooled by running it over a cooler in a special milk house. It was then collected by the 'milk-man' in the early morning, many times before sunrise.

Charley was proud of his thoroughbred Holstein herd sires and built a good herd during those years. Edna and Irene did their share of milking too, as soon as they were old enough. At an early age they were given heifer calves to raise every year and thus became part owners of the herd. The accompanying picture attests it was not "all work and no play". This writer remembers these years as "the good life".

'Charley' was also quite an enterprising businessman and salesman. He became an agent for grain drills and fertilizer enabling him to buy in volume. This was an advantage to his neighbors and himself. He was also very civic minded and served as a member of the Washington Twp. Board of Education for many years. Being a progressive farmer, it disturbed him greatly to witness farm land ill treated. His forty five acre fields were always rotated and all barn-yard fertilizer was returned to the fields.

'Pap' passed away October 18, 1915 at the advanced age of eighty-four. On August 16, 1916, Charley and Myrtle and daughters took 'Mother' Hoffman to visit her brother and sister in Maryland, whom she had not seen in forty- two years. She enjoyed the automobile trip and did as well as any other family member. They returned on September 4, 1916 in time for beginning school term.

'Mother' Hoffman passed away February 3, 1919 at the age of eighty-four.

In the early 1920's 'Charley' bought a farm tractor and grain separator from George Daso of Liberty Center, a Ford and implement dealer. This ena bled him to do his own grain threshing and that of his close neighbors. Thereby 'neighbor helping neighbor". About this time too, a large hen-house was built with capacity for 1000 laying hens. This was considered good-sized at the time.

The depression of the thirties brought many changes for everyone. On the farm, food and work was not lacking but money was as scarce as everywhere. The daughters had married in 1927 and activities were quite different. Farm help was somewhat of a problem since money was a big factor the same as in industry which had come to a halt.

This writer has endeavored to recount major changes and events in this family. Hereinafter, 'Charley' and Myrtle will be referred to as father and mother, my parents.

In 1935, Father's health failed rapidly. He became terminally ill and expired August 8, 1935, at the comparatively young age of sixty-four years.

Mother rented the farm the next 15 years and lived at 368 Maple St. Liberty Center, Ohio. She expired July 10, 1959.

To partially quote from a recent genealogy: We decendants, in our modern luxuries, little realize the strenuous times of our forefathers, who were building for their posterity, fine strong characters, worthy of their sacrifice and effort.

The farm was sold in 1951 to Mr. and Mrs. Vergote, poultry buyers of Detroit, Michigan, and farmed by tenants. It is gratifying to know that since about 1963, the farm has been owned and operated by two of Henry County's best farmers, Jim and Jerry Westhoven.

Submitted by: Edna B. Bryan, daughter.