JOHN O'BRIEN, teacher, was born in County Wexford, Ireland, August 6, 1852, son of Michael and Elizabeth (Redmond) O?Brien. His parents immigrated to America when he was three months old, landing at Savannah, Georgia, where his father was engaged in railroad work for a short time. In 1853 the family removed to East Tennessee, and the next year to the northern part of the State, near Clarksville, on the Cumberland River. There his father learned the trade of miller, an occupation he followed until the last year of the war. The family then removed to Quincy, Illinois, and in the vicinity of that city he followed farming. The mother died there in May, 1865, and the family then removed to Butler County, Ohio, where the father was again married, and after living there about two years removed to the southern part of Jay County, this State, where he is now an extensive farmer. John followed the fortunes of his father?s family until they moved to that county and early gave his attention to educational matters. His education was commenced in the subscription schools of Tennessee, continued in the common schools of Butler County, Ohio, and Jay County, Indiana, and completed at Ridge ville College, where he attended two and a half years. After that he studied law at Ridgeville with James Williamson, was admitted to the Jay County bar, at Portland, in December, 1884, and became deputy prosecutor of Jay County, an office he held from November, 1884, until March, 1885. Since that time he has continued his legal studies, and in the meantime follows teaching. He was married May 21, 1880, to Miss Maggie A. Scott, a native of Jay County, and a daughter of John and Phebe B. (Fordyce) Scott. They have two children - Willie S. and Bertha E.

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, p. 928.

MICHAEL OLDFATHER, farmer and stock-raiser, section 15, Rock Creek Township, was horn in Montgomery County, Ohio, the date of his birth being February 6, 1826. His parents, John and Susannah (Foutz) Oldfather, were natives of of the State of Pennsylvania, the father born in Allegheny County, coming with his father, Henry Oldfather, to Ohio when he was twelve years old. The mother of our subject was a daughter of Michael Foutz, who removed from Carolina to Pennsylvania in an early day. Michael Oldfather, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm and in a saw and grist-mill, which occupation his father followed. He remained with his parents until attaining the age of twenty-four years, when he was married January 9, 1851, to Miss Lydia Albert, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John and Susannah (Heasinger) Albert, and to this union were born seven children—Allen (died aged twenty-five years), Louisa, Emma B., Laura E., Susan E. (deceased), Lucy A. (deceased), and Mary E. Mrs. Oldfather died April 17, 1870, and November 26, 1873, Mr. Oldfather married Miss Fannie A. Brown, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and when four years old was brought by her parents, James and Nancy Brown, to Wells County, Indiana, where she was reared. One son, named John Thomas, has been born to this union. In 1853 Mr. Oldfather came to Wells County and purchased his present farm, which then consisted of eighty acres, partially improved, and to this he subsequently added forty acres. Since coming to Wells County he has followed agricultural pursuits successfully, and his farm is now well improved and under fine cultivation. He is classed among the self-made men of the county, having by his own efforts acquired his present fine property and gained a competence for his declining years. He and his wife are members of the Reformed church. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party. James Brown, the father of Mrs. Oldfather, was a native of County Donegal, Ireland, born in 1791, where he grew to manhood on a farm. He was married in 1827 to Miss Nancy Wallace, a daughter of James and Nancy Wallace, and to them were born five children—Thomas (deceased), Fanny A., wife of Michael Oldfathcr, Mathew (deceased), James (deceased) and Catherine, wife of John Gorden. In 1832 Mr. Brown sailed with his family for America, and after an ocean voyage of eight weeks and three days, landed in Philadelphia, where Mr. Brown found employment, remaining in that city five years. From there they went to Northampton County, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Brown died April 9, 1842, leaving a widow and four children. In 1843 Mrs. Brown came with her family to Wells County, and settled in Rock Creek Township, where she made her home with her brother. She is now living with her daughter, Mrs. Oldfather, and although eighty-four years old, is still hale and hearty.

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, pp. 966-969.

ALBERT OPPENHEIM, agent for the American Express Company and operator in charge of the Western Union Telegraph office at Bluffton, is a native of that city, born October 8, 1855, a son of Sigmund and Mary J. (Niblick) Oppenheim. His father being a merchant his youth when not in school was spent in the store. When fifteen years old he began to learn the printer?s trade in the office of the Bluffton Banner, at which he worked three years, when he began to take instructions in telegraphy in the railway telegraph office of the Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Company, at Bluffton, and since May, 1882, has been local manager of the Western Union office. From 1881 till 1885 he was associated with his father in the manufacture of cigars, and in 1887 was appointed agent for the American Express Company. Mr. Oppenheim was married in 1876 to Miss Alice O. Davis, a daughter of Jared and Elizabeth Davis, of Cincinnati. They have two children - Blanche and Ethel. Mrs. Oppenheim is a member of the Universalist church. Mr. Oppenheim is a member of the Masonic fraternity, lodge and chapter, and the Knights of Pythias and Knights of Honor.

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, pp. 857-858.

SIGMUND OPPENHEIM, a retired merchant of Bluffton, Indiana, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1821. He was reared in his native country, and in his youth was educated in the mercantile business. In 1848 he came to the United States, landing in New York City July 1, where he remained about two months. He then went to Newark, Ohio, where for a few months he was employed as a mercantile clerk. From there he went to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he was employed in the same capacity until the spring of 1849, when he went to Somerset, Ohio, remaining there until the following December, when, influenced by the gold excitement, he went to California and worked in the Yuba Diggins until October, 1850, when failing to realize his anticipations he went to San Francisco, and engaged in the more promising business of keeping a restaurant. In September, 1852, he returned to Ohio, and clerked at Zanesville, Mount Vernon and Mansfield until September, 1853, when he came to Indiana and located at Bluffton. He embarked in the mercantile business, which he continued until 1877, and from 1881 until 1885 engaged in the manufacture of cigars. Since 1885 he has lived retired from active business life. In politics Mr. Oppenheimn is a Democrat. He has no aspirations for official honors, the only offices he ever held being those of school trustee and councilman, holding the former position fourteen years and the latter one term, refusing to accept a second nomination. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1849, and is a member of both lodge and chapter at Bluffton. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows order, lodge, and encampment, and has been a representative to the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment of the State. Mr. Oppenheim was married in 1854 to Mary Jane Niblick, daughter of James Niblick, of Adams County, Indiana. They have three children—Albert, agent for the American Express Company and manager of the Western Union Telegraph office at Bluffton; William S., an attorney, of Fort Wayne, and Addie.

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, p. 866.

The Ormsby family of Union township, Wells county, Indiana, were originally from Ireland, George Ormsby, the grandfather of the subject, having come from the Emerald Isle to America when about twenty-one years of age, settling in Mahoning county, Ohio. There he married a Scotch lady and then made a visit to Ireland, remained there about three years, and then returned to his home in Ohio, where he died at the age of ninety-seven and a half years.

Albert Ormsby was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, January 4, 1832, a son of Joseph and Martha (Wolfcale) Ormsby. Joseph Ormsby was reared a farmer and, although he had but a common school education, was an eloquent orator and a earnest advocate of the principles of the Democratic party. Joseph and Martha Ormsby were both born in Mahoning county, Ohio, lived there all their days and died there at the respective ages of sixty-seven and sixty-three years. To Joseph and Martha Ormsby there were born ten children, of whom seven still survive, although Albert is the only representative of the family living in Wells county, Indiana.

Albert Ormsby worked on his father's farm until twenty-one years old, attending the district school in the meanwhile. After reaching manhood's estate he began working out by the month, but continued to live on the farm until he was twenty-five.

August 27, 1856, Mr. Ormsby was united in marriage with Miss Mary Goldner, daughter of a highly respect couple of Mahoning county, Ohio, and quite well educated in the German and English languages. In April, 1857, Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby came to Indiana and made their first stopping place at Ossian, Wells county. Shortly afterward they moved into a cabin one mile north of the present site of Uniondale, where Mr. Ormsby purchased an eighty-acre tract of land, two which he has since added forty acres. The hard labor of clearing off the super-abundance of timber that incumbered these acres was almost all performed by Mr. Ormsby himself, but he has developed one of the finest farms of its dimensions in the township of Union and is well satisfied with the result of his efforts.

Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby have had born to them two children, viz: Lois A., who is the wife of Cyrus Wert, of Union township, and Llewellyn Hays Ormsby, who operates the homestead. The family attend the Lutheran church at Uniondale, of which the parents of both members, Mrs. Ormsby having been a communicant since girlhood and of which Mr. Ormsby has been a deacon for twenty-four years, and one of the first elders. The parents take a deep interest in this church and its progress and contribute most freely to its financial support. In his political affiliations Mr. Ormsby is a Democrat, and although ever active in his work for his party and punctual in casting his vote for its candidates, he is never officious, nor has he ever sought office. He has always been an industrious citizen and, as will have been seen by the foregoing paragraphs, has earned by his own labor nearly all he is now worth. He and his wife are greatly respected by their neighbors for their many good qualities and personal merits and their social standing is with the best people of Union and surrounding townships.

Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana. B.F. Bowen, Logansport, Indiana, 1903, pp. 553-554.

LEVI OSBORN, of Ossian, was born in Canfield, Trumbull County, Ohio, August 12, 1827, son of Jacob and Elizabeth M. (Harris) Osborn. James Harris, father of Elizabeth M., was probably born in the town of Milford, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, of Irish ancestry. His wife was Alice Woodard, and they reared a large family of children, some of whom are living—-Elizabeth M., Mary, John, Thomas (deceased), Margaret, James, Ann and David (deceased), Hannah, Joseph, Robert and Rachel. Margaret, Ann, James and Hannah came to Indiana and settled in Wells County; John settled in Adams County; the latter and Margaret are now deceased. John Osborn, grandfather of our subject, was a son of Nicholas Osborn, who came to America from England prior to the Revolutionary war. He was accompanied by two brothers, and all were soldiers in that war; but no trace of the two brothers has ever been found since the close of the war. Mrs. John Osborn was a German lady; they had ten children——Conrad, Nicholas, Jacob, John, William, Jonathan, Amos, Andrew, Margaret and Elizabeth. Jacob Osborn was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was twice married. His first wife was Annie Babbitt, and their children were-—Elias, Harmon, Mary A. (deceased) and Aaron. After the death of his wife, Jacob married Elizabeth Harris, and their children were—Levi, James, Margaret and Elizabeth (twins), Eliza J., Anna and William; all are living and married except Anna, who married William Gorman, and Elizabeth, who died in infancy. The death of Jacob Osborn occurred when our subject was twelve years of age, and when he was twenty-one years old he came to Wells County and pre-empted the northwest quarter of section 24, Union Township. He built a pole shanty on the land the day before it was entered, ate and slept in it. This was the western boundary of settlement at that date. He cut and burned the first pile of brush to cook his supper, and may be said to have made the first clearing in his immediate neighborhood. During the first eight months of his stay in the county Mr. Osborn worked by the month for William W. Cotton, who brought his family to this county at the same time our subject came. Levi returned to his old home in April, 1849, and remained until September of the following year, then returned to his home in the new country, bringing his wife, Catherine Ashburn, whom he married June 13, 1850. She was the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Hart) Ashburn. Her fatherÂ’s people were German, and her motherÂ’s were Irish. They removed to this county in April, 1884, to make their home with their children. Mr. Ashburn died at the home of Mr. Osborn October 12, 1886, aged eighty-six years. His wife is still living with Mr. OsbornÂ’s family, and has reached the mature age of eighty years. Their children were—Catherine, William, Mary, Jesse, Nelson and Prossor. Mr. Osborn erected a log cabin on the spot where his fine farm house now stands, and they occupied it October 28, 1850. Under its roof all their children were born except the youngest—-Joseph N. married Albina Longshore; Elizabeth E. married O. C. Krewson; Jacob W. married Paulina Sowle; Mary E. became the wife of Orland J. Krewson, and after his death married his brother Thomas; Elias E., William W., Etta M. and Anna M. are unmarried and reside with their parents. Our subject made all the furniture with which they commenced housekeeping. Blankets served for doors, and not a sawed board was used in the construction of the house, except the lid of a chest which was used in making a window. The bedsteads were made of poles, the seats of puncheon slabs, the table of clapboards and the floor of the same material. Mr. Osborn worked for some of his neighbors by the day, for which he received corn and potatoes. Although the woods were full of game, he never hunted, or even killed a deer or turkey, but devoted all his time to the cultivation of his land. They became members of the first Methodist Episcopal church organized in the neighborhood; this church is still in existence. Mr. Osborn has been an officer in the church for almost a quarter of a century. During the progress of the war he was drafted, but after being in camp two weeks at Indianapolis he was released, the township having filled her quota. In 1853 he was elected trustee of the township, and during his term of service the Centre school-house was built and several new roads laid out. Politically he is a Republican, and was one of the founders of that party in this county. January 1, 1885, he was injured by a saw falling upon his left foot, which resulted in its amputation by Dr. Stemen, of Fort Wayne, at St. JosephÂ’s hospital. This disables him from active farm work, but his general health is unusually good.

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, pp. 712-715.