Henry County Genealogical Society Newsletter
Volume 23, Number 5, September-October 2009
A PUBLICATION OF:
THE HENRY COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
P. O. BOX 231
DESHLER, OHIO 43516
www.henrycountyohiogenealogy.org
The Henry County Genealogical Society Newsletter is now published bi-monthly. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any material submitted. The Newsletter is copyright protected, but the Society gives permission for material to be copied for personal research and to other chapter newsletters for their use. Any other use of this material should carry written permission from the Henry County Genealogical Society and acknowledge the source. Annual membership is $10.00 for 1-2 people at the same address.
Meetings will be held quarterly or as announced in the newsletter. Publications for sale are listed on the last page with the newest ones appearing on the first page.
We print all queries that are related to Henry County – membership is not required. Send queries to Henry Co. Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 231, Deshler, OH 43516 or to the editor as “Query” at wendypen@wcnet.org. After May 2016, queries may be directed to our website and will appear there.
Officers:
President – Jim Rebar
Vice President – None elected
Treasurer/Membership Chmn. – Lucille Van Scoyoc
Corresponding Secretary – Phyllis LaRue
Recording Secretary and First Families Chmn. – Kathy Bishop
News Reporter – Clara Ellen Courtney
Newsletter Editor – Karen Sunderman
Webmaster – Jim Rebar
Meetings
September 21, 2009, Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Phyllis LaRue will speak about her trip to Germany to the town where her ancestors lived.
October 19, 2009, Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Business meeting and election of officers. Please come ready to serve. Only a handful of people keep our organization running.
November 16, 2009, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
First Families Dinner. Please bring two dishes to pass and table service. Beverages will be provided. Our speakers will be Larry Wanucha and his colleagues who have been excavating the former Toledo State Hospital Cemetery.
New Members
# 473 Ruth M. Koons, Toledo, OH 43623
# 474 Rose Ribble Bottorff, Iron River, MI 49935
#475 Lois I Bolander, Sylvania, OH 43560
#476 Deborah Sofich, Oregon City, OR 97045
Membership is $10 per year. Dues are paid the first of each year and newsletters are mailed from that date. Please address correspondence to the website, the editor, or to our P. O. Box. Include your membership # (on address label). All Henry Co. queries are printed free.
September Program
Member Phyllis LaRue recently joined family members on a trip to Germany to search for her roots. While there, she learned that the small hotel where they were staying was owned by distant cousins. Learn more about her preparation and family search on Sept. 21st.
First Families of Henry County Honored
Successful applicants for First Families of Henry County will be honored at our November meeting. Come join us for dinner and an interesting program.
Still Working…
We are still working to re-read the cemeteries of Henry County. If you can work on your own time, contact Jim Rebar for a list of cemeteries or sections of cemeteries that have not been read. We would like to finish this project while the weather is good, so please help. Other projects we are planning/working on are listed in the May-June issue.
Queries
GRANT, MANSFIELD, ST. JOHN, HICKMAN
Looking for info on Francis Marion Grant. Believe brought his fam to Henry Co. in 1904. His son Julian m. Nellie Lee St. John in 1929. Her parents were John and Jennie (Hickman) St. John. Francis Marion b. 1866, d. 1942. He was in the grocery business and made porch swings.
– Kathy Edmonds, Maybee, MI 48159
From HISTORY OF THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN, by Charles Slocum
Levi KING, a prosperous farmer of Damascus Twp., was born in Fairfield Co., OH, on the 10 January, 1847, and is the son of Peter and Mary (SHOEMAKER) KING. The former was the son of George and Eve (MYERS) KING and was born in Perry Co., OH, on January 20, 1817. Mary SHOEMAKER was born in Clear Creek Twp., Fairfield Co., OH on March 17, 1818. Peter KING was a very early settler of Fairfield Co., and later moved to Sandusky Co., where he died, owning at the time of his death 240 A. of land. He and his wife were members of the German Reformed church, and were the parents of 9 children, Samuel, George W., Rebecca, Levi, Henry M., Malinda, Miriam, Peter and Jacob.
Levi was about 5 years of age at the time of the family removal to Sandusky Co., and there he was reared on the farm and attended the common schools. In the spring of 1870 he married and came to Henry Co. and bought 80 A. of land, then but slightly improved, to which he added until he owned 147 A., all under cultivation, and also owned his interest in the old home farm in Sandusky Co. He has here successfully devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, having now one of the best improved tracts in the township, including a splendid brick residence and other buildings.
In the spring of 1870 Mr. KING married miss Lucy WEITMAN, who was born in Sandusky, Co., OH, the daughter of John and Eva (HENSEL) WEITMAN, both natives of PA who settled in Sandusky Co. in an early day. John WEITMAN died in Elkhart Co, IN, on August 14, 1894, aged 74 years, and his widow now makes her home with the subject and his wife. They were the parents of 9 children, Solomon, one that died unnamed, Lucy, Ida, Christina, Joseph, James, Mirah and Charles. To the subject and his wife has been born one child, Minerva Harriet, now the wife of J. A. CONNOLLY, of Washington Twp., this county. In politics Mr. KING is a Democrat and has served as twp. trustee, supervisor, and member of the school board. In 1892 he was elected county commissioner. He and his wife are members of the German Reformed church at Liberty Center.
Family History
A few months ago we received a set of papers including everything from deed records to a Civil War Citation. Some of the deeds were 1855-1875 in Henry Co. and some dating as late as the 1920’s in Putnam Co. The lady who sent them later found a family member who wished to keep them, so they were returned. Among the records was an undated, hand-written family tree. It is being printed here in the hope it will benefit one of our readers. We assume Light was the maiden name of Henry Myers’ wife.
HENRY MYERS – LIGHT FAMILY HISTORY
There were 8 children: Betsy, Susie, Nancy, Kattie, Sallie, Priscilla, Margrett, and Jno (Jonathan?).
- Betsy m. _____ SMALL
Sarrah Ann m. _________ PINGLE and had
Susie, Ann E., Ben S., Perry
- Susie m. _____ NICHOLS
Henry m. ______ and had
Jno, Lizzie, Lide, S—arra/Saml?, Bent, Anna Jas. m. Susie KISSINGER and had
Jno, S—th?, Jas, Bob, Charly?, Lilia, Ann, Wm.?
- Nancy m. James FISER [possibly Dr. James H. FISER from other papers]
Henry
Michael m. _____ and had
Lib (m. _________ WAGNER), Frank, Austan/Auslan
- Kattie m. Mike FISER
Henry, Nancy (m. ______ RUMPLE), Jas, J. W., Jane (m. _________ FAILS),
Charly and Wm.(?)
- Sallie m. _____ THORNBURG
Wesley, Harry, Martha,_______ (?), Mary
- Pricilla m. _____ STOUT
Jno., Magie, Carrich
- Margrett m. _____ NANFELT
no children
- Jno. m. Margrett FISER
Jno., Isiah, Margrett, Susie (m. ________ HEATEN), Henry, Jane (m. Phil
STOUT and had Tom, Ollie and Robert)
FRED ORTHWEIN FAMILY
Fred ORTHWEIN Sr. was bom in Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany, in 1829. Fred and his step-brother, Jerry, came to America in the early 1850’s. They first moved to Crawford County, OH, where Fred became a well-digger and met and married Anna B. BAHLER. She was bom in Wurtemberg in 1834. Anna, her brother George, and three sisters came to America and made their way west to Bucyrus.
Fred and Anna and their four children came to Henry County with a horse-drawn wagon to find a new home. Their first home was a log house in Section 16, Monroe Twp. In addition to cleaering and improving his land, Fred dug wells for other settlers. The first year the family existed mostly on com meal and milk. The family had 11 children. A daughter, Sabina, died in infancy.
The other children were: Fred Jr., who married Mary GERMANN and had 3 sons and two daughters; Jerry married Nora PITMAN and had one son and three daughters; Frank married Mary FRITZ and had three sons and two daughters, Sarah married William HARMS and had four sons; Elizabeth married Frank FOSTER and had three sons; Mary married Milton FOX and had two sons and two daughters; Amanda married Albert KNIPP and had two sons and four daughters; Jacob married Anna ROHRS and had two sons and one daughter; Emma married Charles YACKEE and had five sons and two daughters. In addition to farming the boys were also carpenters.
From HISTORY OF THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN, by Charles Slocum 1905
William DIETRICH, a progressive and enterprising farmer of Freedom Twp., Henry Co., OH is a native of this locality, having been bom at Liberty Center, Liberty Twp., on October 5,
1870, and is the son of Carl and Minnie (Gida) Dietrich, natives of Germany, who upon their emigration to the U.S., came direct to Henry Co., locating first at Liberty Center. They later moved to Napoleon, but bought a farm in Napoleon Twp., where they now reside. Their 4 children are William, Frank, Herman and Lewis. William was reared in the locations where his family resided and received a fair education in the public schools.
At the age of 23 he went to farming on what is now the C. CORDES farm, but two years later moved to the Justin TYLER farm in Napoleon Twp., where he spent six years. In 1898 he purchased 40 A. of the old RODDY farm, locating on that in 1903. There were no improvements on the place when he bought it, but in 1901 he erected a good bam, and in 1902 he built his present residence.
On January 21, 1894, Mr. Dietrich married Miss Ida MEYERS, a native of Freedom Twp., and the daughter of the late Richard MEYERS. To this union have been bom 5 children: Minnie, Willie (deceased), Amelia (deceased), Carl and Herman. Mr. Dietrich is a Democrat and the family are members of St. John’s Lutheran church.
From HISTORY OF THE MAUMEE RIVER BASIN, by Charles Slocum 1905
R. F. CRONINGER, well-known as a successful farmer and school teacher and at present a trustee of Damascus Twp., was bom in Van Wert, OH, October 13, 1862, the son of Leonard and Sarah (HINCKLE) CRONINGER, both of whom were bom in Stark Co., OH, the former on Sept. 20, 1819, and the latter in 1817, dying in 1880. Leonard CRONINGER, who now makes his home in McClure, removed from Stark Co. to Paulding Co, OH, in 1842, where he took up land. He came to Henry Co. in 1864 and bought up land in Liberty Twp. There were eight children in this family: Calvin, Arenious. William Henry, Martha Ellen, Sarah A., Elizabeth A., Willis, and the subject of this sketch.
The subject was but 2 years old when brought to Henry Co. and was here reared and attended school. At the age of 20, he went to South Dakota, where he worked one summer at farming, then returned to Henry Co. and in the winter of 1873 attended school in Harrison Twp. He then attended normal school at McClure for 2 months and one term of spring school- During die winter of 1884-85 he engaged as a teacher at the Pope school in Damascus Twp., the three following summers being passed in attendance at school at Fayette, OH, and one summer at Wauseon. He has since been engaged in teaching in the different township schools in this county, being now engaged in the schools of McClure, and in every position has won the highest commendations as an instructor and a disciplinarian. He is now living at McClure on his wife’s old homestead, where he follows farming during vacation periods.
On August 28, 1889, Mr. CRONINGER was married to Miss Mellie FOLTZ, who was bom where she now resides on October 23, 1868, die daughter of Samuel FOLTZ, who was bom in Sandusky Co., OH, in 1838 and died on February 22, 1879. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary MADER, was bom in Fairfield Co., OH, and now lives in McClure, the wife of David M. BROWS.
Samuel FOLTZ served his country valiantly throughout the Civil War, rising to the rank of sergeant. To the subject and his wife have been bom six children: Ila Blanche, Helen Loretta, Esther Lillian, Paul Revere, one that died unnamed and Samuel Leonard. The subject is a Republican and held the office of twp. clerk 5 years, was the first marshal of McClure, and served by appointment as mayor of that town.
He has been for 15 years a notary public and also trustee of Damascus twp. He is also a member of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 738 and Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 282 at McClure. He and his wife also belong to the auxiliary order of Rathbone Sisters.
James Albert BROWN, a leading agriculturist of Harrison Twp, is a native of Flat Rock Twp., Henry Co., where he was bom on April 15, 1850, the son of James K. and Tabora (JOHNS) BROWN.
The father was bom in Perry Co., OH, on November 8, 1827, the son of James and Pallis (KRIGER) BROWN. James BROWN came from Ireland to this country when a boy, settling in Perry and Morgan Counties, where he worked as a laborer and taught school. He married and then farmed in Perry Co., after which he went west. He started on the return home, but is supposed to have lost his life in the sinking of a Mississippi River steamboat in 1836. His wife died about a year later in Morgan Co. Their 12 children were: Eliza, Joseph, Jane, Mary, Jacob, Elizabeth, Nancy, Rebecca, John, James K., George W. and Delila. The subject’s father was 9 years old when his parents died and he worked by the month on farms in Perry and Morgan Cos. until 22 years old. He then married and moved to Henry Co., being now retired and making his home in South Napoleon. Their 7 children were: George W., Daniel, Mary, Wilson, James Albert, Millie J. and one that died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1861 and the father subsequently married Miss Rebecca McCORMICK, a native of OH, who died in 1885, and he then married Miss Pauline KNAPP, who is still living.
James A. BROWN, after tire death of his mother, was taken by his father to Morgan Co. until
1865 when the family moved to Florida, Henry Co. He received a limited common-school education, then removed to the present farm in Harrison Twp. When he was 20 years old his father turned the farm over to his care and he has managed it ever since. He married Miss Vina BALES, who was bom in Napoleon Twp., the daughter of Jacob Bales, and they had Bessie, who married William BLANK of Harrison Twp.; Ralph and Vernon, at home; Walter, deceased; Alonzo, and Eva Leona, at home. Mr. BALES was raised in PA and died in Henry Co. in 1886, being killed by a runaway team. His wife was also from PA and died in this county.
HISTORY OF NAPOLEON TOWNSHIP 1888
Abstracted from History of Henry and Fulton Counties, OH, ed. by Lewis C. Aldrich
This township was organized in the spring of 1835. The population in 1880 was 1,472, not including the town of Napoleon. The township contains 36 square miles. It lies near the middle of the famous Black Swamp, formerly a terror to emigrants, and initially passed over by early settlers. There are 5 small streams which empty into the river from the northern side, but none of importance south of the river.
It took no small amount of courage to attack the swamps and forests of this locality. More hardships were endured and more lives lost in the work of clearing and preparing the now productive farms than were endured to subdue the hostile and treacherous Indians which once occupied the country. Most of the Indian wars took place downriver [at Fallen Timbers], As that battle occurred in the latter part of the 18th century, when there was probably not a single white resident (unless it may have been the renegade Simon GIRTY) in the whole county, there are no blood-curdling stories of escapes from the Indians.
The early settlers here had enough to contend with in the shape of inhospitable nature. Fortunately for their children, they have nothing to do but enjoy the fruits of their parents’ indomitable pluck and perseverance. The future resources of this township will mainly depend upon agriculture.
The Maumee River cuts through the township. The dam built by the State to feed the Miami and Erie canals backs the water more than 25 miles.
The following is a list of the chattel taxpayers of Napoleon Twp. in 1837: Amos ANDREWS, Samuel BOWERS, Catharine DELONG, Jesse ESSEX, John GLASS, Henry LEONARD, George BOWERS, Alexander CRAIG, Frederick LORD, James MaGILL, Jonathan KNEELY, Lorenzo PATRICK, Adolphus PATRICK, John PATRICK, John POWELL, Edwin SCRIBNER, George STOUT, Hazael STRONG, Reuben STRAIGHT, Israel WAIT, and J. P. WHIPPLE. Frederick LORD, at last account was living at Paw Paw, MI. The rest are now [1887] dead.
Religion is not neglected. Besides the numerous church edifices in the county seat, there are two Lutheran and one United Brethren churches outside of the town of Napoleon where neighbors can attend worship nearer home.
The towns of Okolona and Bostelman’s Corners (also known as Dogtown and Halfway House) are also located in the township. Peter BOSTLEMAN, who came to America in 1870, owned a roadhouse there. A portion of the township was known as the Hannover Settlement because so many people from Germany settled there. Among early settlers in the area were the BOKERMAN, BUCHELE, DAVIS, SNYDER, GILSON, HARMON, MAUK, and ROBERSON families. Later residents were WITTENBERG, MUSSHEL, NORDEN, GATHMAN, SONNENBERG, and TIETJE families.
The GILSON Cemetery was incorporated as the Union Chapel Cemetery in 1855. The land was purchased from Charles MOREY. Those incorporating it were Henry GEHRETT, Jack DAVISON, Samuel GIBSON, Conrad CLAY, John BATTENFIELD, Allen SHASTEEN, Emanuel MOTTER, Andrew CLAY, John HAYNES, Simon HARMON, Thomas BURROWS, Joseph MOTTER, John LUDEMAN, Frederick LUDEMAN, and Henry HARMON. It is a little east of Bostleman’s Corners.
Land, Town Lots and Chattel Returned Delinquent
By the Treasurer of Henry County January 11, 1853
More information on the taxes owed is in the book, but not included here These were early settlers or landowners in these townships
All in Napoleon Township
| Owner’s Name | Sec | Description | Acres |
| ATKINSON, William | 2 | N 1/2 SW | 80 |
| ARMSTRONG, S. S. | 2 | NE SE, NE NE | 80 |
| BALES, Catharine | 15 | S 1/2 SE | 80 |
| BALES, Elizabeth | 15 | N 1/2 SE | 80 |
| CHITTICK, David | 4 | S 1/2 NE | 80 |
| EDSON, John Jr. | 32 | W 1/2 SW fr | 79 |
| FORST, Jesse | 2 | SW SW | 40 |
| FLACK, Peter | 26 | SW SW | 40 |
| GUNN, Almon | 1 | NW 1/4 | 160 |
| HEATH, Joseph | 24 | SW SE fr | 40 |
| HARTMAN, Saul | 26 | S 1/2 SE | 80 |
| HUNT, Seth | 15 | W 1/2 NW & W 1/2 SW | 160 |
| HOPKINS, Seth | 26 | NW pt SW & SW pt NE | 40 |
| OH, State of | 20 | E 1/2 NE | 80 |
| SPANGLER, David | 1 | NW NE pt | 52 |
| STABBARD, B. | 12 | SW NW | 40 |
| SMITH, Wm. H. | 10 | W 1/2 SE | 80 |
| SHELT, Anthony | — | SW SE | 40 |
| STAFFORD, Saul E. | 23 | SE pt | 56 |
| WOODRUFF, Wm. H. | 21 | W 1/2 SW | 80 |
| WEAVER, Henry | 23 | SE 1/4 | 160 |
| LUSLERWm. N.(?) | 14 | W 1/2 SW | 80 |
| BARR, Thomas | 6 | SW 1/4 | 160 |
Total delinquent taxes due in Napoleon Township in 1852 were $147
