"JONATHAN SPOHN is a well-known farmer of Green Creek township, Sandusky county, where no citizen enjoys greater esteem among his fellow citizens. He is a native of Perry county, Ohio, born January 10, 1822, son of Jacob and Barbara (Anspach) Spohn.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Spohn were born in Hagerstown, Md., and Lancaster county, Penn., respectively, and they were married in Reading township, Perry Co., Ohio, where their parents had located. There was a settlement of pioneer families from Pennsylvania at that place when Mrs. Spohn was about thirteen years old, and Jacob Spohn's people also settled there about that time, in the wilderness among the Indians. The paternal grandfather, Philip Spohn, was an American soldier all through the Revolutionary war, and was pensioned by the U. S. Government; he served as one of Gen. Washington's bodyguard during the war. In after years he often related how the English general, Lord Howe, had Washington's army surrounded in the bend of a river when night came on, and seemed sure of his capture the following morning, but that during the night Washington marshaled his little army out from under the bank of the river, and before the next morning, while Lord Howe was preparing for his capture, he had made his escape, and was miles away surprising and defeating another body of English forces. Philip Spohn lived to be ninety-four years old, and his wife also lived to an advanced age. They were both of Holland-Dutch descent. The maternal grandfather of out subject was Adam Anspach, who died when Jonathan was eight years old. He was the father of eleven children, of whome we have mention of Benjamin, Adam, David, John, Mrs. Adam Binkley, Mrs. Philip Dupler, Mrs. Emanuel Binkley, Mrs. Ludwig Ridenaur, and Barbara (the mother of our subject). Barbara Anspach first married Jonathan Zartman, by whom she had four children, all now deceased, viz.: Kate, who married D. Binkley; Mollie, who married Benjamin Humberger, and lived in Perry county, Ohio; Barbara, who was married in Sandusky county to Christopher Spohn, who now lives in Perry county; and Elizabeth, who married John King, and lived in Fairfield, Ohio. Jacob Spohn was one of eleven children: Henry, Daniel, John, Adam, Samuel, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Anspach, Polly Stomp, Mrs. Lawrence, Christena (who married John Horner) and Mrs. Henry Ridenaur. Jacob and Barbara Spohn had seven children, of whom Margaret died when seventeen years old; Solomon died at the age of fifty-nine years; Jonathan is our subject; Anthony died at the age of twenty-one; Joel now resides on the old homestead; Leo [sic, for Leah] is deceased; Isabella married George Swinehart.
Jonathan Spohn grew to manhood in Perry county, and when twenty-one years old came to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he ranks among the old pioneers. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked first in Ballville township two years, after which he put up a shop for himself on the line of the Western Reserve and Maumee Pike, east of Lower Snadusky, across the road from his present residence, and in this he worked for farmers and teamsters about twenty-two years. This was before the days of railroads, when the pike was the great highway of commerce in that section, and when the constant stream of settlers was moving westward. So impassable were the roads that he often saw people stop two and three days at one hotel, the trip being so slow on account of the mud that they would walk from their teams to the hotel. There was then an average of one hotel to each mile of the pike.
In 1844 Jonathan Spohn married Miss Elizabeth Brunthaver, who was born in 1825 in Fairfield county, Ohio, and they had four children: Francis, who died in the army, at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., while serving as a member of the Seventy-Second Regiment, O. V. I., and whose remains were brought home by our subject for burial; Adam F., who married Samantha Strohl, and has ten children --- Lottie, Hadie, Franklin, Alvin, Mabel, Thurman, Waneta, Lizzie, Willis and one who died in infancy; Allen, living at home, who married Miss Annie Ridenhour and has three children --- Walter, Harry and Enid; and Mary, wife of O. Grover, of Wood county, Ohio, whose children are Howard, Ethel C., Nelson and George. Our subject is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren. In religious connection he is a member of the Reformed Church at Fremont, as is also Mrs. Spohn. During the Mexican War he served as a soldier under Gen. Scott, and was also a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. Socially he is a member of Croghan Lodge No. 77, F. & A. M., Fremont. Mr. Spohn has held various civic offices in Green Creek township; in the fall of 1879 he was elected to the office of infirmary director, serving two terms, six years in all, with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Our subject own seventy-six acres of valuable land, and the prosperity he now enjoys is due entirely to his own good management, thrift and economy." [Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1896, pp. 276-277]
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Spohn were born in Hagerstown, Md., and Lancaster county, Penn., respectively, and they were married in Reading township, Perry Co., Ohio, where their parents had located. There was a settlement of pioneer families from Pennsylvania at that place when Mrs. Spohn was about thirteen years old, and Jacob Spohn's people also settled there about that time, in the wilderness among the Indians. The paternal grandfather, Philip Spohn, was an American soldier all through the Revolutionary war, and was pensioned by the U. S. Government; he served as one of Gen. Washington's bodyguard during the war. In after years he often related how the English general, Lord Howe, had Washington's army surrounded in the bend of a river when night came on, and seemed sure of his capture the following morning, but that during the night Washington marshaled his little army out from under the bank of the river, and before the next morning, while Lord Howe was preparing for his capture, he had made his escape, and was miles away surprising and defeating another body of English forces. Philip Spohn lived to be ninety-four years old, and his wife also lived to an advanced age. They were both of Holland-Dutch descent. The maternal grandfather of out subject was Adam Anspach, who died when Jonathan was eight years old. He was the father of eleven children, of whome we have mention of Benjamin, Adam, David, John, Mrs. Adam Binkley, Mrs. Philip Dupler, Mrs. Emanuel Binkley, Mrs. Ludwig Ridenaur, and Barbara (the mother of our subject). Barbara Anspach first married Jonathan Zartman, by whom she had four children, all now deceased, viz.: Kate, who married D. Binkley; Mollie, who married Benjamin Humberger, and lived in Perry county, Ohio; Barbara, who was married in Sandusky county to Christopher Spohn, who now lives in Perry county; and Elizabeth, who married John King, and lived in Fairfield, Ohio. Jacob Spohn was one of eleven children: Henry, Daniel, John, Adam, Samuel, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Anspach, Polly Stomp, Mrs. Lawrence, Christena (who married John Horner) and Mrs. Henry Ridenaur. Jacob and Barbara Spohn had seven children, of whom Margaret died when seventeen years old; Solomon died at the age of fifty-nine years; Jonathan is our subject; Anthony died at the age of twenty-one; Joel now resides on the old homestead; Leo [sic, for Leah] is deceased; Isabella married George Swinehart.
Jonathan Spohn grew to manhood in Perry county, and when twenty-one years old came to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he ranks among the old pioneers. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked first in Ballville township two years, after which he put up a shop for himself on the line of the Western Reserve and Maumee Pike, east of Lower Snadusky, across the road from his present residence, and in this he worked for farmers and teamsters about twenty-two years. This was before the days of railroads, when the pike was the great highway of commerce in that section, and when the constant stream of settlers was moving westward. So impassable were the roads that he often saw people stop two and three days at one hotel, the trip being so slow on account of the mud that they would walk from their teams to the hotel. There was then an average of one hotel to each mile of the pike.
In 1844 Jonathan Spohn married Miss Elizabeth Brunthaver, who was born in 1825 in Fairfield county, Ohio, and they had four children: Francis, who died in the army, at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., while serving as a member of the Seventy-Second Regiment, O. V. I., and whose remains were brought home by our subject for burial; Adam F., who married Samantha Strohl, and has ten children --- Lottie, Hadie, Franklin, Alvin, Mabel, Thurman, Waneta, Lizzie, Willis and one who died in infancy; Allen, living at home, who married Miss Annie Ridenhour and has three children --- Walter, Harry and Enid; and Mary, wife of O. Grover, of Wood county, Ohio, whose children are Howard, Ethel C., Nelson and George. Our subject is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren. In religious connection he is a member of the Reformed Church at Fremont, as is also Mrs. Spohn. During the Mexican War he served as a soldier under Gen. Scott, and was also a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. Socially he is a member of Croghan Lodge No. 77, F. & A. M., Fremont. Mr. Spohn has held various civic offices in Green Creek township; in the fall of 1879 he was elected to the office of infirmary director, serving two terms, six years in all, with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Our subject own seventy-six acres of valuable land, and the prosperity he now enjoys is due entirely to his own good management, thrift and economy." [Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1896, pp. 276-277]
"JONATHAN SPOHN is a well-known farmer of Green Creek township, Sandusky county, where no citizen enjoys greater esteem among his fellow citizens. He is a native of Perry county, Ohio, born January 10, 1822, son of Jacob and Barbara (Anspach) Spohn.
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Spohn were born in Hagerstown, Md., and Lancaster county, Penn., respectively, and they were married in Reading township, Perry Co., Ohio, where their parents had located. There was a settlement of pioneer families from Pennsylvania at that place when Mrs. Spohn was about thirteen years old, and Jacob Spohn's people also settled there about that time, in the wilderness among the Indians. The paternal grandfather, Philip Spohn, was an American soldier all through the Revolutionary war, and was pensioned by the U. S. Government; he served as one of Gen. Washington's bodyguard during the war. In after years he often related how the English general, Lord Howe, had Washington's army surrounded in the bend of a river when night came on, and seemed sure of his capture the following morning, but that during the night Washington marshaled his little army out from under the bank of the river, and before the next morning, while Lord Howe was preparing for his capture, he had made his escape, and was miles away surprising and defeating another body of English forces. Philip Spohn lived to be ninety-four years old, and his wife also lived to an advanced age. They were both of Holland-Dutch descent. The maternal grandfather of out subject was Adam Anspach, who died when Jonathan was eight years old. He was the father of eleven children, of whome we have mention of Benjamin, Adam, David, John, Mrs. Adam Binkley, Mrs. Philip Dupler, Mrs. Emanuel Binkley, Mrs. Ludwig Ridenaur, and Barbara (the mother of our subject). Barbara Anspach first married Jonathan Zartman, by whom she had four children, all now deceased, viz.: Kate, who married D. Binkley; Mollie, who married Benjamin Humberger, and lived in Perry county, Ohio; Barbara, who was married in Sandusky county to Christopher Spohn, who now lives in Perry county; and Elizabeth, who married John King, and lived in Fairfield, Ohio. Jacob Spohn was one of eleven children: Henry, Daniel, John, Adam, Samuel, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Anspach, Polly Stomp, Mrs. Lawrence, Christena (who married John Horner) and Mrs. Henry Ridenaur. Jacob and Barbara Spohn had seven children, of whom Margaret died when seventeen years old; Solomon died at the age of fifty-nine years; Jonathan is our subject; Anthony died at the age of twenty-one; Joel now resides on the old homestead; Leo [sic, for Leah] is deceased; Isabella married George Swinehart.
Jonathan Spohn grew to manhood in Perry county, and when twenty-one years old came to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he ranks among the old pioneers. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked first in Ballville township two years, after which he put up a shop for himself on the line of the Western Reserve and Maumee Pike, east of Lower Snadusky, across the road from his present residence, and in this he worked for farmers and teamsters about twenty-two years. This was before the days of railroads, when the pike was the great highway of commerce in that section, and when the constant stream of settlers was moving westward. So impassable were the roads that he often saw people stop two and three days at one hotel, the trip being so slow on account of the mud that they would walk from their teams to the hotel. There was then an average of one hotel to each mile of the pike.
In 1844 Jonathan Spohn married Miss Elizabeth Brunthaver, who was born in 1825 in Fairfield county, Ohio, and they had four children: Francis, who died in the army, at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., while serving as a member of the Seventy-Second Regiment, O. V. I., and whose remains were brought home by our subject for burial; Adam F., who married Samantha Strohl, and has ten children --- Lottie, Hadie, Franklin, Alvin, Mabel, Thurman, Waneta, Lizzie, Willis and one who died in infancy; Allen, living at home, who married Miss Annie Ridenhour and has three children --- Walter, Harry and Enid; and Mary, wife of O. Grover, of Wood county, Ohio, whose children are Howard, Ethel C., Nelson and George. Our subject is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren. In religious connection he is a member of the Reformed Church at Fremont, as is also Mrs. Spohn. During the Mexican War he served as a soldier under Gen. Scott, and was also a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. Socially he is a member of Croghan Lodge No. 77, F. & A. M., Fremont. Mr. Spohn has held various civic offices in Green Creek township; in the fall of 1879 he was elected to the office of infirmary director, serving two terms, six years in all, with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Our subject own seventy-six acres of valuable land, and the prosperity he now enjoys is due entirely to his own good management, thrift and economy." [Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1896, pp. 276-277]
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Spohn were born in Hagerstown, Md., and Lancaster county, Penn., respectively, and they were married in Reading township, Perry Co., Ohio, where their parents had located. There was a settlement of pioneer families from Pennsylvania at that place when Mrs. Spohn was about thirteen years old, and Jacob Spohn's people also settled there about that time, in the wilderness among the Indians. The paternal grandfather, Philip Spohn, was an American soldier all through the Revolutionary war, and was pensioned by the U. S. Government; he served as one of Gen. Washington's bodyguard during the war. In after years he often related how the English general, Lord Howe, had Washington's army surrounded in the bend of a river when night came on, and seemed sure of his capture the following morning, but that during the night Washington marshaled his little army out from under the bank of the river, and before the next morning, while Lord Howe was preparing for his capture, he had made his escape, and was miles away surprising and defeating another body of English forces. Philip Spohn lived to be ninety-four years old, and his wife also lived to an advanced age. They were both of Holland-Dutch descent. The maternal grandfather of out subject was Adam Anspach, who died when Jonathan was eight years old. He was the father of eleven children, of whome we have mention of Benjamin, Adam, David, John, Mrs. Adam Binkley, Mrs. Philip Dupler, Mrs. Emanuel Binkley, Mrs. Ludwig Ridenaur, and Barbara (the mother of our subject). Barbara Anspach first married Jonathan Zartman, by whom she had four children, all now deceased, viz.: Kate, who married D. Binkley; Mollie, who married Benjamin Humberger, and lived in Perry county, Ohio; Barbara, who was married in Sandusky county to Christopher Spohn, who now lives in Perry county; and Elizabeth, who married John King, and lived in Fairfield, Ohio. Jacob Spohn was one of eleven children: Henry, Daniel, John, Adam, Samuel, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Anspach, Polly Stomp, Mrs. Lawrence, Christena (who married John Horner) and Mrs. Henry Ridenaur. Jacob and Barbara Spohn had seven children, of whom Margaret died when seventeen years old; Solomon died at the age of fifty-nine years; Jonathan is our subject; Anthony died at the age of twenty-one; Joel now resides on the old homestead; Leo [sic, for Leah] is deceased; Isabella married George Swinehart.
Jonathan Spohn grew to manhood in Perry county, and when twenty-one years old came to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he ranks among the old pioneers. He was a blacksmith by trade, and worked first in Ballville township two years, after which he put up a shop for himself on the line of the Western Reserve and Maumee Pike, east of Lower Snadusky, across the road from his present residence, and in this he worked for farmers and teamsters about twenty-two years. This was before the days of railroads, when the pike was the great highway of commerce in that section, and when the constant stream of settlers was moving westward. So impassable were the roads that he often saw people stop two and three days at one hotel, the trip being so slow on account of the mud that they would walk from their teams to the hotel. There was then an average of one hotel to each mile of the pike.
In 1844 Jonathan Spohn married Miss Elizabeth Brunthaver, who was born in 1825 in Fairfield county, Ohio, and they had four children: Francis, who died in the army, at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., while serving as a member of the Seventy-Second Regiment, O. V. I., and whose remains were brought home by our subject for burial; Adam F., who married Samantha Strohl, and has ten children --- Lottie, Hadie, Franklin, Alvin, Mabel, Thurman, Waneta, Lizzie, Willis and one who died in infancy; Allen, living at home, who married Miss Annie Ridenhour and has three children --- Walter, Harry and Enid; and Mary, wife of O. Grover, of Wood county, Ohio, whose children are Howard, Ethel C., Nelson and George. Our subject is a Democrat in politics, and cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren. In religious connection he is a member of the Reformed Church at Fremont, as is also Mrs. Spohn. During the Mexican War he served as a soldier under Gen. Scott, and was also a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war. Socially he is a member of Croghan Lodge No. 77, F. & A. M., Fremont. Mr. Spohn has held various civic offices in Green Creek township; in the fall of 1879 he was elected to the office of infirmary director, serving two terms, six years in all, with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Our subject own seventy-six acres of valuable land, and the prosperity he now enjoys is due entirely to his own good management, thrift and economy." [Commemorative biographical record of the counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1896, pp. 276-277]
