Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/795

 ��CASS TOWI^SHIP.

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��came of Pennsylvania German descent ; is honest, in- dustrious and economical ; his farm is under a good state of cultivation ; his wife is an excellent helpmeet, ann they have all life's comforts.

WENTZ, SOLOMON, farmer and stock-raiser; he was born in Perry Co., Penn., Nov. 12, 1821 ; he spent his boyhood on a farm and in learning the carpenter trade, until he was 19 years of age ; he then went to Juniata Co., Penn., and remained there one year; he then went to Schuylkill Co., Penn., and remained one year ; returned to Perry Co. and remained one year, and then emigrated to Richland Co., Ohio; walked from Perry Co. to Pittsburgh ; took steamboat to Steu- benville, Ohio, and thence by foot again ; after arriv- ing, he worked at his trade for some five years, and then engaged in the saw-mill business, purchasing one- third interest, and, the second year, one-half interest; worked at that for several years ; the mill finally burn- ing, he disposed of the remaining machinery ; pur- chased the farm he now resides on in 1865 ; moved the house, the same year he bought, from London ; he came of German Pennsylvania stock, and is an excellent farmer and a good citizen, honest in all his dealings. He was married to Miss Catherine Fireoved, of Cass Township ; they have seven children — Mary Jane Wentz, born July 9, 1851, married Henry J. Sheely ; Sarah Catherine Wentz, born Nov. 28, 1853, married to Frank Darling ; George F. Wentz, born July 28, 1856, lives in Chicago ; Solomon A. Wentz, born Dec. 2, 1857, died March 24, 1862; Annie Laura Wentz, born March 29, 1865; Clara Susan, born Oct. 3, 1867; Charles Delbert, born Sept. 15, 1873. The last three yet live at home.

WHITE, SAMUEL, farmer and stock-raiser ; was born in Columbia Co., Penn., Feb. 12, 1807 ; spent his childhood on his father's farm until his mother's death, which was about the year 1830. Was married to Miss .Jane Vault Nov. 30, 1830 ; had two children while in Pennsylvania — Mary Elizabeth White, born Nov. 18, 1831 ; Sarah Jane White, born July 4, 1834. Having heard of Ohio as a beautiful country, he concluded to emigrate and leave his native State for the wilds of that new country ; so, having made all the necessary arrangements, he, with his wife and one child (Mary Elizabeth having died), bade adieu to friends and neighbors and started for Ohio, in a two-horse wagon, via Pittsburgh, and, after sixteen days' journey, they landed in Mansfield, when the town was scarcely as large as Shiloh now is, having only $90 in money ; being persuaded to go farther West, he started on foot, leaving his family near Mansfield, and went as far as Indiana, and thence to Michigan ; but, not liking the country, the weather being extremely wet, he returned to Richland Co., and, having some acquaintance in Plymouth (now Cass Township), he took his family and started north. Liking the appearance of the country, he purchased an 80-acre tract in the northern part of the township, living there nearly three years ; but, being sickly a good part of the time, he concluded to leave that locality and move farther south, which he did, settling on the farm he now owns in the year 1833 ; he experienced all the hardships of a new coun- try ; at that time, everything was very scarce, and wheat was worth $2.50, oats, $1, potatoes, $1.25,

��and everything in proportion ; this was when he first came out. He at first purchased 40 acres, and added from time to time such as he could buy of adjoining land, until now he has a large farm, well fenced and improved. His children are William C, born Oct. 18, 1836; John F., born May 17, 1840 ; Anna E., born Oct. 1, 1842 ; Henry N., born Nov. 2, 1847.

WILLET, ABRAHAM, retired farmer and an "old pioneer; " was born in Columbia Co., Penn., March I, 1801 ; he lived with his parents until he was married to Esther Aikman, of Columbia Co., Penn.; had two children, one of whom died in infancy; Margaret mar- ried in Pennsylvania. He rented a farm and remained on it one year. His wife died in September, 1826 ; after the death of his wife, he went back to his mother' s farm ; remained there three years; he then married Catherine Hazlett, of Columbia Co., Penn.; he again rented a farm in Columbia Co., lived one year on it, then removed on a farm near Bloomsburg, Penn,, and stayed there three years ; hearing favorable reports of the then new country of Ohio, and wishing to obtain for himself a farm and to gain a competence for his declining years, he sold his farming implements, and, bidding adieu to friends and neighbors of his native county, he started with his little family in a two-horse wagon, coming via Pittsburgh, settling in Richland Co., Ohio ; he bought an improvement right of a 50-acre tract in Plymouth, now Cass ; he paid all the money he had except $28 ; the improvements were of the kind usually in a new country, consisting of a log house and stable ; he went to work with the characteristic energy of the most of his class of pioneers, to carve for him- self a home and competence ; he soon felt able to buy another tract of 68 acres adjoining him, and continued from time to time to buy until now his farm is one of the best in the township, if not in the county ; the im» provements are good and the land under good cultiva- tion ; his family are all living near him. His second wife died in the year 1843, leaving a family of small children. He, after some time, married Miss Leah Bevier, of Richland Co.; had one child — Ransom Wil- let, who grew to manhood, being 26 years and 10 months old when he died. This was a hard blow, as it fell unex- pectedly, when the "boy" was in the vigor of his youth and had the promise of long life. Mr. W. is enjoying good health and spending the closing days of his life in happiness and plenty.

WILLET, HANNAH, MRS., widow of William Wil- let. She was born in Columbia Co., Penn., May 5, 1797, her maiden name was Webb; she is of English extraction ; her father was one of the party of survey- ors who ran the first State line between Pennsylvania and New York State. Her youth was spent upon a farm. She was married to William Willet Jan. 29, 1818, and lived with her husband until the fall of 1834, when she emigrated to Ohio, bringing their family of five children with them, who are all living ; Mr. Wil- let had, however, been to Ohio and purchased the tract of land, on which they settled after coming out, and on which she still resides ; William AVillet was born May 24, 1793, and died in 1858; he learned the trade of tanning in Bloomsburg, Penn., and while he resided there followed it; after he moved to Ohio, he turned his attention to farming and tanning ; in 1836, he built

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