HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                              23

weeks in crossing the intervening country. Entering eighty acres of
land in section fifteen, Harrison township, he built a log house, and in
this primitive dwelling all of his children excepting the youngest were
born. He met with encouraging success from the first, and in the course
of time had his land finely improved, while a substantial frame house,
barn, and other necessary farm buildings had been erected. There he
lived happy and contented until his death, January 10, 1901. He married,
in Holmes county, Ohio, Mary A. Baumgartner. She was born March
16, 1830, in Canton Berne, Switzerland, a daughter of Nicholas and
Barbara (Mosser) Baumgartner, who were the parents of ten children,
as follows: Christian, Elizabeth, Catherine, Samuel, Mary, Ann Eliza-
beth, Frederick, Simon, Philip and Caroline. The first five were born
in Switzerland, the next was born on the ocean while the family were
en route to this country, and four were born in Ohio. Nicholas Baum-
gartner emigrated with his family to America in 1832, and settled first
in Holmes county, Ohio. Buying a tract of heavily timbered land, he
cleared a part of it, then sold at an advantage, and subsequently bought
and improved three other tracts of timber, the last one that he purchased
being in Wyandot county, Ohio, where he improved a valuable farm of
one hundred and twenty acres, on which he resided until his death in
middle life. His widow survived him several years, dying in Upper
Sandusky, Ohio. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Steiner was
blessed by the birth of eight children, namely: William C., Sophia, Eliza-
beth, Caroline, George, Catherine, Henry and Matilda, Since the death
of her husband Mrs. Steiner has lived with her son Henry and his family
on the old homestead in Harrison township, a hale and hearty woman
both mentally and physically strong. Her eight children are all living,
and she has now thirty-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Both she and her husband were reared in the faith of the Reformed
church.
    William C. Steiner obtained his rudimentary education in the humble
log building that was used for both schoolhouse and church. The seats
were plain slabs, without backs, and no desks in front, the pupils learning
to write on a board placed along the side of the room. It was a sub-
scription school, and the minister, who was the teacher, taught nothing
but German. At the age of sixteen years he attended the first free public
school established in the township. Leaving home on attaining his major-
ity, Mr. Steiner learned the carpenter’s trade, which he has followed
until the present time, his residence since 1881 having been in Clay City.
    Mr. Steiner married, in 1881, Rhoda Burkhart, who was born Jan-
uary 18, 1851, in Coshocton county, Ohio, a daughter of Philip and Mary
(Riddle) Burkhart, Mr. and Mrs. Steiner have but one child, Effie, who
married Claude Markie, and has two children, Grace and Gretchen. In
religious matters Mr. Steiner and his wife are consistent members of
the Presbyterian church.

    WILLIAM H. BUBB, one of the leading business men and citizens of
Brazil, was born in New Berlin, Union county, Pennsylvania, December
20, 1844, a son of Harry and Esta Ann (Whitman) Bubb. The father,
born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, was a contractor and builder and
came to Brazil, Indiana, in the spring of 1867 and assisted in building
the -first blast furnace erected in the west. After spending about four
years in Brazil he returned to Pennsylvania, erecting many blast furnaces