Johann Friedrick (John Frederick) Harmening was an immigrant from Lower Saxony, Germany in the mid-1850s. He married twice, fathered six children, and died at the young age of 43, having accomplished much more than many of us will. Farmer, entrepeneur, timberman, land baron, school board member, county supervisor and inspector, postmaster - he was a busy man who contributed greatly in the development of Defiance County.
Born on November 1, 1838/1839, Frederick, as he was called, immigrated when he was in his teens. Some researchers stated that he was in Iowa after immigrating, and his pension card and Civil War records indicated that he enlisted for three months in Company K, 7th Illinois Infantry.
This unit mustered in on April 25, 1861 and served in Altoona, Cairo, and Mound City, Illinois, and finally in St. Louis until July 25, 1861. On these merits, Frederick joined the G.A.R. in Defiance, Ohio.
However, his second wife, Amelia, did not apply for his pension until 1916 - reason unknown.
Frederick was in Defiance by June 20, 1866, when he married his first wife, Johanna Barbara Hecht. Johanna, (born on April 5, 1844), gave birth to two children: Lydia Marie in 1867, and William F. in 1869. The family appeared in the 1870 census, living in Defiance Township. Frederic, 30, Anna, 26, Lydia, 3, and William, 1, along with Lucy Frichie, 11, domestic servant, lived on a farm. Frederick had real estate worth $5400 and a personal wealth of $500 - a goodly sum for the year. Before this time, he had platted the town of Mark Center on the north side, preparing for the railroad and its benefits. He also served as a township supervisor and in 1871 or before, he began his search for timber to produce railroad ties.
"TIMBER WANTED. - F. Harmening will buy 100,000 feet of squared timber, delivered on the R.R. track. He will also buy standing timber, if convenient to the road - the timber to be of white or burr oak. He can also give employment, for the winter, to twenty good choppers." Defiance Democrat, October 28, 1871.
Sadly, on September 27, 1871, his wife, Anna, passed away at the age of 27, probably in childbirth. A new son, Henry, born in 1871, died on October 24,1871.
From the Defiance Democrat, September 30, 1871:
"On Wednesday, September 27, Mrs. Anna, wife of Frederick Harmening, (died) in her 28th year." She was buried in Old Riverside Cemetery.
Frederick was left with two small children, but several years later, he married Amelia (Emelia) Hecht, Johanna's (Anna) sister just before Amelia turned 20. Amelia, born December 1,1853, in Pennsylvania, and Frederick were married on November 18, 1873, in Defiance. Frederick continued to acquire land and build his timber business.
"BIG PURCHASE - This week Fred. Harmening and W. D. Hill purchased one hundred sixty acres of land at Mark Center, on the B & O Road. A town has for some time been located there and considerable business is done at that point. It will make a good station." Defiance Democrat, December 24, 1874.
Many real estate transfers appeared in Frederick
Harmening's name - 192 acres in
Tiffin Township, more in Mark Township and all through the county. He also owned at least 400 acres in Paulding County in 1880. He travelled to Chicago in 1882 to the stock sales where he purchased five Kentucky bred Durham cows for about a thousand dollars, the newspaper claiming he was giving much attention to raising these cows and was very successful. He also owned some store rooms on Clinton
Street. After Amelia's death in 1937, the rooms were sold for the
Meek Pastry Shop.
"At present about the only thing sold in the Defiance market is railroad ties. J. F. Harmening has been purchasing largely this season, and the money he has disbursed has materially benefitted many farmers. During the past month, nearly 40,000 were received at this station." Tiffin Weekly Tribune, August 24, 1876.
"THE TIE BUSINESS- J. F. Harmening advertises for 100,000 railroad ties, half to be oak and half of soft wood, such as elm, black ash, beech and soft maple. The use of soft wood for railroad ties is a new thing in this section. Those purchased by Mr. Harmening are to be treated by the patent process of the American Wood Preserving Company, which has located in this town. Soft wood prepared by this Company will last as long and even longer than the best oak ties. The market for soft wood will soon become very important in this place,and will add much to the development and consequent wealth of Defiance and Paulding counties.
Defiance Democrat, January 17, 1878.
The Harmening family lived near the now extinct town of Ashwood on a farm west of Defiance. In 1879, Frederick was appointed postmaster there. The 1880 census indicated that they lived on Warren Road, (a street off of Holgate Avenue) - Fred J. Harmening, 40; Amelia, 26; Lydia, 13, William, 11 (the children of her sister, Anna); Carl, 6 and Anna, 3 months. Her mother, Eva Hecht, 65, a widow, also lived with them. Tragedy would soon strike, however, when baby Anna died in 1881. Later, he would lease the Ashwood farm out and move into a house on Holgate Avenue in Defiance City.
"HARMENING - On Tuesday, August 2d, 1881, Anna S. E. Harmening, infant daughter of Frederick and Amelia Harmening, aged 1 year, 5 months and 8 days."
Defiance Democrat, August 11, 1881.
Previously, a daughter, Ida Margaret, born in 1876, died in 1877.
In the meantime, his family grew with the addition of Fred H. on March 5, 1882.
Sadly, Frederick would not live to see his children grow to adulthood. He died suddenly on October 29, 1883.
John Frederick Harmening was buried in Old Riverside Cemetery.
Next...the story of Amelia after his death.
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