David Y. Landis

As printed in 1889

AVID Y. LANDIS. This well known business man of Wooster is a native of the Keystone State, born in Lehigh County, January 10, 1840. His father, William Landis, was also born in the same county, and was of Swiss extraction, his forefather having come to this country to escape religious persecution in his native land, where two of the family had been burned at the j state as heretics. They were believers in the Mennonite faith, and besides being a farmer, William Landis was until his ! death a preacher of that denomination.

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David Y. Landis, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the common schools of his native State, and at fourteen years of age began life for himself by learning the trades of cabinet-making and carving at Allentown, Penn. In 18(50 he followed his mother to this county, and worked at his trade in Wooster until 1800, when he formed a partnership, and has ever since been engaged in business in Wooster. His present partner is.Jacob E. Schmuck, and they carry on the furniture and undertaking business, having the largest stock of goods in their line in Wooster.

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Mr. Landis has had to make his own way in the world, and the success he has achieved is due to his energy and industry, backed by good judgment, and made more certain by the reputation he has justly acquired of being a thoroughly honest business man, whose word can at all times be relied upon. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the I. O. O. E. He was a member of Capt. James IP. Eobinson’s Company I, One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisting August 5, IS OP, and served for three years. He is now a member of Given Post, No. 133, G. A. E.

DA M EO 1 1 EST JOI 1 NSON, a well-known farmer of Wooster Township, was born in Salt Creek Township, Wayne County, Ohio, March 1!J, 1850. His grandfather, James Johnson, a native of Pennsylvania, married Mary White, and in 1810 they came to Wayne County, settling in Salt Creek Township on a piece of wild land, where the sound of the white man's ax had never been heard. Here they died, the grandfather in 1809, at the age of seventy years, and the grandmother in 1884, at the age of eighty-four. Four children, three sons and one daughter, were born to this couple, two of whom are yet living:

St. Clair Johnson, in Salt Creek Township, Wayne County, and Mrs. Euth Grant, in Stark County, Ohio. One son, William Johnson, father of Adam F., was born in Fayette County, Penn., in 1815, and remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time lie married Mary Hatfield, a native of Wayne County, and daughter of Robert and Nancy fbitfield. In 1808 our subject’s parents removed to Wooster Township, where they spent the remainder of their Jives. They were the parents of ten children, as follows: James W., who was for three years a soldier, and is now living in Salt- Creek Township, this county; Nancy M., deceased; Ruth E., residing in Wooster; Margaret L., now Mrs. Robert Mackey; Catherine, now Mrs. E. C. Smith, of Frederick, burgh: Jennie, living in Wooster; Adam F.; Lucinda R., a teacher in Wooster; Homer It., deceased, and Ezra D., a resident of Indiana. The parents of this family died, the father in 1873, at the age of fifty-eight years, and the mother in 1883, at the ago of sixty - two, both members of Apple Creek Presbyterian Church, then of Fredericksburgh, later of Wooster, of which church the family are also members. W william Johnson passed a busy life, and did much toward the development of the county. He won success solely by his own exertions, and without help from any adventitious circumstances. Political'll ho was J first a Whig, and afterward, on the formation of the party, an active Republican.

Adam E Johnson has most of his life I made his home near his parents’ [dace, his sister keeping house for him part of the time. After some five years’ residence on the “lower farm,” he removed to the parental homestead, where he has since remained. In 1885 he was married to Miss Laura J. Searight, a native of Fredericksburgh, Wayne County, and a daughter of Gilbert and Matilda J. (McCullough) Searight. Mr. and Mrs. Adam F. Johnson have one child, named Adam Forest. The parents are members of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics Mr. Johnson is a Republican. He has met with success in life, and socially is highly esteemed and warmly beloved by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Gilbert Searight, father of Mrs. Adam F. Johnson, was a native of Salt Creek Township, Wayne County, Ohio, and was born on the farm on which he died. He, re he grew to manhood, and in IS I!) was married to Matilda J., daughter of-james and Sarah (McCall) McCullough, natives of Holmes County, Ohio. December ‘J, 1871), Mrs. Gilbert Searight died, aged nearly forty-seven years, and the mother of ten children, viz.: Ohio J., living in

Fredericksburgh; William A., in Carlisle, Penn.; John I' deceased; Leonard M., in Cook City, Montana; Laura J., now Mrs. Adam F. Johnson; Lucinda F., now Mrs. 1 1. ( '. Pi si i op, in Mount Vernon, Knox County; Sadie, M. and Frank I) at home:

Annie D. died in 1875; Gilbert 8. died in October, 1888. For his second wife Mr. Gilbert Seariglit married, June 30, 1885, Miss Nancy Haley, and on July 7, 1888, lie departed this life, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was a stanch Republican, and a member and deacon of the Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburgh. Before there were any churches in the locality services were held in his house, and he gave the land for the church. His widow, Mrs. Nancy Seariglit, continues to live at the old home place, at Fredericksburgh.

William Seariglit, father of Gilbert Seariglit, was a native of Carlisle, Cumberland County, Penn., born October 17, 1770, the son of a Revolutionary soldier, who came from Ireland in about 1700, settling in Carlisle, Penn. William Searight married, in Carlisle, Miss Jane Johnston, and in 1811 they removed to Salt Creek Township, this county, where they settled on the 460-acre tract he had entered shortly before, and which now constitutes the home farm of the family. Here they endured all the trials and hardships of pioneer life, and for a long time wore (ho only family in Salt Crook Township, their nearest neighbors being residents of that part of Holmes County now known as Prairie Township. William Seariglit built, in 1813, the first saw-mill on Salt Creek, a short distances from the residence of Gilbert Seariglit. William was a man of large physical proportions, weighing 300 pounds. He died July 16, 1846, and his wife in February, 1848. The paternal and maternal grandparents of Mrs. Adam F. Johnson came to this country together (from Pennsylvania), her maternal grandparents settling in Holmes County, becoming the nearest neighbors of William Seariglit, and the first blockhouse in the country was built there.

As printed in Commemorative biographical record of Wayne County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families .. (1889). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.