William F. Andrews and the Mystery on the Library - Part 2

 

                       With credit to the Find a Grave site - Mary Joan, Eric Flint and Art Block - 

                            William Francois Andrews (1846-1923) - Find a Grave Memorial

Ground was broken for the Carnegie library in 1904, with the exterior surely needing the expert hands of experienced stone masons. Much research has been done on the meaning of the 8 carved in stone. Why this mark? It does not seem to be a common mark of the Masons as a whole, so the conclusion at this time must be that it was the individual, unique mark chosen by the stone mason himself. That seemed to be the practice at the time in the U.S.

"Masons take a lot of meaning from the practice of leaving their mark. If we look back to the practices of the stonemasons, they left their marks quite literally on the stones, so that they could be identified when contributing to the construction of a building."  

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The Andrews family remained in the Main Street house until death. In 1917, they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary there.  The Defiance Crescent News wrote:

"Golden Wedding Anniversary

   Treasured with never-to-be forgotten memories of wedding anniversaries enjoyed by Mr. and Mrs. William F. Andrews will be the happy thoughts of the celebration of their golden anniversary on Sunday at their East side home with the children and grandchildren of the celebrants joining heartily in making the day one of golden memories.

   

Yesterday recalled the day of their wedding when fifty years ago, March 26, 1866, Miss Kate E. Hoover and William F. Andrews were united in marriage and reminiscences of days since then made up a delightful part of the celebration in memory of the event.

   

Eleven children have blessed the union, ten of whom are living, including: Mrs. Lilley Mills, Perrysburg; Hiram Andrews, Creston; Mrs. Tacie Brown, Mrs. Leah Aldrich, Cleveland; Mrs. Aimy Sterreit, Toledo; Mrs. Melva Viers, Lorain; and Emmett, Terrence, Mabel and Harry, who are at home. The descendents include sixteen grandchildren.

   

Masses of flowers with a shower of gold coins and many other gifts bestowed upon the happy couple added to the charm of the day and was a further token of love from the children and friends

Mr. and Mrs. Andrews are enjoying the same good health of pioneer days and felt that the day had been a typical repetition of the wedding day of fifty years ago"

Defiance Crescent News, March 26, 1917

In the 1920 census, William, 74, was retired with Kate, 69, at the Main Street house.  Still with them were Emmett, 38, single, a painter; Mable, 33, single, and Harry W.,22, single, a plumber.  

William died first on February 9, 1923, at his home at the age of 77. The official cause of death on his death certificate was exhaustion, with organic heart disease contributing. His daughter, Tacie, who lived in Chicago, was the informant.  He was buried in Riverside Cemetery on February 12.

"G.A.R. CHARTER MEMBER DIES - WILLIAM F. ANDREWS SUCCUMBS TO HEART TROUBLE AT AGE OF 77 YEARS.

  With the death of William F. Andrews at 11:10 p.m. yesterday at his home in 202 Main street, the ranks of the 22 charter members of Bishop Post, Grand Army of the Republic were thinned to three.  Organic heart trouble caused Mr. Andrew's death.  He was 77 years, 5 months and 21 days old.

  

His comrades at Bishop Post will conduct a brief funeral service Monday at 2 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, after which Revs. Ferdin and Ruge will have charge.

  

His widow, Mrs. Katherine Andrews, who was Miss Katherine Hoover before her marriage, survives him along with six daughters, four sons and two sisters.  The daughters are: Mrs. L. G Mills, Blackstone, Va.; Mrs. T. D. Brown, Chicago; Mrs. Leah Aldrich, Cleveland; Mrs. Amy Sterrett, Toledo; Miss Mabel Andrews 203 Main Street; and Mrs. Melva Dock, Amherst,  Sons: Hiram E. Andrews, Milan; Emmett G. Andrews, Toledo; Terrance W. Andrews, Toledo; and Harry N. Andrews, Toledo; and sisters: Mrs. John Zook, Sandusky and Mrs. Eliza Guerin, Shelby.

  

Mr. Andrews enlisted in the Union army July 31, 1862, and served during the entire Civil War until discharged at Nashville, Tenn. June 19, 1865.  He was a private in C company, 22nd Reg. State Volunteers of Michigan 2nd brigade, 3rd Div., 14th Corps of the Army of the Cumberland.

  

Mr. Andrews was a member of the Defiance lodge of the I.O.O.F. for 43 years."

Defiance Crescent News, February 10, 1923 pg 1

A little more than a year later on February 12,1924, the Andrews children lost their mother. She died at 1234 Michigan Street, the home of her son, Terrence, at the age of 74 years, 23 months and 12 days. The cause of death was pulmonary congestion, with a cerebral apoplexy - a stroke. Daughter Tacie was also informant on her mother's death certificate. 

"OBITUARY - KATHERINE HOOVER ANDREWS

  

Mrs. Kate E. Andrews (nee Hoover) was born at Piqua, O., Nov. 3rd, 1849, died at the home of her son, Terrence Andrews, in Toledo, Ohio, Tuesday, February 12, 1924 at the age of 74 years.

  

She came to Defiance with her parents in 1861 and was married to William F. Andrews in 1867  Mr Andrews death occurred just one year ago.

  

In passing, she leaves to mourn their loss 10 children: Mrs. L. G. Mills, Blackstone, Va., H. E. Andrews, Norwalk, Ohio; Mrs. T. D. Brown, Chicago, Ill.,; Mrs. Charles Aldrich, Cleveland, Ohio; Emmett Andrews, Toledo, Ohio; Mrs. Ed Sterrett, Toledo, Ohio; Mrs. E. Dock, Amherst, Ohio; Harry Andrews, Toledo, Ohio; also the following brothers and sisters: George Hoover and Chell Hoover of Defiance, and Mrs. J. Hawkins and Mrs. Alice Spurgeon of Chicago, Ill.  She was a charter member of Rebekah Maumee Lodge 665.

Funeral will be held in the Baptist church Thursday at 2 p.m.  Rev. Ayers officiating. Burial in Riverside."

Defiance Crescent News, February 23, 1924, pg. 7

William Francois Andrews and the Mystery on the Library - Part 1

 

As many times as I have climbed the steps at the Defiance Public Library, I have never noticed the carving of the 8 in the mortar to the right of the front steps until eagle-eyed DCGS member, Mary Scranton, pointed it out.  Then she preceded to vigorously research the stone mason possibly behind this mark - William F. Andrews, Citizen of Defiance, Veteran, Mason, Hotel Owner, and Father to quite a large family. Most of what follows in this blog about Andrews is the result of her research.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,/ on August 18, 1846, William Francois Andrews ventured into the United States before the Civil War began.  A son of Israel Andrews, born in French Canada, and Mary Ann Blanchflower, born in Norfolk, England, William and his family came to the U.S. and settled in Michigan about 1858 when William was 12.

In the fall of 1861, when he had just turned 15, William enlisted into Company E, Ninth Michigan Volunteer Infantry.  The Defiance County History of 1883 revealed that he went to camp at Fort Wayne, Michigan.

"He then got a furlough home and about three days thereafter, while at home, broke out with smallpox and was then discharged on this account.  He reenlisted July 31, 1862, in Company C, Twenty-second Michigan Regiment, and was honorably discharged June 26,1865, at the close of the war.

He was at the siege of Chattanooga all through that campaign, till Sherman started for the sea..."

He re-enlisted at Port Huron, Michigan the second time when he was 18. William went on to serve at Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesborough and Nashville before his muster out. Despite all his battles, he reported on the 1890 Veterans Census that he had no disabilities from his service.  

At some point after the war, he came to Defiance where he married Kate E. Hoover (Catherina Edwina) on March 27, 1867. She was the daughter of Emanuel and Susan Hoover, earlier settlers of the county. The Andrews were enumerated on the 1870 Federal Census here with just one child, Lilly, 6 months old, as an older child, Fanny Bell, born in 1869, had died.  William, 24, worked as a day laborer.

Holgate Place #7 was their home in 1880.  William had taken the occupation of stone mason by that time, and the family had increased, adding Peter, 7; Tacy, 5 and Leah, 4.  According to the 1883 History of Defiance County:

"Mr Andrews started out in 1867 and learned the stone mason's trade and followed this up by learning the brick-laying and stone-cutting, mastering each branch of the business, at which he continued till December 1882, when he went to Evansport and engaged temporarily in keeping hotel and restaurant."

The Defiance Democrat of January 31, 1884 noted: William F. Andrews, who had been running the Garber house at Evansport for some time, moved to Sherwood last week." 

Without the 1890 census, there was difficulty in following the Andrews family moves, but the Defiance Democrat did advertise a sale of property on August 4, 1894, in Defiance, specifically Lot 150 in East Defiance.

"Taken at the suit of Mary J. Elkins against William F. Andrews, Kate E. Andrews vs. Rollin H. Gleason and George Young.  Appraised at $700."  Defiance Democrat, July 19, 1894

 By 1900, things seemed to have righted themselves, as the family now had a mortgage on a home at 203 Main Street in Defiance. William, 55, was back to work as a brick mason; Kate, 48, was caring for the seven children still at home; and Kate's mother, Mary, a widow, had moved in. Talk of a new library for Defiance will begin soon, an enterprise that just might be what William needs for steady work.

The Ney Library

Who knew that Ney once had their very own library, a fifth branch of the Defiance Public Library?  Farmer also had a library, along with Sherwood, Hicksville and Jewell.  

Maybe after reading the following article, someone will be able to pinpoint the Ney Library's location in 1946.  The Defiance Crescent-News reported on the success of Ney's public library on February 14, 1946. 

 "LIBRARY AT NEY ISSUES 46 CARDS IN FIRST WEEK

Forty-six readers' cards were issued by the new Ney public library during its first week of operation, it was announced today by Miss Nellie Gary, county librarian.

The Ney library, sponsored by the Get-Together club of Washington township, is located in the former business room at the Ralph E. Rose residence property.  Mrs. Bentley Smithis in charge.

Hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and also 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.  The book collection is supplied and the work supervised by the Defiance Public Library.

Gifts of equipment from interested persons included librarian's desk Mrs George McCavit; drapes, Mrs. Floyd Krantz; two chairs and library table, Mr and Mrs. T.W. Unsicker; coat rack, Mrs R. V. Speiser...

Anyone who lives, is employed or attends school in Defiance county may borrow books free.  Non-residents pay $1 a year.  Temporary residents deposit the price of the book, refunded when book is returned.

Books circulate two weeks and may be renewed for another two weeks, if there are no reserves waiting  Number of books borrowed on one reader's card is regulated by the assistant with current demand in mind.

The charge for reserving a book is two cents; borrower is notified when book is available and the book is held for two days  Magazines, except current issue, may circulate for one week and may be renewed for one week.

Notices are sent when book or magazine is three days overdue.  Fine is two cents a day for each overdue book and one cent a day for each overdue magazine  Each patron is to use his own card."

 

 

Have You Ever Really Looked at This?

Fort Defiance marker on the Defiance Public Library grounds, placed by the DAR

"The unveiling of the Ft. Defiance Marker occurred on October 30, 1925.
As the cords binding the veil were released, the rugged stone bearing its beautiful bronze tablet was revealed, rough hewn from granite from the hills of New England.  The marker was fashioned by E. Nelson High of Cincinnati. 

The red flecked stone suggests the strength and hardihood of the pioneers whose memory it honors.  It rises to a height of six feet from the base to the top of the curve of the front face which is four and one half feet wide.  From the tablet to the rear face it measures two feet.

Mortised into the front face is the bronze tablet bearing this inscription:
'Fort Defiance was erected on this site by General Anthony Wayne, August 9 - 17, 1794,and thus,The Grand Emporium of the hostile Indians of the West was gained without loss of blood.  From this point, Gen. Wayne advanced against the Indians and signally defeated them in the Battle of Fallen Timbers, August 20th, 1794.'

At this strategic center, in October, 1792, convened the largest Indian council ever held on the American continent.
Fort Defiance was an important military post in the war of 1812. In the upper right corner of the tablet appears a replica of the ground plan of the fort, showing the two wings of the stockade resting on the banks of the Auglaize, the block houses and inner works.  The emblem of the D. A. R. is centered at the bottom of the tablet."

Daughters of the American Revolution, Ohio State History, p. 167.