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Fulton County
Biographies
JOSEPH 0. ALLEN, M. D., long numbered
among the representative physicians and business men of
Fulton
county, has maintained his home in Fayette for more than half a century
and is one of the most honored citizens of the town.
He was born in Clarkson,
Monroe
county, N. Y., September 20, 1830, and is a son of Isaac and Mary (Terry)
Allen, both of whom were born in
Connecticut
. Dr. Allen passed his boyhood days
in his native town, where he was afforded the advantages of the Clarkson
Academy, later attending a seminary at Lima, N. Y., after which he took up
the study of medicine under private preceptorship, in Clarkson, and
finally entered the medical department of the Buffalo University, being
graduated in February, 1851, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
In the same year he came to
Fulton
county and located in what is now the town of
Fayette
, though at that time there was no vestige of a town on the site. Here,
under the disadvantages which attended the lot of the average pioneer
physician, he labored with all of zeal and self-abnegation, ministering to
those in affliction and devoting his entire attention to his professional
work for fifteen years, in the meanwhile erecting the mill which he still
owns and operates, the same being equipped for the manufacture
of both flour and lumber. In
the conducting of this enterprise the Doctor was associated with Renselaer
S. Humphrey until the time of the latter's death.
He continued in active practice of his profession until 1870. when
he was employed as a representative by the Chicago and Canadian Southern
Railroad Company to secure the right of way for their proposed line
between this section and the city of
Chicago
. He devoted two years to this
important work, and then took charge of the timber interests of the same
road, when the company went into liquidation he resumed his active
connection with his milling business and also with the practice of his
profession. He is now
practically ■retired, but gives his general supervision to his two
fine farms and to his milling and other interests, and he has the
affectionate regard of the people of this community, where he has labored
so long and faithfully as a true friend of humanity.
In
politics Dr. Allen is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, he has
held various local
offices, including those of township trustee and treasurer, and he has
also been the candidate of his party for sheriff and for representative in
the State Legislature. He
has twice served as Postmaster of Fayette, O.
He is a member of various medical societies and is identified with
the Masonic fraternity. In 1856. in Columbiana county. Dr. Allen was
united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. McLean, and they became the parents of
five children, namely: Rosa, who is deceased; Lillie, who is the wife of
Edward Crittenden, of Fayette; Donald A., who is a successful dentist in
Toledo
; Viola, who is deceased; and Earl, deceased, who was a drug salesman,
residing in
Grand Rapids
,
Mich.
WILLIAM BURR ALLEN, proprietor of a
livery and sales-stable at Swanton, was born in Lucas county, one and
one-half miles east of his present home, on October 27, 1858. He is the
son of Frederick and Amanda (Herrick) Allen, both natives of
Ohio
.
Frederick Allen was born in
Norwalk
and from there removed to Lucas county. He was a carpenter and joiner by
occupation and lost his life on August 13, 1869, by falling from the
scaffold of a building in process of erection at "
Toledo
. His widow is still living and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs.
Minnie Atkinson of
Canton
, O. Here follows the names of the seven children born to
this couple: James L., a locomotive engineer of Toledo, O.; Emma, the wife
of Lewis Chambard, a resident of Rathdrum, Idaho; William Burr; Catherine,
who married in Silver King, Idaho; Viola, the wife of Jacob Gehring,
station agent at Swanton of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway;
Minnie, now Mrs. Atkinson, and one child that died in infancy. William
Burr Allen grew to manhood at the homestead, receiving a public school
education. He learned the occupation of locomotive engineering, and in
that capacity was employed by the
Lake
Shore
and Michigan Southern Railway Company for more than eleven years, his
residence being at
Toledo
, where he lived for eighteen years. After his marriage he located on a
farm in
Fulton
township and followed farming for six years. On September 13, 1893, he
removed to. Swanton and embarked in the livery business and in that of
buying and selling horses, in which best of horses and up-to-date
vehicles, has proved a paying venture. He is a member of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen, of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen
of America. In politics he is a Republican. On May 15, 1883, he was united
in the bonds of matrimonv with Miss Mable Witt,
a native of Fulton county and the daughter of Horatio and Alvira
Witt. No children were born to this marriage. His first wife having died
on the 22nd day of December. 1891, on May 13, 1894, he was wedded to Miss
Mary Duncan of
Fulton
county. This union has been blessed by two children, named Frederick
Seymour and Herrick.
CHARLES ARNSBARGER. one of the progressive young
farmers and business men of Fulton county, residing in the village of
Brailey, is incumbent of the office of trustee of Swan Creek township, and
is a member of one of the old and well known families of this favored
section of the Buckeye state, four generations of the same being at the
present time resident in the village of Brailey. He is a son of Orlando
Arnsbarger, of whom individual mention is made in the succeeding memoir,
so that further reference to the family
history is not demanded in the present connection. Charles Arnsbarger was
born on a farm in
Chesterfield
township, this county, on the 10th of October, 1872, and when he was still
a small child his parents removed to
Dover
township, where he was reared to maturity on the homestead farm, and his
educational discipline was secured in the excellent public schools of
North Dover
. On the 12th of May, 1897, he located on the farm which he now owns, in
Swan Creek township, adjacent to the
village
of
Brailey
. The farm is under effective cultivation, is equipped with excellent
buildings and is otherwise well improved. The
village
of
Brailey
was platted about 1901, and ever since it began to assume aught of
pretentiousness as a trade center Mr. Arnsbarger has here been engaged in
the sale of farming implements and machinery, pumps, etc., and he also
operates a well-drilling outfit, in the meanwhile con-
tinuing to give his supervision to his farm. He has been enterprising and
has manifested much discrimination in his business affairs, and he is the
owner of the Charles Arnsbarger addition to the
village
of
Brailey
, having platted the same into a considerable number of most desirable
building lots, which have met with an appreciative demand. In his
political allegiance Mr. Arnsbarger is a consistent and uncompromising
Republican, taking a loyal interest in the
public affairs of the nation and especially in local matters. In November,
1904, he was elected trustee of Swan Creek township, with jurisdiction
over the northeast portion of the township, in matters pertaining to
general improvements, construction of bridges, care of the indigent, etc.
He is a member of Swanton Lodge, No. 590, Knights of Pythias. Mrs.
Arnsbarger is a zealous and valued member of the United Brethren church,
taking an active part in the various departments of the church work and
being held in high regard in the social circles of the community. December
24, 1896, Mr. Arnsbarger was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Free, who
was born in
York
township, this county, being a daughter of John and Adeline (Andrews)
Free, now residents of Wauseon. Mr. and Mrs. Arnsbarger have three sons,
whose names, with respective dates of birth, are as follows: Perry, March
16, 1898; Coy, Septem-
ber 24, 1900, and Howard, January 3, 1903.
ORLANDO ARNSBARGER, .one of the
substantial farmers and honored citizens of Swan Creek township, owning a
well improved farm a short distance east of the village of Brailey, is a
native of the adjoining State of Michigan, having been born in Adrian,
Lenawee county, on the 27th of June, 1851, and being a son of Daniel and
Abigail (Barber) Arnsbarger, the former of whom
was born in Cumberland county.
Pa.
, September 2, 1826, and the latter was born in the State of
New York
, in 1831, their marriage being solemnized in Williams county,
Ohio
, where their respective families located in the early pioneer days. The
parents of Daniel Arnsbarger located in that county in 1840, and there he
was reared to maturity, continuing his residence there for a number of
years thereafter and for a time residing in Lenawee county, Mich., but
after the Civil war he took up his abode on a farm which he purchased in
Dover township, Fulton county, where he and his wife remained
until 1897, when they took up their residence in the
village
of
Brailey
, where they now make their home, venerable in years and held in
unqualified regard by all who know them. Mr. Arnsbarger is a stanch
Democrat in politics and both he and his wife are members of the Christian
or Disciples' church. It is interesting to record that in the
village
of
Brailey
four generations of the family are now found represented. Orlando
Arnsbarger was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, in Williams
and
Fulton
counties, and is indebted to the common schools for his early educational
advantages, which were somewhat limited. He became one of the
representative farmers and citizens of Dover township and continued to
give his active supervision to the operation of his fine farm until
1901, when he took up his residence in Brailey, purchasing forty acres of
land contiguous to the village, having platted a portion of the tract into
village lots, which he has placed on the market as Arnsbarger's addition
to the village of Brailey, and he is also devoting special attention to
the handling of wood for fuel purposes, cutting and preparing the timber
to a large extent from the land in
his own possession.
In politics Mr. Arnsbarger has ever
given his allegiance to the Democracy, and while a resident of
Dover
township he served several years as school director. Mrs. Arnsbarger
became a member of the Disciples' church when fifteen years of age, but in
later years has been identified with the United Brethren. In 1871
Mr. Arnsbarger was united in marriage to Miss Mina Cameron, daughter of
John D. and Margaret (Lee) Cameron, both of whom were born in Holmes
county,
Ohio
. Mrs. Cameron died on the 20th of
June, 1898, and her husband is now living in Ossian,
Ind.
Mr. and Mrs. Arnsbarger have four children, namely: Charles, Franklin,
Delia and Lucelia. Charles is
individually mentioned else-
where in this publication; Delia is the wife of Lewis C. Winzeler, a
farmer near Brailey. and
Lucelia is the wife of Ernst L. Kirkman, who is a resident of the
village
of
Brailey
.
Source:
History of Fulton County
Northwestern Historical Association 1905
Transcribed by Linda Blue Dietz
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