John Christian Speck

As printed in 1909

JOHN CHRISTIAN SPECK.

John Christian Speck, residing on his valuable and well improved farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres in Bethlehem township, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. March 4, 1839, his parents being Joseph and Caroline (Gamertfeder) Speck, who-were natives of Germany. When seventeen years of age the father became coimected with the blaclcsmith's trade, which he followed for three years, while subsequently he worked as a journeyman for one year. For six years he served in the German army and.subsequently was engaged in selling clocks for two years, but in 1833 embarked for the United States, landing in Ncav York after a voyage of eight months. From the Empire state he made his way to Jeffereon towaiship, Coshocton county, and was first employed on the Ohio state canal. Later he entered land in Jefferson township and erected thereon a log cabin with clapboard roof, luncheon floor and a door wdth wooden hinges. In this primitive pioneer structure he lived until the time of his demise, being called to his final rest when eighty-eight years of age. His w'ife passed away in 1846. Unto this worthy couple were born four children: John Christian Speck acquired a common-school education and remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority. Subsequently he learned the mason's trade, at which he worked for several years and then purchased a steam sawmill, being successfully engaged in its operation for twenty-five or thirty years. Buying a farm of forty acres in Jeft'person township, he made his home thereon for some time and on selling the property, purchased a tract of land in Monroe township, where he lived for four years. On disposing of that farm he bought eighty acres in Sandusky county. Ohio, but after two years also sold that place and removed, to Newark, Licking county, where he operated a sawmill for one year. During the following five years he resided on a farm of thirty acres in Bethlehem township, and on selling out removed to "Warsaw, w'here he conducted a planing mill for a year. After disposing of the mill he bought eighty acres of land in Tiverton township, Coshocton county, which he sold after a residence thereon of five years. He then purchased his present place of one hundred and thirty-five acres in Bethlehem township, on which he has made many substantial improvements, including the erecxvn. In all of his undertaking.s he has met with a ited measure of prosperity and is well known and of the sulvtantial and enterprising citizens of the tion of a fine house and 1 gratify highly

'd as i)ue t community.

:\Mr. Speck whose birth i seven children of Christ i:

ceased.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In his political views Mr. Speck is a democrat and his aid and influence can ever be counted upon to further any movement or measure instituted for the general welfare. A resident of this county for more than two-thirds of a century, he has not only seen it grow from a wild region, with only a few white inhabitants, to a rich agricultural district, containing thousands of good homes and acres of growing towns, inhabited by an industrious, prosperous, enlightened and progressive people but he has participated in the slow, persistent work of development which was necessary to produce a change which is so complete that it has come to be popularly referred to as magical.

As printed in Centennial history of Coshocton County, Ohio (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.