Methodist class once met at Centre Schoolhouse. One man in the township, it is said, has been converted twenty different times, and still he is not satisfied with the mercies given him. The United Brethren organized a class many years ago in the southern part. The society grew and finally built a fine frame church that cost about $1,600. The Presbyterians have a fine frame church building on Section 36, which was built a number of years ago. The class at first was strong, and its strength was increased by meetings.

It is at present in good working condition.

VILLAGE OF COLUMBIA.

This little hamlet was laid out in February, 1854, by J. R. McConnell, William Rannels and Alfred D. Gambell, proprietors, on the north half of the northeast quarter of Section 5, Township 10 south, Range 4 west, there being a total of forty-five lots. In about 1850, George Porter opened a small store about half a mile east of Columbia, and at the same time began making black salts and some pearl-ash. About three years later he moved to what is now Columbia, which was at first called Porter's Corners, from his store and ashery. Since his commencement the following-named men have been in busines in the village: Fenton & Hall, William & Bartholomew, Ferrier, Lehman, Crawford, Long, Maddon, Bates, Gamber, Lyon, Goodrich, Beck, Shepard, Hamilton, Cameron, Pierce and Poucher. The first blacksmith was Barger, and the second, White Foster. The village has had the usual number of doctors, and at times in its career has been bright and promising. Of course, if the town had a railroad, it would soon treble in population, and no doubt become a power in the land. The following table, from the assessment rolls of 1880, shows the present school valuation:

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

BRYAN AND PULASKI TOWNSHIPS.

JAMES T. ASHTON was born in Paterson, N. J., August 1, 1836, to James and Elizabeth (Balch) Ashton, natives respectively of England and Connecticut. These were the parents of three children-James T., who came to Bryan in 1862; Oliver C., who came here in 1857, and engaged in merchandising, and Elizabeth, who is married and residing in the Empire State. The father having died early, the duty of rearing these children fell upon the mother, who gave them a good academic education. James T., was reared in Colchester, Conn., attending the Bacon Academy until fourteen years of age, when he engaged as a clerk in Colchester, served his employers a number of years and then bought them out and ran the business until 1862, when he came to Bryan and entered into mercantile business with his brother, Oliver C., and for

many years did a lucrative trade. They have now withdrawn from mercantile affairs and are looking after their landed interests. September 19, 1865, Mr. Ashton married Miss Mary L. Stevens, a native of this county, born June 20, 1844, and daughter of William A. Stevens, one of its first settlers and officials. To this marriage have been born five children, viz.: Clara E., James T., Frederick W., Walter and Emma. The two brothers Ashton are members of the Masonic fraternity and in politics are Republicans.

D. C. BAXTER, one of the prominent citizens of Bryan, was born April 29, 1840, in Fulton County, Ohio. His father, James Baxter, was a native of Pennsylvania, where his youth was passed. He went to Knox County, Ohio, at an early day, where he married Miss Marcia Morrison. In about 1828, they emigrated to what is now Franklin Township, Fulton County, Ohio, then a part of Williams County, and consequently were among the first settlers of that locality. Mr. Baxter entered 200 acres of land from the Government, it at that time being in a state of nature. He erected on this one of the old-fashioned backwoods cabins, into which he moved his household goods and family, and in this manner began life's battle in the back woods of old Williams County.

He always made that his home, dying in 1856 on the land he had entered. His widow married Timothy Hickson, since deceased, and is now living in West Unity. D. C. Baxter is the third of a family of nine children, seven of whom are yet living. He received good educational advantages in youth, and began for himself in the capacity of pedagogue, continuing the same in Fulton and Williams Counties a total of twelve terms. In 1866, he went to West Unity, where he engaged in stock trade and merchandising, and for some time held the position of Postmaster under Lincoln's administration. In 1871, he moved to Bryan, and in January, 1872, was elected Cashier of the First National Bank-of which he was a stock-owner-a position he held until February, 1882. Besides his interest in the First National Bank of Bryan, Mr. Baxter is a partner in a private bank at Fayette, is junior member of the firm of Gleason & Baxter, hardware dealers of Bryan, and owns an interest in a hardware store at Hicksville. He possesses valuable town property, including a half-interest with Hon. J. N. Nelson in the Armory Hall, and conjointly with A. J. Tressler and A. M. Pratt, owns one of the finest farms in Williams County. This he has acquired entirely by his own labors, having began life a poor boy. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities, and is a Sir Knight of Defiance Commandery and Camp degree Odd Fellow of Bryan. He is of Scotch descent on his father's side, his great-grandfather being the progenitor of the name in America. His mother is a native of Vermont and of English descent. Mr. Baxter was married in March, 1861, to Miss Maria Shepardson, who has borne him one son-Charles E., now a student of Williams College. Mr. Baxter is a stanch Republican in politics and one of the prominent men of Williams County.

JAMES Q. BEATTIE was born in Cumberland County, Penn., April 25, 1817. His father, Robert Q. Beattie, was born in the same county March 11, 1791, and January 30, 1815, he married Mary Kelso, who was born in 1798. To this marriage were born nine children, of whom three brothers and three sisters are yet living. In 1838, the family moved to Richland County, this State, and located on a farm near Mansfield, where Mrs. Beattie died July 19, 1845. In 1848, Mr. Beattie married Eliza Cook, and to this union six children were born. December 5, 1872, Robert Q. Beattie took his departure for "that undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler e'er returned." James Q. Beattie is the second son born of his fathers' first marriage. He was reared to manhood in his native State, where he received only very limited educational advantages. Notwithstanding this fact, he has paid considerable attention to educational matters, and to-day is one of the well-posted citizens of Bryan. He has always made farming his oc

He

cupation, and owns good farming interests in Williams County. married Miss Asenath W. Cleland, November 18, 1841, who was born July 5, 1819, in Washington County, Penn. They remained in Richland County until October, 1849, when they emigrated to Williams County, Ohio, where they have been engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1874, they removed to Bryan, where they are esteemed and respected citizens. They have had born to them a family of eight children, only two-Robert C. and Mary A.-of whom are yet living.

EZRA E. BECHTOL, County Clerk, was born in Superior Township, Williams County, March 7, 1841, and is the son of Adam and Mary (Starr) Bechtol, the former a native of Pennsylvania and of German descent. Adam was a molder, and worked at that trade till about 1837, when he came to this county and entered 320 acres of Government land in Superior Township, which at that time was a dense forest. Here his wife, who had borne him seven children, died in January, 1851. His second and present wife, who was Elizabeth A. Hight, has borne him five children, of whom four are still living. Ezra E. Bechtol was reared in this county, and August 30, 1862, enlisted in Company K, Sixtyeighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to join his regiment at Bolivar, Tenn. His regiment made its first important move through Mississippi the winter of 1862-63, worked along the line of the Memphis & Charleston R. R., and then co-operated with Grant until the fall of Vicksburg, and participated in a number of severe engagements, among others, Port Gibson, Jackson and Champion Hill. At Vicksburg his regiment was veteranized; subsequently it joined Sherman at Acworth, Ala., and fought through all that campaign up to and including the 22d of July, 1864, when the battle of Peach Tree Creek was fought, in which our subject was shot through the left shoulder by a musket ball, which caused his confinement in hospital till September 25, when he received a thirty-days furlough, came home, then reported at the hospital in Columbus, and April 10, 1865, received his discharge. On his return home, he attended the Ohio Wesleyan University four years, during and after which time he taught school five terms. In the fall of 1875, he was elected Clerk of the Common Pleas and District Court of Williams by the Republicans; served three years; was defeated at the next election, but in 1881 was re-elected over his successful competitor of 1878. November 11, 1869, he married Miss Louanna M. Griffith, who has borne him one daughter-Florence. He and wife are members of the

Methodist Episcopal Church.

CHARLES S. BENTLEY was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, September 5, 1846, and is the son of Stoughton and Orsey (Baldwin) Bentley, natives of Ohio, to which State their parents came at an early

day. The elder Mr. Bentley died in Erie County, Ohio, September 5, 1852. His widow (now the relict of Joel Chapman) resides in Bryan with Charles S. Adamson Bentley, the grandfather of Charles S., was one of the earliest Disciple ministers in this State, and was quite renowned in his day. Baldwin Bentley, eldest brother of Charles S., at the breaking-out of the rebellion, enlisted in Company A, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry-which regiment was almost wholly made up of students from Hiram College, of which James A. Garfield was then the President-and died in his country's defense. Charles S., after eleven years of age, lived on a farm until sixteen, attending in the interval the common schools. He then entered Hiram College, and afterward Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1865. For three years thereafter he clerked in a store at Portage, Ohio, and then entered Hillsdale (Mich.) College, from which he graduated in 1870. He next engaged in the wholesale lumber business at Allegan, Mich., and while there employed his spare hours in the study of law. In the spring of 1872, he entered the law office of Hon. D. Cadwell, of Cleveland, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar in the fall

of the same year. February, 1873, he formed a copartnership with the Hon. A. M. Pratt in the practice of law at Bryan, which association still continues. May 1, 1874, he married Miss Isabel Kempton, who was born in Hillsdale County, Mich., January 20, 1849, and to this union one daughter was born-Isabel L.-March 30, 1875. Mrs. Bentley died October 30, 1877. Mr. Bentley has filled the office of Prosecuting Attorney of Williams County, and also has been School Examiner and City Solicitor. He is a stanch Republican, a leading member of the bar and an influential citizen.

SCHUYLER E. BLAKESLEE, attorney at law, was born near Avon Springs, N. Y., and when a child was taken by his parents, Ozi and Achsa (Taylor) Blakeslee, to Geauga County, Ohio, where the father engaged in farming. The parents were natives of the Nutmeg State, and to them were born eight children. The father was a Captain in the war of 1812, and was present at the battle of Black Rock, near Buffalo, N. Y. At this battle, Col. Samuel Blakeslee, father of Ozi and grandfather of Schuyler, was in command of the American forces, the General in charge of the same being absent at the time. The father lived in Ohio after the war, serving in many minor offices, and for a time was Captain of a company of State Militia. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, receiving in early years an academic education, and when twenty-one years of age entered the law office of Gov. Seabury Ford, who resided at Burton, Geauga Co., Ohio. Here he remained until he graduated in law. In 1844, he came to Bryan, where he began the practice of his profession,