The Spitler Families of Montgomery County, Ohio

JOHN SPITLER, a descendant of one of the pioneer families of Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, was born here, on the original Spitler homestead, April 10, 1814, and is now one of the oldest citizens of his native township.

Jacob Spitler, his grandfather, was a native of Lancaster county, Pa. Jacob’s father was slaughtered by Indians in a massacre in that county about the time of Braddock's defeat, but his mother escaped with her three children — Jacob, John and a daughter. Jacob married in Pennsylvania a lady who had borne the maiden name of Bookwalter, but who was the mother of four children by a former husband, named Lane, from whom descended the Gen. James Lane, of Kansas border war fame. After his marriage Jacob Spitler removed from Pennsylvania to Berkeley county, Va., thence to Rappanhannock county, and finally to Botetourt county, where he died at the age of sixty years, his wife following him to the grave within a week. Their children were named Cally, Joseph, Jacob, Betsey, John, Polly, Samuel and Anna.

John Spitler, son of Jacob and father of subject, was born in Berkeley county, Va., February 9, 1785, was reared a farmer, and came to Ohio in 1805, in company with his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Buntraeger, riding horseback more than 500 miles. Late in the same year Mr. Spitler settled in Clay township, Montgomery county, on the present site of Brookville, and in 1807 married Miss Barbara Rohrer, who was born in 1789, in Lancaster county, Pa., a daughter of Joseph Rohrer, who settled in Clay township in 1804, being the first of the pioneers. Joseph Rohrer, a native of Pennsylvania, was left an orphan at the age of six years, was reared a farmer, and married Mary Raesor. He became well to do, owned about 1,400 acres of land in Clay township, and at his death, when fifty-five years of age, gave 320 acres to each of his living children, who were named Barbara, John, Joseph and Daniel; two others died young, one of whom was a boy that was drowned at the Pinnacles, at the first settlement on the Miami river.

After marriage John Spitler cleared up a large farm in Clay township, and during his active life became possessor of about 2,000 acres. He bequeathed 160 acres to each of his eleven children, who were born and named in the following order: Polly, Jacob, Joseph,

John, Susan, Andrew, Elizabeth, Samuel, Hannah, Barbara and Solomon, all of whom lived to reach mature age. Mr. Spitler was a man of great strength of character, and made his mark as a leader of men, being wise in counsel, and always consulted when it became necessary to adjudicate or arbitrate difficulties among his neighbors. He lived to the advanced age of nearly ninety-years and died in 1874, a conscientious member of the German Baptist church, of which his wife was also a member.

John Spitler, whose name opens thissketch, was educated in the first school-house erected in Clay township and was reared to be a thorough farmer. April 1 1, 1839, he married Miss Esther Warner, who was born in Randolph township, March 5, 1820, a daughter of Jacob and Rosannah (Ligenfelter) Warner. Her father, Jacob, was born on a farm in Bedford county, Pa., and came to Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1812, settled in Randolph township and cleared a farm of 160 acres. Py his first wife he was the father of thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Spitler was next to the youngest, and by his second wife there were born four children. The second wife bore the maiden name of Susan Bruebaker, but at the time of her marriage with Mr. Spitler was the widow of a Mr. Warner, a distant relative of Mrs. Spitler’s mother. Jacob Warner lived to be sixty-two years of age, and his widow survived hirmthirty years, dying at the great age of ninety-seven.

For some little time after marriage John Spitler lived on the homestead, but in 1841 moved to Darke county, where he cleared from the woods a farm of 160 acres, and later returned to Clay township, Montgomery county, where he pursued his vocation as a farmer until 1894, when he retired. Mr. and Mrs. Spitler had born to them a family of fourteen children, born in the following order: Oliver,

Barbara, Elizabeth, Solomon, Susan, William, Hannah, Lydia, John, Benjamin, May E., Ephraim W., Flora M. and Charles S. In their religion Mr. and Mrs. Spitler are German Baptists, and in politics Mr. Spitler was in his early years a whig, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. William Henry Harrison, but with the change of parties fell into line with the republicans, and was a sound Union man. His son Solomon served for three years in company H, Sixty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, in defense of the national flag during the Civil war.

Dr. Ephraim W. Spitler, son of John and Esther Spitler, was born July 2, 1859, and received an excellent academic and collegiate education; he taught school five years in Darke, Miami and Montgomery counties, studied medicine under Dr. J. H. Spitler, and graduated from the Medical college of Ohio, at Cincinnati, in 1885. He began the practice of his profession in Jamton, moved to Phillipsburg in 1886 and is a successful and progressive physician.

The marriage of the doctor took place April 26, 1885, in Miami county,- to Miss

Emma A. Hershey, who was born in that county, March 20, 1861, a daughter of John P. and Elizabeth (Kolp) Hershey. Her father, John P. Hershey, is a native of Lancaster county, Pa., and before coming to Ohio, in 1849, was the first conductor on the Pennsylvania railroad between Mount Joy and Philadelphia. He is the father of seven living children and still survives at the age of seventy-five years. In politics Dr. Spitler is a republican, and fraternally is an Odd Fellow.

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

NOAH E. SPITLER, a descendant of one of the oldest pioneer families of Montgomery county, and a regular minister of the old German Baptist church, was born in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, June 22, 1848. Fora fuller account of the Spitler family than here presented the reader is referred to the biography of Dr. E. W. Spitler, printed elsewhere in this volume.

Samuel Spitler, the grandfather of Noah E., was born in Lancaster county, Pa., and married Catherine Mishler, by whom he had the following children: Joseph, John, Jacob,

Samuel, Henry, Daniel, David and Mary. Samuel Spitler moved to Ohio about 1815, settling in Stark county, and living there about ten years. In 1825 he came to Montgomery county, settling on 765 acres of land, most of which he cleared up from the woods. In 1853 he removed to Miami county, Ohio, passing the remainder of his life with his son-in-law, Joseph Gnodle. For many years he was a deacon in the German Baptist church, a man of influence in his neighborhood, and reached the age of seventy-two years, having been well-known for many miles around as a sturdy, hardworking, thrifty pioneer farmer.

Jacob M. Spitler, his son, and father of Noah E., was born in Stark county, Ohio, January 8, 1820. He received a common-school education, became a farmer, and in due course of time married Ellen Earhart, who was born in 1831. She was a daughter of Jacob Earhart. Mr. and Mrs. Spitler settled on land in Clay township, purchasing eighty acres, which he greatly improved and made into a good farm and home. When he settled on it this tract was partly cleared, and by the untiring labor of his own hands he cleared away the surplus timber, added fertilizing material to the soil wherever necessary, and brought his farm to a profitable state of cultivation. He and his wife reared the following children: Levi, Harriet, Noah, and Mary Allen. Mrs. Spitler died in 1856, Mr. Spitler remaining on the home farm four years a widower. In 1861, he married Mrs. Mary Sharp, a widow, whose maiden name was Stutsman, Mr. Spitler then bought land in Miami county, Ohio, where he lived until 1869, when he removed to Douglas county, Kans., there settling on 120 acres of land, upon which he is still living. His well-earned reputation for integrity and honorable dealing has followed him from Ohio to the west, where he is prosperous and successful.

Noah E. Spitler received an excellent education in the district school, and afterward attended the high school at Piqua. For some years he was successfully engaged in teaching school in Montgomery county, and also in Miami county. On August 9, 1870, he married Miss Anna Binkley, in Montgomery county, she having been born in Lancaster county, Pa., June 25, 1847. She is a daughter of Jacob M. and Mattie K. (Weller) Binkley. For a fuller mention of Mrs. Spitler, the reader is referred to the history of the Binkley family, elsewhere published in this volume.

Mr. Spitler removed, in 1877, to Miami county, remaining there until 1893, where, with the exception of a few years, he was engaged in teaching school. He has been one of the most successful of teachers, having taught thirteen years in three districts, twenty-seven months constantly in one district. In 1876 he taught a graded school in district No. 12, Miami county. His ability as a teacher is fully recognized and his labors in this capacity have always been highly appreciated by the people of Montgomery and Miami counties. Many people of prominence, both men and women, have been pupils of Mr. Spitler, and have their names on his roll of honor.

In 1893 Mr. Spitler removed to his present farm of thirty-eight acres. He and his wife are the parents of the following children: Harriet E. and Jacob F. Mr. Spitler became a member of the German Baptist church in 1875, and in 1882 began preaching the gospel to his people, and has since continued to preach. He has always led a life of great usefulness, his object being to live for the benefit of others. In the fields of education and religion his work has been that of one who loved his fellow-men.

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

Jacob Spitler is well known in Brookville as the senior partner of the firm of Spilter & Spilter, dealers in agricultural implements, heavy merchandise and buggies at Brookville. He was born in Montgomery county, October 12, 1853, his parents being David and Nancy Spitler, the former a farmer by occupation. During the formative period of this part of the state the grandfather, Jacob Spitler, arrived in the county, coming early in the nineteenth century. He settled near Brookville and began the development of a farm. At that day it was necessary to drive to Cincinnati for supplies and also to effect the sale of farm produce. No railroads had been built and comparatively few roads had been made. Much of the land was still covered with the native forest growth and gave little evidence of the development and improvement which was soon to transform this district into one of the most populous and prosperous parts of the state.

In the common schools Jacob Spitler of this review pursued his education and, after putting aside his text-books, hei began farming on his own account, cultivating a tract of land until 1899. He then entered mercantile circles, dealing in agricultural implements, heavy merchandise and buggies at Brookville under the firm name of Spitler & Spitler, his son Charles R. being his partner. He has since continued in this field of activity and the firm now enjoys an extensive and gratifying trade. Their business methods are such as will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and their enterprise and energy have carried them into important commercial relations.

In 1871 Jacob Spitler was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Overholser, of Brookville, and they have become the parents of four children: Elliott O., of Brookville; Charles R., who is his father’s partner in business; Jesse C., also of Brookville; and Lola E., the wife of Arthur Norris, who is engaged in the coal business of Brookville. Mr. Spitler is a member of the junior order of United Order of American Mechanics and also of the Knights of Pythias fraternity. He has served as a trustee of his township and also as a school director and is very interested in those measures and movements which certain to the welfare and progress of the community. His life has been well spent and he is now numbered among the representative merchants of this part of the state. He was equally well known in his connection with agricultural interests and at all times his sterling qualities have gained him the friendly regard of those with whom he has been brought in contact.

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

CHARLES R. SPITLER.

Charles R. Spitler, junior member of the firm of Spitler & Spitler of Brookville, his native city, was born October 12, 1875, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine Spitler, also natives of Montgomery county. At the usual age he was sent as a pupil to the public schools and mastered the various branches of learning taught in consecutive grades until he became a high-school student. He was born and reared on a farm and there remained until 1890, when he came to Brookville. In 1898 he joined his father in their business under the firm style of Spitler & Spitler and have conducted the enterprise to the present day, building up an extensive and gratifying trade. In 1908 they extended the scope of their activities by becoming extensive dealers in coal and have had large sales in that commodity in the intervening period.

In 1895 Mr. Spitler was united in marriage to Miss Olive Belle Mills, a daughter of Truman B. Mills, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. They now have one child, Herbert, ten years of age. The parents are members of the United Brethren church and Mr. Spitler has also been identified with the junior order of United Order of American Mechanics for the past fourteen years. In politics he is a stanch and stalwart democrat, giving freely of his time and means to the support of his party. He has been a delegate to the democratic convention to this district and is a member of the board of health. Aside from his mercantile interests he is connected with the Brookville Manufacturing Company and he has settled more states than any other one man of the locality, acting as administrator and executor, and at all times having the entire confidence of the general public. He is a man whose business reliability is above question and in no business undertaking has he been known to take advantage of his fellowmen in even the slightest degree.

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