1875 Personal Histories
"Thanks to Kay Peters Oliver for her time in transcribing these Biographies".
Kay Peters Oliver e-mail at kayoliver@juno.com
Hon. JAMES H. SHERWOOD, son of Aaron and Maria (Yeomans) Sherwood, the former of Bridgeport, the latter of New York City, was born in Duchens County, New York, November 4, 1827. He was married in Bryan in 1861 to Semantha Yates, daughter of Wiliam Yates, one of the early pioneers of Williams County, Ohio. Mrs. Sherwood was born in Bryan. They have a family of six children ? Jennie, Walter A., Maria (deceased), Willie, Anna and Lulu. Mr. Sherwood settled in Fulton County in 1862. Mr. Sherwood had one brother, Isaac Sherwood, in the 111th Regiment O.V.I. in the war of 1861-5. He first served as colonel and afterward was breveted brigadier-general. Post-office Wauseon. Business, editor Northwestern Republican.
Hon. ALBERT B. SMITH was born in Trumbull County, Ohio July 15, 1849. His parents were Philander W. Smith born in New York in 1795 and died in 1861, and Martha A. (Freer) Smith of New York who died in 1868. Mr. Smith settled in Fulton County in 1859. He enlisted at Wauseon August 2, 1861 in Co. H, 100th Regt. O.V.I. (having served 3 months previous to this in the 14th Regt. O.V.I.). In September, 1861 he was promoted to first sergeant, in December, 1861 to second lieutenant, and again in February, 1863 to first lieutenant, in August following to captain Co. E., and immediately transferred to Co. H., and breveted major in June, 1865 and lieutenant-colonel in August following, which position he held when war closed. Post-office ? Wauseon, Business, associate editor Northwestern Republican.
L. G. ELY, (Layfayette Gilbert Ely) was born in Knox County, April 3, 1834. He was married in Fulton County November 12, 1857 to Sarah Masters, who was born in Marion County, Ohio August 1, 1837. They have a family of four children, Charles S. born March 7, 1859, Alice May, born February 19, 1864, Luella, born February 14, 1871, and George M., born August 2, 1873. George and Elizabeth (Folck) Ely, parents of L. G. Ely, were both natives of Pennsylvania. The former was born in 1812, the latter in 1816. They reside in Williams County, Ohio. The parents of Mrs. Ely are Ezekiel and Mary Masters, both deceased. They settled in Fulton County in 1845. Mr. Ely settled in Fulton County in 1858, has filled the office of justice of the peace twelve years previous to his election as county auditor, in which office he is now serving his third term. George W. Ely, brother of the subject of this sketch, belonged to Co. C. 100th Regt. O.V.I. in the late war of the rebellion. He enlisted in 1862 and was instantly killed in the battled of Atlanta, by a ball passing through the heart. Post-office West Unity. Business, County Auditor.
RICHARD TAYLOR was born in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, July 1, 1838, settled with his parents, Henry and Sarah (Comstock) Taylor, in Fulton County, Ohio in 1843. He was married at Ottokee June 13, 1863 to Celia B., daughter of Julius and Evaliza (Gordonier) Marsh, born in Lucas County, Ohio, October 16, 1847. Their children are Albert C., born April 1, 1869, Freddie E., born May 3, 1872. James Taylor, (deceased) brother of Richard, was in the war of 1861-5 one year. Mr. Taylor was elected county recorder in 1872. Post-office Wauseon. Business, County Recorder.
WILLIAM L. McMASTERS, with his parents, William and Joan (Miller)McMasters, of New York, settled in Fulton County, Ohio in 1852. He was born in Rochester, New York in 1850 and married in Delta in 1867 to Cecelia J. Rundell daughter of William and Miranda Rundell born in Seneca County, Ohio in 1849. They have one daughter, Elva. Mr. McMasters belonged to the 38th Regt. O.V.I. , in the war of 1861-5, served eighteen months and was discharged at the close of the war. Post-office, Delta. Business, restaurant and livery.
THOMAS HAM, son of John C. and Mary Ham, was born in Pennsylvania December 1, 1848. His wife, Lottie A. Scudder, was born in Pennsylvania in 1846. They have two sons, T. J. and Frank.
LUCIUS K. HAM, brother of Thomas H., was born in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1851. He married Ella D. Hewitt, daughter of Jasper H. and C. J. Hewitt, born in New York March 8, 1853. They have one son, Lewis H. Ham.
H. H. AND T. F. HAM, Attorneys and Real Estate Agents and Dealers, Wauseon, Ohio.
E. P. SMITH, Attorney, Notary Public and Claim Agent, Wauseon, Ohio.
W. W. TOUVELLE, Attorney at Law, Real Estate and Collection Agent, and General Law Business, Wauseon, Ohio.
HARVEY C. FRAKER, M. D., was born in Fulton County, Ohio October 11, 1850. He was married at Auburn Center, Crawford County, Ohio, August 5, 1873 to Ella, daughter of J. D. and Nancy Leonard who was born in Marietta, Ohio June 1, 1854. They have one son, George, born May 10, 1874. The parents of Mr. Fraker, William and Nancy (Kreutzer) Fraker, settled in Fulton County, Ohio in 1835. Post-office, Pettisville. Business, physician and druggist.
AMOS BROUGHTON, M. D., son of Gurdon N. and Mary (Miles) Broughton, the former of New York, the latter of Virginia, was born in Clark County, Ohio in 1830. He was married to Nancy White in 1849, daughter of Joshua and Mary (Neer) White, who died March 9, 1853. Mr. Broughton was married a second time to his present wife, Mary A. Blakely, in 1855. She was a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Wallace) Blakely, the former of whom was born in Ohio, and died in 1853. The latter was born in Pennsylvania. Dr. Broughton?s family is composed of eight children: Mary (deceased), Nancy, William M., Martha E. ((deceased), John, Jennie and Minnie. Mr. Broughton, having settled in Fulton County in 1866, has been a practicing physician in the county for ten years bringing with him the experience of fourteen years previous. Post-office, Pettisville. Business, physician and surgeon.
A. L. GRAY, was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, September 9, 1835. He was married in Auburn, Indiana, January, 1873, to Emaline Weyer, who was born in Stark County, July 2, 1845. They have one son, Charles S. Gray. Abram and Sarah (Holland) Gray, parents of the subject of this sketch, were born, the former in Ohio, the latter in Pennsylvania, and died in 1840 and 1871. Anthony and Susan (Guess) Weyer, parents of Mrs. Gray, were born in Stark County, Ohio and now reside in DeKalb County, Indiana. Mr. Gray settled in Fulton County in 1872. Post-office, Pettisville. Business, merchant.
WILLIAM FRAKER, son of Thomas and Rebecca (Nixon) Fraker who settled in Fulton County in 1835, was born in Ohio, January 19, 1822. He was married in Michigan, in 1849, to Nancy Ann Kreutzer, daughter of Isaac and Frances Kreutzer, of Pennsylvania, June 9, 1821. This was his second marriage. Mr. Fraker is the father of eight children: Mary and Lizzie by his first wife, Harvey C., Lucius B., Frances M., Elmer G., Martha R., and Josephine by his present wife. Post-office, Pettisville. Business, farmer, section 18.
WILLIAM MIKESELL, one of the pioneers of Fulton County, and the oldest living settler of Clinton Township, settled in Fulton County in 1837. He was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1810, and married to Margaret Bayes, in 1833, who was born in Pennsylvania, June 4, 1811, and died December 4, 1855. She was a daughter of Thomas and Anne (McMillen) Bayes, both natives of Pennsylvania, and who died in 1849 and 1830. Mr. Mikesell was married a second time in April, 1856, to Catharine Pfouts, daughter of Reuben and Ann Pfouts, who were also natives of Pennsylvania. She (Mrs. Mikesell) was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, September 17, 1813, and died December 26, 1869. Mr. Mikesell?s children are: Anna, born April 15, 1834, died June 7, 1834; John, born July 12, 1837, died in the army March 12, 1862; Thomas, born August 9, 1845, and David, born March 7, 1857. George and Mary (Bayes) Mikesell, parents of William Mikesell were born in Pennsylvania and died in 1840. Mr. Mikesell has been justice of the peace of Clinton Township. His two sons, John and Thomas, were in the war of the Rebellion, the former belonged to Company E., 68th Regiment O.V.I., and died of disease soon after the battle of Fort Donaldson; the latter enlisted in Company H., 86th Regiment O.V.I., in June, 1863, and was discharged in February, 1864. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, Farmer, section 14.
WILLIAM COUPLAND, son of Samuel and Margaret Winters of England, was born in Lincolnshire, England, September 10, 1811. He was married in Clarksville, Huron County, Ohio, June 3, 1862 to Fanny Amelia, daughter of Jacob and Maria King, of New York, who was born in Bronson, Huron County, in 1836. Their children are: Charles A., Milbert, Alice, May, Frederick, and Joseph who was a member of the 100th Regiment O.V.I. during the war of the Rebellion. He was taken prisoner and paroled and captured by Morgan?s raiders. He resides in Paulding County. Mr. Coupland landed in America in 1851 with fifteen cents in his pocket. He pawned his chest of clothes for seven dollars and fifty cents, and went to Hornsdale to work, and soon redeemed his chest and clothes. He settled in Fulton County in 1854. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, grocer and gardener.
WILLIAM LEE, son of David and Hannah (Vansickle) Lee, the former of Connecticut, the latter of New York, and who settled in Fulton County, in 1853 was born in Tompkins County, New York, March 16, 1832. He was married in Fulton County, Ohio, March 1, 1860 to Mary A., daughter of Jonah and Lydia Sams of Ohio born in Licking County, Ohio April 10, 1836. Their children are: Josephine, Chancey A., Clara, Lucy (deceased), James E., Martha, Ina (deceased), and Grace. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer section 15.
ISAIAH McCONKEY, and his wife, Meda J. (Beeby) McConkey, were born in Ohio, the former in Wayne County, May 14, 1845, the latter in Fulton County, January 6, 1847. They were married in Fulton County, in March, 1867. They have one son, Melvin W., born April 23, 1868. Mr. McConkey?s father, William was born in Ohio and his mother, Rachel, was born in Pennsylvania; the former died in 1853. Mrs. McConkey?s mother was Wealthy S. Newton of New York. Levi McConkey, brother of Isaiah, belonged to the 67th Regiment O.V.I. in the war of 1861-5. He was color bearer and the first man who planted the colors at Fort Gregg. Isaiah McConkey enlisted June 16, 1863 in Company H 86th Regiment O.V.I. and was discharged in August 1865. The brothers were at the surrender of Lee. Mr. McConkey settled in Fulton County in 1859. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer, section 10.
NATHANIEL GORSUCH, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, July 1, 1824. He was married in Holmes County in 1848 to Caroline, daughter of James and Phoeba Hanna who was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, October 25, 1826. Their children are: James A., born July 27, 1852; Thomas M., born February 21, 1854; Harvey H., born February 7, 1872; Nancy J., born August 1, 1865. Nathan and Elizabeth (Ayres) Gorsuch, parents of the subject of this sketch, were natives, the former of Pennsylvania, the latter of Ohio. Mr. Gorsuch died in 1873. They settled in Fulton County, in 1857. They had one son, Mordecai, in the Union army, who died at Libby Prison in 1863. Mr. Gorsuch settled in Fulton County, in 1848. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer, section 17.
SAMUEL ROBINSON, son of George and Sarah Robinson, of Ohio, was born in Wayne County, Ohio in 1836. He was married in Morenci, Michigan, in 1862, to Lucinda, daughter of Eli and Catherine Coch, born in Fulton County, in 1843. Their children are: Charlie L., Ebbie W., Minnie A., and Mertie. Mr. Robinson belonged to Company H 130th Regiment O.V.I. in the war of the Rebellion. He settled in Fulton County in 1861. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, faramer and carpenter, section 28.
CORNELIUS V. D. WORLEY, son of Peter and Jan (VanDyke) Worley of New Jersey was born in Somerset County, New Jersey March 9, 1809. He was married in the same state October 30, 1830 to Mary A., daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Nevins) Gulick, the former of New Jersey, the latter of Pennsylvania, born in Somerset County, New Jersey, May 20, 1812. Their family consists of eleven children: Jane, Jaco, Henry, Martin, Catharine, Sarah, Peter, Samuel A., John, George H., and Charles O. (deceased). Mr. Worley and four sons were in the Union army in the war of 1861-5. He belonged to the First U. S. Engineering Corps, and afterwards to the 61st and 144th Regiments, serving two and one-half years. Henry and Martin belonged to the 15th Regiment O.V.I. and Austin to the 13th Ohio Cavalry. Peter was shot at the battle of Atlanta. Mr. Worley?s grandfather, Cornelius VanDyke, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Mr. Worley settled in Fulton County, in 1865. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer, section 33.
CHARLES FRANCIS GREENOUGH was born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, July 29, 1849. He is the only son of Elbridge F. Greenough, born in New Hampshire, January 30, 1808 and died at Wauseon, May 31, 1875, and Elizabeth R. Eastman, born in New Hampshire in 1812 and died July 12, 1849. The former was mayor of Wauseon where he settled with his family in 1860. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, lawyer.
ELIZABETH (FISHBURN) MIKESELL is the widow of James W. Mikesell who died in the hospital at Nashville, Tennessee, July 18, 1864. He was a member of the 38th Regiment O.V.I. and settled in Fulton County in 1835. Mrs. Mikesell was born in Ohio in 1821 and married at Wauseon, July 22, 1841. James and Elizabeth Mikesell had a family of four children: Harvey (deceased), Alice (deceased), Nathaniel, who died in the army and Edward. Frederick and Catharine Fishburn of Pennsylvania, parents of Mrs. Mikesell, reside in Wayne County, Ohio. Mr. Mikesell was a son of George and Mary Mikesell. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer, section 21.
JOSEPH L. ROYCE, son of David and Arzuba (Lord) Royce, the former of New Hampshire, the latter of Connecticut, both of whom are deceased, was born in Lyme, Connecticut in 1809. He was married in Tecumseh, Michigan in 1842 to Marilla A. Clark, who was born in New York in 1825. They had four children: George L., Howard M., Edward W., and Fanny E. Mr. Royce was married a second time in March 1863, to Elizabeth Holbrook, born in New York in 1833. They have one son, Charles Sumner. George L. was a soldier in the war of 1861-5 and David Royce, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. R. settled in Fulton County in 1842. Post-office, Wauseon. Business, farmer, section 21.
