BIOGRAPHIES

Source: 
Portrait and Biographical Record
of
Auglaize, Logan and Shelby Counties, Ohio.
containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens Together with
Biographies and Portraits of the Presidents of the United States. 
Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros.
1892
 

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	JOHN W. THATCHER, a prominent grain-buyer and lumberman at De Graff, Ohio, is a self-made man, and what he has accumulated in the way of this world's goods is the result of his own good fighting qualities.  He is possessed of unusually good judgment, excellent business acumen, and is one of the foremost business men of the county.  He was born in Greene County, Ohio, Nov. 29, 1841, and is the son of Absalom and Isabella (Hedges) Thatcher, natives of Virginia.  The father was of English-Irish, and the mother of English-German, extraction.      Absalom Thatcher followed the occupation of a farmer until 1831, when he came to Greene County.  He settled on the Little Miami River, a few miles from Xenia, and operated a sawmill, a very extensive one for the time, and continued this a number of years.  He also owned a stone quarry.  From there, he removed to Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio, and a short time later to St. Paris, of the same county, where his death occurred in 1851, when fifty-seven years of age.  He was a powerfully built man, stood six feet and one-half inches in his stockings, and weighed two hundred pounds.  He worked hard all his life and was a man of more than ordinary intelligence.  Six of the twelve children born to this worthy couple were reared to mature years and were named as follows: Samuel, Joseph, Lucinda, Jonathan, John W. and Henry C.      The original of this notice passed his boyhood days in Greene and Champaign Counties and was educated in the district and village schools, attending the same district school in Greene County as Whitelaw Reid, the famous editor of the New York Tribune and at present a candidate for the Vice-presidency of the United States on the Republican ticket.  He recalls many incidents of their boyhood days.  When nine years of age, our subject removed with his father to Urbana and there attended the public schools.  Later he attended the schools at St. Paris after locating there, and when sixteen years of age he worked one year at the plasterer's trade.  For some time after this, he worked at common labor on the farm and was nineteen years of age when the war broke out.  filled with a patriotic desire to aid his country's cause, he enlisted in May, 1861, in Company H, Twenty-sixth Ohio infantry, and served faithfully and valiantly for four years and six months.  He participated in the campaigns through  West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, and saw as much active service as any soldier in the army.  The first six months of his service were spent in West Virginia and then  he joined the Army of the Cumberland and served in the Twenty-first and fourth Corps until the close of the war.  He took an active part in a great many battles and skirmishes, the principal being Stone River, Chickamauga, Rocky-Faced Ridge, Resaca, Kenesaw, Atlanta, Jonesborough, Spring Hills, Franklin and Nashville.   He had many narrow escapes from being killed and taken prisoner, and has every reason to be proud of his war record, for no braver or truer solder trod the ground.  He was wounded twice at Stone River, once at Kenesaw Mountain and once at Chickamauga.  At the latter place, he was shot through the left arm near the elbow and was obliged to go to the hospital.  The surgeons had decided to amputate the arm and had the table prepared for that purpose, when our subject recovered consciousness and would not allow it.  He can now use that arm but has to be careful.      Much of the time our subject was detailed on scout duty, and while so engaged practiced a great deal of sharpshooting, being considered an expert.  At Kenesaw Mountain, he and a companion were sharpshooting quite a distance from the Union line, when a rebel squad got after them and our subject's companion was captured.  While running to get away, a shell burst above Mr. Thatcher's head and a piece struck him on the knee, felling him to the ground.  A rebel Major in hot pursuit came upon him and was about to take him a prisoner, when our subject gave a sudden spring and sought safety in a slough that was near.  The Union forces coming up saved him from being captured and from being confined in Libby Prison, of which he had so great a horror that he resolved to die rather than he captured.  About the close of the war, Mr. Thatcher's regiment was sent to New Orleans and across the Gulf to settle the trouble then rife in Texas, and he was mustered out at Victoria, that State, in October, 1865.      Returning home, our subject engaged in lumbering at Crayon?, Champaign County, Ohio, and in 1870, under the firm title of Thatcher Bros. & Co., he embarked in the sawmill and planing-mill business.  With the exception of a year or two, our subject continued at this until 1888, when he disposed of his interest and operated a lumber-yard, adding to that an elevator in July, 1889.  He handles a great deal of grain and is doing a rushing business.  He owns considerable town property, and owing to the fact that he only had $400 to start with at the close of the war, his success has been remarkable.  He was married first in 1866 to Miss Anna Neer, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, in 1839, and of the nine children born to them, seven grew to mature years and are named Alice, Cora (Mrs. Sullivan), Rosa (Mrs. P. S. Hudson), Zona, Minnie, James and Eva.  Mrs. Thatcher passed away on the 26th of June, 1882.  Mr. Thatcher's second marriage occurred in June, 1888, to Miss Minnie Neer, sister of his former wife, and they have one child, Maxie D.  Mr. Thatcher and wife and entire family are Methodists and Mr. Thatcher is Trustee in his church.  Although he takes an active interest in politics, he does not aspire to office, and his vote is ever cast with the Republican party.  He is a Mason and a member of the Grand Army Post at De Graff. Source:  Portrait and Biographical Record of Auglaize, Logan and Shelby Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 - Page 263
	DAVID THOMAS, retired business man and one of the representative citizens of Zanesfield, Jefferson Township, Logan county, Ohio, was born in Mt. Pleasant, Jefferson County, Ohio, on the 3d of April,1813.  His father, Jesse Thomas, was born in North Carolina, and was there reared to mature years and married.  At a very early date, he came to Ohio, in 1802, and located in the village of Mt. Pleasant, Jefferson Co., where he followed the saddler and harness maker's trade for a number of years, and resided there until his death, in 1847.  His father was Jesse Thomas, Sr. whose family originated in Wales.  The mother of our subject whose maiden name was A. Stanton, was a native of North Carolina, where she was reared, but her death occurred in the Buckeye State.  Mr. and Mrs. Thomas became the parents of nine children, or six sons and three daughters, all of whom grew up except one.  Only one beside our subject is now living, Ann Eliza, the widow of Joseph Robb, who is now living with our subject.      David Thomas was the seventh in order of birth and the fourth son of the above-mentioned children.  He was reared to manhood in his native town and received his scholastic advantages in the subscription schools of Mt. Pleasant, and in the district schools of Jefferson County.  He remained under the parental roof and assisted his father on the farm, the same adjoining the village of Mt. Pleasant, until 1848, when he came to Logan County.  After reaching this county, he made his home for many years with his brother Jonathan, who was engaged in general farming in Jefferson Township.  He has met with the best of success, and being an excellent manager and of superior business acumen, is considered one of the prominent moneyed men of the county, loaning large and small sums.      Mr. Thomas has made what he has by his own industry, has ever been enterprising and progressive, and is one of the most influential citizens of his vicinity.  To all enterprises of a laudable nature, he gives his hearty support, contributes liberally to churches, schools, etc., and is in every respect a most honorable and upright citizen.  Although well along in years, he still enjoys good health, and is as active and vigorous as most men of fifty.  His parents were Quakers in their religious views, and our subject has imbibed the same ideas.   He votes with the Republican party, and his first Presidential vote was for William Henry Harrison in 1840, but he is not an enthusiast in politics. He enjoys single blessedness and his only living sister is living with him. Source:  Portrait and Biographical Record of Auglaize, Logan and Shelby Counties, Ohio.  Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 - Page 282
Residence of S. B. Titus, Rush Creek Tp., Logan Co., O.	SAMUEL B. TITUS.  Among the worthiest of the representative agriculturists of Logan County, is Mr. Titus, who is the owner of two hundred and twenty-four acres of good land in Rush Creek Township, one hundred and fifty-three acres where he resides, and seventy-one acres one mile south.  He is a man of sterling character and reputation, and is universally respected.  The greater part of the farm is under cultivation and ears evidence of good management and scientific treatment.  His pleasant home is one mile northeast of Big Springs, and is a cozy and attractive place, a view of it being shown on another page.      Mr. Titus is a native of Warren County, N. J., born Nov. 15, 1825, and his father, John Titus, was a native of the same State, and followed the occupation of a farmer there until 1838, when he came direct to Logan County, Ohio.  Here he passed the remainder of his days.  He married Miss Anna Freeman also of New Jersey, and the fruits of this union were eleven children, seven of whom reached mature years.  Our subject's paternal grandfather, Andrew Titus, was a native of New Jersey, as was also the maternal grandfather, Henry Freeman both passing their entire days in that State.      The original of this notice was the third child in order of birth, and the second son born to his parents.  At an early age, he became familiar with the duties of the farm, and assisted his father in his native county until about 1838, when he came with his parents to Ohio.  In this State, he grew to manhood, and received his education in the district school.  When starting out to fight life's battles for himself, it was but natural that he should choose the occupation to which he been reared, farming, and this he has continued to follow with substantial results all his life.      Miss Sarah Rifenbery, whom Mr. Titus married in Rush Creek Township, Logan County, in 1850, was the daughter of Barny Rifenbery, a native of New Jersey.  The young couple began housekeeping in a log house, 18x20 feet, in Rush Creek Township, directly after marriage, and there resided until 1867, when they removed to the present commodious and substantial home occupied by our subject.  They worked hard to improve their place4, making all the improvements on it, and although they started with limited means, they worked their way up until they enjoyed a comfortable competency.  Mr. Titus had the great misfortune to lose his estimable wife in 1884.  She was the mother of three sons and one daughter: William, John, Henry and Carlila Ann the latter dying at the age of eight years.  The sons are married and have families.      Aside from his agricultural interests, Mr. Titus has been engaged in other enterprises and owned an interest in a large sawmill at Big Springs at one time.  He was also a mason by trade, and made many foundations, besides doing other work of like character in the country.  In politics, be is a strong advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and has always voted with that party since its organization.  He is one of the county's representative citizens, and is well liked by all. Source:  Portrait and Biographical Record of Auglaize, Logan and Shelby Counties, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 - Page 374

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