John Fry

As printed in 1881

JOHN H. FRY, hardware merchant, Sulphur Springs; was born Dec. 28, 1839, in Chatfield Township, Crawford Co. His father, John Fry, was born in Switzerland Dec. 17, 1799, and emigrated to the United States in 1834. He came direct to Ohio, and worked four years for his brother, J. H., in this county, who had been here several years previous. In 1838, he married Rachel Helm, who was a native of Somerset Co.. Penn., and came to Liberty Township with her father's family about the year 1825. They reared three children — John H., Susanna (now Mrs. John Guiss), and Lorene (who married William Guiss, and who are both deceased). John H., being the eldest and only boy in the family, was compelled to apply himself steadily to the farm, and therefore had little time to devote to educational exercises, and having but poor schools, at best, in the vicinity where he was reared, made it so much the worse. The bulk of his schooling was one term, which he attended in Liberty Township with one Williams, whose reputation as a teacher was good. He then resumed work on the farm the following spring, and continued until he was 28 years of age, when, on Nov. 1, 1876, he united his fortunes with Julia Warner, who was born in Vernon Township, this county, June 15, 1844. They have four children living — Rilie R., Daisy D., Cora and Elve A.; and one deceased — Willie J. He continued to work on his father's farm for about one year after they were married, and, in 1868, he purchased a half interest in the hardware store of Henry Fry, in this village. For about five years they did business together under the firm name of H. Fry & Co.. when, in 1873, the subject of this sketch bought the remaining half interest of H. Fry, and, since then, has been doing a very prosperous business in his own name. He carries a very good and large assortment of every'thing in his line, both shelf and heavy hardware, such as is seldom equaled in much larger towns — a minimum estimate of which would no doubt be about $-1,000 in value. His well-deserved patronage is daily increasing, as he has in his line all that is required in any farming community, and his patrons show their appreciation of honorable dealing In increased patronage and confidence.

As printed in History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.