William M. Van Fossen
William M. Van Fossen was born in Butler County, Ohio, in the year 1832. He was the third son of Levi and Rebccca (Furman) Van Fossen, who were both born in Cincinnati—the father being born in 1798, the mother in 1800. The Van Fossens came from England to the United States during the latter part of the eighteenth century, but the exact year is not known. They first located in Pennsylvania, but shortly afterwards came to the territory of Ohio. This was in the person of Ezra Van Fossen, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who died at Pisgah, Butler County Ohio, about 1840. Levi, his son, died in California in 1881. His wife died in California in 1879. William M. was brought by his parents to Shelby County in 1837; they located at Port Jefferson, where they build the third house in that village. William’s youthful days were spent on a farm and working by the day, never having had a day’s schooling in his life; when twenty-one years of age he scarcely knew the alphabet, and could not write his own name. IN 1849 his father and he went to California, landing there in the spring of 1850. In the fall of the same year they started to return home by the Nicaragua route, to take the balance of the family to California. After arriving at Lake Nicaragua, on their way home, William concluded not to go home with his father, and shipped on a schooner that was running on Lake Nicaragua, where he worked on that vessel for three months, then sailed for San Francisco, where he enlisted under Captain Crabb as a filibuster for General Walker’s expedition to central America, but on their way were captured by an U. S. man-of-war and were put on shore at Acapulco, when they returned by land to San Francisco. He then shipped on board of a sailing vessel as a cabin-boy for Australia. After making this voyage he next went on board a steamship as a steward. This ship was running between San Francisco and Rio Janeiro; making in all a little over two years he was on the water. In 1852 he went into the mines, where he worked until 1859. It was during this time, while blocked with snow during the winter in their hut, that he learned to read and write, under the instruction of one of his messmates. In 1859 he retuned to Shelby County and married Miss Sallie Stewart, a daughter of Preston Stewart. Shortly after marriage he returned to California, taking his wife with him. After remaining there about one year they returned to Shelby County, since which time he has made his home in Sidney. In 1862 he enlisted in the 99th O. V. I. and served over three years, being in every battle his regiment was engaged in; was wounded at the battle of Nashville, Tenn. He enlisted as a private, but was discharged as orderly sergeant of his company. Mr. Van Fossen, through disability caused by service in the army, has been unable to perform much labor, but having a competence for himself and wife (they never having had any children), they are living a retired life, in the enjoyment of the labor of the past.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883