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(Source: A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County, Ohio -
Chicago: 1902)
PLEASE NOTE: If you see anything you want transcribed ahead of time,
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~ Thanks, Sharon Wick
JOHN GORDON.
The farming interests of Bucyrus township are in the hands of
capable agriculturists, and one of these, who has shown a
thorough understanding of the principles of modern farming, is
John Gordon, a native of South Wales, born there, in
county of Glamorgan, on March 3, 1849, being the only
representative of his family in America. The parents of
Mr. Gordon were Thomas and Catherine (Morris)
Gordon, and they reared a family of seven children:
Mary, Thomas, Eliza, John, Ann, Richard and George,
Ann and Richard having passed away. Both
parents have also passed out of life, while the others of the
family still reside in the old home in South Wales.
John Gordon was reared on his father's farm and
received a common-school education, remaining at home until he
attained his majority, although he had long cherished a desire
to see the country across the Atlantic. On the 20th day of
May, 1870, he set sail for America, landing at Quebec, Canada,
from which point he took a train to Toronto, a schoolmate
living in that city. Later he made his way to Trumbull
county, Ohio, where he secured lucrative employment on a dairy
farm, and remained there for three years, in the employ of
Noble Thompson. During the year 1874 he worked in the
Pennsylvania oil regions, and then another year for Mr.
Thompson, leaving him when Mr. Thompson sold his
farm, but later again returned to this kind employer when he
resided in Painesville.
It was during his association with Mr. Thompson
that he had the good fortune of meeting the lady who later
became his wife. She was the amiable daughter of Henry
Flock, a prominent farmer of Bucyrus township, a visitor in
the home of Mr. Thompson. The marriage of Mr.
Gordon to Miss Callie F. Flock took place February
24, 1875, following which was their removal to Crawford county,
where the home has ever since remained. For two years,
Mr. Gordon remained with his father-in-law and then bought
land in Todd township, where he owns one hundred and sixty-eight
acres of land. In 1888 Mr. Gordon returned to the
farm of his father-in-law, where he now resides, the former, who
lives retired, enjoying the care of his children and
grandchildren. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
were: Florence, Luella, Henry, Elva, Alice and Letty,
of whom Luella, Henry and Alice survive. Mr.
Gordon enjoys the respect and esteem of the neighborhood in
the highest degree, and is known as one of the most intelligent
and progressive farmers of the township.
Henry Flock, the father of
Mrs. Gordon, is the eldest son of Stephen and
Catherine Flock, and was born in the Rhine province of
Bavaria, Germany, December 14, 1815, and there was thoroughly
educated. While still a youth he went to work in order to
contribute to the support of the family, but then wages were
very low and many days he worked for twenty cents a day.
In the locality of his home wood was scarce and it was necessary
for him to haul fuel, or fagots, a distance of almost ten miles,
on a wheelbarrow; consequently the stoves were seldom very hot.
The law did not permit the peasants to cut green timber, and
their way of obtaining fuel was to break off the dead limbs, it
frequently being necessary for them to climb the trees in order
to secure these branches. Upon one occasion young Henry
became so benumbed with the cold, while in a tree, that he
almost fell to the ground, and this, with other severe trials,
led him to a determination to try his fortune in America.
When he became of military age he was too short to
enter the service, and the officials put him back one year,
expecting him to grow, but he failed and the officials put him
back one year, expecting him to grow, but he failed to do so,
and thus was rejected altogether. Although his
inclinations were toward matrimony, circumstances were not
promising, in Bavaria, and in 1839 he put into practice his
resolve to leave the fatherland. Settling in Bucyrus,
Ohio, he worked in a hotel for Abraham Hahn, remaining
with him three years, receiving for his services seven dollars
and fifty cents per month, and during this period, although sick
for six months, he managed to save one hundred and fifty-eight
dollars. Of this amount he sent forty-five dollars to
Germany to pay the passage of Miss Catherine Slicker to
America. Some two years later she reached the United
States, and upon her arrival in Bucyrus she and Mr. Flock
were married.
After severing his business connection with Mr. Hahn,
Mr. Flock worked for three years for other parties,
keeping continually busy, finally entering the employ of Dr.
Willis Merriman, where he remained as a faithful clerk for
seven years. In March, 1853, he removed to Wyandot and
formed a partnership with James H. Reinicker in the
mercantile business, and later Mr. Flock bought his
partner's interest and continued the business until 1870, when
he transferred it to his son. While residing in Wyandot,
Mr. Flock served the village as postmaster for seven years,
and while a clerk for Dr. Merriman he was made treasurer
of Bucyrus corporation, possessing the esteem and confidence of
his fellow citizens. In 1870 he located on his present
farm.
The first marriage to Mr. Flock was on September
22, 1842, to Catherine Slicker, born January 20, 1820, in
Bavaria, who emigrated to America with the family of Peter
Geiger. These children were born of this marriage:
Mary, who married William Welsh; Daniel; Kate,
who married Peter Bair; Louisa, who married John B.
Welsh; Caroline, who married John Gordon. The
mother died October 11, 1862, and the second marriage of Mr.
Flock was on November 6, 1864, to Mary Jane Clark,
who was a teacher in the schools of Bucyrus for several years.
Her death occurred January 25, 1875. On October 11, 1877,
occurred his marriage to Lena Hooker, who also passed
away, his last wife having been Mary Stoll, who died in
1901.
When but thirteen years pf age, Mr. Flock united
with the Evangelical church, in Germany. When he settled
in Bucyrus, he joined the German Lutheran church, and later in
life the English Lutheran church. |
JOHN GUISS.
Research j into the early history of Crawford county indicates
the fact that the Guiss family was founded here in early
pioneer days and that they became identified with agricultural
interests, thus aiding in the work of reclaiming wild land for
purposes of civilization. Our subject is numbered among the
native sons of the county, his birth having occurred in
Cranberry township, on the farm which Jacob Sheets
and wife now own. His father, Abraham Guiss, was a
native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and was a son of
Jacob Guiss. Both removed from the Keystone state to
Columbiana county, Ohio, at a very early day, locating near New
Lisbon, and in 1836 they came with their respective families to
Crawford county. The journey was made with ox-teams and they
were twenty-one days upon the way. In addition to their
household effects and other personal property they brought with
them .three geese, one of which is still living and is now in
possession of our subject. The grandfather entered nearly one
thousand acres of government land and took up his abode where
Jacob Myres resides. He was the father of twelve
children, namely: John, George, Abraham,
Christian, Henry, Anne, Susan,
Catherine, Martha and others whose names are not
remembered. The grandfather, Jacob Guiss, or real
name Guissinger, wandered from home when quite young, and
on going to school the "inger" was omitted by the teacher
and thus only Guiss remains.
The Guiss family lived in true pioneer style and
endured the usual hardships and trials which fall to the lot of
settlers upon the frontier. Amid such surroundings our subject
was reared, and upon the old homestead he remained until
twenty-one years of age. At the age of nineteen he began
teaching in the district school, having thirty-five scholars, of
whom thirty-one were relatives. He remained in charge of that
school for two years. and for a similar period had charge of the
New Washington school, after which he was engaged in
photographic work in Plymouth, Ohio, for two years. Subsequently
he spent one year as a bookkeeper in Cleveland, and then
returning to Plymouth, he clerked in a general store for two
years. The succeeding year was spent as a salesman in Shelby,
Ohio, after which he bought an interest in a store in West
Liberty, carrying on business at that place for two years. He
was next owner of a half interest in a store in Sulphur Springs,
where he carried on mercantile pursuits for fourteen years,
meeting with good success in his undertakings. On the expiration
of that period he removed to the farm tip on which he now lives
and which has been his home continuously since 1880. He is
engaged in general farming, having eighty acres of rich land,
which he has placed under a high state of cultivation.
On the 19th of November, 1863, Mr. Guiss
was united in marriage to Miss Susan Fry,
and unto them have been born six children: William H., a
practicing physician residing in Tiro, Ohio.: Mellville,
who makes his home in Cedartown, Georgia, where he is
serving as treasurer and secretary of the Alabama & Georgia Iron
Company; Ethie, who is engaged in school-teaching and
makes her home with her parents; Charles A., who was also
engaged in teaching school, but is now taking a course at the
Ohio State University; Warren G., who is the principal of
the Chatfield schools: and Maude R., who is attending the
Heidelburg School of Oratory. The children have been provided
with good educational privileges, all but one being graduates of
the Washington high school.
Mr. Guiss has frequently
been called to public office by his fellow townsmen, who,
recognizing his worth and ability, have chosen him for public
honors. For nine years he served as justice of the peace and
discharged his duties with strict fairness and impartiality. He
was also township clerk of Liberty township, was assessor,
notary public for six years, and for ten years was assistant
postmaster at Sulphur Springs. In politics he is a stalwart
Democrat, and in every position in which he has served he has
discharged his duties in a most able and energetic manner,
winning the commendation of all concerned. In religious faith he
is a Lutheran. He was a charter member of the Knights of Pythias
lodge at New Washington, has filled all the chairs and is now a
past chancellor. His life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of
the fraternity. He is widely and favorably known and is held in
the highest regard where he is best known. |
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