Rev.
Adam Poe, a Methodist Minister, performed the wedding ceremony.
Mr. Nail says that Rev. Poe was one of the grandest ministers
that ever lived and that he hastened his marriage that it might be performed
by Rev. Poe before he left the district.
Wesley
Lewis, a brother of J.F. Lewis, was best man and assisted Mr. Nail.
Miss Mary Hale was bridesmaid and carried Miss Peter's
train. The ceremony was performed at the home of John Demony in
Madison Township. Mr. Demony was an uncle of Mrs. Nail
and with him she had made her home almost from the time of her birth.
Daniel Peters, her father, had a large family and Mrs. Nail
had gone to live with her uncle. The ceremony was performed Oct. 28,
1845, and many changes have taken place in these intervening 50 years.
Mr. Nail was 23 years of age at the time of the wedding and Mrs. Nail
was 24, his senior by one year.
Samuel
Nail was born in Madison Township, December 8, 1822, his parents
residing at that time on what is known as the Nail place. He
was the son of Henry Nail, one of the pioneers of Richland County,
who has long since gone to his rest. When he was 18 years of age he
was apprenticed to a carpenter and learned the carpenter trade. Mr. Nail
had a very good education and taught a number of terms of school, 16 in
all. This avocation he followed in the winter, and work at the
carpenter trade in the summer. He taught 13 terms of school in Madison
Township, beginning when he was 18 years of age, and the last term he taught
was just 40 years later, when he was 58 years of age. Shortly after
his entrance into the active duties of life he became acquainted with Miss
Jane Peters, courted and married her in 1845. He pursued his
vocation as a carpenter up until a few years ago. In 1860, he moved
his residence near the Reformatory. Mr. Nail enlisted during
the war in the 120th. regiment Ohio volunteer infantry. He served two
months and was discharged for disability.
Mr.
Nail, although 72 years of age, is hale and hearty. The early
years of his life were passed mostly in healthful and vigorous action
untainted by dissipation. His voice is full, and proceeds from a
healthy pair of lungs. He meets the wayfaring man and visitor with a
hearty grasp of his hand, the grip of which is as strong and his voice is as
cheery as 50 years ago. He bids a visitor welcome in a way that warms
the cockles of the heart.
Mrs.
Samuel Nail, formerly Miss Jane Peters, daughter of Daniel Peters,
was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, August 20, 1821. Shortly after
her birth her parents moved to this county and she went to live with her
uncle, John Demony, from whose residence she went to her own home as
Mrs. Samuel Nail.
On
the wall of the pleasant Nail home hangs the picture of Mrs. Nail and
her four sisters, all of whom have passed the 70th. mile stone on life's
road. The faces which look forth from the pictures are Mrs. Margaret
A. Wallace, who lives on the Ashland Road near this city; Mrs.
Martha Hale of Windsor; Mrs. C.A. Croninger of
Findlay; Mrs. J.F. Lewis, who resides north of the city, and
Mrs. Jane Nail. Two of them, Mrs. Croninger and Miss Wallace,
have already celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. All are
present today except Mrs. Croninger of Findlay, who is unable to be
present.
Five
children blessed the union of Samuel Nail and wife. They are Mrs.
Sarah Jane Stoutnor, Charles Wesley Hale of Chicago, Mrs. Mary Dawson
of Tiffin, Edwin S. Nail and Emma B. Nail. Edwin and
Charles being twins.
Mr.
and Mrs. Nail began receiving at 1 o'clock p.m. today. From 1
o'clock to 3, they received relatives and neighbors; from 3 to 5,
friends from this city; from 7 to 9 tonight, they receive the young
people.
The
table from which they dined was the picture of elegance and luxury.
The wedding cake, with the dates 1845 to 1895 imprinted upon the top, is a
dream of artistic culinary triumph. As this is a golden wedding, the
appointments upon the table are all of gold. The presents received by
the happy couple are very fine, too much so to admit of description.
Covering
a couch in the sitting room is an elegant spread which was spun and made by
Mrs. Nail in 1842, and it looks today as if it just came from the
loom. Separating the sitting room from the parlor is a portiere which
was knit and presented to Mrs. Nail at her marriage.
Invitations
were issued to the following: Mr. & Mrs. Margaret Wallace,
Mr. & Mrs. John Wallace, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Lantz, Mr.
& Mrs. John Bell, Mr. & Mrs. J.F. Lewis, Mr. &
Mrs. A. Lewis, Mr. & Mrs. John Lewis, Mrs. Martha Hale,
Mr. & Mrs. John Harn, Miss Harn, Mr. & Mrs. Shipley,
Mr. & Mrs. Rufus Hale, Mr. & Mrs. John Hale, Mr. &
Mrs. Willard Hale, Mr. & Mrs. James Hale, Mrs. John Nail,
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Nail, Mr. & Mrs. E. Chatlain, Mr.
& Mrs. C.B. Tingley, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bossler, Mrs. Taylor,
the Misses Taylor, C.W. Taylor, Mr. & Mrs. John Barr,
Mr. & Mrs. Verbeck, Mrs. Hickox, Mr. & Mrs. Reuben Cole,
Miss Cole, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Coulter, Mr. & Mrs. M.P. Mason,
Mr. & Mrs. Alec McElroy, Mrs. Keller, Mr. & Mrs. A.H. Condit,
Mr. & Mrs. S.N. Ford, Mr. & Mrs. N.S. Reed, Mrs. and
Miss Haynes, Mrs. Haskins, Mr. & Mrs. Edward Lape,
Mr. & Mrs. John Cherry, Mrs. Hoffer, Mr. & Mrs. B.F. Platt,
Mr. & Mrs. Keller, Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Cooke, Mr. &
Mrs. George F. Carpenter, Mrs. White, Frank White, Mr.
& Mrs. Samuel Bell, Mr. & Mrs. C.T. Foulks, Mr. &
Mrs. George Gilbert, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Hedges, Mr. &
Mrs. M.E. Douglass, Mrs. Minnie Priest, B.F. Crawford,
Mr. & Mrs. James Scott, Mr. & Mrs. M. Ward, Mr. &
Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Ruth McIlvaine, the Misses McIlvaine,
Mr. & Mrs. S. Balliett, Mrs. Addie Hedges, Mrs. Kate Burge,
Mr. & Mrs. E.S. Nail, Mr. & Mrs. George Weatherby, Mr.
& Mrs. Poole, Mr. & Mrs. Dustin Kemble, Mr. & Mrs.
Loughridge, Mr. & Mrs. Charles White, the Misses White,
Mr. & Mrs. Milton Sheets, Mr. & Mrs. C.S. Ritz, Miss Ritz,
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Humphryes, Mr. & Mrs. J.N. Custer,
Miss Emma Custer, Mr. & Mrs. Homer P. Sewell, Mr. &
Mrs. T.E. Remy, Mr. & Mrs. W.T. Fulton, J. Todd, J.
Cover, Mr. & Mrs. J.L. Hott, Mr. & Mrs. Morris,
Mr. & Mrs. Fritz, Mr. & Mrs. Meek, Mr. & Mrs. Fritzinger,
Miss Ida Shellinberger of Anduber, Iowa, Miss Ruth Ewing of
Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Mr. & Mrs. Rawson of Case Ave., Cleveland,
Arthur L. Stark of Case Avenue, Cleveland, Mr. & Mrs. A.S. Whiting
of Perry Street, Cleveland, Miss Hildreth and Mr. & Mrs. Charles
B. Hildreth of Cleveland, Mr. & Mrs. J.T. Braithiriaty
Lakeside, Mrs. Chandler and Miss Chandler Parsons of Kansas,
Mr. & Mrs. J.S. Olin of Bellville; Mr. & Mrs. E.B. King
of Toledo; Mrs. Anna L. Sheets, of Toledo; Mr. & Mrs.
M.D. Harter of Philadelphia; Judge and Mrs. Dickey of
Cleveland; Mr. & Mrs. Adam Nail and family of Webster City,
Iowa; Mr. & Mrs. George Nail of Omaha, Nebraska;
James Nail and family of Van Wert; Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Ettinger
of Chicago; Mr. & Mrs. G.E. Van Woert of Chicago;
Miss Josephine Kemp of Chicago; Mr. & Mrs. W.C. Dawson
of Tiffin; Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Wallace of Plymouth; Mr.
& Mrs. R.L. Stevenson of Delaware and Charles W. Nail of
Chicago.
