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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
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Welcome to Huron County, Ohio
BIOGRAPHIES |
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BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX > |
C. A. SCHEID.
A well improved and highly developed farm of one hundred and forty-acres,
situated in Sherman township, is the home of C. A. Scheid. His birth
occurred in February, 1867, and he has remained a resident of Sherman
township throughout his entire life. His parents, Jacob and Barbara (Bilstein)
Scheid, who were natives of Germany, became early settlers of Huron county,
Ohio. Their family numbered ten children, namely: William and
Elizabeth, both of whom are now deceased; Emma; C. A., of this review;
Henry; Minnie; George; John; Fred; and Albert.
C. A. Scheid attended the district schools until twelve
years of age and then became identified with general agricultural pursuits,
in which he has been successfully engaged to the present time. In 1906
he bought his present farm of one hundred and forty acres from his father
and has since been busily engaged in its operation, the well tilled fields
annually yielding golden harvests of grain. Everything about the place
indicates that he is in touch with the modern spirit of progress which is
manifest in agricultural lines.
On the 21st of
October, 1897, Mr. Scheid was united in marriage to
Miss Louisa Boehler, a daughter of William and Mary Boehler,
residents of Monroeville, Ohio. She was the eldest in a family of
eight children, her brothers and sisters being as follows:
Anna, who has passed away; August; Minnie, who is
likewise deceased; Amanda; Edith; Karl, and Elmer.
Mr. and Mrs. Scheid now have four children: Mabel,
who was born in 1897; Ada, whose birth occurred in 1899;
Marion, born in 1904 and Olive, in 1905.
Mr. Scheid gives his political support to the men and
measures of the republican party and has served as road supervisor, in which
position he proved a most capable and faithful incumbent. He and his
family are all members of the Lutheran church. His life has been one
of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor,
and today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his community.
His interests are thoroughly identified with those of Huron county and at
all times he is ready to lend his aid and cooperation to any movement
calculated to benefit this section of the country or advance its wonderful
development.
SOURCE #2 - History of Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A.
J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 -Page 14 |
PHILIP SEEL
was born November 24, 1843, on his father's farm in Nassan, Germany, and
received his elementary instruction in the public schools of the vicinity.
He afterward took a thorough course of study at a higher institution of
learning, and fitting himself for the position of civil engineer, followed
that profession for some time in his native land. In 1870, having
saved a good sum of money, he left Germany for America, embarking at
Hamburg, on the steamer "Harmonia" After landing in New York, he
pushed Westward to Ohio, and renting a place in Ridgefield township, Huron
county, commenced agricultural pursuits.
In 1871 he was united in marriage with Louisa, daughter
of Chris Knoll, who was a native of Germany and as an early settler of
Ridgefield Township, Huron County. After his marriage Philip Seel
purchased and moved upon a portion of the farm he now occupies, to which he
added year by year, and the place is now one of the most valuable in the
township. It is adorned with all modern improvements including a
commodious brick residence, and other substantial buildings.
Politically Mr. Seel is a Republican, and has served in various local
offices, having been a school director for seventeen years. The family
are all members of the Lutheran Church, and enjoy the esteem of all who know
them. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Seel, as
follows: Otto W., Amelia, Lydia, and a daughter that died in infancy.
Since the above was written Mr. Philip Seel died November 24, 1892, on
his forty-ninth birthday. |
GEORGE SHEFFIELD,
formerly of New London, Conn., was born April 4, 1786. In the summer
of 1809 he came on horseback to Ohio as far as the month of the Huron river,
returning the same way the following autumn.
He followed his trade (shipbuilding) till the beginning
of the war of 1812. When the British frigate "Macedonia" was captured
by Commodore Decatur, Mr. Sheffield was a member of the Home Guards.
Early in the winter of 1813 he married Betsey, daughter of the late
Abishai Woodward, of New London, and on November 18, 1814, a son,
George Woodward, was born. In June, 1816, George Sheffield
left Connecticut with his wife and son in a one-horse chaise, his brother,
J. B. Sheffield, boy, Orrin Harris, and man with team
following. At Dunkirk, N. Y., the family boarded a schooner, and after
an uneventful voyage landed at Huron, Ohio, some time in the following
August. On his land on the west bank of Old Woman creek he built a log
house, where the daughter, Betsey, was born in September. Soon
after, the place being very unhealthy, the family moved to Huron, where
Mrs. Sheffield died on the 18th of the following November. The
next spring Mr. Sheffield moved to Lyme township, where he, was his
brothers-in-law, William and Gurdon Woodward, kept bachelors' hall
for two years, during which time they were preparing separate homes.
In 1819 Mr. Sheffield, for his second wife, married Thurza Baker,
daughter of John Baker of Strong's Ridge. In 1820 he was
elected to the office of justice of the peace. In February, 1822, his
house was burned, and in it his little daughter, Betsey, and the boy,
Orrin Harris, together with all the household goods. His
neighbors gave him all assistance within their power. About 1823
Mr. Sheffield sold his land in Eldridge township (now Berlin) to
Daniel Benschooter. In 1825 or 1826 he was appointed to appraise
the "Firelands" for taxation. In the autumn of 1831 he was elected
treasurer of Huron county, moving to Norwalk, and he served in that capacity
until his death. On August 20, 1834, Mrs. Sheffield was
seized with cholera, and died that night; Mr. Sheffield was taken
with the same disease, and died on the 23rd - three days later. There
were five children of the second marriage, viz.: James King, who died
at the age of four; Betsey; James Frederick; Sarah T. and
Edward.
On June 14, 1846, George Woodward Sheffield
married Lucy, daughter of Gurdon and Mary S. Woodward, of
which union there were seven children, viz.: Mary, who married
Henry G. Bramwell, formerly of Bellevue (they now live in Lincoln,
Ill.); George, who died in 1884 (he married Mary Gertrude,
daughter of the late Judge Joel Parker, of Cambridge, Mass.);
Rachel, deceased in 1885; Julia, married to Ezra R. Oliver,
of Norwalk; James, married to Fannie A., daughter of
Samuel Bemiss, of Strong's Ridge; and Lucy and Gurdon, the
latter of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Sheffield died in 1865.
Mr. Sheffield still lives upon his farm two miles south of Bellevue,
on the Western boundary of the "Firelands." |
MRS. AMANDA J.
SKILTON, a well known and highly esteemed resident of Ridgefield
township, making her home on her farm of sixty-five acres, was born at
Galion, Crawford county, Ohio, her parents being John S. and
Catharine (Neff) Davis. The family is an old one in this
country, several representatives of the name having participated in the
Revolutionary war. The place on which Mrs. Skilton
lives is a portion of the original farm belonging to her great-grandfather,
John Sowers, who owned seven hundred acres of land.
The grandfather, John Sowers, was an early settler of Huron
county, coming her in 1814. John S. Davis, the father
of Mrs. Skilton, was born in Maryland in 1808 and passed
away in the year 1888. His wife, whose birth occurred in Franklin
county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, was called to her final rest in 1890.
Their family numbered four children, namely: John S. Jr.,
who is now deceased; Amanda J., of this review; Kittie Belle,
who has also passed away; and Mary E., who gave her hand in
marriage to Thomas Latham and now resides in Monroeville,
Ohio.
In 1865, at Galion, Ohio, Amanda
J. Davis was united in marriage to Alva S. Skilton,
a son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Wilson) Skilton, of Ravenna,
Ohio. At the time of the Civil war Alva S. Skilton
enlisted for service in the union army, returning home at the end of his
three months' term. A short time afterward he reenlisted and was soon
made captain of Company I, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He
underwent all of the hardships, privations and dangers incident to the life
of a soldier, participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and
was also a prisoner for a time. At the battle of Pittsburg Landing he
received a wound and was sent home to recuperate, again joining the army
when his health had been restored. He was captured at Atlanta and was
on his way to be exchanged as a prisoner of war when the news of Lincoln's
assassination was received. When hostilities had ceased and the
supremacy of the Union had been established he returned to Galion and in
1866 came to Monroeville, Ohio, where he became engaged in the grain
business and conducted an elevator. For a number of years he was also
an engineer on the Big Four Railroad and was widely recognized as a most
substantial, progressive and respected citizen of his community. His
political allegiance was given to the republican party, while his religious
faith was indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church, in which he
served as junior warden. He attained the Knight Templar degree in
Masonry and organized the G. A. R. post at Monroeville, of which he was the
first commander. His death occurred July 27, 1887.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Skilton were born four children.
John D., living in Cheshire, Connecticut, wedded
Miss Ida Beistle, of Pennsylvania, by whom he had three children:
Henry A.; Jane D., who is deceased; and John D.
He is a graduate of the public schools of Monroeville, the Kenyon College
and also of Divinity School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and for a number
of years was assistant rector to Dr. Bates of St. Paul's
church at Cleveland. Later he was assistant rector at the American
church at Nice, France, but is now headmaster of the schools of Cheshire,
Connecticut. Elizabeth, the second child of
Mr. and Mrs. Skilton, attended Oberlin College and now makes her
home with her mother. Mary Grace, who obtained her
education in the schools of Gambier, gave her hand in marriage to
Clarence L. Powley and resides at Monroeville.
Catharine, the youngest member of the family, who likewise acquired
her education at Gambier, lives with her mother.
The different members of the family belong to the Episcopal church, in the
work of which they are deeply and helpfully interested. Mrs.
Skilton and two of her daughters live in a commodious and
attractive brick residence on her farm of sixty-five acres in Ridgefield
township and the place is lacking in none of the equipments and accessories
of a model farming property of the twentieth century. She has an
extensive circle of friends throughout the community where she has now long
resided, her many good traits of heart and mind having endeared her to all
with whom she has come in contact.
SOURCE #2 - History of Huron County,
Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publ. Co. -
1909 - Page 13 |
RICHARD T. SLATER is a
wide-awake and enterprising farmer, owning and operated a tract of land of
fifty acres in Hartland township. His birth occurred in North
Fairfield, Huron county, Ohio, on the 17th of August, 1857, his parents
being Jack and Isabelle (Crow) Slater, the former a native of
Connecticut and the latter of Quebec, Canada. The Slaters are
of English lineage but have been represented in this country ever since the
arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, one of the ancestors coming over on the
Mayflower. John Slater, the father of our subject, was a
blacksmith by trade and for many years worked at that occupation in North
Fairfield. He was fifty-two years of age when he enlisted as a soldier
of the Union army, becoming a member of Company B, One Hundred and
Twenty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for
three years. He was twice captured by the enemy and was incarcerated
in Andersonville prison and also at Belle Isle, being eventually exchanged
in both cases. His demise occurred in 1887, when he had attained the
ripe old age of seventy-seven years, and his remains were interred in the
North Fairfield cemetery. His wife, surviving him for more than two
decades, and called to her final rest on the 28th of September, 1908, and
lies buried at New Buffalo, Michigan.
Richard T. Slater obtained his education in the
schools of his native town and was employed at farm work as soon as his age
and strength permitted. He was married when about twenty-three years
of age and then carried on general agricultural pursuits in Fairfield
township for a number of years, while later he spent seven years in
Greenwich township, devoting his time and energies to the work of farm of
fifty acres which has since remained his place of residence. It is a
well improved and valuable property and the rich and fertile soil responds
to cultivation in bountiful harvests.
On the 30th of May, 1880, Mr. Slater was united
in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Odel a daughter of William and Rachel
(Phillip) Odel, both of whom are natives of this county and now make
their home in North Fairfield. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Slater have
been born two children: Burt A., who is married and resides in Laport
county, Indiana; and Blanche B., the wife of Horace Davis, who
follows farming in Hartland township.
Mr. Slater has always supported the men and
measures of the democracy and is now serving for the fourth year as township
trustee, while he has also been a member of the school board, maintaining a
deep interests in the progress of public education. His cooperation and aid
can always be counted upon to further any movement instituted to advance the
general welfare and he is widely recognized as a most progressive, loyal and
public-spirited citizen. Both he and his wife are highly esteemed
throughout the county in which they have spent their entire lives, having
won the kindly regard and friendship of all with whom they have been
associated. |
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FRANK J. SMITH,
who is a son of Frank and grandson of Joseph Smith, natives of Baden,
Germany, was born in Peru township, Huron Co., Ohio. Frank Smith,
father of subject, when a young man left his native land in 1829,
accompanied by his brother Joseph and they landed in the United States.
Shortly after the brothers came to Massachusetts, while there concluded to
seek a home in the newer country beyond the Alleghany mountains. They
wrote to the father in Baden, telling him of their intentions, and asking
him to take his family to New York.
In 1832 the entire family met in that city, and without
delay traveled westward via the Hudson river and Erie Canal. Halting
at Cleveland, Ohio, they found that land could be purchased there at eight
dollars per acre, but learning that better land at lower prices, could be
had farther west, they set out on the journey which ended in Peru township,
Huron Co., Ohio.
The incident which urged them to locate here was a
common one in the history of the settlement of the western States.
Halting at a spring to drink, they found the water exceptionally cool and
clear, the land in the vicinity good, and the location on the ridge, between
the sources of the Huron rivers, favorable to health and industry. The
physical features of the country corresponded with their correct ideas of
agriculture, and they delayed not in obtaining a title to the land.
They immediately erected a frame building on the west side of the road
leading southwest from Monroeville, and there they resided until the death
of Joseph Smith (grandfatehr of subject) and his widow.
Frank Smith, son of Joseph Smith,
purchased a tract of land from his father paying six dollars per acre for
same. He married Miss Generosa Ott, and to this union the
following named children were born: Caroline, who died when
thirty years old; a son who died in infancy; Frank J., the subject of
this sketch; John J., a resident of Bronson township; Charles S.,
of Peru township; Alvin P., of Fremont, Ohio; Joseph S., of
Peru township, and Edward, who died in 1884. Frank
Smith, Sr., was a hardworking, intelligent agriculturist, and a man of
fine moral ideas. He died in 1872. His widow, a kind,
wholesouled woman, died in 1888, in the midst of her children, who merited
and won success. Both were interred in St. Alphonsus cemetery. Mr.
Smith was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, in which he served
as trustee and in various other positions. In politics he was a
Democrat, adn from 1832 to 1872 took an active interest in national, State
and local issues, and filled many township positions.
Frank J. Smith, son of Frank and Generosa (Ott)
Smith, was born March 3, 1840, in Peru township, and received such an
education as the schools of the district afforded. Being the eldest
son of a pioneer family, no small share of work had to be done by him; but
with all this he filled the double role of pupil and farm hand without
complaining. He labored on the homestead farm until 1867, when he
married Susannah Scharf, a native of New Washington, Crawford Co.,
Ohio. This married was blessed with the following named children:
Frank W. (of California), Mary C., Louisa C., Peter, Julia (a
teacher in the convent), Alfred, William, Henry, Jacob, John, Carl,
Theresa and Hattie, all residing at home. The parents and
their children are all members of the catholic Congregation of St. Alphonsus,
to which faith their ancestors have adhered almost since the Romans named
the cradle of the family in Europe - "Civitas Aurelia Aquensis." In
politics Mr. Smith is a Democrat, but beyond matters relating to his
township and county, is content with the constitutional right to vote.
He devotes close attention to his agricultural and stock growing interests,
and is considered one of the most industrious citizens and one of the most
systematic and intelligent farmers of thsi rich pastoral district. He
is prominent among the people of German descent, and his example and counsel
are appreciated by all within the circle of his acquaintance. |
WILLIAM T. SMITH,
one of the leading farmers of Greenwich township, and the most popular
of all the old residents, was born June 17, 1823, in Cayuga county, New
York.
Willis R. Smith, his father, was the son of
Daniel Smith, of Westchester county, N. Y., and himself was a native of
that county. When a young man he married Ann Underhill, also a
native of Westchester, and shortly after marriage removed to Cayuga county,
N. Y., There the following named children were born to them: Alfred,
who died in his twelfth year at Huron county, Ohio; Phoebe, never
married, who died when fifty years old; Daniel, a farmer of Greenwich
township, died here, aged sixty-five; Amelia, residing in Greenwich
township; and William T., the subject of this sketch. On May 6,
1824, Mr. Smith and his family arrived in Greenwich township.
He had been a school teacher in New York, where he graduated from college,
which profession he followed after settling here, and from his small
earnings saved enough to purchase one hundred acres of land. The
condition of his health permitted him to do but little work on the farm, and
this resulted in his giving closer attention to school interests.
Satisfactory to himself, his services were most beneficial to the community,
for boys who became distinguished men received their lessons in reading,
arithmetic and penmanship from this pioneer teacher. In Huron county
an addition of three children was made to the family: Sarah,
living in Greenwich township; Mary, wife of Edward Golden, of
Ripley township, and Ann, residing in her native township. The
father died on the original farm in 1871, the mother in 1874. They
were members of the Friends Church in which Mr. Smith was a minister,
and they were buried in the Friends cemetery. He was a mathematician
of some note, and was as well educated as any of his contemporaries in the
county.
William T. Smith was less than eleven months old
when his parents brought him to Huron county. He received an
elementary education here, and at the age of twenty-two years began the
carpenter's trade under Marvin Atwater. Subsequently the
relation between employer and employe was reversed, and the former employer
became an employe of Mr. Smith. In 1855 Wm. T. Smith
married Asenath Rosco, who was born in 1831 in Greenwich township,
and to them came the following named children: Charity, wife of
Wm. A. White, of Colfax, Wash.; Celia, a recorded minister of
Friends living in Dodson, Ohio, wife of Eugene P. Rollman; Yatia?,
who died December 3, 1890, at Colfax, Wash., where she was teaching school,
and was buried in the Friends cemetery in Greenwich township; Alva R.,
residing in Nebraska; Willis J., a farmer of Greenwich township;
Huron county; Linna, residing at home, and baby Garland, who
died July 2, 1874.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Smith, located on
the present farm, which was purchased with money saved from Mr. Smith's
earnings. For over forty years he has followed agriculture in
connection with the carpenter's trade. In 1889, he set out on a
western tour, going by the Northern Pacific route, and returning by the
Union Pacific Railroad, making short stays in the cities along each route,
and on the Pacific slope. In 1892 he undertook an eastern trip, but
the condition of his health urged him to return shortly after his arrival in
New York City. His trade has proven very useful in the successful life
of this pioneer, for his residence and large barn are specimens of his own
work. Out of the wilderness he carved a fine farm, and placed thereon
costly improvements. Politically he is a Prohibitionist, having left
the Republican party. He took an earnest, active part in the
Prohibition movement, and yet devotes considerable attention toward
developing the idea. The family, religiously, are all members of the
Friends Church. (Since the above was written, William T. SMith,
at the age of sixty-nine years ten months twenty-three days, passed from
earth May 10, 1893, after a short sickness, the immediate cause of his death
being dropsy of the heart. Although his sufferings were intense, yet
he was always cheerful, and often spoke edifying words about heaven to the
many who came to see him. He dearly loved his family; yet toward the
last he had intense longing to depart and be with Christ. The morning
he died, he took his wife by the hand, and sweetly commended her and the
children into the loving care of the Heavenly Father. He was buried in
the Friends cemetery. |
MRS. ANNIE M.
STENTZ. Analyzation of character is perhaps the most difficult
task that ever confronts the historian, so complex are the interests that
enter in and so diversified are the forces which have influence upon the
individual. It would seem almost impossible to point out the salient
factors in the life of Mrs. Annie M. Stentz, for hers is a well
rounded life in which notable business ability, broad humanitarianism,
kindly spirit and liberal culture are well balanced forces. She is
probably without exception the most prominent and best known woman in Huron
county and has had the notable distinction of being the only woman national
bank president in the United States.
A native of Ashland county, Ohio, her birth occurred in
Mifflin township, March 31, 1846, her parents being Benjamin and Annie
(Albert) Newcomer, both of whom were natives of Monroeville, Huron
county, since 1863, and on the 4th of October, 1872, she gave her hand in
marriage to Orren W. Head, a native of Paris, Oneida county, New
York, born in May, 1808. His parents were Jonathan and
Hepzibah (Livermore) Head, natives of Rhode Island and New Hampshire,
respectively, Orren W. Head, was reared to farm life and was
educated in the subscription schools of the neighborhood. In 1836 he
wedded Julia Crane of Marchall, Oneida county, New York, and unto
them were born three sons and two daughters, but the latter are now
deceased. In 1842, Mr. Head and his family became residents of
Ridgefield township, Huron county, where he purchased four hundred and
twenty acres of land, the greater part of which was formerly the Sours
farm. As the years passed he kept his land well improved and
cultivated, bringing the fields under a high state of development so that
rich crops were annually harvested. In 1857 he erected what is now
known as the Davis block in Monroeville, where he conducted a banking
business for a number of years, the enterprise being first conducted as the
Perkin & Head Exchange Bank. Following the death of the
senior partner it became known as the O. W. Head Exchange Bank and
was so maintained until 1863, when Mr. Head sold out to S. V.
Harkness. He always conducted a private banking business and
through his careful and wise management accumulated a goodly fortune, while
the integrity of his business methods won him the high regard of all.
One of the founders of the Monroeville National Bank, he served as its
president from the time of its inception until his death, which occurred
October 2, 1882. Mr. Head was honored for his loyalty to his
friends, for his public spirited devotion to the general good and his
support of all projects for the intellectual and moral uplift of the
community. He assisted more men in their hour of need to secure homes
than any other one citizen in the county, and the spirit of friendless thus
manifested won for him an almost limitless circle of friends.
It was upon the death of Mr. Head that his
widow, now Mrs. Stentz, gave evidence of her superior business
qualifications. Assuming the management of the estate she soon
brought order out of chaos in a manner that at once stamped her as one of
the most capable of modern business women. She received a goodly
inheritance from her husband and, possessing a fondness for business
management, controlled her affairs with rare skill and discrimination.
One of her favorite investments was a stock of the First National Bank of
Monroeville, and in the course of time she and Henry P. Stentz became
the largest stockholders. Their marriage, which occurred April 15,
1901, brought about a transfusion of interests which gave them control of
the corporation.
Henry P. Stentz, up to the time of his death the
president of the First National Bank, will prominent in the array of leading
financiers and capitalists of Monroeville and Ohio. He was always a
builder and not a wrecker of fortunes, his work being along constructive
lines and of a character that contributed to general success as well as to
individual prosperity. There was no name more honored or respected
throughout Huron county than that of Henry P. Stentz, who was
richly endowed with all those qualities which constituted good citizenship
and honorable manhood. He was born in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Feb.
26, 1838, and was descended from German ancestry, from whom he inherited his
characteristic energy, good judgment and other business qualities that made
him the successful financier he proved himself to be. His parents were
Peter and Catherine (Keller) Stentz, natives of Pennsylvania, who
removed to Huron county, Ohio, in 1840. After a brief period they
established their home in Plymouth, Crawford county, to which place the
removed in 1853.
Henry P. Stentz acquired is education in the
Union schools of Plymouth and crossed the threshold of business life as an
employe of A. Atwood, a merchant and baker of that place. He
gave unfaltering loyalty to his employer and manifested unremitting
diligence in the discharge of the duties that devolved upon him. His
remuneration at the outset was only eight dollars per month, but he
gradually worked his way upward, winning the confidence and good will of his
employer by his diligence, enterprise and trustworthiness. He remained
with Mr. Atwood until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when he
launched out upon an independent business venture, speculating in several
articles of merchandise, including cotton, hemp, sugar and molasses.
This caused him to travel largely in the south and while he did not meet
with very substantial success in the undertaking, owing doubtless to the
condition of the markets in those feverish times, he yet gained broad
experience that proved an excellent stock in trade for future business
development.
Following the close of the war Mr. Stentz
retired from the field of speculation and in 1866 accepted a casher ship in
the Exchange Bank of Monroeville as successor to S. V. Harkness.
In 1879 this bank was organized as the First National Bank of Monroeville,
with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, Mr. Stentz continuing as
cashier until 1889, when he was promoted to the presidency. He also
organized the First National Bank of Galion, Ohio, one of the first
institutions of the kind established under the new regime and he was
subsequently one of the promoters and organizers of the National Bank of
Plymouth. He manifested the keenest discernment in the solution of
intricate financial problems and in connection with his banking interests he
developed a safe and conservative business policy which made his among the
strongest financial enterprises of this part of the state. Realizing
that realty is one of the safest of all investments, he made judicious
purchases of property, particularly fine farming land in the vicinity of
Monroeville, and ultimately became the owner of one thousand and five acres.
Mr. Stentz never selfishly hoarded his wealth
but was a generous contributor to many institutions and movements which were
based upon humanitarian principles. Although he did not hold
membership with any religious denomination, he attended and generously
supported the Presbyterian church at Monroeville. His record furnishes
a notable example of what may be accomplished by a conservative,
enterprising business man. Assuming the responsibilities of a bank
cashiership when twenty-eight years of age, through his close application to
every duty and his thorough understanding of the business in principle and
detail he widely promoted its growth and extended its business connections.
Following methods which neither sought nor required disguise, he furnished
an example of honorable endeavor that is indeed well worthy of emulation.
Mr. Stentz not only succeeded in elevating the Monroeville Exchange
Bank to the highest point of excellence attained by any institution of the
kind in Huron county, but in order that its interests might be extended he
succeeded in having it reorganized as a national bank and under his capable
control it was made to rank with the soundest and best managed banks of
northern Ohio.
The Monroeville Weekly Spectator, during the wild
financial panic that occurred in the summer of 1893, said: "During a
commercial crisis like that through which we are now passing, when doubt and
distrust are apparent on every hand, there is sweet consolation in the
thought that the solvency of our own home bank is unquestioned. While
hundreds of similar institutions throughout the length and breadth of the
land are forced into suspension or failure, because of the existing lack of
confidence, the First National Bank of Monroeville stands and will stand a
monument of integrity, judgment and fidelity to the efficient management it
has ever enjoyed and which today is identical with that under which it began
its career over twenty-seven years ago. The present crisis finds it in
better condition than ever before to cope with panical problems and it will
speedily and satisfactorily solve all that are presented provided they
legitimately come within the sphere of its action. Mr. Stentz
has been the moving spirit, the power behind the throne, the manager from
the organization to the present time, and to his efforts are chiefly
attributable the long continued prosperity and substantial growth that have
characterized the bank's career and the enviable reputation, standing and
confidence which it now enjoys."
The death of Mr. Stentz occurred in Monroeville,
June 9, 1903, after an illness of six weeks. He had been called one of
nature's noblemen and was a man honored by young and old, rich and poor.
One of the local papers said of him: "Mr. Stentz never aspired
to official honors, but when in 1901 Governor Nash honored him with
the appointment of trustee of the State Hospital at Toledo he accepted.
As an officer he was painstaking, prompt and accurate in duty, accommodating
to those for whom he transacted business and urbane to all with whom he ad
to deal. His business judgment was sought and relied upon. He
was always cautious in advancing an opinion, all the consequences of which
he could not forecast with reasonable certainty. There were traits of
character in H. P. Stentz that should be mentioned not only to his
individual credit but to the honor of mankind. He was always courteous
and full of genial qualities which attracted others to him, and which will
make his loss sorely felt." Without making professions of exalted
goodness, he was just to his enemies, charitable to his associates and full
of sympathy and devotion to his friends. His funeral was one of the
largest ever held in Monroeville, many coming from distant points to pay the
last tribute of honor and respect to one whom they had long known and
honored, while the entire town regretted his loss as a personal bereavement,
so closely was he associated with the life and interests of the community.
Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Stentz
took up the burden of the business affairs. The control fo the bank
stock passed to her and she was immediately made president of the
institution. This was a rare distinction, as she was the only lady
president of a national bank in the United States. Her advent was
heralded by all financial and daily papers over the country. She
insisted on conducting the business in a thorough, businesslike manner and
soon found favor with patrons and stockholders of the bank alike. The
first National under her control became recognized as a safe, sound and
prosperous concern. Not contented with her interests in that
direction, Mrs. Stentz soon turned her attention to traction
interests and now owns and controls the Sandusky, Norwalk & Mansfield
electric line between Norwalk and Shelby, Ohio. This is one of her
best investments and she is the vice president and a director of the
company. She also has many other important business interests which
engage her wise sagacity and untiring enterprise. She is the vice
president of the Hull-Stentz Realty Company, of Toledo, and
numerous other concerns and corporations. She is entirely fearless in
all of her business operations, entering upon large deals with intrepidity
and confidence. Her insight is most keen, her judgment seldom if ever
at fault.
Notwithstanding all this Mrs. Stentz is
essentially feminine and domestic in her taste, spending a great deal of her
time in her beautiful country home on the Monroeville road between Norwalk
and Monroeville. Her charities are many and she contributes to
churches and benevolent organizations most generously, yet she never gives
with ostentation or display. She has undoubtedly given as much for
such causes as any other person in the county. One of her gifts, for
which she will never cease to be remembered, was that of a handsome monument
erected in honor of the soldiers and sailors of Ridgefield. In 1901
Rev. Charles S. Aves started a movement for raising a fund for the
purpose, his plans being to take up a collection each Memorial day until a
sufficient amount was secured, but in two years only eighty-seven dollars
had been received. Mrs. Annie M. Stentz afterward announced her
determination to erect the monument to perpetuate the memory of the brave
boys in blue. The contract was awarded, the work was executed and on
the 29th of September, 1904, she unveiled the monument and presented it as a
gift to the city. It was made a gala day in the history of
Monroeville. On that occasion there was witnessed the largest
procession ever known in the town and with appropriate music and addresses
the occasion was made one never to be forgotten by any who were present.
Mrs. Stentz is ever ready to extend a helping hand to the poor and
needy and yet she does not believe in that indiscriminate giving which
fosters vagrancy or idleness. Her charities are broad and practical,
and her influence on the business life of the community has been essentially
along constructive lines. Recognized as the equal in ability of the
men who are most prominent in the commercial and financial circles of Huron
county, she is at the same time lacking in none of those social graces which
make her a most charming hostess and valued companion in social functions. |
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