Henry Snyder

HENRY SNYDER.

Henry Snyder, who throughout his active business life has been prominently identified with the farming and stock raising interests of Hancock county, was born on the 12th of August, 1837, in Marion township, his parents being Henry and Magdaline (Sands) Snyder. His father was born in Basil, Switzerland, in 1790, and was reared and educated in his native land, always speaking the German langtiage, although he understood English in later life. It was in 1832 that he crossed the Atlantic to the new world and took up his residence in Fairfield county, Ohio, but the following year settled in Hancock county, entering land in Marion township four miles east of Findlay. He built thereon a cabin and took up his above there when there was but one family between his home and the river on the east. His place was on the Marion (now the Mount Blanchard) road, but when he located there the road had not been laid out and the early settlers followed the ridges in making a journey. Being in limited circumstances Mr. Snyder had just enough money to enter his land, but was able to make a living off his own farm from the first and at once turned his attention to the clearing and improvement of his land. In those early days there was much sickness, the chills being prevalent among the pioneers, and our subject recalls one time when his sister and a neighbor girl were the only ones in the neighborhood not suffering with that disease. His father cleared one-half of his hundredacre farm and continued to make his home thereon until called to his final rest in 184, at the age of seventy-four years. He supported the Democratic party until 1860, when he became a Republican. Though reared in the German Reformed church he joined the Christian church and adhered to that faith throughout life, attending meetings held in the homes of the pioneers and in school houses, as the church in Amanda township, known as Amanda Chapel, was not erected until after his death, but the old Christian society there has since been disbanded. His wife, who was born in Fairfield county in 1806, of Holland parentage, survived him about twenty years, passing away in 1883 on the old homestead. They were the parents of six children, namely: Mary Magdaline, now the widow of Henry Herring and a resident of Wyandot county, Ohio; Henry, whose name introduces this sketch; Elizabeth, who is now keeping house for our subject; Susan, who died about four years ago at the age of fifty-four years; Anna, who lives on the old homestead; and Daniel, wo now owns the farm on which his entire life has been passed. With the exception of our subject and his eldest sister the children* all remained uimiarried.

Henry Snyder passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old home farm, remaining there until his father's death. At the age of twenty-two years he taught two terms of school in this county, and later taught in Livingston county, Illinois, in 1861-2. He then returned home and taught two more terms in this county. Being of a studious nature, he devoted much of his leisure time to general literature and passed an examination in algebra and history, although these were not among the required studies, in order to obtain a teacher's certificate in Ohio. The year of his father's death he bought a tract of land in Findlay township on Eagle creek, this county, but in the summer of 1867 returned to Illinois and was engaged in farming in Shelby county, that state, for a time. Subsequently he assisted his brother in conducting the home farm and in the meantime made some improvements upon his own land in this county.

His brother being young, Henry Snyder remained at home until his marriage, which was celebrated on the 25th of February, 1869, Miss Matilda Shank, a daughter of Henry Shank of Eagle township, becoming his wife. She was then twenty-seven years of age and had previously been engaged in teaching school in Eagle township. Mr. Snyder had already secured his present tract of land, but as there were no buildings upon the place, he rented a farm in Marion township after his marriage and there he and his wife began their domestic life, though he devoted one-half of his time to the improvement of his own farm. After a happy married life of five years the wife died on the loth of October, 1874, leaving two children: Willoughby Albert, who is now a horse trainer and track driver of Bowhng Green, Wood county, Ohio; and Henry Jason, who has taught four terms of school in Hancock county and is now a student at the Tri-State College at Angola, Indiana. He married Florence Enfield, of Big Lick township, this county, and their son, Henry Ebert, is now living with his grandfather. Since the death of his wife Mr. Snyder's sister Elizabeth has continued to act as his housekeeper and has been a mother to his children, and she certainly deserves great credit for what she has done in their behalf.

In addition to the operation of his own farm Mr. Snyder had charge of his father's old homestead for three years, conducting the business for his brother, who was then in poor health, and for five years he also cultivated a farm in Marion township. He has eighty acres on Lye creek, one-half of which he has cleared and has tiled the principal part of it, much of it being under water at one time. He has erected a good house and bam and made many other improvements which add greatly to the value and attractive appearance of the place, so that it now compares favorably with the best farms of the township. In connection with the tilling of the soil he is engaged in the raising sheep and hogs, keeping about five hundred sheep, one hundred of which he usually fatten for market each year. His hogs are of the Poland China breed and have won many prizes at the fairs where they have been exhibited.

Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Snyder has endorsed the principles of the Republican party and at national elections always supports that ticket, but at local elections where no issue is involved he often votes for the men of the opposing party if he thinks them better qualified for the offices. In 1890 he was elected justice of the peace in a Democratic township, a fact which indicates his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens, and he creditably filled that office for one term.

As printed in A Centennial biographical history of Hancock County, Ohio : embellished with portraits of many well known people of Hancock County, who have been or are prominent in its history and development (1903). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.