JACOB B. STICHTER, general farmer and representative citizen of Newton Township, who owns one farm of seventy six acres and has a one-half interest in a second farm, of eighty acres, both situated in Newton Township, was born in Clark County, Ohio, August 18, 1850. His parents were Jacob and Louisa (Brown) Stichter.

Jacob Stitcher was born in Union County Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in early manhood and for some years operated a distillery at Medway, Clark County, in partnership with his brother. After his marriage he settled on a rented farm near New Carlisle and in 1856 moved from there to Miami County, buying 160 acres of land in Newton Township. It was then a poor property with no improvement on it except a little log cabin. He took possession of that andent right to work to clear up his land and by 1860 was able to build a comfortable residence and good barn. He did all the draining necessary on this and his other land, constantly adding to his possessions until he had 400 acres. He was a member of the Christian Church and was a man of many sterling virtues. He died in 1880 and both he and wife were interred in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. He married Louisa Brown and they had eight children: William, Mary, Jacob B., Amelia, Sarah, Frank, Rebecca and Margaret. Jacob B. Stichter, in his boyhood, lived one and one- quarter miles from the nearest school, which was at Pattytown, but he was willing to walk that distance as he was anxious to secure an education. He worked for his father until he was twenty years old and since then has been engaged in attending to his own affairs. For six years following his marriage, he resided on his father's farm in Newton Township and then bought the farm on which be has lived ever since. He cleared almost the whole of the seventy-six acres and has all under cultivation with the exception of five acres of second growth timber. Recognizing the value of drainage, Mr. Stichter has put down about 1,000 rods of tile, and the large returns he gets from his land proves the practical value of the early expenditure. His farm is one of the best in Newton Township. He grows tobacco, corn, wheat, oats and hay.

In February, 1877, Mr. Stichter was married to Miss Mary Mullany, a daughter of Patrick and Catherine Mullany, and they have had five children, namely: Charles, who is assistant editor of the Dayton Journal; James, who is engaged in the butchering business in Kansas; Clara and Harley, both residing at home; and Stella; who is now deceased. Mr. Stichter is a Republican in politics and has served as turnpike superintendent for twenty-five years but has refused other public offices which his friends in the township have offered him.