Introduction to the 1923 Biographical Sketches
This biographical sketch was published along with many others in the 1923 History of Auglaize County, Volume II, edited by William J. McMurray and published by the Historical Publishing Company of Indianapolis. In most cases the subject of the biography was of the first generation born in this country to German immigrants. In some cases the subject may have been born in Germany and came to this country at a young age. In most cases the story tells of the immigrant parents of the subject and also the children and grandchildren of the subject named at the beginning of the story. In some cases comments have been added after the biography to explain the locations of the farms where the immigrants settled. New Knoxville did not have rural addresses until 1955, and therefore the settlers had rural route addresses of St. Marys, Botkins, etc.
WILLIAM E. DEERHAKE, one of the well-known farmers of Auglaize county, now living retired at his well-kept place in the northwest corner of Washington township, on the St. Marys-Wapakoneta road, about two miles east of St. Marys, is a European by birth, but has been a resident of this country and of Auglaize county ever since he was twenty-one years of age, a period of more than fifty years. Mr. Deerhake was born in the Prussian province of Westphalia, in Germany, April 9, 1849, and is a son of Adolph and Katherine (Luebke) Deerhake, also natives of that country, who in 1871 came to this country with their family and settled in the New Knoxville neighborhood in Washington township, this county where their remaining days were spent. Adolph Deerhake and wife were the parents of six children, of whom four are still living, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, Sophia and Fredericka, and a brother, Fred Deerhake. Reared in his native county; William E. Deerhake was twenty-one years of age when he came to America, arriving here on January 1, 1871. He worked as a farm hand in the New Knoxville neighborhood until his marriage, when he bought a tract of ninety-five acres along the old plank road, in the northwest quarter of section 6 of Washington township, the place on which he is now living, established his home there and has ever since made that his place of residence. But little of this tract was cleared when he took possession, and the task of clearing and improving thus fell upon him, but he got the job done and in good time had an excellent farm there. As his affairs prospered he bought an adjoining tract, which gave him 175 acres, and this farm he operated successfully, but in late years has reduced his holdings until now he holds but his original tract and is living practically retired from the active operations he so long carried on. Mr. Deerhake has given proper attention to local civic affairs and has served the public in the capacity of school director in his district. He and his wife are members of St. Paul's church at St. Marys, and he has served the congregation of that church for several terms as an elder. William E. Deerhake has been twice married, and by his first wife, Christina Haberkamp, a daughter of Adolph Haberkamp, had five children, Henry, Helena, Herman (deceased), Benjamin and William, Following the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Deerhake married Mrs. Caroline (Mueller) Schmidt. Henry Deerhake, the eldest son, and concerning whom further mention is made in this volume, married Anna Luft and has nine children, Leroy, Lydia, Raymond, Homer, Mary, Clara, Edna, Vernon and Mildred. Benjamin Deerhake married Magdalena Hove and has two children, Bernice and Ruth, and William Deerhake married Mabel Hipp and has two children, Betty and William (III). The old Deerhake home is very pleasantly situated on rural mail route No. 3 out of St. Marys, along the paved highway, the trolley line also passing along that way.
The road that we know today as Auglaize County Road 33A was referred to in the early days as the plank road, plank pike, or St. Marys-Wapakoneta Road. Leroy Deerhake, mentioned here as a grandson of William E. Deerhake, was a resident of New Knoxville and was in the farm ditching and excavation business for many years. His brother Raymond lived on a farm at 06693 Cloverleaf Road.