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wife preceded him to her final rest several years, her death occurring June 29, 1859. Mr. and Mrs. T. were faithful members of the M. E. Church, and their lives were examples of Christian piety and virtue; nine children, four sons and five daughters were born to them, all of whom are still living. Our subject's youthful days were passed upon the farm; at the age of 18, he was apprenticed to the "cabinet trade," and served a term of two years; he then engaged at journey-work in Richmond, Ind., for a period of five years; at the end of this time, he purchased a cabinet-shop in Palestine, which he controlled about one year and disposed of it, moving to the place where he now resides. He was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Berry April 29, 1855; she was born in Hamilton, Butler Co., Jan. 15, 1837, and came to this county with her parents in 1838, locating where she now lives, in Sec. 32; her father, Thomas Berry, was a native of Virginia, and emigrated to this State when a young man; he was married to Betsey Randolph, a native of Butler Co., Ohio; his death occurred Sept. 8, 1839; his wife survived him till Aug. 4, 1851, when her death occurred; she had previously united in marriage with Mr. William Freeman; Mr. and Mrs. Berry were both zealous members of the M. E. Church, and passed peacefully to rest when their life's work was ended, lamented by all who knew them. Mr. Thomas is one of those who left the comforts of home and endured the perils of the battle-field for the preservation of the Union; he enlisted in the Eighth Ohio Battery early in the spring of 1864. and participated in the battles of Black River Bridge and Yazoo City; he was honorably discharged with the regiment at Camp Dennison, Aug. 5, 1865; in politics, Mr. Thomas is a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are the parents of ten children, three of whom died when quite young; two sons and five daughters are still living; one daughter, Ellen, was united in marriage, Nov. 8, 1877, with G. W. Hill, son of H. L. Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are consistent members of the M. E. Church. Charles W. Thomas was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Fort Meigs most of the time during the period of his service.

WILLIAM WADE, farmer; P. O. German, Ohio. William Wade, one of the few remaining early pioneers of this county, was born Nov. 9, 1818, on the southeast quarter of Sec. 13, in Harrison Township, where the south part of New Madison now stands; he is of English descent, and the son of William Wade, Sr., who was born in Maryland; he emigrated to Ohio previous to the war of 1812, and located first in Preble Co., and from there he went to Harrison Township in 1818, settling on the place on which our subject was born; he then constituted one of the first settlers in that township; he departed this life at the age of 61 years, his wife surviving him several years, when her death occurred in Wayne Co., Ind. Both were buried in the cemetery at New Madison. Our subject's boyhood days did not differ much from those of most of the pioneer boys; he shared in the trials and difficulties incident to frontier life; his father being an invalid. the management of the farm early fell to his charge; this duty he discharged successfully until he reached the age of 24. The meagerness of educational advanta ges at that day, together with the duties of the farin, which early devolved upon him, rendered his education, so far as books were concerned, much limited; just previous to leaving the homestead, July 23, 1842, he celebrated his marriage with Miss Susannah Ross; she is the daughter of Nathaniel Ross, one of the early pioneers of the township; he settled here February, 1819, and in the following August, Mrs. Wade was born; she has witnessed all the changes in this section of country, from the thickets of the forest to the waving grain-fields of to-day. Soon after Mr. Ward's marriage, he moved to Neave Township, locating on a farm which he had previously purchased of Reuben Lowry; at the end of four years, he disposed of this farm aud purchased and moved on the one on which he now resides; he has resided here ever since, a period of thirty years. Mr. Wade has risen by his own exertions to a place among the foremost farmers of his section of country. Mr. and Mrs. Wade are the parents of one child, a daughter, Mary, born Oct. 15. 1843; she was united in marriage to Charles W. Sentmen July 19, 1867; she

departed her life Nov. 18, 1874; her life was short, though complete; her work was finished and she passed peacefully away, leaving a large circle of acquaintances, a kind father and mother, a husband and two loving daughters, to mourn her departure and revere her memory; she was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church until death, and lived in the discharge of her Christian duties; in her death, society lost a useful member. Mr. and Mrs. Wade take a great interest in the cause of religion, both being consistent members of the United Brethren Church, and living exemplary lives.

JACOB F. WARE, farmer; P. O. German. Mr. Ware is another of the early settlers and prominent citizens of German Township; he is paternally of German and maternally of English descent, and comes of Revolutionary stock; he was born Dec. 13, 1819, in Preble Co., Ohio, and is the son of John Ware, who was a native of Tennessee, being born there Feb. 11, 1785; he emigrated to Ohio in 1810 and located in Montgomery County, on Stillwater; from there he shortly moved to Preble County, locating near West Alexandria, in the vicinity of which he remained till his death, a period of sixty-two years; he was a soldier of the war of 1812, and shared in the privations and hardships of that struggle; he was under Gen. Harrison's command, and was present at the celebrated treaty of Ft. Greenville, in 1814; his father was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and served for seven years in that great struggle for freedom. John Ware, by his services in the war of 1812, was entitled to a land-warrant of 160 acres, which he located where our subject now resides; this warrant was given under James Monroe. Mr. Ware, the subject of this sketch, was reared a farmer boy, and remained at home assisting in duties of the farm till he was 21 years of age; at this time, he engaged at the carpenter trade, which he followed about six years, when he moved to the place where he now resides and turned his attention to farming; he celebrated his marriage in 1844, with Miss M. Catherine Rittenour; she was born in Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio with her parents when only 7 years old, settling near New Madison, Harrison Township; on the 16th of February, 1879, the messenger of death entered Mr. Ware's home and took from it his devoted wife; her life's work ended, her duties done, she passed peacefully away, leaving a kind and affectionate husband and four loving children to mourn her departure and revere her memory; Mrs. Ware was a faithful member of the church for twenty-two years before she died. and in her death the church lost a useful member and the community a valuable citizen. Mr. Ware is one of the self-made men of this county; when he moved to the place where he now resides, in 1848, he found it all in the woods, the underbrush so thick that he had to grub a place for the horses to lie down the first night; here he began in a log cabin, surrounded on every side by dense forests, on a small piece of land bequeathed him by his father; the outlook was by no means flattering, but with that indomitable energy which served him well then, and has been his guiding genius ever since, being ably assisted by his noble wife, he soon carved for himself a farm and beautiful home out of the wilderness; by habits of industry and economy he has added to the first possession till he now has a fine fertile farm of 244 acres under excellent improvement; he made and used perhaps the first jumping-shovel plow anywhere in that vicinity; with this plow he has prepared ground in the green upon which he has raised sixty bushels of corn per acre. Mr. and Mrs. Ware are the parents of five children, one of whom has died; three of the others are married, and one, a son, still remains at home. Mr. Ware is no aspirant for office; having been repeatedly tendered important offices of trust, he has always refused to accept; he lives an exemplary life, and formerly held his connections with the United Brethren denomination.

WILLIAM H. WARNER, farmer; P. O. German. The subject of this memoir was born in Neave Township March 8, 1849; he is of English descent, and the son of Henry W., who was born in Montgomery Co., November 1819; he was a farmer by occupation from his boyhood days till his death; he was united in marriage to Miss Lotta Williamson, in 1846; she was also a native of Montgomery

County; after their marriage, Mr. W. engaged in farming in above county till 1857, with the exception of one year, when they lived in Neave township, in this county; at above date he came to German Township and located on land in Sec. 13; here he lived until his death, which occurred in April, 1874; his wife preceded him to her final rest about six years, her decease occurring in February, 1868; they had seven children born to them, to wit: Amanda, deceased in infancy; Almira, William H., George (deceased), Lorenzo, Franklin and Emma. Our subject was brought up on a farm, and remained at home till he grew to maturity. He celebrated his nuptials with Miss Sarah Flory in October 1873; she was the daughter of Emanuel Flory, whose biography we subtend to this; after the marriage of Mr. Warner he moved on his father-in-law's place, which he has since been farming. April 8, 1878, he was called upon to mourn the loss of his devoted wife. Her life was short, but full of usefulness, and her death was lamented by all who knew her. Two children, sons, were born to them, Andrew J. and Horatio. Mr. Warner is in politics a Democrat. Emanuel Flory was an early settler of this township; he was born in Montgomery County, Jan. 12, 1810, and is the son of Emanuel F., Sr., a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1776; he emigrated to Ohio in July, 1806,locating on Wolf Creek, Montgomery County; he was a farmer by occupation. He was married to Miss Sarah Kaga some years before coming to Ohio; the 17th of March, 1834, he came with his family to Darke County, locating on Sec. 12, where Emanuel F., Jr., now resides; some three or four years previous to this he came out and erected a water-power saw-mill, on West Branch, the first in that locality. Mrs. Flory died in 1822. Nine children were born to this union, only three of whom are yet living. Mr. F. consummated his second marriage with Mrs. Royer, who died in September, 1853, she having survived her husband about four years, his death occurring March 9, 1849. Emannel F., Jr., was reared on a farm, after coming to this county with his parents, he engaged on his father's saw-mill for a period of about five years; since then he has lived on and farmed, till a few years ago, the homestead which he purchased ; he was married to Miss Waggerman in 1852, who was born near Brookville, Montgomery County, in 1816; she departed this life Jan. 15, 1872; during life she was a faithful member of the German Baptist Church. Mr. Flory has been a consistent member of the same church for nearly half a century, and is living an exemplary life.

JAMES WILLCOX, farmer; P. O. German; the subject of this memoir was born in Germantown, Montgomery Co., Ohio, in 1817; he is the son of James Willcox, Sr., and Elizabeth (Kester) Willcox; James Willcox, Sr., was born in the State of New York, on the Mohawk River, near the site of "Stillwater" battlefield; his father was a soldier in the great struggle for American independence and participated in the above battle; James Willcox was a shoemaker by occu pation, and at one time worked in Stephen Girard's shop, in Philadelphia; while here he made for Henry Clay the pair of boots which he wore to the "Treaty of Ghent," the boots costing $40; he emigrated to Ohio in 1815, landing at Cincinnati with 50 cents in his pocket, and all his earthly possessions tied up in a silk handkerchief; from there he pushed his way northward, and finally came to a halt in Germantown, Montgomery County; here he engaged at his occupation for five or six years, and then moved to Preble County, where he added to his trade farming: from there he came to this county, March 18, 1839, and located in German Township, on land which he had previously purchased near the present town of Palestine; here he engaged in farming and sawmilling. He was married soon after coming to this State, to Miss Elizabeth Kester, a native of Lancaster County, Penn.; she came to Ohio with her parents when quite small. Mr. and Mrs. Willcox were the parents of thirteen children, five of whom have deceased; the living are as follows: James (our subject), John, Charles, David, Phebe A., William, Elizabeth and Elijah; the deceased are Lavina, Memlius, Levi, Jeremiah and Mary J. Mrs. Willcox departed this life October, 1855, and

Mr. Willcox the 4th of February, 1856; by their deaths the community lost useful citizens and the family affectionate parents. Our subject was raised to farm labor, assisting his father in farming till he attained his majority, attending the common schools during winter months; he emigrated to this county with his parents in 1839; at the end of one year he went to Butler County, and engaged for a time at wood-chopping; while here he accidentally discovered that he could put up a barrel about as good as an experienced cooper, and accepted a proposition from a professional cooper to engage in the business; he made 430 barrels, averaging eight barrels per day as his first work; he remained in Butler County altogether about three years, and then returned to this county, engaging in saw-milling for the next eighteen years continuously and successfully; he then purchased and moved to the place where he now resides, which consists of 160 acres, the most of which he has cleared and placed in its present highly improved condition. He has been married twice his first marriage was consummated with Miss Sarah J. Clendenine in June, 1841; she died five months after their marriage; his second marriage was celebrated, June 8, 1848, with Miss Elizabeth Ketring, a sketch of whose parents occurs in the biographies of this township; she was born in this township. Mr. and Mrs. Willcox are the parents of nine children, three of whom are married: Signorette L., born Feb. 28, 1849; Alice E., Jan. 8, 1851; Marquis L., Aug. 7, 1853; Mary F., April 5, 1855, deceased Feb. 25, 1856; Percival F., May 5, 1857; Isaac N., May 3, 1859; David M., June 15, 1862; Joseph S., Dec. 27, 1864; Charles Sumner, April 12, 1861; Martha E., June 16, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Willcox take a great interest in the cause of religion, both being consistent members of the Christian Church of Palestine.

JESSE WOODS, farmer; P. O. German. The subject of this sketch is one of the prominent citizens of Darke County, and a pioneer of German Township; he was born in Virginia in 1818, and was only 2 years old when he came to this township with his parents in 1821; he is of English descent, his father, James Woods, was born in St. James' Park, London, May 25, 1767, and died at his son's, near Palestine, on the 21st day of August, 1869, aged 102 years 2 months and 26 days; his remains were laid to rest in the beautiful Palestine Cemetery, and a marble monument is reared over his grave. At the time of his birth St. James' Park was three miles out of the city, but since then the city has grown around it; he followed sea life as a sailor for about twenty years; he emigrated to America somewhere about the beginning of the present century, and settled in Virginia; in 1821, he took up his journey westward, with his family, and settled in this county, in German Township, where his son Jesse now lives; on this place he spent the remainder of his eventful life; his marriage was celebrated in Virginia; he was the father of eight children. Jesse Woods, our subject, knows what pioneer life is; he has shared in the trials and triumphs incident to such a life; he has witnessed the changes wrought in this country for over one-half century, and has applied himself persistently and vigorously to develop its present vast resources; his duties in his youth were those of a pioneer farmer boy; his early education, so far as book knowledge is concerned, was necessarily limited, as opportunities in this direction were meager, and his time and labor principally demanded on the farm; vivid to his recollection is the appearance of the first schoolhouse which he attended; it was a "fac-simile" of the pioneer schoolhouse-the progeny of necessity, not the sound of a nail was heard in its construction, nor a glass window seen in it after its completion; his first teacher was William R. Jones, the first pedagogue in the township; he kept the characteristic "land school" of the backwoods, and his plans of punishing unruly scholars would appear as odd to-day as his methods of teaching. Mr. Woods was married in 1844, to Miss Anna Stevens ; she is the daughter of David Stevens; he was born in Pennsylvania Oct. 31, 1792, and died Jan. 8, 1879; he was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was one of a number who were detailed to carry provisions from Ft. Nesbit to the Kentucky soldiers, who were on the retreat from Muncie to Ft. Greenville; they proceeded

under a forced march through the wilderness, and snow knee-deep, to the relief of the brave Kentuckians. After the marriage of our subject, he remained upon the place where he was reared, and continued agricultural pursuits; through his energy and good business habits, he has been eminently successful in life; he is no political aspirant, but a few years ago was elected to the office of County Commissioner, in which capacity he served three years, discharging its duties with fidelity and satisfaction to his constituents; he positively abhors political trickery and official corruption of all kinds, and is a strong advocate of and adherent to honesty and integrity. Mr. and Mrs. Woods are the parents of thirteen children, eight of whom are still living.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

J. W. APPLE, retired farmer, Versailles, Ohio; was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, April 22, 1825. John Apple, the father of J. W., was one of the old pioneers of Montgomery County, born in the year 1800-emigrated from Pennsylvania. J. W. lived with his parents on the farm, attending school during the winter season, and, working on the farm during the summer, obtained a good common-school education, and at the age of 20 was united in marriage to Miss Elvina Miller, in Montgomery County, April 10, 1845. Left his parental roof, and, with his good wife, moved into the woods, built a log cabin, and commenced to clear a farm-did not have a cent of money, and was in debt $100—has by his hard labor, economy, strict temperate habits, and the help of his industrious wife, accumulated a handsome fortune. Mr. Apple has passed through the many struggles, incidents and dangers so common to the pioneer of the great West, has many warm friends, and is beloved by all who know him, has taken an active part in religion, and is, with his amiable wife a member of the Lutheran Church-has had his full share of township offices, viz., Township Trustee one year, Land Appraiser one year, and served one term as Assessor, School Director, etc. Mr. Apple followed farming for a period of about thirty years, after which he moved to Versailles, where he now resides. Ten children were the fruits of their union, viz., Sarah A., born July 4, 1846 (deceased); John W., born April 28, 1848; Jacob A., born Oct. 31, 1850; Maria D., born Oct. 25, 1852; Mary L., born Aug. 20, 1854; Leroy C., born Dec. 5, 1856: Uriah V., born April 12, 1859 (deceased); Henry J., Feb. 16, 1862 (deceased); Ida E., born June 3, 1865; Martha J., born Oct. 13, 1867 (deceased).

JACOB G. BASHOR, farmer and stock raiser; P. O. Webster, Ohio. Jacob, his father, was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Schuylkill Co., on the 19th of January, 1801; was a carpenter by trade, and at the age of 25 he celebrated his marriage with Sarah Nauftsinger, who was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Berks Co., on the 2d of April, 1805; in the spring of 1828, he moved to Rockingham Co., Va., where they remained about six years, and in the fall of 1834, he emigrated to Ohio, locating one mile west of Covington, Miami Co., where he purchased 80 acres of land, for which he paid $800, and in 1840, he sold out for $1,800, and purchased 160 acres in the same township, paying $1,600; he remained here till his death, which occurred on the 3d of September, 1879; Sarah, his widow, is living on the old home place, with her daughter Fanny (Mote); they were the parents of seven children, of whom all are living, viz., Jacob G., Sarah, Benjamin, John. Anna, Catherine and Fanny. Jacob G., the subject of this sketch, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Berks Co., on the 25th of January, 1827; came with his parents to Ohio, when he was about 7 years old; spending his boyhood's days on his father's farm, assisting him on the farm and at the carpentering trade; he obtained his education in the subscription schools; when he arrived at his majority, he hired

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