Henry Hone

HENRY HONE, a prominent farmer of Liberty township, Mercer county, was born August 14, 1836, in Auglaize county, Ohio, and is a son of Richard and Mary (Monnon) Hone, the former of whom was born in Hanover, Germany, September 18, 1801.


Richard Hone was reared on a farm in Germany, educated in his native country, and married Mary Monnon in 1828. She was born in 1804 and became the mother of the following children: Frederick, deceased; Benjamin, who died in Maryland; Katie, deceased; Henry, the subject of this sketch; and William and Harmon, both of whom died, the former at the age of twenty-two years, and the latter at two years. Not long after his marriage the father of the subject began working on a farm and so continued until 1832, when he brought his wife and family to the United States, the entire journey requiring six weeks. For the first two years of his residence in this country he was in Maryland working on a farm, at the end of which period he came to Ohio, locating in Troy, Miami county, where for some time he worked on the canal. In the fall of 1835 he removed to Auglaize county, where he entered forty acres of land, being among the first settlers in that county. In politics he became a democrat upon landing in this country, and so remained through life. His wife died in 1842, and he was married the second time to Elizabeth Brockman, who was born in 1804 and who died in 1878, he having died in September, 1868.


Henry Hone, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm, and was educated in Auglaize county in the German language, and afterward, by his own efforts, acquired a knowledge of the English language. At the early age of sixteen he learned the cooper's trade, at which he worked two years, and in March, 1855, went to California to seek his fortune in the gold mines. He remained in Eldorado county until 1859, when he returned to Auglaize county, Ohio, and in 1860 invested his savings in a cooper shop in New Bremen, and carried on the business of a cooper for two years. Then selling his cooper shop and trade he moved upon his father's farm. In September, 1868, he married Katie Otto, born in 1842, a daughter of William Otto, and to this marriage there was born one child, who died in infancy, the wife and mother dying soon after ward. On the 7th of June, 1861, he married Katie Meyers, a daughter of James F. and Lenora (Mohrman) Meyers, and to this second marriage there have been born ten children, as follows: John, now living on the home farm; Frank and William, both living in Liberty township; David, who died at the age of eighteen years; Christopher, Henry B. and George, all three at home; Edward, who died at the age of three months; and Katie and Andrew, both living at home. Mr. Hone's second wife was born in Auglaize county, July 30, 1838, was there educated and lived until her marriage to Mr. Hone. Her father was a native of Germany, born in 1803, and died in 1879, aged seventy-six. He was married in Germany, came to Ohio, settled in Auglaize county, and kept hotel in New Bremen for a number of years. His wife was born in Hanover, Germany, and died when the wife of the subject of this sketch was three years old. She has one brother, Benjamin, living in Illinois, and one half-sister, Rica Smith, of Liberty township, Mercer county, Ohio. Her father was a republican in politics, and a member of the Lutheran church.


Henry Hone lived on his father's farm until 1866, when he removed to Mercer county, where the fall previous he had purchased eighty acres of land. However, he rented a piece of land instead of settling on his own purchase, and lived on the rented farm five years. In 1869 he purchased his present farm, containing 120 acres, and which adjoins the first eighty purchased as above narrated, of the 120 acres there being only thirty acres cleared. In the spring of 1871 he removed upon this 120-acre farm, and has ever since lived upon it. He now owns, as will have been seen, 200 acres of land, 120 acres of which are cleared and under a high state of cultivation. Forty-five acres of his farm, aside from the 120 acres, is in pasture, and the rest is in timber. So that, besides being well cultivated, it is well proportioned as to the necessities of a model farm. In 1881 he erected a large, fine barn, 54x80 feet in size, and beside he has other valuable improvements. From 1886 to 1890 he was engaged in the manufacture of tile draining, which is greatly needed in this level and rich country. Otherwise he has been engaged in general farming and in raising various kinds of cattle and swine. He also buys and feeds cattle and hogs for the market, and in all has been unusually successful.


Politically Mr. Hone is a democrat, though leaning strongly toward the doctrines of the populist party. For thirteen years he was township trustee, and beside has held other local offices, though he has never been in any sense of the term an office seeker, believing in the good old democratic doctrine, that the office should seek the man. Both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church, and stand high in its membership. Mr. Hone is a leading citizen of Liberty township, taking great interest not only in religious, educational and social questions, but also in industrial movements, knowing that agriculture is to a great extent dependent on industries that divert labor away from the farm.


Pages 359-360

Source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Mercer and Van Wert Counties Ohio, Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Company, 1896

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