The Bechtel Families of Wayne County, Ohio

The Bechtel family is one of the old and well-known ones of Wayne county, and is of German ancestry. Jacob Bechtel, grandfather of John of this review, was a native of Pennsylvania, in which state the early members of this family settled when they came to America. The father of John Bechtel also bore the name of Jacob, and he was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1802. He came to Wayne county, Ohio, about 1829, settling in Greene township. He was married in Pennsylvania to Sarah Rhoades, a native of that state, born in Somerset county; her death occurred in 1845, when about forty-two years of age. She and her husband were the parents of seven children, the register of whose births follows: Mary, born in Pennsylvania in 1827; Elizabeth, born in that state in 1828; Harriett, born in Pennsylvania in 1830; Sarah, born in Wayne county, Ohio, in 1831; John, of this review; Jacob, born in Wayne county in 1836 and died in 1898; Samuel, born in 1837 and died in 1852.

In April, Jacob Bechtel, father of John of this review, suffered one of the greatest misfortunes that ever befell a citizen of Wayne county, his home having been burned and his four daughters perishing, Mr. Bechtel sustaining serious injuries in trying to rescue his children, and he died from the effects of the wounds he received the following December. John, of this review, then four years of age, and his brother Jacob were sleeping with their parents at the time of the fire.

John Bechtel was born October 12, 1833, on the home farm, where he remained until he reached the age of eight years, when he began life for himself, working out on a farm, doing such chores as he could at that tender age. In 1855 he married Harriet Mowner, who was born in East Union township, and they moved on the old farm, which he and his brother divided, and for forty-three years Mr. Bechtel remained on the place where he was born, carrying on general farming in a successful manner and becoming well situated. In the spring of 1898 he removed to Orrville, where he has a fine home, and he still looks after his farming interests, owning two good farms. One of his farms is probably the oldest in Greene township, but the soil has retained its original strength, owing to its skillful management. The first cabin built in the township was erected on this farm. The place was entered from the government by Michael Thomas, and Jacob Bechtel, father of the subject, purchased it from him, John Bechtel being the third man to own the place.

To Mr. and Mrs. John Bechtel five children have been born, named as follows: Sarilla, wife of A. W. Brennerman, of Greene township; H. M., of Orrville, where he is engaged in the hardware business; Elizabeth, wife of S. P. Eshleman, of Orrville, also a hardware merchant; W. B., cashier of the bank at Massillon; J. O. is engaged in the drug business in Orrville.

Mrs. Jacob Bechtel married a second time, her last husband being Michael Hawk, of East Union township, and two children were born to this union, Lavina, wife of William Chapin, and David Hawk, both of Orrville.

John Bechtel was a member of the school board in Greene township for twelve or fifteen years, during which time he did much to promote the educational interests of the same. Both he and Mrs. Bechtel are members of the English Lutheran church at Orrville. He is one of the highly respected citizens of this community, having led a life against which nothing ill can be said in any way. He is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, owing to the fact that he had such hard struggles in his early life, but men endowed with the grit which he has always do things, no matter what their environment may be.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ISAAC BECHTEL. This old and well-known citizen of Wayne County is of - German ancestry, but the family have for several generations been natives of America. He was born in Northampton County, Penn., December 29, 181(5. His father, George Bechtel, and his paternal grandparents were also natives of the same State. His maternal grandfather, Jacob Berto, was;Jso a native American, whose ancestors came from Prance. George Bechtel was by occupation a farmer, and grew to manhood in his native State, where he was married to Miss Elizabeth llerto, daughter of Jacob and Cranio Berto, and a native of Berks County, Penn.

In search of a better home and cheaper lands on which to settle the family growing up around them, George Bechtel and wife came to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1880, arriving at Wooster May S. lie first purchased a small farm, about three miles from Wooster, and by industry and thrifty habits, aided by a good wife, was, after a time, enabled to increase his possessions, becoming the owner of 200 acres of good land, and a grist-mill and a sawmill on Crawford’s Bun. The good wife and mother was called to her last rest in September, 1854, at the age of sixty-four years. She had borne eight children, as follows: Jacob B. and Hetty, both now deceased; Sarah, widow of Henry Hess; Isaac; Frame, now Mrs. J. Bald, of Wilson County, Kas.; Abraham, living in this county; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Allen, of Seneca County, Ohio, and Beuben, who was a Union soldier, and died while in the service, near Vicksburg, Miss., June 11, 1803, at the age of thirty-three years. After the death of his wife George Bechtel retired from the harder labors of life, and was later married to Catherine Beerbuugher, who died January 18, 1.870. In November of the same year her husband followed her to the grave, at the ago of eighty-eight years. His life had been an active one, and having always enjoyed good health, In was able to do much for Ihe upbuilding of his adopted county.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

DAVID W. BECHTEL, merchant, Wooster, was born in Wooster Township, July 1, 1843. He is of German ancestry, and his father, Jacob B. Bechtel, was a native of Pennsylvania, a farmer by occupation, and the owner of a saw-mill. Upon reaching manhood, Jacob B. was married to Elizabeth, daughter of George Bidenhour, and in 1842 the family came to Wayne County, and settled upon a partially improved farm. Here the parents of our subject passed the remainder of their lives, the father dying in December, 1885, at the age of seventy-three years, and three months later the mother followed him to the grave, also aged seventy-three, lie was a member of the German Reformed Church, and she of the German Lutheran Church. This worthy couple were the parents of fourteen children, nine now surviving, and all but one making their homes in Wayne County. Jacob Bechtel was an industrious man, who made Ids own way in the world. He started a poor boy, but died fairly well oil’. lie always bore the reputation of an honest and trustworthy man.

David W. Bechtel attended the common schools in winters for a few months, and stayed on the home farm until he was seventeen years of age, then going to Sandusky City to learn the trade of carriagemaking. The firm failing, he returned to Wooster, where for a few months he worked at his trade. August 13, 1S(>2. he offered his services to his country, enlisting in Company F, One Hundred and Second Ohio Infantry, and served almost three years. After receiving his discharge he returned to Wayne County, and in October, 1805, became a clerk in a dry goods store, in which 1m remained ten years. For a year after that he traveled for a Philadelphia firm, and then for six years he was in the office of the supreme reporter of the K. of If. at Wooster. Following this ho was again employed in a dry goods house, and in June, 1885, began for himself, dealing in wall-papers, window-shades, toys, fancy goods and novelties, of which he keeps a large and well-assorted stock.

In 181)8 Mr. Bechtel was married to Rebecca, daughter of J. C. I’lumber, sketch of whom appears elsewhere, and four children have been born to them, Harvey C., Mary A., Bessie and Julia, all at home.

Mr. Bechtel is a member of the Knights of Honor and of the Boy a I Arcanum, and his wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Wooster. He is one of Wooster’s bright young business 'men, who is by his upright character and life winning the esteem of all who know him.

FjRANK SNYDER was born in Bucks County, Penn., in 1880. His grandfather, Andrew Snyder, was a native of Zweibrucken, Germany, on the Rhine, and came to this country in 1 T GO, and for over live years served in the Revolutionary War. He had a family of twelve children, one of the older ones being George, the father of our subject.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JANE BECHTEL, of Woosjr ier, Ohio, is the widow of John J. Bechtel, and was born in Chester Township, Wayne County, in 1818. Her father, James Flack,was born in Washington County, Penn., and was by trade a millwright. His father was born abroad.

of English extraction. The father of our subject married Margaret Ramsey, who bore him eight children, six of whom reached maturity; Mrs. Bechtel and Mrs. Mary McDaniel, of Wooster, are the only ones living in Wayne County. While Mrs. Bechtel was but a child she lost a mother's care, and some time afterward her father those as his second wife Miss Jxilia White, who bore him six children. The father died in 1853. About 1818 he had come to Wayne County, where he settled on a farm, and also built and operated a mill on Little Killbuck Creek. Mrs. Bechtel's girlhood was passed on the farm in Chester Township, and in 1837 she was there married to John Bechtel. They came to AYooster, where they built the house which has since been her home with the exception of the four years during which Mr. Bechtel was sheriff.

John Bechtel was a son of Martin and Margaret (Spellman) Bechtel, natives of Pennsylvania, both of whom died in Wayne County, to which they had removed when John was quite young. The latter became well known in Wayne County; was a Democrat in politics, and influential in the councils of his party. He held various township and county offices; was constable, deputy sheriff, and was later elected and re-elected to the office of sheriff, which he filled acceptably to the people and creditably to himself for two terms. For many years be had been a member of the I. O. O. F., and was looked upon as a man of unflinching integrity. Mr. Bechtel died in 18G5, at the age of fifty-five years. Of his union with our subject there were six children born, as follows: James Martin, now a resident of Burlington, Iowa; Melissa A., now Mrs. Irving Foghsou, of Duluth; David E., in Southern Ohio; Mary E., wife of J. P. Hockius, of Grand Rajiids, Mich.; John T., living in Greenfield Oliio; Jennie T., now Mrs. Jerome T. Baird, of Wooster, Ohio. Mrs. Bechtel was as well known as her husband, and is held in high esteem by all who know her. Jekome T. Baird was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 16, 1858. His father, Cyrus Baird, was also a native of the county, born in Plain Township. His grandfather, who was also named Cyrus, was a native of the Slate of New York, born March 2, 1801, and came to this county with his father, Aai-ou Baird, in 1812. He was married to a Miss Blatchley, and both died in Wayne County. His son, Cyrus, father of Jerome, was reared apoii the farm, and after arriving at years of manhood, married Amy Tyler, a daughter of Benjamin and Maria Tyler, both of whom were early settlers of Wayne County. Of this union four children were born, Jerome T. being the only one living in Wayne County. In the spring of 18(19 the mother passed away, the father still living in Wooster. Jerome Baird's first business experience was as a clerk in a drug store in Wooster, in which he finally bought an interest. In the spring of 1884 he sold out his interest, and started alone in the business he is now conducting, lu 1882 he was married to Miss Jennie, daughter of John and Jane Beclitel. No children have been born to them. Ml. Baird is a member of the K. of M., and he is regarded as a young business man of capacity, whose attention to business and character for probity are sure to command success.

JfOHN EVEY was born in Washington County, Md., April 23, 1825, and "— is a son of Samuel and Sophia (Neiswander) Evey, both natives of the State of Maryland. The paternal grandfather of John Evey was Christian Evey, and his maternal grandfather was John Neiswander, both natives of Germany, and early settlers of Washington County, Md. The parents of our subject settled in Wayne County in 1827, locating on a farm on Section 16, Chippewa Township, which they cleared and improved, in later life removing to Doylestown, where they died.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.