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Washington
Twp. -
WILLIAM MANECKE, farmer, P. O. Fostoria,
was born near Philadelphia, Penn., Nov. 4, 1836, son of Henry
and Christina (Markley) Manecke, natives of Germany.
The father was engaged for many yeas in the sugar refining
business in Philadelphia, and later gave his attention to
farming; he died in this county Dec. 23, 1861, his widow
following him Jan. 9, 1866. They were parents of eight
children, of whom seven are living. William being
the eldest of the family. Our subject came to Hancock
County with his parents, and has since been one of the most
extensive and successful farmers of Washington Township, owning,
with his brother Peter, 640 acres of improved land.
In September, 1862, Mr. Manecke enlisted in Company K,
One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; he received
a sever wound in his right hip Dec. 29, 1863, at Mossy Creek,
east Tennessee, which incapacitated him for further service, and
he was mustered out in the spring of 1865. He was first
married to Miss Susan Ernest, daughter of Jacob Ernest,
an old settler of Hancock County, and to that union was born one
child, Della. Mr. Manecke's second marriage
was with Miss Caroline Stout, daughter of Christian
Stout, of Henry County, Ohio. There are seven children
living of this union: Romain, Gilbert, Thomas J., Ross,
Maude, James and Emma.
Source 3: History of Hancock County, Ohio -
Publ: Chicago - Warner, Beers & Co., 1886 - Page 878 |
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JEROME M. MARTIN. Among the busiest, most energetic and
enterprising men of McComb, is the subject of this review, the senior member of
the hardware firm of Martin & Weinland. He was born at Commercial Point,
Pickaway County, Ohio, in 1854, and when only a year and a half old was deprived by
death of his mother, and at the age of six years was left an orphan by his
father’s death.
Mr. Martin remained in the place of
his nativity until twenty-one years of age and during that time acquired a good
common-school education, well fitting him for the practical and responsible
duties of life. In the winter months
he attended schools and in the summer seasons worked on a farm, thus providing
for his own support from an early age.
In the year 1875, with the capital which he had acquired through his own
exertions, he embarked in the grocery business at Napoleon,
Ohio, but after a year spent at that place he
sold his store and removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he opened a
restaurant. He conducted the new
enterprise for a year and then returned to Napoleon, where he followed the trade
of carpentering, which he learned there, also executing contracts for work of
that nature. He remained in Napoleon
until 1888, when he came to McComb and established his hardware store, having
one of the largest and best stocked stores in this line of commercial activity
in northern Ohio. The firm carries an extensive stock
in order to meet the constantly growing demands of its trade, and the business
is continually increasing, both in volume and importance.
In 1877, in
Napoleon, Mr. Martin was united in
marriage to Miss Clara J. Weaver, and
they now have a pleasant home and many friends in McComb.
Mr. Martin is a democrat in his
political views and has taken an active part in political affairs, serving as a
member of the city council of Napoleon.
He was also chief of the fire department, acting in that capacity for a
number of years in a most capable manner.
For six years, from 1893 until 1899, he served as treasurer of McComb,
and from the latter date until the present time he has been the treasurer of
Pleasant township, Hancock county.
In 1888 he was a member of the city council here, and is an officer whose
political record is above reproach, for he is true to every trust reposed in him
and is loyal and patriotic in the discharge of his duties. Fraternally he is connected with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is an exemplary representative of the
organization. His attention,
however, is closely give to his business interests, which are now of an
extensive character, and in the control of which he is meeting with very
desirable success.
Source: Centennial Biographical
History of Hancock
County, Publ. 1903 - Page 252
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NAPOLEON B. MARTZ, was the
son of Michael Martz, and was born in Rockingham County,
Va., in November, 1809 and came to Hancock County in 1834, and
settled on the farm now owned by his son, Dorillas.
He was married in November, 1830, to Hannah Nicholls, who
still accompanies him in the journey of life. Mr. Martz
was a resident of the county forty-one years, when he got
the western fever, and went to Douglas County, Ill., where he
now resides.
Mr. Martz' grandparents were from Bavaria, hence
his German extraction. He is a man of good morals,
although not a church member. He has a fair English
education, and good strong common sense. His opinions wee
the result of careful thought, and his advice was sought by his
neighbors. Honest, intelligent, sociable and
accommodating, he easily won, and always held the esteem of his
neighbors. |
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Marion Twp. -
WILLIAM MARVIN, SR.
Was the son of Zera Marvin, and was born in Luzerne
County, Pa., July, 1798. Mr. Marvin's father
had a variety of occupations; dealing in merchandise, farming a
little, and preaching occasionally. He was a minister of
the Baptist Church. Mr. Marvin was carpenter by
trade, and followed that nearly all his life, although he owned
quite an extensive lot of land.
In 1818 he married Mabel Roberts, who came to
Ohio with him, and to this county, October, 1834, and bought in
this township, i June following, on the same lands he occupied
up to within a year before his death. The first winter
that the family were in the county, the families of William
and Mathias Marvin - seventeen persons in all - lived in one
cabin, twenty feet square.
Mr. Marvin was the father of sixteen children,
fourteen of whom are living, and all married and heads of
families. At the time of his death his children,
grand-children, great grand-children, and great-great
grand-children numbered not less than three hundred and fifty
persons. He was a man of extraordinary endurance, good
constitution, strong will, firm in his convictions, and
determined in his actions. He was a member of the Baptist
Church for more than sixty years. He came to Findley about
a year before he died. His deceased took place in May,
1880. Of industrious, frugal habits, he was enabled to
assist his children in their start in life, and they are all now
in easy circumstances. |
Big Lick Twp. -
MOSES M'ANNELLY
was one of the prominent men of the county, as well as of this
township, coming here at an early day, and being a man of more
than ordinary intelligence, he took the lead in the new
settlements. He represented this county in both branches
of the Ohio Legislature, and was regarded as an honest, upright
man. He too was an agriculturalist, and made for himself
and family, a pleasant and valuable home. Mr. McAnnelly
has been dead a number of years.
(Sharon Wick's Note: Mr. McAnnelly, age 26 yrs., can be
found in 1870 Census - Hancock Co., Ohio - Big Lick Twp. in Film
Series M593 Roll 1218 Page 40 at Dwelling 117 Family 119 with
wife Mary and 5 children. His surname is hard to read and
is hard to find by searching online census records unless you
search line for line. This may Amos' son who is also found
in the 1920 census of Hancock Co. in Film Series T625 Roll 1386
Page 155 aged 66 yrs.)
(Also... Moses McAnnelly was elected Justice of the Peace in
1838, 1841, 1844 and 1847. This may be the subject of this
sketch) |
Orange Twp. -
JOHN T. M'CONNELL.
Mr. McConnell was born in Penn. in 1809, and came to this
township in 1838, and at once commenced clearing up the farm on
which his son, D. J. McConnell now resides. He
resided for some years in Jefferson County, Ohio, where in 1830,
he was married to Eliza Dunlevy. Mrs. McConnell
died in February, 1862. Mr. McConnell was the
father of twelve children, seven of whom are now living, only
two of whom, however, are living in this county. Mr.
McConnell always followed the occupation of farming.
He had a fair common school education, and was a member
of the Presbyterian Church for more than thirty years, and was
one of the first members in this township. He was a man of
strong constitution; never sick. He was a man of strong
convictions, slow to yield a point, and tenacious in his belief.
He was a good neighbor, and an honest man. At his death,
he left a beautiful farm of one hundred and sixty acres of land,
well improved, all by his own labor and industry. His
first neighbors were John McKinley, E. R. Burns, William
Ivers, Benj. Marshall, James McConnell, Willard Boutwell and
Thomas Walls, all of whom are dead except McKinley
and Burns.
On the farm which he cleared up, are to be found
some interesting relics of the past. About the center of
the farm is a mound or ridge, which from its formation, was no
doubt built as a defense against enemies of some kind. The
earth is thrown up in the shape of a mound or ridge, about
thirty feet wide at the top, and scooped out or excavated,
forming a rude fortification, commanding the surrounding
country. In and around this the timber was evidently
removed, as the present growth is not more than eighteen or
twenty inches in diameter.
About twenty rods east of this was a mound higher than
any other portion of the ridge, and from bones and other
articles found there, is evidently the burial place of the dead
of those who built the mounds. In the neighborhood are
other mounds of similar character, all no doubt built by the
same parties. |
Orange Twp. -
JOHN McKINLEY.
One of the pioneers of Orange township, was born in Westmoreland
County, Pa., Sept. 23, 1801,and at the age of two years came
with his father, Wm. McKinley, to Trumbull County, Ohio,
then on the frontier.
On the 13th of March, 1823, he was married to Mary
Marshall, and in August, 1836, he and his family came to
Hancock County. The country was entirely new, or at least
destitute of roads, and Mr. McK. had to cut his way
through the woods to the place where he now resides, camping at
night in the wilderness through which he passed. Not in
the least discouraged, he at once went to work and with the
assistance of his boys and encouragement of his good wife,
he soon opened up a good farm. He is still living on this
same farm, one of the best in the township, and endeared to him,
not only by the recollection of many weary years of toil, but by
many of the very pleasantest days and memories of his life.
Mr. McKinley, although four score years mark his
age is a stout, healthy man, and bids fair to live many years
yet. He performs but little hard work, but employs much of
his time looking after the affairs of his farm. He has
always borne the reputation of being honest in his dealings,
frugal, but not stingy, and hospitable alike to neighbor or
stranger.
Mr. McK. was present at the organization of the
township, at which time there were but fifteen voters, and each
voter was elected to an office. He held the office of
Justice of the Peace twelve years, and the office of County
Commissioner six years. |
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ARNOLD F. MERRIAM was the
second lawyer to locate in Findlay. He was born in
Brandon, Vermont, December 17, 1811, and was there educated and
began the study of law. In early manhood he removed to
Zanesville, Ohio, where he completed his law studies and was
admitted to practice. He soon afterward started for Vinton
county, where he intended to locate, but during his journey met
Wilson Vance, who induced him to change his mind and come
to Findlay. He arrived here in the spring of 1835, and
entered into partnership with Edson Goit. In June,
1836, he was appointed prosecuting attorney, which office he
filled till April, 1837, when he resigned. On the 27th of
May, 1837, he married Miss Sarah A. Baldwin, sister of
Dr. William Baldwin, who bore him one son and two daughters.
In January, 1838, Mr. Merriam started the Hancock
Republican, the first Whig paper published in the county,
which he published about a year. He then removed to
Mansfield, Ohio, sold the press and subsequently went to
Kentucky, where he died in July, 1844. His widow returned
with her family to Findlay, and afterward married Judge
Robert Strother. The lady is now living here, the
venerable Mrs. S. A. Strother, whom everybody loves and
reveres. Though Mr. Merriam followed his
profession about four years in this county, he left Findlay at
such an early date that little is remembered of him by the older
citizens still living. |
Marion Twp. -
WILLIAM B. MILLER.
Mr. Miller was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, Feb. 11,
1825, and is the son of Martin Miller, who was a farmer.
Mr. M. has always followed the business of farming.
He has a good common school education, and taught school a
number of terms. He is perhaps above the average farmer in
intelligence, owning to his better educational advantages, and
is in every sense of the word a progressive man. He keeps
well up with the times, availing himself of the latest and best
improvements and information in his business; keeps himself not
only thoroughly posted in all that pertains to agriculture, but
is perfectly conversant with the politics of the country, and
with what interests the people in State and National affairs,
and is possessed of comprehensive and at the same time
conservative views on the subjects. His neighbors have the
most implicit confidence in his intelligence and ability, and he
has on more than one occasion been put forth as the exponent of
the principles of his political party, and on every such
occasion he has received a generous support.
Mr. Miller, was married in 1845, to Jane
Martin, and in 1847 he came to this county, and settled in
this township, on the farm on which he resides. He is now,
and has been for the past seventeen years, a member of the
United Brethren Church. His daily life has been such that
his example has gone very far towards shaping the morals, and
consequent prosperity of the community. His honesty is
proverbial, and his counsels safe. |
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WILLIAM B. MILLER. Industry is a leading characteristic
of the German people, and this fact probably accounts in a measures at least for
the unrelenting activity that has marked the life of
William B. Miller and those who went before him.
Hard work and rigid economy made of the father a comparatively wealthy man, and
despite the heavy expense of raising a large family,
Martin Miller was able to give his
son William eighty acres as a start
in business.
Christopher Miller came to this
country from Germany
in 1805, settling in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania.
Martin, the son, was but eight
years old when he landed, remained there until 1816, when at the age of nineteen
he moved to Fairfield
county, this state. Here his son William was born, Feb. 11, 1825,
and here the family resided until the death of the parents,
Martin dying in 1877, and his wife, who was Catherine Baker, in 1884. She was a native of Sunberry, Pennsylvania,
and was seven years younger than her husband, having been born in 1804. They were members of the Reformed
church and Mr. Miller was a
Republican in politics. They had
seventeen children; thirteen grew to maturity, seven are still living, and of
this number two reside in this county.
At the age of
twenty-two, in 1847, William Miller
removed to Hancock county, and three years later added by purchase one hundred
acres to the eighty he had received as a gift from his father. Some of this land was not in the best
state of cultivation and Mr. Miller
set about at once to improve it. He
subsequently sold twenty acres to a neighbor.
On Mar. 24, 1845,
he was united in marriage to Miss Jane,
daughter of William and Susan S. Martin. She bore him thirteen children, of
whom eight are living. She was a
native of Ohio, born in Fairfield
county June 18, 1823, and is now deceased.
For his second wife he married
Mrs. Helen E. Flack.
Mr. Miller
lives very near the southeastern limits of
Findlay, on one hundred and sixty acres of valuable
farming land, and is very intimately associated with the political and religious
life of the town. He is one of the
strong men in the Republican party, has held the office of township treasurer
and has also been one of the trustees of
Marion
township. He was justice of the
peace for some time and in 1879 was nominated by his party as member of the
state legislature. It was in the
same year that Governor Foster was
defeated by a vote of three hundred and ninety-seven, and
Mr. Miller was beaten by a majority of two hundred and ninety-five votes. A comparison of these numbers will
indicate the degree of Mr. Miller’s
popularity. As superintendent of the
Sunday-school and class leader of the United
Brethren church,
Mr. Miller has put a personality into
his work, the influence of which is very wide-reaching in its effects.
Mr. Miller and his family belong to this church and in Findlay he is counted as one of this county’s most
popular, progressive and representative men.
Source: Centennial Biographical
History of Hancock County, Publ. 1903 - Page 247
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THOMAS MOFFITT, who with his
brothers, William and John had made their
residence here about the time the Dukes' came after
making for himself a home and its comforts, was attacked with
the "Western Fever," sold his farm and emigrated to Iowa, or the
"Black Hawk Country," as it was called, where he still lives.
John and William Moffitt, and McClish,
still reside in the township, and are amongst its most
substantial men. |
Big Lick Twp. -
JOHN MOORE was
amongst the first settlers of this township, and came here with
his young wife, when all was new and when energy, industry and
good health were the requisites to success. These
qualities were combined in Mr. Moore and his brave wife.
His strong arm soon opened up a farm, and his house was the
stopping place of the stranger emigrant, and at his table was
ever found welcome hospitality.
Mr. Moore endured all the hardships of frontier
life, and now in his old age, surrounded by his children and
grand children, he, in the midst of plenty, the fruits of his
own toil, is enjoying life peacefully and quietly. He is
one of the largest land owners, as well as one of the wealthiest
men in the township. He has always followed the
independent life of a farmer, and I believe his children are all
engaged in the same business.
Mr. Moore has always been a friend of public
schools. His own opportunities for obtaining an education
when young has always made him seriously feel his loss, hence he
appreciates the blessing of such schools to the rising
generations.
(Sharon Wick's Note: John Moore Family can be found in
1860 Census - Hancock Co., Big Lick Twp., Film Series M653 Roll
982 Page 225-226 with his wife, Agness and 9 children.
Also in 1870 Census - Same - in Film Series M593 Roll 1218 Page
40 with his wife, Agnes, 5 children and one other person.
Also in 1880 Census - Same - in Film Series T9 Roll 1021 Page
437 with wife Agness W. and daughter Susanna. Some of his
children are on this page with their families, also. |
Portage Twp. -
JOHN MOOREHEAD, who
attained a ripe old age, and by industry and honesty accumulated
quite a property, passed peacefully away only a few years ago,
surrounded by a number of his children, and in the midst of many
friends. |
Portage Twp. -
SAMUEL MOOREHEAD was born in
Westmoreland County, Penn., in 1798, and came to Ohio with his
father's family in 1814 and settled near Massillon, Stark
County. Mr. M. lost his mother before leaving
Pennsylvania, and his father married again soon after he came to
Ohio. He is a farmer, reared to the profession by his
father, who followed the same business. In 1821 he married
Mary Edgar, and in 1834 came to this county, and settled in
Portage township, on the farm now owned by his son, John E.
His parents were of Irish descent. The Mooreheads
are generally large muscular men, endowed with groat physical
endurance, and industrious, frank, open-hearted, liberal and
hospitable. Their genial, good nature is notorious.
Mr. Moorehead has been a member of the
Presbyterian Church for more than fifty years, and was one of
the pioneers of that denomination in this part of the county. He
is the father of but two children, one son - John E. -
who resides on the home farm, and one daughter - Mrs. W. K.
Leonard - who resides in Big Lick township. His wife
died about 1854, and he never re-married. He
accumulated quite a large property, which he and his children
are now enjoying. Mr. Moorehead, though now in his
eighty-fourth year, retains his mental faculties almost wholly
unimpaired, and is the same jovial, kind-hearted man he was in
his younger days. |
Findley Twp. -
WILLIAM MORELAND
came to the county in 1822, and settled on the north side of the
river, on what was afterwards known as the Taylor farm,
and now a part of North Findley. Mr. Moreland
entered eighty acres of this land, which he afterwards sold to
William Taylor for $375, and removed to Van Buren
township, and served as a Justice of the Peace for several
years, when he sold out, and came back to Findley. |
Portage Twp. -
MAHLEN MORRIS
was one of the nature's noblemen. Honest, industrious,
intelligent, he was called upon by his neighbors to look after
the affairs of the township, in more than one responsible
station. He was four times in succession, elected a
Justice of the Peace, and filled the office faithfully.
In 1846 he was elected to the office of County
Treasurer, and with his family removed to Findlay. In 1848
he was re-elected and in 1849 he died of an attack of typhoid
fever. His loss was universally lamented. Such had
been his conduct of the affairs of the office that he had won
the confidence of all the people of the county. |
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JOHN H. MORRISON was
the third lawyer who came to Findlay, and was one of the best
known members of their pioneer bar. P. B. Morrison
and the Misses Morrison, of this city, one of whom is now
dead, where son and daughters of the once celebrated lawyer.
He was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1802, but removed
when quite young to Perry county, Ohio, where at the age of
fifteen he lost his right arm by accident. Young
Morrison received a good common school education read law in
the office of Philemon Beecher, of Lancaster, Ohio, began
practice in Bucyrus, and afterwards filled the office of
prosecuting attorney and treasurer of Crawford county. In
the fall of 1836 he located in Findlay and soon became well
known throughout northwestern Ohio. Mr. Morrison
was talented blunt and fearless to a remarkable degree,
possessed of untiring energy, and was an indefatigable worker in
the interests of his clients. Mr. Morrison was
married in Perry county, Ohio, to a Miss Henthorn,
who died at Bucyrus, without issue. He afterwards married
Miss Nancy Williams, who reared a family of five
children, two of whom still reside in this city. He died
April 19, 1854, but he is a vividly remembered by the older
members of the bar as if he had only passed away a year ago. |
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M. M. MOYER.
Edwin R. Moyer, the son of poor
Pennsylvania
parents, was inured to hardships in youth, and as he grew up learned the trade
of shoemaking, which he pursued some years as a means of livelihood. After his marriage to
Lucinda Grinawalt he obtained possession of a small piece of land, whose cultivation, in
connection with his work on the beach, enabled him with difficulty to support
his growing family. Thinking to
better his fortunes by a movement to the west, he came about 1866 to Hancock
county, where he bought eighty acres of land in Union township. This place, however, being found
unsuitable on account of size and other reasons, he disposed of it to buy a
tract double its size, on which he established his family as comfortably as
possible. From that time on he
abandoned his shoemaker’s tools, and by devoting his whole attention to the farm
obtained a success beyond his most sanguine expectations. In fact the quondam shoemaker proved
to be an excellent agriculturist and soon became noted for the abundance as well
as quality of his crops, while his stock was among the finest and fattest in the
land. As
Edwin’s circumstances improved his family kept pace with the increased income, and in time
Mr. and Mrs. Moyer found their
household enlivened by the presence of twelve lusty children. The boys as they grew up all proved
to be sober and industrious, and were of great assistance to their father in
carrying on his farming operations.
In time they all married and without exception have done well, being found in
honorable positions in the various walks of life and respected as useful
citizens. The father, after doing
his full duty during a long and blameless life, passed away in 1888, and four
years later his good wife, Lucinda,
was laid by his side in the family burying ground.
M. M. Moyer, one of the sons of this
worthy couple, was born in Lehigh county,
Pennsylvania, in July, 1862, and hence
was only about four years old when his parents settled in Hancock county. He had no aspirations aside from
farming, and having learned the details of this business under his father’s
tutelage adopted it as his regular calling as soon as he approached manhood. When his mother died, in 1890, he
bought the interest of the other heirs in half of the homestead, and now owns
eighty acres of his father’s original purchase.
This tract he has been cultivating for twelve years with such skill and
industry as to be ranked as one of the most promising of the younger generation
of farmers, while his genial character and kind disposition have gained him the
good will of all his neighbors. He
attends closely to business, manages his farm with judgment and his operations
have yielded him a steady and increasing income.
In the same year that he effected the purchase of his place he led to the
altar Miss Alice, the accomplished
daughter of Dr. F. C. Steingraver,
and this union, which proved in every way happy and congenial, resulted in the
birth of three bright children, whose names are
Frederick E., Helen M. and
Myron D.
Mr. and Mrs. Moyer are members of the Methodist Protestant church, in
which he holds the position of trustee and steward. The success of
Mr. Moyer, taken in connection with
the standing obtained by his numerous brothers and sisters, shows that the
emigration of the Pennsylvania shoemaker made a valuable addition to the stanch
citizenship of Hancock county.
Source:
Centennial Biographical History of Hancock County, Publ.
1903 - Page 253
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