Albert Huntley
Albert Huntley, a retired farmer of Scioto Township, who has been a resident of Ostrander since 1904, is one of the best-known men of this section. He was born in Delaware Township, Delaware County, Ohio, January 25, 1838. and is a son of William and Abigail (Marden) Huntley.
The Huntley family is of English extraction and it was founded in America by Mr. Huntley's great-grandfather, who settled in New Hampshire about the same time that William Penn came to Pennsylvania. Lemuel Huntley, grandfather of Albert Huntley, was born in Coos County, New Hampshire, where he engaged in farming. He and wife died at the home of their son. William, in 1854, aged respectively eighty-eight and eighty-six years.
William Huntley was born in Coos County, New Hampshire, in 1799, where he grew to manhood. He then went to Vermont, and after his marriage came to Ohio, settling at Tallmadge Center, Summit County. From there he came to Delaware County, in 1836, and settled on what is now known as the David Bevans farm. He was one of the earliest settlers and he had to clear his forty acres of land, where he built a log house in which he lived for many years. During the War of 1812 he served in the militia. The last twenty years of his life were spent with his son, Albert, and his death took place in 1878. He married Abigail Marden and they had six children, namely: Lavina, now deceased, who married Lyman Tuttle, of Delaware; Anna. also deceased, who married, first, Frank Cole, and second, Joseph Davis; William, who is deceased; Mary Ann. also deceased, who married Valentine Wilson; Albert, subject of this sketch; and Oscar, who is no longer living.
Albert Huntley was educated in the schools of Delaware Township. He then learned the trade ol carriage-smith, developing an unsuspected talent for all kinds of blacksmith work. This has led to his invention of a number of valuable agricultural implements, some of which he has patented. He invented a single wheat drill, the utility of which has been very generally recognized and large sales of which have been made all over the country. He is the inventor also of a corn husker which can he operated either by hand or by mechanical power; and of the Perfection fence post, which is made of cement, that composition which bids fair to take the place of building materials of all kinds, in the near future. Mr. Huntley long since recognized its great possibilities. He followed blacksmith work for eleven years before he purchased the home farm. In 1887 he bought a farm of 130 acres in Scioto Township, situated on the State Road, subsequently adding to it until it contained 165 acres. This he sold in 1904, with the exception of forty acres. He formerly carried on general farming, making a specialty of hay. of which he marketed fifty tons in an average, and also raised livestock.
Mr. Huntley has always been a loyal citizen. During the Civil War he served 100 days as a member of Company D, 145th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under General Alger, who commanded the troops occupying Forts Whipple, Woodbury, Tillinghast and Albany. After the crisis was over the 145th Regiment was sent back to Camp Chase, Ohio, where it was honorably discharged.
Mr. Huntley is a member of Tanner Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Huntley married Emily Jones, who is a daughter of John Jones, of Radnor Township, and they had two children. Charles and Ella, both of whom are now deceased. Charles Huntley died in December, 1907, and is survived by his widow, whose maiden name was Alice Houtz. Mr. Huntley and wife belongto the Presbyterian Church at Ostrander. In his political views the former is a Democrat but he has never been an active politician. He has always been recognized as a citizen of reliability and one on whom dependence could be placed in any public emergency.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908