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	MARTIN D. SCHWEINHAGEN.  The Schweinhagen family was established in Henry County nearly seventy years ago, and since that time its members have contributed in many ways to the development of the farm lands and the civic welfare of that community.  One of those who carry on a successful industry as a farmer is Martin D. Schweinhagen, whose home is in section 32 of Ridgeville Township.      He was born in Adams Townships of Defiance County Oct. 28, 1872.  His parents were Henry and Wilhelmina (Stockman) Schweinhagen both of whom were natives of Prussia, Germany.  Henry Schweinhagen was born May 30, 1839, and when a child came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schweinhagen, Sr., to America.  They were eight weeks in crossing the ocean on an old fashioned sailing vessel, and from New York they came on to the wilds of Adams Township of Defiance County.  Here Henry Schweinhagen's grandfather, spent many years  in clearing up and developing a good farm, and he lived there until his death when about seventy years of age, his wife being ninety when she died.  All the members of the family have been loyal to the Lutheran religion.  Wilhelmina Stockman was about ten years younger than her husband and her parents also came to America and helped to clear up a farm in this section of Ohio.  The religious meeting point of these various families was the old St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  After spending their early lives in Ohio, Henry Schweinhagen and Wilhelmina Stockman were married, and they began housekeeping on the old Stockman farm.  Wilhelmina being the only child had inherited that place.  They continued to live there and besides making many improvements on the original place of eighty acres and putting up substantial houses and barns, Henry Schweinhagen acquired 210 additional acres, partly in that township and partly in Ridgeville Township.  It is the portion of the old homestead in Ridgeville Township now occupied by Martin D. Schweinhagen.  The latter has owned and cultivated it for the past nine years.  It is excellently improved with a nine room house, a barn 38 by 70 feet, and plenty of outbuildings and sheds.      Mr. Wilhelmina Schweinhagen died on the old Adams Township farm Mar. 31, 1915, when in her sixty-fifth year.  Henry Schweinhagen is still living, hale and hearty, and after a well spent career is living in comfort on his farm.  He has become widely known throughout that section of Ohio not only as a successful farmer but as a good citizen.  As a democrat he has served as township trustee and in other local offices.       Martin D. Schweinhagen was the fourth in a family of four sons, all of whom are living and all married.  Henry, the third successive Henry of as many generations, is living on the old homestead in Defiance County.  He married Emma Bruns and has five children, Marie, Raymond, Albert, Harland and Adela.  William is a farmer on part of his father's place.  He married Anna Sadler and has two children, Arnold and Nettie.  Charles is also occupying one of his father's farms in Adams Township.  He married Louisa Lindhorst and has one son, Erwin.  Herman is a graduate of the dental department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and is now in successful practice at Napoleon.  He married Cora Frank but has no children.      Martin D. Schweinhagen grew up and received his education on the home farm, and was trained in both the German and English languages.  In 1907 he married in Ridgeville Township Miss Lucinda Wesche.  Mrs. Schwinhagen was born July 31, 1879, n Ridgeville Township, and was reared and educated there.  Her parents were Daniel and Fredericka (Martin) Wesche.  Her father was born in Brunswick and her mother in Prussia, Germany, and they were married after they came to America.  They then settled on a farm in Ridgeville Township, and Mrs. Schweinhagen's mother, who was born in 1830, died Feb. 4, 1895.  Her father is still living and on May 20, 1916, celebrated his seventy-seventh birthday.  He is now retired from active business and occupies the old homestead.  Mrs. Schweinhagen's grand-parents, Andrew and Lucy (Brandis) Wesche, spent their lives in the old country, where Andrew died at the age of sixty-eight and his wife at eighty-nine.  Her maternal grandfather, Christian Martin, was twice married and had children by both wives.      Mr. and Mrs. Schweinhagen have one son, Paul, born Mar. 13, 1909, and now attending the local schools.  The family are active members of St. John's Lutheran Church. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 775
	ISAAC LEWIS SLOAN has spent a number of years in business affairs at Grelton, in Henry County.  His name is synonymous with business integrity, and while providing well for his own family he has been able to render a valuable service through his business connections with the community.      His family is of old New England stock.  His grandfather, Isaac Sloan, was born either in New York State or in Massachusetts.  His wife's name was Rachel Wilson.  After their marriage they lived for several years in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, on a farm.  Later they went to Maryland, and from there came to Ohio, locating in Seneca Township of Seneca County. They were pioneers in that district, and established a home in the midst of the wilderness.  In  that locality they lived out their long and useful lives, dying when well upwards of four score years of age.  People of great piety, devoted to the Methodist Church, they reared and educated their son Isaiah for the Methodist ministry.  This son Isaiah afterwards went out to California and established the first Methodist Episcopal Church in that state.  Some years later he was killed while riding a burro down a steep mountain path.  One of their sons, David, is living at Tiffin, Ohio, and is married and has a family.  Their son Lewis enlisted in the Union army during the Civil war, was captured in a battle and sent to the Confederate prison at Andersonville, and while confined there was starved too death.      Isaac Sloan, Jr., father of Lewis Sloan was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in 1839, was reared in Maryland, and died in Seneca County, Ohio, Dec. 18, 1866.  When he died his son Lewis, his only child, was thirty-three days old.  Lewis was born Nov. 15, 1866.      The mother of Lewis Sloan had been a teacher before her marriage, and after the early death of her husband came in 1868, when Lewis was two years of age, to Henry County, locating near the old home of her parents in Damascus Township.  There she resumed teaching as a means of support for herself and her only child, and she followed that vocation in Henry County until she was fifty-two years of age.  Owing to ill health she gave up the work, having spent thirty-six years altogether in the profession.  The last fifteen years of her life were spent in comfort, though as an invalid, in the home of her son Lewis, where she died Apr. 9, 1914.  She was born Aug. 4, 1846.  Her maiden name was Rachel Blair.  She was the youngest child of William and Margaret (Davidson) Blair.  The Blairs came to Henry County from Seneca County, where Mrs. Sloan was born, and the parents spent their last years in Damascus Township.  Mr. Sloan's mother taught four terms of school in Seneca County, ten in Lucas County, and forty-six in Henry County.  Her teaching in this county was done in the townships of Harrison, Monroe, Damascus and Richfield.      Part of his own education Mr. Lewis Sloan acquired under the instruction of his mother.  As soon as his strength permitted he began doing for himself, and as a result of early experience graduated into the business of lumber dealing at Grelton.  For years he has been one of the main factors in the development of that town, which originally was surrounded by a vast swamp covered with heavy timber.  He has made money, and has employed it usefully and wisely.  Some years ago he built an elevator at Grelton, and conducted it five years until it was burned, after which he rebuilt and now for many years has been the leading hay and grain merchant of that section.  He is also an extensive dealer in real estate and has handled many of the transactions involving some of the best farming land in Monroe Township.  He and his family occupy a very pleasant seven-room house at Grelton.      In his home village Mr. Sloan married Miss Martha Springer.  Mrs. Sloan was born in Wood County, Ohio, Apr. 17, 1870, but was reared and educated in Henry County at Grelton.  They are the proud parents of eight children.  Loie B. is the wife of Bert Snyder of Napoleon, and is the mother of four children, Claude, Ruth, Margaret and Mildred.  Dovie M., who was a teacher before her marriage, is the wife of Fred Smith of Marion, Ohio, and they have a son Maynard.  Walter B. is twenty-three years of age and for the past five years has been engaged in teaching.  Audrey G. is well educated and is a teacher in Henry County.  Landon A., aged sixteen, has completed the work of the local schools and is at home.  Paul and Pauline, twins, were born Dec. 18, 1902, and are both now students in the high school.  Virgil E. is the youngest and is in the grade schools.  Mr. Sloan is a Knight of Pythias, Odd Fellow and a democrat. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 1050
	JOSEPH A. SLOAN, treasurer and general manager of the Ohio Gas Light & Coke Company, whose main offices are in Napoleon, hashad a business career which offers encouragement and incentive to other young men who start out in life with no assurance as to the future except such as is contained within his own possibilities.  When opportunity came he accepted it.  But if an opportunity did not come, he went out and found it.  Adversity schooled him, experience matured his ability, and on the basis of honorable integrity he has won a most commendable position among the business men of Northwestern Ohio.      The present corporation of which he is general manager was incorporated in May, 1914.  Its four plants are located in Henry, Fulton and Williams counties, with offices at Napoleon, Wauseon, Bryan, Delta, and Montpelier.  They have manufacturing plants at Napoleon and Bryan and have an electric substation at Delta.  Every one of the plants and stores is equipped in the most modern style and as a public utility it is one of the most important in Northwest Ohio.  The company manufactures coke extensively, and the combined capacity of their plants for the manufacture of gas is about 300,000 cubic feet per day.      Mr. Sloan was formerly with the Napoleon and Wauseon Gas Company and the Bryan and Montpelier Gas Company.  In association with his father-in-law, Mr. David Hartigan and Mr. Sloan's two brothers, Bernard A. and H. J. furnish the chief management for all these various plants.  Bernard Sloan has charge of distribution from Wauseon, while H. J. Sloan has his office at Montpelier.      In May, 1914, the various interests at these four places were concentrated under the corporation title above named.  The president of the company is Gale B. Orwig, a son of Luther Orwig, the veteran editor of the Northwestern, the oldest paper of Henry County.  Gale Orwig is one of the leading young business men of Henry County. The vice president of the company is W. J. Hartnett of Fulton, New York.  Bernard Sloan is secretary while Joseph is treasurer and general manager.  Mr. Hartigan is local manager for the company at Napoleon.      In the various towns the company maintains shops and stores for the supplying of gas ranges and all kinds of gas equipment.  The company was incorporated with a capital of $250,000 and recently $250,000 worth of bonds have been issued, which constitute a part of the capital stock, raising it to half a million dollars, and eventually the bonds will be exchanged for preferred stock in the company.      Joseph A. Sloan has been associated with his brothers and Mr. Hartigan in the gas and coke business since February, 1911.  Previously he spent 9½ years with the W. E. Moss & Company of Detroit as general manager and engineer.  While with that company he showed unusual ability both in technical matters and as an executive and he has since brought his experience and other qualifications to the successful handling of the Gas Light & Coke Company of Ohio.  Mr. Sloan was born in New York State thirty-five years ago, and his father was a native of Ireland, coming to the United States when young and spending his life in New York.  Mr. Sloan's mother was of American parentage, and she as well as her husband is deceased.  The family are of the Catholic faith.      Reared and educated in his native state, after completing his high school course Joseph A. Sloan took up engineering and has been very successful in that profession as well as in general business affairs, and won his way by study and practical experience.  He is a member of the National Commercial Gas Association and of the Michigan Gas Association.  Fraternally he is affiliated with the Defiance Lodge of Elks and the Knights of Columbus.      In Fulton, New York, he married Miss Anna E. Hartigan, who was born and reared there and finished her education in the State Normal School.  Her parents are David and Margaret (Burke) Hartigan, the former a native of Canada and the latter of New York State, but both of Irish stock.  Mr. Hartigan followed a trade until 1912, when he came to Napoleon and is now connected with the Gas and Coke Company.  The Hartigans are also members of the St. Augustine Catholic Church at Napoleon, and Mr. Hartigan is a democrat, while Mr. Sloan maintains an independent attitude in politics. Mr. and Mrs. Sloan have one daughter, Margaret M., was born Sept. 29, 1913. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 1244
	DANIEL W. SPANGLER.  One of the citizens of Henry County whose life record deserves memorial was the late Daniel W. Spangler, who at one time served as sheriff of the county, and was otherwise prominent in local affairs.  He represented a pioneer name in Ohio, and it was more than half a century ago that the Spanglers located in Henry County.  He was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, Apr. 26, 1827.  He lived to be nearly three score and ten years of age; his death occurred on his fine old home farm in section 24 of Freedom Township Dec. 23, 1896.  His parents were John W. and Christina (Juda) Spangler, both natives of Berks County, Pennsylvania.  His father was born there in 1797, and was a pioneer in Fairfield County, Ohio, where he spent his last years.  The Spangler family came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in primitive style, with wagons and teams, before the days of railroads.  John Spangler acquired a farm in Fairfield County, and died there in 1834.  His widow subsequently married Peter Wolfe, and lived to be very old, passing away in Freedom Township Aug. 26, 1876.  The Spanglers were members of the English Lutheran Church, and most of the men of the family have been democratic voters.      There were four children, second among whom was the late Daniel W. Spangler.  Catherine married John Wolfe, lived both in Ohio and in Adams County, Indiana, dying in the latter place, but was buried in the old family graveyard in Fairfield County, Ohio.  Mary married a Mr. Lutz and died at the birth of her only child.  Christopher spent his life in Fairfield County, where he was a brick mason and plaster contractor, and by his marriage to Martha Fasnaugh left a large family of sons and daughters who are still living.      Daniel W. Spangler grew up in Fairfield County, and had such educational opportunities as were offered to Ohio boys seventy years ago.  In Fairfield County Oct. 21, 1860, he married Mary Myers.  She was born in Wells County, Indiana, June 24, 1840, and when eleven years of age her parents moved to Fairfield County, Ohio.  Mrs. Spangler walked nearly the entire distance.  On Nov. 9, 1861, their first child, a daughter, Elizabeth, was born.  Then in 1862 Mr. and Mrs. Spangler started for Henry County, using two covered wagons drawn by teams to carry all their belongings. They secured a farm in section 24 of Freedom Township.  There were eighty acres all told, and only two acres had been cleared.  To the heavy task of making a farm Daniel W. Spangler applied himself with characteristic energy.  It was a difficult task and one spiced with many discouragements and hardships.  On June 9, 1868, they lost their first daughter and this was a severe bereavement.  As they continued to live and labor year after year, prospects brightened and eventually they had a fine home, all paid for, with excellent improvements, and this and many other things made up the sum total of achievements of Daniel W. Spangler 's life.      He died at the old homestead Dec. 23, 1896.  He became widely known over Henry County, particularly on account of his service as sheriff, an office he filled for two years, having been elected in 1876.  Mrs. Daniel W. Spangler survived her husband nearly twenty years, passing away at the old farm Mar. 29, 1915.  She was a devoted wife and mother, and the love and veneration of her children and descendants followed her to the grave.  She was a member of the English Lutheran Church.      Daniel W. Spangler and wife are survived by two children, a daughter and son, both of whom own and have divided equally between themselves the fine homestead of 120 acres in Freedom Township.  The daughter Mary E. was well educated in the country and city schools, and was married in 1895 to Harvey B. Diehl.  Mr. Diehl was born in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Mar. 31, 1868, and at the age of six years came with his parents to Henry County.  His parents were Lewis and Amanda (Shoemaker) Diehl, who on coming to Henry County first located at Liberty Center, afterwards at Napoleon and then laved in other localities.  Lewis Diehl was a harness maker by trade, and followed that as his means of livelihood until his death in September, 1911.  Harvey B. Diehl was a small child when his mother died, and he grew up in the home of his father from whom he learned the trade of harness maker.  In recent years most of his time has been given to the operation of Mrs. Diehl's share of the old Spangler homestead.      The only son of the late Daniel W. Spangler is Daniel B. Spangler, who was born Feb. 1, 1871.  He is unmarried, was reared at the old home farm, and now owns it together with his sister Mrs. Diehl.  He is a member of the Order of Owls at Napoleon.  Mrs. Diehl has shown excellent ability not only in making a home but has also taken the lead in the social life of her community, and is a woman of a very bright and keen intellect. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 866
	ERNEST SPENGLER.  There are few citizens of Henry County more widely known over the country at large than Ernest Spengler of Napoleon.  Mr. Spengler has been selling goods, chiefly grocery merchandise, for about thirty-five years.  Though most of his life has been spent in America, he is a native of Germany, and has been especially prominent and influential among the German people of Henry County, a large proportion of whom known and esteem him and buy their goods from him.  His prosperity is due not only to the possession of genial characteristics as a citizen, but also to the fact that long experience and integrity as a merchant have enabled him to participate the wants of the trade and supply it with the best commodities to be found.      The Spengler grocery house at Napoleon is the oldest established house of that line in the city.  His store is located on Perry Street and on that one side there has been conducted a grocery business since the breaking out of the Civil war.  The first proprietor was Henry E. Cary who was succeeded by Mr. Kohler, and he in turn by William Spengler in 1892.  In 1896 the firm title became Spengler Brothers, and since 1903 Ernest Spengler has been sole proprietor.  He has a fine store and completely stocked with a line of staple and standard merchandise.  The store is 24x100 feet.      Ernest Spengler was born in Northern Prussia, Germany, in 1865, and is of old German ancestry, his grandparents on both sides having spent their lives on farms in Prussia.  The family were Lutherans and Mr. Spengler still adheres to that faith.  The parents of Ernest Spengler were William and Augusta (Torge) Spengler, who many years ago brought their family by sailing vessel from Hamburg to New York, being forty-nine days on board the vessel.  From there they came to Defiance, Ohio, and a year later located at Florida in Henry County, where William Spengler followed his business as a merchant tailor until his death in 1880 at the age of fifty-seven.  His widow later returned to Defiance and died in the home of her oldest son William at the age of seventy-seven.  Of their children should be mentioned the following: Augusta, wife of George Carman, who lives at Defiance and has a son and two daughters; Mary, wife of Randolph Jaqua, a Henry County farmer, and they have two sons and one daughter; next in age is Ernest Spengler; Herman, a former grocery merchant of Napoleon; William, who died unmarried, was a merchant at Napoleon from 1887 until 1904, and he lived in Defiance from 1905 until his death, Mar. 20, 1914.      Ernest Spengler grew up in Henry County, received a public school education, and was only fifteen years of age when he gained his first experience in selling goods, and has been continuously identified with mercantile interests to the present time.  He was married in Napoleon to Miss Rose Hornung, who was born in Napoleon and is now forty-nine years of age.  She received her education in Napoleon and is of German parentage.  Her parents came to the United States about the close of the Civil war, and spent the rest of their lives here.      Mr. and Mrs. Spengler have two children.  Otto H. who was born in Napoleon July 25, 1890, attended the city high school and in 1914 graduated from the Ohio State University and was admitted to the Ohio bar in June of that year and is now in practice at Toledo.  Lillian, who was born Aug. 25, 1897, is still at home and attending the local schools.  Mr. and Mrs. Spengler are active members of the Lutheran Church and in politics he is a democrat. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 1251
	HENRY STEFFENS.  For more than forty years Henry Steffens has had his home in Henry County.  Now in his seventy-fourth year, he can look back upon many substantial accomplishments and has the satisfaction of having acquired a liberal competence and having provided well for his children, giving each a good start in life.  He himself came to Northwestern Ohio with very little of this world's goods, and none of the older residents have spent their years more industriously and more uprightly, and has deserved a greater share of public esteem.      Mr. Steffens was born in Hanover, Germany, Feb.15, 1843, a son of Minik and Rebecca (Bruhns) Steffens.  They were substantial farming people of Hanover, members of the Lutheran Church, and spent their lives there.  His father died at the age of eighty-one.  He had given three years to the military service of his empire.  Henry Steffens himself, after being reared and acquiring a common school education, served three years in the army of the empire during the Franco-Prussian war.  For a number of years he followed the sea as a mariner, and for several years after the Franco-Prussian war was on a government mail vessel between Bremen and New York City.  He saw service both on the Bremen and Donau steamships.      In 1874 Mr. Steffens, leaving the service of his native country, came to America and located at Napoleon.  Immediately after his arrival he married Miss Johanna Lindemann  She was born in Altenburg, Germany, Nov. 3, 1838, and she came to America on the same vessel and her prospective husband.  After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Steffens lived at Okolona, where he spent one year as a workman with the Wabash Railroad.  He then turned to farming, buying forty acres in section 24 of freedom Township.  For this land he paid $1,540.  After clearing it up and making many improvements, he bought twenty acres more.      Mrs. Steffens died on the old homestead in Freedom Township in November, 1914.  Both she and her husband were active members of the Lutheran Church.  Mr. Steffens now lives retired with his son, John H. Steffens at the home on North Ridge Road in Freedom Township.  He is still hale and hearty and has made his life count for a great deal.  Politically he is a democrat.      OF his children the first born, Henry, died in infancy.  John H., the oldest of the living children, was born May 21, 1876.  Henry and Minnie, twins, born Aug. 11, 1878.  Henry dying June 15, 1901, unmarried, while Minnie is the wife of Fred Meyers of Toledo and has a son, Ernest; Sophia born May 17, 1881, is the wife of Herman Twiefulof Napoleon, and they have a daughter, Edna.      John H. Steffens the oldest son of Henry Steffens, grew up in Freedom Township, received his education in the local schools and the high school at Ridgeville Corners, and since reaching manhood has applied himself industriously and successfully to the work of farming.  He is a thrifty and progressive citizen and in 1904 he located on his forty acre homestead in section 17 of Freedom Township.  He has his land well improved with large barns and he and his family enjoy the comforts of a substantial ten room house.  On Sept. 9, 1909, in the Lutheran Church of Williston, Ohio, he married Miss Caroline M. Oberhaus.  Mrs. Steffens was born in Allen Township of Ottawa County, Ohio, Sept. 22, 1879, was reared and educated there and in the Martin High School, and is a daughter of John and Eleanore (Hansen) Oberhaus.  Her father was born in Lucas County, Ohio, and her mother near Hamburg, Germany.  Her mother was eighteen years of age when she came to America.  Mr. and Mrs. Oberhaus became farmers in section 17 of Allen Township in Ottawa county, where her mother died Feb. 22, 1909, at the age of fifty-four.  Mr. Steffens' father is still living, making his home at Toledo, and is now eighty-two years of age.  He was a democrat and both parents were members of the Lutheran Church.  Mrs. Steffens' father lost his parents when he was only eight years of age.      Mr. and Mrs. John H. Steffens are the parents of two children:  Frederick, born in December, 1902, and now in the eighth grade of the public schools; and John F., born Jan. 7, 1904, and now in the fifty grade of the public schools.  They also have a foster daughter, Ella May Klein, who was born May 18, 1906. Source: History of Northwestern Ohio - Vol. II _ Publ. 1917 - Page 773

 

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