Thaddeus W. Fancher
Biography
Biography
THADDEUS W. FANCHER, one of the venerable and honored citizens of Lorain, where he is now living retired, has played a large part in the civic and material development and progress of this metropolis of Lorain County, where he served as one of the early mayors of the city, besides having held the office of city treasurer and other official positions through which he effectively expressed his fine civic loyalty and stewardship.
Mr. Fancher was born in Greenwich, Huron County, Ohio, February 25, 1839, a son of William and Mary (Van Scoy) Fancher, the former of whom was born at Poughkeepsie, New York, August 1, 1811, and died October 4, 1886. The latter was born February 16, 1816, in Geauga County, Ohio, where her parents had pioneer honors. She was married October 24, 1833, and died July 22, 1866. The paternal grandparents of the subject of this review were Thaddeus and Sally (Mead) Fancher, the latter's father, Col. Matthew Mead, having been a patriot soldier and officer in the War of the Revolution. Thaddeus Fancher was born at Stamford, Connecticut. The maternal grandparents, Abram and Sally (Knapp) Van Scoy, were natives of the State of New York, he having been a scion of one of the fine old Holland Dutch families early founded in the Empire State and his wife having been of English lineage. Lysander Fancher, great-grandfather of him whose name initiates this review, was a member of the same regiment as was Col. Matthew Mead in the War of the Revolution, and he was assigned special duty in supervising the extinguishment of fires after the army forces had left different localities that required this protective service.
Thaddeus Fancher gained status as one of the sterling pioneer settlers in Huron County, Ohio, to which he made his first visit, on horseback, in the year 1818, his trip having been made for the purpose of selecting a location for a future home in the wilds of Ohio. After this prospecting trip he returned to New York State, and in the autumn of 1819, with wagon and ox team, and with a horse for leader of the team, he and his family made the long and arduous overland journey from New York State to Huron County, Ohio, five weeks and four days having been required to complete the trip. He took up fire lands in the Western Reserve, the same having been purchased at the rate of 50 cents an acre. On his homestead tract in Huron County, Thaddeus Fancher erected a large frame house, and that the same was constructed with characteristic solidity and care common to that day is evidenced by the fact that the ancient building is still in excellent preservation and utilized for residence purposes. The Van Scoys likewise became early settlers in the same locality and made purchase of fire lands.
After their marriage William and Mary (Van Scoy) Fancher settled on a part of the land which his father had purchased, and he continued his farm operations in Huron County until 1865, when he removed to Camden Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where he acquired property and where he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives.
Thaddeus W. Fancher was reared under the conditions and influences that marked what may be termed the middle-pioneer era in the history of the historic old Western Reserve. He attended select school, a type of school common to the locality and period, and thereafter was a student in Oberlin College until he attained to the age of twenty-two years. At the age of seventeen he initiated his service as a teacher during winter terms of school in his native county, he having taught nine such terms in Huron County, Ohio, and two in Montcalm County, Michigan. There he reclaimed and made available for cultivation the greater part of his tract of 110 acres, and after remaining there nine years he returned to Ohio and established his residence at Lorain, April 7, 1873. Here it was his purpose to serve as railroad station agent, but one of the varied duties incidental to such a position at that time was the frequent work of coupling cars. In this special work he was severely pinched between cars, with the result that he quit his job and turned his attention to work at the carpenter's trade. As a contractor and builder he developed a substantial and prosperous business, and incidentally he brought some of the best timber from his Michigan farm, manufactured the same into lumber and utilized the product in the erecting of a fine house at 624 Oberlin Avenue, where the family home was maintained until 1906, when removal was made to the present attractive and modern mansion owned by him at 606 Oberlin Avenue. Mr. Fancher continued his contracting business six years, and then became associated with F.W. Edison in the retail hardware and implement business. Seven years later he sold his interest in this enterprise to his partner, and in 1880 he received appointment to the office of postmaster of Lorain, a position which he retained seven years. About four years later, in 1891, he was again appointed postmaster, and was the fourth mayor of Lorain after its incorporation as a city, held this office one term and served two terms as city treasurer. He was a valued member of the Lorain Board of Education from 1874 to 1884, soon after the village was incorporated, and was president of the board five years. He gave effective service also as a member of the City Council as Township treasurer, and as a member of the Board of Review, on which he served ten years. Upon the failure of the Citizens Savings Bank of Lorain, Mr. Fancher was appointed its receiver, and this position he retained from 1905 to 1911, in which latter year the tangled affairs of the institution were finally adjusted to the best possible advantage. Since 1913 Mr. Fancher has been retired from all active business or official service. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, he has received the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite Masonry, and has been affiliated with the time honored fraternity since February 26, 1860, becoming a Master Mason at Fitchville, Huron County, Ohio, the day after his twenty-first birthday. Both he and his wife are members of the adjunct organization, the Order of the Eastern Star, and their religious affiliation is with the Congregational Church.
Mr. Fancher's service during the Civil war consisted of sending a substitute, but later he joined the Minute Men, who were called "The Squirrel Hunters," and on the call for troops in 1862 he went with his command to Cincinnati, where he remained thirty days. The strange part of his service was that forty years after his service in the War of the Rebellion he received his discharge, and a check from the Government for thirteen dollars for his services as a soldier.
February 21, 1863, recorded the marriage of Mr. Fancher and Miss Ermina Griffin, who was born at Greenwich, Huron County, Ohio, on the 19th of July, 1843, a daughter of Riley and Philena (Washburn) Griffin, the former of whom was born in Hunter Township, Greene County, New York, in 1812, and the latter was born in Ulster County, that state, in 1817, their marriage having been solemnized at Norwalk, Ohio, Abijah and Abigail (Bloomer) Griffin, parents of Riley Griffin, were born and reared in New York State, he having been a son of Gersham Griffin and his wife having been a daughter of Daniel Bloomer, who was born in Greene County, New York. The marriage of Riley and Philena (Washburn) Griffin occurred January 28, 1839. Mrs. Griffin was a child of three years at the time when her parents established their home in Huron County, Ohio. She was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Craft) Washburn, and her grandfather, Joseph Washburn, obtained 1,000 acres of land in Huron County.
In conclusion is entered brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fancher: Elvadore R., born October 17, 1864, was a member of the first class to be graduated in the Lorain High School, and has been identified with the banking business since he was seventeen years of age, he being now governor of the Federal Reserve Bank in the City of Cleveland. February 15, 1893, recorded his marriage to Miss Harriet L. Schroeder, who was born in the City of Chicago. Millicent Alfre, born November 2, 1866, became the wife of Albert E. Richards May 17, 1894, and her husband died at Clyde, Ohio, October 28, 1898. Thereafter she remained at the parental home until her second marriage, June 25, 1901, when she became the wife of Charles J. Tiffany, who is now engaged in the drug business at 404 Broadway in the City of Lorain.
Source: History of Ohio, Historical and Biographical, The American Historical Society, 1925, vol. III, pp. 85-87, with photo.
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Mr. Fancher was born in Greenwich, Huron County, Ohio, February 25, 1839, a son of William and Mary (Van Scoy) Fancher, the former of whom was born at Poughkeepsie, New York, August 1, 1811, and died October 4, 1886. The latter was born February 16, 1816, in Geauga County, Ohio, where her parents had pioneer honors. She was married October 24, 1833, and died July 22, 1866. The paternal grandparents of the subject of this review were Thaddeus and Sally (Mead) Fancher, the latter's father, Col. Matthew Mead, having been a patriot soldier and officer in the War of the Revolution. Thaddeus Fancher was born at Stamford, Connecticut. The maternal grandparents, Abram and Sally (Knapp) Van Scoy, were natives of the State of New York, he having been a scion of one of the fine old Holland Dutch families early founded in the Empire State and his wife having been of English lineage. Lysander Fancher, great-grandfather of him whose name initiates this review, was a member of the same regiment as was Col. Matthew Mead in the War of the Revolution, and he was assigned special duty in supervising the extinguishment of fires after the army forces had left different localities that required this protective service.
Thaddeus Fancher gained status as one of the sterling pioneer settlers in Huron County, Ohio, to which he made his first visit, on horseback, in the year 1818, his trip having been made for the purpose of selecting a location for a future home in the wilds of Ohio. After this prospecting trip he returned to New York State, and in the autumn of 1819, with wagon and ox team, and with a horse for leader of the team, he and his family made the long and arduous overland journey from New York State to Huron County, Ohio, five weeks and four days having been required to complete the trip. He took up fire lands in the Western Reserve, the same having been purchased at the rate of 50 cents an acre. On his homestead tract in Huron County, Thaddeus Fancher erected a large frame house, and that the same was constructed with characteristic solidity and care common to that day is evidenced by the fact that the ancient building is still in excellent preservation and utilized for residence purposes. The Van Scoys likewise became early settlers in the same locality and made purchase of fire lands.
After their marriage William and Mary (Van Scoy) Fancher settled on a part of the land which his father had purchased, and he continued his farm operations in Huron County until 1865, when he removed to Camden Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where he acquired property and where he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives.
Thaddeus W. Fancher was reared under the conditions and influences that marked what may be termed the middle-pioneer era in the history of the historic old Western Reserve. He attended select school, a type of school common to the locality and period, and thereafter was a student in Oberlin College until he attained to the age of twenty-two years. At the age of seventeen he initiated his service as a teacher during winter terms of school in his native county, he having taught nine such terms in Huron County, Ohio, and two in Montcalm County, Michigan. There he reclaimed and made available for cultivation the greater part of his tract of 110 acres, and after remaining there nine years he returned to Ohio and established his residence at Lorain, April 7, 1873. Here it was his purpose to serve as railroad station agent, but one of the varied duties incidental to such a position at that time was the frequent work of coupling cars. In this special work he was severely pinched between cars, with the result that he quit his job and turned his attention to work at the carpenter's trade. As a contractor and builder he developed a substantial and prosperous business, and incidentally he brought some of the best timber from his Michigan farm, manufactured the same into lumber and utilized the product in the erecting of a fine house at 624 Oberlin Avenue, where the family home was maintained until 1906, when removal was made to the present attractive and modern mansion owned by him at 606 Oberlin Avenue. Mr. Fancher continued his contracting business six years, and then became associated with F.W. Edison in the retail hardware and implement business. Seven years later he sold his interest in this enterprise to his partner, and in 1880 he received appointment to the office of postmaster of Lorain, a position which he retained seven years. About four years later, in 1891, he was again appointed postmaster, and was the fourth mayor of Lorain after its incorporation as a city, held this office one term and served two terms as city treasurer. He was a valued member of the Lorain Board of Education from 1874 to 1884, soon after the village was incorporated, and was president of the board five years. He gave effective service also as a member of the City Council as Township treasurer, and as a member of the Board of Review, on which he served ten years. Upon the failure of the Citizens Savings Bank of Lorain, Mr. Fancher was appointed its receiver, and this position he retained from 1905 to 1911, in which latter year the tangled affairs of the institution were finally adjusted to the best possible advantage. Since 1913 Mr. Fancher has been retired from all active business or official service. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, he has received the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite Masonry, and has been affiliated with the time honored fraternity since February 26, 1860, becoming a Master Mason at Fitchville, Huron County, Ohio, the day after his twenty-first birthday. Both he and his wife are members of the adjunct organization, the Order of the Eastern Star, and their religious affiliation is with the Congregational Church.
Mr. Fancher's service during the Civil war consisted of sending a substitute, but later he joined the Minute Men, who were called "The Squirrel Hunters," and on the call for troops in 1862 he went with his command to Cincinnati, where he remained thirty days. The strange part of his service was that forty years after his service in the War of the Rebellion he received his discharge, and a check from the Government for thirteen dollars for his services as a soldier.
February 21, 1863, recorded the marriage of Mr. Fancher and Miss Ermina Griffin, who was born at Greenwich, Huron County, Ohio, on the 19th of July, 1843, a daughter of Riley and Philena (Washburn) Griffin, the former of whom was born in Hunter Township, Greene County, New York, in 1812, and the latter was born in Ulster County, that state, in 1817, their marriage having been solemnized at Norwalk, Ohio, Abijah and Abigail (Bloomer) Griffin, parents of Riley Griffin, were born and reared in New York State, he having been a son of Gersham Griffin and his wife having been a daughter of Daniel Bloomer, who was born in Greene County, New York. The marriage of Riley and Philena (Washburn) Griffin occurred January 28, 1839. Mrs. Griffin was a child of three years at the time when her parents established their home in Huron County, Ohio. She was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Craft) Washburn, and her grandfather, Joseph Washburn, obtained 1,000 acres of land in Huron County.
In conclusion is entered brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fancher: Elvadore R., born October 17, 1864, was a member of the first class to be graduated in the Lorain High School, and has been identified with the banking business since he was seventeen years of age, he being now governor of the Federal Reserve Bank in the City of Cleveland. February 15, 1893, recorded his marriage to Miss Harriet L. Schroeder, who was born in the City of Chicago. Millicent Alfre, born November 2, 1866, became the wife of Albert E. Richards May 17, 1894, and her husband died at Clyde, Ohio, October 28, 1898. Thereafter she remained at the parental home until her second marriage, June 25, 1901, when she became the wife of Charles J. Tiffany, who is now engaged in the drug business at 404 Broadway in the City of Lorain.
Source: History of Ohio, Historical and Biographical, The American Historical Society, 1925, vol. III, pp. 85-87, with photo.
Back to: Biographies
Transcribed from the old Huron County OHGenWeb site
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