OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS

 

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Van Wert County,
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BIOGRAPHIES
Found in:
A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens : together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio.

Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1896, 1458 pgs.

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GEORGE JOSEPH EBLIN, M. D., one of the most talented physicians of Van Wert, Ohio, was born in Vevay, Switzerland county, Ind., Sept. 22, 1852.  His father, DAVID EBLIN, was  born in Virginia in 1806, and was quite a child when taken to Switzerland county, Ind., where he was educated in the pioneer schools and reared to manhood - his first business for himself being brick-laying and farming.  For some years later he was engaged in merchandising at Vevay, where he resided until 1882, and died while on a visit to Christiansburg, Ky., in the fall of 1882.  His marriage had taken place in Switzerland county, Ind., in 1830, to Miss Sarah Buchanan, and to this union were born eight children, viz: Sarah, deceased; James, Elizabeth, John Lawson, Nettie, Fletcher, deceased; George J. and Charles, deceased.  The mother, Mrs. Sarah Eblen, died in1858; she was a member of the Christian church, and was known as a lady of many admirable traits of mind and heart.  For his second wife, Mr. Eblen chose Mrs. Mary Sachwell, of Ghent, Ky., who bore him one child - LauraMr. Eblen was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as republican in politics and a man of considerable prominence in the community where he resided.
     George Joseph Eblen, at the age of ten years, abandoned the parental domicile, and sought a home with John B. Gordon, a farmer in Switzerland county, Ind., with whom he lived until nineteen years of age, attending in the meantime the district school and studying assiduously and profitably, so that, when at the age mentioned, he made application for a license to teach, and secured at the examination the best rating of any applicant in Switzerland county - that of ninety-three and a fraction.  He thus secured a license to teach for twenty-four months.  He next attended Bryant & Stratton's business collage at Louisville, Ky., for a year, graduated in 1873, and then taught a year in the same institution.  He was similarly employed a year in Hollingsworth & Johnson's business college in the same city; and then returned to Switzerland county, Ind., and taught school until 1875, when he attended a course of lectures at the Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, Ky.  Subsequently, he pursued his professional studies at Cross Plains, Ind., with Dr. J. M. Sweezy, for five years, teaching school in the interim, and then attending lectures at the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1880.  Dr. Eblen began the practice of his profession in the town of Shasta, Van Wert county, Ohio, and for six years met with marked success; in 1886, he effected a copartnership with Dr. W. H. Christopher, at Van Wert, for one year, and since then has been alone in the practice.
     Dr. Eblen's professional career presents a series of continued successes, and his reputation as a practioner is of the highest order of excellence.  He brought to the practice a mind well fortified with intellectual and professional training, and he possesses a presence and sympathetic nature which at once gains him the confidence of his patients, and skill mark him as a true friend of suffering humanity.  In the sick room he is a typical family physician, and his conscientious fidelity to duty and principle has won for him the love and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact as a medical advisor.  The doctor, while engaged in the general practice, makes a specialty of female and rectal diseases, and his reputation in the department of surgery is regarded as second to that of no other practitioner in the city of Van Wert.
     Dr. Eblen belongs to the Ohio State Eclectic Medical association, and in 1890 added to his professional knowledge by taking a post graduate course in the Polyclinic of New York city.  The doctor and commanding presence, both of which have contributed not a little to his professional success.  Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' orders, and also of the Royal Arcanum and National Union, and financially has been quite fortunate, owning valuable property in Van Wert and the city of Cincinnati.
     Dr. Eblen was united in marriage in Cincinnati, Dec. 7, 1881, with Miss Carrie Niles, of that city.  Mrs. Eblen is a native of Cincinnati, born Jan. 19, 1854, and is a lady of culture and refinement, moving in the best social circles of Van Wert.  The Eblen home on South Washington street is the abode of a genuine, open-hearted hospitality, and teh genial nature of the doctor, and the affable manners of his aimable lady, add new charms to the pleasant domicile.  Dr. and Mrs. Eblen belong to the Methodist church, being esteemed members of the Van Wert congregation.
~ Page 224

FRANK P. EDSON, eminent as an attorney of Van Wert was born in the city, Apr. 22, 1858, and is a son of George F. and Elizabeth (Slater) Edson, of whom a biographical sketch immediately precedes this notice.  Frank P. Edson attended the schools of his native city until he had attained the age of eighteen yeas, when he entered the Cincinnati Law school, from which he graduated with honors in 1881.  He immediately entered upon the practice of his profession in his native city, and assiduously followed it until 1888, making a decided mark through his abilities as a lawyer.  He then accepted the position of deputy county auditor under L. A. Harvey, the duties of which position he performed in a most satisfactory manner for six years, when he resumed the practice of law, having his office with H. G. Richie.  While in the auditor's office Mr. Edson went to Columbus and represented Van Wert county, before the state board of equalization, and succeeded in having the county assessment largely reduced  In 1892 he secured the passage of a bill through the state legislature, by which the money collected on the bonds of the county was transferred to the tax inquisitor, and thus saved the people of the county $32,000.  So efficient an diligent was he in the performance of his duties as deputy county auditor, that he received the nomination by the democrats for county auditor, in 1893, but the republican party was too powerful, and he met the general fate of his own party.
     Mr. Edson was happily married, in Van Wert, Feb. 22, 1893, to Miss Elizabeth Baird, who was born in Jennings township, Van Wert county, July 26, 1873, a daughter of Jesse Baird, a sketch of whose life will be found elsewhere in this volume; one child, Helen B., has blessed this union.  Mr. Edson is a knight templar Mason, and as a citizen is considered as progressive and useful, while his reputation as a lawyer is widespread and solid; his merit as a statesman is universally recognized, and there can be no doubt that he will frequently be charged with the best interests of his fellow-citizens in the offices of the highest responsibility.
~ Page 151

GEORGE FOX EDSON, deceased, was born July 28, 1827, in New York, a son of Hon. CHARLES P.. and Caroline Edson, and when a mere child in arms was brought by his parents to Portage county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood and learned the trade of a tinner.  In 1846, he accompanied his parents to Van Wert, where he followed his trade as an assistant until 1855, when he united with G. W. Day in the tinware and stove trade, the partnership lasting until 1861, when Mr. Edson withdrew from the firm and engaged in the livery business, and subsequently in various other vocations and lines of trade, being an energetic and enterprising man in all respects.  He was very popular as a citizen and equally popular as a democrat.  He served as deputy sheriff under Sheriff ____ and also under Sheriff Stith, in all four years; he was next route mail agent on the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago railroad, from Crestline, Ohio, to Chicago, Ill., for a year; was next deputy postmaster at Van Wert under Samuel Neel for two years.  He was an investigator of Spiritualism, and with his wife attended the services of the Spiritualists at their hall.  The marriage of Mr. Edson too place in Van Wert, Ohio, Mar. 29, 1857, to Miss Elizabeth Slater, who was born in Liberty township, Van Wert County, Ohio, Feb. 7, 1840, and who is a sister of Mrs. O. W. Rose, whose genealogy on another page will show that of Mrs. Edson, and to this union were born two children - Frank P. and Emma C.   Mrs. Elizabeth (Slater) Edson is a firm believer in Christian Spiritualism, is being developed in one of the many phases of mediumship, and takes an active part in the building up of the church and in the demonstration of the truth of its doctrines.  She enjoys the esteem of the community and has a pleasant home, comprising four acres, at the corner of Main and Burt streets.
     Hon. Charles P. Edson, father of the late George F. Edson, was born in Vermont, in 1809, and lived there until he was nineteen years of age, when he went to New York state and Shortly after came to this state.  After the usual course of reading, he was admitted to the bar in 1843.  After 1846 his permanent residence was in Van Wert.  He represented Van Wert and Mercer counties in the state assembly two terms, was appointed by Gov. Bishop to fill the probate judgeship of Van Wert county made vacant by the death of A. W. Baker, and filled other positions of honor and responsibility with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.  Aggressive in politics and firm in his convictions, he took an active interest in the democratic party, whose cause and principles he warmly espoused to his latest day.  His death occurred February 22, 1885, at the age of seventy-six years, one month and twenty days, and his remains were interred in Woodland cemetery..  Resolutions of respect and honor to his memory were passed by the members of the Bar Association of Van Wert on his demise, and his loss was deeply deplored by the entire community.
~ Page 150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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