William Rusler, shown here as a middle-aged man, was known as “The Sage of Shawnee” for the depth of his knowledge about Shawnee Township and the region. Among his many careers was that of teacher. According to the 1921 history of Allen County, “In his younger years, he spent a great deal of his time in teaching and since then has been for many years a member of the Board of School Directors and the Board of Education, as a member and president of which bodies he has contributed materially to the advancement of educational standards in Allen County.”