Aaron Fisher
Aaron Fisher, one of the leading citizens of Delphos, and a member of one of the pioneer families of this county, was born January 1, 1847, near LaFayette, Allen County, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Long) Fisher.
The Fisher family originated in Germany, and the descendants have widely scattered, having been always distinguished as solid citizens, good home builders, and industrious, intelligent and thrifty members of the communities in which they have lived. The father of our subject was born in Pennsylvania and accompanied his parents to Perry County, Ohio, where he was reared and learned the blacksmith's trade. In 1835 he settled in Allen County, locating on a tract of 80 acres of wild land which was situated in section 25, Jackson township, a mile and a quarter from LaFayette. As illustrative of those primitive days, Mr. Fisher recalls the stories told by his father of how he lived comfortably, for a time, under the shelter of an old oak tree, while the building of the log cabin took place. With an abundance of game of all kinds, including flocks of wild turkeys, the question of subsistence was merely a nominal one. The clearing of the farm followed the old log house gave way to a modern, convenient frame residence, where, surrounded by an affectionate, obedient family, the father's life closed at the age of 70 years.
It is interesting to recall those days of early settlement in Jackson township. Considered in the light of the present, there seems to have been many drawbacks to content and comfort, but in those days they were taken as matters of fact and were looked upon with an indifference begotten of familiarity. The cultivation of the land was carried on entirely with the sickle, rake, old-fashioned horse plow and harrow, and the grain was threshed out on the barn floor with flails. Clothing was almost entirely of home manufacture, that for summer wear being made from flax grown on the farm and that for winter from wool sheared from the flocks of sheep which formerly were raised in great numbers. The wool was taken to Delphos and St. Mary's to be carded. In a reminiscent mood, our subject can recall how, as a little lad, he had to be strapped to the horse's back with the bag of grain, in order that both should not come to grief on the way. He recalls that on a later occasion he took the grain to mill on a vehicle made of a wagon tongue and two wheels. This journey sometimes consumed several days, as each customer at the mill had to wait his turn, and the old-time construction of the grist-mills was such that expedition was impossible.
Mr. Fisher vividly recalls the boyish delights hovering around the cooking of the corn pone before the open fire-place in the old log cabin kitchen, with its pots and kettles in close proximity, and remembers the toothsome viands prepared in the old Dutch oven. In those days hospitality was an accepted virtue, and in no home was it more honored than in that of Jacob Fisher. His pioneer cabin was a traveler's inn, and on its threshold the weary stranger found the willing hand of brotherly friendship extended. Especially welcome was the coming of the pioneer preacher, who brought with him news, not otherwise obtainable, of other sections of the State, and Mr. Fisher can remember when he and his brothers climbed on the fence to eagerly watch for his coming. Especially welcome on account of the many engaging qualities, which he possessed, with his tried and true Christian zeal, was a Mr. Doner, who made the home of Jacob Fisher his headquarters when in Jackson township.
The latter was the real founder of the Lutheran Church in his district, and assisted in the construction of the log edifice, which was also used at the first schoolhouse. Jacob Fisher was one of the men who should never be forgotten in Jackson Township. Of his none children all reached maturity except one. He gave three sons to the service of his country during the Civil War Joseph, Benjamin and Noah the last mentioned of whom never returned to his home, but fills a soldier's grave at Memphis, Tennessee. The three surviving daughters are: Susanna, who is the widow of Simon Foster, of Middlepoint, Van Wert County; Nancy (Hallman), a widow, who resides near LaFayette; and Mary Ann (Ernsberger), now of Decatur, Indiana, where she has resided for the past year, but formerly for 35 years a resident of Delphos.
Aaron Fisher was the youngest child in the above family. He attended school in the near- by log schoolhouse, and learned to write with a quill pen and with ink made from bark and the berries of the poke weed. The advantages afforded for an extended education were somewhat meager, but a taste for learning was inspired and, for all practical purposes, a sufficient familiarity with reading, writing and arithmetic was acquired by the pupils. At the age of 21 he married and moved to LaFayette, where he hired out as a carpenter and during the first year his wife taught the village school. For the next eight years he worked as a thresher, and also operated a rented farm, In the spring of 1870 he removed to Delphos.
After settling at Delphos, Mr. Fisher carried on a teaming business for a number of years. He began with a very small capital, but, through good management and industry, soon increased it, bought a livery stable, later ran an omnibus line, and started the first street sprinkler in Delphos. Subsequently he sold the site of his stable to the city, and the present Town Hall now occupies it. Later, through trading, he acquired a farm on which was an excellent stone quarry. This he operated for some years, and then purchased a tract of land inside the corporate limits of Delphos, which he afterward sold to his son and son-in-law, and which is still known as the Fisher stone quarry. In addition to his teaming and livery enterprise, he embarked in an ice business and all these lines are continued by is son. His own interests, however, are still important. He purchased the business block on the corner of Main and Second streets, first the south one-half and later the north, and this is known as the Fisher Block. He also owns and conducts a neat cigar and tabacco store on the block located on the banks of the canal. He is a director of the Delphos Foundry Company and has other considerable interests.
The death of Mr. Fisher's first wife occurred in December, 1899. She was a lady much admired and beloved, a popular teacher and an active church worker. Of the four children, two sons survive, viz.: Arthur, his father's business successor, who lives in Van Wert County; and Orville D., of Lima. An adopted daughter, Nellie M. Fisher, resides with our subject. Mr. Fisher's present wife, Formerly Mrs. Margaret Ward, had two children by her first marriage: May, who is a teacher, and Dana, who is in business with Mr. Fisher.
Throughout his life Mr. Fisher has been actively identified with the Democratic party, and in 1894 was elected sheriff of Allen County, giving four years of active effort to the honest enforcement of the law. The record of this period is one of loyal faithful service to his fellow-citizens. At the close of his term he visited the West, mainly in the hope of restoring his wife to health, but these efforts proved unavailing. After his return, he built a fine livery barn on West Spring street, Lima, which is 50 by 200 feet in dimensions one of the largest establishments of its kind in the city.
Mr. Fisher is serving his second term on the City Council at Delphos. He is chairman of the fire committee, and a very useful member of the improvement and of the sanitary and sewer committees. He has been sent as the representative of his party to many county and congressional conventions and was honored with the appointment of sergeant-at-arms at the Democratic National Convention at Chicago when President Cleveland was nominated the second time. He is a member of the Masonic bodies from the Blue Lodge to the Mystic Shrine, attending the lodges of the higher branches at Dayton, Ohio; he is also connected with the order of Elks.