OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
HANCOCK COUNTY, OHIO
BIOGRAPHIES
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CHARLES EDWARD
WATSON. The gentleman above mentioned,
ex-mayor of |
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| RICHARD WATSON and wife are both dead, and all their living children but one are now residents of the county. Mr. Watson was a good neighbor, an enterprising citizen, and honest in all his dealings. He died, leaving to his children a fine farm, which he had reclaimed from the wilderness. Mr. Watson, though a strong partisan of the Democratic school of politics, did not attempt to impertinently intrude his opinions on others. He held the office of Coroner of the County for one or two terms. | |
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Union Twp. -
WENMAN WADE was of that class of robust and pushing frontiersman, who pave the way for a better civilization and prosperous country, by boldly pushing out into the wilderness, and enduring the hardships and privations of pioneer life uncomplainingly. Honest, industrious and contented. Mr. Wade was one who enjoyed the confidence of the community in which he lived. He held the office of Justice of the Peace, and is entitled to the distinction of being the first person in the county whose election was contested, as the following notice will show: "To the Clerk of Hancock Count: - You are requested to withhold the return of the election of Union township wherein Wenman Wade was elected Justice of the Peace, and the election is contested, and the said contest is to be tried on the 13th of September, 1838. WILLIAM ROLLER, A Associate Judge." September the 5th day, 1838. It does not appear who the contestant was, or the grounds of contest. I infer that Mr. Wade established his claim to the office, for in 1841 he was again elected. |
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Eagle Twp. -
JOHN WALTERS was born in Rockingham County, Va., June 22, 1814, and in his infancy his parents removed to Kentucky. His father died in Shelby County, Ky., in 1824, and the widow, and children, of whom there were six, removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, two years later. Here Mr. Walters, having received such an education only as could be had in a common school of that day, followed the occupation of a farm hand until 1841, having by his industry and economy saved money enough, he made entry of the land on which he now resides, and came to this township, his mother, and other members of the family having preceded him. In 1812, Mr. Walters was married to Miss Penelope Woodruff, and at once moved into a cabin on his land, and commenced life in earnest, clearing up and cultivating a fine tract of land. Mr. W. was the father of seven children, six of whom are now living. His health is none of the best, but he seems to enjoy life in his old days. Mr. Walters united with the United Brethren Church in 1842, and has ever since been a consistent member, and was for twenty-five years a class leader, and for the past nineteen years has held a license to exhort. He enjoys the respect and friendship of all his neighbors, and is a good citizen. |
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| CHRISTIAN WELTY, a resident here, was one of those substantial men, who early sought a home in the west. He was a man of good judgment, sound mind and strict integrity. | |
| JOHN W. WILLIAMS, one of the early settlers, and proprietor of the village of Williamstown, died but a few years ago, at a ripe old age, and was perhaps at the time of his death the oldest person in the township. Mr. Williams was Post Master for many years, and was ten times elected Justice of the Peace. He commanded the confidence and respect of his neighbors, and had many friends. | |
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Washington Twp. -
ANDREW WISEMAN, farmer, P. O. Fostoria, is one of the family of thirteen children born to James G. and Elizabeth (Summers) Wiseman, both of whom were born in Virginia. Our subject was born Sept. 28, 1817, in Madison County, Ohio, his parents having removed to this State but three days previous to his birth. His father, a blacksmith and farmer, had served in the war of 1812, in a cavalry regiment under a Col. Lewis. He resided in Madison County, Ohio, nearly two years, then moved to Perry County, Ohio, and there lived until 1831, at which date the family came to Hancock County, where our subject has since resided. James G. Wiseman died in his eightieth year, chiefly from teh effects of injuries received from a runaway horse; the mother died three years later. The thirteen children of the old family are John, Andrew, James G., Samuel, George W., Joseph, Simon O., Margaret, Eliza, Sarah (who died in her infancy), Emily, Rebecca J. and Angeline. Andrew (a son of John) James G., Samuel, George W. and Simon O. served in various regiments in the war of the Rebellion, and all were either killed or died from disabilities received during service. The grandfather of our subject, John Wiseman, was a Revolutionary soldier; his occupation was that of a farmer; he was also a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Andrew Wiseman, the subject of this sketch, served a year in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged for disability. (James Hale, brother-in-law of our subject, was a member of the Seventy-second Ohio Voluntary Infantry. He served his full time, part of which was spent in Andersonville Prison.) Mr. Wiseman bought his present farm of 160 acres in 1848, and has resided here since 1850. Here he has a park of eight acres, containing at present thirteen beautiful specimens of the red deer. Mr. Wiseman was first married to Miss Louisa Smith, daughter of James Smith, of Perry County, Ohio. His second marriage was with Miss Ellen Lindsey, daughter of William and Margaret (Buck) Lindsey, of Pennsylvania, and has one child by this union, Minnie D. Mr. Wiseman has been a member of the A. F. & A. M. since 1847, belonging at present to the Blue Lodge at Fosteria, and to the Chapter at Findlay. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically he is a stanch Republican. Source 3: History of Hancock County, Ohio - Publ: Chicago - Warner, Beers & Co., 1886 - Page 880 |
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Washington Twp. -
JAMES G. WISEMAN was born in Greenbrier County, Va., in Aug., 1790. He served in the war of 1812 as a cavalryman, under Capt. Lewis. Mr. Wiseman was married to Elizabeth Summers in 1814, and in September, 1817, removed to Ohio, settling in Madison County. He and his wife made the trip from Virginia to Ohio, a distance of more than four hundred miles on horseback. After two years residence he removed to Perry County, which place was his residence until the spring of 1831, when he came to Washington Township. Mr. Wiseman was a medium sized man, rugged and hardy, just the kind of a man to endure the hardships and privations of a frontier life. He was passionately found of hunting, and was expert in the use of the rifle, but he never allowed this fondness for sport to interfere with the real business of life, that of making a comfortable home for himself and family. He cleared up a large and rich farm. He was an honest, genial whole souled man, ever ready to assist the needy, and no man more fully enjoyed the confidence of his neighbors. Mr. Wiseman died in 1873, and his wife survived him about seven years. They were the parents of thirteen children, and lived to see all of them become married men and women except two, one of which died quite young, and the other was killed in the late war. |
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MARY A.
WOLFE. We are now privileged to touch upon the life
history of one of Hancock county's most estimable families, the
immediate representative of which is the above lady, who is the
widow of the late Levi Wolfe, of Marion
township. She was born at Hagerstown, Washington county,
Maryland, Sept. 22, 1833, and is the daughter of William
and Margaret Davis, of the same state. Her
parents left that portion of the country in the fall of 1833,
and during the overland journey to Ohio they lost a son as the
result of an attack of sickness. This misfortune caused
them to remain for the winter at the place where it occurred, so
that it was in the spring of 1834 before they finally reached
Marion township, of this county. Here the father entered a
claim of forty acres, which he subsequently sold but soon bought
another forty, which was increased at various times until his
holdings amounted to six hundred acres of the most valuable land
in the county. William Davis was a man of
influence and character in his township, where for a number of
years he held the office of justice of the peace, and was also
county commissioner for a long period. He was kind to the
poor, hospital to all, and a man whose friends were myriad.
He was a worthy member of the Baptist church, and proved his
usefulness in that denomination by an active and consistent
religious life. He was joined in marriage to
Margaret Lafferty in 1830, and to this union there were
born eleven children, nine of whom are now living.
Mrs. Margaret Davis died in October of 1882, her
husband having passed away a number of years before, in 1863.
His death was caused by anxiety for a favorite son John, who was
a soldier in the active service during the Civil war. He
had been wounded at the battle of Picket Mills, where his father
in searching for him contracted a cold, and which caused his
death in the year above stated. He was a man of sterling
qualities of character, and was missed by his host of friends.
His life was one of usefulness, and he assisted in the events
which helped to inaugurate the period of prosperity which his
descendants now enjoy. The son John recovered from the
wound, and returning to the army was unfortunate enough to be
captured at the battle of Stone River. He was kept a
prisoner in the lines of the enemy for a considerable period,
but was finally exchanged and returned home. Mary
A. Wolfe was joined in marriage to Levi Wolfe
on the 14th of August, 1851. The marriage resulted in the
birth of four children: Margaret J., Lydia A., Fannie D.
and John W., the last two deceased.
Levi Wolf, the father of the family, was born
in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 20th of August, 1825. He
there received an excellent common school education which fitted
him for his life of usefulness. In 1843 he, together with
his parents, Rev. David and Lydia Wolfe,
removed to Hancock county. They first located upon eighty
acres in Marion township, to which they added afterwards fifty
more. Their family numbered eleven children, but two
of whom are now living, viz: John and
Christian Wolfe. Rev. David Wolfe was a minister
in the Evangelical church, and during his active career did much
to build up that organization in that part of the state.
By trade Levi Wolfe was a blacksmith in his
younger life, but when the Civil war broke out he offered
himself a willing sacrifice on the altar of his country, by
enlisting in 1862 in Company E, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Ohio
Volunteer Infantry. In the bloody battle of Shiloh, while
trying to bind up a comrade's wound, he was taken prisoner and
confined for a period at Macon, Georgia. He was finally
exchanged, but was in such an emaciated condition as to cause
his death before he reached home. He died in the city of
Cincinnati on July 30, 1862. During his life he held some
of the responsible township offices, was a man of influence in
his neighborhood and a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Previous to his army life he made provision for
his family by laying the foundation for their present home.
His kindness of heart and noble traits of character erected in
the memories of the members of his family a lasting monument. Source 4: Centennial Biographical History of Hancock Co., Ohio - Pub: New York & Chicago by The Lewis Publishing Company - 1903 - Page 266 |
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Pleasant Twp. -
DAVID WRIGHT, SR., still resides on the old home farm, made pleasant and valuable by his own industry and economy. He is passing the declining years of his life surrounded by his family and friends, beloved by all. |
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