<^°^ ^^-^K f: ».°v '•} ■'; .1:^°- ^^^ 0* .•'•., -*•© i". '^..^'^ ; • %.<^ ^9^ W*y \;^?^V'' "V^^V^ *V^^v'' "V'^^V^ \J'^^ • % IN*' '^O,-*-'^'-* aO r.- **'-*. -.^iw:-..^'^. »« . . • <> '...- « «.-l°*. ^°"nK •.To' .-e,^ Op < o ^^-n^. ° ,^'°- '^^ .0... ^h -'^f'*/ v^^'V V*^-'*/ V^^\^*' %*^-**/ V^^' A ;^ 2,^ A GENEALOGICAL AND Biographical Record^'" OF MIAMI COUNTY OHIO Compendium of National Biography CHICAGO The Lewis Publishing Company 1900 .M(.Ct •5 Biography is the onij' true History. — Emerson. A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations. — Macaulay. 35 u« *^ CONTENTS GENERAL INDEX. Table of Contents, Introductory, - 3 11 Compendium of National Biography, 13 Compendium of Local Biography, 223 INDEX TO FART I, Compendium of National Biography. Biographical Sketches of National Celebrities. PAGE Abbott, Lyman 144 Adams, Charles Kendall 143 Adams, John .26 Adams, John Qiiincy 61 Agassiz, Louis J. R 137 Alger, Russell A 173 Allison, William B 131 Allston, Washington 190 Altgeld, John Peter 140 Andrews, Elisha B 184 Anthony, Susan B 62 Armour, Philij) D 62 Arnold, Benedict 84 Arthur, Chester Allen 168 Astor, John Jacob 139 Audubon, John James 166 Bailey, James Montgomery... 177 Bancroft, George 74 Barnard, Frederick A. P 179 Barnum, Phineas T 41 Barrett, Lawrence 156 Barton, Clara 209 Bayard, Thomas Francis 200 Beard, William H 196 Beauregard, Pierre G. T 203 Beecher, Henry Ward 26 Bell, Alexander Graham 96 Bennett, James Gordon 206 Benton, Thomas Hart 53 Bergh, Henry 160 Bierstadt, Albert 197 Billings, Josh... 166 Blaine, James Gillespie 22 Bland, Richard Parks 106 PAGE Boone, Daniel 36 Booth, Edwin 61 Booth, Junius Brutus 177 Brice, Calvin S 181 Brooks, Phillips 130 Brown, John 51 Brown. Charles Farrar 91 Brush Charles Francis 153 liryan, William Jennings 158 Bryant, William CuUen 44 Buchanan, Franklin 105 Buchanan, James 128 Buckner, Simon Bolivar 188 Burdette, Robert J 103 Burr, Aaron Ill Butler, Benjamin Franklin.. . . 24 Calhoun, John Caldwell 23 Cameron, James Donald 141 Cameron, Simon 141 Cammack, Addison 197 Campbell, Alexander 180 Carlisle, John G 133 Carnegie, Andrew 73 Carpenter, Matthew Hale 178 Carson, Christopher (Kit) 86 Cass, Lewis 110 Chase, Salmon Portland 66 Childs, George W 83 Choate, Rufus 207 Claflin, Horace Brigham 107 Clay, Henry 21 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne.. 86 Cleveland, Grover 174 Clews, Henry 153 page Clinton, DeWitt 110 Colfax, Schuyler 139 Conkling, Alfred 32 Conkling, Roscoe 32 Cooley, Thomas Mclntyre. . . . 140 Cooper, James Feniniore 58 Cooper, Peter 37 Copely, John Singleton 191 Corbin, Austin 205 Corcoran, W. W 196 Cornell, Ezra 161 Cramp, William 189 Crockett, David 76 Cullom, Shelby Moore 116 Curtis, George William 144 Cushman, Charlotte 107 Custer, George A 95 Dana, Charles A 88 " Danbury News Man " 177 Davenport, Fanny 106 Davis, Jefferson 24 Debs, Eugene V. . . ., 132 Decatur, Stephen 101 Deering, William 198 Depew, Chauncey Mitchell.. .. 209 Dickinson, Anna 103 Dickinson, Don M 139 Dingley, Nelson, Jr 215 Donnelly, Ignatius 161 Douglas, Stephen Arnold 53 Douglass, Frederick 43 Dow, Neal 108 Draper, John William 184 TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART I. PAGE Drexel, Anthony Joseph 124 Dupont, Henry 198 Edison, Thomas Alva 55 Edmunds, George F 201 Ellsworth, Oliver 168 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 57 Ericsson, John 127 Evarts, William Maxwell 89 Farragut, David Glascoe 80 Field, Cyrus West 173 Field, David Dudley 126 Field, Marshall 59 Field, Stephen Johnson 216 Fillmore, Millard 113 Foote, Andrew Hull 176 Foraker, Joseph B 143 Forrest, Edwin 92 Franklin, Benjamin 18 Fremont, John Charles 29 Fuller, Melville Weston 168 Fulton, Robert 62 Gage, Lyman J 71 Gallatin, Albert 112 Garfield, James A .... 163 Garrett, John Work 200 Garrison, William Lloyd 50 Gates, Horatio 70 Galling, Richard Jordan 116 George, Henry 203 Gibbons, Cardinal James 209 Gilmore, Patrick Sarsfield 77 Girard, Stephen 137 Gough, John B 131 Gould, Jay 62 Gordon, John B 215 Grant, Ulysses S 155 Gray, Asa 88 Gray, Elisha 149 Greeley, Adolphus W 142 Greeley, Horace 20 Greene, Nathaniel 69 Gresham, Walter Quintin 183 Hale, Edward Everett 79 Hall, Charles Francis 167 Hamilton, Alexander 31 Hamlin, Hannibal 214 Hampton, Wade 192 Hancock, Wintield Scott 146 Hanna, Marcus Alonzo 169 Harris, Isliam G 214 Harrison, William Henry 87 .Harrison, Benjamin ,. 182 Har'. ard, John 129 Havemeyer, John Craig 182 Hawthorne, Nathaniel 135 Hayes, Rutherford Hirchard.. . 157 Hendricks, Thomas Andrew.. 212 Henry, Joseph 105 Henrv, Patrick 83 Hill, IJavid Bennett 90 Hobart, Garrett A 213 Holmes, Oliver Wendell 206 Hooker, Joseph 62 Howe, Elias 130 Kowells, William Dean 104 PAGE Houston, Sam 120 Hughes, Archbishop John 157 Hughitt, Marvin 159 Hull, Isaac 169 Huntington, Collis Potter 94 Ingalls, John James 114 IngersoU, Robert G 85 Irving, Washington 33 Jackson, Andrew 71 Jackson, "Stonewall " 67 Jackson, Thomas Jonathan 67 Jay, John 39 Jefferson, Joseph 47 Jefferson, Thomas 34 Johnson, Andrew 145 Johnson, Eastman 202 Johnston, Joseph Eccleston.. . . 85 ones, James K 171 Jones, John Paul 97 Jones, Samuel Porter 115 Kane, Elisha Kent 126 Kearney, Philip 210 Kenton, Simon 188 Knox, John Jay 134 Lamar, Lucius Q. C 201 Landon, Melville D 109 Lee, Robert Edward 38 Lewis, Charles B 193 Lincoln, Abraham 135 Livermore, Mary Ashton 131 Locke, David Ross 172 Logan, John A 26 Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth 37 Longstreet, James 56 Lowell, James Russell 104 Mackay, John William 148 Madison, James 42 Marshall, John 166 Mather, Cotton 164 Mather, Increase 163 Maxim, Hiram S 194 McClellan, George Brinton.. . . 47 McCormick, Cyrus Hall 172 McDonough, Com. Thomas.. . 167 McKinley, William 217 Meade, George Gordon 75 Medill, Joseph 159 Miles, Nelson A 176 Miller, Cincinnatus Heine 218 Miller, Joaquin 218 Mills, Roger Quarles 211 Monroe, James 54 Moody, Dwight L 207 Moran, Thomas 98 Morgan, John Pierpont 208 Morgan, John T 216 Morris, Robert 165 Morse, Samuel F. B 124 Morton, Levi P 142 Morton, Oliver Perrv 215 Motley, John Lathro'p 130 "Nye, Bill" 59 Nye, Edgar Wilson 59 PAGE O'Conor, Charles 187 Olney, Richard 133 Paine, Thomas 147 Palmer, John M 195 Parkhurst, Charles Henry 160 " Partington, Mrs." 202 Peabody, George 170 Peck, George W 187 Peffer, William A 164 Perkins, Eli 109 Perry, Oliver Hazard 97 Phillips, Wendell 30 Pierce, Franklin 122 Pingree, Hazen S 212 Plant, Henry B 192 Poe, Edgar Allen 69 Polk, James Knox 102 Porter, David Dixon 68 Porter, Noah 93 Prentice, George Denison. . . . 119 Prescott, William Hickling 96 Pullman, George Mortimer.... 121 Quad, M 193 Quay Matthews 171 Randolph, Edmund 136 Read, Thomas Buchanan 132 Reed, Thomas Brackett 208 Reid, Whitelaw...'. 149 Roach, John 190 Rockefeller, John Davison.... 195 Root, George Frederick 218 Rothermel, Peter F 113 Rutledge, John 57 Sage, Russell 211 Schofield, John McAllister 199 Schurz, Carl 201 Scott, Thomas Alexander 204 Scott, Winfield 79 Seward, William Henry 44 Sharon, William 165 Shaw, Henry W 166 Sheridan, Phillip Henry 40 Sherman, Charles R 87 Sherman, John 86 Shillaber, Benjamin Penhallow 202 .Sherman, W'illiam Tecumseh.. 30 Smith, Edmund Kirby 114 Sousa, John Philip 60 Spreckels, Claus 159 Stanford, Leiand 101 Stanton, Edwin McMasters... 179 Stanton, Elizabeth Cady 126 .Stephens, Alexander Hamilton 32 Stephenson, Adlai Ewing. .. . 141 Stewart, Alexander T 58 Stewart, William Morris 213 Stowe, Harriet Elizabeth Beecher 66 Stuart, James E. B 122 Sumner, Charles 84 Talmage, Thomas DeWitt. .. . 60 Taney, Roger Brooke 129 Taylor, Zacharv 108 Teller. Henry M 127 TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART I. PAGE Tesla, Nikola 193 Thomas, George H 73 Thumas, Theodore 172 Thurman, Allen G 90 Thurston, John M 166 Tilden, Samuel J 48 Tillman, Benjamin Ryan 119 Toombs, Robert 205 "Twain, Mark" 86 Tyler, John 93 Van Buren, Martin 78 Vanderhilt, Cornelius 35 Vail, Alfred 154 \'est, George Graham 214 PAGE Vilas, William Freeman 140 Voorhees, Daniel Wolsey 95 Waite, Morrison Remich 125 Wallace, Lewis 199 Wallack, Lester 121 Wallack, John Lester 121 Wanamaker, John 89 Ward, "Artemus " 91 Washburne, Klihu Benjamin. . 189 Washington, George 17 Walson, Thomas E. 178 W'atterson, Henry 76 Weaver, James B 123 Webster, Daniel 19 PAGE Webster, Noah 49 Weed, Thurlow 91 West, Benjamin 115 W'hipple, Henry Benjamin. .. . 161 White, Stephen V 162 U'hitefield, George 150 Whitman, Walt 197 Whitney, Eli 120 Whitney, William Collins 92 Whittier, John Greenleaf 67 Willard, Frances E 133 Wilson, William L 180 Winchell, Alexander 175 Windom, William 138 PORTRAITS OF NATIONAL CELEBRITIES. PAGF. '^Alger, Russell A 16 ^Allison, William B 99 >l Anthony, Susan B 63 ^Armour, Philip U 151 JArthur, Chester A 81 yiiarnum. I'hineas T 117 ^Beecher, Henry Ward 27 ^Blaine, James G 151 -/Booth, Edwin 63 ^Brvan, Wni. J 63 Bryant, William CuUen 185 ^Buchanan, James 81 -.Buckner, Simon B 16 V Butler Benjamin F 151 ^'Carlisle, John G 151 -I Ciiase, Salmon P 16 ^Chikh, George W 99 Jclay, Henry 81 -i Cleveland, Grover 45 ^/Cooper, Peter 99 v'Dana, Charles A 151 V Depew, Chauncey M 117 ^ Douglass, Fred 63 ■1 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 27 ^varts, W'illiam M 99 vFarragut, Com. D. G 185 V, Field, Cvrus W 63 PAGE Field, Marshall 117 ^Franklin, Benjamin 63 'JFremont.Gen. John C 16 ■•'Gage, Lyman J 151 ■/Garfield, James A 45 \ Garrison, William Lloyd 63 ■George, Henry 117 Gould, Jay 99 - Grant, Gen. L'. S 185 'Greeley, Horace 81 • Hampton, Wade 16 ■VHancock, Gen. Winfield S 185 Hanna, Mark A 117 'Harrison, Benjamin 81 Hayes, R. B 45 Hendricks, Thomas A 81 .Holmes, Oliver W 151 ^' Hooker, Gen. Joseph 16 ■ Ingersoll, Robert G 117 -Irving, Washington 27 . Jackson, Andrew 45 Jefferson, Thomas 45 • Johnston, Gen. J. E 16 Lee, Gen. Robert E 185 -.Lincoln, Abraham 81 Logan, Gen. lohn A 16 ^Longfellow, Henry W 186 PAGE V Longstreet, Gen. James 16 V Lowell, James Russell 27 xWcKinley, William 45 v1\lorse, S. F. B 185 -Thillips, Wendell 27 ^ Porter, Com. D. D 185 ^ Pullman, George M. 117 Quay, i\l. S 99 Reed, Thomas B 151 «Sage, Russell 117 'Scott, Gen. W' infield 185 Seward, William H 45 V Sherman, John 99 . Sherman, Gen. W. T 151 Stanton, Elizabeth Cady 27 Stowe, Harriet Beecher 27 Sumner, Charles 45 Talmage, T. DeWitt 63 Teller, Henry M 99 Thurman, Allen G 81 Tilden, Samuel J 117 Van Buren, Martin 81 \'anderbilt. Commodore 99 Webster, Daniel 27 Whittier, John G 21 W'ashington, George 45 Watterson, Henry 63 ^ir^^^^^^^^'^'iT^^^^^^'%>^^^^^^^^^*lr'^^^Mf'^^^ \. COMPENDIUM .if 0F= ■tr^ ^^ LOCAL BIOGRAPHY :^ 4- ^*f*^4»#'4»4^4»*4»^4*^4»4!'4*4i4»4i4*454*464*d;ji4*d5^4*i5i4k^ PART II. Biographical Compendium of Miami County. PAGE Adams, John F 699 Albaugh, Noah H 473 Amnion, Levi 6.58 Anderson, John E 521 Anderson, William S 617 Argerbright, Daniel 489 Ashwurtii, John 818 Ashworth, William 655 Aspinall, Charles E 660 Bacon, Asa K 889 Bailey, Edgar E 320 Bailev, William H 252 Bartel, August. 578 Bartel, John W 610 Bashor, Benjamin S 879 Battelle.JohnG 370 Bausnian, Samuel N 494 Bierwirth, William H 828 Binklev, O. H 333 Black, Joseph 644 Boal, William King 516 Bohlender, Peter 420 Bond, William G 296 Bousman Family, The 443 Bousmaii, John E 446 Bowne. Cornelius 380 Boyer, John L 545 Bradley, Firman J 701 Bradley, John M 701 Branson, Dewitt C S47 Briggs, Charles U 742 Bright, Adam 436 Brinkmann, W'dliam 379 Brokaw, Henry 686 ■Brotherton, Alfred M 477 Brown, Charles H 756 Brown, Cyrus T 394 Brown, Henry C 600 Brown, McPherson 530 Brown, Miles K 600 Brown, Thomas C 663 Brown, William B 318 Brump, Clara Belle 570 Bryant, Henry H 628 Buchanan, John A 667 Buchanan, Levi H 239 Buchanan, William W. V 3 Bull, Asenath 551 Burkholder, Frank 603 Butcher, Arthur E 908 Butterworth, Isaac 591 PAGE Caldwell, James H 350 Campbell, Alonzo B 681 Campbell, Frank E 770 Campbell, \'ictor E 762 Carver, George W 749 Caven, John M 413 Christian, Aaron 632 Clark, John 636 Clark, John H 549 Clark, Levi 690 Cline, Charles C 442 Clyde, W.J 287 Clyne, Isaac 705 Coate, David M 765 Coble, Henry 476 Coleman, Asa 463 Coleman, Augustus H 232 Coleman, Horace 4.58 Coiiover, Leonidas 3.56 Conrad, George v\' 528 Coppock, H. H 575 Coppock, Lorin E 299 Co.\, John 644 Cox, Thompson 580 Crampton, Byron 260 Crawmer, Charles E. S 738 Cravvmer, James W 293 Crawmer, Michael 736 Cromer, Nora 643 Cn riier, Peyton E 892 Cron, L. C .508 Crow, Ira D 495 Cruse, George W 679 Davies, William D .551 Davis, David 810 Davis, Lewis W 844 Davy, Jacob A 564 Davy, William W 744 Decker, Valentine 731 Deeter, Samuel R 645 Defrees, John W 364 Detrick, Jacob F 886 Devenney, Luther 447 Deweese, Franklin A 481> Deweese, J. Albert 783 Deweese, Marion L SlU Diehl, Justus 729 Dilbone, William -583 Dillaway, L. F 330 Dinsmore, William 265 Doll, Philip J 677 PAGE Dorsev, Godwin V 358 Doss, 'William J 876 Dowler, Joseph C 789 Drake, Theodore R 269' Drury, John C 232 Duncan, Aaron 280 Dimcan, William A 720 Eagle, Peter F 870 Eddy, William A 743 Edwards Brothers 4.50 Edwards, Ogden 4.50 Eikenbury, Oscar B 464 Elleman, William 825 Estey, James H 7.50 Estey, jotham S 871 Ethell, William H 491 Evans, Robert M 778 Farrington, Edwin R 542 Favorite, L^riah J 513 Fine, David M 895 Folker, Samuel 901 Ford & Company 868- Forman, Henry M 840 Fouts, Henry 863 Francis, \Villiam H .357 Frank, Samuel D 340 Frederick, John H 726 Friedlich, lacob M 803 Frisch, Frank H 908 Fry, Airhart M 422 Fulker, Hen'y 674 Funderburgh, Solomon 559' Furnas, Joshua 386 Furrow, Alonzo J 699' Gaines, Charles K 894 Gantz, Martin K 490 Gearheart, James E 605 Gearheart, John H 620 Gearheart, Thomas B 605 Geiger, Joseph F 882 Geyer, John C 837 Giesseman, William 776 Gilbert, William H 526. Goodknight, fames L 498 Goodrich, C. H 498 Goodrich, P.J 497 Graham, William L 594 Gray, Francis 398 Green, Joseph H 3.52 Green, S. Davis 61.5. TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART 11. PAGE Hagan, John G <380 Hall, Albert A 49o Hall, Conover 171 Harbaugh, Thomas C S81 Hardesty, Charles 501 Harilesty. James W 560 Harris, Fielder B 6}2 Harris, Simmeon E 853 Harshbarger, Lloyd S^ Hart, Henry H 738 Hart, James H 231 Haskett, Joseph F 794 Hawver, Henry A 814 Hayes, Samuel R 441 Hays. William S 824 Heaton, Edgar M 367 Henderson, John C 8(J2 Hendrickson, D. C 276 Henke, George W 448 Henne, Jacob 54l\ Helhermgton, William 283 p- Hetzler, Peter 683 Hildebrand, William H 278 Hill, J.Charles F 85U Hill, Samuel 661 Himes, Robert W 733 Hoeflich, Samuel 669 Hoffman, Arthur S 330 Hoffman, George P 7.53 Holtinger, Peter 841 Holloway, Jeremiah 341 Holloway, William 891 Honeyman, Dorsey 339 Honeyman, M ichael 349 Hoover, Lewis S 769 Honher, Jacob 260 Houser, H. Lawrence. 520 Houser, Levi 682 Houser, Martin V 297 Huber, Frederick 849 Hughes, Thomas L 734 Hunt, Gustavus S 806 Hustler, NLirv V 303 Hyde, Ramsey L 811 Iddmgs, Jefferson D 577 Iddings, Nate 638 Irwin, George F 359 Jackson, Marion 727 Jay, Henry 634 Jay, Lau'a 634 ennings, Solomon 754 Johnson, Charles P" 884 Johnson, John 414 Jones, Charles C 342 iones, Joseph 303 ones, Mark C 780 ones, Walter D 6f8 Kerr, Ellis H 268 Kerr, J. A 421 Kerr. John M 667 Kerr, Sally 375 Kessler, David A 648 Kessler. Samuel C 7?0 Kessler, William H 715 Keyl.JohnW 697 PAGE Kinna, James H 316 Kinsella, Moses 8-54 Knick, Samuel '•09 Knick, Thomas 741 Knight, Paul F 564 Knoop Children's Home 640 Knoop, Daniel H 246 Knoop, Henry C 249 Knoop, John, and Brothers — 227 Koetitz, William 801 Kuhnle, Philip A 669 Kyle, Bartons 230 Lair, Henry M 708 Lamme, Oswell D 470 Landniann, Christoph 392 Lape, E. W 860 Larger, August H 839 Leaf, William H 829 Le B ond, Alfred M 473 Lee, David L 843 Lentz, Daniel H. 852 Leonard, Thomas C 899 Leppert, William 703 Lewis, Lucinda 280 Licklider, Abram G 672 Lind, Samuel 525 Longanecker, Benjamin 793 Looney, George W 775 Lowe, James H 395 Loy, Ed N 3.54 Magee Brothers - . 444 Manning, David C 739 Manson, David 878 Markley, Joseph A 648 Marlin, J. H 8.^9 Marr, James S 562 Martin, A. C 403 Martin, W.P 403 Mathers, Miles W 679 Maxwell, Spafford W 391 May, Charles H 796 McConnell, Edward 906 McConnell, George R 898 McCoole, Charles A 385 McCurdy, Edward B 647 McCurdv, Samuel 827 McKec'john ,.... 911 McKinnev, Arthur L 671 McKnight, Samuel G 403 McMaken,Iohn 665 McManes, Matthew E .563 McManus, William H 336 McMaster, John A 304 McMillan, (leorge 275 McXeal, Frederick B 408 Me'ins, Joseph W 288 Meeks, David C 383 Meeks, Eusebia B 433 Meeks, William W 855 Meredith, Aaron A 713 Michael, Louis H 904 Miles, A.W 786 Miles, Samuel P 777 Miller, Albert 667 Miller, Anthony 893 Miller, George'F 702 PAGE Minnich, David 873 Minnich, Ira C 791 Mitchell, John F 784 Moore, James C 347 Moore, James M 383 Aloore, John H 6.53 Moore, John \V 596 Moore, Preston P 717 Moore, Reuben 557 Morris, Isaac S 278 Morris, John W 266 Morrow, Andrew M 424 Morrow, James 5fi4 Mumford, George 761 Mumford, Isaac 690 Mumford, Joseph E 324 Mumford, William R 412 Murphy, Joseph 291 Myers, David 812 Neal, Henry 328 Neal, Henry 457 Nicholson, John 831 Nunlist, John A 338 Oakes, Samuel M 817 O'Donnell, J. Guv 818 O'Kane & Hoffman 330 O'Kane, Walter C 330 Orr, W. P 321 Palmer, Samuel D 798 Patterson, John 6-i3 Patty, Charles M 748 Patty, William 2.55 Pearson, Eli 835 Pearson, Ephraim 684 Pearson, George 630 Pearson, Herbert R 693 Pearson, John M 492 Pearson, Noah, Jr 816 Pearson, Willis A 781 Pence, Paul N. S 815 Peters, Wilson J 822 I'eterson, John G 347 Pierce, Zenas , 276 Poock, Freik-rick. , 833 Popp, John M 624 Price, Isaac X 377 Priest. Frank T 772 Prill, William E 482 Printz, Henry B 511 Rankin, Francis M 466 Reck, Charles L 5.57 Reck, Levi E 556 Reed, John 7-57 Rehmert, Fred 251 Rench, E. B 883 Rettig, Henry 420 Riddle, George W 366 Rinehnrt, Hairy G 805 Hitter, Harrv J 687 Robbins, William F 864 Robins, Maiiison 345 Robinson. Charles H 696 Rogers, William C 566 Rohrer, Jacob 237 TABLE OF CONTENTS— PART II. PAGE Rohrer, John H 846 RoUin, Horace J 36x Rosevelt, Charles VV 746 Routson, Albert M 263 Routson, George W 644 Routson, Josiah 614 Routzon, Reuben 430 Rouzer, Daniel I\I 694 Rudy, Levi 321 Ru?h, Henry Y 758 Russell, James R 788 Russell, Oliver P 479 Sanders, George M 407 Sanders, John M 527 Sando, William \V 360 Sanzenbacher, Conrad G 858 Saunders, William R 274 Sayers, John H 721 Scarff, Bernard B 903 Scarff, William N 428 Schaffer, Jacob 752 Scobey, Frank E 808 Scudder, Howard 857 Secrest, John .303 See, Jacob 608 Senour, John G 767 Shade, Joseph A 270 Shanck, Nelson 519 Sheets, Elizabeth 397 ~ Sheets, George M 585 — ^Sheets, Isaac S 405 Sheets, Lewis T 672 Shoemaker, John 797 Shrader, William 378 Shuman, Michael 698 Sifford, Reese M 426 Simmons, Levi R 593 Singer, John 718 Sinks, Jacob 678 PAGE -Smith, George 629 ■Smith, J. Harrison 483 " " .. 258 .. 830 .. 909 . 732 .. 649 .. 764 _J^nith, John E. ■■rSniith, Joseph Snook, Clarence G Snyder, John W Sowry, James Speelma , George W.. Sprou', Robert 773 Statler, Uavid C 887 Steil, Frederick 795 Steinlage, George P 503 Stewart, Clark E 624 Stewart, Thomas B 393 Stewart, William 711 Stinsman, Frank 312 Stinsman, Isaac H 311 Stratton, John R 434 -^tudebaker, Isaac S 455 — Studebaker, Joseph M 602 ""Sullivan, Oliver 604 Swallow, Daniel 606 Swartz, Ira T 416 Swartz, John W 285 Switzer, Levi 574 T^nnehill, Eli M 627 Taylor, Sallie E 445 Ten Eick, William B •. . . 484 Thackara, Alonzo J 876 Thackara, Charles 874 Thomas, Llewellyn Ap 861 Thomas, Abraham 224 Thomas, Thomas M 905 Thomas, William 1 469 Thompson, William M 722 Thomson, Elmer E 670 Thorne, John R 907 Timmer Brothers 305 Timmer, B. F 838 PAGE Timmer, Gerhart 522 Tisor, Co'umbus 305 Torlina, Theodore G. - 766 Tracy, Philip H 807 Ullery, David E 504 Valentine, L-riah 334 Wagner, Groven & Company. 619 Wagner, Jacob G 586 Walker, John E 439 Wall, Francis M 662 Weddle, Darius W 306 Wefler, Peter 901 Weldv, Byron T .532 Wells, Samuel S 245 West, Joseph W 3.53 White, George W .546 Whitlock, Horace E 869 Widney,John W 691 Wilbee, Edwin M 622 Wilgus, G. Rousseau 315 Wilgus, John H 313 Wilkinson, J. E 911 Williams, Elihu S 234 Williams, H. H 294 Williams. William 820 Winans, Samuel 881 Wise, Hugh. ..^ 626 Woilerton, Samuel R 301 Wood, Charles A 355 Wood, Charles L ._. . . 267 Wright, John C .'.... 468 ' Wright, Thomas M '502 Yales, Samuel S. 634 Youart, George K 471 Youart, Lucien L 438 Zeller, Theodore J 768 ^A^^ -^^ K '=^___ .i^Tg^ P^^ QJ 7f^ J the first president of the Unit- & ed States, called the "Father ■jlit\/i<>ni>^ of his Country," was one of ^^"^GvJ^ the most celebrated characters ^fgj^ in history. He was born Feb- ruary 22, 1732, in Washing- ton Parish, Westmoreland county, Virginia. His father, Augustine Washington, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, and March 6, 1730, he -married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest. Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early childhood, and that his father there- upon moved to another farm, inherited from his paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford county, on the north bank of the Rappahan- nock, and died there in 1743. From earliest childhood George developed a noble charac- ter. His education was somewhat defective, being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighbor- ing school. On leaving school he resided some time at Mount Vernon with his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guar, dian. George's inclinations were for a sea- faring career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him; but through the oppo- sition of his mother the project was aban- doned, and at the ags of si.xteen he was appointed surveyor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax. Three years were passed by Washington in a rough fron- tier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him. In 175 1, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed adjutant, with the rank of major. In 1752 Lawrence Washington died, leaving his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as an eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece, soon succeeded to that estate. In 1753 George was commis- sioned adjutant-general of the Virginia militia, and performed important work at the outbreak of the French and Indian war, was rapidly promoted, and at the close of that war we find him commander-in-chief of Copjrtsht 1897, by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. 18 COMTENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. all the forces raised in Virginia. A cessation of Indian hostilities on the frontier having followed the expulsion of the French from the Ohio, he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces, and then proceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat in the Virginia Assembly, of which he had been elected a member. January 17, 1759, Washington married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Curtis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and devoted himself for the ensuing hfteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter- rupted only by the annual attendance in winter upon the colonial legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his coun- try to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world-wide. The war for independence called Washington into service again, and he was made com- mander-in-chief of the colonial forces, and was the most gallant and conspicuous figure in that bloody struggle, serving until Eng- land acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with them jointly, as separate sovereignties. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his officers in most affection- ate and patriotic terms, and went to An- napolis, Maryland, where the congress of the States was in session, and to that bod}', when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon. It was in 1789 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the na- tion. The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multi- tude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. In the manifold de- tails of his civil administration Washington proved himself fully equal to the requirements of his position. In 1792, at the second presi- dential election, Washington was desirous to retire; but he yielded to the general wish of the country, and was again chosen presi- dent. At the third election, in 1796, he was again most urgently entreated to con- sent to remain in the executive chair. This he positively refused, and after March 4, 1797, he again retired to Mount Vernon for peace, quiet, and repose. Of the call again made on this illustrious chief to quit his repose at Mount Ver- non and take command of all the United States forces, with rank of lieutenant-gen- eral, when war was threatened with France in 1798, nothing need here be stated, ex- cept to note the fact as an unmistakable testimonial of the high regard in which he was still held by his countrymen of all shades of political opinion. He patriotic- ally accepted this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop to all action under it. He asrain retired to Mount Vernon, where he died December 14, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. His remains were depos- ited in a family vault on the banks of the Potomac, at Mount Vernon, where they still lie entombed. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, an eminent American statesman and scientist, was born of poor parentage, January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was appren- ticed to his brother James to learn the print- er's trade to prevent his running away and going to sea, and also because of the numer- ous family his parents had to support (there being seventeen children, Benjamin being the fifteenth). He was a great reader, and soon developed a taste for writing, and pre- pared a number of articles and had them published in the paper without his brother's knowledge, and when the authorship be- came known it resulted in difficulty for tae COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPH7: young apprentice, although his articles had been received with favor by the public. James was afterwards thrown into prison for political reasons, and young Benjamin con- ducted the paper alone during the time. In 1823, however, he determined to endure his bonds no longer, and ran away, going to Philadelphia, where he arrived with only three pence as his store of wealth. With these he purchased three rolls, and ate them as he walked along the streets. He soon found employment as a journeyman printer. Two years later he was sent to England by the governor of Pennsylvania, and was promised the public printing, but did not get it. On his return to Philadelphia he estab- lished the "Pennsylvania Gazette," and soon found himself a person of great popu- larity in the province, his ability as a writer, philosopher, and politician having reached the neighboring colonies. He rapidly grew in prominence, founded the Philadelphia Li- brary in 1842, and two years later the American Philosophical Society and the University of Pennsylvania. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society in London in 1775. His world-famous investigations in electricity and lightning began in 1746. He became postmaster-general of the colonies in 1753, having devised an inter-colonial postal system. He advocated the rights of the colonies at all times', and procured the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. He was elected to the Continental congress of 1775, and in 1776 was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, being one of the commit- tee appointed to draft that paper. He rep- resented the new nation in the courts of Europe, especially at Paris, where his simple dignity and homely wisdom won him the admiration of the court and the favor of the people. He was governor of Pennsylvania four years; was also a member of the con- vention in 17S7 that drafted the constitution of the United States. His writings upon political topics, anti- slavery, finance, and economics, stamp him as one of the greatest statesmen of his time, while his "Autobiography" and "Poor Richard's Almanac " give him precedence in the literary field. In early life he was an avowed skeptic in religious matters, but later in life his utterances on this subject were less extreme, though he never ex- pressed approval of any sect or creed. He died in Philadelphia April 17, 1790. DANIEL WEBSTER.— Of world wide reputation for statesmanship, diplo- macy, and oratory, there is perhaps no more prominent figure in the history of our coun- try in the interval between 181 5 and 1861, than Daniel Webster. He was born at Salisbury (now Franklin), New Hampshire, January 18, 1782, and was the second son of Ebenezer and Abigail (Eastman) Webster. He enjoyed but limited educational advan- tages in childhood, but spent a few months in 1797, at Phillip Exeter Academy. He completed his preparation for college in the family of Rev. Samuel Wood, at Boscawen, and entered Dartmouth College in the fall of 1797. He supported himself most of the time during these years by teaching school and graduated in 1801, having the credit of being the foremost scholar of his class. He entered the law office of Hon. Thomas W. Thompson, at Salisbury. In 1802 he con- tinued his legal studies at Fryeburg, Maine, where he was principal of the academy and copyist in ithe office of the register of deeds. In the office of Christopher Gore, at Boston, he completed his studies in 1804-5, ^'^^ was admitted to the bar in the latter year, and at Boscawen and at Ports- mouth soon rose to eminence in his profes- 20 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. sion. He became known as a federalist but did not court political honors; but, at- tracting attention by his eloquence in oppos- ing the war with England, he was elected to congress in 1812. During the special session of May, 18 13, he was appointed on the committee on foreign affairs and made his maiden speech June 10, 181 3. Through- out this session (as afterwards) he showed his mastery of the great economic questions of the day. He was re-elected in 1S14. In 1 8 16 he removed to Boston and for seven years devoted himself to his profession, earning by his arguments in the celebrated "Dartmouth College Case" rank among the most distinguished jurists of the country. In 1820 Mr. Webster was chosen a member of the state convention of Massachusetts, to revise the constitution. The same year he delivered the famous discourse on the " Pil- grim fathers," which laid the foundation for his fame as an orator. Declining a nomi- nation for United States senator, in 1822 he was elected to the lower house of congress and was re-elected in 1824 and 1826, but in 1827 was transferred to the senate. He retained his seat in the latter chamber until 1 841. During this time his voice was ever lifted in defence of the national life and honor and although politically opposed to him he gave his support to the administra- tion of President Jackson in the latter's con- test with nullification. Through all these years he was ever found upon the side of right and justice and his speeches upon all the great questions of the day have be- come household words in almost every family. In 1841 Mr. Webster was appointed secretary of state by President Harrison and was continued in the same office by President Tyler. While an incumbent of this office he showed consummate ability as a diplomat in the negotiation of the "Ash- burton treaty " of August 9, 1849, which settled many points of dispute between the United States and England. In May, 1843, he resigned his post and resumed his pro- fession, and in December, 1845, took his place again in the senate. He contributed in an unofficial way to the solution of the Oregon question with Great Britain in 1847. He was disappointed in 1848 in not receiv- ing the nomination for the presidency. He became secretary of state under President Fillmore in 1S50 and in dealing with all the complicated questions of the day showed a wonderful mastery of the arts of diplomacy. Being hurt in an accident he retired to his home at Marshfield, where he died Octo- ber 24, 1852. HORACE GREELEY. —As journalist, author, statesman and political leader, there is none more widely known than the man whose name heads this article. He was born in Amherst, New Hampshire, Feb- ruary 3, 181 1, and was reared upon a farm. At an early age he evinced a remarkable intelligence and love of learning, and at the age of ten had read every book he could borrow for miles around. About 1821 the family removed to Westhaven, Vermont, and for some years young Greeley assisted in carrying on the farm. In 1826 he entered the office of a weekly newspaper at East Poultney, Vermont, where he remained about four years. On the discontinuance of this paper he followed his father's, family to Erie county, Pennsylvania, whither they had moved, and for a time worked at the printer's trade in that neigh- borhood. In 1 83 1 Horace went to New York City, and for a time found employ- ment as journeyman printer. January, 1833, in partnership with Francis Story, he published the Morning Post, the first penny COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY 21 paper ever printed. This proved a failure and was discontinued after three weeks. The business of job printing was carried on, however, until the death of Mr. Story in July following. In company with Jonas Winchester, March 22, 1834, Mr. Greeley commenced the publication of the Nciv Yorker, a weekly paper of a high character. For financial reasons, at the same time, Greeley wrote leaders for other papers, and, in 183S, took editorial charge of the Jfffcr- sonian, a Whig paper published at Albany. In 1840, on the discontinuance of that sheet, he devoted his energies to the Log Cabin, a campaign paper in the interests of the Whig party. In the fall of 1841 the latter paper was consolidated with the Nciu Yorker, un- der the name of the Tribune, the first num- ber of which was issued April 10, 184 1. At the head of this paper Mr. Greeley remained until the day of his death. In 1848 Horace Greeley was elected to the national house of representatives to fill a vacancy, and was a member of that body until March 4, 1849. In 1851 he went to Europe and served as a juror at the World's Fair at the Crystal Palace, Lon- don. In 1855, he made a second visit to the old world. In 1859 he crossed the plains and received a public reception at San Francisco and Sacramento. He was a member of the Republican national con- vention, at Chicago in i860, and assisted in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President. The same year he was a presi- dential elector for the state of New York, and a delegate to the Loyalist convention at Philadelphia. At the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Greeley became a strong advocate of uni- versal amnesty and complete pacification, and in pursuance of this consented to be- come one of the bondsmen for Jefferson Davis, who was imprisoned for treason. In 1867 he was a delegate to the New York state convention for the revision of the constitution. In 1870 he was defeated for congress in the Sixth New York district. At the Liberal convention, which met in Cincinnati, in May, 1872, on the fifth ballot Horace Greeley was nominated for presi- dent and July following was nominated for the same office by the Democratic conven- tion at Baltimore. He was defeated by a large majority. The large amount of work done by him during the campaign, together with the loss of his wife about the same time, undermined his strong constitution, and he was seized with inflammation of the brain, and died November 29, 1872. In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Greeley was the author of several meritori- ous works, among which were: "Hints toward reform," "Glances at Europe," " History of the struggle for slavery exten sion," "Overland journey to San Francis- co," "The American conflict," and " Rec- ollections of a busy life." HENRY CLAY.— In writing of this em- inent American, Horace Greeley once said: "He was a matchless party chief, an admirable orator, a skillful legislator, wield- ing unequaled influence, not only over his friends, but even over those of his political antagonists who were subjected to the magic of his conversation and manners. " A law- yer, legislator, orator, and statesman, few men in history have wielded greater influ- ence, or occupied so prominent a place in the hearts of the generation in which they lived. Henry Clay was born near Richmond, in Hanover county, Virginia, April 12, 1777, the son of a poor Baptist preacher who died when Henry was but five years 22 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. old. The mother married again about teij. years later and removed to Kentucky leav- ing Henry a clerk in a store at Richmond. Soon afterward Henry Clay secured a posi- tion as copyist in the office of the clerk of the high court of chancery, and four years later entered the law office of Robert Brooke, then attorney general and later governor of his native state. In 1797 Henry Clay was licensed as a lawyer and followed his mother to Kentuck].'; opening an office at Lexington and soon built up a profitable practice. Soon afterward Kentucky, in separating from Virginia, called a state convention for the purpose of framing a constitution, and Clay at that time took a prominent part, publicly urging the adoption of a clause providing for the abolition, of slavery, but in this he was overruled, as he was fifty years later, when in the height of his fame he again ad- vised the same course when the state con- stitution was revised in 1850. Young Clay took a very active and conspicuous part in the presidential campaign in 1800, favoring the election of Jefferson; and in 1803 was chosen to represent Fayette county in the state 'egislature. In 1806 General John Adair, then United States senator from Kentucky, resigned and Henry Clay was elected to fill the vacancy by the legislature and served through one session in which he at once assumed a prominent place. In 1807 he was again a representative in the legislature and was elected speaker of the house. At this time originated his trouble with Humphrey Marshall. Clay proposed that each member clothe himself and family wholly in American fabrics, which Marshall characterized as the " language of a dema- gogue." This led to a duel in which both parties were slightly injured. In 1809 Henry Clay was again elected to fill a va- cancy in the United States senate, and two years later elected representative in the low- er house of congress, being chosen speaker of the house. About this time war was de- clared against Great Britain, and Clay took a prominent public place during this strug- gle and was later one of the commissioners sent to Europe by President Madison to ne- gotiate peace, returning in September, 181 5, having been re-elected speaker of the house during his absence, and was re-elect- ed unanimously. He was afterward re- elected to congress and then became secre- tary of state undv^r John Quincy Adams. In 1 83 I he was again elected senator from Kentucky and remained in the senate most of the time until his death. Henry Clay was three times a candidate for the presidency, and once very nearly elected. He was the unanimous choice of the Whig part}' in 1844 for the presidency, and a great effort was made to elect him but without success, his opponent, James K. Polk, carrying both Pennsylvania and New York by a very slender margin, while either of them alone would have elected Clay. Henry Clay died at Washington June 29, 1852. JAMES GILLESPIE BLAINE was one of the most distinguished of American statesmen and legislators. He was born January 31, 1830, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and received a thorough edu- cation, graduating at Washington College in 1847. In early life he removed to Maine and engaged in newspaper work, becoming editor of the Portland ' 'Advertiser. " While yet a young man he gained distinction as a debater and became a conspicuous figure in political and public affairs. In 1862 he was elected to congress on the Republican ticket in Maine and was re-elected five times. In March, 1869, he was chosen speaker of the COMPENDIUM OF BIOCrRAPHY. 23 house of representatives and was re-elected in 1 8/ I and again in 1873. In 1876 he was a representative in the lower house of con- gress and during that year was appointed United States senator by the Governor to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Morrill, who had been appointed secretary of the treasury. Mr. Blaine served in the senate until March 5, 1881, when President Garfield appointed him sec- retary of state, which position he resigned in December, 1881. Mr. Blaine was nom- inated for the presidency by the Republic- ans, at Chicago in June, 1884, but was de- feated by Grover Cleveland after an exciting and spirited campaign. During the later years of his life Mr. Blaine devoted most of his time to the completion of his work "Twenty Years in Congress," which had a remarkably large sale throughout the United States. Blaine was a man of great mental ability and force of character and during the latter part of his life was one of the most noted men of his time. He was the origina- torof what is termed the ' ' reciprocity idea " in tariff matters, and outlined the plan of carrying it into practical effect. In 1876 Robert G. IngersoU in making a nominating speech placing Blaine's name as a candidate for president before the national Republican convention at Cincinnati, referred to Blaine as the " Plumed Knight " and this title clung to him during the remainder of his life. His death occurred at Washington, January 27, 1893. JOHN CALDWELL CALHOUN, a dis- tinguished American statesman, was a native of South Carolina, born in Abbeville district, March 18, 1782. He was given the advantages of a thorough education, graduating at Yale College in 1804, and adopted the calling of a lawyer. A Demo- crat politically, at that time, he took a fore- most part in the councils of his party and was elected to congress in iSii, supporting the tariff of 1S16 and the establishing of the United States Bank. In 18 17 he be- came secretary of war in President Monroe's cabinet, and in 1824 was elected vice-president of the United States, on the ticket with John Quincy Adams, and re-elected in 1 828, on the ticket with General Jackson. Shortly after this Mr. Calhoun became one of the strongest advocates of free trade and the principle of sovereignty of the states and was one of the originators of the doctrine that "any state could nullify unconstitutional laws of congress." Meanwhile Calhoun had be- come an aspirant for the presidency, and the fact that General Jackson advanced the interests of his opponent. Van Buren, led to a quarrel, and Calhoun resigned the vice- presidency in 1832 and was elected United States senator from South Carolina. It was during the same year that a convention was held in South Carolina at which the " Nul- lification ordinance " was adopted, the ob- ject of which was to test the constitution- ality of the protective tariff measures, and to prevent if possible the collection of im- port duties in that state which had been levied more for the purpose of ' ' protection " than revenue. This ordinance was to go into effect in February, 1S33, and created a great deal of uneasiness throughout the country as it was feared there would be a clash between the state and federal authori- ties. It was in this serious condition of public affairs that Henry Clay came forward with the the famous "tariff compromise" of 1833, to which measure Calhoun and most of his followers gave their support and the crisis was averted. In 1843 Mr. Cal- houn was appointed secretary ol state in President Tyler's cabinet, and it was under 24 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. his administration that the treaty concern- ing the annexation of Texas was negotiated. In 1845 he was re-elected to the United States senate and continued in the senate until his death, which occurred in March, 1 850. He occupied a high rank as a scholar, student and orator, and it is conceded that he was one of the greatest debaters America has produced. The famous debate between Calhoun and Webster, in 1833, is regarded as the most noted for ability and eloquence in the history of the country. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BUTLER, one of America's most brilliant and pro- found lawyers and noted public men, was a native of New England, born at Deer- field, New Hampshire, November 5, 18 18. His father. Captain John Butler, was a prominent man in his day, commanded a company during the war of 1812, and served under Jackson at New Orleans. Benjamin F. Butler was given an excellent education, graduated at Waterville College, Maine, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, at Lowell, Massachusetts, where he commenced the practice of his profession and gained a wide reputation for his ability at the bar, acquiring an extensive practice and a fortune. Early in life he began taking an active interest in military affairs and served in the state militia through all grades from private to brigadier-general. In 1853 he was elected to the state legisla- ture on the Democratic ticket in Lowell, and took a prominent part in the passage of legislation in the interests of labor. Dur- ing the same year he was a member of the constitutional convention, and in 1859 rep- resented his district in the Massachusetts senate. When the Civil war broke out General Butler took the field and remained at the front most of the time during that bloody struggle. Part of the time he had charge of Fortress Monroe, and in Febru- ary, 1S62, took command of troops forming part of the expedition against New Orleans, and later had charge of the department of the Gulf. He was a conspicuous figure dur- ing the continuance of the war. After the close of hostilities General Butler resumed his law practice in Massachusetts and in 1866 was elected to congress from the Es- sex district. In 1882 he was elected gov- ernor of Massachusetts, and in 1884 was the nominee of the " Greenback" party for president of the United States. He con- tinued his legal practice, and maintained his place as one of the most prominent men in New England until the time of his death, which occurred January 10, 1893. JEFFERSON DAVIS, an officer, states- man and legislator of prominence in America, gained the greater part of his fame from the fact that he was president of the southern confederacy. Mr. Davis was born in Christian county, Kentucky, June 3, 1808, and his early education and surround- ings were such that his sympathies and in- clinations were wholly with the southern people. He received a thorough education, graduated at West Point in 1828, and for a number of years served in the army at west- ern posts and in frontier service, first as lieutenant and later as adjutant. In 1835 he resigned and became a cotton planter in Warren county, Mississippi, where he took an active interest in public affairs and be- came a conspicuous figure in politics. In 1844 he was a presidential elector from Mississippi and during the two following years served as congressman from his dis- trict. He then became colonel of a Missis- sippi regiment in the war with Mexico ana participated in some of the most severe lvil- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 25 ties, being seriously wounded at Buena Vista. Upon his return to private life he again took a prominent part in political af- fairs and represented his state in the United States senate from 1847 to 1S51. He then entered President Pierce's cabinet as secre- tary of war, after which he again entered the United States senate, remaining until the outbreak of the Civil war. He then be- came president of the southern confederacy and served as such until captured in May, 1865, at Irwinville, Georgia. He was held as prisoner of war at Fortress Monroe, until 1867, when he was released on bail and finally set free in 1868. His death occurred December 6, 1889. Jefferson Davis was a man of excellent abilities and was recognized as one of the best organizers of his day. He was a forceful and fluent speaker and a ready writer. He wrote and published the " Rise and Fall of the Southern Confederacy," a work which is considered as authority by the southern peopl.- JOHN ADAMS, the second president of the United States, and one of the most conspicuous figures in the early struggles of his country for independence, was born in the present town of Quincy, then a portion ■of Braintree, Massachusetts, October 30, 1735- He received a thorough education, graduating at Harvard College in 1755, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1758. He was well adapted for this profes- sion and after opening an office in his native town rapidly grew in prominence and public favor and soon was regarded as one of the leading lawyers of the country. His atten- tion was called to political affairs by the passage of the S'amp Act, in 1765, and he ■drew up a set of resolutions on the subject which were very popular. In 1768 he re- moved to Boston and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocates of the' popular cause and was chosen a member of the Colonial legislature from Boston. He was one of the delegates that represented Massachusetts in the first Con- tinental congress, which met in September, 1774. In a letter written at this crisis he uttered the famous words: "The die is now cast; I have passed the Rubicon. Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish with my country, is my unalterable determination." He was a prominent figure in congress and advocated the movement for independence when a majority of the members were in- clined to temporize and to petition the King. In May, 1776, he presented a resolution in congress that the colonies should assume the duty of self-government, which was passed. In June, of the same year, a reso- lution that the United States "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent," was moved by Richard H. Lee, seconded by Mr. Adams and adopted by a small majority. Mr. Adams was a member of the committee of five appointed June i i to prepare a declaration of independence, in support of which he made an eloquent speech. He was chairman of the Board of War in 1776 and in 1778 was sent as commissioner to France, but returned the following year. In 1780 he went to Europe, having been appointed as minister to negotiate a treaty of peace and commerce with Great Britain. Con- jointly with Franklin and Jay he negotiated a treaty in 1782. He was employed as a minister to the Court of St. James from 1785 to 1788, and during that period wrote his famous "Defence of the American Con- stitutions." In 1789 he became vice-presi- dent of the United States and was re-elected in 1792. In 1796 Mr. Adams was chosen presi- 20 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. dent of the United States, his competitor being Thomas Jefferson, who became vice- president. In 1800 he was the Federal candidate for president, but he was not cordially supported by Gen. Hamilton, the favorite leader of his party, and was de- feated by Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Adams then retired from public life to his large estate at Quincy, Mass., where he died July 4, 1826, on the same day that witnessed the death of Thomas Jefferson. Though his physical frame began to give way many years before his death, his mental powers retained their strength and vigor to the last. In his ninetieth year he was glad- dened by .the elevation of his son, John Quincy Adams, to the presidential office. HENRY WARD BEECHER, one of the most celebrated American preachers and authors, was born at Litchfield, Connec- ticut, June 24, 1813. His father was Dr. Ly- man Beecher, also an eminent divine. At an early age Henry Ward Beecher had a strong predilection for a sea-faring life, and it was practically decided that he would fol- low this inclination, but about this time, in consequence of deep religious impressions which he experienced during a revival, he renounced his former intention and decided to enter the ministry. After having grad- uated at Amherst College, in 1834, he stud- ied theology at Lane Seminary under the tuition of his father, who was then president of that institution. In 1847 he became pas- tor of the Plymouth Congregational church in Brooklyn, where his oratorical ability and original eloquence attracted one of the larg- est congregations in the country. He con- tinued to served this church until the time of his death, March 8, 1887. Mr. Beecher also found time for a great amount of liter- ary work- For a number of years he was editor of the "Independent" and also the ' ' Christian Union. " He also produced many works which are widely known. Among his principal productions are "Lectures to Young Men," " Star Papers, " "Life of Christ," "Life Thoughts," "Royal Truths" (a novel), "Norwood," " Evolution and Rev- olution," and " Sermons on Evolution and Religion. " Mr. Beecher was also long a prominent advocate of anti-slavery princi- ples and temperance reform, and, at a later period, of the rights of women. JOHN A. LOGAN, the illustrious states- man and general, was born in Jackson county, Illinois, February 9, 1824. In his boyhood days he received but a limited edu- cation in the schools of his native county. On the breaking out of the war with Mexico he enlisted in the First Illinois Volunteers and became its quartermaster. At the close of hostilities he returned home and was elected clerk of the courts of Jackson county in 1849. Determining to supplement his education Logan entered the Louisville Uni- versity, from which he graduated in 1852 and taking up the study of law was admitted to the bar. He attained popularity and suc- cess in his chosen profession and was elected to the legislature in 1852, 1853, 1856 and 1857. He was prosecuting attorney from 1853 to 1857. He was elected to congress in 1858 to fill a vacancy and again in i860. At the outbreak of the Rebellion, Logan re- signed his office and entered the army, and in September, 1861, was appointed colonel of the Thirty-first Illinois Infantry, which he led in the battles of Belmont and Fort Don- elson. In the latter engagement he was wounded. In March, 1862, he was pro- moted to be brigadier-general and in the following month participated in the battles of Pittsburg Landing. In November, 1862, COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. 29- for gallant conduct he was made major-gen- eral. Throughout the Vicksburg campaign he was in command of a division of the Sev- enteenth Corps and was distinguished at Port Gibson, Champion Kills and in the siege and capture cf Vicksburg. In October, 1S63, he was placed in command of the Fifteenth Corps, which he led with great credit. During the terrible conflict before Atlanta, July 22, 1864, on the death of General McPherson, Logan, assuming com- mand of the Army of the Tennessee, led it on to victory, saving the day by his energy and ability. He was shortly after succeeded by General O. O. Howard and returned to the command of his corps. He remained in command until the presidential election, when, feeling that his influence was needed at home he returned thither and there re- mained until the arrival of Sherman at Sa- vannah, when General Logan rejoined his command. In May, 1865, he succeeded General Howard at the head of the Army of the Tennessee. He resigned from the army in August, the same year, and in November was appointed minister to Me.xico, but de- clined the honor. He served in the lower house of the fortieth and forty-first con- gresses, and was elected United States sena- tor from his nati\'e state in 1870, 1S78 and 1885. He was nominated for the vice-presi- dency in 1884 on the ticket with Blaine, but was defeated. General Logan was the author of "The Great Conspiracy, its origin and history," published in 1885. He died at Washington, December 26, 1886. JOHN CHARLES FREMONT, the first Republican candidate for president, was born in Savannah, Georgia, January 21, 18 1 3. He graduated from Charleston Col- lege (South Carolina) in 1830, and turned his attention to civil engineering. He was shortly afterward employed in the department of government surveys on the Mississippi, and constructing maps of that region. He was made lieutenant of engineers, and laid be- fore the war department a plan for pene- trating the Rocky Mountain regions, which was accepted, and in 1842 he set out upon his first famous exploring expedition and ex- plored the South Pass. He also planned an expedition to Oregon by a new route further south, but afterward joined his expedition with that of Wilkes in the region of the Great Salt Lake. He made a later expedi- tion which penetrated the Sierra Nevadas, and the San Joaquin and Sacramento river valleys, making maps of all regions explored. In 1845 he conducted the great expedi- tion which resulted in the acquisition of California, which it was believed the Mexi- can government was about to dispose of to England. Learning that the Mexican gov- ernor was preparing to attack tne American settlements in his dominion, Fremont deter- mined to forestall him. The settlers rallied to his camp, and in June, 1846, he defeated the Mexican forces at Sonoma Pass, and a month later completely routed the governor and his entire army. The Americans at once declared their independence of Mexico, and Fremont was elected governor of Cali- fornia. By this time Commodore Stockton had reached the coast with instructions from Washington to conquer California. Fre- mont at once joined him in that effort, which resulted in the annexation of California with its untold mineral wealth. Later Fremont became involved in a difficulty with fellow officers which resulted in a court martial, and the surrender of his commission. He declined to accept reinstatement. He af- terward laid out a great road from the Mis- sissippi river to San Francisco, and became the first United States senator from Califor- so COMPEXDIl'M OF BIOGRAPHr. nia, in 1849. In 1S56 he was nominated by the new Republican part}' as its first can- didate for president against Buchanan, and received 1 14 electoral votes, out of 296. In 1 86 1 he was made major-general and placed in charge of the western department. He planned the reclaiming of the entire Mississippi valley, and gathered an army of thirty thousand men, with plenty of artil- lery, and was ready to move upon the con- federate General Price, when he was de- prived of his command. He was nominated for the presidency at Cincinnati in 1864, but withdrew. He was governor of Arizona in 1878, holding the position four years. He was interested in an engineering enterprise looking toward a great southern trans-con- tinental railroad, and in his later years also practiced law in New York. He died July 13, 1890. WENDELL PHILLIPS, the orator and abolitionist, and a conspicuous figure in American history, was born November 29, 181 1, at Boston, Massachusetts. He received a good education at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1831, and then entered the Cambridge Law School . After completing his course in that institu- tion, in 1833, he was admitted to the bar, in 1834, at Suffolk. He entered the arena of life at the time when the forces of lib- erty and slavery had already begun their struggle that was to culminate in the Civil war. William Lloyd Garrison, by his clear- headed, courageous declarations of the anti- slavery principles, had done much to bring about this struggle. Mr. Phillips was not a man that could stand aside and see a great struggle being carried on in the interest of humanity and look passively on. He first •iittracted attention as an orator in 1837, at a meeting that was called to protest against \ the murder of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy. The meeting would have ended in a few perfunctory resolutions had not Mr. Phillips by his manly eloquence taken the meeting out of the hands of the few that were in- clined to temporize and avoid radical utter- ances. Having once started out in this ca- reer as an abolitionist Phillips never swerved from what he deemed his duty, and never turned back. He gave up his legal practice and launched himself heart and soul in the movement for the liberation of the slaves. He was ah orator of very great ability and by his earnest efforts and eloquence he did much in arousing public sentiment in behalf of the anti-slavery cause — possibly more than any one man of his time. After the abolition of slavery Mr. Phillips was, if pos- sible, even busier than before m the literary and lecture field. Besides temperance and women's rights, he lectured often and wrote much on finance, and the relations of labor and capital, and his utterances on whatever subject always bore the stamp of having emanated from a master mind. Eminent critics have stated that it might fairly be questioned whether there has ever spoken in America an orator superior to Phillips. The death of this great man occurred Feb- ruary 4, 18S4. WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN was one of the greatest generals that the world has ever produced and won im- mortal fame by that strategic and famous " march to the sea," in the war of the Re- bellion.- He was born February 8, 1820, at Lancaster, Ohio, and was reared in the family of the Hon. Thomas Ewing, as his father died when he was but nine years of age. He entered West Point in 1836, wa? graduated from the same in 184O, and ap- pointed a second lieutenant in the Third COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 3r Artillery. He passed throuf;h the various grades of the service and at the outbreak of the Civil war was appointed colonel of the Thirteenth Regular Infantry. A full history of General Sherman's conspicuous services would be to repeat a history of the armj'. He c immanded a division at Shiloh, and was instrumental in the winning of that bat- tle, and was also present at the siege of Vicks- burg. On July 4, 1863, he was appointed brigadier-general of the regular army, and shared with Hooker the victory of Mission- ary Ridge. He was commander of the De- partment of the Tennessee from October 27th until the appointment of General Grant as lieutenant-general, by whom he was appointed to the command of the De- partment of the Mississippi, which he as- sumed in March, 1864. He at once began organizing the army and enlarging his com- munications preparatory to his march upon Atlanta, which he started the same time of the beginning of the Richmond campaign by Grant. He started on May 6, and was op- posed by Johnston, who had fifty thousand men, but by consummate generalship, he captured Atlanta, on September 2, after several months of hard fighting and a severe loss of men. General Sherman started on his famous march to the sea November 15, 1864, and by December 10 he was before Savannah, which he took on December 23. This campaign is a monument to the genius of General Sherman as he only lost 567 men from Atlanta to the sea. After rest- ing his army he moved northward and occu- pied the following places: Columbia, Cheraw, Fayetteville, Ayersboro, Benton- ville, Goldsboro, Raleigh, and April 18, he accepted the surrender of Johnston's army on a basis of agreement that was not re- ceived by the Government with favor, but finally accorded Johnston the same terms as Lee was given by General Grant. He was present at the grand review at Washington, and after the close of the war was appointed to the command of the military division, of the Mississippi; later was appointed lieu- tenant-general, and assigned to the military division of the Missouri. When General Grant was elected president Sherman became general, March 4, 1869, and succeeded to the command of the army. His death oc- curred February 14, 1891, at Washington. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, one of the most prominent of the early American statesmen and financiers, was born in Nevis, an island of the West Indies, January 11, 1757, his father being a Scotchman and his mother of Huguenot descent. Owing to the death of his mother and business reverses which came to his father, young Hamilton was sent to his mother's relatives in Santa Cruz; a few years later was sent to a gram- mar school at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and in 1773 entered what is now known as Columbia College. Even at that time he began taking an active part in public affairs and his speeches, pamphlets, and newspaper articles on political affairs of the day at- tracted considerable attention. In 1776 he received a captain's commission and served in Washington's army with credit, becoming aide-de-camp to Washington with rank of lieutenant-colonel. In i 781 he resigned his commission because of a rebuke from Gen- eral Washington. He next received com- mand of a New York battalion and partici- pated in the battle of Yorktown. After this Hamilton studied law, served several terms in congress and was a member of the convention at which the Federal Constitu- tion was drawn up. His work connected with "The Federalist" at about this time attracted much attention. Mr. Hamiltoa ■.•6-2 COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. was chosen as the first secretary of the United States treasury and as such was the author of the funding system and founder of the United States Bank. In 1798 he was made inspector-general of the army with the rank of major-general and was also for a short time commander-in-chief. In 1804 Aaron Burr, then candidate for governor of New York, challenged Alexander Hamilton to fight a duel, Burr attributing his defeat to Hamilton's opposition, and Hamilton, though declaring the code as a relic of bar- barism, accepted the challenge. They met at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804. Hamilton declined to fire at his adversary, but at Burr's first fire was fatally wounded and died July 12, 1804. ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEPH- ENS, vice-president of the southern confederacy, a former United States senator and governor of Georgia, ranks among the great men of American history. He was born February 11, 18 12, near Crawfordsville, Georgia. He was a graduate of the Uni- versity of Georgia, and admitted to the bar in 1834. In 1837 he made his debut in political life as a member of the state house of representatives, and in 1841 declined the nomination for the same office; but in 1S42 he was chosen by the same constituency as state senator. Mr. Stephens was one of the promoters of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. In 1843 he was sent by his dis- trict to the national house of representatives, which office he held for sixteen consec- utive years. He was a member of the house during the passing of the Compromise Bill, and was one of its ablest and most active supporters. The same year (1850) Mr. Stephens was a delegate to the state convention that framed the celebrated " Georgia Platform," and was also a dele- gate to the convention that passed the ordi- nance of secession, though he bitterly op- posed that bill by voice and vote, yet he readily acquiesced in their decision after it received the votes of the majority of the convention. He was chosen vice-president of the confederacy without opposition, and in 1865 he was the head of the commis- sion sent by the south to the Hampton Roads conference. He was arrested after the fall of the confederacy and was con- fined in Fort Warren as a prisoner of state but was released on his own parole. Mr. Stephens was elected to the forty-third, forty-fourth, forty-fifth, forty-sixth and for- ty-seventh congresses, with hardly more than nominal opposition. He was one of the Jeffersonian school of American politics. He wrote a number of works, principal among which are: "Constitutional View of the War between the States," and a " Compendium of the History of the United States." He was inaugurated as governor of Georgia November 4th, 1882, but died March 4, 1883, before the completion of his term. ROSCOE CONKLING was one of the most noted and famous of American statesmen. He was among the most fin- ished, fluent and eloquent orators that have ever graced the halls of the American con- gress; ever ready, witty and bitter in de- bate he was at once admired and feared by his political opponents and revered hy his followers. True to his friends, loyal to the last degree to those with whom his inter- ests were associated, he was unsparing to his foes and it is said "never forgot an injury." Roscoe Conkling was born at Albany, New York, on the 30th of October, 1829, being a son of Alfred Conkling. Alfred Conkling was also a native of New York, COMPEJVDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY 83 born at East Hampton, October I2, 1789, and became one of the most eminent law- yers in the Empire state; published several legal works; served a term in congress; aft- erward as United States district judge for Northern New York, and in 1852 was min- ister to Mexico. Alfred Conkhng died in 1874- Roscoe Conkling, whose name heads this article, at an early age took up the study of law and soon became successful and prominent at the bar. About 1846 he re- moved to Utica and in 1858 was elected mayor of that city. He was elected repre- sentative in congress from this district and was re-elected three times. In 1867 he was elected United States senator from the state of New York and was re-elected in 1873 and 1879. In May, 1881, he resigned on account of differences with the president. In March, 1882, he was appointed and con- firmed as associate justice of the United States supreme court but declined to serve. His death occurred April 18, 1888. WASHINGTON IRVING, one of the most eminent, talented and popu- lar of American authors, was born in New York City, April 3, 1783. His father was William Irving, a merchant and a native of Scotland, who had married an English lady and emigrated to America some twenty years prior to the birth of Washington. Two of the older sons, William and Peter, were partially occupied with newspaper work and literary pursuits, and this fact naturally inclined Washington to follow their example. \\'ashington Irving was given the advantages afforded by the common schools until about sixteen years of age when he began studying law, but continued to acquire his literary training by diligent perusal at home of the older English writers. When nineteen he made his first literary venture by printing in the ' ' Morning Chroni- cle," then edited by his brother. Dr. Peter Irving, a series of local sketches under the noin-dc-pluuic o{ " Jonathan Oldstyle." In 1804 he began an extensive trip through Europe, returned in 1806, quickly com- pleted his legal studies and was admitted to the bar, but never practiced the profession. In 1807 he began the amusing serial "Sal- magundi," which had an immediate suc- cess, and not only decided his future career but long determined the charac- ter of his writings. In 1808, assisted by his brother Peter, he wrote " Knickerbock- er's History of New York," and in 18 10 an excellent biography of Campbell, the poet. After this, for some time, Irving's attention was occupied by mercantile interests, but the commercial house in which he was a partner failed in 1817. In 1814 he was editor of the Philadelphia "Analectic Maga- zine." About 1818 appeared his "Sketch- Book," over the nom-de- plume of ' 'Geoffrey Crayon," which laid the foundation of Ir- ving's fortune and permanent fame. This was soon followed by the legends of "Sleepy Hollow, "and " Rip Van Winkle," which at once took high rank as literary productions, and Irving's reputation was firmly established in both the old and new worlds. After this the path of Irving was smooth, and his subsequent writings ap- peared with rapidity, including " Brace- bridge Hall," "The Tales of a Traveler," " History of the Life and Voyages of Chris- topher Columbus," "The Conquest of Granada," "The Alhambra," " Tour on the Prairies," "Astoria," "Adventures ol Captain Bonneville," "Wolfert's Roost," " Mahomet and his Successors," and "Life of Washington," besides other works. Washington Irving was never married. 84 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. He resided during the closing years of his life at Sunnyside (Tarrytown) on the Hud- son, where he died November 28, 1859. CHARLES SUMNER.— Boldly outlined on the pages of our history stands out the rugged figure of Charles Sumner, states- man, lawyer and writer. A man of unim- peachable integrity, indomitable will and with the power of tireless toil, he was a fit leader in troublous times. First in rank as an anti-slavery leader in the halls of con- gress, he has stamped his image upon the annals of his time. As an orator he took front rank and, in wealth of illustration, rhetoric and lofty tone his eloquence equals anything to be found in history. Charles Sumner was born in Boston, Massachusetts, January 6, 181 1, and was the son of Charles P. and Relief J. Sumner. The family had long been prominent in that state. Charles was educated at the Boston Public Latin School; entered Harvard Col- lege in 1826, and graduated therefrom in 1830. In 1 83 1 he joined the Harvard Law School, then under charge of Judge Story, and gave himself up to the study of law with enthusiasm. His leisure was devoted to contributing to the American Jurist. Ad- mitted to the bar in 1834 he was appointed reporter to the circuit court by Judge Story. He published several works about this time, and from 1835 to 1837 and again in 1843 was lecturer in the law school. He had planned a lawyer's life, but in 1845 he gave his attention to politics, speakingand working against the admission of Texas to the Union and subsequently against the Mexican war. In 1848 he was defeated for congress on the Free Soil ticket. His stand on the anti- slavery question at that time alienated both friends and clients, but he never swerved from his convictions. In 185 1 he was elected to the United States senate and took his seat therein December i of that year. From this time his life became the history of the anti-slavery cause in congress. In August, 1852, he began his attacks on slavery by a masterly argument for the repeal of the fugitive slave law. On May 22, 1856, Pres- ton Brooks, nephew of Senator Butler, of South Carolina, made an attack upon Mr. Sumner, at his desk in the senate, striking him over the head with a heavy cane. The attack was quite serious in its effects and kept Mr. Sumner absent from his seat in the senate for about four years. In 1857, 1863 and 1869 he was re-elected to the office of senator, passing some twenty-three years in that position, always advocating the rights of freedom and equity. He died March il, 1874- THOMAS JEFFERSON, the third pres- ident of the United States, was born near Charlottesville, Albemarle county, Vir- ginia, April 13, 1743, and was the son of Peter and Jane (Randolph^ JefTerson. He received the elements of a good education, and in 1760 entered William and Mary Col- lege. After remaining in that institution for two years he took up the study of law with George Wythe, of Williamsburg, Virginia, one of the foremost lawyers of his day, and was admitted to practice in 1767. He ob- tained a large and profitable practice, which he held for eight years. The conflict be- tween Great Britain and the Colonies then drew him into public life, he having for some time given his attention to the study of the sources of law, the origin of liberty and equal rights. Mr. Jefferson was elected to the Virginia house of burgesses in 1769, and served in that body several years, a firm supporter of liberal measures, and, although a slave- Compendium of biographt. 85 holder himself, an opponent of slavery. With others, he was a leader among the op- position to the king. He took his place as a member of the Continental congress June 21, 1775, and after serving on several com- mittees was appointed to draught a Declara- tion of Independence, which he did, some corrections being suggested by Dr. Franklin and John Adams. This document was pre- sented to congress June 28, 1776, and after six days' debate was passed and was signed. In the following September Mr. Jefferson resumed his seat in the Virginia legislature, and gave much time to the adapting of laws of that state to the new condition of things. He drew up the law, the first ever passed by a legislature or adopted by a government, which secured perfect religious freedom. June I, 1779, he succeeded Patrick Henry as governor of Virginia, an office which, after co-operating with Washington in de- fending the country, he resigned two years later. One of his own estates was ravaged by the British, and his house at Monticello was held by Tarleton for several days, and Jefferson narrowly escaped capture. After the death of his wife, in 1782, he accepted the position of plenipotentiary to France, which he had declined in 1776. Before leaving he served a short time in congress at Annapolis, and succeeded in carrying a bill for establishing our present decimal sys- tem of currency, one of his most useful pub- lic services. He remained in an official ca- pacity until October, 1789, and was a most active and vigilant minister. Besides the onerous duties of his office, during this time, he published "Notes on Virginia," sent to the United States seeds, shrubs and plants, forwarded literary and scientific news and gave useful advice to some of the leaders of the French Revolution. Mr. Jefferson landed in Virginia Novem- ber 18, 1789, having obtained a leave of absence from his post, and shortly after ac- cepted Washington's offer of the portfolio of the department of state in his cabinet. He entered upon the duties of his office in March, 1791, and held it until January i, 1794, when he tendered his resignation. About this time he and Alexander Hamilton became decided and aggressive political op- ponents, Jefferson being in warm sympathy with the people in the French revolution! and strongly democratic in his feelings, while Hamilton took the opposite side. In 1796 Jefferson was elected vice-president of the United States. In 1800 he was elected to the presidency and was inaugurated March 4, 1801. During his administration, which lasted for eight years, he having been re-elected in 1804, he waged a successful war against the Tripolitan pirates; purchased; Louisiana of Napoleon; reduced the public debt, and was the originator of many wise measures. Declining a nomination for a third term he returned to Monticello, where he died July 4, 1826, but a few hours before; the death of his friend, John Adams. Mr. Jefferson was married January i, 1772, to Mrs. Martha Skelton, a young, beautiful, and wealthy widow, who died September 6, 1782, leaving three children, three more having died previous to her demise. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT,known as "Commodore" Vanderbilt, was the founder of what constitutes the present im- mense fortune of the Vanderbilt family. He was born May 27, 1794, at Port Richmond, Staten Island, Richmond county, New York, and we find him at sixteen years run- ning a small vessel between his home and New York City. The fortifications of Sta- ten and Long Islands were just in course of 36 COMPENDIUM OF BJOGRAPHT. construction, and he carried the laborers from New York to the fortifications in his " perianger, " as it was called, in the day, and at night carried supplies to the fort on the Hudson. Later he removed to New York, where he added to his little fleet. At the age of twenty-three he was free from debt and was worth $9,000, and in 1817, with a partner he built the first steamboat that was run between New York and New Brunswick, New Jersey, and became her captain at a salary of $1,000 a year. The next j-ear he took command of a larger and better boat and by 1824 he was in complete control of the Gibbon's Line, as it was called, which he had brought up to a point where it paid $40,000 a year. Commodore Vanderbilt acquired the ferry between New York and Elizabethport, New Jersey, on a fourteen years' lease and conducted this on a paying basis. He severed his connections with Gibbons in 1S29 and engaged in business alone and for twenty years he was the leading steamboat man in the country, building and operating steamboats on the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, on the Delaware River and the route to Boston, and he had the monopoly of trade on these routes. In 1850 he determined to broaden his field of operation and accordingly built the steamship Prometheus and sailed for the Isthmus of Darien, where he desired to make a personal investigation of the pros- pects of the American Atlantic and Pacific ■Ship Canal Company, in which he had pur- chased a controlling interest. Commodore Vanderbilt planned, as a result of this visit, a transit route from Greytown on the At- lantic coast to San Juan del Sud on the Pa- cific coast, which was a saving of 700 miles ■over the old route. In 1S51 he placed three steamers on the Atlantic side and four on Ihe Pacific side to accommodate the enor- mous traffic occasioned by the discovery of gold in California. The following year three more vessels were added to his fleet and a branch line established from New Orleans to Greytown. In 1853 the Com- modore sold out hisNicarauguaTransit Com- pany, which had netted him $1,000,000 and built the renowned steam yacht, the " North Star." He continued in the ship- ping business nine years longer and accu- mulated some $10,000,000. In 1S61 he presented to the government his inngnifi- cent steamer "Vanderbilt, " which had cost him $800,000 and for which he received the thanks of congress. In 1S44 he became interested in the railroad business which he followed in later years and became one of the greatest railroad magnates of his time. He founded the Vanderbilt University at a cost of $1,000,000. He died January 4, 1877, leaving a fortune estimated at over $ 1 00, 000, 000 to his children. DANIEL BOONE v/as one of the most famous of the many Atnerican scouts, pioneers and hunters which the early settle- ment of the western states brought into prominence. Daniel Boone was born Feb- ruary II, 1735, in Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania, but while yet a young man removed to North Carolina, where he was married. In 1769, with five companions, he pene- trated into the forests and wilds of Kentucky — then uninhabited by white men. He had frequent conflicts with the Indians and was captured by them but escaped and continued to hunt in and explore that region for over a year, when, in 1771, he returned to his home. In the summer of 1773, he removed with his own and five other families into what was then the wilderness of Kentucky, and to defend his colony against the savages, he built, in 1775, a fort at Boonesborough, COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 37 on the Kentucky river. This fort was at- tacked by the Indians several times in 1777, but they were repulsed. The following year, however, Boone was surprised and captured by them. They took him to De- troit and treated him with leniency, but he soon escaped and returned to his fort which he defended with success against four hun- dred and fifty Indians in August, 1778. His son, Enoch Boone, was the first white male child born in the state of Kentucky. In 1795 Daniel Boone removed with his family to Missouri, locating about forty-five miles west of the present site of St. Louis, where he found fresh fields for his favorite pursuits — adventure, hunting, and pioneer life. His death occurred September 20, 1820. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFEL- LOW, said to have been America's greatest "poet of the people," was born at Portland, Maine, February 27, 1807. He entered Bowdoin College at the age of four- teen, and graduated in 1825. During his college days he distinguished himself in mod- ern languages, and wrote several short poems, one of the best known of which was the " Hymn of the Moravian Nuns." After his graduation he entered the law office of his father, but the following year was offered the professorship of modern languages at Bowdoin, with the privilege of three years study in Europe to perfect himself in French, Spanish, Italian and German. After the three years were passed he returned to the United States and entered upon his profes- sorship in 1829. His first volume was a small essay on the "Moral and Devotional Poetry of Spain " in 1 833. In 1 83 5 he pub- lished some prose sketches of travel under the title of "Outre Mer, a Pilgrimage be- yond the Sea." In 1835 he was elected to the chair of modern languages and literature at Harvard University and spent a year in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, culti- vating a knowledge of early Scandinavian literature and entered upon his professor- ship in 1836. Mr. Longfellow published in 1839 " Hyperion, a Romance," and "Voices of the Night, " and his first volume of original verse comprising the selected poems of twenty years work, procured him immediate recognition as a poet. " Ballads and other poems" appeared in 1842, the "Spanish Student" a drama in three acts, in 1843, "The Belfry of Bruges " in 1846, "Evan- geline, a Tale of Acadia," in 1847, which was considered his master piece. In 1845 he published a large volume of the "Poets and Poetry of Europe," 1849 " Kavanagh, a Tale," ''The Seaside and Fireside " in 1850, "The Golden Legend " in 1851, "The Song of Hiawatha " in 1855, " The Court- ship of Miles Standish " in 1858, " Tales of a Wayside Inn " in 1863; " Flower de Luce" in 1866;" "New England Tragedies" in 1869; "The Divine Tragedy" in 1871; "Three Books of Song" in 1872; "The Hanging of the Crane " in 1874. He also published a masterly translation of Dante in 1867-70 and the " Morituri Salutamus," a poem read at the fiftieth anniversary of his class at Bowdoin College. Prof. Long- fellow resigned his chair at Harvard Univer- sity in 1854, but continued to reside at Cam- bridge. Some of his poetical works have been translated into many languages, and their popularity rivals that of the best mod- ern English poetry. He died March 24, 1882, but has left an imperishable fame as one of the foremost of American poets. PETER COOPER was in three partic- ulars — as a capitalist and manufacturer, as an inventor, and as a philanthropist — connected intimately with some of the most 88 COMPEXDICM OF BIOGBAPHT. important and useful accessions to the in- dustrial arts of America, its progress in in- vention and the promotion of educational and benevolent institutions intended for the benefit of people at large. He was born in New York city, February 12, 1791. His life was one of labor and struggle, as it was with most of America's successful men. In early boyhood he commenced to help his father as a manufacturer of hats. He at- tended school only for half of each day for a single year, and beyond this his acquisi- tions were all his own. When seventeen years old he was placed with John Wood- ward to learn the trade of coach-making and served his apprenticeship so satisfactorily ' that his master oPtred to set him up in busi- ness, but this he declined because of the debt and obligation it would involve. The foundation of Mr. Cooper's fortune was laid in the invention of an improvement in machines for shearing cloth. This was largely called into use during the war of 18 1 2 with England when all importations of cloth from that country were stopped. The machines lost their value, however, on the declaration of peace. Mr. Cooper then turned his shop into the manufacture of cabinet ware. He afterwards went into the grocery business in New York and finally he engaged in the manufacture of glue and isin- glass which he carried on for more than fifty years. In 1830 he erected iron works in Canton, near Baltimore. Subsequently he erected a rolling and a wire mill in the city of New York, in which he first success- fully applied anthracite to the puddling of iron. In these works, he was the first to roll wrought-iron beams for fire-proof build- ings. These works grew to be very exten- sive, including mines, blast furnaces, etc. While in Baltimore Mr. Cooper built in 1830, after his own designs, the first loco- motive engine ever constructed on this con- tinent and it was successfully operated on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He also took a great interest and invested large cap- ital in the extension of the electric telegraph, also in the laying of the first Atlantic cable; besides interesting himself largely in the New York state canals. But the most cherished object of Mr. Cooper's life was the establishment of an institution for the instruction of the industrial classes, which he carried out on a magnificent scale in New York city, where the "Cooper Union" ranks among the most important institu- tions. In May, 1876, the Independent party nominated Mr. Cooper for president of the United States, and at the election following he received nearly 100,000 votes. His death occurred April 4, 1883. GENER.\L ROBERT EDWARD LEE, one of the most conspicuous Confeder- ate generals during the Civil war, and one of the ablest military commanders of mod- ern times, was born at Stratford House, Westmoreland county, Virginia, January 19, 1807. In 1825 he entered the West Point academy and was graduated second in his class in 1829, and attached to the army as second lieutenant of engineers. For a number of years he was thus engaged in en- gineering work, aiding in establishing the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan, and superintended various river and harbor improvements, becoming captain of engi- neers in 1838. He first saw field service in the Mexican war, and under General Scott performed valuable and efficient service. In that brilliant campaign he was conspicu- ous for professional ability as well as gallant and meritorious conduct, winning in quick succession the brevets of major, lieutenant- COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 39 colonel, and colonel for his part in the bat- tles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Cherubusco, Chapultepec, and in the capture of the city Mexico. At the close of that war he re- sumed his engineering work in connection with defences along the Atlantic coast, and from 1852 to 1855 was superintendent of the Military Academy, a position which he gave up to become lieutenant-colonel of the Second Cavalry. For several years there- after he served on the Texas border, but happening to be near Washington at the time of John Brown's raid, October 17 to 25, 1859, Colonel Lee was placed in com- mand of the Federal forces employed in its repression. He soon returned to his regi- ment in Texas where he remained the greater part of i860, and March 16; 1861, became colonel of his regiment by regular promotion. Three weeks later, April 25, he resigned upon the secession of Virginia, went at once to Richmond and tendered his services to the governor of that state, being by acclamation appointed commander-in- chief of its military and naval forces, with the rank of major-general. He at once set to work to organize and develop the defensive resources of his state and within a month directed the occupation in force of Manassas Junction. Meanwhile Virginia having entered the confederacy and Richmond become the capitol, Lee became one of the foremost of its military officers and was closely connected with Jefferson Davis in planning the moves of that tragic time. Lee participated in many of the .hardest fought battles of the war among which were Fair Oaks, White Lake Swamps, Cold Harbor, and the Chickahominy, Ma- nassas, Cedar Run, Antietam, Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville, Malvern Hill, Get- tysburg, the battles of the Wilderness cam- paign, all the campaigns about Richmond, Petersburg, Five Forks, and others. Lee's surrender at Appomatox brought the war to a close. It is said of General Lee that but few commanders in history have been so quick to detect the purposes of an opponent or so quick to act upon it. Never surpassed, if ever equaled, in the art of winning the passionate, personal love and admiration of his troops, he acquired and held an influ- ence over his army to the very last, founded upon a supreme trust in his judgment, pre- science and skill, coupled with his cool, stable, equable courage. A great writer has said of him: "As regards the proper meas- ure of General Lee's rank among the sol- diers of history, seeing what he wrought with such resources as he had, under all the disadvantages that ever attended his oper- ations, it is impossible to measure what he might have achieved in campaigns and bat- tles with resources at his own disposition equal to those against which he invariably contended." Left at the close of the war without es- tate or profession, he accepted the presi- dency of Washington College at Lexington, Virginia, where he died October 12, 1870. JOHN JAY, first chief-justice of the United States, was born in New York, December 12, 1745. He took up the study of law, graduated from Iving's College (Columbia College), and was admitted to the bar in 1768. He was chosen a member of the committee of New York citizens to protest against the enforcement by the British government of the Boston Port Bill, was elected to the Continental congress which met in 1774, and was author of the addresses to the people of Great Britian and of Canada adopted by that and the suc- ceeding congress. He was chosen to the provincial assembly of his own state, and 40 COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. resigned from the Continental congress to serve in that body, wrote most of its pubhc papers, including the constitution of the new state, and was then made chief-justice. He was again chosen as a member of the Con- tinental congress in 1778, and became presi- dent of that body. He was sent to S[)ain as minister in 1780, and his services there resulted in substantial and moral aid for the struggling colonists. Jay, Franklin, and Adams negotiated the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1782, and Jay was ap- pointed secretary of foreign affairs in 1784, and held the position until the adoption of the Federal constitution. During this time he had contributed strong articles to the "Federalist" in favor of the adoption of the constitution, and was largely instru- mental in securing the ratification of that instrument by his state. He was appointed by Washington as first chief-justice of the United States in 1789. In this high capac- ity the great interstate and international questions that arose for immediate settle- ment came before him for treatment. In 1794, at a time when the people in gratitude for the aid that France had ex- tended to us, were clamoring for the privilege of going to the aid of that nation in her struggle with Great Britain and her own op- pressors, John Jay w^as sent to England as special envoy to negotiate a treaty with that power. The instrument known as "Jay's Treaty " was the result, and while in many of its features it favored our nation, yet the neutrality clause in it so angered the masses that it was denounced throughout the entire country, and John Jay was burned in effigy in the city of New York. The treaty was finally ratified by Washington, and approved, in August, 1795. Having been elected governor of his state for three consecutive terms, he then retired from active life, declining an appointment as chief-justice of the supreme court, made by John Adams and confirmed by the senate. He died in New York in 1829. PHILLIP HENRY SHERIDAN was one of the greatest American cavalry generals. He was born March 6, 1831, at Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, and was ap- pointed to the United States Military Acad- emy at West Point, from which he graduat- ed and was assigned to the First Infantry as brevet second lieutenant July i, 1853. After serving in Texas, on the Pacific coast, in Washington and Oregon territories until the fall of 1 86 1, he was recalled to the states and assigned to the army of south- west Missouri as chief quartermaster from the duties of which he was soon relieved. After the battle of Pea Ridge, he was quar- termaster in the Corinth campaign, and on May 25 he was appointed colonel of the Second Michigan Cavalry. On July i, in command of a cavalry brigade, he defeated a superior force of the enemy and was com- missioned brigadier-general of volunteers. General Sheridan was then transferred to the army of the Ohio, and commanded a division in the battle of Perrysville and also did good service at the battle of Murfrees- boro, where he was commissioned major- general of volunteers. He fought with great gallantry at Chickamauga, after which Rosecrans was succeeded by General Grant, under whom Sheridan fought the battle of Chattanooga and won additional renown. Upon the promotion of Grant to lieutenant- general, he applied for the transfer of Gen- eral Sheridan to the east, and appointed him chief of cavalry in the army of the Potomac. During the campaign of 1864 the cavalry covered the front and flanks of the infantry until May 8, when it was wiIa COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRArilT. 41 drawn and General Sheridan started on a raid against the Confederate lines of com- munication with Richmond and on May 25 he rejoined the army, having destroyed con- siderable of the confederate stores and de- feated their cavalry under General Stuart at Yellow Tavern. The outer line of defences around Richmond were taken, but the sec- ond line was too strong to be taken by as- sault, and accordingly Sheridan crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge, reaching James River May 14, and thence by White House and Hanover Court House back to the army. The cavalry occupied Cold Harbor May 31, which they held until the arrival of the infantry. On General Sheri- dan's next raid he routed Wade Hampton's cavalry, and August 7 was assigned to the command of the Middle Military division, and during the campaign of the Shenan- doah Valley he performed the unheard of feat of " destroying an entire army." He was appointed brigadier-general of the reg- ular army and for his victory at Cedar Creek he was promoted to the rank of major-gen- eral. General Sheridan started out Febru- ary 27, 1865, with ten thousand cavalry and destroyed the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal and joined the army again at Petersburg March 27. He commanded at the battle of Five Forks, the decisive victory which compelled Lee to evacuate Petersburg. On April 9, Lee tried to break through Sheridan's dismounted command but when the General drew aside his cavalry and disclosed the deep lines of infantry the attempt was abandoned. Gen- eral Sheridan mounted his men and was about to charge when a white flag was flown at the head of Lee's column which betokened the surrender of the army. After the war Gen- eral Sheridan had command of the army of the southwest, of the gulf and the depart- ment of Missouri until he was appointed lieutenant-general and assigned to the di- vision of Missouri with headquarters at Chi- cago, and assumed supreme command of the army November i, 1883, which post he held until his death, August 5, 1888. PHINEAS T. BARNUM, the greatest showman the world has ever seen, was born at Danbury, Connecticut, July 5, 1810. At the age of eighteen years he began busi- ness on his own account. He opened a re- tail fruit and confectionery house, including a barrel of ale, in one part of an old car- riage house. He spent fifty dollars in fitting up the store and the stock cost him seventy dollars. Three years later he put in a full stock, such as is generally carried in a country store, and the same year he started a Democratic newspaper, known as the "Herald of Freedom." He soon found himself in jail under a sixty days' sentence for libel. During the winter of 1834-5 he went to New York and began soliciting busi- ness for several Chatham street houses. In 1835 he embarked in the show business at Niblo's Garden, having purchased the cele- brated " Joice Heth" for one thousand dol- lars. He afterward engaged the celebrated athlete, Sig. Vivalia, and Barnum made his ' ' first appearance on any stage, " acting as a "super" to Sig. Vivalia on his opening night. He. became ticket seller, secretary and treasurer of Aaron Turner's circus in 1836 and traveled v;ith it about the country. His next venture was the purchase of a steamboat on the Mississippi, and engaged a theatrical company to show in the princi- pal towns along that river. In 1840 he opened Vaux Hall Garden, New York, with variety performances, and introduced the celebrated jig dancer, John Diamond, to the public. The next year he quit the show 42 COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRArilT business and settled down in New York as agent of Sear's Pictorial Illustration of the Bible, but a few months later again leased Vaux Hall. In September of the same year he again left the business, and became ' ' puff " writer for the Bowery Amphitheater. In December he bought the Scudder Museum, and a year later introduced the celebrated Tom Thumb to the world, taking him to England in 1844, and remaining there three years. He then returned to New York, and in 1849, through James Hall Wilson, he en- gaged the "Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind, to come to this country and make a tour under his management. He also had sent the Swiss Bell Ringers to America in 1844. He became owner of the Baltimore Museum and the Lyceum and Museum at Philadelphia. In 1850 he brought a dozen elephants from Ceylon to make a tour of this country, and in 1S51 sent the " Bateman Children" to London. During 185 1 and 1852 he traveled as a temperance lecturer, and became president of a bank at Pequon- nock, Connecticut. In 1852 he started a weekly pictorial paper known as the " Illus- trated News." In 1865 his Museum was destroyed by fire, and he immediately leased the Winter Garden Theatre, where he played his company until he opened his own Museum. This was destroyed by fire in 1868, and he then purchased an interest in the George Wood Museum. After dipping into politics to some ex- tent, he began his career as a really great showman in 1871. Three years later he erected an immense circular building in New York, in which he produced his panoramas. He has frequently appeared as a lecturer, some times on temperance, and some times on other topics, among which were ' ' Hum- bugs of the World," "Struggles and Triumphs," etc. He was owner of the im- mense menagerie and circus known as the "Greatest Show on Earth," and his fame extended throughout Europe and America. He died in 1S91. JAMES MADISON, the fourth president of the United States, 1809-17, was born at Port Conway, Prince George coun- ty, Virginia, March 16, 1751. He was the son of a wealthy planter, who lived on a fine estate called " Montpelier," which was but twenty-five miles from Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Madison was the eldest of a family of seven children, all of whom attained maturity. He received his early education at home under a private tutor, and consecrated himself with unusual vigor to study. At a very early age he was a proficient scholar in Latin, Greek, French and Spanish, and in 1769 he entered Prince- ton College, New Jersey. He graduated in 1 77 1, but remained for several months after his graduation to pursue a course of study under the guidance of Dr. Witherspoon. He permanently injured his health at this time and returned to Virginia in 1772, and for two years he was immersed in the study of law, and at the same time made extend- ed researches in theology, general literature, and philosophical studies. He then directed his full attention to the impending struggle of the colonies for independence, and also took a prominent part in the religious con- troversy at that time regarding so called persecution of other religious denominations by the Church of England. Mr. Madison was elected to the Virginia assembly in 1776 and in November, 1777, he was chosen a member of the council of state. He took his seat in the continental congress in March, 1780. He was made chairman of the committee on foreign relations, and drafted an able memoranda for the use of COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 43 the American ministers to the French and Spanish governments, that established the claims of the republic to the territories be- tween the Alleghany Mountains and the Mississippi River. He acted as chairman of the ways and means committee in 1783 and as a member of the Virginia legislature in 1784-86 he rendered important services to the state. Mr. Madison represented Vir- giana in the national constitutional conven- tion at Philadelphia in 1787, and was one of the chief framers of the constitution. He was a member of the first four congresses, 1789-97, and gradually became identified with the anti-federalist or republican party of which he eventually became the leader. He remained in private life during thead- ministration of John Adams, and was secre- tary of state under President Jefferson. Mr. Madison administered the affairs of that post with such great ability that he was the natural successor of the chief magistrate and was chosen president by an electoral vote of 122 to 53. He was inaugurated March 4, 1809, at that critical period in our history when the feelings of the people were embittered with those of England, and his first term was passed in diplomatic quarrels, which finally resulted in the declaration of war, June 18, 1S12. In the autumn of that year President Madison was re-elected by a vote of 128 to 89, and conducted the war for three j'ears with varying success and defeat in Canada, by glorious victories at sea, and by the battle of New Orleans that was fought after the treaty of peace had been signed at Ghent, December 24, 18 14. During this war the national capitol at Washington was burned, and many valuable papers were destroyed, but the declaration of independence was saved to the country by the bravery and courage of Mr. Madi- son's illustrious wife. A commercial treaty was negotiated with Great Britain in 181 5, and in April, 18 16, a national bank was in- corporated by congress. Mr. Madison was succeeded, March 4, 1S17, by James Monroe, and retired into private life on his estate at Montpelier, where he died June 28, 1836. FREDERICK DOUGLASS, a noted American character, was a protege of the great abolitionist, William Lloyd Garri- son, by whom he was aided in gaining his education. Mr. Douglass was born in Tuck- ahoe county, Maryland, in February, 18 17, his mother being a negro woman and his father a white man. He was born in slav- ery and belonged to a man by the name of Lloyd, under which name he went until he ran away from his master and changed it to Douglass. At the age of ten years he was sent to Baltimore where he learned to read and write, and later his owner allowed him to hire out his own time for three dollars a week in a shipyard. In September, 1838, he fled from Baltimore and made his way to New York, and from thence went to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Here he was mar- ried and supported himself and family by working at the wharves and in various work- shops. In the summer of 1841 he attended an anti-slavery convention at Nantucket, and made a speech which was so well re- ceived that he was offered the agency of the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society. In this capacity he traveled through the New En- gland states, and about the same time he published his first book called " Narrative of my E.xperience in Slavery." Mr. Doug- lass went to England in 1845 and lectured on slavery to large and enthusiastic audi- ences in all the large towns of the country, and his friends made up a purse of seven hundred and- fifty dollars and purchased his freedom in due form of law. 44 COMPEXDICM OF niOGRAPHT Mr. Douglass applied himself to the de- livery of lyceum lectures after the abolition of slavery, and in 1870 he became the editor of the " New National Era " in Washington. In 1 87 1 he was appointed assistant secretary of the commission to San Domingo and on his return he was appointed one of the ter- ritorial council for the District of Colorado by President Grant. He was elected presi- dential elector-at-large for the state of New York and was appointed to carry the elect- oral vote to Washington. He was also United States marshal for the District of Columbia in 1876^ and later was recorder of deeds for the same, from which position he was removed by President Cleveland in 1886. In the fall of that year he visited England to inform the friends that he had made while there, of the progress of the colored race in America, and on his return he was appointed minister to Hayti, by President Harrison in 18S9. His career as a benefactor of his race was closed by his death in February, 1895, near Washington. WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.— The ear for rhythm and the talent for graceful expression are the gifts of nature, and they were plentifully endowed on the above named poet. The principal charac- teristic of his poetry is the thoughtfulness and intellectual process by which his ideas ripened in his mind, as all his poems are bright, clear and sweet. Mr. Brjant was born November 3, 1794, at Cummington, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, and was educated at Williams College, from which he graduated, having entered it in 18 10. He took up the study of law, and in 181 5 was admitted to the bar, but after practicing successfully for ten years at Plainfield and Great Harrington, he removed to New York in 1 82 3. The following year he became the editor of the "Evening Post," which he edited until his death, and under his di- rection this paper maintained, through a long series of years, a high standing by the boldness of its protests against slavery be- fore the war, by its \igorous support of the government during the war, and by the fidelity and ability of its advocacy of the Democratic freedom in trade. Mr. Bry- ant visited Europe in 1834, 1845, 1849 and 1857, and presented to the literary world the fruit of his travels in the series of "Let- ters of a Traveler," and "Letters from Spain and Other Countries." In the world of literature he is known chiefly as a poet, and here Mr. Br\ant's name is illustrious, both at home and abroad. He contributed verses to the "Country Gazette " before he was ten years of age, and at the age of nine- teen he wrote " Thanatopsis," the most im- pressive and widely known of his poems. The later outgrowth of his genius was his translation of Homer's "Iliad" in 1870 and the "Odyssey" in 1871. He also made several speeches and addresses which have been collected in a comprehensive vol- ume called " Orations and Addresses." He was honored in many ways by his fellow citizens, who delighted to pay tributes of respect to his literary eminence, the breadth of his public spirit, the faithfulness of his service, and the worth of his private char- acter. Mr. Bryant died in New York City- June 12, 1878. WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD, the secretary of state during one of the most critical times in the histoiy of our country, and the right hand man of Presi- dent Lincoln, ranks among the greatest statesmen America has produced. Mr. Seward was born May 16, i 801, at Florida, Orange county, New York, and with such COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. facilities as the place afforded he fitted him- self for a college course. He attended Union College at Schenectady, New York, at the age of fifteen, and took his degree in the regular course, with signs of promise in 1820, after which he diligently addressed himself to the study of law under competent instructors, and started in the practice of his profession in 1823. Mr. Seward entered the political arena and in 1828 we find him presiding over a convention in New York, its purpose being the nomination of John Quincy Adams for a second term. He was married in 1824 and in 1830 was elected to the state senate. From 1838 to 1842 he was governor of the state of New York. Mr. Seward's next im- portant position was that of United States senator from New York. W. H. Seward was chosen by President Lincoln to fill the important office of the secretary of state, and by his firmness and diplomacy in the face of difficulties, he aided in piloting the Union through that period of strife, and won an everlasting fame. This great statesman died at Auburn, New York, October 10, 1872, in the seventy-second year of his eventful life. JOSEPH JEFFERSON, a name as dear as it is familiar to the theater-going world in America, suggests first of all a fun- loving, drink-loving, mellow voiced, good- natured Dutchman, and the name of "Rip Van Winkle " suggests the pleasant features of Joe Jefferson, so intimately are play and player associated in the minds of those who have had the good fortune to shed tears of laughter and sympathy as a tribute to the greatness of his art. Joseph Jefferson was born in Philadelphia, February 20, 1829. His genius was an inheritance, if there be such, as his great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, was a manager and actor in Eng- land. His grandfather, Joseph Jefferson, was the most popular comedian of the New- York stage in his time, and his father, Jos- eph Jefferson, the second, was a good actor also, but the third Joseph Jefferson out- shone them all. At the age of three years Joseph Jeffer- son came on the stage as the child in "Pi- zarro," and his training was upon the stage from childhood. Later on he lived and acted in Chicago, Mobile, and Texas. After repeated misfortunes he returned to New Orleans from Texas, and his brother-in-law, Charles Burke, gave him money to reach Philadelphia, where he joined the Burton theater company. Here his genius soon as- serted itself, and his future became promis- ing and brilliant. His engagements through- out the United States and Australia were generally successful, and when he went to England in 1865 Mr. Boucicault consented to make some important changes in his dramatization of Irving's story of Rip Van Winkle, and Mr. Jefferson at once placed it in the front rank as a comedy. He made a fortune out of it, and played nothing else for many years. In later years, however, Mr. Jefferson acquitted himself of the charge of being a one-part actor, and the parts of "Bob Acres," "Caleb Plummer" and "Golightly " all testify to the versatility of his genius. GEORGE BRINTON McCLELLAN, a noted American general, was born in Philadelphia, December 3, 1826. He graduated from the University of Pennsyl- vania, and in 1846 from West Point, and was breveted second lieutenant of engineers. He was with Scott in the Mexican war, taking part in all the engagements from Vera Cruz to the final capture of the Mexi- 48 COMPEXDirM OF BIOGRArilT. can capital, and was breveted first lieuten- ant and captain for gallantry displayed on various occasions. In 1857 he resigned his commission and accepted the position of chief engineer in the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, and became presi- dent of the St. Louis & Cincinnati Railroad Company. He was commissioned major- general by the state of Ohio in 1861, placed in command of the department of the Ohio, and organized the first volunteers called for from that state. In May he was appointed major-general in the United States army, and ordered to disperse the confederates overrunning West Virginia. He accomplished this task promptly, and received the thanks of congress. After the first disaster at Bull Run he was placed in command of the department of Wash- ington, and a few weeks later of the Army of the Potomac. Upon retirement of General Scott the command of the en- tire United States army devolved upon Mc- Clellan, but he was relieved of it within a few months. In March, 1862, after elabor- ate preparation, he moved upon Manassas, only to find it deserted by the Confederate army, which had been withdrawn to im- pregnable defenses prepared nearer Rich- mond. He then embarked his armies for Fortress Monroe and after a long delay at Yorktown, began the disastrous Peninsular campaign, which resulted in the Army of the Potomac being cooped up on the James River below Richmond. His forces were then called to the support of General Pope, near Washington, and he was left without an army. After Pope's defeat McClellan was placed in command of the troops for the de- fense of the capital, and after a thorough or- ganization he followed Lee into Maryland and the battles of Antietam and South Moun- tain ensued. The delay which followed caused general dissatisfaction, and he was re- lieved of his command, and retired from active service. In 1864 McClellan was nominated for the presidency by the Democrats, and over- whelmingly defeated by Lincoln, three states only casting their electoral votes for McClellan. On election day he resigned his commission and a few months later went to Europe where he spent several years. He wrote a number of military text- books and reports. His death occurred October 29, 1885. SAMUEL J. TILDEN.— Among the great statesmen whose names adorn the pages of American history may be found that of the subject of this sketch. Known as a lawyer of highest ability, his greatest claim to immortality will ever lie in his successful battle against the corrupt rings of his native state and the elevation of the standard of official life. Samuel J. Tilden was born in New Leb- anon, New York, February 9, 1814. He pursued his academic studies at Yale Col- lege and the University of New York, tak- ing the course of law at the latter. He was admitted to the bar in 1S41. His rare ability as a thinker and writer upon public topics attracted the attention of President Van Buren, of whose policy and adminis- tration he became an active and efficient champion. He made for himself a high place in his profession and amassed quite a fortune as the result of his industry and judgment. During the days of his greatest professional labor he was ever one of the leaders and trusted counsellors of the Demo- cratic party. He was a member of the conventions to revise the state constitution, both in 1846 and 1S67, and served two terms in the lower branch of the state leg- COMPEXDILM OF BJOGRAPHT. 49 islature. He was one of the controlling spirits in the overthrow of the notorious "Tweed rin;,' " and the reformation of the government of the city of New York. In 1874 he was elected governor of the state of New York. While in this position he assailed corruption in high places, success- fully battling with the iniquitous "canal ring " and crushed its sway over all depart- ments of the government. Recognizing his character and executive ability Mr. Tilden was nominated for president by the na- tional Democratic convention in 1S76. At the election he received a much larger popu- lar vote than liis opponent, and 1S4 uncon- tested electoral votes. There being some electoral votes contested, a commission ap- pointed by congress decided in favor of the Republican electors and Mr. Hayes, the can- didate of that party was declared elected. In 18S0, the Democratic party, feeling that Mr. Tilden had been lawfully elected to the presidency tendered the nomination for the same office to Mr. Tilden, but he declined, retiring from all public functions, owing to failing health. He died August 4, 1S86. By will he bequeathed several millions of dollars toward the founding of public libra- ries in New York City, Yonkers, etc. NOAH WEBSTER.— As a scholar, law- yer, author and journalist, there is no one who stands on a higher plane, or whose reputation is better established than the honored gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was a native of West Hartford, Connecticut, and was born October 17, 1758. He came of an old New England family, his mother being a descendant of Governor William Bradford, of the Ply- mouth colony. After acquiring a solid edu- cation in early life Dr. Webster entered Yale College, from which he graduated in 1778. For a while he taught school in. Hartford, at the same time studying law,. and was admitted to the bar in 1781. He taught a classical school at Goshen, Orange county, New York, in 17S2-83, and while there prepared his spelling book, grammar and reader, which was issued under the title of "A Grammatical Institute of the English^ Language ," in three parts, — so successful a work that up to 1876 something like forty- million of the spelling books had been sold. In 1786 he delivered a course of lec- tures on the English language in the seaboard cities and the following year taught an academy at Philadelphia. From December- 17, 17S7, until November, 17S8, he edited, the "American Magazine, "a periodical that proved unsuccessful. In 17S9-93 he prac- ticed law in Hartford having in the former year married the daughter of William Green- leaf, of Boston. He returned to New York and November, 1793, founded a daily paper, the "Minerva," to which was soon added a semi-weekly edition under the name of the " Herald." The former is still in existence under the name of the " Commercial Adver- tiser." In this paper, over the signature of "Curtius," he published a lengthy and schol- arly defense of " John Jay's treaty. " In 1798, Dr. Webster moved to New Haven and in 1807 commenced the prepar- ation of his great work, the "American Dic- tionary of the English Language , " which was not completed and published until 1828. He made his home in Amherst, Massachu- setts, for the ten years succeeding 181 2, and was instrumental in the establishment of Amherst College, of which institution he was the first president of the board of trustees. During 1824-5 he resided in Europe, pursu- ing his philological studies in Paris. He completed his dictionary from the libraries of Cambridge University in 1825, and de- .50 COMTEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT voted his leisure for the remainder of his life to the revision of that and his school books. Dr. Webster was a member of the legis- latures of both Connecticut and Massachu- setts, was judge of one of the courts of the former state and was identified with nearly all the literary and scientific societies in the neighborhood of Amherst College. He died in New Haven, May 28, 1843. Among the more prominent works ema- nating from the fecund pen of Dr. Noah Webster besides those mentioned above are the following: "Sketches of American Policy," " Winthrop's Journal," " A Brief History of Epidemics," " Rights of Neutral Nations in time of War," "A Philosophical and Practical Grammar of the English Lan- guage," "Dissertations on the English Language," "A Collection of Essays," "The Revolution in France," "Political Progress of Britain," "Origin, History, and Connection of the Languages of Western Asia and of Europe," and many others. WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, the great anti-slavery pioneer and leader, was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, December 12, 1804. He was apprenticed to the printing business, and in 1828 was in- duced to take charge of the "Journal of the Times" at Bennington, Vermont. While supporting John Quincy Adams for the presi- dency he took occasion in that paper to give expression of his views on slavery. These articles attracted notice, and a Quaker named Lundy, editor of the "Genius of Emancipation," published in Baltimore, in- duced him to enter a partnership with him for the conduct of his paper. It soon transpired that the views of the partners were not in harmony, Lundy favoring grad- ual emancipation, while Garrison favored immediate freedom. In 1850 Mr. Garrison was thrown into prison for libel, not being able to pay a fine of fifty dollars and costs. In his cell he wrote a number of poems which stirred the entire north, and a mer- chant, Mr. Tappan, of New York, paid his fine and liberated him, after seven weeks of confinement. He at once began a lecture tour of the northern cities, denouncing slavery as a sin before God, and demanding its immediate abolition in the name of re- ligion and humanity. He opposed the col- onization scheme of President Monroe and other leaders, and declared the right of every slave to immediate freedom. In 1 83 1 he formed a partnership with Isaac Knapp, and began the publication of the "Liberator" at Boston. The "imme- diate abolition " idea began to gather power in the north, while the south became alarmed at the bold utterance of this jour- nal. The mayor of Boston was besought by southern influence to interfere, and upon investigation, reported upon the insignifi- cance, obscurity, and poverty of the editor and his staff, which report was widely published throughout the country. Re- wards were offered by the southern states for his arrest and conviction. Later Garri- son brought from England, where an eman- cipation measure had just been passed, some of the great advocates to work for the cause in this country. In 1835 a mob broke into his office, broke up a meeting of women, dragged Garrison through the street with a rope around his body, and his life was saved only by the interference of the police, who lodged him in jail. Garrison declined to sit in the World's Anti-Slavery convention at London in 1840, because that body had refused women representa- tion. He opposed the formation of a po- litical party with emancipation as its basis. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 51 He favored a dissolution of the union, and declared the constitution which bound the free states to the slave states " A covenant with death and an agreement with hell." In 1843 he became president of the Amer- ican Anti-Slavery society, which position he held until 1865, when slavery was no more. During all this time the " Liberator " had continued to promulgate anti-slavery doc- trines, but in 1865 Garrison resigned his position, and declared his work was com- pleted. He died May 24, 1879. JOHN BROWN (" Brown of Ossawato- inie"), a noted character in American history, wasbornatTorrington, Connecticut, May 9, 1800. In his childhood he removed to Ohio, where he learned the tanner's trade. He married there, and in 1855 set- tled in Kansas. He lived at the village of Ossawatomie in that state, and there began his fight against slavery. He advocated im- mediate emancipation, and held that the negroes of the slave states merely waited for a leader in an insurrection that would re- sult in their freedom. He attended the convention called at Chatham, Canada, in 1859, and was the leading spirit in organiz- ing a raid upon the United States arsenal at Harper's Ferrj', Virginia. His plans were well laid, and carried out in great secrecy. He rented a farm house near Harper's Ferry- in the summer of 1859, and on October 16th of that year, with about twenty follow- ers, he surprised and captured the United States arsenal, with all its supplies and arms. To his surprise, the negroes did not come to his support, and the next day he was attacked by the Virginia state militia, Vv'ounded and captured. He was tried in the courts of the state, convicted, and was hanged at Charlestown, December 2, 1859. The raid and its results had a tremendous effect, and hastened the culmination of the troubles between the north and south. The south had the advantage in discussing this event, claiining that the sentiment which inspired this act of violence was shared by the anti-slavery element of the country. EDWIN BOOTH had no peer upon the American stage during his long career as a star actor. He was the son of a famous actor, Junius Brutus Booth, and was born in 1833 at his father's home at Belair, neai" Baltimore. At the age of si.xteen he made hi.s first appearance on the stage, at the Boston Museum, in a minor part in "Richard III." It was while playing in California in 185 1 that an eminent critic called general atten- tion to the young actor's unusual talent, However, it was not until 1863, at the great Shakspearian revival at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, that the brilliancy o{ his career began. His Hamlet held the boards for 100 nights in succession, and from that time forth Booth's reputation was established. In 1868 he opened his own theatre (Booth's Theater) in New York. Mr. Booth never succeeded as a manager, however, but as an actor he was undoubted- ly the most popular man on the American stage, and perhaps the most eminent one in the world. In England he also won the greatest applause. Mr. Booth's work was confined mostly to Shakspearean roles, and his art was characterized by intellectual acuteness, fervor, and poetic feeling. His Hamlet, Richard II, Richard III, and Richelieu gave play to his greatest powers. In 1865, when his brother, John Wilkes Booth, enacted his great crime, Edwin Booth re- solved to retire from the stage, but was pur- suaded to reconsider that decision. The odium did not in any way attach to the 52 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. great actor, and his popularity was not affected. In all his work Mr. Booth clung closely to the legitimate and the traditional in drama, making no experiments, and offer- ing little encouragement to new dramatic authors. His death occurred in New York, June 7, 1894. JOSEPH HOOKER, a noted American officer, was born at Hadley, Massachu- setts, November 13, 1814. He graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1837, and was appointed lieutenant of artillery. He served in Florida in the Seminole war, and in garrison until the outbreak of the Mexican war. During the latter he saw service as a staff officer and was breveted captain, major and lieutenant-colonel for gallantry at Monterey, National Bridge and Chapultepec. Resigning his commission in 1 833 he took up farming in California, which he followed until 1 861. During this time he acted as superintendent of military roads in Oregon. At the outbreak of the Rebel- lion Hooker tendered his services to the government, and, May 17, 1861, was ap- pointed brigadier-general of volunteers. He served in the defence of Washington and on the lower Potomac until his appointment to the command of a division in the Third Corps, in March, 1862. For gallant con- duct at the siege of Yorktown and in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Fra- zier's Farm and Malvern Hill he was made major-general. At the head of his division he participated in the battles of Manassas and Chantilly. September 6, 1S62, he was placed at the head of the First. Corps, and in the battles of South Mountain and An- tietam acted with his usual gallantrj', being wounded in the latter engagement. On re- joining the army in November he was made brigadier-general in the regular army. On General Burnside attaining the command of the Army of the Potomac General Hooker was placed in command of the center grand division, consisting of the Second and Fifth Corps. At the head of these gallant men he participated in the battle of Fred- ericksburg, December 13, 1862. In Janu- ary, 1863, General Hooker assumed com- mand of the Army of the Pqtomac, and in May following fought the battle of Chan- cellorsville. At the time of the invasion of Pennsylvania, owing to a dispute with Gen- eral Halleck, Hooker requested to be re- lieved of his command, and June 28 was succeeded by George G. Meade. In Sep- tember, 1863, General Hooker was given command of the Twentieth Corps and trans- ferred to the Arm)' of the Cumberland, and distinguished himself at the battles of Look- out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Ring- gold. In the Atlanta campaign he saw almost daily service and merited his well- known nickname of "Fighting Joe." July 30, 1S64, at his own request, he was re- lieved of his command. He subsequently was -in command of several military depart- ments in the north, and in October, 1868, was retired with the full rank of major-gen- eral. He died October 31, 1879. JAY GOULD, one of the greatest finan- ciers that the world has ever produced, was born May 27, 1836, at Roxbury, Dela- ware county, New York. He spent his early years on his father's farm and at the age of fourteen entered Hobart Academy, New York, and kept books for the village black- smith. He acquired a taste for mathematics and surveying and on leaving school found employment in making the surveyor's map of Ulster county. He surveyed very exten- sively in the state and accumulated five thou- sand dollars as the fruits of his labor. He coMrExnii'M or juoGRAr/n: 53 was then stricken with typhoid fever but re- covered and made the acquaintance of one Zadock Pratt, who sent him into the west- ern part of the state to locate a site for a tannery. He chose a fine hemlock grove, built a sawmill and blacksmith shop and was soon doing a large lumber business with Mr. Pratt. Mr. Gould soon secured control of the entire plant, which he sold out just before the panic of 1857 and in this year he became the largest stockholderintheStrouds- burg, Pennsylvania, bank. Shortly after the crisis he bought the bonds of the Rutland & Washington Railroad at ten cents on the dollar, and put all his money into railroad securities. For a long time he conducted this road which he consolidated with the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad. In 1859 he removed to New York and became a heavy investor in Erie Railroad stocks, en- tered that company and was president until its reorganization in 1872. In December, 1880, Mr. Gould was in control of ten thou- sand miles of railroad. In 1887 he pur- chased the controlling interest in the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Co., and was a joint owner with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Co. of the western portion of the Southern Pacific line. Other lines soon came under his control, aggregat- ing thousand of miles, and he soon was rec- ognized as one of the world's greatest rail- road magnates. He continued to hold his place as one of the master financiers of the century until the time of his death which occurred December 2, 1892. THOMAS HART BENTON, a very prominent United States senator and statesman, was born at Hillsborough, North Carolina, March 14, 1782. He removed to Tennessee in early life, studied law, and be- gan to practice at Nashville about iSiO. During the war of 1S12-1815 he served as colonel of a Tennessee regiment under Gen- eral Andrew Jackson. In 181 5 he removed to St. Louis, Missouri, and in 1820 was chosen United States senator for that state. Having been re-elected in 1826, he sup- ported President Jackson in his opposition to the United States bank and advocated a gold and silver currency, thus gaining the name of " Old Bullion," by which he was familiarly known. For many j-eiirs he was the most prominent man in Missouri, and took rank among the greatest statesmen of his day. He was a member of the senate for thirty years and opposed the extreme states' rights policy of John C. Calhoun. In 1852 he was elected to the house of rep- resentatives in which he opposed the repeal of the Missouri compromise. He was op- posed by a powerful party of States' Rights Democrats in Missouri, who defeated him as a candidate for governor of that state in 1856. Colonel Benton published a considerable work in two volumes in 1854-56, entitled " Thirty Years' View, or a History of the Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, 1820-50." He died April 10, 1858. STEPHEN ARNOLD DOUGLAS.— One of the most prominent figures in politic- al circles during the intensely e.xciting days that preceded the war, and a leader of the Union branch of the Democratic party was the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was born at Brandon, Rutland coun- ty, Vermont, April 23, 1813, of poor but respectable parentage. His father, a prac- ticing physician, died while our subject was but an infant, and his mother, with two small children and but small means, could give him but the rudiments of an education. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. At the age of fifteen young Douglas engaged at work in the cabinet making business to raise funds to carry him through college. After a few years of labor he was enabled to pursue an academical course, first at Bran- don, and later at Canandaigua,_ New York. In the latter place he remained until 1833, taking up the study of law. Before he was twenty, however, his funds running low, he abandoned all further attempts at educa- tion, determining to enter at once the battle of life. After some wanderings through the western states he took up his residence at Jacksonville, Illinois, where, after teaching school for three months, he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in 1834. Within a year from that time, so rapidly had he risen in his profession, he was chosen attorney general of the state, and warmly espoused the principles of the Democratic part}'. He soon became one of the most popular orators in Illinois. It was at this time he gained the name of the "Little Giant." In 1S35 he resigned the position of attorney general having been elected to the legislature. In 1841 he was chosen judge of the supreme court of Illinois which he resigned two years later to take a seat in congress. It was during this period of his life, while a member of the lower house, that he established his reputation and took the side of those who contended that con- gress had no constitutional right to restrict the extension of slavery further than the agreement between the states made in 1820. This, in spite of his being opposed to slav- ery, and only on grounds which he believed to be right, favored what was called the Missouri compromise. In 1847 Mr. Doug- las vi'as chosen United States senator for si.x years, and greatly distinguished himself. In 1852 he was re-elected to the sameoffice. During this latter term, under his leader- ; ship, the " Kansas-Nebraska bill " was car- ried in the senate. In 1858, nothwith- standing the fierce contest made by his able competitor for the position, Abraham Lin- coln, and with the administration of Bu- chanan arrayed against him, Mr. Douglas was re-elected senator. After the trouble in the Charleston convention, when by the withdrawal of several state delegates with- out a nomination, the Union Democrats, in convention at Baltimore, in i860, nomi- nated Mr. Douglas as their candidate for presidency. The results of this election are well known and the great events of 1S61 coming on, Mr. Douglas was spared their full development, dying at Chicago, Illinois, June 3, -1861, after a short illness. His last words to his children were, " to obey the laws and support the constitution of the United States." JAMES MONROE, fifth president of the United States, was born in Westmore- land county, Virginia, April 28, 1758. At the age of sixteen he entered William and Mary College, but two years later the Declaration of Independence having been adopted, he left college and hastened to New York where he joined Washington's army as a military cadet. At the battle of Trenton Monroe per- formed gallant service and received a wound in the shoulder, and was promoted to a captaincy. He acted as aide to Lord Ster- ling at the battles of Brand} wine, German- town and Monmouth. Washington then sent him to Virginia to raise a new regiment of which he was to be colonel. The ex- hausted condition of Virginia made this im- ' possible, but he received his commission. j He next entered the law office of Thomas Jefferson to study law, as there was no open- ing for him as an officer in the army. In COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 55 1782 he was elected to the Virginia assem- bly, and the next year he was elected to the Continental congress. Realizing the inade- quacy of the old articles of confederation, he advocated the calling of a convention to consider their revision, and introduced in congress a resolution empowering congress to regulate trade, lay import duties, etc. This resolution was referred to a committee, of which he was chairman, and the report led to the Annapolis convention, which called a general convention to meet at Phila- delphia in 17S7, when the constitution was drafted. Mr. Monroe began the practice of law at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and was soon after elected to the legislature, and ap- pointed as one of the committee to pass upon the adoption of the constitution. He opposed it, as giving too much power to the central government. He was elected to the United States senate in 1789, where he allied himself with the Anti-Federalists or "Republicans," as they were sometimes called. Although his views as to neutrality between France and England were directly opposed to those of the president, yet Wash- ington appointed him minister to France. His popularity in France was so great that the antagonism of England and her friends in this country brought about his recall. He then became governor of Virginia. He was sent as envoy to France in 1802; minister to England in 1803; and envoy to Spain in 1805. The next year he returned to his estate in Virginia, and with an ample in- heritance enjoyed a few years of repose. He was again called to be governor of Virginia, and was then appointed secretary of state by President Madison. The war with Eng- land soon resulted, and when the capital was burned by the British, Mr. Monroe be- came secretary of war also, and planned the measures for the defense of New Orleans. The treasury being exhausted and credit gone, he pledged his own estate, and thereby made possible the victory of Jackson at New Orleans. In 1 81 7 Mr. Monroe became president of the United States, having been a candi- date of the "Republican" party, which at that time had begun to be called the ' ' Demo- cratic " party. In I S20 he was re-elected, having two hundred and thirty-one electoral votes out of two hundred and thirty-two. His administration is known as the "Era of good-feeling," and party lines were almost wiped out. The slavery question began to assume importance at this time, and the Missouri Compromise was passed. The famous "Monroe Doctrine" originated in a great state paper of President Monroe upon the rumored interference of the Holy Alli- ance to prevent the formation of free repub- lics in South America. President Monroe acknowledged their independence, and pro- mulgated his great "Doctrine," which has been held in reverence since. Mr. Monroe's death occurred in New York on July 4, 1831. THOMAS ALVA EDISON, the master wizard of electrical science and whose name is synonymous with the subjugation of electricity to the service of man, was born in 1847 at Milan, Ohio, and it was at Port Huron, Michigan, whither his parents had moved in 1854, that his self-education began — for he never attended school for more than two months. He eagerly de- voured every book he could lay his hands on and is said to have read through an encyclo- pedia without missing a word. At thirteen he began his working life as a trainboy upon the Grand Trunk Railway between Port Huron and Detroit. Much of his time was now spent in Detroit, where he found increased facilities for reading at the public libraries. 56 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPlir. He was not content to be a newsboy, so he got together three hundred pounds of type and started the issue of the " Grand Trunk Herald." It was only a small amateur weekly, printed on one side, the impression being made from the type by hand. Chemi- cal research was his next undertaking and a laboratory was added to his movable pub- lishing house, which, by the way, was an old freight car. One day, however, as he Was experimenting with some phosphorus, it ignited and the irate conductor threw the young seeker after the truth, chemicals and all, from the train. His office and laboratory were then removed to the cellar of his fa- ther's house. As he grew to manhood he decided to become an operator. He won his opportunity by saving the life of a child, whose father was an old operator, and out of gratitude he gave Mr. Edison lessons in teleg- raphy. Five months later he was compe- tent to fill a position in the railroad office at Port Huron. Hence he peregrinated to Stratford, Ontario, and thence successively to Adrian, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Cin- cmnati, Memphis, Louisville and Boston, gradually becoming an expert operator and gaming experience that enabled him to evolve many ingenious ideas for the im- provement of telegraphic appliances. At Memphis he constructed an automatic re- peater, which enabled Louisville and New Orleans to communicate direct, and received nothing more than the thanks of his em- ployers. Mr. Edison came to New York in 1870 in search of an opening more suitable to his capabilities and ambitions. He hap- pened to be in the office of the Laws Gold Reporting Company when one of the in- struments got out of order, and even the inventor of the system could not make it work. Edison requested to be allowed to attempt the task, and in a few minutes he had overcome the difficulty and secured an advantageous engagement. For several } ears he had a contract with the Western Union and the Gold Stock companies, whereby he received a large salary, besides a special price for all telegraphic improve- ments he could suggest. Later, as the head of the Edison General Electric com- pany, with its numerous subordinate organ- izations and connections all over the civil- ized world, he became several times a millionaire. Mr. Edison invented the pho- nograph and kinetograph which bear his name, the carbon telephone, the tasimeter, and the duplex and quadruplex systems of telegraphy. JAMES LONGSTREET, one of the most conspicuous of the Confederate generals during the Civil war, was born in 1820, in South Carolina, but was early taken by his parents to Alabama where he grew to man- hood and received his early education. He graduated at the United States military academy in 1842, entering the army as lieutenant and spent a few years in the fron- tier service. When the Mexican war broke out he was called to the front and partici- pated in all the principal battles of that war up to the storming of Chapultepec, where he received severe wounds. For gallant conduct at Contreras, Cherubusco, and Mo- lino del Rey he received the brevets of cap- tain and major. After the close of the Mexican war Longstreet served as adjutant and captain on frontier service in Texas un- til 1858 when he was transferred to the staff as paymaster with rank of major. In June, 1 86 1, he resigned to join the Confederacy and immediately went to the front, com- manding a brigade at Bull Run the follow- ing month. Promoted to be major-general in 1862 he thereafter bore a conspicuous COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPH7'. 57 part and rendered valuable service to the Confederate cause. He participated in many of the most severe battles of the Civil war including Bull Run (first and second), Seven Pines, Gainer,' Mill, Fraziers Farm, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Frederickburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, Petersburg and most of the fighting about Richmond. When the war closed General Long- street accepted the result, renewed his alle- giance to the government, and thereafter labored earnestly to obliterate all traces of war and promote an era of good feeling be- tween all sections of the country. He took up his residence in New Orleans, and took an active interest and prominent part in public affairs, served as surveyor of that port for several years; was commissioner of engineers for Louisiana, served four years as school commissioner, etc. In 1875 he was appointed supervisor of internal revenue and settled in Georgia. After that time he served four years as United States minister to Turkey, and also for a number of years was United States marshal of Georgia, be- sides having held other important official positions. JOHN RUTLEDGE, the second chief- justice of the United States, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1739. He was a son of John Rutledge, who had left Ireland for America about five years prior to the birth of our subject, and a brother of Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. John Rut- ledge received his legal education at the Temple, London, after which he returned to Charleston and soon won distinction at the bar. He was elected to the old Colonial congress in 1765 to protest against the "Stamp Act," and was a member of the South Carolina convention of 1774, and of the Continental congress of that and the succeeding year. In 1776 he was chairman of the committee that draughted the con- stitution of his state, and was president of the congress of that state. He was not pleased with the state constitution, how- ever, and resigned. In 1779 he was again chosen governor of the state, and granted extraordinary powers, and he at once took the field to repel the British. He joined the army of General Gates in 1782, and the same year was elected to congress. He was a member of the constitutional con- vention which framed our present constitu- tion. In 1 789 he was appointed an associate justice of the first supreme court of the United States. He resigned to accept the position of chief- justice of his own state. Upon the resignation of Judge Jay^ he was appointed chief-justice of the United States in 1795. The appointment was never con- firmed, for, after presiding at one session, his mind became deranged, and he was suc- ceeded by Judge Ellsworth. He died at Charleston, July 23, 1800. RALPH WALDO EMERSON was one of the most noted literary men of his time. He was born in Boston, Massachu- setts, May 25, 1803. Hehada minister for an ancestor, either on the paternal or ma- ternal side, in every generation for eight generations back. His father. Rev. Will- iam Emerson, was a native of Concord, Massachusetts, born May 6, 1769, graduated at Harvard, in 1789, became a Unitarian minister; was a fine writer and one of the best orators of his day; died in 181 1. Ralph Waldo Emerson was fitted for college at the public schools of Boston, and graduated at Harvard College in 1821, win- ning about this time several prizes for es- 58 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. says. For five years he taught school in Boston; in 1826 was licensed to preach, and in 1829 was ordained as a colleague to Rev. Henry Ware of the Second Unitarian church in Boston. In 1832 he resigned, making the announcement in a sermon of his un- willingness longer to administer the rite of the Lord's Supper, after which he spent about a year in Europe. Upon his return he began his career as a lecturer before the Boston Mechanics Institute, his subject be- ing "Water." His early lectures on " Italy" and "Relation of Man to the Globe " also attracted considerable attention; as did also his biographical lectures on Michael Angelo, Milton, Luther, George Fox, and Edmund Burke. After that time he gave many courses of lectures in Boston and became one of the best known lecturers in America. But very few men have rendered such con- tinued service in this field. He lectured for forty successive seasons before the Salem, Massachusetts, Lyceum and also made re- peated lecturing tours in this country and in England. In 1835 Mr. Emerson took up his residence at Concord, Massachusetts, where he continued to make his home until his death which occurred April 27, 1882. Mr. Emerson's literary work covered a wide scope. He wrote and published many works, essays and poems, which rank high among the works of American literary men. A few of the many which he produced are the following: "Nature;" "The Method of Nature;" " Man Thinking;" "The Dial;" "Essays;" "Poems;" "English Traits;" "The Conduct of Life;" "May-Day and other Poems " and " Society and Solitude;" besides many others. He was a prominent member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the American Philosophical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society and other kindred associations. ALEXANDER T. STEWART, one of the famous merchant princes of New York, was born near the city of Belfast, Ire- land, in 1803, and before he was eight years of age was left an orphan without any near relatives, save an aged grandfather. The grandfather being a pious Methodist wanted to make a minister of young Stewart, and accordingly put him in a school with that end in view and he graduated at Trinity Col- lege, in Dublin. When scarcely twenty years of age he came to New York. His first employment was that of a teacher, but accident soon made him a merchant. En- tering into business relations with an ex- perienced man of his acquaintance he soon found himself with the rent of a store on his hands and alone in a new enterprise. Mr. Stewart's business grew rapidly in all directions, but its founder had executive ability sufficient for any and all emergencies, and in time his house became one of the greatest mercantile establishments of mod- ern times, and the name of Stewart famous. Mr. Stewart's death occurred April 10, 1876. TAMES FENIMORE COOPER. — In 'as born Sep- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPI/r. 59 tember 15, 1789, at Burlington, New Jer- sey, and was a son of Judge William Cooper. About a year after the birth of our subject the family removed to Otsego county, New York, and founded the town called " Coop- erstown." James Fenimore Cooper spent his childhood there and in 1802 entered Yale College, and four years later became a midshipman in the United States navy. In 181 1 he was married, quit the seafaring life, and began devoting more or less time to lit- erary pursuits. His first work was "Pre- caution," a novel published in 18 19, and three years later he produced "The Spy, a Tale of Neutral Ground," which met with great favor and was a universal success. This was followed by many other works, among which may be mentioned the follow- ing: ' ' The Pioneers, " ' ' The Pilot, " ' ' Last of the Mohicans," "The Prairie," "The Red Rover," "The Manikins," "Home- ward Bound," "Home as Found," " History of the United States Navy," "The Path- finder," "Wing and Wing," "Afloat and Ashore," "The Chain- Bearer, " "Oak- Openings," etc. J. Fenimore Cooper died at Cooperstovvn, New York, September 14, 1851. MARSHALL Fl chant princes ARSHALL FIELD, one of the mer- princes of America, ranks among the most successful business men of the cen- tury. He was born in 1835 at Conway, Massachusetts. He spent his early life on a farm and secured a fair education in the common schools, supplementing this with a course at the Conway Academy. His natural bent ran in the channels of commer- cial life, and at the age of seventeen he was given a position in a store at Pittsfie'.d, Massachusetts. Mr. Field remained there four years and removed to Chicago in 1856. He began his career in Chicago as a clerk in the wholesale dry goods house of Cooley, Wadsworth & Compan\-, which later be- came Cooley, Farwell & Company, and still later John V. Farwell & Company. He remained with them four years and exhibit- ed marked ability, in recognition of which he was given a partnership. In 1865 Mr. Field and L. Z. Leiter, who was also a member of the firm, withdrew and formed the firm of Field, Palmer & Leiter, the third partner being Potter Palmer, and they continued in business until 1867, when Mr. Palmer retired and the firm became Field, Leiter & Company. They ran under the latter name until 1881, when Mr. Leiter re- tired and the house has since continued un- der the name of Marshall Field & Company. The phenomenal success accredited to the house is largely due to the marked ability of Mr. Field, the house had become one of the foremost in the west, with an annual sale of $8,000,000 in 1870. The total loss of the firm during the Chicago fire was $3,500,000 of which $2,500,000 was re- covered through the insurance companies. It rapidly recovered from the effects of this and to-day the annual sales amount to over $40,000,000. Mr. Field's real estate hold- ings amounted to $10,000,000. He was one of the heaviest subscribers to the Bap- tist University fund although he is a Presby- terian, and gave $1,000,000 for the endow- ment of the Field Columbian Museum — one of the greatest institutions of the kind in the world. EDGAR WILSON NYE, who won an im- mense popularity under the pen name of " Bill Nye," was one of the most eccen- tric humorists of his day. He was born Au- gust 25, 1850, at Shirley, Piscataqua coun- ty, Maine, "at a very early age" as he ex- presses it. He took an academic course in 60 COMTENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT River Fails, Wisconsin, from whence, after his graduation, he removed to \V3'oming Territory. He studied law and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1876. He began when quite young to contribute humorous sketches to the newspapers, became connected with various western journals and achieved a brilliant success as a humorist. Mr. Nye settled later in New York City where he devoted his time to writing funny articles for the big newspaper syndicates. He wrote for publication in book form the following : "Bill Nye and the Boomerang," "The Forty Liars," "Baled Hay," "Bill Nye's Blossom Rock," "Remarks," etc. His death occurred February 21, 1896, at Ashe- ville, North Carolina. THOMAS DE WITT TALMAGE, one of the most celebrated American preach- ers, was born January 7, 1832, and was the youngest of twelve children. He made his preliminary studies at the grammar school in New Brunswick, New Jersey. At the age of eighteen he joined the church and entered the University of the City of New York, and graduated in May, 1853. The exercises were held in Niblo's Garden and his speech aroused the audience to a high pitch of en- thusiasm. At the close of his college duties he imagined himself interested in the law and for three years studied law. Dr. Tal- mage then perceived his mistake and pre- pared himself for the ministry at the Reformed Dutch Church Theological Semi- nary at New Brunswick, New Jersey. Just after his ordination the young minister re- ceived two calls, one from Piermont, New York, and the other from Belleville, New Jersey. Dr. Talmage accepted the latter and for three years filled that charge, when he was called to Syracuse, New York. Here it was that his sermons first drew large crowds of people to his church, and from thence dates his popularity. Afterward he became the pastor of the Second Reformed Dutch church, of Philadelphia, remaining seven years, during which period he first entered upon the lecture platform and laid the foundation for his future reputation. At the end of this time he received three calls, one from Chicago, one from San Francisco, and one from the Central Presbyterian church of Brooklyn, which latter at that time consisted of only nineteen members with a congregation of about thirty-five. This church offered him a salary of seven thousand dollars and he accepted the call. He soon induced the trustees to sell the old church and build a new one. They did so and erected the Brooklyn Tabernacle, but it burned down shortly after it was finished. By prompt sympathy and general liberality a new church was built and formally opened in February, 1874. It contained seats for four thousand, six hundred and fifty, but if necessary seven thousand could be accom- modated. In October, 1878, his salary was raised from seven thousand dollars to twelve thousand dollars, and in the autumn of 1889 the second tabernacle was destroyed by fire. A third tabernacle was built and it was for- mally dedicated on Easter Sunday, 1891. JOHN PHILIP SOUSA, conceded as ev peneral. When Grover Cleveland was elected presi- '•""nt of the United States, on his inaugura- tion in March, 1S93, he tendered the posi- tion of attorney general to Richard Olney. This was accepted, and that gentleman ful- felled the duties of the office until the death of Walter Q. Gresham, in May, 1S95, made vacant the position of secretary of state. This post was filled by the appointment of Mr. Olney. While occupying the later office, Mr. Olney brought himself into inter- national prominence by some very able state papers. JOHN J.AY KNOX, for many years comp- troller of the currenc}', and an eminent financier, was born in Knoxboro, Oneida county, New York, May 19. 1828. He re- ceived a good education and graduated at Hamilton College in 1849. For about thirteen years he was engaged as a private banker, or in a position in a bank, where he laid the foundation of his knowledge of the laws of finance. In 1862, Salmon P. Chase, then secretary of the treasury, ap- pointed him to an oflice in that department of the government, and later he had charge of the mint coinage correspondence. In 1867 Mr. Knox was made deputy comptroller of the currency, and in that capacity, in 1870, he made two reports on the mint service, with a codification of the mint and coinage laws of the United States, and suggesting many important amendments These reports were ordered printed by reso- lution of congress. The bill which he pre- pared, with some slight changes, was sub- sequently passed, and has been known in hi.story as the " Coinage Act of 1873." In 1872 Mr. Knox wrs appointed comp- troller of the currency, and held that re- sponsible position until 1884, when he re- signed. He then accej'ted the position of president of the National Bank of the Re- public, of New York City, which institution he served for many years. He was the author of " United States Notes," published in 1884. In the reports spoken of above, a history of the two United States banks is- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 135 given, together with that of the state and national banking system, and much valuable statistical matter relating to kindred sub- jects. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.— In the opinion of many critics Hawthorne is pronounced the foremost American novelist, and in his peculiar vein of romance is said to be without a peer. His reputation is world-wide, and his ability as a writer is recognized abroad as well as at home. He was born July 4, 1S04, at Salem, Massa- chusetts. On account of feeble health he spent some years of his boyhood on a farm near Raymond, Maine. He laid the foun- dation of a liberal education in his youth, and entered Bowdoin College, from which he graduated in 1825 in the same class with H W Longfellow and John S. C. Abbott. He then returned to Salem, where he gave his attention to literature, publishing several tales and other articles in various periodi- cals. His first venture in the field of ro- mance, " Fanshaw,'' proved a failure. In 1836 he removed to Boston, and became editor of the "American Magazine," which soon passed out of existence. In 1837 he published "Twice Told Tales," which were chiefly made up of his former contributions to magazines. In 183S-41 he held a posi- tion in the Boston custom house, but later took part in tlie " Brook farm experiment," a socialistic idea after the plan of Fourier. In 1843 he was married and took up his residence at the old parsonage at Concord, Massachusetts, which he immortalized in his next work, "Mosses From an Old Manse," pubhshed in 1846. From the lat- ter date until 1850 he was surveyor of the po:t of Salem, and while thus employed wrote one of his strongest works, "The Scarlet Letter." For the succeeding: two years Lenox, Massachusetts, was his home, and the " House of the Seven Gables" was produced there, as well as the " Blithedale Romance." In 1852 he published a "Life of Franklin Pierce," a college friend whom he warmly regarded. In 1853 he was ap- pointed United States consul to Liverpool, England, where he remained some years, after which he spent some time in Italy. On returning to his native land he took up his residence at Concord, Massachusetts. While taking a trip for his health with ex- President Pierce, he died at Plymouth, New Hampshire, May 19, 1864. In addition to the works mentioned above Mr. Hawthorne gave to the world tiie following books: " True Stories fronr History," "The Won- der Book," " The Snow Image," "Tangle- wood Tales," "The Marble Faun," and ' ' Our Old Home. " After his death appeared a series of "Notebooks," edited by his wife, Sophia P. Hawthorne; " Septimius Felton," edited by his daughter, Una, and "Dr. Grimshaw's Secret," put into shape by his talented son, Julian. He left an unfinished work called " Dolliver Romance," which has been published just as he left it. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, sixteenth presi- dent of the United States, was born February 12, 1809, in Larue county (Har- din county), Kentucky, in a log-cabin near Hudgensville. When he was eight years old he removed with his parents to Indiana, near the Ohio river, and a year later his- mother died. His father then married Mrs. Elizabeth (Bush) Johnston, of Elizabeth- town, Kentucky, who proved a kind of fos- ter-motiier to Abraham, and encouraged him to study. He worked as a farm hand and as a clerk in a store at Gentryville, and was noted for his athletic feats and strength, fondness for debate, a fund of huinorou.s- 186 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAl'Iir. anecdote, as well as the composition of rude verses. He made a trip at the age of nine- teen to New Orleans on a flat-boat, and set- tled in Illinois in 1S30. He assisted his father to build a log house and clear a farm on the Sangamon river near Decatur, Illinois, and split the rails with which to fence it. In 185 I he was employed in the building of a flat-boat on the Sangamon, and to run it to New Orleans. The voyage gave him anew insight into the horrors of slavery in the south. On his return he settled at New Salem and engaged, first as a clerk in a store, then as grocer, surveyor and postmaster, and he piloted the first steamboat that as- cended the Sangamon. He participated in the Black Hawk war as captain of volun- teers, and after his return he studied law, interested himself in politics, and became prominent locally as a public speaker. He was elected to the legislature in 1834 as a '• Clay Whig, " and began at once to dis- play a command of language and forcible rhetoric that made him a match for his more cultured opponents. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1837, and began prac- tice at Springfield. He married a lady o( a prominent Kentucky family in 1842. He was active in the presidential campaigns of 1840 and 1844 and was an elector on the Harrison and Clay tickets, and was elected to congress in 1846, over Peter Cartwright. He voted for the Wilmot proviso and the abolition of slavery in the District of Colum- bia, and opposed the war with Mexico, but gained little prominence during his two years' service. He then returned to Spring- field and devoted his attention to law, tak- ing little interest in politics, until the repeal of the Missouri compromise and the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1S54. This awakened his interest in politics again and he attacked the champion of that measure, Stephen A. Douglas, in a speech at Spring- field that made him famous, and is said by those who heard it to be the greatest speech of his life. Lincoln was selected as candidate for the United States senate, but was defeated by Trumbull. Upon the pas- sage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill the Whig party suddenly went to pieces, and the Re- publican party gathered head. At the Bloomington Republican convention in 1856 Lincoln made an effective address in which he first took a position antagonistic to the ex- istence of slavery. He was a Fremont elector and received a strong support for nomina- tion as vice-president in the Philadelphia convention. In 1858 he was the unanimous choice of the Republicans for the United States senate, and the great campaign of de- bate which followed resulted in the election of Douglas, but established Lincoln's repu- tation as the leading exponent of Republican doctrines. He began to be mentioned in Illinois as candidate for the presidency, and a course of addresses in the eastern states attracted favorable attention. When the national convention met at Chicago, his rivals. Chase, Seward, Bates and others, were compelled to retire before the western giant, and he was nominated, with Hannibal Hamlin as his running mate. The Demo- cratic party had now been disrupted, and Lincoln's election assured. He carried practically every northern state, and the secession of South Carolina, followed by a number of the gulf states, took place before his inauguration. Lincoln is the only presi- dent who was ever compelled to reach Washington in a secret manner. He es- caped assassination by avoiding Baltimore, and was quietly inaugurated March 4, 1861. His inaugural address was firm but con- ciliator}', and he said to the secessionists: " You have no oath registered in heaxen COMTE^DIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 137 to destroy the go\ernment, while I have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.' He made up his cabinet chiefly of those political rivals in his own party — Seward, Chase, Cameron, Bates — and se- cured the co-operation of the Douglas Dem- o.rats. His great deeds, amidst the heat and turmoil of war, were: His call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, and the blockading of southern ports; calling of con- gress in extra session, July 14, 1861, and obtaining fcjur hundred thousand men and four hundred million dollars for the prosecu- tion of the war; appointing Stanton secre- tary of war; issuing the emancipation proc- lamation; calling three hundred thou- sand volunteers; address at Gettysburg cemetery; commissioned Grant as lieuten- ant-general and commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States; his second inaugural address; his visit to the army be- fore Richmond, and his entry into Rich- mond the day after its surrender. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wi'kes Booth in a box in Ford's theater i»t Washington the night of April 14, 1865, and expired the following morning. His body was buried at Oak Ridge cemetery, Springfield, Illinois, and a monument com- memorating his great work marks his resting place. STEPHEN GIRARD, the celebrated l)hilanthropist, was born in Bordeaux, France, May 24, 1750. He became a sailor engaged in the American coast trade, and also made frequent trips to the West Indies. During the Revolutionary war he was a grocer and liquor seller in Philadelphia. He married in that city, and afterward separated from his wife. After the war he again engaged in the coast and West India trade, and his fortu.ie began to accumulate from receiving goods from West Indian planters during the insurrection in Hayti, little of which was e\er called for again. He became a private banker in Philadelphia in 1 8 1 2, and afterward was a director in the United States Bank. He made much money by leasing property in the city in times of depression, and upon the revival of industry sub-leasing at enormous profit. He became the wealthiest citizen of the United States of his time. He was eccentric, ungracious, and a freethinker. He had few, if any, friends in his lifetime. However, he was most chari- tably disposed, and gave to charitable in- stitutions and schools with a liberal hand. He did more than any one else to relieve the suffering and deprivations during the great yellow fever scourge in Philadelphia, devoting his personal attention to the sick. He endowed and made a free institution, the famous Will's Eye and Ear Infirmary of Philadelph a — one of^ the largest institu- tions of its kind in the world. At his death practically all his immense wealth was be- queathed to charitable institutions, more than two millions of dollars going to the founding of Girard College, which was to be devoted to the education and training of boys between the ages of six and ten years. Large donations were also made to institu- tions in Philadelphia and New Orleans. The principal building of Girard College is the most magnificent example of Greek architecture in America. Girard died De- cember 26, 1831. LOUIS J. R. AGASSIZ, the eminent nat- uralist and geologist, was born in the parish of Motier, near Lake Neuchatel, Swit- zerland, May 28, 1807, but attained his greatest fame after becoming an American citizen. He studied the medical sciences at 138 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Zurich, Heidelberg and Munich. His first work was a Latin description of the fishes which Martius and Spix brought from Brazil. This was published in 1 829-3 1 • He devoted much time to the study of fossil fishes, and in 1832 was appointed professor of natural history at Neuchatel. He greatly increased his reputation by a great work in French, entitled " Researches on Fossil Fishes," in 1S32-42, in which he made many important improvements in the classification of fishes. Having passed many summers among the Alps in researches on glaciers, he propounded some new and interesting ideas on geology, and the agency of glaciers in his "Studies by the Glaciers." This was published in 1840. This latter work, with his " System of the Glaciers," published in 1847, are among his principal works. In 1846, Professor Agassiz crossed the ocean on a scientific excursion to the United States, and soon determined to remain here. He accepted, about the beginning of 1848, the chair of zoology and geology at Harvard. He explored the natural history of the United States at different times and gave an impulse to the study of nature in this country. In 1865 he conducted an expedi- tion to Brazil, and explored the lower Ama- zon and its tributaries. In 1868 he was made non-resident professor of natural his- tory at Cornell University. In December, 1 87 1, he accompanied the Hassler expedi- tion, under Professor Pierce, to the South Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 14, 1873- Among other of the important works of Professor Agassiz may be mentioned the fol- lowing: "Outlines of Comparative Physi- ology," "Journey to Brazil," and "Contri- butions to the Natural History of the United States." It is said of Professor Agassiz, that, perhaps, with the exception of Hugh Miller, no one had so popularized science in his day, or trained so many young natural- ists. Many of the theories held by Agassiz are not supported by many of the natural- ists of these later days, but upon many of the speculations into the origin of species and in physics he has left the marks of his own strongly marked individualit}'. WILLIAM WINDOM.— As a prominent and leading lawyer of the great north- west, as a member of both houses of con- gress, and as the secretary of the treasury, the gentleman whose name heads this sketch won for himself a prominent position in the history of our country. Mr. Windom was a native of Ohio, born in Belmont county. May 10, 1827. He received a good elementary education m the schools of his native state, and took up the study of law. He was admitted to the bar, and entered upon the practice of his profession in Ohio, where he remained until 1855. In the latter year he made up his mind to move further west, and accordingly went to Minnesota, and opening an office, became identified with the interests of that state, and the northwest generally. In 1858 he took his place in the Minnesota delegation in the national house of repre- sentatives, at Washington, and continued to represent his constituency in that body for ten years. In 1871 Mr. Windom was elected United States senator from Min- nesota, and was re-elected to the same office after fulfilling the duties of the position for a full term, in 1876. On the inauguration of President Garfield, in March, 18S1, Mr. Windom became secretary of the treasury in his cabinet. He resigned this office Oc- tober 27, 1 88 1, and was elected senator from the North Star state to fill the va- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 139 cancy caused by the resignation of A. J. Edgerton. Mr. Windom served in that chamber until March, 1883. William Windom died in New York City January 29, 1891. DON M. DICKINSON, an American politician and lawyer, was born in Port Ontario, New York, January 17, 1846. He removed with his parents to Michigan when he was but two years old. He was educated in the public schools of Detroit and at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty- one. In 1872 he was made secretary of tlie Democratic state central committee of Michigan, and his able man- agement of tlic campaign gave him a prom- inent place ill the councils of his party. In 1876, during the Tilden campaign, he acted as chairman of the state central committee. He was afterward chosen to represent his state in the Democratic national committee, and in 18S6 he was appointed postmaster- general by President Cleveland. After the expiration of his term of office he returned to Detroit and resumed the practice of law. In the presidential campaign of 1896, Mr. Dic'.inson adhered to the "gold wing" of the Democracy, and his influence was felt in the national canvass, and especially in his own state. JOHN JACOB ASTOR, the founder of 'ar breaking out shortly after, nothing was done until 1865-66. Mr. Field, in the former year, again made the attempt, and the Great Eastern laid some one thousand two hun- dred miles when the cable parted and was lost. The following year the same vessel succeeded in laying the entire cable, and picked up the one lost the year before, and both were carried to America's shore. After thirteen years of care and toil Mr. Field had his reward. He v.'as the recipient of many medals and honors from both home and abroad. He gave his attention after this, to establishing telegraphic communication throughout the v.'orld and many other large enterprises, notably the construction of ele- vated railroads in New York. Mr. Field died July 1 1, 1892. G ROVER CLEVELAND, the twenty- second president of the United States, was born in Caldwell, Essex county. New Jersey, March 18, 1837, and was the son of Rev. Richard and Annie (Neale) Cleve- land. The father, of distinguished New England ancestry, was a Presbyterian min- ister in charge of the church at Caldwell at the time. When Grover was about three years of age the family removed to Fayetteville, Onondaga count}'. New York, where he attended the district school, and was in the academy for a short time. His father be- lieving that boys should early learn to labor, Grover entered a village store and worked for the sum of fifty dollars for the first year. While he was thus engaged the family re- moved to Clinton, New York, and there young Cleveland took up h'S studies at the academy. The death of his father dashed all his hopes of a collegiate education, the family being left in straightened circum- stances, and Grover started out to battle for himself. After acting for a year (1853- 54) as assistant teacher and bookkeeper in the Institution for the Blind at New York City, he went to Buffalo. A short time after he entered the law office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of that city, and after a hard struggle with adverse circumstances, was admitted to the bar in 1859. He be- came confidential and managing clerk for the firm under whom he had studied, and remained with them until 1863. In the lat- ter year he was appointed district attorney COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 175 of Erie county. It was during his incum- bency of this office that, on being nominated by tlie Democrats for supervisor, he came within thirteen votes of election, although the district was usually Republican by two hundred and fifty majority. In i866Grover Cleveland formed a partnership with Isaac V. Vanderpoel. The most of the work here fell upon the shoulders of our subject, and he soon won a good standing at the bar of the state. In 1869 Mr. Cleveland associated himself in business with A. P. Laning and Oscar Folsom, and under the firm name of Laning, Cleveland & Folsom soon built up a fair practice. In the fall of 1870 Mr. Cleve- land was elected sheriff of Erie county, an office which he filled for four years, after which he resumed his profession, with L. 1\. Bass and Wilson S. Bissell as partners. This firm was strong and popular and shortly was in possession of a lucrative practice. Mr. Bass retired from the firm in 1879, and George J. Secard was admit- ted a member in 1881. In the latter year Mr. Cleveland was elected mayor of Buffalo, and in 1882 he was chosen governor by the enormous majority of one hundred and ninety-two thousand votes. July 11, 1884, he was nominated for the presidency by the Democratic national convention, and in November following was elected. Mr. Cleveland, after serving one term as president of the United States, in 1888 was nominated by his party to succeed himself, but he failed of the election, being beaten by Benjamin Harrison. In 1S92, however, being nominated again in opposition to the then incumbent of the presidency, Mr. Har- rison, Grover Cleveland was elected pres- ident for the second time and served for the usual term' of four years. In 1897 Mr. Cleveland retired from the chair of the first magistrate of the nation, and in New York City resumed the practice of law, in which city he had established himself in 1889. June 2, 1886, Grover Cleveland was united in marriage with Miss Frances Fol- som, the daughter of his former partner. ALEXANDER WINCHELL, for many years one of the greatest of American scientists, and one of the most noted and prolific writers on scientific subjects, was born in Duchess county, New York, Decem- ber 31, 1824. He received a thorough col- legiate education, and graduated at the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connect- icut, in 1847. His mind took a scientific turn, which manifested itself while he was yet a boy, and in 1848 he became teacher of natural sciences at the Armenian Semi- nary, in his native state, a position which he filled for three years. In 1851-3 he oc- cupied the same position in the Mesopo- tamia Female Seminary, in Alabama, after which he was president of the Masonic Fe- male Seminary, in Alabama. In 1853 he became connected with the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, at which institu- tion he performed the most important work of his life, and gained a wide reputation as a scientist. He held many important posi- tions, among which were the following: Professor of physics and civil engineering at the University of Michigan, also of geology, zoology and botany, and later professor of geology and paleontology at the same insti- tution. He also, for a time, was president of the Michigan Teachers' Association, and state geologist of Michigan. Professor Winchell was a very prolific writer on scien- tific subjects, and published many standard works, his most important and widely known being those devoted to geology. He also contributed a large number of articles to scientific and popular journals. 176 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHl' ANDREW HULL FOOTE, of the United States navy, was a native of New England, born at New Haven, Con- necticut, May 4, 1808. He entered the navy, as a midshipman, December 4, 1822. He slowly rose in his chosen profession, at- taining the rank of lieutenant in 1830, com- mander in 1852 and captain in 1861. Among the distinguished men in the break- ing out of the Civil war, but few stood higher in the estimation of his brother officers than Foote, and when, in the fall of 1861, he was appointed'to the command of the flotilla then building on the Mississippi, the act gave great satisfaction to the service. Although embarrassed by want of navy yards and supplies, Foote threw himself into his new work with unusual energy. He overcame all obstacles and in the new, and, until that time, untried experiment, of creat- ing and maintaining a navy on a river, achieved a success beyond the expectations •of the country. Great incredulity existed as .to the possibility of carrying on hostilities on a river where batteries from the shore might bar the passage. But in spite of all, Foote soon had a navy on the great river, and by the heroic qualities of the crews en- trusted to him, demonstrated the utility of this new departure in naval architecture. All being prepared, February 6, 1S62, Foote took Fort Henry after a hotly-contested action. On the 14th of the same month, for an hour and a half engaged the batteries of Fort Donelson, with four ironclads and two wooden gunboats, thereby dishearten- ing the garrison and assisting in its capture. April /th of the same year, after several hotly-contested actions. Commodore Foote received the surrender of Island No. 10, one of the great strongholds of the Confederacy on the Mississippi river. Foote having been wounded at Fort Donelson, and by neglect it having become so serious as to endanger his life, he was forced to resign his command and return home. June 16, 1862, he re- ceived the thanks of congress and was pro- moted to the rank of rear admiral. He was appointed chief of the bureau of equipment and recruiting. June 4, 1863, he was ordered to the fleet off Charleston, to super- cede Rear Admiral Dupont, but on his way to that destination was taken sick at New York, and died June 26, 1863. NELSON A. MILES, the well-known sol- dier, was born at Westminster, Massa- chusetts, August 8,1839. His ancestors set- tled in that state in 1643 among the early pioneers, and their descendants were, many of them, to be found among those battling against Great Britain during Revolutionary times and during the war of 18 12. Nelson was reared on a farm, received an academic education, and in early manhood engaged in mercantile pursuits in Boston. Early in 1861 he raised a company and offered his services to the government, and although commissioned as captain, on account of his youth went out as first lieutenant in the Twenty-second Massachusetts Infantry. In 1 862 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel and colonel of the Sixty-first New York In- fantry. At the request of Generals Grant and Meade he was made a brigadier by President Lincoln. He participated in all but one of the battles of the Army of the Potomac until the close of the war. During the latter part of the time he commanded the first division of the Second Corps. General Miles was wounded at the battles of Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg and Chan- cellorsville, and received four brevets for distinguished service. During- the recon- struction period he commanded in North Carolina, and on the reorganization of the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. 177 regular army he was made colonel of in- fantry. In iSSo he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and in 1890 to that of major-general. He successfully con- ducted several campaigns among the In- dians, and his name is known among the tribes as a friend when they are peacefully inchned. He many times averted war with the red men by judicious and humane settlement of difficulties without the military power. In 1892 General Miles was given command of the proceedings in dedicating the World's Fair at Chicago, and in the summer of 1894, during the great railroad strike at the same city. General Miles, then in command of the department, had the disposal of the troops sent to protect the United States mails. On the retirement of General J. M. Schofield, in 1S95, General Miles became the ranking major-general of the United States army and the head of its forces. JUNIUS BRUTUS BOOTH, the great the bar, while still a minor, by special act of the legislature. He then settled at Cor- sicana, Texas, and began the active prac- tice of his profession. He was elected to the state legislature in 1859, and in 1872 he was elected to congress from the state at large, as a Democrat. After his first elec- tion he was continuously returned to con- gress until he resigned to accept the posi- tion of United States senator, to -which he 212 COMPENDIUM OF BJOGRAPIIT. was elected March 23, 1S92, to succeed Hon. Horace Chilton. He took his seat in the senate March 30, 1892; was afterward re-elected and ranked among the most use- ful and prominent members of that bo.dy. In 1S76 he opposed the creation of the elec- toral commission, and in 1887 canvassed the state of Texas against the adoption of a prohibition amendment to its constitution, which was defeated. He introduced into the house of representatives the bill that was known as the "Mills Bill," reducing duties on imports, and extending the free list. The bill passed the house on July 21, 1888, and made the name of ' ' Mills " famous throughout the entire country. HAZEN S. PINGREE, the celebrated Michigan political leader, was born in Maine in 1842. Up to fourteen years of age he worked hard on the stony ground of his father's small farm. Attending school in the winter, he gained a fair education, and when not laboring on the farm, he found employment in the cotton mills in the vicinity. He resolved to find more steady work, and accordingly went to Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where he entered a shoe fac- tory, but on the outbreak of the war he en- listed at once and was enrolled in the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He partici- pated in the battle of Bull Run, which was his initial fight, and served creditably his early term of service, at the expiration of which he re-enlisted. He fought in the battles of Fredricksburg, Harris Farm, Spottsylvania Court House and Cold Har- bor In 1864 he was captured by Mosby, and spent five months at Andersonville, Georgia, as a prisoner, but escaped at the end of that time. He re-entered the service and participated in the battles of Fort Fisher, Boyden, and Sailor's Creek. He was honorably mustered out of service, and in 1866 went to Detroit, Michigan, where he made use of his former experience in a shoe factory, and found work. Later he formed a partnership with another workman and started a small factor3% which has since become a large establishment. Mr. Pin- gree made his entrance into politics in 1889, in which year he was elected by a surpris- ingly large majority as a Republican to the mayoralty of Detroit, in which office he was the incumbent during four consecutive terms. In November, 1896, he was elected gov- ernor of the state of Michigan. While mayor of Detroit, Mr. Pingree originated and put into execution the idea of allowing the poor people of the city the use of va- cant city lands and lots for the purpose of raising potatoes. The idea was enthusiast- ically adopted b^' thousands of poor families, attracted wide attention, and gave its author a national reputation as "Potato-patch Pin- gree." THOMAS ANDREW HENDRICKS, an eminent American statesman and a Democratic politician of national fame, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, Septem- ber 7, 1 8 19. In 1822 he removed, with his father, to Shelby county, Indiana. He graduated from the South Hanover College in 1841, and two years later was admitted to the bar. In 185 1 he was chosen a mem- ber of the state constitutional convention, and took a leading part in the deliberations of that body. He was elected to congress in 1 85 1, and after serving two terms was appointed commissioner of the United States general land-office. In 1863 he was elected to the United States senate, where his dis- tinguished services commanded the respect of all parties. He was elected governor of Indiana in 1872, serving four years, and in COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr 213 1876 was nominated by the Democrats as candidate for the vice-presidency with Til- den. The returns in a number of states were contested, and resulted in the appoint- ment of the famous electoral commission, which decided in favor of the Republican candidates. In 1884 Mr. Hendricks was again nominated as candidate for the vice- presidency, by the Democratic party, on the ticket with Grover Cleveland, was elected, and served about six months. He died at Indianapolis, November 25, 1885. He was regarded as one of the brainiest men in the party, and his integrity was never ques- tioned, even by his political opponents. GARRETT A. HOBART, one of the many able men who have held the liigh office of vice-president of the United States, was born June 3, 1844, in Mon- mouth county, New Jersey, and in i860 en- tered the sopliomore class at Rutgers Col- lage, fi-om which he graduated in 1863 at the age of nineteen. He then taught school until he entered the law office of Socrates Tuttle, of Paterson, New Jersey, with whom lie studied law, and in 1869 was admitted to the bar. He immediately began the active practice of his profession i 1 the office of the above named gentleman. He became interested in political life, and €s oused t e cause of the Republican party, and in 1865 he'd his first office, serving as clerk for the grind jury. He was also city coinisel of Paterson in 1871, and in May, 1872, was elected counsel for the board of chosen freeholders. He entered the state legislature in 1873, and was re-elected to the assembly in 1S74. Mr. Hobart was made speaker of the assembly in 1876, and and in 1879 was elected to the state senate. After serving three years in the same, he was elected president of that body in 18S1, and the following year was re-2lected to that office. He was a delegate-at-large to the Republican national convention 'a 1876 and 1880, and was elected a member of the national committee in 1884, which pos'tion he occupied continuously until 1896. He was then nominated for vice-president by the Republican national convention, ani^ was elected to that office in the fall of 1896 on the ticket with William McKinley. WILLIAM MORRIS STEWART, noted as a political leader and senator, was born in Lyons, Wayne county, New York, August 9, 1S27, and removed with his par- ents while still a small child to Mesopota- mia township, Trumbull county, Ohio. He attended the Lj'ons Union school and Farm- ington Academy, where he obtained his ed- ucation. Later he taught mathematics in the former school, while yet a pupil, and with the little money thus earned and the assistance of James C. Smith, one of the judges of the supreme court of New York, he entered Yale College. He remained there until the winter of 1849-50, when, at- tracted by the gold discoveries in California he wended his way thither. He arrived at San Francisco in May, 1S50, and later en- gaged in milling with pick and shovel in Ne- vada county. In this way he accumulated some money, and in the spring of 1852 he took up the study of law under John R. McConnell. The following December he was appointed district attorney, to which office he was chosen at the general election of the next year. In 1854 he was ap- pointed attorney-general of California, and in i860 he removed to Virginia City, Ne- vada, where he largely engaged in early mining litigation. Mr. Stewart was also in- terested in the development of the "Corn- stock lode," and in 1S61 was chosen a 214 COMPEXDJUM OF BlOGRAI'Hr. niembei of the territorial council. He was elected a member of the constitutional con- vention in 1863, and was elected United States senator in 1864, and re-elected in 1S69. At the expiration of his term 'in 1875, he resumed the practice of law in Nevada, California, and the Pacific coast generally. He was thus engaged when he was elected again to the United States sen- ate as a Republican in 1887 to succeed the late James G. Fair, a Democrat, and took his seat March 4, 1887. On the expiration of his term he was again re-elected and be- came one of the leaders of his party in con- gress. His ability as an orator, and the prominent part he took in the discussion of public questions, gained him a national rep- utation. GEORGE GRAHAM VEST, for many years a prominent member of the United States senate, was born in Frank- fort, Kentucky, December 6, 1848. He graduated from Center College in 1868, and from the law department of the Transyl- vania University of Lexington, Kentucky, in 1853. In the same year he removed to Missouri and began the practice of his pro- fession. In 1 860 he was an elector on the Democratic ticket, and was a member of the lower house of the Missouri legislature in 1860-61. He was elected to the Con- federate congress, serving two years in the lower house and one in the senate. He then resumed the practice of law, and in 1 879 was elected to the senate of the United States to succeed James Shields. He was re-elected in 1885, and again in 1891 and 1897. His many years of service in the National congress, coupled with his ability as a speaker and the active part he took in the discussion of public questions, gave him a witle reputation. HANNIBAL HAMLIN, a noted American statesman, whose name is indissoiubly connected with the history of this country, was born in Paris, Maine, August ij , 1809- He learned the printer's trade and followed that calling for several years. He then studied law, and was admitted to practice in 1833. He was elected to the legislature of the state of Maine, where he was several times chosen speaker of the lower house. He was elected to congress by the Demo- crats in 1843, and re-elected in 1845. In 1848 he was chosen to the United States senate and served in that body until 1861. He was elected governor of Maine in 1857 on the Republican ticket, but resigned when re-elected to the United States senate the same year. He was elected vice-presi- dent of the United States on the ticket with Lincoln in i860, and inaugurated in March, 1861. In 1865 he was appointed collector of the port of Boston. Beginning with 1869 he served two six-year terms in the United States senate, and was then ap- pointed by President Garfield as minister to Spain in 1881. His death occurred July 4, 1891. TSHAM G. HARRIS, famous as Confed- 1 erate war governor of Tennessee, and distinguished by his twenty years of service in the senate of the United States, was born in Franklin county, Tennessee, and educated at the Academy of Winchester. He then took up the study of law, was ad- mitted to the bar, and commenced practice at Paris, Tennessee, in 1841. He was elected to the state legislature in 1847, was a candidate for presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1848, and the next year was elected to congress from his dis- trict, and re-elected in 1851. In 1853 he was renominated by the Democrats of 1;:3- COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPIir. 215 district, but declined, and removed to Mem- phis, where he took up the practice of law. He was a presidential elector-at-large from Tennessee in 1856, and was elected gov- ernor of the state the next year, and again in 1S59, and in 1861. He was driven from Nashville by the advance of the Union armies, and for the last three years of the war acted as aid upon the staff of the com- manding general of the Confederate army of Tennessee. After the war he went to Liverpool, England, where he became a merchant, but returned to Memphis in 1867, and resumed the practice of law. In 1877 he was elected to the United States senate, to which position he was successively re- elected until his death in 1897. NELSON DINGLEY, Jr., for nearly a quarter of a century one of the leaders in congress and framer of the famous " Dingley tariff bill," was born in Durham, Maine, in 1832. His father as well as all his ancestors, were farmers, merchants and mechanics and of English descent. Young Dingley was given the advantages first of the common schools and in vacations helped his father in the store and on the farm. ^^'hcn iwelve years of age he attended high school and at seventeen was teaching in a country school district and preparing him- self for college. The following year he en- tered Waterville Academy and in 185 i en- tered Colby University. After a year and a half in this institution he entered Dart- mouth College and was graduated in 1855 with high rank as a scholar, debater and writer. He next studied law and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1856. But instead of practicing his profession he purchased the " Lewistown (Me.) Journal," which be- came famous throughout the New England states as a leader in the advocacy of Repub- lican principles. About the same time Mr. Dingley began his political career, although ever after continuing at the head of the newspaper. He was soon elected to the state legislature and afterward to the lower house of congress, where he became a prominent national character. He also served two terms as governor of Maine. OLIVER PERRY MORTON, a distin- guished American statesman, was born in Wa3'ne county, Indiana, August 4, 1823. His early education was by private teaching and a course at the Wayne County Seminary. At the age of twenty years he entered the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and at the end of two years quit the college, began the study of law in the office of John New- man, of Centerville, Indiana, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1847. Mr. Morton was elected judge on the Democratic ticket, in 1852, but on th'. passage of the " Kansas-Nebraska Bill " he severed his connection with that party, and soon became a prominent leader of the Re- publicans. He was elected governor of In- diana in i86[, and as war governor became well known throughout the country. He received a paralytic stroke in 1865, which partially deprived him of the use of his limbs. He was chosen to the United States senate from Indiana, in 1867, and wielded great influence in that body until the time of his death, November i, 1877. JOHN B. GORDON, a brilliant Confeder- ate officer and noted senator of the United States, was born in Upson county, Georgia, February 6, 1832. He graduated from the State University, studied law, and took up the practice of his profession. At the be- ginning of the war he entered the Confederate service as captain of infantry, and rapidly 216 COMPEXDJUM OF BIOGRAPHY. rose to the rank of lieutenant-general, commanding one wing of the Confederate army at the close of the war. In 1868 he was Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia, and it is said was elected by a large majority, but his opponent was given the office. He was a delegate to the national Democratic conventions in 1868 and 1872, and a presidential elector both years. In 1873 he was elected to the United States senate. In 1886 he was elected governor of Georgia, and re-elected in 1888. He was again elected to the United States senate in 1890, serving until 1897, when he was succeeded by A. S. Clay. He was regarded as a leader of the southern Democ- racy, and noted for his fiery eloquence. STEPHEN JOHNSON FIELD, an illus- trious associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, was born at Haddam, Connecticut, November 4, 1816, being one of the noted sons of Rev. D. D. Field. He graduated from Williams College in 1837. took up the study of law with his brother, David Dudley Field, be- coming his partner upon admission to the bar. He went to California in 1849, and at once began to take an active interest in the political affairs of that state. He was elected alcalde of Marysville, in 1850, and in the autumn of the same year was elected to the slate legislature. In 1857 he was elected judge of the supreme court of the state, and two years afterwards became its chief justice. In 1863 he was appointed by President Lincoln as associate justice of the supreme court of the United States. During his incumbencj', in 1873, he was appointed by the governor of California one of a com- mission to examine the codes of the state and for the preparation of aniendnients to the same for submission to the legislature. In 1877 he was one of the famous electoral commission of fifteen members, and voted as one of the seven favoring the election of Tilden to the presidency. In 1880 a large portion of the Democratic party favored his nomination as candidate for the presidency. He retired in the fall of 1897, having served a greater number of years on the supreme bench than any of his associates or predecessors. Chief Justice Marshall coming ne.xt in length of service. JOHN T. MORGAN, whose services in the United States senate brought him into national prominence, was born in Athens, Tennessee, June 20, 1824. At the age of nine years he emigrated to Alabama, where he made his permanent home, and where he received an academic education. He then took up the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He took a leading part in local politics, was a presi- dential elector in i860, casting his ballot for Breckenridge and Lane, and in 1861 was a delegate to the state convention which passed the ordinance of secession. In May, of the same year, he joined the Confederate army as a private in Company I, Cahawba Rifles, and was soon after made major and then lieutenant-colonel ofthe Fifth Regiment. In 1862 he was commissioned colonel, and soon after made brigadier-general and as- signed to the command of a brigade in Vir- ginia. He resigned to join his old regiment whose colonel had been killed. He was soon afterward again made brigadier-gen- eral and given command of the brigade that included his regiment. After the war he returned to the prac- tice of law, and continued it up to the time of his election to the United States senate, in 1877. He was a presidential elector in 1876, and cast his vote for Tilden and Hendricks. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 2ir He was re-elected to the senate in 1883, and again in 18S9, and 1895. His speeches and the measures he introduced, marked as they were by an intense Americanism, brought him into national prominence. WILLIAM McKINLEY, the twenty-fifth president of the United States, was born at Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, Jan- uary 29, 1844. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and received his early education in a Methodist academy in the small village of Poland, Ohio. At the outbreak of the war Mr. McKinley was teaching school, earning twenty-five dollars per month. As soon as Fort Sumter was fired upon he en- listed in a company that was formed in Poland, which was inspected and mustered in by General John C. Fremont, who at first objected to Mr. McKinley, as being too young, but upon examination he was finally accepted. Mr. McKinley was seventeen when the war broke out but did not look his age. He served in the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry throughout the war, was promoted from sergeant to captain, for good conduct on the field, and at the close of the war, for meritorious services, he was brevetted major. After leaving the army Major Mc- Kinley took up the study of law, and was admitted to the bar, and in 1869 he took his initiation into politics, being elected pros- ecuting attorney of his county as a Republi- can, although the district was usually Demo- cratic. In 1 876 he was elected to congress, and in a call upon the President-elect, Mr. Hayes, to whom he went for advice upon the way he should shape his career, he was told that to achieve fame and success he must take one special line and stick to it. Mr. McKinley chose tariff legislation and he became an authority in regard to import duties. He was a member of congress for many years, became chairman of the ways and means committee, and later he advo- cated the famous tariff bill that bore his name, which was passed in 1S90. In the ne.xt election the Republican party was overwhelmingly defeated through the coun- try, and the Democrats secured more than; a two thirds majority in the lower house, and also had control of the senate, Mr. McKinley being defeated in his own district by a small majority. He was elected gov- ernor of Ohio in 1891 by a plurality of twenty-one thousand, five hundred and eleven, and two years later he was re-elected by the still greater plurality of eighty thou- sand, nine hundred and ninety-five. He was a delegate-at-large to the Minneapolis Re^ publican convention in 1892, and was in- structed to support the nomination of Mr. Harrison. He was chairman of the con^ vention, and was the only man from Ohio to vote for Mr. Harrison upon the roll call. In November, 1892, a number of prominent politicians gathered in New York to discuss the political situation, and decided that the result of the election had put an end to Mc- Kinley and McKinleyism. But in less than four years from that date Mr. McKinley was nominated for the presidency against the combined opposition of half a dozen rival candidates. Much of the credit for his suc- cess was due to Mark A. Hanna, of Cleve- land, afterward chairman of the Republican national committee. At the election which occurred in November, 1896, Mr. McKinley was elected president of the United States by an enormous majority, on a gold stand- ard and protective tariff platform. He was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 1897, and called a special session of congress, to which was submitted a bill for tariff reform, which was passed in the latter part of July- of that vear. 218 C OMPENDI UM OF BIO GRA PHT. C>INCINNATUS HEINE MILLER, ^ known in the literary world as Joaquin Miller, " the poet of the Sierras," was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1841. When only about thirteen years of age he ran away from home and went to the mining regions in California and along the Pacific coast. Some time afterward he was taken prisoner by the Modoc Indians and lived with them for five years. He learned their language and gained great influence with them, fight- ing in their wars, and in all modes of living became as one of them. In 1858 he left the Indians and went to San Francisco, where he studied law, and in i860 was ad- mitted to the bar in Oregon. In 1866 he was elected a county judgjs in Oregon and served four years. Early in the seventies he began devoting a good deal of time to literary pursuits, and about 1874 he settled in Washington, D. C. He wrote many poems and dramas that attracted consider- able attention and won him an extended reputation. Among his productions may be mentioned " Pacific Poems," " Songs of the Sierras," "Songs of the Sun Lands," ' ' Ships in the Desert, " ' ' Adrianne, a Dream of Italy," "Danites, " "Unwritten History," " First Families of the Sierras " (a novel), " One Fair Woman " y^ novel), " Songs of Italy," " Shadows of Shasta," "The Gold- Seekers of the Sierras," and a number of others. GEORGE FREDERICIv ROOT, a noted music publisher and composer, was born in Sheffield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, on August 30, 1820. While working on his father's farm he found time to learn, unaided, several musical instru- ments, and in his eighteenth year he went to Boston, where he soon found employ- ment as a teacher of music. From 1839 until 1844 he gave instructions in music in the public schools of that cit\', and was also director of music in two churches. Mr. Root then went to New York and taught music in the various educational institutions of the city. He went to Paris in 1850 and spent one year there in study, and on his re- turn he published his first song, "Hazel Dell." It appeared as the work of " Wur- zel," which was the German equivalent of his nime. He was the originator of the nornral musical institutions, and when the first one was started in New York he was one of the faculty. He removed to Chicago, Illinois, in i860, and established the firm of Root & Cady, and engaged in the publication of music. He received, in 1872, the degree of "Doctor of Music" from the University of Chicago. After the war the firm becauie George F. Root & Co., of Cincinnati and Chicago. Mr. Root did much to elevate the standard of music in this country by his compositions and work as a teacher. Besides his numerous songs he wrote a great deal of sacred music and pub- lished many collections of vocal and instru- mental music. For many years he was the most popular song writer in America, and was one of the greatest song writers of the war. He is also well-known as an author, and his work in that line comprises: " Meth- ods for the Piano and Organ," " Hand- book on Harmony Teaching, " and innumer- able articles for the musical press. Among his many and most popular songs of the war time are : ' ' Rosalie, the Prairie-flower, " "Battle Cry of Freedom," " Just Before the Battle," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching," ' ' The Old Folks are Gone, " "A Hundred Years Ago," "Old Potomac Shore, "and " There's Music in the Air." Mr. Root's cantatas include " The Flower Queen" and "The Haymakers." He died in 1S96. PART II. A GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF MIAMI COUNTY, OHIO. MIAMI COUNTY, OHIO. PROMINENT DEAD OF MIAMI COUNTY By E. S. \\'illiams. HE Lewis I'uljlisliing Company, of Chicago, has assigned to the writer the duty of preparing a brief bio- graphical sketch of the prominent citizens of Miami county who are slumbering in the "windowless palaces" of the dead. The dut}- was gladly accepted, not for the money consideration in the employment, but for the ])leasant reason that to the writer it is a labor of love. In beginning the work, we find that many of the best citizens of Miami ■county, who have lived honored and re- spected by the people, and whose deaths were mourned as a public misfortune, as well as a sad bereavement, there are but few data from which to gather a sketch that will do justice to their life and full honor to their memory. How much more satisfactory would it have been to the student of the liistory of first settlers of Miami county, if *The Lewis Publishing Company gratefully ac- knowledges its indebtedness to Captain Williams, who not only prepared the article on the " Prominent Dead," but is also the author of a number of biogra- phies in this volume, the authorship being accredited him by placing his initials after those which came from his pen. their deeds of virut and their lives of self- flenial and pri\atiun had been written Ijefore the memory of their heroic lives liad faded into misty tales of tradition handed down from father and son, from mother to her children, growing each generation more mystical and uncertain, because human mem- ory is defective. We are living in an age of progress, the mighty demands of the pres- ent command absorbing attention, the rec- ords of the past receive but little interest, while only philosophers and Utopian dream- ers anxiously scan the future. Statesmen have degenerated into politicians and party bosses. The scriptural injunction of "Suf- ficient unto the day is the evil thereof," is being literally accepted, and industriously followed in the mad race for wealth and per- sonal pleasure. The work that is being quietly and effectually accomplished by the enterprise of the Lewis Publishing Com- pany will he appreciated much more in the futiu'e than in the present. For there will come an era when the people will love to read the records of their family ancestors. Prompted by a reasonable desire to know 224 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. something of tlie brave pioneers of Miami county, the writer has gathered from old books and newspapers, and the traditions of family history, some records of the promi- nent men and women of Miami county, who came here in the dawn of the century that has just closed its record in the book of time. ABRAHAM THOMAS. The first character to which we call the attention of the readers is that of the brave old hunter and Indian fighter. Abraham Thomas. He was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, in 1755. His father took his fam- ily to the frontiers of \Trginia. and Abra- ham, while yet a boy, became a hunter and a splendid rifle shot. He had no opportunity for even the crude education of those early- days, but the boy grew to manhood full of the restless energy of the border hunter and frontiersman, and hence it was not a mat- ter of surprise that, without permission of his parents, he enlisted before he was nine- teen years of age, in 1774, in Captain Michael Cressap's company to fight the In- dians. Captain Cressap and his brt)ther were noted Indian fighters, and it was the men under their cummand that killed the family of the celebrated Indian Chief Logan. His pathetic and eloquent recital of that sad event was written by Thomas Jefferson, and now stands as one of the ablest specimens of Indian eloquence. Captain Cressap, aft- erwards colonel, enlisted his men in the neighborhood of old Redstone Fort on the Monongahela ri\er. He led his men into the Ohio territory up the Muskingum river. The border men met the Indians, had a se- yere battle, and defeated the red-skinned warriors and pushed on up the Muskingum valley until they reached the Indian town of W'apatomica. which Cressap's men captured and destroyed. In the fall of 1774 another expedition, led by Governor Dunmore and General Lew- is, went^into the Ohio territory, the objective point of attack being the Indian towns of old Chillicothe. on the Scioto ri\er. Again young Thomas left home without leave and joined the border army. There was trouble and dissensions in this army because the men doubted the good faith and patriotism of (iovernor Dunmore. but the Indians were met in battle and defeated. In 1775 the fort and settlement near Wheeling, Virginia, (now \\'est A'irginia), was threatened by the In- dians, and an appeal for help was sent out to the bra\e frontiersmen of Pennsylvania and X'irginia. Aliraham Thomas, with twenty others from old Redstone settlement, went to their relief. The Indians came, but found the fort too well garrisoned for an open at- tack. They, however, lurked around in the bushes to capture or kill any straggler that might wander from the fort. After a week's confinement in the fort, the alarm had subsided, and the settlers were making "ar- rangements tt> return to their homes, when the following incident occurred, which we copy from "Abraham Thomas' Recollec- tions," a series of newspaper articles pub- lished in the Troy Times, in 1839, and writ- ten by Hon. William Bosson, formerly of Troy, afterward a resident of Tennessee, and in his old age a resident of Greencastle, Indiana. These narratives throw much light on the early history of Miami county, and are referred to in a number of histories of Ohio, which indicate how much has been lost by the neglect of the early settlers in having no one to preserve their experience in printer's ink. Miami county owes a debt of gratitude to William Bosson, whose I GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 225 father owned tlie mills south of Troy, now operated and owned by Edwards Brothers. The reader will pardon this digression; and the writer will resume the narrative : "Han- nah Wheat, an intrepid girl, having gone to her father's cabin for some purpose, saw Indians approaching it. She at once seized a feather bed, threw it over her back and ran for the fort, several shots were fired into the bed, but it proved an efficient shield for her person." The luflians remained for some time around the fort, but finding the settlers watchful and ready for a fight, with- drew. In December, 1775, Abraham Thomas, when nineteen }'ears of age, was married and commenced housekeeping in the primiti\'e style of pioneers of that day. From 1776 to 1779 the Revolutionary war was fiercely raging and the war spirit reached the fron- tier, and the British aided and encouraged the Indians to war upon the border men of the colonies. Young Thomas bore a manly part in all the bitter contests of the border, against the British, Tories and Indians. In the meantime the fame of the rich soil and splendid bunting grounds of Ohio and Ken- tucky spread among the settlers of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and early in the spring of 1780 Abraham Thomas was one of a com- pany of brave and enterprising adventurers who, with their families, descended the Ohio ri\er in flat boats, to the falls of the river, where the city of Louisville now stands and where, at that time. General George Rogers Clark had established a strong fort. The journey was dangerous and exciting, but the party safely reached the fort. They left their families at the fort and went into the interior to select homes. They were at- tacked by the Indians and two of the party killed. The Indians o-reatlv outnumbered them, and they retreated to the nearest blockhouse, which was then called Fisher's Station. Soon after, the Indians returned across the Ohio, and the party went to the woods, built cabins, planted corn and re- turned to Louisville for their families. In the summer of 1780 General Clark organized an expedition with the object of destroying the Indian villages on Mad river, situated about four miles southwest of Springfield, the county seat of Clark county. These villages were called Piqua, and it was there, in 1768, the celebrated Indian chief, Tecum- seh, was born. Abraham Thomas joined the expedition and as one of the best evi- dences of his standing among the Indian fighters of Kentucky, he was, although only twenty-five years of age, selected by General Clark to act with the celebrated Daniel Boone as a scout for the army. TIt; anny reached the mouth of Licking river, and here the writer follows the narrative of Abra- ham Thomas. "Before the boats crossed to the Indian side, Daniel Boone and myself were taken in the foremost boat, and landed above a small cut in the bank, opposite the mouth of the Licking; we were required to spy the woods for Indian signs. I was much younger than Boone, and ran up the bank in great glee and cut into a beech tree with my tomahawk, which I verily believe was the first tree cut into by a white man on the pres- ent site of Cincinnati." After establishing a fort and cabins for a small garrison and stores for the same, the army under General Clark started for Mad river. After a hard march they reached the Indian towns and in a severe battle defeated the Indians, and de- stroyed their villages and corn fields in such a complete manner that the Indians forever abandoned the site of their old homes. The expedition returned to the fort at the falls 22(5 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ot the Oliio, and Abraham Thomas returned to his family. After corn-]3lanting in 1782. he vohinteered in an expedition under Gen- eral Clark for the purpose of destroying the Indian villages on the Great Miami river, near the present site of Piqua, Miami county, Ohio. The army consisted of one thousand men, and after a weary march they crossed Mad river, near the present site of Dayton, and marched on the east side of the Miami river until they reached a ford not far from the present site of Allen's Mills. There the army was discovered by a party of Indians traveling from Indian villages near the pres- ent site of Greenville to the Piqua towns. The Indians fled, leaving their squaws and pappooses in the hands of the soldiers, and among them was a white woman by the name of McFall wlio had been captured by the Indians in Kentucky. She was restored to her friends. When the army reached the Piqua towns the Indians, panic stricken, had fled, but General Clark destroyed the towns and corn fields, and also sent a party, of \\bich Thomas was one, to ])urn and de- stroy a store on the Loramie ri\-er, kept by a Frenchman. Captain William Barbee, afterward a prominent citizen of Miami county, was with this expedition. There were five Indian warriors killed, and two soldiers of Clark's army. Here, as on Mad river, Clark made clean wnrk of destroying the towns, which were built by the Shaw- nees and Miami tribes. Fisher's Station, where Mr. Thomas had his family, was often attacked by the Indians and a number killed. Mr. Thomas did his full share of the fight- ing. In 1783 he again \c)lunteeretl and went with an army of mounted riflemen under the command of Colonels Harrod and McGara on an expedition against the ]\Iacacheeks towns near the head waters of ]\Iad ri\er, not far from where ^^'est Liberty, in Cham- paign county, is now situated. The expedi- tion was a complete success, and, with but little loss to the army, a number of Indians were killed, towns and corn fields destroyed. The success of these invasions of the Indian towns, and their destruction, had the effect of disheartening the Indians, and the set- tlers of Kentucky lived for a few years in comparati\-e security. In 1808, with a small party of neighbors, ]\Ir. Thomas em- igrated to Ohio, and settled on a farm of one hundred and si.xt}- acres, two miles south of Troy, on what is now called North-Cutt pike. On his farm he established a grave- yartl. known as Thomas cemetery. Here the dust of the old Indian fighter rests in sight of the "Blue Miami," and within a few miles of the trace he marched with Daniel Boone, as one of the scouts of the bra\e General George Rogers Clark. Above his grave, on a plain marble slab, is this modest inscription: "'Abraham Thomas died April 5, 1843, ^g^d 88 years; a Suldier of the Revolution." Many of his descend- ants are here and there in Ohio and Indiana, but in the hard grind of existence none of them ga\'e attention to preserving the mem- ory and history of their «ld pioneer ances- tor, and it was only because of the curiositv and interest of the young man, \\ illiam Bosson, in the old Indian fighter that there is preserved to Ohio and Miami county these "recollections," briefly given in a newspaper article. Abraham Thomas was a type of Daniel Boone, a splendid marksman, a good hunter, a reliable and trusty scout, a brave Indian lighter, and he was one of the pioneers of Miami county t(3 whom posterity owes a debt of gratitude. The writer will close this GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 227 sketch liy giving tlie description of the old pioneer written by Hon. W'ilham Bosson, Marcii 2~, 1S39, and pubhshed in the Troy Times : "In this neighborhood Hves one who manfully bears up under the experience of eighty-four years. He is yet playful and facetious, though dignified and tolerant ; and is altogether one of nature's finished no- blemen, such as is rarely to be met with in the more pretending, more polished and higher educated walks of life. This gentle- man has been a pioneer in the western forests from his earliest boyhood days. He bore himself manfully in the savage conflicts of early history ; and is now the contented pro- prietor of a small farm where those who can appreciate him love to partake of his frugal though liberally dispensed hospitality, while they listen with delight to his cheerful de- tails of past exposure to the privations and dangers of the wilderness. Books have never been the instructors of this sylvan warrior. Other and more hardy objects of care anil solicitude claimed his attention, yet the accuracy of his perceptions, the gener- osity of his sentiments, and the liberality of his mind, redeem him from the usual destiny of those who, like him, have passed the best years of life amidst the toils and dangers of primitive and belligerent settlements. This is Abraham Thomas, familiarly and endear- ingly called 'Father Thomas.' " JOHX KXOOP & BROTHERS. . Among the first emisTants to Miami county were the Knoop brothers, consisting of John, Benjamin. Christian and Daniel. John was the eldest. He was born in Cum- berland county, Pennsylvania, Noveml^er 8, 1767. They emigrated to Ohio, then the Northwest Territory, in 1797, and came down the Ohio in a flat boat to Fort Wash- ington, afterwards Cincinnati. Their fa- ther was of German descent and died some years before his sons removed to the west. Their mother was a native of Switzerland and emigrated to America in 173 J. When they came to Fort \Vashington early in the spring of 1797 they planted a crop of corn on Zeigler's stone-house farm about f(jur miles above Cincinnati, on land then belong- ing to John Smith. During the summer John Knoop made two excursions into the Indian country with sur\-eying parties and at that time selected the land on which he lived and died. The above statement is from an article called "Miami County Traditions," written by \\'illiam Bosson and published in the Troy Times of April 10, 1839, but notes prepared by William R. Saunders, who mar- ried the daughter of William Knoop and who li\es on the settled by John Knoop in 1797, state that the Knoop brothers came to Fort Washington in 1796 and located a tract of land in Warren county, and that in 1797, wiien, on a second excursion into the Indian country, he located on what is now section 4, Staunton township, in this coun- ty. On his return to Fort Washington they immediately made preparations for their re- moval, and in connection with other families made the journe}' up the Miami river, fol- lowing the trace road over which General Clark traveled in 1872 in his expeditions against the Indian towns of Piqua, on the Miami river, until they came to the bend of the river where the village of Staunton is now located, antl there John Knoop, his brothers Henry Girard, Benjamin Hamlet and John Tilders established a station for the security of their families. This station was called Dutch Station. It \\as a stockade 228 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. built so as to enclose the cabins of the above named settlers, and for those days it was a rather strong fort, proving an effectual protection against the Indians. It was the first permanent settlement made in Miami county. It became the stopping point for new emigrants to this portion of the Miami valley and here Jacob Knoop was born in 1798. He was the first white child born within what is now Miami county, and was the son of John and Barbara Knooji. The families in tliis station remained there until 1800. In the meantime they raised crops across the river, opposite the stockade on a prairie that had been cultivated liy the In- dian's, and was afterwards known as Gaha- gan's prairie. In the spring of 1800 the set- tlers commenced improving their land by building cabins and clearing the ground. John Kn(x>p erected on his land in 1800 a cabin with a loft to it, which is still standing, and which the writer visited a few days prior to writing this sketch. It is the oldest cabin now standing in the county of Miami and is kept in good ])reservation by Mr. Saunders and his wife. It may be a matter i>f inter- est to the readers of this sketch, to state where each of the Knoop brothers located. John settled on section 4, where the old cabin stands, near the beautiful home now occu- pied by Mr. Saunders and his wife. Ben- jamin Knoop located on the farm adjoining. Lost creek dividing the farms, and his place is owned at the present time by George and Mary Sheets. Christian Knoop located on the farm now owned l)y Presley Sayers, while Daniel Knoop located on the farm where S. D. Green at present resides. There was, and is yet, a good spring of water on each farm named. After John Knoop had Iniilt his cabin he went back to Pennsylvania after his aged mother and brought her to his new home, making the trip of fi\e hun- dred miles through the wilderness on horse- back. She died in 1805, and was burietl on the ground selected by herself only a short time before her death. Thfs was the beginning of the Knoop cemetery, where now sleep the old pioneer Knoops and their .sons and daughters, by the side of the emi- grant woman from the mountains of Switz- erland, who raised her boys in the shadow of the Alleghanies. The subject is one worthy of the poet's song as well as of the historian's pen. In the old house built in 1800 were raised seven children : Five were born beneath its clapboard roof; one son. Cieorge, the eldest, was born in Pennsylvania ii' 1795, and Jacob, the second son, in the stockade at Dutch Station. All the family — father, mother and seven children — sleep side by side "waiting the judgment day" in the beautiful Knoop cemetery on the bank of Lost creek, close l)y the old cabin of 1800; and over their graves grow the Bowers that were first propagated froTu the .seeds brought from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1797. Each one of the jjionecrs and their sons and daughters filled a place in the early settlement of tliis county and are en- titled to the gratitude of the present genera- tion. George, the eldest son, died in 1862. He was never married. He was a genial, generous, practical man and was the head of the firm of "Knoop Brothers," or, as they were usually called, "The Bachelor Knoops," the rest of the bachelors being Jacob and John H. Thomas, another son, died in the vear 18 — : William, the ytnmgest son, was born in 1812, married to Rachael A. Kerr, and reared a family of eight children. Xancy Knoop was born in 1801. and was marrieil tc Isaac Sheets in 18J4. She was the GEXEALOGICAL.AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 229 motlier of six children, three l^oys and tliree girls. Elizabeth was married to George Statler, in the year of 1829, and was the mother of two boys and one girl — Samuel K., W. S. and Harriet Statler. John Knoop, the pioneer, was an active, energetic, enterprising business man, and did much in his modest, unassuming way towards building up and improving Miami county. At an early day he erected a saw- mill and gristmill; also a distillery, and his whisky was noted for its purity. In 1816 he erected a two-story brick liuuse as a resi- dence, near the log cabin he erected in 1800. His wife, Mrs. Barbara Knoup, planted apple seeds and raised her own trees for a large orchard. One tree grew to an enor- mous size, being ten feet in circumference and branches shading over seventy feet. The fruit was similar in color and shape to the popular Maiden Blush apple, but was more acid. Pinks are growing in the cemetery in the spring and summer of 1900, the seed of which was brought to Miami comity in 1797. John and Benjamin Knoup married sisters by tlie name of Holstine. Benjamin raised a large family of sons and daughters. Daniel, a son of Benjamin Knoop, was a merchant and at an early day opened a store in Casstown. Jacob Knoop, Jr., was a surveyor by profession; was elected mayor of Troy and justice of the peace. He also was elected and served as auditor and treas- urer of Miami county. Andrew, another son, was an active business man, and be- came quite a large land holder. Jacob Knoop, Sr., the son of John Knoop, was twice elected countv commissioner; George Knoop, when only seventeen years of age, enlisted in the army and ser\ed against the British and the Indians in the war of 181 2. The Knoop brothers brought the first' sheep to Miami county, and in everything pertain- ing to agriculture and pulilic enterprise they took an active part and (hcl much to lay wide and deep the foundations for the pres- ent prosperity of this county. The whole generation were Whigs in politics, and were stanch supporters of Henry Clay. The family sent many soldiers to the front to battle for the Union and the old flag during the late Rebellion. Mrs. Henry Carver, of Troy, and Henry Knoop, of Dayton, are the only survivors of the first generation of Knoops born in Miami county. John Knoop and Colonel John Johnson, the Indian agent, a sketch of whom appears in this book, were fast friends and often vis- ited each other. The sons of John Knoop, Jacob and John H. Knoop, in 1873, pur- chased the Statler farm lying in Elizabeth township, consisting of one lumdred and sixty-three acres of land. After making some necessarv improvements, they trans- ferred it to the county of Miami in June, 1877, for a home for orphan children pro- vided the county would erect the necessary buildings. Miami county has now upon this donation of the "Bachelor Knoops" one of the finest county children's homes in the state of Ohio. The Bachelor Knoops added to the competence left them by their father, the pioneer of 1796, and when they died they left to their heirs the snug fortune of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, yet they were generous to all worthy charities. Jacob was one of the originators of the old State Bank oi Troy, which, under the national banking act, was organized into the First National Bank of Troy. In preparing this sketch of a family that had had so marked an influence upon the past of Miami county the writer is under many obligations to W. R. Saunders. i:80 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. BARTON' S. KYLE. Lieuteiiaiit-Culonel Barton S. Kyle was born in Elizabeth township, Miami county, April 7, 1825. In 1803 two brothers, Sam- uel and Thomas B. Kyle, came tii Miami county, Ohio, from Kentuck}-. each one bringing with him a Bible and an ax. They were backwoods preachers and pioneer farm- ers. In one of the first records of the Miami court of common pleas, held in Staunton, on the 4th day of Jul\-. 1807, in which Hon. Francis Dunlavy was presiding, the Judge recites : "There was produced in open court a certificate certif_\'ing that Thomas B Kyle was a regularly ordained minister, and on ap- plication a license was duly granted to said Thiimas B. Kyle to solemnize marriages ac- cording to the law." This Thomas B. Kyle was an uncle of Colonel Kyle, and Rev. Samuel Kyle was his father. Colonel Bar- ton S. Kyle had the usual experience of a boy raised on a farm in Miami county at that early day, but he managetl to procure a good education, for he was for a number of years county school examiner, serving on the board of examiners with Prof. William Edwards, whose name is yet a sacred memory with many of the leading citizens of Miami county. Colonel Kyle was a man of fine ap- pearance, large and portly, and possessed a generous, genial disposition, and was \-ery popular in this count}-. He was a very bright Mason and rec(jgnized in southern Ohio as one of the leading memliers of that ancient order. He was,a man of much more than ordinar\- ability. For six years he was chief clerk in the auditor's office of Mia:ni count}-, and at the early age of twen- ty-three years he was appointed deputy United States marshal Un- the southern dis- trict of Ohio. In 1859 he was electeil as clerk of the common-pleas court, ar.d served in that office until he entered the army. He was president of the board of education in Troy. In 1856 he was a member of the na- tional convention that nominated Gen. John C. Fremont for president. In the summer and fall of 1861 he was active in recruiting a regii-nent for the Union army, with head- quarters at Troy, Ohio. In October. 1861, the Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized and on the 2nd of October, 1 86 1, he was commissioned lieutenant-colo- nel of that regiment. It was due to his patroitism, energy and untiring zeal that the Seventy-first Ohio \'olunteer Infantry was enlisted, organized and sent to the front. He declined the colonelcy of the regiment, and was appointed lieutenant-colonel. He reported Avith his regiment at Paducah, Kentucky, in February, 1862, and soon after- ward that reginient was ordered to Pitts- burg Landing. He was a \-ig-ilant and pop- ular officer, beloved by his men. In the bloody battle of Shiloh. on the tith da}- of April, 1862, while at his post of duty, he was niortally wounded with a minie ball in his breast. He was warned by one of his officers, when the bullets were falling- thick and fast, that he was right in the range of the enemy's fire, but he would not leaxe his place. Soon after he recei\ed the fatal shot. He was conveyed to a hospital boat and died in a few hours. He died as a hero dies ; his death lamented l,y every man in his regiment. His military ser\-ice was brief, InU in that short time he won the love and confidence of his nien. Whitelaw Reid said of him, on that fatal da}' : "Ohio lost no truer, braver man that day than Lieutenant-Colduel Kvle." GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 231 COLONEL JAMES HARVEV HART. James Harvey Hart, the tliird son of Le\i Hart, a pioneer of Miami county, was born in Troy, Ohio, October i, 1814. He was educated in the Troy schools and Miami University, nf Oxford. He studied law with his brother. Judge Ralph S. Hart, and for twent}'-tive years was a pruminent law- yer in Miami county. He excelled perhaps in criminal law, both on account of his sharp insight into human nature and his elo- quence as an advocate. He had a state reputation as an orator of much more than ordinary eloquence. In 1H50 he was elected from the senatorial district of Miami, Darke and Shelby counties, as a Whig, to the Ohio state senate. In 1857 he was nom- inated for congress in the fourth con- gressional district of Ohio, but was defeated by Hon. William Allen, of Darke count\', it being impossible to overcome the large Democratic majority of the districf. in October, i86r, he enlisted in the Se\enty- first Ohio \'olunteer Regiment, and was commissioned first lieutenant and adjutant of the regiment October 7, 1861. He was promoted to major April 6, 1862, for gal- Irmtry on the bloody battlefield of Shiloh, and promoted to lieutenant-colonel on April 2, 1864. On the 15th of December, 1864, he was desperately wounded, while leading his regiment on the gallant charge up Over- ton's hill in the battle of Nashville, He was promoted to colonel of the regiment November 29, 1865, but not mustered in as such, for on the 30th of November, 1865, the regiment was mustered out, after a ser- vice of four years and two months. Thic is in brief the military history of Colonel Hart, but the writer served for many months under his command, and from per- sonal knowledge writes of his ciualities as a man and a soldier. He was one of tho.se generous-hearted men tliat ne\er knew tl;e value of a dollar, only as a medium of pro- curing pleasure for himself and friends. He was not gifted in military knowledge, and the iron rule of military discipline was irk- some to him. It was a task for him when adjutant to learn enougli of military tactics to form a regiment into line on dress parade, and when promoted to major he was much of the time on detached dut\" with a separate command. The men and company officers respected him for his bravery and good heart, and kept order in camp antl on the march, but Major Hart ne\er enforced a rigid dis- cipline. In time of battle he nex'er had but one command and that was "Forward," and he led the way. On the 25th of August, 1862, with four companies of the Sexerity- first stationed in rifie pits in the town of Dover, Tennessee, lie defeatetl the rebel Colonel Woodward, who had under h's com- mand at the time a force estimated from eight ti_) twehe liundrcd soldiers. It was the same force to which Colonel Rodney Mason had on the 17th of August surren- dered six companies of the regiment at Clarksville, Tennessee. Major Hart did not have more than one hundred and fifty effectual men in time of battle, yet without hesitation he engaged the rebel force and defeated them. He was in command of the regiment at the battle of Nashville, and when the order came to take Overton's hill, he formed the regiment, and with his usual command of "Forward," he led them on, and up the steep ascent of Overton's hill until he was shot from his horse and one-third of the regiment was wounded and killed. The men never stopped until the order to fall back was given by the general commanding, 232 GENEALOGICAL JXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. but the rebels were in retreat, and the hill was soon after in possession of the Federal troops. He went with the regiment to Texas and remained there with it through the long hot summer of 1865, and was mus- tered out with the regiment at San Antonio, Texas: but tlie regiment was not actually disbanded until its return to Camp Chase, Ohio, when the men and officers were sent home, in January, 1866. Colonel Hart was married in December. 1843. to Miss Mary H. Powers, daughter of Judge B. F. Powers, of Troy. His wife died many years before the war. leaving one daughter. !Mrs. Kate Hart Barnett, of Piqua. Ohio, a lady who inherits much of her father's talent. Colonel Hart did not long survive the war. but died in Piqua on the 20th day of December 1867. His memory is yet green and fresh in the hearts of the old veterans of the Seventv- first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. CAPT.\IN JOHN C. DRURV. John C. Drury was born in Colerain. Franklin county, Massachusetts. Of his early life the writer has but little informa- tion, but he was a man of good education, fine business capacity, with a heart full of patriotism, and as brave as he was patriotic. He served a term in the Massachusetts leg- islature. He moved with his family to Troy, Ohio, in 1855, about the time the D. & M. Railroad was built to Troy. Here he en- gaged in the mercantile business with the firm of Drury, Coolidge & Jones. He raised Company H, Eleventh Ohio \'olun- teer Infantry, under President Lincoln's first call for troops, and was commissioned cap- tain of Company H, April 20. 1861. He re-enlisted for three years. June 17, 1861, but resigned from that regiment December 19. i86r. In 1862 he raised Company B, Ninety-fourth Ohio \"olunteer Infantry, and was commissioned captain of that com- pany July 22. 1862. On the 28th of Au- gust, 1862, the regiment, without uniform or camp equipage, and without drill, was ordereil into Kentucky as part of the force to oppose General Kirby Smith's army. The Xinety-fourth in less than foriy days from its organization was in battle, and Captain Drury was therein highly commended for his bravery. On the 8th of October, 1862, he was shot dead at the head of his company in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky. The military record of Captain Drury is indeed brief, and fateful, but like many other records of the war of 1861, it is that of a man in the prime of life, comfortably situated in a good home, enlisting, fighting and dying for his country and fiag. Miami county cherishes the memory of Captain Drurv as one. of her heroes who fell at his ]3ost of dut_\- and died on the Ijattle- field. COLONEL AUGLSTUS H. COLEMAN. One of the heroes of the war of the Re- bellion whose memorv is proudly cherished by 'the citizens of Miami county is Augus- tus H. Coleman, the son of Dr. Asa and Mary Kiefer Coleman. His ancestors were of Re\olutionary stock, and in every war of the nation from that of 1776 some of the famil}' ha\e been soldiers. Colonel Coleman was born in Troy. October 29, 1829, and recei\ed his elementary educa- tion in the Trov s.chools. In June. 1847, he entered as a cadet the Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated a fine scholar, and a thorough soldier in 1851. After his graduation he returned home, and occupied himself in the peaceful life of a GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ■im farmer. \\'hen President Lincoln issued his call f(jr seventy-five thousand men, A. H. Coleman responded, and in forty-eight iiours he raised Company D, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and went with them to Columbus, Ohio, where he was unanimously chosen captain of the company, when they reached Columbus April 26, 1861. Upon the organization of the regiment he was made major, his commission hearing date April 29, 1 86 1. The regiment re-enlisted for three years, and was mustered into ser- vice on the 20th of June, 1861, and on the /th of Julv was ordered to the Kanawha valley, and attached to the division of troops commanded by General J. D. Cox. Major Coleman was promoted to the rank of lieu- tenant-colonel on the 9th of January, 1862. His military education was of great benefit to the regiment, for he was a good drill master, and in a short time had brought the command to such a high standard of drill and discipline that its reputation extended all through the army, and it was always called upon to serve when the duty was hard, and demanded the best drilled troops. There was some dissatisfaction at ihe rigid disci- pline, but when the experience of war made the men veterans they appreciated the mili- tary instructions of- the officer, and loved the man for his thoughtful care of his men and his gallant bravery. In time of danger and peril he was especially vigilant and watchful, and took every precaution against surprise, visiting his picket lines in person, and remaining near the most exposed posi- tions. On the I2th of September, 1862, the Kanawha division, under the command of General Cox, was moving on the rebel lines near Frederick City, Maryland, and in the battle the rebels captured two pieces of artillery. General Cox called to Colonel Coleman : "Will the Eleventh recover those guns?" The colonel formed his men, gave the orders, led the attack, and with a shout of defiance the gallant Ohio boys dashed at the rebels, drove them from the guns, and with the spirit of battle upon them they pressed on the rebel lines, adxanced into the city, and only halted in their bra\e and gallant charge when the enemy was de- feated and in hasty retreat. The next day the battle of South Mountain was fought, and the regifnent and its colonel won new laurels for splendid work on the field of battle. In that engagement circumstances were such that Colonel Coleman not only showed that he was an efficient commander of a regiment, Init he displayed the ability that marks a successful commander, and had his life been spared he would have soon been trusted as a general. In the l)attle of Antietam this flower of the chivalry of Miami county died while leading his regiment across the famous stone bridge. On the 7th of September an as- sault was ordered on the stone bridge, but the enemy's fire was so severe that the troops wavered and fell back. Then Lame an order from General McClellan, "Carry the bridge at all hazards." The troops were reformed, and the Eleventh Regiment was placed in front, to lead the storming party. Steadily, swiftly and with the resolution to conquer or die, Coleman led his gallant men on the bullet-swept bridge, and there was mortally wounded. Seeing their colo- nel fall, the regiment wavered for a mo- ment, and then to revenge their colonel's death, they rallied,- pressed on, crossed the bridge, scaled the bluffs and drove the rebels from their position. And thus died on the field of honor one of the bravest soldiers Miami county ever sent forth to battle for 2U GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the Union and the flag. Before the war he was married to Miss Clara Shaffer, and by this union had two children, Rachael Au- gusta and George Edwin, both of theni mar- ried and living in the state of Washington. His widow, after the war, married A. R. Byrkett, an able lawyer, and they are also living in the state of Washington. The Grand Army Post of Troy bears the name of the A. H. Coleman Post. The Women's Relief Corps bears the name of Coleman, and some time in the future the writer hopes that a monument will be erected in the pub- he square of Troy to the memory of the gallant soldiers of Miami count}- wln) fell upon the field of battle. CAPTAIN E. S. \\TLLIAMS. Elihu S. Williams was born in Bethel township, Clark county, Ohio, on the 24th of January, 1835, and is the eldest son of Rev. Henrv Williams and Elizabeth ( Petti- grew) \\'illiams. He worked upun the farm until sixteen years of age, when he started in life for himself. His education was such as could be obtained in the winter schools of the country district in which his parents resided. He worked for Major ]\Ic- Cain and Joshua Peck and John Peck, Jr., farmers, residing near Troy, until he got money enough to pay his board for a few months in Troy, when he studied and re- cited to Prof. Arnett, of Troy, until he was able to pass an examination entitling him to a teacher's certificate, which he obtained from Professor Edwards and Barton S. Kyle, county examiners for Miami county. He taught school in the winter of 1851-52 in Brandt, and in the meantime he continued his studies, reciting to Professor Thomas Harrison, of Xew Carlisle. After the end of the term he attended the academy in New Carlisle during the spring term. In the summer months he worked among the farm- ers, and then obtained another certificate from the same examiners in Troy, and taught school in the Kepper school-house during the winter of 1852-53. At the close of his term he again attended Linden Hill Academy, in New Carlisle, during the spring and fall terms, when he again went to work until he earned money enough to pay his tuition for the first and second years in the preparatory school at Antioch College, when his mone}' gave out, and he became discour- aged and gave up (much to his regret in af- ter life) his plan or rather hope of obtain- ing a collegiate education. He went to v.ork again until he earned and sa\'ed some money, when in 1858 he commenced read- ing law in the ofifice of F. P. Cuppy, of Day- ton, Ohio, antl by working in harvest fields and teaching in the winter he supported him- self until February, 1861, when he was ad- mitted to practice Iiy the supreme court of Ohio. He then went to Illinois, prospect- ing for a location, and while there Fort Sumter was fired upon. He returned to Ohio for the purpose of enlisting in an Ohio regiment, but before he reached home Ohio's quota was full. He then located in Celina, Mercer county, Ohio. W'hen the second call for troops was made he enlisted and helped raise Company A, Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and on the 5th of October, 1861, he was elected first lieuten- ant of the company and was commissioned February 14, 1862, and promoted to captain February 10, 1863. He was in the battle of Shiloh. His captain being slightly wounded on Sunday morning, he had com- mand of the company during the bloody bat- (r (^y\lJ^~^K^(kyVy'^ GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 235 tie of that day, and fought with his troops until night closed the fierce contest. Cap- tain Williams was with the brave Major Hart at Fort Donelson when the rebel colonels, Woodward and Johnston, with their commands, attacked four companies of the Seventy-first and were repulsed. He was with the regiment in all its marches and skirmishes -until September, 1863, when, although he was the fifth captain in the line of his regiment, he was sent by General Payne with three companies of the regiment and a section of artillery to take charge of the post at Carthage, Tennessee. The post was established by General George Crook with a division, and afterwards held by Gen- eral Spears with a brigade. There was a large accumulation of government stores there for the use of the army, which could not be moved on account of the low water in the Cumlierland river. The post was thirty-six miles from any other military post, and the Confederate com- mands of Colonel Hughes and Colonel Ham- ilton, estimated from one thousand to fif- teen hundred men, were in striking distance, but Captain Williams held the post until the river rose, so that the gox'ernment stores could be removed to Nashville and thus saved. His troops not only held the post, but a part of them, mounted upon horses, captured and "pressed" irom the rebels, rendered efficient service in driving the guerrillas out of the coun'try and protecting the loyal citizens of that part of Tennessee. His camp was made a recruiting station for loyal Tennesseeans and Kentuckians and by the spring of 1864 a regiment was recruited, which under the command of Colonel A. E. Garrett did effective service for the Fed- eral cause. By the request of Andrew Johnston, then military governor of Tennes- see, Captain Williams was detailed for or- ganizing troops in Tennessee, and remained in Carthage until the close of the war. After the close of the war Captain Wil- liams remained in Smith countv, Tennes- see, and engaged in the iiractice of law. He also took an active part in the reconstruc- tion of that state, and was a member of the first convention held in Xashville for that purpose. In April, 1865, he was commis- sioned attorney general of the sixth judicial district of the state, and held that position until the summer of iSf)", when he resigned to accept the Republican nomination for the legislature to represent the legislati\'e dis- trict of Sumner, Smith and Macmi coun- ties. The cami)aign which followed was exciting and at times dangerous, but he was elected bv a handsome majority, and re- ceived the largest vote ever given to a Re- publican in those counties. He served two years in what is known as the radical Re- publican legislature of Tennessee. He took an active part in the legislation of what history calls the Brownlow legislature of Tennessee, and retired at the close of the term with the confidence of his party and the respect of the people. He declined a renomination, and refused to become a can- didate for any political office. He re- mained in Tennessee until 1875, and was an acti\e worker in the Republican party, fighting the battles all the more earnestly, because the party in middle Tennessee was proscribed, persecuted and in a hopeless mi- nority. In January, 1875, he returned to Ohio and formed a partnership with his brother. Judge H. H. Williams, of Troy, to practice law, and has resided in Troy up to the pres- ent time. He continued the practice of law after Judge Williams was elected com- 236 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. moii-pleas judge until 1886, when lie was nominated by the Republicans of the third congressional district of Ohio as a candi- date for congress. The district was then regarded as Democratic by a majority of from five to eight hundred. The Demo- crats nominated Hon. R. M. Murray, a popular man, who represented the district from 1882 to 1884. After a hard-fought campaign Captain Williams was elected over Mr. Murray' by a majority of eleven hundred and thirty-three. In 1888 he was nominated by acclamation, the Democratic candidate being Hon. George W. Houk, a very talented and popular man, a leading citizen and a lawyer of Dayton, Ohio. Again there was a close campaign, and it was ex- pected that Mr. Houk would l)e elected by a fair majority : but, to the surprise of all parties, Cajjtain \Mlliams received twenty thousand nine hundred and twelve and Mr. Houk twenty thousand four hundred and ninety-seven votes. In the fifty-first congress Captain W'd- liams was a prominent member of the mili- tary committee, and made the record of an able, watchful, industrious member. At the end of the second term the district was gerrymandered, throwing Miami county in a district Democratic by thirty-five hundred majority. Captain \\'illiams was not a candidate, and has not since then been a can- didate for any office in the gift of the peo- ple. His career in congress was such that he won the reputation of being devoted to his constituents and untiring in his work for the interests of his district. When he returned to private life he en- gaged to some extent in the practice of law, but devoted most of his time to journalism, being, since the spring of 1891, engaged in the publication of the Troy Buckeye until September, 1899. when it was sold to W. C. O'Kane and A. S. Hoffman. Under his editorial management the Buckeye jjros- pered and became a valuable newsjiaper plant. It is for the present generation of the citizens of Miami county to judge of his ability as an editorial writer. In Smith county, Tennessee, Captain Williams was married, on the 31st of May, 1866, to Alice Gordon, the daughter of Dr. Wiley B. and Virginia ( Russwurm ) (jor- don. Dr. Gordon's father, before the war, was a planter and owned a large number of slaves. His wife's father was General John S. Russwurm, of Rutherford county, Ten- nessee. Dr. Gordon was a soldier in the Seminole war and a soldier innler General Sam Houst(jn in the war of Texas with. Mexico. He was a physician, earnestly devoted to his profession and died of cholera in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1849. His wife died in Rutherford county, Tennessee, in 1 84 1. Two children came to the home of Captain Williams : 01i\'e Gordon and Henry, both of whom were born in Tennes- see. The son died in Troy, December 5, 1885. The daughter, Olive G. Williams, is a graduate of the Troy High School, and for a number of years had charge of the lo- cal columns of the Buckeye. She has trav- eled extensively for a yoimg lady, and with her uncle. Judge Williams, made a trip around the world, traveling east until she arrived at her home in Troy. She is a writer of more than ordinary ability. This biographical sketch is the record of an active, busy life, full of disappoint- ments, with here and there a gleam of suc- cess. Whatever has been accomplished by Captain Williams has been due to energy, perseverance and hard work, for nature did not give him genitis, nor schools an educa- GEXB.iLOGICAL .l.XD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 237 tioii. He was never ashamed of the pov- erty of his youth, or the fact that he was a day laborer. For liim the energy of youtli and the \'igor of manhood liave passed ; tliere remains t)nly the years of old age and the hope that his life has not been a failure. JACOB ROHRER. There are heroes whose names are not inscribed upon historic page, or chanted in sweet lines of poetry, because to them never came the opportunitv for the wdtUI tn know tlieir true worth. Such men, unconscious of their own powers, do well the things that come in their way simply as a matter of duty. Their names may not awaken the admiration of the people of a state, but their neighbors and the cnmnumity in which they live recognize their abilit}- and respect and honor their judgment. Such a man is Jacob Rohrer, who is now a resident of Tippecanoe City, Miami coun- ty, Ohio, and was born on the 15th day of October, 18 15, in Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania. He is the son of Christian and Maria (Farrer) Rohrer. They had nine children, all of whom became useful and re- spected citizens. His father and grand- father, each of whom was named Christian, were born on the same farm as the subject of this sketch, which land was purchased by an ancestor from the agent of William Penn, and the farm remained in the family for one hundred and fifty years, and passed from the name of Rohrer in No\'-ember, 1878, by the death of an elder brother of Jacob Rohrer. The ancestors of Mr. Rohrer emigrated to America early in the seventeenth century. They left the mountains of Switzerland and 14 came to the colony of Pennsylvania on ac- count of the persecution of their religious lielief. .\t that time many in Europe were called to suffer and die at the stake, or to slowl}- rot and die in deep, dark dungeons, unless sooner released from their imprison- ment and life by the rack and torture so freely used by a cruel, bigoted priesthood on all who dared to worship God according to the dictates of their own heart and con- science. The Rohrers had heard of Will- iam Ponn, the Quaker, whose name is still remembered and will be as long as the Golden Rule is taught and a prayer for the brother- hood of man is offered to the God of peace and love. When Jacol) Rohrer was a boy opportu- nities for education to a country boy con- sisted in subscription schools, and fortunate was the farmer's boy who learned to "read, write and cipher to the 'Single Rule of Three." " His father died before Jacob Rohrer reached his tenth year, and his wid- owed mother needed her boys on the farm; hence his education was very limited. How- ever, he was fortunate in possessing a vigor- ous constitution, and when he grew to man- hood he was noted for his strength and ability to endure the hard work of the farm in those early days. -^ In May, 1835, Mr. Rohrer came with his mother to Ohio, and settled on a farm four miles east of Dayton, where he re- mained for seven years. In 1842 he re- moved to Miami county, and located on a farm in Monroe township, near Tippeca- noe, then a stragglin? village, which farm he had purchased from Joseph Jones in 1837 for the sum of five thousand dollars, on which he made a payment and gave his note for the balance, which he paid when due. This was his start in life, the begin- 238 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ning of a long and prosperous career. He was a successful farmer, and is now one of the largest land owners in Miami county. On Christmas day, in 1838, he was mar- ried to Elizabeth Kendig, who was l:)orn in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and was the daughter of John Kendig, an old neigh- bor in that state. When a boy Mr. Rohrer often rocked the cradle in which the baby, who afterward was his wife, slept. She was his little playmate, but in those days there was little time for romance; however, when j\Ir. Kendig moved to Ohio, it was not long until the subject of our sketch was his son- in-law. Their home was humble, and their ambition was to pay for the farm on which tliey settled. He \\orked on the farm and she in the house, and both attended Dayton market and sold eggs at three cents per dozen and butter at five cents per pound, while his farm products were sold at thirty-se\-en cents per bushel for wheat, corn at tweh'e cents per bushel, and hogs at one dollar per hundred weight. Those were the times that tried men's fortitude and perseverance. There was no income then in a farmer's home for extravagance; self-denial and strict economy was necessary to live and save a small sum for the future; but little by little this young couple accumulated until the farm was paid for and money to buy another was in bank, and thus was laid the foundation of what afterward grew into a comfortable fortune. His beloved wife, the companion of his life, who shared with him the hardships of those early days, and who was \\ith him from early manhood to a ripe old age, passed away February 2, 1894, and her body "softly lies and sweetly sleeps" in the beau- tiful cemetery near the farm where fifty- two years before was her first home in Miami county. They had three children : Mary, the wife of T. C. Leonard; Ida, the wife of A. R. Garver; and John, who married Miss Rose Benham, and is now living on the old iiome farm. Mr. Rohrer was a very successful farmer and a splendid judge of land. He is now- one of the largest land owners in ]Miami county. He has no poor farms, and when- ever he purchased a farm that was not well improved, his first building would be a large bank barn. His career as an agriculturist is evidence strong and convincing that while the profits of a farm, judiciously managed, are not large, yet they are always sure, and with proper management during the active years of life a competence for old age can always be obtained by culti\ating the soil. Although Air. Rohrer devoted the most of his time to agriculture, yet he lias given much attention to, and is largely identified with, the manufacturing interests of ]\Iiami county. He has for many years owned a controlling interest in Ford & Company's W heel Works of Tippecanoe City, and ser\ed for many years as the ])resident of the com- pan}-. He is also interested in the furni- ture factory and strawboard company of the same pake. He is a stockholder in the Troy Buggy Works and also in the Troy Carriage Works, and has also been identified with manufacturing interests in the city of i'ifiua. Mr. Rohrer's reputation as a man of sound, careful business judgment was the moving principle that caused him to be as- sociated with the banks of this county. For thirty-seven years he has been a director in the First National Bank, of Troy, and for a number of years he was the vice-president of the bank. He is also a director of the Tippecanoe National Bank, and for a num- ber of years the president of that bank. He was a director in the Firemen's Lisur- ll GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 239 ance Company, of Dayton, Ohio. He served f(_ir many years as a trustee in the Knoop's Children's Home, of Miami county, and has filled other positions of trust in his county, township and church. In politics he was a Whig, and cast his first vote for William H. Harrison, in 183G; but when that party passed into the history of "has beens" he united with the Republi- can party, in 1856, antl cast his vote for Cieneral John C. Fremont, "The Pathfinder." and has from that time to the present been an active, earnest, devoted Republican. In ■ 1S59 he was elected county commissioner, and again re-elected, and served the people of this county in that office to Novemi)er, 1865. His record in that office was char- acterized by the same practical sense and good judgment for which he has been not 2d all his life; and it is yet a trite saying in this county that "if the candidate will only make such a commissioner as Jacob Rohrer we will be satisfied." It was during his term of office that iNIiami county commenced the system of good roads, and now the county is noted in this state for her good roads, well graveled and cared for under the free-turnpike laws of Ohio. His ancestors were followers of Simon Meao, but for many years Mr. Rohrer has been a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church of Tippecanoe. In 1846 he hired the brick made and practically built the first Lutheran church in Tippecanoe, and he h.is been a church official e\-er since, and largely instrumental in building the present beauti- ful church edifice of that city, to wdiich he was a generous contributor, personally on his own account and because he regarded it as an offering to the memory of his beloved wife, who was a devoted Christian woman -and a member of that church. The 15th day of October, of this year, Mr. Rohrer will be oighty-five years of age. What changes have occurred in this nation, state and county, it is needless to dwell upon ; but it is a satisfaction to sketch an in- dividual life that has in it so much of that which is good and so little of that which is evil as the life of our subject. A man sin- gularly free from ambition, whose charac- ter for integrity is without a stain, wdiose honesty is without cjuestion, whose word has always been as good as his bond, whose judgment is respected wherever he is known. In his old age he can look back upon a life in which mistakes were few ; its pathway is not decorated with the flowers of fame, but all along its way are the little for-get-me- nots of a record of an earnest, honest, con- scientious man. E. S. \\'. LEVI HUESTOX BUCHANAN. "The proper study of mankind is man," said Pope, and aside from this, in its broader sense, what base of study and information Iiave we? Genealogical research, then, has its value, — be it in the tracing" of an ob- scure and broken line, or the following back of the course of a noble and illustrious lineage, whose men have been valorous, whose women of gentle refinement. We of this twentieth century, democratic type can- not afford to scoff at or to hold in light esteem the bearing up of a scutcheon upon whose fair face appears no sign of blot, and he should thus be the more honored who honors a noble name and the memory of no- ble deeds. The lineage of the subject of this review is one of most distinguished and in- teresting order, and no apology need be 240 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. made in reverting to this in connection witli tlie individual accomplislinients of tlie sub- ject himself. His ancestry can be traced directl}' jjack to the royal families of Europe. Hugh Capet, king of France, had a son, Robert, who also ascended the throne and was the father of the princess Adela. \\ho married Baldwin \', of Flanders, and their daughter, Princess Matilda, became the wife of Will- iam, the Conqueror, the first king of Eng- land. Their daughter. Princess Guidred of Normandy, married William de \\'arren, who was knighted earl of Surrey by Will- iam Rufus, king of England. They had a son, \^'illiam, the second earl of Warren and Surry, Vib.o married Lady Isabel dc \'er- mantlois. widow of Rcjbert, earl of Mellent, and daughter of Hubert, fourth count de Vermandois, by Lady .-Mice, his wife, and the daughter of Hugh the Great, count de Vermandois, son of Henry, first king of France, .\mong their children was Lady Adaline, nr .\da de Warren, who marrried Henry, prince of Scotland. In another branch the ancestry is traced down from Alfred, king of England, through Edward, Edmund, Edgar, Ethelred H, Edmund H, and Edward, the exiled jsrince of England, whose daughter, Margaret, became the wife of Malcolm HI of Scotland and the mother of St. Da\-id, king of Scotland, who married Lady Adaline de Warren. Their .son, David, earl of Huntington, was the father of Isa- bel, wlio married Robert, lord of Annandale, and they were the parents of Robert Bruce, earl of Carrick, whose son, Robert Bruce, became king of Scotland. The last named was the father of Mary, wife of \\'al- ter, lord high steward, and their son became Robert II, king of Scotland, who married Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Adam Mure, knight of Rt)walton. Their son, Rob- ert Stuart, duke of All^any and earl of Mon- teith and Fife and regent of Scotland, was born in 1339 and died in 1419. He married Lady Margaret, granddaughter of .Man, earl of Montieth,and their son.Murdcck Stu- art, became second duke of Albaijy and goxernor of Scotland. He married Lady Isabel, daughter of Duncan, earl of Leno.x, and their daughter. Lady Isabel Stuart, be- came the wife of Sir Walter Buchanan, twelfth laird of Buchanan. Forgallus, the one hundred and fifty- sixth monarch of all Ireland, who was killed 718, A. D., by Moroch, king of Leinster, had a son, Conchobhar, prince of Leiman, Modaidh and Londonderry, brother of Mall Frasach, one hundred and sixty-second monarch of Ireland. He died A. D. jj;^. and from him the line is traced down through Hruagain, Dungan. Cathain and Cathusach O'Cathain or O'Kyan to Der- mond O'Kyan, king of the southern part of L'lster. His son was .Vnselan Buey O'Kyan or O'Bocainain, which name has been angli- cized to the form Buchanan. He succeeded as provincial king of south Ulster and took part as a soldier of Turgesius, the Danish general, and his army at Limerick, and with his followers was compelled to flee to Scot- land, in 1016. Soon afterward he entered the service of King Malcolm II against the Danes. He so signalized himself in his monarch's service that he gained from him many grants of lanil in the northern part of Scotland as a reward, among which were the lands of Pitwhonidy and Strathyre, and was recognized as the first laird of Buchan- an. He married the daughter of the laird of Denniestown and their son, John, the sec- ond laird of Buchanan, w-as the next in the line of descent, which is traced down GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 241 thnnigh Anselan, Walter, Gerald, McBeath and Anselan, all of whom were lairds of Buchanan. The last named was chamher- lain to Maldwin, earl of Lenox, in 1225, and obtained a charter from him for an island in Loch Lomond, which he called Clare- inch, the slnghorn or war cry of the family of Buchanan. His son, Gilbert Buchanan, the eighth laird of Buchanan, was the first to assume the surname. He succeeded his father as seneschal or chamberlain to the earl of Lenox. His son, Sir Maurice Buchanan, knight and the ninth laird, was the father of Sir Maurice Buchanan, who became the tenth laird and married the second daughter of Sir John de Menteith, who died in 1324, and was the second son of Walter Stuart, earl of Menteith in 1258. The third son of Walter Stuart was lord high steward of Scotland, and his wife, Lady Beatrice, daugh- ter of Gilchrist, earl of Angus, and his wife, daughter of Maritius, earl of Menteith. Walter Buchanan, knight, and eleventh laird of Buchanan, had a son, John Buchanan He married Lady Janet, the daughter of John Buchanan, laird of Lenny, and their son. Sir Walter Buchanan, knight and laird of Buchanan and of Lenny, married Lady Isabella Stewart, granddaughter of Mur- doch, second duke of Albany and governor of Scotland. Thomas Buchanan was the third son and younger brother of Patrick, thirteenth laird of Buchanan, from whom he had, in 1461, a grant of the lands of Gartincober. In 1476 he was the first laird of Carbeth. His son, John Buchanan of Easter-Ballat, is a second son and the younger brother of Thomas, second laird of Carl>eth, died before his brother, leaving a son, Thomas Buchanan, who succeeded as th'rd laird of Carbeth, in 1555. By his sec- ond wife, Janet, a daughter of the laird of Buchanan, he had a son, John Buchanan, of Gartincober, eldest son, who was a half brother of Thomas, fourth laird of Carbeth and a brother of William Buchanan of Blairnborn, whose grandson, Archibald Bu- chanan, settled in Virginia. Among the members of the family there is a tradition that at an early date there came from Scotland to America three broth- ers: \\'illiam Buchanan, who settled in Pennsylvania ; James, who took up his aliode in Virginia, and John or George, who be- came a resident of Tennessee. James Bu- chanan, of Rockbridge county, Virginia, married Isabella Hall and lived on land which was part of the Ben Burden grant from the crown of England. They had eleven children, as follows: William lived and died on the old homestead ; James, who located near the present site of Lockington, Shelby count}', Ohio, was married and about 1840 removed to Elkhart, Noble county, Indiana, where he and his wife died; An- drew emigrated to Kentucky and served in a company of mounted volunteers in the service of the L'nited States for seventy days in the expedition under command of Major-General William Henry Harrison near Canada in the war of 18 12, when that company was attached to the Fourth Regi- ment of Kentucky Volunteers, performing his duties faithfully as a soldier, and was honorably discharged from the service on the 8th of November, 181 3. Later he re- moved to Missouri. He w-as married and his son, James Archibald, resided in Indian- apolis, Indiana, in the early '60s. Later he lived for a short time in Piqua, but after- ward returned to Indiana. George was the next of the famil>-. John, who remained on the old homestead in Virginia, married Rhoda Corby, of Augusta county. Virginia, 242 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and had a family of eight children. In 1859- 60 he visited Ohio, accompanied b}- his son, John Rice. Jane became the wife of James Parks. Mary became Mrs. Walker and aft- erward married John Rice. Isabel became Mrs. Scroggan. Hannah married Adam Reed, of Eaton, Ohio. Xancy married John Acton, of Eaton. Paxi \\'asliington mar- ried Samuel Pettigrew. Colonel George Buchanan, the grandfa- ther of our subject, was born in Rockbridge county, \''irginia, not far from the natural bridge, April 27,. 1781. He was the fourth son of James and Isabel ( Hall ) Buchanan. On the 23d of June; 1803, he married Nancy Cassady, who was born in Rockbridge coun- ty December 16, 1782. They came across the mountains on horseback and settled in Marietta. Ohio, whence they removed to Deerfield, W'arren county, where their first child, James Harvey, was born December 20, 1804. The following year they removed to \^'est Milton, Miami county, where they remained until after the Indian war of 1812. During the t'me of that war George Bu- chanan raised a company of ^•olunteers and received a commission as captain, having his company enrolled, drilled and ready for ser\ice before the formal declaration of war was made. For the protection of the settlers he built a block house or fort, which was called Fort Buchanan, cm the present site of Covington. For some time he and his command occupied that fort. He was also stationed at Greenville for a part of the time and after the war he served as an officer in the militia in the early days of Miami coun- ty. He was a man of great courage and in- tegrity, strong and fearless and of decided character, and a natural leader, who was rec- ognized as a very energetic and useful man in ci\il as well as military circles. He pur- chased a farm on section 6. Newberry town- ship, whither he removed his family in 1830, there residing until July 20, 1862, when he died, respected by all who knew him. Th.e old sword and epaulets worn by Colonel George Buchanan are now in ])ossession of George David Buchanan, of Sidney, Ohio. Their presentation to the present owner was made in a very impressive manner. In the summer of 1861, just a few weeks before his death, when he had grown too feeble to walk without help, he left his bed and crept on his hands and knees up the stairway. True to the character of the successful army officer, he did not make known to any one the purpose of his mission up stairs, but a little later he came into the room where the family were assembled and addressing his grandson, whom he always called ly his middle name, said : "David, I have brought down my sword and epaulets, which I car- ried in the war of 181 2, and placed them in the bureau drawer of the west room. You will find them in the second drawer from the l)(itt<;im. I jiresent them to you as a keepsake to remember me by. I want \ou to keep them as long as you li\'e. The sword is in its scabbard and I want you never to unsheath it unless in defense of vour country." The children of Cofonel George and Xancy (Cassady) Buchanan were: James, who was Ixirn December 20, 1804, and was married January 5, 1826, to Joanna Hall, eldest daughter of \\"illiam and Mary ( Cam- mack) Hall: George Washington, who was born December 21, 1805, and died in in- fancy: William Madison, who was bom r'ebruarv 10, 1807, and died in infancy; .\lexander Hueston. who was born Octo- ber 26, 1809. and died in infancy: Isabella, who was born Tanuarv 11. i8ii, and be- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 243 came the wife of Xathan W. Perry April 30. 1829. and (lied Ma}' \2. 1854: Mary, of Rochester. Indiana, who married Fred- erick Sinks, and after his death wedded -Adolphus Stone; John Harrison, who was a twin brother of Mary, and died in in- fancy; Eliza Jane, who was born Januar)' 31, 1815, and is the deceased wife of George Dively, her death having; occurred May j8, 1892: Nancy, who was horn April 16, 1816, and died in November. 1886. and was the wife of James McClary ; David Jackson; Hannah La\inia. of Macy. Indiana, who was born Ma}- 21, 1819, and became the wife of Job Stahl, and after his tleath wedded AV. A. Horton ; and Cynthia Ann, who was horn May 15, 1822. and died October 18. 1848. James Har\ey Buchanan, the eldest child of Colonel George Buchanan, was married January 5, 1826. to Joanna, the eldest daughter nf William and Mary (Cammack) Hall. Her father was born in the Newberry district of South Carolina March 29. 1763. and died March 3. 1858. when nearly ninety- five years of age. His wife, born October 12, 1775, died March 4, 1850. in her sev- ent}-fifth }-ear. They were married in Oc- tober, 1792. in North Carolina, and their children were James, who was born De- cember 2y, 1794, and died December 13, 1854; John, who \\as born January 8, 1797, and died February 12, 181 2; Joanna, born November i, 1799, and died April 17, 1S78; Dorothy, Ijorn May 20, 1 802, and died Feb- ruary 17, 1859; Mary, liorn February 20, 1805, and died October 18, 1874; Hannah, born No\ember i, 1807. and died April 2t,, 1850; Samuel, born March 12. 1812. and died March 27,. 1864; Sarah Ann. born September 14, 1814, and died March 12. 1874; A\'illiam Hall, born December 2y, 181 7. and died April 2, 1846. The Bu- chanan-Hall marriage was celebrated at the residence of the bride's parents in Mont- gomery county. Ohio, and on the i6th of Noxember. of the same year, tbey removed to a farm which they had previously pui^ chased in Newberry township, Miami coun- 'tv, on a part of which the Union church now stands, while adjoining this is the old liurying ground. Only a few acres of the land had been cleared and the improvements consisted of a log house of one room, in which, however, was a fireplace with a liearth of large dimensions, over which hung a long frame, which was a source of curios- ity to the children in later years. Here the young couple Ijved. developing not only their farm but also characters worthy of the highest respect. Their home was frequently the place of entertainment for ministers who visited the settlement, and oftentimes relig- icus meetings were held in their dwelling. As the years went by several additions were made to the house, a story was added and portions built, until now it is a large and roomy old homestead, rich in its memories, standing on a hill among tall trees, many of which were planted by the grandfather ; but whether the house was large or small the hearts of the inmates always extended a warm welcome to visitors and the bounti- fullv spread board furnished many an in- viting meal, for Grandmother Buchanan was well known throughout this and ad- joining counties for her superior ability as a cook, — a talent which has been inherited by her daughters. James Harve}' Buchanan was a carpenter, and in addition to building his (.)wn house and making his own furniture he frequently worked at his trade in his vi- cinity and also near West Milton, while his good wife managed the affairs of the family 244 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and farm unti-l his return. Slie was a woman of excellent executive ability, well qualified for her work. Both lived to an advanced age and witnessed the remarkable growth and im])ro\ement of the C(junty. Here amidst the \icissitudes inseparable from the pioneer life, in a home which soon became the center of art and culture, they reared the majority oi tlieir si.x children. The children of Colonel Buchanan's youngest child are: William Warren \'ol- ney, who married Phoebe Dye and has chil- dren ; George Preston, who married Eliza Gibson and afterward Susanna Tobias. ha\- ing children by both marriages: Marv, wife of John Xicholson. by whom she has two children: Mary, wife of Wesley M. Deboe; James Harvey, who died in 1848; and Xanc}- Jane, who became the wife of J. King and has children. The children of William W. \'. and Phcebe (Dye) Buchanan are: Alvin Cur- tis, who married Anabel Siioemaker and has children ; James Dorsey, who married Em- n.azetta Cox and has children : Carra Belle, wife of Jeremiah S. Shearer, by whom she lias children ; Anne Catherine, deceased ; and P'rank and Lulu, twins. The former mar- ried Olive Orchard. The children of A. C. and Anabel ( Shoe- maker ) Buchanan are : \\"arren Thomas. Mary Belle, Eva \'iola. Kate Dye. Augusta Rebecca, William Leonard. Charles Frank- lin, Marguerite, (jeorge Da\id and luuma Lstella. J. D. and lunmazetta (,Cox) Buchanan ha\e fi\e children: Bessie Pearl: John Rol)inson. deceased; Herbert Ward: Mary Helen and Edna ]\Iarie. J. S. and Belle C. Buchanan ha\e three children: J. Warren antl E.va Lulu, buth deceased, and Florence Katrina. Frank and Olive (Orchard) Buchanan have two children : Lenore and Ralph. G. P. and Mary Eliza (Gibson) Bu- chanan had three children: William Insco, who married Lulu ^^'illiams and has two children. Florence and William Donald : Ralph Lane, who married Charlotte Koster and they have a daughter. Lillian; and Alexander, the young^est, deceasetl. After the death of the mother George P. Buchanan married Susanna Tobias and has one son. who married Bessie Thompson and has three children, Jean, Hazel and James. John and Henrietta (Xicholson) Bu- chanan had two children : Emma Isadore, deceased wife of AMlliam Hart, by whom she had two children, Clarence and Eva Florence; William Preston, who married Carrie Shipley and has two daughters, Maude Blanche and Glenna Marie. A. J. and N. Jennie (Buchanan) King had a daughter, Mabel Adale. David Jackson Buchanan, the father of our subject, was born October 5, 181 7, at Milton, Miami county, and when about tweh'e years of age went with his parents to Xewberry township, where he grew to man- hood. He aided in the operation of the home farm, and when his father became too old to care for the property he asstuiied its management and continued its cultivation until 1875, when he remo\-ed to Coxington, where he lix'ed until the death of his wife, October 16, 1885, when he moved liack on the old farm, where he lived imtil his death. July 18. 1899. He married Minerva Hersh- barger. the wedding taking place in 1846. The lady was born in .\ugusta county. \'ir- ginia. in 1818. and with her parents came to Miami county. Oliio. when a little maiden of six summers. She was a daughter of John and Rachel Hershbarger. bnth natives GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 245 of Virginia, wlience they emigrated t(i Miami county in 1824, locating in New- berry township, where the fatlier entered a tract of canal land, now owned by Uriah Rhodes. He died in March. 1858. in his seventieth year, anfl his wife died May 6, 1859. at the age of sixty-nine years. Their children were as follows : Rachel .\nn. who died at the age of three years : Levi Hues- ton ; John A.; George David, a resident of Boston, Massachusetts; James E.. wlio is living in Toledo. Ohio : and ^^'illiam Perry, of Philadelphia. Levi H. Buchanan, whose name intro- duces this review, was born Februarv 10. 1849. ^"^1 ^^'''s reared amid pleasant home surroundings. He acquired his preliminary education in the Hart school. Xo. 13. and completed his studies in Covington. He was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, early becoming familiar with the labors of the 'field and meadow, and in his youth he also learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed for a time. As a companion and helpmeet on life's JDurney he chose Miss Susanna Seas, the marriage taking place in Newberry town.ship January 11. 1872. She was born March 17. 1850. near George- town. ■Miami county, and is a daughter of Jacob and Christina (Mishler) Seas, who resided in Newberry townsiiip. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan has lieen blessed with four children : Oren Francis, who was born June 2. 1873. ^^'^^^ is living in Newberry township, married Cammie Zimmerman and has one child. Otis Ray; Elmer Ray, born October 16. 1877. is at home; a son born January 9. 1881, died in infancy; Alpha Earl, bom February 4, 1890, is now attending school. About 1875 Mr. Buchanan located on his share of the old homestead farm and resides in the picturesque old residence which for many years has looked t\)rth on the sur- n unding country, a mute \\itne.~s of the changes that have occurred through the past decades. \Vhen his father died, in Cov- ington, Mr. Buchanan assumed the manage- ment of the entire farm of one hundred and sixty acres and operated it until it was di- vided, about 1882. He is an enterprising and progressive farmer and is an esteemed citizen, who is found true to every relation of life. He and his wife hold member- ship in the Dunkard church, and in his pol- itics he is a Democrat. SAMUEL S. WELLS. Samuel S. Wells is now living a retired life in Tippecanoe City and well merits the rest that is accorded him, for his life has been an active, useful and honorable one. He is numbered among the native sons of Miami count)- and is one of its oldest resi- dents, for his birth occurred in Monroe township, on the 8th of February, 1821, so that the period of his connection with the county covers seventy-nine years. His fa- ther. Silas A\'ells. was born in Albemarle count}^, ^'irginia, and spent his boyhood days in the Old Dominion. He was mar- ried there to Miss Elsie Skinner. They had two children, born in Virginia, Thomas and Richard, the latter now deceased. De- termined to seek a home in the Buckeye state, they journeyed by team to Miami cduntv in 18 19, locating in Monroe town- ship. They first lived with his father, Sam- uel Wells, who had come to Ohio a few years previous. Later Silas Wells removed to a wild tract of land, upon which he erected a log cabin, containing one room. The 246 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. upper story or loft was reached by a lad- der, the doors were hung on wooden hinges and the furniture was not only primitive, but scanty. They experienced the various hardships and trials of pioneer life, but e\entually their labors brought to them cap- ital which enabled them to add many com- forts and conveniences to their home. The father died in the eighty-second year of his age. In his family were ten children, eight sons and two daughters. Samuel S. Wells was reared on the old homestead farm until he had attained his ma- jority. He worked in the fields and meadows through the summer months and in the win- ter season pursued his education in the sub- scription schools, having to walk a mile and a half to the school house. There were also social pleasures enjoyed by the pioneers that are unknown to the citizens of this day and their busy lives were thus not unmi.xed with joy. On leaving the pareiUal roof J\lr. \\ ells began learning the cooper's trade and became an expert workman. He fol- lowed that business for altout eighteen years and then returned to the old homestead farm where he lived for three years. On the expiration of that ]ieriod he went to Shelby county, Ohio, but after a few months returned to the old homestead, where he continued for two years. He then traded his farm for property in Tippecanoe City, but afterward moved to another farm in iMonroe township, where he remained for four years. Subse(|uently he li\-ed upon still another farm, and a part of the year 1897 he spent in Tippecanoe City. Once more he became identified with agricultural pursuits, but in November, 1899, again came to Tip- pecanoe City, where he is now lixing re- tired, enjoying the rest which he has truly earned and richlv deserves. In 1843 ^I""- ^Vells was married to ]\Iiss Caroline Lavy, and to them have been born eight children : Harriet, Matilda, Emma, Margaret, Libbey, Jefferson, Walter Grant and Eva. Mr. Wells is still the owner of sixty acres of land. He has served as trus- tee of Monroe township for one term, and in politics he has long been a Democrat. He holds membership in the Christian church and takes an active interest in its work. His life has been an honorable one over which there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He is undoubtedly one of the oldest native sons of ]\Ionroe township and through the passing years has watched the continual growth and im- provement of the community, bearing his part in the work of adxancement wherever he has found an opportunity. He receives the respect of young and old, rich and poor, and this work would be incomplete with- out the record of his life. DAXIEL H. KXOOP. No name is more inseparably connected with the history of Miami county than that of the Knoop family, for its representatives have been identified with tlie growth and development of this section throughout the century. Mr. Knoop, whose name intro- duces this review, was one of the most ex- tensix'e and successful farmers in Lost Creek township, and was prominently identified with other interests and public affairs which contributed to the general prosperity and welfare of the communty. He was born at Dillsburg, near Williams Mills, in Adams county, Pennsyhania, Noxember 6, 1806, and was a son of Jacob and Frances (Hursh) Knoop, who were also natives of GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 241 the Keystone state. His grandparents were American born, but his great-grandparents were natives of Germany. Jacob Knoop Hved and died in Pennsylvania, hut tlie mother came to Oliio with her son, Daniel, and died in the Buckeye state. In their family were six children. Init all ha\e now passed away. Daniel H. Knoop spent the first twenty- four years of his life on the farm in Penn- sylvania, but in 1830 he came to Ohio. His brother, Christopher, had already come to this state, having located in Wayne coun- ty. Daniel H. Knijop made the journey on foot and returned to Pennsyh'ania in the same manner. In 1832 he again came to Ohio, this time accompanied by his mother and sister .\nn. His mother actetl as his housekeeper until his marriage. She died in Clark county, Ohio, and was buried in Black cemetery, north of New Carl'sle. The sister became the wife of Jacob Fortney and both she and her husband died in Clark county. On the first trip Mr. Knoou. of this review, joined a man at Columbus, who was a drover taking cattle to Baltimore, and worked for him for eight dollars per month. He and his mother had sold the old home- stead in Pennsylvania, but as he did not report favorably on Ohio they decided to re-pur- chase it and gave five hundred dollars more than they had received for it. In 1832, however, Mr. Knoop again came to Ohio with his mother and -sister, having the sec- . ond time sold the Pennsylvania homestead. They made the journey by wagon, bring- ing with them their household goods, con- taining an old barrel churn, which had been purchased in Baltimore in 1816 and was used in the family until after the marriage of Albert Knoop, in 1880, and it is still m his possession. Daniel Knoop purchased land in Lost Creek township, which had been entered from the government, in September, 1807, by Richard Palmer, and came into posses- sion of our subject on the 17th of Septem- ber, 1832, the transfer price being five hun- dred dollars. There has been but one trans- fer of the title, the original patent being written on parchment and signed by Thomas Jefferson, president, and James Madison, secretary of state, and is now in possession of Albert Knoop. Their first home was a frame residence, built on a stone basement. Mr. Knoop had some capital and ener- getically went forward with the work of improving his farm, his mother acting as his housekeeper until after his marriage. She then spent a portion of her time with her daughter, Ann, the wife of Jacob Fort- ney, of Clark county, where she died when well ad\-anced in years. In 1842 Mr. Knoop was married to ]\Iiss Cassa Jackson, of Elizabeth township, who was born March i, 1810, and was a daughter of William and Elizabeth ( Criddhbaugh ) Jackson, who were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Ohio at an early day. They had a family of eight children. Mr. Knoop was in the possession of a fine farm at the time of his marriage and thereon he and his wife resided throughout his business career. He, of course, carried on his farming opera- tions in primitive style in that early day. His son, Albert Knoop, can remember how the father with a few of his neighbors, reaped a field of rye, using an oldfashioned sickle, and one of the men who took part in the work was Jacob Hnfford, who is still living. He resided upon one of Mr. Knoop's farms, there making his home for twenty- one years, during which time he accumu- lated a handsome competence. Mr. Knoop 248 GEKIIALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. had one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead farm and the greater part of the land was under a liigh state of cultivation. In 1 86 1 he erected the present huildings and all of the improvements upon the place stand as monuments to his thrift and enter- prise. In early life he had learned the trade, hoth of tanner and cahinet-maker, and fre- quently made cradles and coffins for the people of the neighborhood and attended the funerals for miles around. His services as a coffin maker were in demand, especially during the cholera epidemic, which raged \-iolently in [Miami county. All alone, at midnight, he carried to his Ijurial the father of Isaac Clyne, who died of that dread dis- ease. His old account books show several interesting items, including the making of coffins, cradles, and other products of the cabinet-maker's skill. As the years ad- vanced Air. Knoop prospered in his business affairs, and in addition to the old homestead became the owner of three other farms, all in Lost Creek township, together with three hundred and sixty acres in Indiana. In company with Daniel Knoop, a re!ati\e, William Green and William Burton, he built and owned the Troy & Casstown pike. This was four miles long, was constructed in 1850 and was continued as a toll road for twenty years, proving a profitable in- vestment. ]Mr. Knoop favored the plan of the county owning the pike and extended the system. In early years he was frequent- ly called up( m to act as trustee and to various public positions of honor and trust. He was a director of the National Bank of Troy for nine years, was the director of the hydraulic works and at one time held five different directorships. He was also town- ship trustee for several terms and at all times was faithful to the countv's good. In earlv life he gave his political support to the Whig party and on its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. He cast his first vote for \Villiam Henry Har- rison, in 1834, and afterward voted for his grandson, Benjamin Harrison. In his last days he w^as a Prohibitionist and took an active interest in every mo\ement that ad- vanced the temperance cause. Fifteen vears prior to his death, he rented the farm and removed to Casstown, where lit li\-ed retired until called to the home beyond. As his children started out in life he gave to each a deed to a farm and in this way and by sale he disposed of nearl}' all of his property during his life time, and accord- ing to his own ideas. He held decided views on all questions that interested him, but never attempted to convert others. For sixty years he was connected with the Lu- theran church of Casstown, becoming one of its charter members and throughout nuich of that time acted as one of its offi- cers. He was well read, but did not enjoy aigument or dispute and was rather quiet and reserved. He was ne\er concerned in a lawsuit or .neighborhood quarrel and at- tended closely to business, and in leisure hours enjoyed the comforts of his home and the companionship of his family. In November, 1890, he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, with whom he had traveled life's journey for almost half ■ a century. She was born March i, 18 10, and was therefore in her eighty-first year. Mr. Knoop survived her until May 20, 1897, and passed away in his ninety-first year. He had retained his mental faculties un- impaired to the last and was a genial old gentleman, who received the respect and veneration which should e\er be accorded to old age. His life had l:)een a quiet, yet use- GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. £43 lul aiul lionoralile one, and over tlie record of his career there falls no shadow of wrong n(jr suspicion of evil. In the family of Daniel and Cassa Knoop were fi\-e sons : Henry C. ; Josiah ; George, who died at the age of sixteen years ; William M., who died November 24, 1899, and Albert, who is living on the old home- stead. Albert Knoop was born December 18, 1849, ^^'^^ ^^'is tlie youngest of the fam- ily. He spent the days of his childhood with his parents and pursued his education in the public schools and in the summer months aided in the work of the farm. Soon after attaining his majority he was given charge of the home farm and here has been passed his entire life. He was married, February 18, 1880, to Miss Mary Stewart, a daughter of William and Ann (Wilson) Stewart, of Elizabeth township. Their union has been blessed with four children : \\'ilbur Stewart, who died at the age of four years and four months; Walter Wellington ;W-illiam Lauren and Albert Kenneth. The parents are mem- bers of the Lutheran church, in which Mr. Knoop is serving as deacon. In the com- munity they have a very large circle of friends. Mr. Knoop's father deeded him the old homestead and they occupy the residence which was built in i860. Albert Knoop, however, has erected a new barn and has made many other valuable improvements, in- cluding the placing of two thousand rods of tile upon the wet tracts which he has thus converted into rich and arable fields. The homestead contains one hundred and si.xty acres. To this Albert Knoop has added tliirty-five acres and another small tract, so that he now has two hundred and eighteen acres, all in one body. He makes a specialty of raising corn, wheat and clover, and in addition he is engaged in feeding cattle and sheep. He has also bought and shipped hogs and other stock to some extent. He is a stockholder in the Troy National Bank and is a wide-awake antl enterprising busi- ness man, thoroughly in touch with the pro- gressive spirit of the times. He was reared in the faith of the Republican party, but for several years has \oted with the Prohibition party and has attended its county, district and state conventions. He was also in at- tendance at the national convention at Cin- cinnati. As a citizen he manifests a com- mendable interest in everything pertaining to the ui)building and ad\ancement of the count}-. All who know him esteem him for his sterling worth and he well deserves mention in connection with the history of one of the most honored pioneer families of Miami countv. HENRY CLAY KNOOP. Henry Clay Knoop is now li\-ing retired in Casstown. His entire life has been passed in Miami county and the fact that his warmest friends are numbered among those who have known him from bo\-hood is an indication that his career has ever been an upright and honorable one. He was born on the old family homestead, adjoining the vil- lage of Casstown, December 4, 1843, his parents being Daniel H. and Cassa (Jack- son) Knoop. His boyhood days were spent in the country and the work of the farm occupied most of his attention. He pur- sued his education in the public schools of the neighborho(j(l and enjoyed the sports in which boys of that time indulged. He watched with interest the progress of the war, and, in 1864, prompted by a spirit f patriotism, enlisted in Company I, One Hun- 250 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. dred and Forty-se\-enth Ohio Infantry, at Washington, for three months service. On the expiration of that period he re-enhsted, becoming a member of Company B, One Hnndred and Ninety-fourth Regiment of Oliio \^olunteers, in which lie was made sergeant. In February, 1865, the regiment v.as sent to tlie Shenandoah valley, where it was largely engaged in guard duty, spend- ing much of the time at Winchester. After Lee"s surrender it was sent to Washington and stationed in that city on guard duty throughout the summer or until October, 1865, wlien, with his command, Mr. Knoop received an honorable discharge, after about one year's service. After his return home he engaged in the operation of his father's farm on the shares until 1869. On the 23d of February of that year he was united in marriage with Miss Almeda OdafTer, of Lost Creek town- ship. She was born in that townshi]) Decem- ber 7, 1848, and was a daughter of John and Alarv (Sword) Odaflfer, hati\es of Penn- syh-ania, who came to Miami county at a vevy early day. Her parents had a family of nine children, namely: Elizalieth, wife of John Price, of Clark county, Ohio; Cath- erine, wife of M. Bennett, of Springfield, Oliio; David, deceased; Harriet, wife of J. Routzahn ; Eleanor, deceased ; Sarah, de- ceased wife of Alexander Long: Emeline, wife of William Bemer. of Iowa ; Mary, deceased wife of D. J. Whitmore; and Mrs. Knoop. Upon his marriage Mr. Knoop's father gave him one hundred and eighteen acres of land, two miles north of Casstown, and for thirty years he engaged in farming there. As his financial resources increased he made other investments of real estate, becoming the owner of a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres in the same township. At length he sold both properties and can-.e to Casstown, where he is lii\-ng retired in his pleasant home. Mr. and Mrs. Knoop had two children, but their son, Charles V., died February 2, 1897, 'it the age of twenty- six years. He was graduated in the Troy High School, in the class of 1892, and, af- ter teaching for one year in Lost Creek township, he entered the Ohio State Uni- versity as a member of the sophomore class. Although never rugged, he was very ener- getic and of a studious nature, and was well advanced in his class work. His health, howevei', at length compelled him to put aside his text-books. He contracted a hea\y cold \\hich developed into lung trouble, and, hoping to be thereb}' benefited, lie went to Texas where he spent two win- ters. The first time he returned home was on Decoration day of 1896, at which time he had apparently fully reco\'ered. He had gained much in weight and had the appear- ance of enjoying perfect health, but he soon Ijegan to fail again and once more went to Texas, Imt after a few months he was brought home, his death occurring two days later. He was a young man of excellent ability, of strong purpose and laudable am- bition, and his loss was a great blow to his family. The daughter, Mary C, was grad- uated in Wittenberg College, in the class of 1896, and is now at home with her father. The mother died after a brief illness, De- cember 13, 1899. Her many excellent char- acteristics had endeared her to all who knew her. She was devoted to her family, was a consistent member of the Lutheran church, and in her life exemplified her belief. Mr. Knoop was also a member of the Luth- eran church for many years, and for some time has held the office of deacon. He is a GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 251 member of the present board of trustees, and has fiUed tliat position. aUogether for about fifteen years. He has also been town- ship treasurer and his duties have ever been discharged in a prompt and faithful man- ner. He gave his political support to the Republican party until 1896, and was often a delegate to its conventions, but his sympa- thies were with the free sih'er people, and in consequence at the last election he voted for Bryan. It would be difficult to find a resident of Miami county more widely or favorably known than Henry Clay Knoop, who has spent his entire life here. He has therefore been a witness of much of the growth and development of the county, and has noted its wonderful progress along many lines. His active aid and co-opera- tion ha^•e been given to many movements for the public good, and he is regarded as a reliable and substantial citizen. FRED REHMERT. As the name indicates, Mr. Rehmert is of German birth. He was born near Reandel, Germany, on the 5th of February, 1848, and is the younger of two children, whose parents were John H. and Sophia (Domes) Rehmert. The father was twice married, his first union being with !\Iiss Hutteson, by whom he had three children : William ; Mary, widow of Frank Troupe, and Caro- line, widow of Henry Martin. In the Fatherland John H. Rehmert was engaged in the manufacture of knives, but after coming to America followed the blacksmith's trade. In 1853 he bade adieu to friends and native country and with his family took passage on a sailing vessel, which, after a voyage of seven weeks, dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. He thence made bis way to Dayton, antl after a few days spent in that city came to Staunton town- ship, Miami county, where he resided until called to his final rest. Mr. Rehmert, whose name introduces this review, was reared on the Ikmiic farm and since the early age of. eight years has made his own way in the world. He began working for his board and clothing, and during the winter season for two years was allowed the privilege of attending school. On the expiration of that period he was given five dollars per niDntii m comj)ensa- tion for his services. He continued to uork as a farm hand until 1863, when he began farming on his own account, operating rented land for two years. In connection with his brothers, William and Henry, he then purchased a farm of one hundred and one acres, the purchase price being eleven thousand six hundred dollars. Together they carried on business there until 1872, when Fred Rehmert moved to \\'a.-,hing-- ton township and rented a farm for six years. He then came to the place where he has since li\ed, having one hundred and tliirty-nine acres of rich land on section 2, Staunton township. He carries on general farming and tobacco growing, having from five to seven acres planted to tol^acco. He also buys and sells cattle, and in the \-arious branches of his business has met with a creditable degree of success. In 1872 Mr. Rehmert was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Myers, who was born in Troy, and their union has been blessed with two children : Charles, who as- sists in the operation of the home farm, and Minnie, the wife of John Martin. The son was married, in February, 1900, to Lena Lampman, daughter of Christopher and Lena Lampman, of Alcony, Elizabeth town- 252 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. sliip. In 1897 Mr. Rehmert was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who (lied on the 13th of June, of that year, at the age of forty-two years, her hirth having occurred on the 4th of July, 1855. On the 27th of September, 1898, he was again married, Miss Lizzie Kropp becoming his wife. She was born in Geiselberg, Bavaria, Germany, September 23, 1864. She was the daughter of Adam and Mary (Heck- man) Kropp, wlio left their native land April 9, 1871, and came direct to Troy, Miami county, arriving there May 9, 1871. 'Sh. and Mrs. Kropp are still living in Concord township, two and one-half miles west of Troy. In politics Mr. Rehmert is a Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, so that he is capable of supporting his opinions by intelligent argument. He has ser\ed as road super- visor and for about eight years acted as superintendent of about four miles of the Dayton & Carlisle pike. In religious be- lief he is a Lutheran, and at all times gives his support to those measures which are cal- culated to promote advancement along ma- terial, social, intellectual and moral lines. He is himself a self-educated and self-made man and whatever he has achieved in life is due to his own well-directed efforts. He has won a creditable position as a leading" and reliable agriculturist of Staunton town- ship, and his home stands as a monument to his thrift and enterprise. WILLIA.M H. BAILEY. Prominently connected with the indus- trial interests of Piqua is William H. Bailey, who is the efficient and capable manager of the Piqua rolling mill. A native of Penn- sylvania, his birth occurred in Pittsburg, on the 26th of July, 1844. His father, Thomas Bailey, was a native of England, in which countrv the grandfather owned a large fac- tory. The father was reared in the land of his birth, and afterward became manager of a silk factor}^, holding that position until 1839, when he crossed the Atlantic ti> the new world, believing that he might better his financial condition in the "land of the free," Taking up his abode in Pittsburg, he engaged in the dry goods and notion busi- ness for several years. He then purchased a farm in \\'estmoreland county. Pennsyl- vania, wishing to rear his family away from the detrimental influences of the city. He spent the greater part of his remaining days there and died at the ripe old age of eighty years. He was quite successful in his busi- ness affairs, accumulating a comfortable competency. He was a Democrat, but never took an active part in politics, and re- ligiously he was connected with the Episco- pal cluu'ch. He married Ann Elizabeth Thompson, a native of England, in which country their marriage was celebrated. She survived her husband fifteen years and passed away at the age of eighty. She, too, was a member of the Episcopalian church and was very active in its work. She had eight children, two of whom were born in Eng- land and six in America. Fi\-e of the number are now deceased and three are yet living, namely : Martha, wife of James Hunter, of Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania; William H. ; and Thomas, who is connected with the rolling mills of Alexan- dria, Indiana. William H. Bailey spent his life on his father's farm between the ages of eight and seventeen years, and during that period pur- sued his education in the common schools. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 255 At a later day. he secured employment in a rolling mill in Pittsburg, occupying a very humljle position, Init lis close application to business, his trustworthiness and efficiency won him promotion from time to time. He remained with his first employers for twenty-two years, and at the time he sev- ered his connection with that firm he was in charge of a department. He left that position in order to accept the superintend- ency of a rolling mill in Pittsburg, and for ten years was manager of the Republic iron works. Removing westward, he then ac- cepted the management of the Midland steel works at ^luncie, Indiana, successfully con- ducting that industry for tliree years. On the 27th of June, 1895, he came to P^iqua and took charge of the mills at this place, and has since been manager of the extensive industrial concern with which he is now con- nected. He has never missed a day since accepting his present position, and has care- fully guided tlie interests and affairs of the mill, his reliability being recognized by the company, who repose the utmost confidence in him and entertain for him the highest re- gard. On the 2^d of July, 1868, in Pittsburg, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss Vinie Craig, of that city, and their union has been blessed with three children : George 1 ., who tra\-els throughout the United States as a salesman for the Republic Iron & Steel Company, of Chicago; Annie, at home; and Viola P., the wife of W. Edward Clark, who is in the engraving business in Pittsburg. Mr. Bailey served on the election board while residing in Pittsburg, and is a Re- publican in his political affiliations when questions of state and national importance are involved, but at local elections, where no issue is up before the people, he votes 15 lor the men whom he regards as best quali- fied to care for tlie business affairs of the municipality. Socially he is connected with Delaware Lodge, Xo. 46, F. & A. M., of Muiicie, Indiana, and with Silver Shield •Lodge, No. 403, K. of I'., of 2^Iuncie, of which he was treasurer. In May, 1900, he became a member of the Elks at Piqua. He and his family are members of the Episco- p>al church. Mr. Bailey is a man of strong force of character, earnest and reliable, and at all times he is wortliy of the public trust and confidence. WILLIAM PATTY, M. D. Certain characteristics are indispensable to the successful physician. He must not only possess a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of medicine, but must be very accurate in applying its principles and must have an abiding sympathy, which is the out- come of an earnest desire to help his fellow men by alleviating human suffering. As Dr. Patty is wanting in none of these re- quirements, he has won prestige as a repre- sentative of the calling to which his energies have been devoted through life. He was born in Butler township, Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio, December 30, 1827, and is a son of Charles and Phoebe (Pearson) Patty, both natives of South Carolina, in which state their marriage was celebrated. In 1808 they joined a party of emigrants and made then- way to Miami county, Ohio, but afterward moved to Montgomery county. The Doc- tor's father was a poor man and began work- ing on a farm by the day or month in order to support his family. When, through his earnest labors, he had acquired a little cap- ital, he purchased land, becoming the owner 256 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of the farm upon which the Doctor was horn. There was a log house upon the place and the land was somewhat impro\-ed. He con- tinued its cultivation until 1843. \vhen he came to Miami county and purchased the farm in Newton township now owned liy Joshua Coates. There he carried on agri- cultural pursuits until his death, which oc- curred September 23, 1848. In his busi- ness affairs he had been \-ery sucessful and at his death he left an estate valued at over thirty-five thousand dollars. His life dem- onstrates the possibilities that lie before all who are ambitious and desire to succeed and who are not afraid of hard work. He not only operated his farm, but also conducted i> store in Xewton township, and his industry and business fiualifications brought to him a very desirable financial reward. He died at the age of sixty years, and in his death the community lost one of its valued citi- zens. His wife was born August 5, 1768. This worthy couple had the following named children : Mary, who was born in July, 1808. and became the wife of Benjamin Fur- nas; Rebecca, who was born in March, 18 10, and died at the age of twelve years; James, born March 12, 181 2; Enoch, born Novem- ber 8, 1814; John, born April 15, 18 17; Annie, born April 15, 1820; Mark, born April 20, 1825; William, born December 30, 1827; and Phoebe, who was born April 16, 1830, and is the widow of Levi Jay. She makes her home in Lyons, Kansas, and she and her brothers, Mark and \\'illiani, are now the only living representatives of the family. Mark Patty spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm, and in 1849. when news of the discovery of gold on the Pa- cific slope was received, he became imbued with a desire to try his fortune there. Ac- cordingly he made his way to New York and thence to California, landing at San Francisco, where he engaged in prospecting and mining for a year. He then returned to Ohio and continued his residence in this state until 1857, when he went to Kansas. He was a member of the "vigilant commit- tee,' of that state and took an active part in the development of the locality in which he made his home. He entered land near Madison and was engaged in the stock busi- ness until 1873. when he removed to Joplin, Missouri, where he was connected with zinc and lead mining for four years. He then sold his interests in those mines and be- came owner of some copper mines, which he operated for two years. On the expira- tion of that i)eriotl he tra\-eled by team to ■Colorado, and on the south fork of the Ar- kansas river was engaged in prospecting and mining for two years. He next went to New ]\lexico by team, and in that terri- tory \\as engaged in prospecting and mining for six years. On leaving that place he took up his abode at San Diego, California, where he has conducted a ranch for two years, and has also carried on mining. Dr. Patty, whose name introduces this record, has been dependent upon his own resources from an early age. He began teaching school at the age of se\enteen years, and followed that pursuit through the winter months for five seasons, while in the summer he worked upon the home farm. He had early become familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and was an able assist- ant in planting and harvesting the crops; but not wishing to make that pursuit his life work he determined to enter the medi- cal profession, and at the age of twenty he became a student in the office of Dr. Bear, GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 257 of Vandalia, Ohio, with whom he remained for one year. On the expiration of that period he entered the Cincinnati Eclectic Medical College, in which he was a student during the scholastic year of 1853-54. He next went to Pattytown, Ohio, where he en- gaged in farming and also operated a saw- mill from 1854 until i860. In the latter year he located at Laura, Miami county, where he began the practice of medicine, and in 1866 he came to Pleasant Hill, where he has since made his home. The Doctor was married in February, 1849, to Miss Sarah Jane Dowell, daughter of Charles and Nancy Dowell. Her father, Charles Dowell, emigrated to Ohio from North Carolina at an early date in the set- tlement of this county. Nancy Dowell was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and her father was Solomon ^Yaymire, a prominent citizen of that county. Unto Dr. Patty and his wife were born fi\e children: Charles M. ; Horace, Mary B. and Edgar : the last three named, are deceased; and William O. The mother of these children died May 22, 1892, and on the 1st of April, 1894, the Doctor was united in marriage to Mary J. Beech. In connection with his- practice he was financially interested in a grain elevator at Pleasant Hill from 1879 until 1883. His time and attention, however, has been given almost entirely to the practice of medicine since his graduation, and he has met with desirable success in his chosen calling. He has always kept abreast with the progress which has been made by the followers of the medical profession, and his labors have been attended with excellent results. His skill and ability are widely recognized and his patronage has been justly merited. In conversing with the Doctor the writer learned that he was originally a member of the Society of Friends, but in his marriage he married contrary to the discipline of that organization and was therefore disowned from being a member of that church. Hold- ing liberal views on the subject of religion he united with the Christian church, which has no creed but the Bible. He said he thought he was making a great adxance in the way of reform and progressive and lib- eral Christianity, but experience has taught him that churches do not move forward with advance only when such thought becomes popular so that it is a necessity to their ex- istence. He believes that the time has come "when churches should advocate the father- hood of God and the brotherhood of men, and that they should not use the de\-il and hell to frighten the people but should teach that there is an omnipresent God in whom we live and ha\e our being." In 1863 he received a commission from Governor Todd as captain of Company B, First Regiment, Ohio ^Mounted Infantry, in Miami county. In 1865 he was elected a member of the Ohio State Eclectic Medical Association, and in 1865-66 he attended the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, and received his diploma as a physician and graduate of that institute. In 1880 he was elected a director of the Dayton, Covington & Toledo Railroad Company. He has always taken an active part in c\erything pertaining to the welfare of the city, has co-operated in many movements for the public good, and from 1893 u'^til 1899 he was the efficient and honored mayor of the town. His administration was pro- gressive and practical, and won him the commendation of all concerned. In poli- tics he has ever been independent. So- cially he is a member of the Masonic order of Pleasant Hill. His record is that of a 258 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. man who lias Ijy his own unaided efforts worked his way upward to a position of af- tiuence. His life has been one of industry and perseverance, and h's capahiHty ami fidelity have gained for him the support and confidence of the community in which he hves. Without the aid of influence or ■wealth, he has risen to a position among the prominent men of his community, and his iiative ability and personal energy have gained for him a competence and the respect and confidence of all who know him. ^lany may differ from liim in religion and poli- tics, but all concede and respect the honesty of the men. e. s. w. JOHN E. SMITH. The present efticient and popular mayor of Piqua, Ohio, is a man whose worth and ability have gained him success, honor and pul)lic confidence. He is a gentleman of refinement and culture, and his de\-otion to the public welfare has made him a \alu;d factor in public life. Mr. Smith was born in Paris, Kentucky, March 28, 1836, and is a son of the Rev. Luther and Lucretia (Caldwell ) Smith, the former a native of Hollis, Xew Hampshire, the latter of Kentuck}-. His paternal grand- father was Rev. Eli Smith, a Congregational minister. John E. Smith of this review spent his vouth in Logan county, Ohio, where he attended the district schools and later the L'nion school, at West Liberty, and completed his education at the Geneva College, at Northwood, Logan county, Ohio. On leaving school he embarked in mercantile business at West Liberty, and on the 17th of June, 1858, he was united in marriage with Miss Isabel Glover, a daughter of J. M. Glover, of that place. To them have been born the following children : M. Glover: Smith, cashier in the Third Na- tional Bank, of Picjua; Luther C, a lumber- man in Kentucky; William L., a photogra- pher of St. Hilary's, Ohio; Isabelle G., wife of C. H. Bryan, of Colorado Springs, Colo- rado ; and Thomas. Eugene and Dwight, who died in childhood. After his marriage Mr. Smith continued to engage in mercantile business at West Liberty for a number of years, but finally disposed of his interests there and moved to his farm in Logan county, where he made his home for ten years, his time and atten- tion being principally devoted to the breed- ing of short horn cattle. In 1894 he came to Pic|ua, and has since taken an active and prominent part in public affairs. Pie is a pronounced Democrat in politics, and on that ticket was elected mayor of the city in 1897 and re-elected in 1899, being the present incumbent. He has proved a very capable and poiHiIar oflicer, as he is aft'able and cour- teous in manner and possesses that essential (qualification to success in public life, that of making friends readily and of strength- ening the ties of all friendships as time ad- ances. Religiously he is a member of the First Presbyterian church of Piqua. His wife passed away May 22, 1900, leaving a large circle of friends and acciuaintances to mourn her loss. ELLIS H. KERR. Ellis Hamilton Kerr, attorney-at-law of Tippecanoe City, Ohio, was born in Van- dalia, Montgomery county, Ohio, February 10, 1855. He is the son of Jonathan T. and IMatilda (\\'estlake) Kerr. The father of our subject was the son of James Kerr, a soldier in the war of 1812, w'ho married Sal- GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 2-59 lie Thompson, wliose thrilling and eventful history is one of interest to the descendants of the early settlers of Miami county. His grandfather, George Kerr, was born in the count of Kerry, Ireland, and emigrated to America previous to the Revolutionary war, in which he took part as a soldier in the Continental army. After the war was over, he came to Ohio and was one of the first settlers in Marietta, and later, in 1813, removed to Lebanon. Ohio. The father of E. H. Kerr removed from \'andalia to Lost Creek township, in this county, and from there in 1862 removed to Monroe township, in this county, and settled on a farm in sec- tion 16 of that township. On that farm E. H. Kerr passed his boy- hood years, receiving what education he could fr(jm the country schools. He re- ceived a certificate to teach school at eight- een years of age and taught school for two winters. He was married to i\Iiss Etta Tenny. of Vandalia. Ohio. September 27, 1874. She received her education in the common schools of Ohio, and was a successful teacher. There have been born to this union three children : Loran A., Vera Mae and Raymond A. With a worthy ambition Mv. Kerr and his wife were determined to give their children a good education. The eldest son-, Loran A., completed the classical course and was grad- uated at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, in the class of 1900. The only daughter, Vera Mae, graduated at the Ohio Wesleyan University in the class of 1899, and also graduated in the classical course at Boston University in the class of igoo. The youngest son, Raymond A., is a student in the Ohio Wesleyan University, and will graduate in the class of 1902. In 1879. at the age of twenty-four years, Ellis H. Kerr removed to Tippecanoe and read law with his brother, J. A. Kerr, and afterwards entered the Cincinnati Law School, in which he was graduated with the class of 1885. He formed a partnership with his brother, J. A. Kerr, which contin- ued until January i, 1891. Since that date lie has had no partner, but by close attention to his business he has succeeded in building up a good paying clientage and his practice extends to all the courts of the state and in the United States courts. He has been connected with a number of very important cases. One of much local fame was the case of John W. Underwood versus the vil- lage of Tippecanoe, involving the liability of municipal corporations for defective streets, which was carried through all the courts to the supreme court of the state, and he was successful in every court. He also was one of the attorneys in defense in the celebrated case of the state of Ohio versus Jefferson Shank, indicted for murder in the first de- gree, which occupied tlie common pleas court of Miami county lor three weeks and at- tracted much public attention. Mr. Kerr is noted for his fidelity to his clients, the zeal and energy with which he prosecutes or defends everv case entrusted to his care, and although living in a village six miles from the county seat, he has. a large and lucrative practice, and stands high with the Mimi county bar as an able and honest law- yer, and has made and saved in his practice a handsome competence. In politics Mr. Kerr is a Democrat, and while not an extreme paitisan he takes an active part in every campaign. He has been nominated by his party for prosecuting at- torney and probate judge, and in each cam- paign received the full party vote with an addition of personal friends from other par- 260 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ties. He has ser\ecl five terms as mayor of Tippecanoe City, wliich is Republican in its politics. Twice he was elected without opposition. He has served as city solicitor four years. 'Sir. Kerr is in the prime of his manhood and is a man of high morality and sterling worth. His children are educated, and before him is a bright future. E. S. W. JACOB HORTHER. Jacob Horther was born in Germany, in the province of Bavaria, on the 26th of June. 1823. His boyhood days were spent upon a farm, and in 1845 '''^ sailed for America, having determined to seek a home and for- tune in the new world, of whose advantages and privileges he had heard such favorable reports. After forty-two days spent upon the water the vessel in which he took passage reached New York harbor, and a few days later he arri\-ed in Cincinnati. From that, place he made his way to Brookville, Indi- ana, where he learned the cooper's trade, and in 1847 'le removed to Hamilton, Ohio, where he was employed at his trade as fore- man of a shop." In 1862 he arrived in ]\Ii- amisburg. where he conducted a hotel for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased the farm upon which he now lives, and it has since been his home. Indus- try has been one of his conspicuous charac- teristics, and it is this quality which has gained him the comfortable competence which he now enjoys. His farm comprises ninety-nine acres of land in Xewton town- ship, where he carries on general farming. The soil is rich and his practical methods of culti\'ation have resulted in securing good har\ests. While in Cincinnati, in 1846, Mr. Hurth- er met an old school friend. Miss Margaret Herzog. The acquaintance was gladly re- newed and in course of time their love was plighted and they were married. Their union has been blessed with eight children : Theressa, now deceased; Catherine; Mary; Margaret; Jacob B. ; Conrad H. ; Dennis; and Louisa. For thirt_\'-fi\-e years the fam- ily have resided upon the farm which is yet their home, and as early settlers of the com- munity they are widely known. ^Mr. Hortli- er is a member of the German Lutheran church. The determination which he formed in early life to come to America he has never had cause to regret, for in this land where opportunities are unhampered he has steadily worked his way upward and has secured a comfortable home and many friends. BYRON CRAMPTOX. Byron Crampton is deserving of mention in connection with the industrial interests of Covington, where he is successfully engaged in the manufacture of boilers, and also owns a sawmill which is operated by his sons. Each legitimate industry augments the com- mercial prosperity of a comnuuiity and there- by adds to the welfare and happiness of the locality in which it is established. No longer is the history of a country a record of wars and conquests but an account of business en- terprises, and the victories now won are those of mind over matter. Every energetic and res- olute business man who conducts his enter- prise with strict regard for the ethics of c m- mercial life becomes a valuable factor in his community, and such a one is Mr. Crampt .n. A native of Richmond. \\'ayne county, Indiana, he was born on the 6th of December, 1846, and is a representative of one of the GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 2G1 old families of tliat h.icality. His grantlfa- ther, Joseph Grampton. was of Quaker faith and died near Richmond. His father. Jona- than H. Crampton, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, October \2. 1819. He ac- (juired a g(3od eihication and was a self-made man whose success in life resulted from hrs own efforts. He learned the carpenter's trade and in early life also carried on agri- cultural pursuits. He was connected with mercantile interests, as a dealer in dry goods and groceries, at Pennville, Indiana. Subse- quently he engaged in contracting and build- ing in Indianapolis, and eventually removed to Grand Rapids, !\Iichigan, becoming act- ively identified with the building interests of that city. Many substantial structures, both in the Hoosier and Badger states, stand as monuments to his thrift and ability. He died in Grand Rapids, March i, 1888. His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Sarah J. Dunham, was born in Lebanon. Ohio, anil was a daughter of Joseph Dunham, an In- dian agent at Logansport, Indiana. He was there stationed during the Indian wars and acted as commander of some troops. He was of English descent and belonged to the same family as Lord John Dunham. L'nto ]\Ir. and Mrs. Crampton were born eleven chil- dren, namel}-: Joseph, who died in i860; Samuel, who died in Richmond. Indiana; Byron; Mrs. Dunham, of Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Abraham, who died in childhootl ; Ann. wife of \\'illiam Fowler, who is living near Logansport. Indiana; Mary, wife of Henry Mvers. of Indianapolis; John, also of Indianapolis ; William, of Grand Rapids, Michigan ; Charles, of Detroit ; and Augus- ta, who died when about twenty-four years of age. Byron Crampton, whose name forms the caption of this article, acquired his prelimin- ary education in the common schools and later pursued his studies in Greenmount Col- lege. His father, a \ery intelligent man, gave him every opportunity possilile to se- cure an education, moving his family to the town for the winter months in order that his children might ha\'e the superior advantages of graded schools. The parents were of the Quaker faith and in consequence opposed tc war, so when fifteen years of age Byron Crampton ran away from home in order to enlist in Company A, Thirty-Sixth Indiana Infantry. His father, howexer, went to In- dianapolis and compelled him to return hiome, but the spirit of patriotism burned bright within his breast and he was resolved to be a soldier. Again he ran a\vay from home, this time joining Company (j, Seven- ty-First Indiana Infantry. He managed to serve that time for nineteen months when his father again compelled him to lea\-e the army. \Miile at the front, however, he had gained considerable knowledge of military life and its experiences, having been taken prisoner at Rich iMountain. Later he was paroled and returned home, \vhere he aided in raising Company L for the Sixth Indiana Cavalry. He was promised the first lieuten- ancy of the company, but unfair treatment deprived him of this honor. For some time he served on detail ser\-ice in the quarter- master's department in Indianapolis, and then was taken to his home by his father. He remained for two months, when once more he offered his services to the Union, joining Company I, Eighty-fourth Indiana Infantry, as a private for three years. He received a detailed permit as drill master and served in that capacity for eight months, after which he joined his regiment at Dal- ton. Georgia, remaining with that command throughout the Georgia campaign. He par- 262 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ticipated in twenty-six different engage- ments, including tlie l)attles of Richmond. Tunnel Hill, R(jcky Face Ridge, Daiton, Resaca, Kingston, Pumpkin \'ine Creek, Pine Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Xeal Dow Church, or Culp's Farm. Peach Tree Creek, in front of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Love- joy Station. Franklin and Xashville. Tennes- see. His regiment was discharged in Jnne. 1865, l)ut he was transferred to Company K. Fifty-Seventh Indiana Infantry, and was on duty in Texas until discharged at Vic- toria, that state, on the 14th of Deceml)er, following. AVhen the country no longer needed his services Mr. Crampton returned to his home and began wfjrk as a machinist and boiler- maker. His father operated a woolen mill, and prior to going to the front Mr. Cramp- ton was employed in the mill except when attending school. After his return from the war he was employed for a time as a railroad engineer until his marriage, which occurred in October. 1867. He then removed to a farm, but after si)ending one year in agri- cultural pursuits he accepted a position as foreman of the woolen mills at Connersville. owned by P. H. and F. F. Root. Subse- quently lie came to Covington, where he worked for one year in a woolen mill and then spent four years in the hub and spoke facti)ry. On the expiration of that period lie established and for one year operated a soap factory. Later he purchased and oper- ated a threshing machine, and has since en- gaged in that line of business in connection with his boiler-making shop, on the corner of South Main and Bridge streets. He is also agent for the r>rownwell Company of Dayton, manufacturers of steam engines, boilers and sawmills, and is agent for the Su- perior Gas Engine Company of Springfield. Ohio. He has built up an excellent trade ami his patronage is steadily and constantly increasing. In October, 1867, ]\Ir. Crampton was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Bot- torff. of Covington. She was Ijorn I\larch 17. 1S47. "i Darke county. Ohio, a daughter of Henry Bottorft', who was born in Penn- sylvania. He followed blacksmithing for a time in Darke count}'. Imt during the girl- hood of Mrs. Crampton he came to Coving- ton. In her maidenhood his wife was Mary Ingle, b.etter known as Pollv Ingle. She was a daughter of Captain Jnhn Ingle, who served in the war of 181 2. L'nto our sub- ject and his wife have been born six children, namely: Dora and Dona, twins, the former the wife of Lieutenant H. E. Finfrock. an officer in the Spanish-American war. and the latter the wife of \\'illiani Finfrock: Oscar, who was accidentally killed when sixteen years of age: W'arren B.. who married Cora B. Aspinall : William, who is at home: and r^Iamie. wife of Lewis C. Xeth. The home of the family is a very com- modious and pleasant residence, which was erected by Mr. Crampton in 1S88. Lie is a member of Langston Post. (}. A. R.. of Co\iiigtcn. and has served as its chaplain. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and for two years has served as a member of the Re- publican County central and district commit- tees, doing all in his power to insure the success of his party. A member of the Ixlethodist Episcopal chinch, he has ser\ed as assistant superintendent of the Sunday- school for seven years, and at all times gives his sui)]iort and co-operation to every move- ment calculated to pro\-e a benefit to the com- munity along social, material, educational ai.d moral lines. He is as true to-day to his duties of citizenship as when he followed the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 263 old flag upon the liattlefields of the soutli. Tlie indomitable determination which he shcnved when the country was in danger and he felt that his services were needed at the south has characterized his entire career, and has led to his success in business affairs. ALBEI^T M. ROUTSON. Among the well-to-do farmers of New- berry township. Miami county, is Albert Mack Routson. The family name was originally spelled Routzahn, which signi- fies its German origin, and his grandfather, Jacob, spelled the name Routzon. The father of our subject, Thomas Routson, was a native of b'rederick count}', Maryland, and in company with his brother George he came to Ohio, living here with his brother, who had entered land in Newberry township. Nut long afterward, however, Thomas Routson took up his abode in Covington, where he learned the tailor's trade, following that pursuit until his deatli. He was an in- dustrious, energetic man and accumulated considerable property. During the war of 1812 he was a member of the state militia, and was stationed at Covington. He was reared in the faith of the Lutheran church, and in his political titTiliations was a stanch Whig. He married Jemima Russell, whose birth occurred in Wayne township, Darke county, or in the state of North Carolina. She was a daughter of John I^ussell, who came to Darke county from South Carolina and settled in the wilderness, in what is now Wayne township, Miami county, where he spent his remaining days. ]\Irs. Routson died in Covington two weeks after the death of her husband. Their children were: Emeline, who became the wife of John Hol- comb and died in Riqua : Albert AL, of this review; and Jemima, who became the wife of Robert Chappel and died in Piqua in 1863. Albert M. Routson first opened his eyes to the light of day in Covington, on the 2d of Decemljer, 1840, and was only three years of age when left an orphan. He afterward li\-ed with his grandfather, Jacob Routzon, with whom he remained until ten years of age, after which he resided with his uncle, David Routson, in Shelby county, Ohio, for five years. Subsequently he lived with his uncle, William Fiufrock, of Clayton, in whose' store lie was employed for six years. His education was obtained in an old log school-house in Lorain township, Shelby ci;unty, and among his first teachers were Rev. George Shatf'er, Jonathan Hahn and Stephen Ballinger. He continued his edu- cation in Clayton under Jacob Knouft' and Mr. Freshour, and when eighteen years of age put aside his text-books to enter upon the practical duties of business life. He began work at the carpenter's trade as an employe of Peter Hartle, and later was in the seryice of Reuben Routson and Noah Ixouch. Durin.g the time of the ci\il war, how- ever, he put aside all personal considerations and enlisted on the 22(1 of August. 1862, as a member of Company G, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Lifantry, under Captain J. C. Celery and Colonel J. Warren Keifer. The regiment went into camp at Piqua and was ordered to Parkersburg, Virginia, but after two weeks went to Clarksburg and thence to New Creek and Moorefield. On that march \[r. Routson contracted a se\-ere cold, which was relie\-ed by a liberal use of hone)', pre- pared by his comrades. He would not have been able to ward off illness if it had not been for the canteen of '"John Barleycorn," purchased from an old woman just before 204 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. he started on tlie march. In camp at ^Nloore- field for a short time, he then started on the march with his comrades through the Shen- andoah valley. They met a company of guerrillas, witii whom they had a severe skir- mish, but ultimately reached Winchester. In the meantime Lee had avoided Hooker and vith his troops proceeded to ^^"inchester, where one of the hotly contested battles of the war occurred. On the second day of the battle, while they were retreating before the rebels, a shell burst o\-er Mr. Routson's head and threw him to the ground with great force. He with dilSculty regained his feet and staggered on, but at length reached the fort in safety. The Union troops were entirely surrounded by the Con- federates and the next day had to cut their way thr(jugh the rebel lines. Genera! Mil- roy's forces divided, part going to Harper's I'"erry and the others to Bloody Run, Penn- sylvania, Mr. Routson being with the latter division. On the 4th uf July orders were received to proceed to Gettysburg, and while on the way they met some of the Union cavalry troops who had three hundred rebel prisoners. What remained of the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment was detailed to escort the prisoners to Harrisburg and I'hiladelphia, and thence I)v steamer to Fort Delaware. Later they went to Philadelphia and Baltimore, where the One Hundred and Tenth acted as provost guard for General Tyler lor three weeks. Later they spent three weeks at Camp Tyler. In the mean- time the remainder of the regiment had gone to New York to ciuell the riots, after which the command was ordered to Culpeper, \'ir- ginia, from which place Mr. Routson went with a wagon train to Centerville Heights. The little train was shelled by the enemy- while 'Ml the wav. The regiment went into camp at Culpeper, Virginia, for the win- ter of 1863-64, and in May of the latter year proceeded to the Wilderness, where occurred the hotly contested seven-days battle. In that engagement Major McEl- vain was killed, Mr. Routson l^eing the last one with him before his death. Captain Keifer was also wounded, and the loss among the men was verv heavy. Later our subject participated in the battle of Spottsyl- vania, where General Sedgwick was killed and the troops were confined there continu- ously for days. At that place the sixth corps supported General Hancock at the "Bloody Angle." The next battle was at Cold Harbor and was followed l)y a sharp' charge at Petersburg, where they later went into v.inter quarters. The One Hundred and Tenth Regiment belonged to the sixth curjis, third division and second brigade, and it was this corps that broke the enemy's lines, while the One Hundred and Tenth regi- ment was the first over the breastworks. Mr. Routson made an important capture of a wagon and four mules, and in the wagon was a trunk which contained accoutrements for the rebel ofiicers. He opened it and took out clothing, a fife and a small Bible bound in red leather, and the last named he has still in his possession. .\t the liattle of Sailor's Run he again made a capture of a four-mule wagon. For bravery displayed on the field of battle at Petersburg he was promoted to the rank of corporal, and was given a thirty days' furlough. He then re- joined his regiment at Petersburg, and was present at Appomattox Court House at the time of Lee's surrender. He likewise par- ticipated in the battle of Fisher's Hill, was on the skirmish line and had a narrow es- cape from death. In June, 1865. he re- ceived an liunoralile discharge at Washing- GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 265 ton, D. C, and with a most creditable mili- tary record, after being mustered out at Co- lumbus, he returned to his home. Again he took up carpentering and followed that pursuit for some time. Mr. Routson was married December 15, 1868, to Miss. Susanna Hinline, of Shelby county, who died in 1869. On the 15th of September, 1872, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Maria D. Apple, of Darke county, daughter of John W. Apple. Their children are: Deberga Catherine, now the wife of Henry Reed, who resides near Piqua ; Harriet, wife of Christian Harmony, of Kirkwood, Shelby county, Ohio; Bertha Ann, wife of Peter Rhoades, who is living on the home farm ; and Marion Calvin, at home. After his first marriage Mr. Rciutson purchased ninety-nine acres of land, sixty- seven of which he still retains. He has en- gaged in farming for about thirty years and has a well de\'eloped property, the richly cultivated fields yielding to him a golden return for the care and labor he bestows upon them. In 1897 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 31st of July. He united with the Lutheran church after his second mar- riage, and in 1896 he joined the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he is a stanch Republican, unswerving in hisi allegiance to the party. As a citizen he is as true and loyal to his duties as when he followed the starry banner upon the battlefields of the south. willia:m dinsmore. William Dinsmore, one of the leading citizens of Bethel township, this county, was born September 2^. 1842. He is the son of John Johnston Dinsmore, who was boni in Fleming county, Kentucky, December i, 1805. His father, Mathew Dinsmore. was a pioneer of Boone county, Kentucky, and married Miss Margaret Johnston, whose father and brother were killed by the In- dians. At an early day Mr. and Mrs. Dins- more removed to the then territory of Ohio, and lived first in Greene county and after- wards in Montgomery county, Ohio. lu 1 8 19 he moved to Miami cotuity and settled in Brown township. He was one of the first trustees and justices of the peace elected in that township. He died in 1846,. but his farm is still in the Dinsmore family. The genealogy of the Dinsmore family is as follows : The first ancestor to which the family is traced was Robert Dinsmore, who was jjorn and reared in the mirth of Ireland and emigrated to America about the year 1766. He was married (in the nth day of September, 1766, to Jane Ganlt. He settled in Baltimore, 'Maryland, and engaged in the tannery business. His eldest child, Eliza- beth Dinsmore, was born June 10, 1768. His son John was born June 28. 1771 : Math- hew was born April 13. 1773, and Jane in February, 1775. Mathew Dinsmore pur- chased one hundred acres of land in Fleming countv, Kentucky, and li\-ed on it five years, wdien it was claimed by an older military title and he lost it. He then came to Ohio in 1807, and lived in Greene county, tw(j miles east of Fairfield. He then removed to Montgomery county, nine miles north of Dayton. He afterwards moved to ^^liami countv, and purchased a farm in Brown township as above stated. John J. Dinsmore, the father of uur sub- ject, was married March 14, 1837. to Miss }ilaria McConnaughey, daughter of David and Anna (Grimes) McConnaughey, a pio- 266 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. neer family of Bethel township. The writer knew John J. Dinsmore well and can state that he was an honest and useful man, who served for twent}'^ years as justice of the peace. He was the owner of one hundred and si.xty acres of land, well improved. He was a good farmer and an influential mem- ber of the Presbyterian church. He died June 6, 1889, respected while living and sincerely mourned when dead. His aged wife is now living with her son, William Dinsmore, possessing in a wonderful degree for one of her age her mental faculties. She has been totally blind for sixteen years and is patiently waiting for the summons to cross the river to the other shore. She is the mother of seven children : Captain Robert G. Dinsmore. who was a brave soldier and noble citizen, but is now dead; Theodore, Anna. Margaret, Albert and Frances, all of whcjui are deceased ; and iSIary Belle, wife of Nathaniel Bond, who is lixing near Frank- hn, Warren county, Ohio. William Dins- more, the subject of our sketch, was also a soldier in the civil war in the same company with his brother, namely: Company C, Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he enlisted as a private, was appointed corporal December 21, 1864, and was mus- tered out with the regiment November 30, 1865, with an hi:>norable discharge as a good and faithful soldier. Theodore and Albert were also soldiers, belonging to Com- pany B. One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry. Mr. Dinsmore, of this review, returned home and lived with his parents until he was married. June i. 1871, to Aliss Sarah Bren- ner, of Montgomery countv, Ohio. He soon afterward settled on the farm which he now owns, and which is near the farm where he Avas l)(jrn and made his home until he was married. His farm contains one hundred and sixty-two acres, well improved. He makes a specialty of butter making, and keeps a large herd of Jersej' cows. He has a family of four children : One daughter, Clare, the wife of Dr. E. E. Bohlender, of Dayton, Ohio; and three sons: Allen, who is farming the old homestead; Earl and Walter, who are living with their parents. Mr. Dinsmore is a member of the English Lutheran church, of Brandt, in which he has been an elder for ten years. William Dinsmore's life has been that of a man who i^. useful in his neighborhood, church and township, a type of the men who make this countr}' what it now is, great in peace and strong in war. He was a brave soldier and a good citizen, and of such are the bone and sinew of this great republic. E. S. W. JOHN W. MORRIS. One of the prominent representatives of the journalistic profession is the gentleman whose name heads this brief notice, the well- known proprietor and business manager of the Daily Call, of Pic^ua, Ohio, and also the present postmaster of this city. He is a nati\e of this state, born in' Eaton, Preble county, September 18, i860, and is a son of Isaac S. Morris, one of the oldest newspa- per men in the state, a sketch of whom is given elsewhere in this work. The mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Miss Edith T. Jenkins. John W. Morris passed his boyhood and youth in his native county until 1874. when he came with his father to Piqua., He at- tended the schools here until 1878-79. after which he attended Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. He then attended school GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 2(.7 at Xewlnirg, Xew York, on the Hudson, in 18S0-S1. In 1883 he established the Piqua Daily Call. Under the business manage- ment of Mr. Morris the paper has become equal to the metropolitan dailies of larger cities, having exclusively the Associated Press report. In 1898 Mr. ]\Iorris was appointed post- master of Piqua by President McKinley. and entered upon his official duties on the ist of June of that year. He is connected with various important business enterprises. So- cially he is a Mason of the thirty-second de- gree, a member of the blue lodge, chapter, Coleman Commandery, the Scottish rite and the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to Miami Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; Invincible Lodge, Xo. 176, K. P.; and Lodge Xo. 523, B. P. O. E. He ranks among the most hon- ored counselors of the Republican party in his community, and his opinions and advice are often sought on questions of the great- est importance to the city. He is deeply interested in public affairs, and gives his sup- port and influence to all enterprises which he believes calculated to advance the moral, educational or social interests of his town and county. , On the 8th of May, 1891, occurred his marriage to Miss Anna B. Stumm daugh- ter of Dr. C. W. Stumm, of Piqua. They have two children, Mary Gretchen, born March 23, 1893. and Edith, born May 11, 1895. CHARLES LEONARD WOOD. In the history of the industrial interests of Piqua which have contributed to the up- building of the city and have promoted its material progress, Charles Leonard Wood certainly deserves mention. He is asso- ciated with many of the most important business relations of the city, occupies the presidency of the Piqua Hosiery Company, is also connected with the Piqua Planing Mill & Lumber Company, is \ice-president of the Third X'ational Bank, of Piqua, and is vice-president of the Third Building & Loan Company, of Piqua. Mr. Wood is a native of Xew Hamp- shire, his birth having occurred at Hollis, on the 28th of June, 1841, his parents being Charles A. and Hannah (Wasb.er) ^\'ood. His great-grandfather, Abijah Wood, was one of the heroes who fought for the inde- pendence of the nation during the war of the Revolution. The great-grandfather was a native of Massachusetts, and his ances- tors were of English birth, emigrating from the "merrie isle" in 1629. His great-grand- father, Joshua Davis, also served in the Rev- olutionary war. The maternal great-grand- father of our subject was Peter Robertson, and he, too, was a member of ihe Colonial army and had his right hand shot off at the battle of Bunker Hill. He married Miss Mary Seaton, a descendant of the prominent Seaton family of Scotland, and their grand- daughter, Hannah, daughter of Stephen Washer, became the mother of our subject. Charles A. Wood, the father of Charles L. Wood, is a native of New Hampshire. In 1843 he removed with his family to Miami county, Ohio, where he has since resided. He is still living, in his eightieth year, but his wife, Hannah French \\'ood, died in Piqua, in 1869. Charles L. Wood is the eldest of their children. He received a goiid common school education, later attended the high school at Piqua, and, after nearly two years in New Hampshire at school, he began teaching, following that profession with 268 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. excellent success for eight years. Later he took up the study of law in the office and under tlie direction of Hon. J. F. and S. S. AIcKinnev, the former an ex-member of congress. Having mastered many of the principles of jurisprudence, Mr. Wood suc- cessfully passed an examination and was admitted to the bar in 1865. He continued in practice for one year, being associated with Colonel \V. N. Foster, of Piqua, at one time probate judge of Miami county. Having developed a liking for the manufac- turing business, he engaged in the same with his father under the firm name of C. A. and C. L. Wood. The Piqua planing mill and lumber vard, of which our subject is now proprietor, is one of the extensive business concerns of the city. Mr. Wood is now largely engaged in the manufacture of lum- ber and in handling all kinds of lumber for building purposes. The enterprise was founded in 1880, but since the father's re- tirement, in i8(ji, the enterprise has been conducted under the sole control of the present proprietor. The facilities of the house embrace extensi\'e lumber yards and a large planing mill, where lumber is received direct from the original source of supply, and sidetracks, connected with the railroad system of the city, insure the most econom- ical facilities for receiving and shipping sup- plies. The planing-mill is a stibstantial two-story brick structure, equipped with the latest and best improved machinery, and is one of the best in this section of the coun- try. The fifty horse-power engine dri\-es the machinery and employment is furnished to about fifty workmen. The products of the mill embrace sash, doors, blinds and build- ers' house trimmings and interior finishings in all kinds of hard and soft woods, together with a full line of building lumber, shin- gles and lath. The business is annually in- creasing and sales are made not only in Piqua but throughout the country. Mr. Wood is a very enterprising man, and his sagacity and keen discrimination en- able him to carry forward to successful com- pletion whatever he undertakes. He has actively co-operated in the establishment of many enterprises which have proved of great beaefit to the city, as well as to the stock- holders. He was one of the charter mem- bers of the Piqua Hosiery Company and has been its president from the organiza- tion until the present time. His capable control and wise Inisiness judgment have made it a vevy prosperous undertaking. His efforts have not ended here, however, for he is treasurer of the Kokomo Paper Com- pany and Kokomo \\'ood Pulp Company, of Kokomo. Indiana, is vice-president of the Third National Bank, of Piqua, and vice- president of the Third Building & Loan Company, of this city. In 1870 occurred the marriage of Mr. Wood and Miss Julia A. Miller, a daughter of William and Martha (Hawthorne) Mil- ler. Their union has been blessed with three children, Martha, Nellie and William, all at home. Mv. Wood is a member of the Green Street ?kIethodist Episcopal church, takes a very active interest in its work, is president of its board of trustees and su- perintendent of the Sunday school. He was for fifteen years a member of the board of education and served as its president through one decade of that time. Socially he is con- nected with Dunkirk Lodge, No. 278, F. & A. M., of Indiana; also is a Royal Arch ]Ma- son, and belongs to the board of directors of the Young Men's Christian Association. In all the relations of life he has been hon- orable and upright. He has the happy fac- GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 269 nlty of reading and judging men, possesses unusual power of organization and execu- tive atjility, and investigation into his history will show that the cause of his success will be found along the lines of well tried and old time maxims — honesty, fair dealing, promptness, trutlifulness and fidelity — and these are strictly enforced and adhered to in his business. The story of his achievement should inspire all young men \\dio read it with a truer respect for the value of char- acter. THEODORE R. DRAKE. Theodore Drake is one of the younger representatives of the farming interests of Miami cnunty, his birth having occurred on the 23d of January, 1872, on the old Drake homestead, in Washington township. His grandfather, Daniel Drake, was a native of Xew Jersey, and after his marriage there emigrated westward to Ohio, where in con- nection with his brother he entered a tract of land in Washington township. Here he built a home in the midst of the forest and began the development of a farm. His first wife died and he afterward married Susan Hillard. Throughout an active business career his time and attention were devoted to his farming interests, and he continued upon the old homestead until his demise. He was a member of the Baptist church, and in his political faith was a Democrat. His children were : John, of \\'ashington town- ship, who has been twice married, his second union being with Phoebe Stev.art; Eliza, wife of Mitchell Morrow, of Washington township; Theodore, of Washington town- ship, who wedded Annie Du Bois; Callie, wife of Frank Licklider, of Piqua ; Thomas, who married Jennie Knouft' and died in Washington township. George H. Drake, the youngest child in the family of Daniel Drake, was born and reared uiion his father's farm and educated in the usual manner of the times, pursuing his education in the public schools. He was highly respected by all who knew him, for his sterling worth and fidelity to principle commanded the respect of every one with whom he was associated in either business or social relations. He wedded Mary E., daughter of George Buckles, of JMiami coun- ty, and to them were born three children : Theodore R. ; Thoinas Frank and Harley B., both of Staunton township. The father held membership in the Baptist church, and exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy. He died September 15. 1890, respected by all who knew him, and his widow is still living in Miami county. Theodore Drake was only three months old when his parents removed from the old family homestead in Washington township to a farm in Xe wherry township. There he was reared to manhood, pursuing his ele- mentary education in the Rike school, after which he entered the Covington High School, and had almost completed the four years' course when he was obliged to return home on account of the death of his father. He was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, and throughout his life has car- ried on agricultural pursuits. On the death of his father the management of the home farm devoh'ed upon him. The i^lace com- prises one hundred and fifty-eight and a half acres of land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation. The fields are well tilled, and everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating 270 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the careful supervisiun of a progressive owner. On the loth of October. 1893. Mr. Drake was united in marriage to Miss Florence Spellman. of Covington, a daughter of Lewis Spellman. She was born in Fletcher, ■Miami county. July g, 1873, and when she was about a }-ear old her parents removed to Covington, where she grew to womanhood and completed. her education by graduation in the high school. She l^ecame a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church on the 23d of January, 1887. She died De- cember 2/, 1899, and her Christian expe- rience was touching and wonderful. In her last hours she had visions of her mother and her husband's father beckoning her to tha eternal home. Her life was quiet and unas- suming, and her death was a Christian tri- umph. She left three children — George Lewis, Irene May and Gladys Adelia. Mr. Drake voted with the Democracy, keeps well informed on the issues of the day and dees all in his power to promote the growth and success of his party. He is a consistent and faithful member of the Cumberland Pres- byterian church, of Covington, in whicli he at present holds the office of deacon. JOSEPH A. SHADE. The spirit of enterprise, industry and progress which dominates this section of the country is manifested in the successful career of Mr. Shade, who is now occupying the responsible position of secretary, treas- urer and general manager of the Wright & Kuntz Lumber Company, of Piqua. He Vv'as born in Dayton, Ohio, June 30, 1855. His paternal grandfather, John Shade, was bcrn and reared in Berks county, Pennsyl- vania, and about 1S16 emigrated to Ohio, securing a. tract of timber land near Dayton. In the mid.st of the forest he developed a farm v\\^ou which he remaineil until h's death, which occurred when he was about seventy-four years of age. It is supposed that his father. Henry Shade, was a native :df German}-, but it is authent'cally known that he resided in America in colonial days and served as an officer in the Revolutionary war. His father, Joseph Shade, was also a native of ]\Iontgomery county, born Sep- tember 18, 1 8 18, and was there reared upon a farm. A\'hen a young man he engaged in tanning in Dayton, and continued to fol- low that pursuit until his death, which oc- curred February 18, 1862. Success at- tended his enterprises and he became the owner of three tanneries which proved profitable investments, his business steadily increasing, both in volume and importance, until his annual sales amounted tunt\'. and a worthy representative of an honored pioneer family. He Avas born on a farm which joined his homestead, the date of his birth 1;eing Xovember 22, 1836. His parents vrere Ishmael and Jane H. ( Ramsey) Wol- lerton, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. The family is prob- ably of \\'elsh lineage. Ishmael W'ollerton removed from the Keystone state to Mi- ami county about 1833. and on the ist of iMarch. 1836, was married to Jane H. Ram- sey, a daughter of Samuel and Ellen (Fletcher) Ramsey. Their union was blessed with two children : Zil)a C, who died in 1858, and Samuel R.. whose name in- troduces this review. The father died dur- ing the early boyhood of our subject, but the mother survived until November. 1888, p?.-ssing away at the age of se\-enty-six y;ars. During his early bcyliood Samuel R. Wollerton went to live with his maternal grandfather, Samuel Ramsey, who became a resident of Ohio in 181 1. locating at Day- ton. He was born in Pennsylvania and in that state married Ellen Fletc'.:er, a native of England, who came to America when twelve years of age. After their marriage they lo- cated in Lycoming county, whence the}- re- moved to Dayton, Ohio. In 181 7 they took up their abode in Elizabeth township, where the grandfather resided until hi.= death. In the war of 181 2 he was a soldier in FIull's army. He was a man of great energy and industrious habits, and by the aid of his sons he cleared and improved over one hundred acres of land. His home farm comprised two hundred acres. He died in September, i860, respected by all who knew him. His brother, Allen Ramsey, also came to Miami county about the time of his ar- rival, and was here married to Hannah Car- son. He then took up his abode on the McCoole farm, where he died in middle life. Flis widow afterward married again and re- moved to the west with her children. Sam- uel Ramsev had a family of nine children, but only one is now living, Harriet, the widow of Jacob W'esler, of Tippecanoe City. Samuel Wollerton spent his boyhood in the usual manner of farm lads, aiding in the work of the fields from the time that he was old enough to handle the plow. After he had arrived at man"s estate he was mar- ried, on the 24th of December, 1863, to Miss Sarah .Xnn McManus. a daughter of Benjamin and r^Iargaret McManus, who were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Miami cnuntv in the spring oT 1847. Her 302 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. fatlier was of Scotch-Irisli descent and was married in tlie Ke}'stone state. On his ar- rival in Ohio he took up his abode on what is known as the 'Squire Dye farm in Ehza- betli township, wliere he remained for twen- ty-seven years. His deatli occurred at tlie liome of his daug-hter in Tippecanoe City. as tlie result of blood poisoning, caused by an accident. He was then sixty-four years of age. The mother of Mrs. W'ollerton had died soon after her arrival in Miami comi- ty, when only thirty years of age. and Mr. McManus afterward wedded Sarah Jane W'rigley, whom he survived about two years. In his family were eight children, four of whom are still living in Miami county, namely: William, of Tippecanoe; Albert, a farmer of Monroe township; Lavinia, wife of Joseph Bouseman, of Tippecanoe City, and Iva, wife of Peter Eitlemiller, of Mon- roe townshiji. After his marriage Mr. W'ullerton pur- chased the \\'esley Heywood farm, upon which he li\ed for eight years, when, in con- nection with his mother, he purchased the old Ramsey farm, which had belonged to her father, the purchase price being one hun- dred dollars per acre. Upon the old family homesteail the mother resided until her deatli, and it was also the home of Mr. W'ol- lerton until he was called to his final rest. The house which stands u]ion the place was erectetl in 1826 by Samuel Ranisev, and addi- tions were made to it in 1855. The first part is one of the oldest homes in the county and antedates all other brick houses now stand- ing in Elizabeth township. Mr. Wollerton successfully carried on agricultural pursuits, the well tilletl fields ever indicating his care- ful supervision and his progressive methods of farming. Good buildings and modern machinery indicated that he was in touch with advanced agricultural methods and his laliors were crowned with a creditable de- gree of prosperity. Unto Mr. and ^Irs. W'ollertini were born two children: Harry H. and Jennie R.. the latter now the wife of Sedate Frey, a farmer of Bethel township. Air. \\'oller- ton was a charter member of the Cove Springs Grange and served as its treasurer from its organization until his death. His political support was gi\en the Democracy, but he never sought the honors or emolu- ments of public ofifice. He died after a \ery brief illness, on the 15th of October, 1 88 1, and the entire community mourned his loss, for he was a \alued citizen and a man whom to know was to respect and honor. Harry H. Wollerton, his only son, was l)orn in Staunton township, and was about fifteen years of age at the time of his fa- ther's death. He and his mother have since operated the farm and have remained to- getlier, for he is unmarried. His Inisiness and executive ability have enabled him to successfully control his farming interests, and he is recognized as one of the enterpris- iiig young agriculturists in Elizabeth town- ship. In addition to this lie takes great in- terest in music and is a recognized leader in musical circles in this section of the coun- t\". He is a violinist of marked ability and Conducts a little orchestra of four pieces, their services being in frequent demand at social functions and party entertainments. He teaches music, making a sj^ecialty of the violin, but performs well on many instru- ments. He possesses considerable poetic talent, and has composed several songs that iiave attracted considerable attention, one of them. "The Fate of the Battle Ship Maine," awakening particular interest among the JOHN SECREST. MARY V. (SECREST) HUSTLER. GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. S03 soldiers in Cuba. ]\Ir. Woilertoii also takes an active interest in local literary and de- bating societies and is heartily in touch with all movements and measures tending to promote the esthetic and intellectual ad- vancement of the residents of Miami countv. JOSEPH JOXES. In the first half of the nineteenth cen- tury Joseph Jones was numbered among the leading citizens of Miami county and' took an active part in its pioneer develop- ment. He was born December 31, 1788, in Frederick county, Virginia, and was a son of Joseph Jones, Sr., who was a native of the same locality and a planter and slave- holder there. In his family were four chil- dren : Rachel, Mary, Joseph and James. The subject of this sketch was reared on the old \'irginian plantation and in the early part of the nineteenth century removed to Ohio. He loyally served his country in the war of 1812, and performed services no less ardu- ous in reclaiming the wild land of Miami county for purposes of civilization. In 181 9 he entered the farm upon which his daughter, Mrs. Hustler, now lives, and he purchased of Richard Carr five hundred and forty acres of land, at five dollars per acre. The tract was still in its primitive condition, being covered with a heavy growth of oak, hickory, walnut and maple trees, which stood in their primeval strength. In the midst of the forest he erected a double log cabin and there began life in true pio- neer style. Indians still visited the neigh- borhood, wild animals had their haunts in the forests and wild game of many kinds could be had in abundance. The task of cutting down the trees, grubbing up the stumps and preparing the land for cultiva- tion was an arduous one, but with character- istic energy and strong determination Mr. Jones continues his labors and in the course of time gathered rich harvests where once stood the native forest trees. In his busi- ness he was quite successful, becoming one of the substantial citizens of his day. Mr. Jones wedded ]Mrs. Elizabeth Smal- ley, widow of Benjamin Smalley and a daughter of Jacob Collins. By this mar- riage four children were born : Henry, Phcebe and Theodore, who died in infancy, and Mrs. Mary Violet Hustler, who is liv- ing on the old home farm, ^^'hen Mrs. Hustler was six years of age her father took his little family back to Virginia and there resided from 183 1 until 1845, when he again came to the old homestead in Ohio, making it his place of residence until called to his final rest on the nth of August, 1848. His time was largely given to his farming interests, yet he belonged to a progressive class of citizens, who promoted all measures calculated to prove of public benefit. In business matters he was straightforward and honorable, and in all life's relations he commanded the respect of his fellow men. His daughter, the only child who sur- \"ived him, spent her girlhood days under the parental roof, and on the nth of February, 1845, gave her hand in marriage to John Secrest, who died June 29, 1864. By their marriage five children were born, namely : Laura, Zelora, Isadore, Francis and ^Nledora. Zelora, Isadore and Francis died in infancy. Laura married S3dvester Dye and Medora is the wife of \\'illiam Foster. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Secrest was married, on the 6th of April, 1865, to George W.Hustler, by whom she had one son,George W., Jr., who died when two and a half years old. Mr. Hustler served as a hospital stew- 304 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. anl (luring- the Civil war with the One Hun- dred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantr)'. Pre- vious to this time he had practiced medicine in connection with Dr. Coleman, but after his return from the army he gave up medical practice and devoted his attention to agricult- ural pursuits until his death, which occurred on the i8th of March.- 1875. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Methodist Episcopal church. ]\Irs. Hustler is also a member of the church, with which she has been con- nected for almost sixty years. She owns one hundred and ninety-eight acres of land — the old family homestead — and the income therefrom supplies her with all the com- forts and many of the lu.xuries of life. With the excei)tion of a. brief time spent in Mr- ginia she has always resided in Miami coun- ty, and therefore has a very wide acquaint- ance. Her circle of friends is extensive, and .she is highly esteemed for her many excellencies of ch.aracter. JOHN A. :^Ic-MASTER. John A. McMaster is one of the hon- ored veterans of the Civil war, who on many a southern battle field demonstrated his loy- alty to his country. In days of peace he is ecpially true and faithful to the duties of citizenship and withholds his support from no measure calculated to prove of public benefit. He now follows farming in Staunton township, Miami county, and is numbered among the native sons of Mont- gomery county, his birth ha\-ing there oc- curred, near Dayton, May 23, 1837. He spent the first sixteen years of his life upon the home farm and then started out to make his own wav in the world. He was em- ployed as a farm hand fnr two years and then began work at the carpenter's and mill- wright's trades, serving a five-years ap- prenticeship. At the time of the Civil war, liowe\er, he put aside all personal considera- tions in order to aid in the defense of the I'nion, enlisting on the 8th of August, 1862, for three years' ser\ice in Company C, Xine- ty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The first engagement in which he participated was at Tate's Ferry. He afterward took part in many of the most important battles of the war, including those of Perryville, Stone River, Hoover's Gap, Keystone, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, the siege of Atlanta and Jonesboro, the siege of Savannah and the battle of Bentonville. The Atlanta campaign continued for one hundred and twenty days. When the war w as over, he received an honorable discharge at Columbus, Ohio, in June, 1865, and, with a most creditable military record, returned to his home. Mr. Mc^Master afterward worked at his trade in Morrowtown, Ohio, and thence came to Stauntctn township, in 1867, locat- ing on a farm which is now his home. He carried on agricultural pursuits until 1881, when he took up his abode in Troy and there followed contracting and building until 1892. In that year he returned to the farm and is now devoting his time and energies to the operation of his land, a tract of one hundred acres on section 3, Staunton town- ship. The richly cultivated fields yield to him golden harvests and his labors are thus crowned with success. January 4, 1866, Mr. McMaster was married to Miss Rosina Jonese. She was the daughter of Abner and Julia A. (Frazee) Jones. Mr. Jones was born in Kentucky, GEXEALOGICJL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 305 ill 1806, and came to Lost Creek township, Miami county, in 1814. Mrs. Jones' was born in Lost Creek township, in 1810. ^Ir. Jones passed the rest of his days in his adopted county, passing away June 7, 1866, his wife surx'iving him until August i, 1876. Mrs. Mcl\laster was born m Lost Creek town- ship, March 12, 1841, and lias always lived in Miami county. Mr. and Mrs. McMaster have many friends in the community and are faithful workers and acli\-e members of the Baptist church. For two years he has been superintendent of the Sunday school and labored earnestly to support the church work, holding the honorable post of deacon. In politics he is a standi Republican and, so- cially, is connected with Troy Post. G. A. R. His life has been well spent, and his activity in business afTairs and his straightfor- ward dealing have gained him a comfortable competence and also the unqualified regard of those with whom he has been l)ruught in contact. TIMMER BROTHERS. One of the leading mercantile concerns of Tippecanoe City is that conducted by A. \\'. and E. H. Timmer, under the firm name of Timmer Brothers. They deal extensively in hardware and ha\e a large and well equipped establishment, which indicates the volume of their business. They are sons of Gerhart Timmer, a native of Germany, who came to America in 1853. Their mother bore the maiden name of Wilhelmina Kettle- hager and was also a native of Germany. Li the family are nine children, namely : Caroline, a resident of Piqua, Ohio; Ma- tilda, wife of W. H. Meyers, of Da3rton; Wilhelmina, the wife of S. E. Musselman, of Piqua; Bernard, who is connected with the Bent Wood Manufactory, of Trov : Fan- nie, wife of T. S. Conway, of Tippecanoe City: Ella, at home; Edward; Justin, at home: and Albert. The brothers of whom we write are both natives of Tippecanoe City. Edward H. Timmer, the elder, entered upon his business career as a clerk in the dry-goods store of F. G. Davis, with whom he remained for four years. The present business was es- tablished in 1895. They began operations as bicycle dealers, but after two years added a stock of hardware, tinware, harness and farming implements. Their stock is valued at about eight thousand dollars and their annual sales amount to twenty thousand dol- lars. They also own the building in which they carry on operations and which is \-alued . at thirty-five hundred dollars. E. H. Timmer was united in marriage to JMiss Florence Agenbroad, and they have two children, Hermon and Helen. In their political afifiliaticns the brothers are both Democrats, keeping well informed on the issues of the day, but never seeking public office. They are both stockholders in the Interurban Telephone Company, and E. H. Timmer is a member of the board of directors. Both are men of excellent Inisi- ness ability, progressive and public spirited, who in the control of their store follow sys- tematic and honorable methods. They merit the high confidence reposed in them and their worth to the community as enterprising merchants is most marked. COLUMBUS TISOR. Among the native sons of Newton town- ship, who are now classified as representa- tive farmers and citizens, of Miami countv. 30(3 GESEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. is Columbus Tisor, wlio was Ixirn on the 5th of August, 1846. His father, Hiram Tisor, was born in Ohio, and in an early day came to Miami county with his father, Aus- tin Tisiir, who located in Xewton township. The former married Ph.ccbe Green and their union was Ijlessed with four children, but Ruth and Alary are now deceased. Colum- bus is the next of the family and Alleyne is now the wife of Allen Jones. Hiram Tisor toiik up his abode upon the farm where our subject was born, securing there a tract of unimproved land. He bought one hundred and twenty acres on section 16, Xewton township, and developed an excellent prop- erty, continuing its cultivation and improve- ment until his death, which occurred in 1885, when he was se\enty-three years of age, for his birth occurred in 181 J. He was a member of the Christian church and loyal to his religious belief, which he ex- emplified in his daily conduct with his fellow men. .Mr. Tisor, of this review, was reared j under the parental roof and the common school afforded him his educational privil- eges. After he attained to man's estate he desired to establish a home of his own and to this end he was united in marriage, in 1868, to Miss Alary A. Jones, a daughter 01 William R. Jones. They now have seven children, namely: Eunice E., Hiram L., William R.. Dortha M., Maude E., Hu- bert R. and Lola AI. After his marriage Mr. Tisor rented the old home property and carried on farming tliere until 1895, with the exception of a period of three years. He is now living retired in Pleasant Hill, which has been the place of his residence for five years. In business he displays capable management, and unflagging industry, and these qualities enabled him to secure capital sufficient to make further connection with active lousi- ness affairs unnecessary. He is a member of the United Brethren church and in poli- tics is a Republican, warmly advocating the principles of the party, which has loyally stood by the Union' in every crisis of the countrv's histor\- since its organization. D.VRICS W. WEDDLE. Xo :nan in Miami county has done more to promote the interests of the agriculturist than Darius \\'illiam Weddle, his labors hav- ing been most energetically prosecuted, pro\-ing most effective. Although now- numbered among the most prominent and prosperous farmers of the community, iie started out in life empty-handed and met many obstacles and difficulties in his path, but steadily advanced on the road to suc- cess, o\-ercoming all opposition and hin- drances bv tletermined purpose and untlag- ging energv. His business career has been a very creditable and honorable one, com- mending him to the confidence of all con- cerned. Air. Weddlc' is a native of Virginia, his birth ha\ing occurred in Flc.yd county, on the 13th of X'^ovember, 1848. His paternal grandfather was one of two brothers who came to this country from Germany, one settling in \'irginia while the other became a resident of Maryland. John B. Weddle, the father of our sul)ject, was a minister of the German Baptist church, and spent his entire life in the Old Dominion. For maiiy years he devoted his energies to evangelistic work, riding over the country' in company with Elder B. F. Aloornaw. They made trips to Xorth Carolina, West Virginia and RESIDENCE OF DARIUS W. WEDDLE. ' ^i.x^4^-tA^ ^jyyy^ GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 309 Tennessee, organizing many societies of the {".ernian I>a[)tist or Dunkard cliurch. Rev. Wetklle (lied at the age of forty-eight years, and a career of great usefuhiess was thus ended. In his family were six children, five sons and a daughter, but only two, Darius and C. Al., came to Ohio. Upon the home farm Darius W'eddle was reared, there remaining until twenty- two years of age. He spent one year in the State Agricultural College, at Ashland, near Lexington, Kentucky, formerly the home of Henry Clay, but not liking the mili- tary feature of that school, he left at the end of one year. \\'hile there he stood first as plow boy. Subsequently he spent two years in Illinois and Kansas, engaging in farm work, but did not enjoy western life and returned to the east. He afterward \\ent to Canada and later he further con- tinued his education in the Lebanon Na- tional Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. He had previously met many graduates from that institution from whom he had received la\oraljle reports of the work done there. Accordingly he entered the school, remain- ing in the institution for two terms and was graduated on the completion of the com- mercial course, with the class of 1877. His studies, however, were interrupted by farm Nvork, so that his course was not a continu- ous one. After spending a ■ year in Leba- non, in order to find work he went to Day- ton and Troy. Thinking he was best fitted for the duties of the farm, he started out into the country to secure a position. He had no acquaintances in Aliami county and on the way he met an old man ^^•ith whom he rode back to town, for it was Saturday and the majority of the farmers had gone to the city to do their marketing. The old gentleman took a deep interest in Mr. Wed- 18 die and introduced him to Isaac Studebaker, one of the most extensive and prosperous farmers of the county. Mr. W'eddle of- fered to work f(jr twenty dollars per month and Mr. Studebaker ottered him eighteen dollars per month. Finally they agreed that he was to work one month for twenty dollars and if both were satisfied at the end of that time he was to continue in the employ of Mr. Studebaker. After working a season Mr. Weddle returned to Lebancjn, where he completed his commercial course and then again entered the employ of Mr. Studebaker, who paid him two hundred and sixty dollars per year. It was said that that gentleman was a very hard taskmaster, ^md many men who entered his employ soon left it. He did a large business and was a very energetic, pushing man, but he ne\'er required anything of his employes that he would not do him- self. Although Mr. Weddle remained long in his employ there was nex'er any trouble between them. . Mr. Studebaker would go into the harvest fields Avith his men and bind the grain, at which work he was an expert, but Mr. Weddle found it possible not only to keep up with him but to do a little more. He also proved to be his match at corn husking, and in this way he won the favor and friendship of Mr. Studebaker so that a pleasant relationshii) always existed between them. As time passed his em- ployer placed more and more confidence in Mr. Weddle, and on leaving hon:e he would place his business in the hands of our sub- ject, who continued in his employ for two years, or until he was married to his daugh- ter, Anna W., who was then a young lady of sixteen years. The marriage of the young couple was celebrated January 24, 1878, at which time arrangements were made whereljy Mr. 310 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. W'eddle was to operate the Studebaker farm and receive one-tliird of tb.e crops, the owner to furnish all the supplies. Later Mr. W'ed- dle rented the farm upon which he now re- sides for two years, and on the expiration of that period Mr. Studeliaker offered to sell him the property, compn'sing one hun- dred and sixty acres of land, for ninety-six hundred dollars. He said he would make a donation of six thousand dollars and take ncJtes to he paid annuall}-. Altogether Mr. and Mrs. W'eddle have recei\-ed frcjm her father's estate ten thousand dollars, an equal amount being given to his other children, there ha\ing been three daughters in the family. In 1893 Mr. W'eddle erected a handsome brick residence at a cost of five thousand dollars. It stands on a natural building site, commanding an excellent \iew of the surrounding country. The old barn was burned on one occasion, but Mr. Stude- baker rebuilt it. Mr. W'eddle has devoted his attention to the raising of grain and in his work fol- lows the most progressive methods. He rotates the crops every three years, raising clover, wheat and corn, and his corn crops are equal to any raised in this section of the state. When ^Ir. W'eddle assumed the man- agement of the farm it was \ery much run down, having been rented to tenants who took poor care of it ; in fact, it was consid- ered the poorest farm in the locality. Much of the land was swampy, so that the place was called the frog pond, but he has placed about twenty-two hundred rods of tiling on it, and has thus reclaimed about sixty acres of corn land, which has become the most valuable in the \'icinity. It is on this por- tion of the farm that he raises his best crops, the tifth corn crop in succession averaging se\entv bushels of corn to the acre, while wheat is produced at thirty-three bushels to the acre. Mr. W'eddle is most progressive, in all his methods, and not only understands the practical work of the farm but also the scientific principles which underlie agri- cultural pursuits, and one of the best evi- dences of th.at fact is that while land in his neighborhood will not sell as high per acre as it would twentj' years ago, his farm has doubled in. cash value since that date. The State Experimental Station in the pa^■t sup- plied him with seeds to grow and hi^ place was called a sub-station. He has grown nine \arieties of wheat in one season. He attends farmers" institutes which are organ- ized for the purposes of j)ri)moting agri- cultural interests, and is a reader of many of the agricultural papers. He keejjs thor- oughly abreast with the times, and his ex- ample has been followed by many of his neighbors, who have found that his niethods are practical and yield excellent results. Air. W'eildle considers that he owes a gxeat deal of his success to his wife, who is regarded as one of the best financiers among the la- dies of Miami county. She was born on the home farm in Elizabeth township. June 30, 1 86 1, a daughter of Isaac S. and Anna ( Warner j Studebaker, and a granddaugh- ter of Abraham Studebaker. Educated in the country schools, she has always been a great reader, is a most industrious wife aufl congenial companion. Unto Mr. and Mrs. W'eddle ha\e been born the following children : William Har- vey, who died in infancy; Albert S., who is now a student in the senior year in the Troy High School ; James Arthur, who died in infancy; Carrie Estella and Dora Lee, students in the home school ; Louanna, who died in infancy; and Isaac Studebaker, who completes the family. In his political \iews 9 L /? dy^^a.c) ^ ^^^^^^^z^'^^^ GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 811 Mr. W'eddle is a Republican, but has never sought or desired office, prefering that his attention shall be given to his business af- fairs. He was reared in the German Bap- tist church, but was not a member until af- ter he came to Miami county. He and his wife now hold membership in the Casstown German Baptist church, in which he has served as deacon, trustee, treasurer and cor- respondent. His church honored him by wishing to appoint him to the ministry but he refused. He has often been sent as a delegate to the national meetings, and was in attendance at the meeting in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1899. While there he visited his old home in Virginia. He again loiiked upon the scenes of his boyhood and renewed the friendships of his youth in the winter of 1899- 1 900. Perhaiis the most salient feature in the career of Mr. Weddle h.is been his untiring energy, but this has been guided by sound judgment and resolute pur- pose and to-day he is one of the prosperous farmers of his adopted county. ISAAC H. STINSMAN. For long years connected with the busi- ness, public, social and mora! interests of Miami county, Isaac H. Stinsman ever com- manded the respect and esteem of his fellow men. and at his death the community lost one of its valued residents that had long contributed to the substantial development .and welfare of this section of the state. He was born in Montgomery county, Pennsyl- vania, April 13, 181 7, and in early manhood became a surveyor, liaving fitted himself for the profession by study in an academy. He gained practical experience through his as- sociation with William Pemberton in the survey of what is now the B'g Four Rail- road, about 1843. They located the line, made the survey through the country sur- rounding Sidney and assisted in making the grade. Mr. Stinsman gave two years to the work, after which he returned to Penn- sylvania on a visit, but in the meantime he had become favorably imj^ressed with the Buckeye state, and soon after again sought a home in Ohio, making a settlement in Miami county. Here, on the 25th of October. 1850. in Lost Creek township, he was united in mar- riage to Mrs. Catherine A. Addis, whose maiden name was Lyons. Her husband had died of cholera at Xenia. Ohio, leaving her with two children. She was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, afld had known Mr. Stinsman while living with the Swayne faniilv. After his arrival in this state Mr. Stinsman purchased eighty acres of land near Ouincy, in Champaign county, and be- gan farming and teaching school, having in the meantime followed the latter profession in Pennsylvania. He spent fi\-e years in Champaign county and then came to Lost Creek township, Miami county, locating upon a part of his present farm in 1854. He also engaged in teaching here and continued land surveying. He was likewise connected A\ ith the construction of the ])ike. He cleared his farm of the timber which covered it, transforming it into richly cultivated fields, erecting thereon the residence about twenty- one years ago. His first home was a log cabin, furnished in primitive style, but as time passed he was enabled to secure many of the comforts of life and the cabin home was replaced with a more modern and com- modious dwelling. Mr. Stinsman devoted his life to general farming and added to his original purchase until he had one hundred and six acres of rich land, which yielded to 812 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. him a good return tor the care and lahor be- stowed upon it. An exceptionally well-informed man. his kniiwledge on public and religious questions Avas liroad and comprehensive. In politics he was a life-long Democrat, and studied so closely the issues of the day that he was always ready to defend his position by sound arguments. He frequently served as dele- gate to his party's conventions and for nine years held the office of justice of the peace, discharging his duties in the most fair and impartial manner. He took an active inter- est in literary societies, in which were dis- cussed the vital issues of the tmie. and could hold his Dwn in debate with such men as Judge Clyde? He was also well read- in both ancient and modern histor}' and in political economy, and in early life was well versed in Latin and Greek. A man of strong in- tellectual powers and scholarly attainments, he gave much time to study and original in- vestigation and was one of the best informed men iii this section of the state. A mem- ber of the Lost Creek Christian church, he served as its clerk for a number of years and was well \-ersed in the bible, his belief being the result of close study and careful research. He presided at public meetings, particularly Sunday school gatherings, and frequently served as Sunday school super- intendent in his own church. For fortv years he was a subscriber for the Cincinnati Enquirer and always enjoyed reading that paper. He lived on good terms with his neighbors and was held in the highest re- gard by all who knew him. He died un- expectedly, but his end was a peaceful one, and he passed to the reward prepared for ■the righteous September 30, 1898, leaving to his family the heritage of an untarnished name. Mr. antl Mrs. Stinsman were the parents of five children ; Horace, who is in the em- ploy of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Com- pany in their shops at Kansas City. Kansas; John, who is city treasurer at Spokane, Washington : Elwood, who is foreman in the Missouri Pacific shops at Kansas City; Ida, wife of Charles S. Kessler, a printer at Ros- well, Xew Mexico; and Frank. ]Mr. Stins- man also reared his wife's two children, — ■ Albert Addis, who is now a contractor in Kansas Citv. Kansas, and Lyda, wife of James Gearhart, of Smith cmmty. Kansas. Frank Stinsman, who was engaged in the operation of the old home farm until 1900 and is now working in the car shops at Dayton. Ohio, was born September 27, 1871. on the old homestead. His prelim- inary education was acquired in the common schools and supplemented by study at An- tioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and he afterward completed a course in civil and mechanical engineering in the State Uni- versity at Columbus, Ohio. He devoted four years to the study of mathematics in its ap- plication to the practical affairs of life, and then, upon his return home, he assumed the management of his father's farm, which he successfully conducted until 1900, his mother acting as his housekeeper. He is an exceptionally well-informed man. and al- though he has left the .school-room, his studies being ended, yet daily his store of knowledge is increased by reading, ex- perience and observation. He is a great reader of the best literature and much re- sembles his father in this regard. He has always kept up his study and investigation on the subject of chemistry and is well in- formed in history, science and ancient and modern classics. His mother, too. is well informed on all sul)jects of general interest, GENEALOGICAL AM) BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 813 and they occupy an envialjle ixisiticm in so- cial circles where true worth and intelligence are received as passports into good society. In connection with general farming the son carried on sur\e_ying to some extent, and is a practical and enterprising l:)usiness man, whose efforts ha\e l)een attended with cred- itable success. Mrs. Stinsman is a member of the Christian church, and while her son Frank is not connected with any religious organization he is an exemplary member of Social Lodge, No. 247, F. & A. 'SI., at Lena, Ohio, and follows closely the ethical teach- ings of the order. He also belongs to Dia- mond Chapter, No. 83, R. A. M.. at St. Paris, Ohio, and to Fidelity Chapter, No. 88, O. E. S., in wlrch he has served as worthy patron. He has been very active in the blue lodge and has ser\-ed in many offices, including that of senior deacon. Mr. Stins- man is a man of genuine worth and enjoys the high regard of all with whom he has l)een brought in contact. JOHN H. WILGUS. John H. Wilgus is one of Ohio's nati\'e sons and for many years has been a resident of Miami county, where he is successfully engaged in the operation of a farm. He was born in Warren county October 5, 1831, his parents being Thomas and Anna ( Hunt ) Wilgus. The former, a nati\'e of New Jer- sey, came to this state during jiis boyhood, the family locating in Warren county. As they traveled o\-er tlie state they passed through Cincinnati, then a mere hamlet con- taining only three houses, and the father, William \\Mlgus. was offered all of the land upon which the cit}- now stands in exchange for his team antl wagon. He was one of four brothers who came from England to Am.erica prior to the Revolutionary war, and during the struggle for indepmdence he served as quartermaster-general. The original family name was Wildgoose. Mr. Wilgus made a permanent home in \A'arren county, where he died at the age of eighty- eight years. His three sons, \\'illiam, James and Thomas, came to Miami count}- about 1834 and all reared families here. William resided in Lost Creek township, where he died when more than eighty years of age. He had one son, Evan ^Vilgus, who is liv- ing in Brown township. James was a doctor, who engaged in the practice of medicine in Boone. He left four children: H. L.. who is living in Ann Arbor ; Elizabeth, who oc- cupies the old homestead: Clara, wife of \\'illiam McFarland. of Columbus. Ohio; and James Aha. who resides at Platte\-ille, Wisconsin, and is a professor in the normal school there. Thomas Wilgus settled in Lost Creek township where his son William now resides. He resided on that farm for many years and carefully prosecuted his laliors. About twen- ty acres had been cleared when he took up his residence upon the farm and the other improvements were all the work of his hands. He owned over fi\e hundred acres of land, all in one body, and bought and sold other lands. As his sons reached maturity he di- vided his land among them, giving to each one hundred acres, while to his daughters he gave money. At his death his estate was settled in accordance with the law. Through- out his entire life he carried on agricultural pursuits and his success resulted from his well directed efforts. He became one of the stockholders and builders of the pike, tak- ing a contract for the construction of some four miles of the pike in this county and then 314 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. subletting it to others. He also became a stockholder in the railroad, but that proved an unprofitable investment. He was one of the leading stock-raisers in this section of the state, and exhibited many fine animals at the county fair. In the work of improxe- ment and progress he took a deep interest and contributed in no small degree to the sub- stantial' welfare of the community. In poli- tics he was a Whig and Republican and kept well informed on the issues of the day. He held various local offices, including that of township trustee. A member of the Wes- ley Chapel Methodist church, he contributed largely to the new house of worship, donat- ing- the land for the purpose and deeding it to the trustees. He was one of the pil- lars in the church, and in his life exempli- fied his Christian faith. His home was for many years the headquarters of ministers who visited the neighborhood. \\'hile firm in support of his belief and ever unflinching in the advocacy of what he believed to be right in all walks of life, he a\'oided litigation and concerned himself little with other peo- ple's affairs. He died in March, 1885, at the age of seventy-seven years, and in his death the commimity lost one of its valued citi- zens. By his first marriage he had two children — John H., of this review: and Alary, who became the wife of John Babb. They resided in Lost Creek township, but both are now deceased, Mrs. Babb baving died at the age of sixty years. Airs. Wilgus died when only twenty-two years of age, and Mrk Wilgus afterward married Hannah Robinson, who passed away two years before his death. They had four chil- dren — William, who resides on the okl home- stead : Thomas, who resides in Brown town- ship on land formerly owned by his grandfa- ther, William Wilgus ; and Anna, who be- came the wife of Harrison Brecount and died at the age of twenty-five years. For five years past the Wilgus family have held a re- union, three having been held in Miami county and two in Logan county where the descendants of one of the four brothers who came to America from England are located. As many as one hundred of the famih" name are present on those occasions. John Hunt \\'ilgus. whose name intro- duces this review, was only three years old at the time of his mother's death, and until about fifteen or sixteen years of age he lived either with his paternal or maternal grand- parents in ^^'arren county. He then re- turned to his father's home, remaining un- der the parental roof until his marriage. which occurred in .\ugust. 1857, when he was twenty-six years of age. the lady of his choice being Miss Delcina Frazee. a daugh- ter of Lewis and Rebecca (Wolcott) Fra- zee. She was born on the farm where she now lives. The first of the name to locate here was Moses Frazee, whose father was a native of France and the original American immigrant. Aloses Frazee was married in \ irginia to Priscilla Morris, who came to Ohio, locating near Cincinnati. He located in Miami county about 1812 and purchased land from a man who had entered it from the government. He had four sons and e-ght daughters, the former being Moses, Lewis, David and Xewton, who died in early life. Of the eight daughters only one is now liv- ing. Priscilla, widow of David Pence, of Westville, Ohio. She is now eighty-six years of age and is the only survivor of her imme- diate branch of the Frazee family. Moses li\-ed and died on a Miami farm, passing away at the age of seventy-nine years, antl his wife was more than seventy years of age at the time of her death. One of the earl- GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 315 est ministers in the Baptist church in this lo- cahtv. he laljored earnestly to advance the cause of Christianity among the pioneer set- tlers of the community. David Frazee re- sided on a farm in Miami count}' until altcnit 1 85 1 when he removed to Clark county. Ohio, where he died. His son, James Fra- zee. now resides in Clark county. ]\Ioses, Jr.. hecame a Baptist minister and died in middle life, while de\'oting his energies to that faith. Lewis Frazee, the father of Mrs. AVilgus, married Rebecca W'olcott, a daugh- ter of Jdhn Wolcntt. Of their eight chil- (iren three are li\ing, namely : Morris, of Cono\er : Sarah, wife of David Sise, of Lost Creek ; antl Moses. Lewis Frazee re- mained upon his farm until his death. He inherited property from his father who gave to each of his sons an ecpial amount of mon- ey. ^Ir. Frazee served as colonel of a mili- tia and was in command on the old training days in Lost Creek, thus winning his title. He died at the age of thirtv-fixe years, and his wife remained upon the old homestead for twenty years thereafter. She then went to Champaign county, Ohio, where her death occurred in her eig'htieth year. Her eldest child was onl_\- tweh'e years of age at the time of her husband's death, but she managed to keep all of her children to- gether, sa\e one daughter, who went to live elsewhere and lived to see all her family set- tled in life, .\fter leaving the old homestead her sons operated it until it was purchased by Mr. \\'ilgus on the first of January, 1863. In the meantime Mr. \\'ilgus resided up- on another farm. His wife, however, was born on the old Frazee homesteatl I'ebruary 20, 1837. in the old brick house which her grandfather had erected and which forms a part of the present home built b}' Mr. W'il- gus in 1872. The farm now com[)rises two hundred and twenty acres, and upon it the present owner has made all the principal im- provements. He makes a specialty of the growing and feeding of stock and for some years, in connection with his brother, Will- iam, he was engaged in breeding short horn cattle, continuing that industry for thirty years. They were pioneers in that line and were very successful. Many fine short horns were exhibited by them at the annual fairs and won first premiums. L'nto Mr. and Mrs. Wilgus have been born six sons — Lewis, who is now agent at Conover, Ohio ; J. Franklin, who is engaged in farming near the old homestead ; G. Rous- seau, who after pursuing a normal course, in Lebanon, Ohio, and a business course, taught school for five years in Lost Creek town- ship and is now operating the home farm, being recognized as one of the leading and enterprising agriculturists of the commu- nity; Thomas, a cabinet-maker of Piqua Ohio: Ralph H., of L<3st Creek tiiwnship; and William, at home. All of the sons were reared under the parental roof and received good educational privileges, thereby l)eing fitted for life's practical and responsible du- ties. Thomas is a graduate in the scientific department of the Delaware College of the class of 1895 and was a successful teacher for two years. G. Rousseau recei\ed excellent educational privileges and to his life work has brought a comprehensive and accurate knowledge of business principles. Mr. and Mrs. Wilgus now have eight grandchildren. .■\bout eighteen years ago Mrs. Wilgus had the sight destroyed in one of her eyes, and for six years she has been blind, Init she still presides over her home, her counsels and ad- \-ice being important factors in its conduct. Mr. \\'ilgus is a Republican in his political views, l)eing a stanch advocate of the party 310 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. princiiiles and lias serx'ed as trustee and in other tiiwnsliip offices. His life has been quietly jjassed. yet his career is that of an honorable, enterprising and successful busi- ness man whose advancement is most credit- able, for it has come as the diametrical re- sult of his own efifnrts. JAAIES H. KINNA. In the great competitive struggle of life, when each must enter the field and fight his way to the front, or else be overtaken by dis- aster of time and place, there is ever par- ticular interest attaching to the life of one who has turned the tide of success, has sur- mounted obstacles, and has shown his abil- ity to cope with others in their rush for the coveted goal. Such Mr. Kinna has done, and to-day he stands among the representa- tive business men of Tippecanoe City, al- though at the present time his business ef- forts are not directly connected with the commercial life of the town. He was born in Aliddletown, ]\Iar\'land, April 28, 1849, 'I'l^ is 'I son of Samson and Charlotte (Routzahn) Kinna. For many generations the Kinna family resided in Maryland. The father operated a mill in Middletown until 1867, when he remo\ed wit)- his family to Harbaugh \'alley, where he remained until his death, in June, 1898. His wife also died at that place, April 18, 1868, and, Nvith the exception of our sub- ject, his children yet reside there. James H. Kinna, of this review, spent the first eighteen years of his life in his native town and then accomiianied his parents on their removal to Harbaugh Valley, where he re- mained for two years. In 1870 he came to Ohio. He had started for Illinois, where his paternal grandninther was li\ing. l)ut on arriving in Ohio he sto])i)ed to vis't an aunt, Mrs. John Clark, of Tippecanoe City, and was there offered a position in the mill. He had previously learned the milling Inisi- ness under the direction of his father, and thus equipped for the practical duties of life, he entered the employ of John K. Herr, with whom he remained for more than a year. He then spent a few days in Ne- braska, and afterwards returned to Mary- land. In 1873, ho\ve\-er, he again came to Tippecanoe Citv and accejited the jjosition of head miller with his former employer, lja\'ing entire charge of the business. He served in that caiiacity from June, 1873. un- til October, 1873. when he returned to Marv- land. In Ma\', 1876, he secured a situat.on in the Patapsco ]\Iills at Baltimore, Mary- land, and continued there until October, 1879. They were then running at a ca- pacity of six hundretl barrels and were con- sidered the largest mills in the countrv. In January, 1878, 'SU. Kinna was united in marriage, in Tippecanoe City, to Miss Mary Herr, daughter of Benjamin Herr and a niece of John K. Herr. They began their domestic life at the mill, near Balti- more, but in October, 1879, returned to Ohio, and Mr. Kinna rented a mill a mile south of Trciy. After operating" it for two years with fair success, he returned to the employ of John Herr, in whose ser\!ce he at first worked in Tippecanoe City. After :i short time he purchased stock in the news- paper mill, became superintendent of con- struction and placed the mill in successful operation. It proved one of the leading in- dustries of the place and was later .sold to the American Straw-Board Company. For a time Mr. Kinna operated a mill at Sidnev, and in August, 1888. he formed a jiartner- GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 817 ship witli U. J. Favorite and H. H. Bryant.. This iirni purchased the old mill at Tippe- canoe, thus succeedingf Air. Herr, and re- modeled the plant, putting in the new roller process at great expense. A prejudice ex- isted against roller flour and some of the old men of the locality called for the burr flour, hut after using it for a time they found that that manufactured by the roller process was superior. The firm of Kinna, Favorite & Bryant operated the mill at its fullest capacity and built up a very large business, which was attended with satis- factory financial results. The partnership proved a most pleasant one and close friend- ships were formed between the men. Througiiout the existence of the firm Air. Kinna remained as the miller, scj that all of the details of the manufacture of the flour were under his immediate supervision. In April, 1897, the firm sold out and the same year Mr. Kinna purchased his present farm, comprising forty-five acres, just west of the village. The place is a delightful one, improved with a fine residence and all the accesories of the model farm. Mr. Kinna is now quite extensively engaged in tobacco growing, and the same determination and close application which characterized his in- tlustrial career is manifest in his agricultural pursuits. Airs. Kinna, wife of our sul)ject, was born in Tippecanoe City, July 24, 1854, a daughter of Benjamin ami Alargaret ( James ) Herr. The father was born near Hagerstown, Alaryland, and came to Ohio in company with his Ijrother. John K. Herr. He learned the miller's trade at Dayton and afterwards rented a mill at Ivnightstown, Indiana. There he was united in marriage to Margaret James, who was ])orn in the Hoos'ier state, antl imniediateU' afterwartl, in 1853, they came to Tippecanoe Cit\-, where Mr. Herr rented and o])erated a mill. He continued in business in connection with his brother until his death, which occurred in 1862, at the age of thirty-six years. Four children survived him, namely: Mrs. Kinna; Harvey, who engaged in milling with his uncle and died at the age of twentv-eight years; Fanny, widow of Harry Hortini. pro- prietor of the Tippecanoe Herald, and Charles Benjamin, a grain dealer of Troy, residing in Tippecanoe Cit_\'. The mother c.f this family is still living. After remain- ing a widow for seven years, she married l, and purchased a tract of land near Addison, on which he carried on agri- cultural piu'suits until 1884. In that year he returned to Troy antl, purchasing lantl ir the vicinity, devoted his time and energies to its cultivation, although he retained his residence in the city. On the _'6th of October, 1870, occurred the n:arriage oi ^{y. Bailey and Miss Eliza- beth M. Peck, a daughter of Joshua and Mary (McCullough) Peck. Mr. Peck was born February 14. 180J, was left an orphan at an early age and was reareil near Troy. The mother was born Xovemlier 2"/, 1803. He learneil the mason's trade and foUoweil that pursuit for some years, but afterward engaged in farming. By his marriage he became the father of six children, namel}' : John, Joseph, ]\lary. Mrs. Elizalieth Bailey, Isaac and Blair ; all are now deceased e.xcept Mrs. Bailey and Isaac. The father died Octo- ber 4. 1870, aged sixty-eight years, and his wife passed away December 13, 1S82, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 321 at the age of seventy-nine. They were members of the Christian churcli, and were people of the highest respectabihty, widely known for their sterlingf worth. In his political views Mr. Bailey was a stanch Republican and kept well informed on the issues of the day, so that he gave an intelligent support to the principles which he advocated. He, however, never sought or desired political preferment, yet served as trustee in Champaign county. He held membership with the Masonic fraternity in Addison, Ohio, and was true to its beneficent principles. Starting out in life for himself a poor boy, he advanced steadily step by step, his determined purpose enabling him to overcome all the difficulties and obstacles in his path, while his honorable dealing and capable management brought to him the success for which he labored. At his death he left an estate of two hundred acres of land in Staunton township, known as the Andrew Knoop farm, and located on the Troy and Casstown pike, two miles from the city of Troy. He passed away January 3, 1899, and man}- friends mourned his loss, for he was widely and favorably known throughout the communit}'. Mrs. Bailey still survives her husband and is li\'ing in Troy, where she has a large circle of warm friends. LEVI RUDY. On his present farm on section 4, New- ton township, Levi Rudy was born April 2, 1846. There the days of his boyhood and youth were passed, and to his father he gave the benefit of his services in the fields until 1865, when he began farming on his own account by renting the old homestead for a period of five years. When that time had gone by with the capital which he had ac- quired through his indefatigable efforts, he purchased a farm some distance south — the place now occupied by Ernest Brinkman. There he remained from 1878 until 1885, when he returned and purchased the old home farm. As a companion and helpmeet on life's journey he chose ]\Iiss Susan Dee- ter, their marriage having occurred in 1865. Five children were born of their union, namely: Charley, who is living in Coving- ton; John C, a farmer in Xewton township; Samuel A., who is with his father; Jesse, also at home; and Hannah, wife of Charley Gorman, who is living on her father's farm. Mr. Rudy owns sixty acres of land on section 4, Newton township, and carries on general farming and tobacco raising. He has also been oi^erating threshing machines for thirty-fi\'e years, and has three separ- ators, three engines, a clover huller, fodder busker, hay boiler and corn sheller. In fact, his is one of the most modern, up-to- date farms in the community, supplied with all the latest improvements which facilitate the work of the agriculturist. His fellow townsmen, appreciating his worth and ability, have called him to ptiblic office and for nine years he has served as supervisor of district number eight. In politics he is a Democrat, and is a member of the German Baptist church, contributing liberally to its support. GENERAL ^^■. P. ORR. There is pride for the old and successful, and inspiration for the young and ambitious, in the history of a man who has started a poor boy, and by his energy, perse\erance and native ability conquered adverse cir- cumstances and step by step won his way to 32: GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. hoiiiir. wealth and fame. In this free land of America every county has some man w hose success is the pride of generous souls, and the envy of narrow, malicious hearts. The multitude applaud the winner in life's battle, but it is only the student of biograph- ical history that appreciates how the victory was won. One of the men of Miami county wh() has traveled the thorny path of pov- erty, climbed the hill of difficulty, and at last reached the high plane of success, is General William P. Orr. He was born in Covington, Miami coun- tv, Ohio, in 1834. His father, Joshua Orr, was a native of Virginia; his mother, Ann ( W'orley ) Orr, of Kentucky. They had six sons: Nathan W., John A., William P., Thomas T., Caleb W. and Joshua W., the last two being twins. Five of the six served iii the L'nion army, and the sixth volun- teered but was rejected on account of phys- ical disability. William P. Orr received his education in the common schools of Covington, then at that early age a small enterprising village on the banks of the Stillwater, in Newberry township, of this county. ^ At the early age of fourteen years he commenced for him- self the battle of life. When seventeen years of age he came to Piqua to learn the trade of carriage painting, but the paint shop was too close and narrow for the boy and he fell an easy victim to the gold fever tluit was then prevailing in Miami county. In March, 1852, in his eighteenth year, he started for California on the overland route, and drove a team of five yoke of oxen over the old emigrant trail, and was one hun- dred and thirteen days making the trip. The personal experiences and hardships of that trip would make interesting reading to the friends of General Orr. He seldom refers to those days, but that trip dexeloped in the boy the industry and firm determination to succeed that afterward made him the suc- cessful business man. He remained in Cali- fornia two years, working in the mines, and made and saved a little money with wihch to return home. He then engaged in the mercantile and grocery business in Coving- ton in 1854. He contmued in that line until 1869, gradually enlarging his business until he had a general dry-goods, grocery and hardware store. He purchased all kinds of produce from the farmers and shipped the same. He also had a flouring mill and saw- mill, and packed pork every winter. The business prospered under iiis management and he gradually accumulated wealth. In February, 1869, he sold his store and mills and removed to Piqua, where he has been engaged in the linseed oil business for thirty-one years. The business was not al- ways prosperous, for twice were his mills de- stroyed by fire, antl ad\erse circumstances came; but nevertheless, his personal energy and business ability were such that he won prosperity and compelled success. In ad- dition to the linseed oil business, he engaged in the grain trade and ran a line of canal boats on the Miami and Erie canal. He also engagetl in other business enterprises. He built three strawboard mills in Piqua, a large linseed oil works, and in connection with Samuel Statler, in 1891, he built the Hotel Plaza, one of the finest hotels be- tween Cincinnati and Toledo. So well es'tablished was his character as a safe, sagacious and successful business man that his experience and ability were in de- mand, and his reputation become national, as one of the shrewd business men of the coun- try. He was vice-president of the Piqua Rolling Mill Company, president of the CEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 823 Piqua Strawboard Company and the Piqua I'"urniture Company, president of the Citi- zens' National Bank, of Piqna, and director of the Se\-entii National Bank, of New York city. He is also a director of the F. Gray Woolen Mills Company and of the Piqna Underwear Company. He is now treas- m^er of the American Linseed Company, also of the American School Furnitnre Company and a director in botli companies and president of the Miami \'alley Rail- road Company. General Orr, notwithstanding his many busy enterprises, has ever been loyal to the city of Piqua, and cheerfully gives a por- tion of his time to her welfare. For over thirty years he has served in the city coun- cil of Piqua, and most of that period was president of the council. He has done as much, and perhaps more, to build up the city of Piqua than any other resident of that enterprising and wide-awake city. For her prosperity and welfare he has given much time and thought. His. hands are ever ready and his purse is ever open to advance Piqua's progress. . He, with other public-spirited citizens, has made Piqua known as one of the prosperous manufacturing cities of Ohio. For thirty years General Orr has been an active and. consistent member of the Presbyterian church, of Piqua, and his in- flence is ever on the side of temperance, morality and Christianity. On May 8, 1864, General Orr enlisted in the One Hun- dred and Fifty-second Ohio \^jlunteer In- fantry, and was mustered into service as captain of Company B. He was mustered out September 2, 1864, by reason of expira- tion of term of service. This regiment saw hard service in Virginia, and was in sev- eral severe skirmishes with the Confederate forces. Governor Asa S. Bushnell was a captain in this regiment, and a number of distinguished citizens of Ohio were in the ranks. The regiment was composed of the Twenty-eighth and two companies of the 1 hirty-fifth Ohio National Guards, and when the regiment was mustered out it retained its state organization, and Captain Orr was elected lieutenant-colonel of "the regiment. He still retains his love for the old soldiers, and for many years has served as trustee of the Soldiers" and Sailors' Home of Ohio, situated near Sandusk3^ General Orr became a Republican with the birth of his party, and in e\ery campaign from 1856 to 1900 he has given his time and money in support of its principles, and for the success of its candidates. He voted for General John C. Fremont in 1856. and for every Republican candidate since, be- cause he loved the principles of the grand old party. In 1890 he was unanimously nominated for congress in the fourth dis- trict of Ohio, and in the campaign that fol- lowed he cut down the Democratic major- ity of thirty-five hundred to fourteen hun- dred and ten. In the redistricting of the state Miami county was placed in the sev- enth congressional district. General Orr was Miami county's unanimous choice for congress in 1892, and received the vote of the county for six hundred and twenty-one ballots. Although unsuccessful in the con- \ention, yet he lost no fame as a man, and gained prestige as a politician. In 1896 he \\as again a candidate for congress, and af- ter a long and hard contest he was defeated by a political combination that is often made in recent years to thwart the will of the people. On the 13th of January, 1896, he was appointed and commissioned quartermaster- oeneral on the staff of Governor Asa S. 324 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Biislinell and served for fdur }ears. When the Spanish-American war l:)egan the office was not one of ornament, but hard work. Cieneral Orr went to Cohimbus April 25. 1898, and entered upon tlie then arduous (huies of quartermaster-general, and under his direction Ohio equii^ped twehe thousand soldiers, supplied the troops witli tents, cloth- ing and rations and sent them to the held. General Orr was highly complmented for his efficient services as quartermaster-general of Ohio by the secretary of war. and the pa- pers of his office were said to be in better shape, and the equipment of troops was fur- nished more pi^omptly and in better j:ondi- tion. than those of any other state. This report from the war department at that time was a high compliment to Ohi(j. and to the practical Inisiness administration of Gov- ernor Bushnell. ?^Iany items of interest oc- curring in General Orr"s administration of his ()ffice would be very interesting reatling, but the history of Ohio in the Spanish- American war will be written by other his- torians. He was supported by his county for governor at the Republican state conven- tion of 1899, and at the Republican state comention of 1900 he was chosen by ac- clamation as elector-at-large on the Repub- lican national ticket for Ohio. \\". P. Orr was married in Covington, Ohio, in September. .1854, to Miss INIartha Morrison, the daughter of Aaron and Xancy ^lorrison. Two sons were born to this union. Aaron Morrison and Lewis Hoover Orr. General Orr was theii a youth of twenty years. His noble wife shared with him the struggles and trials nf life fur o\-er twenty-se\en years. She lived long enough to enjoy with him the comforts that wealth and success always bring, and then passed away in January. 1S82, leaving behind her the record of a fond and faithful wife, a loving and tender mother. General Orr re- mained a widower f(^r over two years, when lie was united in marriage to Miss Frances M. Meily. on March 25. 1884, in St. .Mark's chapel, \\'estminster Abbey, London, by Archdeacon Farrar. Mrs. Orr is the daugh- ter of John and Katherine Meily, and a sister of Mrs. C. S. Brice. Mrs. Orr takes an active interest in every enterprise for the higher culture of women, served as president of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs for the year 1899, and is president for the year 1900. The abo\e is the record of an active, busy life, and General Orr is still in the harness. Firm aiul decided in his convic- tions, bold and aggressive in action, he has doubtless made enemies. Indeed envy and enmity always follow the successful man, whether the success comes in business, poli- tics or religion, but time, which makes all things e\en, and adjusts the scale in which a man's worth is weighed, will record that the life of W. P. Orr has not been in vain, for it has shown that in our home and countr}- a man may begin in the humble walks of life and rise by his own industry and ability to rank among those who are iionored and respected by the citizens of the state and nation. e. s. w. JOSEPH E. MUMFORD. Jt)seph E. ^Mumford, deceased, was foi many years actively connected with the mer- cantile interests of Miami city, and belonged tc that class of representative American cit- izens who, while promoting their individual prosperity, also advance the general welfare. He was born July 8. 1844. on the old home- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 327 stead in Elizabeth township, his parents being- John and Mary M. (Crawmer) Mum- ford. No event of special importance oc- curred to vary the monotony of farm life through his early years, but at the age of nineteen he left the plow and began learning the carpenter's trade under the direction of Peter Smith, a neighbor. He followed that pursuit until the spring of 1880, and for a number of years was actively identified with the building interests of the county. He was well known as a contractor for school - houses, and erected a few of these institu- tions of learning in the immediate neighbor- hood. In the spring of 1880 he entered upon a mercantile career, in partnership with Jesse M. Smith, now of Dayton, and was connected with commercial pursuits until the failure of his health caused his retire- ment from business in the winter of 1893. For thirteen years he had given his atten- tion exclusively to the store and had suc- ceeded in building up an excellent trade. In 1883 his partner, Mr. Smith, retired and was succeeded by Mr. Mumford's wife, who was associated with him in business for some time. She was also appointed post- mistress during President Arthur's admin- istration, as a successor to Mr. Smith, and continued to serve in that capacity until the store was sold, with the exception of a brief period during the Cleveland administration, when Mr. Smith again was postmaster, hav- ing in the meantime returned and opened a separate store. That mercantile establish- ment was purchased by Mr. Mumford and his wife, who carried on the business suc- cessfully until disposing of their entire stock. They carried a fine line of well selected goods, Mrs. Mumford making most of the purchases. She possessed excellent business and executive ability, and her careful man- 19 agement contributed not a little to the suc- cess of the enterprise. Mr. Mumford en- joyed an unassailable reputation in business circles. His weakest point as a merchant was his liability to sell goods on credit, was a much better salesman than collector, for his accommodating spirit led him to gi\'e his customers all the time they wished in which to pay for their purchases. In this wav he frequently lost money, but al- together his mercantile career was a pros- perous one. Mr. Mumford was twice married. In 1869, at the age of twenty-five years, he wedded Miss Mary Ellen Norton, who died about seven years later, leaving two chil- dren : William Firman, who was educated in Buchtel College at Akron, Ohio, and died of consumption June 24, 1896, at the age of twenty-six years, and Lulu Fair, who was Ijorn June 10, 1873, and is now the wife of Frank Fosdick, of Carthage, Missouri. The son was a successful teacher in Miami and Huron counties, and .in the latter county he married Sarah Jeanette Culler, who died of consumption eight months later. William then returned to Miami county, where he en- gaged in teaching until failing health caused him to put aside all professional cares. He died in Huron county, and was laid to rest by the side of his wife. The children, who died previous to the death of his first wife, were : Emory B., who was a twin brother to William Firman, born July 17, 1870, and died May 26, 1871 ; and an infant boy, who was born and died January 21, 1875. Mr. Mumford was again married November 20, 1879, in Troy, his second union being with Miss Nancy E. Eddy, a daughter of William and Caroline (Head) Eddy, both of whom are now deceased. The old Eddy home- stead is situated on the Springfield pike, two 828 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. miles west of Miami city, and tliere her only brotlier, William A., now resides. Mrs. Mumford was born in Perry county, Ohio, and when a maiden of fifteen summers came to Miami county with her parents, the fam- ily locating in Elizabeth township, where the father died on the 20th of June, 1879, the mother on the 15th of July, 1887. Mrs. Mumford pursued her education in the coun- try schools, and remained at home until her marriage, which has been blessed with one daughter, Mary Grace, born June 12, 1890. Mr. Mumford continued merchandising until 1893, when impaired health forced him to put aside business cares. About a year later he was stricken with paralysis and continued an invalid until his death, which occurred November 25, 1898. His last remaining hours was the sweetest to him, for in the assurance of his bright hope he looked upon death as the door to a life more glorious than he could know here, and arranged- for his own funeral as calmly as one prepares for a pleasant journey. His standing in business circles was indeed envi- able, and as a citizen he held a leading place in his community, owing to the active sup- port and encouragement which he gave to all measures for the public good. He was a wide-awake and progressive man, who at- tempted to secure material improvement. He advocated the introduction of telephones and railroads and the establishment of town- ship high schools, although many of the measures which he advocated were not suc- cessful, owing to the opposition of many heavy tax j^ayers, but nevertheless he was in- strumental in securing the adoption of many measures which have contributed to the general prosperity and marked advancement of his community. His ambition on behalf of his business interests and his countv was too great for his strength. In politics he was a Democrat and labored earnestly for his party's success. He served as township as- sessor for nine years and frequently at- tended the county conventions as a dele- gate. The Masonic fraternity of New Car- lisle numbered him among its valued mem- bers and he was also a representative of the Odd Fellows society. Of the Universalist church he was long a faithful follower and served as deacon for sixteen years. He possessed those sterling qtialities, which in every land and in every clime command re- spect. He was a man of strong convictions, yet never unpleasantly aggressive ; was true to principle and had an abiding charity that won him the esteem and good will of all classes of people. His wife is also a mem- ber of the Uni\ersalist church, and with her daughter she occupies the pleasant home in Alcony, which was erected by her hus- band. She is a lady of culture and refine- ment, possessed of natural ability, and the circle of her friends in the comnnmity is extensive. HENRY NEAL. Henry Neal, who is one of the promi- nent and influential representatives of agri- cultural interests -in Miami county, was born May 7, 1848, in Monroe township, on the farm where he now makes his home. His father, William Neal, was born Septem- ber 10, 1808, in the same township, and was a son of George and Margaret ( Million) Neal, early settlers of that locality; in fact, Mrs. Neal was born on the old family home- stead occupied by her son Henry. She was a daughter of Francis Million, who was born INIarch 14, 1786, and married Jemi- mah Sweet, who was born -\pril 22. 1787. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 329 Tlieir wedding was celebrated in Tennes- see, wlience they came to Miami county, where j\Ir. MilHon entered the farm upon which ^Ir. Neal now resides. He built a Jog cabin and secured from the government one hundred and five acres of land, which was covered with a heavy growth of tim- ber, consisting of walnut, oak, hickory and sugar maple trees. Subsequently he re- moved to the farm upon which Philip Class now resides, and there his death occurred in 1848. William Neal, the father of our subject, was a youth of fourteen years when he went to that farm to work for Mr. Million, and was employed in the fields there during the greater part of his time until his mar- riage to Mr. Million's daughter, Lucinda. The wedding occurred October zt,, 1828, at which time his father-in-law gave him fifty-five acres of land of the old homestead. He afterward purchased the remaining fifty- five acres and upon that farm made his home until his death. In his business affairs he was successful, and as the years passed by he added to his property until his landed pos- sessions aggregated four hundred acres, and he was accounted one of the substantial agriculturists of the community. He pur- chased and brought to the county the first McCormick harvesting machine in Monroe township, and always followed progressive methods in his farm work. His death oc- curred February i. 1874, and his wife passed away September 27, 1892. 'In their family were seven children : Melinda, who was born July 19, 1829, and is the widow of John Perry, a resident of Newberry town- ship; Phoebe, who was born February 22, 1832, and resides on the old homestead; Matilda, who was born November 8, 1833, and died August 13, 1893; Israel, who was born June 2, 1837, and is now living a re- tired life in Decatur; Anna, who was born February 16, 1839, and died June 24, 1892; William F., who was born April 15, 1841, and is now a farmer living north of Man- chester, Indiana; and Henry, of this review. One son, Israel, served his country in the civil war as a member of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry. Born and reared upon the old family homestead, this farm is endeared to Henry Neal through the associations of childhood, as well as those of mature years. He pur- sued his education in the public schools of the neighborhood and in the schools of Troy. He remained with his parents until his mar- riage, on the 29th of October, 1867, to Miss Alsada Karns, a daughter of Abraham Karns. both of whom were natixes of Mon- roe township. After their marriage the young couple began their domestic life on another part of the old homestead, where they remained until the father's death, wlien they erected the residence in which he now makes his abode. He owns the original old homestead which was entered by his Grandfather Million. This was a tract of one hundred and five acres, but he has added to it until he now has one hundred and fifty- seven acres of rich and arable land. He purchased and brought into his neighbor- hood the first self-binding reaper, and all the latest improved machinery is found upon his farm, so tliat his work is carried on along progressive lines. He has a very valuable and desirable place, which in its neat and thrifty appearance indicates his careful su- pervision. Mr. and Mrs. Neal have no children of their own, but adopted one son, Lee R. ^^■ il- son, who was graduated in the township school and in the Tippecanoe High School. 330 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. In October. 1899, he entered the Indianapo- Hs Business University, but soon afterward was called home on account of the death of Mrs. Neal, on the 20th of November of that j-ear. Xot long afterward, however, he se- cured a scholarship from the Indianapolis Young Men's Christian Association enti- tling him to pursue a Young Men's Chris- tian Association course in Chicago. This he accepted and is now a student in the latter city. In his political views 'Sir. Xeal is a Re- publican, and has served as school director altogether for twelve years, although the period of his incumbency has not been con- tinuous. He is a worthy representative of one of the honored pioneer families of the countv. is one of the most progressive agri- culturists, and is a citizen who gives his support in a large measure to those move- ments which contribute to the general wel- fare and prosperity. O'KANE & HOFFMAN The members of the firm of O'Kane & Hoffman are publishers, of the Buckeye and proprietors of The Buckeye Press and Jul) printing plant. The senior member of the firm, Walter Collins O'Kane, was born in Columbus, Ohio. His father is Henry O'Kane, secre- tary of the Franklin Insurance Company, of Colum1)us. Mr. O'Kane was educated in the public schools of Columbus, then spent one year in the high schol of that city, and then entered the preparatory school of the Ohio State University, where he remained a student until he was giaduated in the class of 1897. He was then employed on the local staff of the Columbus Evening Dispatch, until he \olunteered. in June, 1898, in the Tenth Regiment of the Ohio Volunteers and served until March, 1899, as sergeant-major. On being mustered out, he was again em- ployed on the local staff of the Columbus Evening Dispatch, until, in connection with Arthur S. Hoffman, he purchased The Buck- eye of E. S. Williams & Company, in Sep- tember. 1899. Arthur Suliivant Hoft'man. the junior member of the firm, was born in Columbus, Ohio. His father was Judge Ripley C. Hoff- man. He was educated in the Columbus schools and was graduated from the Colum- bus high school : also a graduate in the Ohio State University in the class of 1897. He then engaged in teaching, and for two years was teacher of English in the Coshocton high school. In September, 1899, with W. C. O'Kane. he purchased The Buckeye, pub- lished in Troy, Ohio. The young men composing the firm of O'Kane & Hoffman are well equipped by education and native ability to make a success in life in whatever ax'ocation they choose to follow. They have chosen journalism, and in their hands "The Buckeye" has grown in popularity and is without question the lead- ing weekly newspaper published in Miami county. The subscription list is continually increasing, and the business is prosperous. They are young men of good habits, honest, industrious and enthusiastically in love with their work, and each has a bright future be- fore him. E. s. w. LEVI FARWELL DILLA\\'AY. The record of a busy and useful life is an inspiration to the young, a salutary lesson to those who are engaged in the stern duties of life, and is a source of pride to the chil- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 831 dreii anil gramlchiklren of tliose who have made the workl better by tlieir Hving. Such a hfe we record in this Ijrief sketch of Levi Farwell Dillaway. Other men have become more famous, but few have done more real hard worlc where business and duty have called them. L. F. Dillaway was born in Granville, Washington county. New York, March 24, 1824. He is the son of Samuel C. and Eliz- abeth H. (Allen) Dillaway, both natives of Boston, Massachusetts, the father born June 5, 1795, the mother, January 25, 1797. They ^vere married in their natix'e city, February 27, 1 82 1. They made their first home in Charlestown, Massachusetts ; thence they re- moved to Randolph and afterwards to Gran- ville, New York. Samuel C. Dillaway was a Baptist preacher and devoted his life to his ministerial work. He spent the best and most fruitful years of his life in the church at Granville. Under his ministration many were converted who in after years became successfiTl workers in the church, among the number being A. D. Gillette, who became a .pastorof a prominent church in Philadelphia ; Rev. Vaughn; and Rev. Orville Maon, who went with his wife to Arkansas, which was then a territory, as a home missionary to the Indians. Mr. Dillaway was an active promoter of home and foreign missions and of the Sun- day-school Union, being a life meml^er of the American Baptist Missionary Union. He died in Granville. November 24, 1850. After his death his wife lived with her son, L. F. Dillaway, and removed with him to Ohio, dying at his home in Higginsport, Brown county, Ohio, February 7, 1857. Their family consisted of four children : Charlotte, who was born June 24, 1822, and er ni the city council for two terms, also a member of the board of edu- cation for si.x years and part of that time was its president. He was also a inem- lier of the original board of trustees of the Riverside Cemeter}-, near Troy. In ]iolitics he was a Republican until 1884. He then cast his lot with the Prohibition i)arty until the party divided at the Pittsburg national convention in 1896, since which time he has acted with the Union Reform party. A man of i)ositi\'e con\ict;ons and tremendous en- ergy, he has been active in whate\er en- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 333 gagetl his attention, wlietlier it was business, politics or religion. He never was a cipher anywhere or at any time. Successful in business, earnest in political convictions and devoted in his religion, he is now nearing the sunset of life with a record of which his chil- dren and grandchiklren may well be proud. Commencing a poor boy, ending with a com- petence, his life is an example of what e\'ery poor boy in this republic can accomplish by energy, perseverance and pluck that never surrenders to adverse circumstances. COLONEL O. H. BINKLEY. One of the bravest soldiers Miami county sent to the Ijattlefields of the south was Colonel Otho H. Binkley, who was born Septemljer i, 1826, in Somerset, Ohio. He was the son of Samuel O. and Julia A. (Ream) Binkley. When he arrived at the age of twenty-one he settled in Troy, Ohio, where he remained, except during his ser- vice in the Union army, until his death, which came to him October 9, 1898, swiftly, silently and without warning. The cause of his death was apoplexy. Before the war he was known as a modest, diffident young- man, careful in business and pleasant in social circles. He had a love of miltary tac- tics, and when the \\ar came he was a good drillmaster, and his services as such were in demand in the regiments of raw recruits Ohio was sending to the army of the Union. He enlisted in the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Lifantry September i, 1862, and soon after was commissioned major of the regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel January r, 1864, for gallantry and efficient service in the cam- paign of the Wilderness. He was engaged with his regiment in over thirty battles and skirmishes. He fought with his regiment in the year 1863 in the battles of Winches- ter, Brandy Station and Mine Run. In 1864 he was with his regiment in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Har- bor, Petersburg, I\b.)nocacy, and was with Sheridan at Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. In 1865 he was in the final assault on Petersburg, and in the battle of Sailor's Creek. From the second day of the battle of the Wilderness he was in com- mand of the regiment by reason of the fact that the colonel J. Warren Keifer, was wounded, and subsequently promoted. A soldier, who was in his regiment, in a mem- oir of liim, wrote that "In battle he was calm and collected as on parade ground. Never needlessly exposing himself, or his men, he was always found at his post of duty apparently insensible to danger. He never commanded his regiment to go where he was not willing to lead. He was not am- bitious or anxious to gain military renown, but always went promptly and cheerfully when duty called. There were no priva- tions suffered by his men which he did not share. The battle over, his next care was for the wounded — to see that they were provided for." He was mustered out with his regiment June 25, 1865. After the war he became a member of the Loyal Legion, Ohio Commandery. After the war he returned to Tr(jy, and for more than thirty-three years made his home in this city. He never married, but lived with his sister, and after her death with his niece, Mrs. Stella Clayton. He lived a quiet, retired life, so modest in his demeanor, so gentle in his manner, so pure in his life, that those unacquainted with his career would never know that he was 334 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the gallant veteran of tliirty battles, and had within his frail bod)' a lion heart and a dauntless spirit. Those who knew him best lo\-ed him most. e. s. w. URIAH VALEXTIXE. Uriah \'alentine. one nf the old and highly respected citizens of Xewberry town- ship, springs from sturdy German ancestry, and in his life has displayed the possession of those sterling qualities which have ever made the German race a power for good in the localities where its representatives ha\e lived and labored. His grandfather, John Valentine, was born in (jermany, and on emigrating to America located in Frederick county, ^Maryland, upon a farm, where his death occurred about 1840. He was at that time eighty-four years of age. His chil- dren were: Frederick, David, Daniel. Sol- omon, John, George: Mary, wife of Jacob Krause; and Catherine, wife of Samuel Singer. Frederick Valentine was born in Fred- erick county, Maryland, was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads and learned the shoemaker's trad.e. which he followed for a time. Subsec|uentl_\- he gave his attention to farming and purchased a small tract of land upon which he spent his remaining days, his death occurring about 1840. He .served ii! the war of 1812, being stationed al^out Baltimore. He married Catherine Bowerso.x, who was l)orn in Frederick county, Mary- land, a daughter of Valentine Bowerso.x, also a native of that state. Mrs. \'alentine died about 1821, and the father afterward married Elizabeth Kramer, a widow, whose death occurred about 1855. There were two children by the first marriage. Josiah was twice married, and in the fall of 1844 came to Ohio with his brother, Uriah, locat- ing in Seneca count}-, whence he removed to Findlay. Hancock county, where his death occurred. Uriah was the younger son. The chiklren of the second marriage were: John Jacob, of Maryland, who wedded Mary Ann Shyn)ck : Eli David and Daniel Lewis, who are residents of Mary- land: James Augustus, who came to Ohio and located near Mansfield : Mary Magdalen, of Maryland : and Calvin Luther, who is also li\-ing in that state. Uriah \'alentine was born December 26, 1819, on the old homestead in Frederick county, Maryland, was there reared to man- hood and obtained his education in the sub- scription schools. He was only two vears old when his mother died and he then went to live with his grandfather, \'alentine Bow- ersox. His early life was one of arduous toil, for as soon as old enough to handle a plow he began work in the fields and was thus engaged fn)m early morning until late ai night. At the age of sixteen he began learning the tailor's trade, and followed that pursuit after coming to Ohio. In 1844 he and his brother took up their abode in Sen- eca count\-. this state, ha\ing made the jour- ney mostly on foot, although they tra\eled for a short distance by stage. Mr. X'alen- tine of this review went to Tiffin, where he worked at his trade for a short time, and in the s])ring of 1845 he came to Cov- ington, where he engaged in the tailoring business for one year in ihe eniplov of A. Routzon. On the expiration of ihat period he returned to Maryland and worked for his grandfather for seven years. He then again came to Miami county and was once more in the emplov of Mr. I\urney from Maryland was made in wagons and they were three weeks upon the way. During the first winter of their residence in Ohio they lived with an uncle, George Keifer. in Greene county, and the following spring came to Newberry township. There bis borne was a little cabin. 20x20 feet, Ijuilt of round logs. It contained but one room, in tlie end of which was a big fireplace, the smoke making its escape through a mud and stick chimney. Mr. Finfrock owned one hundred and ninety -six acres of land which he entered from the government, at a dollar and a quarter per acre. He was a carpenter by traile and was thus en- 330 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. abled to keep everything alx)ut liis place in good repair. In the operation of his land he was assisted Ijy his sons and ultimately became the owner of a valuable property. When he came to Ohio he had just money enough to meet the expenses of the jour- ney, but as the years passed he added con- tinually to his capital and became the pos- sessor of a comfortable home. He died in 1856. in his seventy-sixth year, and his wife has also passed away. They were members of the Lutheran church, and in his political belief Mr. Finfrock was a Demo- crat. Mr. Finfrock, brother of ^Irs. \'alen- tine, as born in Carroll county, Maryland, Feliruary ^5, 1826, and was six years of age when his parents brought him to Ohio with their other children, six in number. He walked most of the distance, although so young. He aided his father in clearing and developing the farm, and therefore his educational privileges were very limited. The schools of the neighborhood were con- ducted on the subscription plan, and his tirst teacher was John Perry. Mr. Fin- frock remained at home until he was twenty- two years of age, when he started out in business on his own account, learning the plasterer's trade, which he followed for thirty-five years. He was married April 17, 1853. to Mary Umholts. For a year they resided in Versailles, after which he purchased his present farm, locating there- on. There his wife died November 6, 1853, and on the 22d of April, 1857, he wedded Mary Elizabeth Routson,(laughterof George and Xancy (Abel) Routson. Her death oc- curred February 24, 1S68, and on the 21st of November, 1869, he wedded Elizabeth M. Black, daughter of \^'illiam Black. By his first marriage he had one child, Mary Ann, who was born October 29, 1853, and died in infancy. The children of the sec- ond marriage are as follows : Milton Alex- ander, who was born February 19, 1858, and is a school teacher of Darke county; Josephine, l)orn January 24, 1859: David Clinton, who was born in 1862, and is now deceased ; and Israel Calvin, who was born January 28, 1865, and is a farmer of Darke county. Tlie children nf the third marriage are : Edith May, who was born August 2, 1872, and is the wife of Lloyd Scando, of Pleasant Hill; Marietta Elizabeth, who was born February 2t,, 1875, and is the wife of Grant Stone, of Bradford; Carmina Ma- tilda, born December 4, 1877; Fanny, who was born October 4, 1879, and died in in- fancy; and George Henry,, who was born May 28, 1883. Mr. Finfrock has devoted his time to farming since abandoning the plasterer's trade, and is now the owner of eighty-seven acres of the home farm, and an ad- ditional tract of eighty-three acres. He is an enterprising agriculturist, widely and favorably known in his commu- nitv. When eighteen years of age he united with the Lutheran church and has since been one of its consistent members. In politics he is a stanch Democrat and has held a number of minor offices. WILLIAM H. .McMAXUS. William Henry McManus, of Picpia, is a native of Elizabeth township, Miami coun- ty, his birth having occurred on the 25th of July, 1855. His father, Benjamin F. Mc- ^lanus, was born in Albany, New York, August 9, 1824. and was of Scotch lineage, John H. McManus. the grandfather of our GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. UT sul3Ject. was a native of Scotland, and in tliat land married Eve Brendel, daughter of Sam- uel and Barbara Brendel, of Glasgow. In the year 1796 Mr. and Mrs. McManus crossed the Atlantic to th^ New World and he lix-ed to an advanced age. They had three sons in the civil war; Irvin. who died on Do\'er's Island ; Henry, who was never heard from after the battle of Pittsburg Landing; and James, who lived to return, and died in Mercer count v. Ohio, in December, 1898. Benjamin F. ]\IcManus. the father of our subject pin-sued his education in .\lbany, New York, until he accompanied his parents on their removal from the Empire state to Cumberland county, Pennsyh-ania. When a young man in his twenty-third year he took up his abode in ]\Iiami county, locating in Troy on the 8th of April, 1847. About 1851 he married ^liss Sarah J, ^^'rigley, a daugh- ter of John and Rebecca ( Holmes) Wrig- ley. The parents came from England and first settled in Kentucky, whence he after- ward removed to Montgomerv county, Ohio, later coming to Elizabeth township, Miami count}-. He owned a carding mill, manu- factured woolen goods and dealt in oiL. He was recogn-zed as a leading business man and a prominent citizen. \\'illiam Henry McManus. whose name introduces this record, pursued his education in the public schools of Miami county and for six years successfully engaged in teach- ing. He learned the carriage-maker's trade and for nineteen years followed that pur- suit in Troy. In 1896 he came to Piqua and was foreman of the Piqua Wagon Works until their recent destruction by fire. He has a comprehensive and thorottgh un- derstanding of the business in all of its de- partments and was fully competent to dis- charge the important duties devDlving upon him. As a business man he is very reliable and at all times has enjoyed the confidence of those with whom he has been connected. For t\\^o years he served^ as a member of the city council, giving his earnest sup- port to all measures which he belie\'es calcu- lated to prove of public benefit. He is a citizen of sterling worth, progressive and enterprising and in the active affairs of life lias justly won and merited the confidence and esteem of his fellow men. Mr. MciNIanus wedded Miss Priscilla Covault. daughter of L. C. Co\-ault, of Lost Creek township, who was one of the pio- neers of the community, very active in town- ship affairs and a leader in religious work in that section of the county. Mr. ancF Mrs. Timothy Covault. the grandparents of Mrs. McManus, were wed in their eastern liome and the following day startetl down the Ohio ri\er in a flatboat to estalilish a home in the then far distant wilderness. They traveled with a party who built a fort called Fort Covault, in honor of the grand- father who was the leader of the party and who was shortly afterward killed by the Indians. The family were early identified with the Baptist church and the active part which they took in all public affairs has made their name inseparably connected with the pioneer history of the state. Mr. ]\Ici\Ianus is a Democrat in his po- litical affiliations, socially is connected with the Royal Arcanum and has served as grand representative to the state lodge on several different occasions. Both he and his wife are active members of the Methodist church and take a deep interest in its work. They are greatly devoted to their only child, a son, Melville Wright McManus, of whom they have every reason to be proud. He was born at Troy, October- 28, 1882, began his 338 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. education in the schools of that city and at the present time is serving his country in the distant Phihppines as corporal in Captain Gilmer's Company of the Thirty-first United States \'olunteer Infantry. He enlisted at Fort Thomas June i. 1899. and probably his parents were never called upon to make any greater sacrifice than when they gave their beloved and only son to tlie service of his country. He sailed on the ill-fated IManauense, which proved unseaworthy. The story of the heroism displayed by the Thirty-first on that terrible passage has been repeatedly told and will be recounted as long as history lasts, for seldom has such great heroism and sacrifice been displayed. For ten days and ten nights they bailed the water in which they were forced to stand up to their waists, and the water was intensely hot. coming from the boilers. The men had to endure great suffering, but with unflinching bravery they stood at their posts until the harbor was reached and they were released from their awful positions. Corporal Mc- ^lanus", letters to his Piqua friends and par ticularly to Colonel Batelle are extremely interesting and have been published in the local press. The young man is tall, straight aufl sijldierly in bearing, and i\^o^^^ a mere bov he has l)een imbued with a military in- stinct and ambition and studied tactics as ardently as other boys read stories. At the Piqua high school he organized and was captain of the cadets and was major of the battalion. Many citizens of Piqua and prominent men of the town and county are greatly interested in the promising career of Corporal ^IcManus and desire to see him 'spared to return to his patriotic and devoted parents, as well as to see him promoted in the army. The promotion would be well deserved, for he is well versed in all militar)- tactics, possesses a sturdy loyalty of the true soldier, is popular with his comrades and has displayed unflinching braver\- in defense of the stars and stripes. JOHN A. XUXLIST. John A. Xunlist. proprietor of the City H(5tel of Tippecanoe City, is a genial host whose pleasant manner and unfailing court- esy have won him the favor of the traveling public and secured to him a liberal patron- age. He was born in X'ieder Erlinsbach, Switzerland, on the 7th of December. 1844, his parents being A'ictor and Catherine (Buser) Xunlist. In their family were the following children. John A.. John D., \\'ill- iam L.. Lena. Emil. Albert and Louisa. All of these now reside in Ohio. A\'hen the subject of this review was a lad of twehe years he began earning his own living, working in a silk mill in his native city. In the spring of i860 he came to America, crossing the Atlantic on a sailing vessel which, after a voyage of fifty-seven days, reached the harbor of Xew York. Making his way to Ohio he took up his residence in Shelby county, where the father purchased a farm. Soon afterward he was bound out to a man in St. Johns. ]\Iercer county. Ohio, to learn the Ijlacksmith's trade, and with him continued from July. 1861, until March, 1862, when, without consult- ing his parents, he responded to the call of liis adopted country for aid and became a private in Company C. One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio \'olunteer Infantry. The regiment went to Camp Allen, thence to Kentucky and through that state into Ten- n.essee. where Mr. X'unlist was taken ill with typhoid fever. Soon afterward he was sent GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 339 back to Lexington, Kentucky, and later was in the hospital at Covington. Kentucky, for some time. As he was then only eight- een years of age his father secured his re- lease from the service, and returning to Ohio he began work for Fred Huber in a butcher shop, where he remained until 1871. when he went to Dayton. Ohio, remaining there from April until October of that year. He then came to Tippecanoe City, where he was engaged in the butchering business until 1873, at which time he removed to Spring- field, Ohio, but after a year there passed returned to Tippecanoe City. Here he con- ducted the Henn Hotel until 1877. when he purchased the hotel, which he has since con- ducted. It was then known as the Carl Hotel but is now carried on under the name of the City Hotel. He has made many excellent improvements in the building and in its furnishing and has a well equipped hostelry, in which he has met with gratify- ing success. On the 19th of June, 1871. Air. Xunlist was united in marriage to Miss Julia Mess- ner. a nati\'e of Buffalo, New York, and they now have four children : Minnie, v.'ife of Jacob Hanil. who conducts a hotel at West Milton; Lulu, Frank D. and Edward S., ar home. They also lost one child, Victor, who died at the age of seven months. He was the third in order of birth. Mr. Nun- list is a member of the D. M. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City and is past commander. He belongs to the Catholic church and in politics is a Democrat, on which ticket he has been elected city council- man, serving in that office from 1884 until 1890. He started out in life for himself when only twelve yeas of age and \v.\y truly be called a self-made man, for his steady advancement has been the outcome of untiring diligence, guided by sound judg- ment. His worth as a man and citizen is widely acknowledged, and he has gained many warm friends among his fellow towns- men and among those who are entertained ar the City Hotel. DORSEY HONEYMAN. Dorsey Honeyman is numbered among the native sons of Miami county, his l)n-th having occurred June 24. 1866, on the old homestead farm now oc- cupied by William Michaels. His fa- ther, Audrey Honeyman, was born in Union township, Miami county. Septem- ber 16, 1830. and, havingf arri\ed at years of maturity, he wedded Alary Pearson, a daughter of Moses Pearson. In their fam- ily were four children : Mary E.. who died in infancy; Esther, wife of Albert McMan- us ; Dorsey ; and Minerva, who also died in infancy. The father of our subject re- mained on the farm with his family until his marriage, which occurred in 1857. Soon afterward he removed to Monroe township, on section 29. his father giving him forty acres of land there. The place was improved with a house of one room, and a log stable. There Mr. Honeyman remained until about ' 1870. when he removed to the farm now occupied by his son Dorsey. having there one hundred and fifty-six acres of land on sections 19 and 20, Monroe township. To the development and improvement of that farm he devoted his energies until his death, which occurred in January, 1892. The buildings upon the place were erected by him and he made excellent improvements, becoming the owner of one of the attractive S40 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and valuable farms of the neighborhood. As his financial resources increased he also extended the boundaries of his farm by ad- ditional purchases and became the owner of three hundred and thirteen acres. In poli- tics he was a Democrat, but gave no active attention to campaign work, preferring to •devote his time and energies to his business. He died January 2, 1892. and was laid to rest in the old family burying ground. His wife passed away some years previous, being called to her final rest in September, 1870, when only thirty years of age. Dorsev Honeyman was born and reared on the old family homestead and assisted in the cultivation of the farm until his fa- ther's death, when he assumed its manage- ment and has since made it his home. He now owns one hundred and fifty-six acres ■of rich land in this tract and also has other property, including eighty-eight acres in one tract and twenty acres in another tract, mak- ing in all about two hundred and sixty-four acres. His methods of farming are practical and progressive and he thoroughly under- stands the. business in every detail, his well- tilled fields indicating his careful supervision while the improvements upon the farm stand as monuments of his thrift and enterprise. In March, 1887, occurred the marriage ■of Mr. Honeyman and Miss Annie Stock- slager, and to them have been born four chil- ■dren, three of whom are living : Guy, Ethel and Dessie. Bertha, the eldest daughter, is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Honeyman are widely and favorably known in this locality, having a large circle of friends who esteem them highly for their sterling worth. He is a representative of one of the old families of Miami county and is a public-spirited citizen who well deserves mention in this volume. SAMUEL D. FRANK. When the tocsin of war sounded and the n.ews flashed over the country that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, a spirit of pa- triotism was aroused at the north that burned brighter and brighter until the su- premacy of the national government at Washington was established and the Con- federacy overthrown. Among those who loyally responded to the country's call for troops was Samuel D. Frank, and in private life he has been as true and faithful in the discharge of his duties of citizenship as when he followed the starry banner upon south- ern battlefields. He has been called to serve in many public offices and is now the effi- cient postmaster of Troy. Mr. Frank is a native of Darke county, Ohio, his birth having occurred where the city of Greenville now stands, on the nth of August, 1 84 1, his parents being George and Mary (Lutz) Frank, natives of Pennsyl- vania. They located in Darke county, Ohio, about 1838. and in 1842 they came to Miami county, where the father carried on agri- cultural pursuits as a means of livelihood. He died in Mercer county, Ohio, February 9, 1898, in the ninety-second year of his age, and his wife passed away March 9, 1888, when about seventy-seven years of age. her death also occurrmg in Mercer county. Mr. Frank, whose name introduces this review, was the fourth in their family of six children, and with one exception all are yet li\ing. He was reared on a farm, acquiring a common school education, and August 18, 1862, when twenty-one years o*^ age, he joined the boys in blue of Com- pany A, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Vol- in.teer Infantrv. He went to the front as a GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 841 corporal, and when discharged held the rank of first sergeant. He participated in the battles of Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Monoc- acy, and others of minor importance. On the 9th of July, 1864, at Monocacy, he sus- tained a gunshot wound. This unfitted him for further service and he received an hon- orable discharge on the 24th of December, following. Mr. Frank immediately returned to his home and in 1865, on the Republican ticket, was elected sheriff of Miami county, and the able manner in which he discharged his duties led to his re-election in 1867. In 1869 he was elected treasurer of Miami county, serving for a term of two years. Thus he was in the public service of the county for six consecutive years, and is the only man who, while holding the office of sherifif, has been elected treasurer. Subse- quently he served as county commissioner for twenty months and has held a number of minor positions. In 1896 he was chosen presidential elector for the seventh con- gressional district of Ohio and had the honor of casting his vote for William McKinley. On the 1 6th of March, 1898, he was ap- pointed by the president to the position of postmaster of Troy and is now capably fill- ing that office, his administration being char- acterized by promptness and fidelity in the discharge of his duties. He has long been recognized as a leader in the ranks of the Republican party of his community. On the 20th of December, 1866, Mr. Frank was united in marriage to Miss Sallie C. Looney, of Miami county, and they now have four children : Lee C. ; Mabel, wife of J H. Scott ; Maude and Florine. Mr. Frank is a member of Coleman Post, G. A. R., of Troy, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. For more than a third of a century he has been a resi- dent of this city and his straightforward and honorable career commends him to the re- spect and regard of all who know him. JEREMIAH HOLLOWAY. Jeremiah Holloway is the oldest sheet- iron roller of Piqua. He has ded a busy, useful and honorable life and well deserves representation in this volume. He was born June 9, 1837, at Brierley Hill, Stafford- shire, England, and there spent his boyhood days and learned his trade. He was also married in the land of his birth, and with his wife and two children came to America in September, 1868, on the steamer Nebras- ka. He took up his abode at Pittsburg, where he remained for a short time, after which he lived at various times at Iron- vale and Wheeling. West Virginia; Iron- ton, Pennsylvania; Pittsburg; Portsmouth, Cleveland and Niles, Ohio; and Covington, Kentucky, spending ten years in the latter place. In 1889 he took up his abode in Piqua, where he has since made his home, employed as a sheet roller. Through his long and active business career he has worked in rolling mills and thoroughly un- derstands the business, both in principle and detail. In December, 1862, Mr. Holloway was married to Miss Myra Adderley. who was born April 20, 1840, at Brierley Hill, Staf- fordshire, England. Eight children were born unto this worthy couple, namely : Will- iam I.; Jeremiah, who died in infancy; Ann Elizabeth, wife of Almond H. Porshall; Percival, who is employed in the rolling mills ; Oscar and Jerry Adderley, who are also employed in the rolling mills; Edna 342 GENEALOGICAL AND BfOGRAPHICAL RECORD. M., who is a teacher in the Spring street school; and Irwin A., who is also employed in the roUing mills. Mr. Holloway belongs to the Episcopal church and his wife is a member of tlie Methodist church. She is a highly educated, inteUigent woman and has many warm friends in this community. Mr. Holloway exercises his right of fran- chise in support of the men and measures of the Republican jjarty. but has never sought nor desired the honors and emoluments of office for himself. He has depended entirely upon his own efforts for his advancement in life, and his indefatigable labor has been the ladder upim which he has mounted to a place among the substantial citizens of Piqua. CHARLES C. JOXES. Charles C. Jones, now deceased, was for many years a prominent agriculturist of Brown townshii) and was a man whom to know was to respect and honor. He was born in the township where he so long re- sided, and on the farm "adjoining his home- stead. His birth occurred October 13, 1837, his parents being Solomon and Mary ( Tuly) Jones. His father was born in Shelby county. Kentucky, December 25, 1816, and was brought to Ohio by his parents. Having arrived at years of maturity, he ntarried ]\Iary Tuly, daughter of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Borden) Tuly. She was born in New Jersey, January 24, 18 14, and when six years of age was brought to Ohio, the family set- tling in Warren county, whence they came to Miami county when she was twelve years of age. Her parents died in this county, the former at the age of forty-six years and the mother at the age of seventy-five years. Solomon Jones began his domestic life in Lost Creek township, but, during the in- fancy of our subject, removed with his fam- ily to the present homestead farm in Brown township. He died at the age of thirty- eight years, leaving four children, namely : Charles Clinton; Elizabeth, who died at the age of sixteen years; Miranda, wife of Henry Chambers, of Princeton, Indiana; and Caroline, wife of Henry Eyer, of Troy. The mother of this family remained on the farm and is still living there with her daugh- ter-in-law. Mrs. Charles C. Jones. Mr. Jones, whose name introduces this review, was about eighteen years of age when his father died, and after two years passed in Fletcher he assumed the manage- ment of the old home place. During the Civil war he volunteered at Camp Piqua, August 12, 1862. and served for two years and eleven months with the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battles of the Wilder- ness, \\'inchester. Locust Grove and Kelly's Ford. At \\'inchester he was captured by "Stonewall" Jackson's army and held as a prisoner of war for forty days, being among the last prisoners of war exchanged. He rose from the ranks to the position of ser- geant, and at the close of the war received an honorable discharge, having made an ex- cellent military record as a brave and loyal soldier. After his return home Mr. Jones re- sumed the operation of the home farm, and later purchased his sister's interest in the property. His mother had remained on the old homestead and superintended the culti- vation of a portion of it. The home place comprised one hundred and sixty acres, to which Charles C. Jones added from time to time until the farm is now four hundred and seven acres in extent. It is improved with four sets of Ji^ N HT 4 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 345 excellent farm buildings and all of the iilace is rented, except the uriginal homestead, which is occupied by ]\lrs. Jones and her family. In connection with the raising of grain Mr. Jones became an extensive and successful stock raiser, and kept on hand a fine grade of horses and cattle. During his life time he operated the entire farm and was very successful in both branches of his business. In 1874 he erected the pres- ent resilience. He was married in that year, on the 28th of May. to Miss Jeanette R. Reynolds, who was born in Urbana, Ohio, Septemlier 2j, 1855. her parents being Ben- jamin and ]\Iary Ann (Townsend) Rey- nolds, She li\-ed at Urbana until her mar- riage, and to her husband she was ever a faithful companion and helpmate. Their union w^as blessed with seven children : Fred R,, l)orn March 6, 1876, who is cultivating a part of the farm; Edith C, born Septem- ber 30, 1877; Thomas E,, born December 2. 1879, who is living on the old farm ; Mary B,. born May 9, 1882; Blaine, who was born May 13, 1884, and died at the age of two years and three months; Reah A., born March 27, 1886: and Charles Leonard, born November 30, 1896. All of the children are living- at home, Fred R. was married De- cember 24, 1895, to Clara A. Anderson, of Shelby county, and after four years of mar- ried life she departed this world, dying May 3. 1900- Mr, Jones died October 13, 1899, on the sixty-second anniversary of his birth. His death occurred quite suddenly as the result of heart trouble, which had been con- tracted by exposure in the army. For two or three 3'ears previously he had suffered considerably from his heart, but it was not thought that he was in a precarious condi- tion, and even upon the dav of his death he 20 attended to his business affairs. His de- mise came as a great IjIow to his many friends as well as to his immediate family. In politics he was a stalwart Republican, unswerving in his support of the principles of the party, yet was never an aspirant for office. For twenty-three years he held mem- bership in the Masonic fraternity, of Lena, and was buried with ^Masonic honors, many lodges throughout the county sending dele- gations to the funeral to pay the last tribute of respect to a brother whose life was a splendid exemplification of the benevolent principles of the fraternit}-, its mutual help- fulness, kindness and forbearance. He was an earnest, upright man. always just, and not without that greater attribute of mercy. In his farm work he took just pride, made first-class improvements upon the place, laid hundreds of rods of tiling and did all in his power to make a good home for his family and supply them with all the comforts of life. He was laid to rest in the family bury- ing ground beside his father and sister. His friends were legion; he had no enemies. In all life's relations he commanded the respect of all with whom he came in contact, and to his family he left the priceless heritage of a good name. Mrs, Jones and her chil- dren still reside upon the old homestead, their residence being one of the best in the northeastern part of Miami county. The family is one of prominence in the com- munity. Its members occup)' leading posi- tions in society, and are respected for their good equalities of both heart and mind. MADISON ROBINS. It is the plain, unassuming citizen who silently but surely makes the history of a country, and the subject of this sketch has 346 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. been not that alone, but a plain, unassuming soldier and local official, and has proven de- pendable in his relations to every trust in him. The brief record of his career may not prove exciting, but it will be found to contain a lesson in industry, in integrity and in patriotism that should not be lost to the rising generation. Madison Robins was born in Lost Creek township, Miami county, Ohio, October 3, 1834, a son of Benjamin and Permilla (Co- vault) Robins. Benjamin Robins, the father of or sub- ject, was born in Ohio. His father, Rich- ard Robins, emigrated to Miami coimty, Oliio, at an early day and located on one Iiundred and sixty acres in Staunton town- ship, of this county, where lie was one of the pioneers. The land he entered was af- terward owned by his grandsons, Madison and Erastus Robins. His son, Benjamin Robins, had a family of ten children, of whom Madison Robins was the third born. Benjamin Robins died on February 24, 1854, his wife on April 16, 1843, aged thir- ty-eight years, and their remains rest in the Lost Creek Baptist church cemetery. During the infancy of our subject his parents removed to Staunton township, lo- cating on section 4, where he was reared to manhood. Through the summer months he followed the plow, in the fall he aided in harvesting the crops and in the winter sea- son he pursued his education in the com- mon schools. He started out in life for himself when twenty years of age, renting the old farm which he afterward purchased. He lived there until 1870, when he removed to Springfield, Ohio, making his home in that city for eighteen months, during which time he engaged in buying and shipping hogs. At the expiration of that period he returned to the farm, where he made his home for about nine years, after which he spent eighteen months in Trtiy. He then came to his present home in Staunton town- ship and has since given his time and at- tention to buying and shipping timber. On the 14th of October, 1855, Mr. Robins was married to Miss Elizabeth Earn- heart. They now have two children, named Lucinda J. and Sarah F. .Mrs. Robins was the daughter of John ami Elizabeth (Robinson) Earnheart. and was born in September, 1833. Her father died June 14, 1863. aged sixty-five years and eight months, and her mother December 10, 1862, at the age of fifty-nine years and five months. Mrs. Robins joined the Lost Creek Christian church when fifteen years of age and her husband in 1868. They are members of the Troy Christian church and Mr. Robins is a deacon in that body. Their daughter, Lucinda J., married Hiram Beard and they have two children, Charles M. and William O. Their daughter, Sarah F.. married Joseph J. Hart, and they have one ilaughter named Ferry Pearl. In 1864 Mr. Robins left his home and family to aid in the defense of the Union, enlisting on the 14th of May of that year as a member of Company K, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered in at Camp Dennison. The regiment was sent to guard Washington, and Mr. Robins served in the vicinity of that city until the expiration of his term of one hundretl days, when he was mustered out as sergeant of his company, in Septemlier, 1864. In politics Mr. Robins is a stalwart Republican. In 1891 he was appointed township trustee to fill a vacancy, as the successor to S. D. Frank, and by re-election has been continued in that office for eight GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 347 years, and has proved a most competent and faithful official. The promptness and fidel- ity with which he discharges his duties is indicated by the fact that he has been the popular choice of his fellow citizens through almost a decade. In all life's duties he has been alike honorable, and is regarded as one of the leading, influential and valued citi- zens of his community. JAMES C. MOORE. For the second time James C. Moore is •occupying the position of county recorder of Miami county, his record being character- ized by marked fidelity to duty and superior ability in the discharge of the tasks that devolve upon him. A native of Adams ■county, Ohio, he was born on the uth of March, 1859, his parents being Elihu and Elizabeth (\\'right) Moore. The former, a native of the Buckeye state, was born in 181 2, and died near Troy, Ohio, in 1889. The mother died in Darke county, Ohio, at the age of fifty-six years. James C. Moore, the youngest of their nine children, five of whom are yet living, attended the common schools, and after acquiring a good pre- liminary education matriculated in the Na- tional Normal University, in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1883. He spent two years in that insti- tution, and then began teaching, a profes- sion which he had followed for four years be- fore he entered upon his normal course. He spent thirteen years in the school room as an educator, and in the years 1894-95 was su- perintendent of schools for the townships of Concord and Staunton, in Miami county. He had the ability to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge he had ac- quired, and his efficient work won him pres- tige among the educators of this locality. In politics Mr. Moore is an active Re- publican. He keeps well informed on the issues of the day, and takes great interest in supporting the principles of his party and securing their adoption through the power of his ballot. In the fall of 1895 he was elected recorder of Miami county and so capably filled the office that he was re-elected for a second term in the fall of 1898, receiv- ing the largest vote of any candidate on the ticket who had an opponent, his majority being fourteen hundred and seventy-two. In August, 1885, occurred the marriage of Mr. Moore and Miss Alice C. Foster, of Miami county. They now have four chil- dren. — Emma B., Eugene, Harry and Ethel May. Mrs. Moore is a daughter of John and Ruth (^ Thomas) Foster, natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Miami county, Ohio. The father lived to be sixty-four years of age, and the mother is still living, her home being in Troy. Mr. Moore is a Univcrsalist in religious belief, while his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Socially he is connected with Troy Lodge, No. 43, I. O. O. F.. and with Concord Encampment. He is true to the best interests of citizenship, is most loyal to the trusts reposed in him and commands the respect of his fellow men by his fidelity and worth. His standing, both in political and social cuxles, is high, and he is very popular as a county official. JOHN G. PETERSON. One of the enterprising farmers of Staunton township is Mr. Peterson, who owns and operates a tract of ninety acres on section 20. He was born in Staunton township May 28, 1831, a son of Ralph and 348 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Sarah (Hardinbrook) Peterson. The fa- ther was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, near Cincinnati, and came to Miami county in 1827, locating on the farm where the birth of our subject occurred. He there en- tered one hundred and sixty acres of raw land from the government, the tract being still in its primitive condition. He then erected a double' log house of two rooms, after \\hich he laegan the arduous task of clearing the land, which was cqvered with a heavy growth of oak, walnut and maple trees. His large forest of maples led him to establish a sugar camp, which he con- ducted for a great many years. He was also successfully engaged in the raising of grain, and extended the scope of his labors by conducting a cooper shop. His indus- try was very marked, and he was actively connected with business interests for many years. He continued his residence upon the farm until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-three years of age. He was a leading and influential citizen, who served for three years as county commis- sioner, holding that position at the time the jail was built in Troy. The main part of the county infirmary was also built dur- ing his incumbency, and his official support was given to these and to all other measures which he believed would prove of public benefit. In politics he was a Republican, earnest in his advocacy of the principles of the party. The parents of our subject had a family of eleven children: Mary and Alexander, both deceased ; Emily, wife of Jeremiah Counts, of Sedalia, Missouri ; Madison, who lives in Piqua; John G. ; Jacob, who is living on a part of the old homestead farm; Julia A., who died in infancy; Martha, wife of William Cushion, a resident farmer of Staunton township; Adeline, deceased wife of Dr. \\'alton, of Piqua ; William, who is living in Piqua ; and Charles, now deceased. Mr. Peterson, of this review, was born and reared on the old home farm, and ob- tained his education in the public schools of the neighborhood. The first school which he attended was held in a building construct- ed of logs, and furnished after the primitive manner of the times. He assisted in the work of the farm until sixteen years of age, and then began learning the stonecutter's trade, at which he worked until i860, when he returned to the old farmstead, which he operated in connection with his brother, Jacob, until 1866. In that year he came to the farm upon which he now resides. In the meantime, however, he responded to the coimtry's call for troops, enlisting on the 2d of May, 1864. as a private of Company K, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio \'ol- unteer Infantry. He was mustered in at Camp Dennison and participated in the de- fense of \\'ashington, being stationed at Fort IMarcy, on th.e Potomac river, until honorably discharged, in September of that year. Mr. Peterson was married, December 29, 1856, to Miss Catherine Brooks, and to them have been born four children : Ada, wife of Theodore Shearer; Willis, a farmer of Staunton township ; Frederick now deceased ; and Stella, at home. The family reside on section 20, Staunton township, where Mr. Peterson owns and operates ninety acres of rich and arable land. The place is con- veniently situated on the Troy and Piqua pike, thus ha\ing easy communication with the town. Mr. Peterson carries on gen- eral farming, has placed his fields under a high state of cultivation and has made many of the improvements on his place. His. GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 349 agricultural methods are progressive, and he is accounted one of the wide-awake and practical farmers of the neighhorhood. His ballot supports the men and measures of the Republican party. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Club, organized for the purpose of promoting agricultural interests by the interchange of progressi\'e ideas, and for twelve years he has been a consistent member of the Christian church at Troy. MICHAEL HONEYMAN. Among the pioneers of Miami county who have passed to "the undiscovered coun- try from whose bourne no traveler returns" is Michael Honeyman, who became a resi- dent of this locality in 1823. He was born in Pennsylvania. Septeml^er 1. 1820, and three years later was brought to the Buckeye state by his parents, Benjamin and Mary (Knife) Honeyman, who made the trip westward by water and team. On reaching Miami county the father settled on the farm which Benjamin Honeyman now owns. Under the parental roof the subject of this review was reared and also became fa- miliar with the arduous duties of developing and improving new land. He attended the common schools through the winter months, but in the summer seasons aided in the work of field and meadow. On the i8th of De- cember, 1845, he was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Hoover, whose birth oc- curred near Milton, Miami county, on the ist of May, 1828. She was a daughter of John Hoover, whose birth occurred on the same farm in 1804. Her grandfather was John Hoover, Sr., a native of South Carolina, who was married in his native state and thence came to Ohio, locating on the farm wliich was the birthplace of his son, John, and his granddaughter. Mrs. Honeyman. He erected a log cabin of two rooms and be- gan clearing the hea\-y timber from his land. As John Hoover, Jr., attained suffi- cient strength to cope with the hard labor, he assisted his father in the work of the farm and remained at home until his mar- riage. He wedded Mary Carroll, and to them were born 'twelve children, nine of whom reached man and womanhood. For his second wife he chose Mrs. Brombaugh, and they had a family of four children. Unto Mr. and [Mrs. Honeyman were born thirteen children, namely : Sarah Jane, now deceased ; Webster, who has also passed away; Benjamin F., who is living in Union township ; Almeda and John, both deceased ; George, who is living in Tippecanoe City; Davis, a farmer residing in Concord town- ship; Handford, who makes his home near Gettysburg, in Darke county, Ohio; Har- vey, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Staunton township, Miami county; Enie- line, wife of Ira Grisso, who operates the home farm; Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Cora B., wife of B. F. Fritz, who is living jiear Kessler ; and Enos, who is associated W'ith Mr. Grisso in the operation of the home farm. It was in 1846 that Mr. Honeyman, of this re\-iew, removed to Monroe township, securing a tract of land which he cultixated and improved until i860, when he came to the farm upon which his death occurred, July 26, 1893. He devoted his energies to the cereals best adapted to this climate and to the raising of such stock as was needed for home use. He first became owner of a tract of eighty acres, but to this he added until he had about two hundred acres in Monroe township. He was also 350 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the owner of eighty acres in Concord township, Miami connty, besides fifty-three acres near Rocliester, Indiana. In 1869 he built a fine l)rick residence upon his farm, and all the improvements seen there stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He was a successful agricult- urist, whose progressive, yet practical, meth- ods enabled him to annually add to his capi- tal until he became the possessor of a com- fortable competence. At the time of his death both Mr. and Mrs. Honeyman had been members of the German Baptist church for forty-two years, and were ever faith- ful to their professions. His life was ever honorable and upright, his business reputa- tion unassailable, and all who knew him en- tertained for him the highest regard. His life was unmarked by events of startling im- portance, but at all times it was character- ized by fidelity to every manly principle, and he thereby won a host of warm friends who greatly mourned his loss. In his death the family lost a faithful and loving husband and father, the communit}' a valued citizen, and Miami county an honored pioneer well worthy of representation in her history. JAMES H. CALD\\'ELL. James H. Caldwell has spent his entire life ujion the farm which he now occupies, his birth having there occurred on the 2d of February, 1841. He is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this section of the state. His paternal grand- parents were Stephen and Catherine Cald- well, natives of Maryland, in which state the former died. The latter spent her last years in the home of her son, James, and was called to her final rest at the advanced age of ninety years. This worthy couple had a family of four children: Martha, who became the wife of John Myers and died at Gettysburg, Ohio; Margaret, who died in 1863; James, the father of ouf sub- ject; and one who died in childhood. James Caldwell was born near Emmitsburg, Mary- land, August 6, 1797, and died in February, 1 86 1. In the state of his nativit}' he wedded Hannah Bouey, who died in September, 1853, ^^ the age of thirty-nine years. Leav- ing his home in Maryland, James Caldwell walked to Ohio and located a farm in Darke county, about 1832. He then returned on foot to his home, and later removed his family to the Buckeye state, making the trip with wagons. He, however, again walked the entire distance. About 1835 he purchased a quarter-section of land in the extreme northwest corner of Xewton township, and there made his home until his death, which occurred in 1861. By trade he was a blacksmith. His children were : Xancy, wife of Ephraim Pierson; and James Harvey. The latter has made farming his life work. He was reared to that pursuit, be- ginning work in the fields as soon as old enough to handle the plow. Through the winter seasons he attended the country schools until about nineteen j-ears of age, and in the summer months he assisted in the work of plowing, planting and harvest- ing. In 1861 his father died and the entire management of the old homestead devolved upon him. \\'hen the country became in- volved in hostilities between the north and south he greatly desired to enlist but was compelled to remain at home until 1864, when he responded to the call for one hun- dred-day men, and was made second lieu- tenant of Company G, One Hundred and GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. '651 Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry. When that regiment was consolidated with another he hecanie a private. Throughout his husi- ness career lie has carried on agricultural pursuits, and is todav the owner of a xal- uable and attractive farm of eighty acres, upon which he has made excellent improve- ments. These well tilled fields yield to him a golden tribute, and the substantial build- ings, kept in good repair, indicate his careful super\ision and progressive spirit. On the 4th of July. 1861, Mr. Caldwell was united in marriage to Miss Eunice I'earson, who was born in Newton town- ship, December 18, 1837. and is a daughter of Joseph and L_\xlia ( Macy ) Pearson. Her paternal grandparents were Benjamin and Esther Pearson. Her maternal grand- father, Paul Macy, was born in North Caro- lina, was of Quaker faith, and was a direct tlcscendant of Thomas Macy, the first white man that lived on Nantucket Island. He had a S(in, Jnhn, and the latter became the father of four sons, Thomas, John, Richard and Jabez. Of these Thomas, the eldest, had a son Joseph, whose son Paul was the great- grandfather of Mrs. Caldwell. John Macy was married and had a son John, whose daughter Bethiah had a son Paul. The last named became the father of Lydia and she had a daughter Eunice. Richard Macy had a son Zacheus and he a daughter Phebe, and she a daughter Sarah, and she a son Will- iam, and he a daughter Delilah, and the last named married David S. Macy, an uncle of Mrs. Caldwell. Jabez Macy had a son Matthew, and he had a son Matthew, and the latter had a daughter Eunice, and she had a daughter Lydia, who became the wife of Joseph Pearson and the mother of Mrs. Caldwell. Paul Macy. the great-grand- father of Mrs. Caldwell, was born March 5, 1740, and died on the 2d of August, 1832, at the very advanced age of ninety-two years. His wife, Mrs. Bethiah ^lacy, was born March 8, 1744, and died on the 29th of September, 18 10. Her ancestry can be traced back to John Folger, who came from England in 1636, and settled at Martha's Vineyard. Among his descendants was Peter Folger, the grandfather of Benjamin Franklin. The line of descent is traced ciown through Johanna Folger, John Cole- man, Elihu Ciileman and Eunice Coleman to Bethiah Macy, the great-grandmother of Mrs. Caldwell. By her marriage the last named become the mother of the following: Eunice, who was born November 30, 1762, and died August 13, 1840; Thomas, born I'ebruary 28, 1765, and died February i, 1833 ; Judith, bom March 22, 1767; Matilda, who was born March 2, 1770, and died May 3, 1832; Jemimah, who was born April 6, 1772, and died October 16, 1823; Phoebe, born April 26, 1775, and died in December of the same year ; Lydia, born ]\Iarch 2j, 1777; Paul, born January 10, 1780; Obed, who was born May 26, 1782, and died Feb- ruary 21, 1821 ; Hannah, born August 11, 1784, and died November 30, 1825 ; Phoebe, who was born March 10, 1789, and died January 19, 1842. Paul Macy, the grandfather of Mrs. Caldwell, was liorn January 10, 1780, and married Eunice Macy, who was born May 25, 1782, and was a descendant of another branch of the Macy family. With their family and a colony of Quakers they left North Carolina for Ohio, making the jour- ney in wagons. They settled in Montgom- ery county, and for many )-ears the grand- father followed farming there, but died at the home of his son Obed in Troy, Ohio, having survived his wife. They were mar- 352 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ried March 5. iSoi, and tlieir children were : Phoebe, l)iirn January 17, 1802; Thomas, born September 30, 1804; Ly(Ha, who was born December 19, 1806. and died .\pril 7, 1846; Annie, born February 10, 1809, and died September 11, 1863; Beulali, born Feb- ruary I, 181 1, and (bed April 11, 1845; John G., born September 2/, 181 3; Paul, born February 8, 1816, and died October 31, 1819; David S., born May 28, 1818, and died Sei)tember 27, 1862; Eunice, born February 21, 1821 ; and Obed, born May 26, 1826. The children of Mr. and ]\Irs. Caldwell are : Lyvirgia, who v-as born April 10, 1862, and is the wife of D. O. McCool, of Newton township, by whom she has four children, LeRoy, Harvey, Harry and Marie; Charles C, who was born August 12, 1863, and married Emma Cox, by whom he has four children, Viola, Carl, Thern and Ina; Lizzie, who was burn November 30, 1867, and is the wife of Samuel Hart, of Newton township, by wlmm she has a daughter, Ethel ; and Jennie, who was born March 10, 1874, and is the wife of Clinton Snyder. She has two children. Park and Herman. Since early manhood Mr. Caldwell has taken a deep and active interest in political affairs, and gives his support to the Repub- licn party, of whose principles he is a stanch advocate. He does all his power to pro- mote the growth and insure the success of the party, and is able to defend his position by intelligent argument. He and his wife belong to the Christian church at Pleasant Hill, and he is a member of Arnold Post, G. A. R., of Bradford. He served for one term as township trustee and for se\'en years was a director of the county infirmary, and is a member of the Grange. His life has been well spent in earnest devotion to daily duties. His career has lieen a quiet but useful one, and through consecutive lalx)r and earnest ])urpose he has won a competence that classes him among the substantial resitlents of Miami countv. JOSEPH H. GREEN, M. D. On the list of leading medical practition- ers of Miami county appears the name of Dr. Green, who is now successfully practicing in Troy. He was born in Miami county, near the city which is now his home, on the 23rd of August, 1833, his parents being- William and Cassa (Sayers) Green. The father was born in Mifibn county, Pennsyl- vania, January 12, 1809, and died in Miami county in 1883. By occupation he was a farmer. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to Connecticut where representa- tives of the name lived in colonial days. Se\'- eral members of the family loyally served their country in the war of the Revolution. Mrs. Green, the mother of our subject, was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and died in Miami county in 1839. The Doctor spent his boyhood days upon the home farm and acquired his preliminary education in the district schools. When about twenty-one years of age he entered the University of Michigan, where he com- pleted the work of the sophomore year, and with a broad general knowledge to serve as a foundation upon which to rear the su- perstructure of professional learning, he took up the study of medicine in Troy under the direction of Drs. Abbott and Harter. He was graduated in the ]\Iedical College of Ohio, in the spring of i860 and afterward attended lectures in the Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, and in the Bellevue GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 353 Hospital Medical College, of Xew York city. After his graduation in i860 he prac- ticed in Troy for one year. In the fall of 1861 he entered the United States army as assistant surgeon, serving for three years, six months and fifteen days, and when mustered out held the rank of surgeon. He was attached to the army of the Cumberland under command of Gen- erals Rosecrans.Buell, Sherman and Thomas, and upon his return to Troy, he again took up the practice of medicine, in which he has met with splendid success, gaining distinc- tive preferment in connection with his chosen calling. For twenty years he has been in charge of the greater part of the surgical work in this city and vicinity and now makes a specialty of gynecology. For forty years he has been recognized as a leading physician in Troy and to-day occu- pies a front rank as a representati\'e of a calling in which advancement must depend entirely upon individual merit. Since 1868 he has been a member of the American Medi cal Association, also of the Oiiio State Medi- cal Society and the Miami County Medical Society. In November, 1865, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Green and Miss Almira Childs. of Miami county, and they have two children, Mary, now the wife of Hon. M. K. Gantz an ex-member of congress, and Joseph C, who is yet in school. In politics, the Doctor has always been a Republican and believes most firmly in the principles of the party whose honored leader at present came from Ohio. Socially, he is connected with A. H. Coleman Post, G. A. R., of Troy. Since the age of twenty-two years he has been a Mason and is now a member of Cole- man Commandery. No 17, K. T. All who knnw him entertain fur him the highest re- gard and his life has been characterized by devotion to every duty. The success which has attended his efforts is but in natural sequence, for his position became assured as an able ]jh}-sician, a man of sterling integ- rity and one devoted to his profession and to the interests and welfare of those to whom he ministered. He possesses marked judg- ment and discernment in the diagnosing of disease and has been peculiarly successful in anticipating the issue of complications, seldom making mistakes and never exag- gerating or minifying the disease in render- ing his decisions in regard to them. He is a physician of great fraternal delicacy, and no man e\Tr obser\'ed more clusely the ethics of the professional code or showed more careful courtesy to his fellow practitioners than does Dr. Green. JOSEPH \V. WEST. The record of a just and upright life is always interesting and edifying. Such a life has been that of Joseph W. West, a a well-known farmer on section i. Staunton township, who is more than worthy of men- tion in such a work as this. Mr. West was born in Baltimore, Mary- land December 11, 1849, and while yet in his youth accompanied his parents on their removal to a farm near his native city. There he remained until 1870, when, having attained his majority, he decided to seek a home and fortune in the Buckeye state. For a year he was employed on a farm near Day- ton, Montgomery county. He then took up his residence in Staunton township. Miami county, and was employed on one of the farms belonging to the Knoop brothers, George, Jacob and John, who were well and 354 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. widely known for their no1)le and generous qualities and who, noting his industry and honest, straightforward course, esteemed him highly as a worthy and deserving young man and reposed such confidence in him that they placed means in his hand with which to carry on farming operations and jjut him on one of their l>est farms, setting aside for his use one hundred and seventy acres of as good land as lies in the Miami valley. Ahout this time — the exact date was Octol^er 30. 1876. — Mr. West married Mar- tha J. Leaxelle. a nati\e of Covington. Miami coimty. Ohio, born June 16, 1849. Mrs. West's father died in the year of her birth and her mother was given employment as housekeeper liy the Kno^p lirothers. .\s she grew to womanhood Miss Leavelle ac- quired such a place in the affections of the Messrs. Knoop. that at his death, in 1877. John Knoop 1)equeathed to her the farm on which she and her husband were living. Other heirs contested the will but finally C(impromised and iMr. and i\Irs. \\'est bought the farm where they now live. Their union lias lieen blessed by one daughter. Jessie Pearl, who was born August 4 1877, gradu- ated from the Troy high school in the class of 1897 and was married to \\', iM. Baker, June 20. 1900. iMrs. Baker has decided musical talent. Mr. Baker is the junior mem- ber of the dry-goods firm of Baker & Son. of Troy, Ohio. Mr. West is now ser\-ing liis fellow citi- zens as one of the trustees of Staunton town- ship, itie is exceptionally well informed con- cerning the national and intcrnat'onal issues of the times, votes with the Repuljlican party and is always most earnest in support of its principles. iHe takes a deep interest in fraternal societies and since 1893 has been a valued member of the Masonic lodge of Tippecanoe City and has held office in that organization almost continuously. In 1895 he was elected junior warden, in 1898 he was elected senior warden and the following year was chosen master, which p()sition he has since held. iHe is an exemplary member of the society which through many centu- ries has inculcated among men the spirit of mutual helpfulness. forbearance and l.)rotherly kindness. In 1885. he became a member of Troy Lodge. No. 43. I. O. O. F., and has filled all of its chairs and is past grand of that lodge. He is also a member of the Christian church and in his life shows forth his faith. During the many years of his residence in this section of the state, his con- duct has e\er commended him to the cmifi- dence and good will nf his fellow men. ED X. LOV. M. D. A member of the medical fraternity of Troy, Dr. Lov is numbered among tlie na- tive sons of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Piqua. on the 2i.st of iNIay. 1872. His par- ents were John \\'. and Cynthia ( Buckles) Loy. He was born in Butler county. Ohio, in 1820, and came to iMiami county in 1839. iMrs. Loy was a daughter of James and Margaret ( Northcott ) Buckles, and was born in Lost Creek township, iMiami coun- ty, March 17, 1831. The father is a car- penter and contractor and now resides in Pifjua. The Doctor is the \oungest of his nine children, and under the parental roof he spent his boyhood days, en. joying' the usual sports of childhood. He pursued his preliminary education in the iniblic schools, and in 1890 was graduated in the Piqua high school. He did not put aside his text-books then, for he entered the school GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 355 room as a teaclier, and for four years fol- lowed that profession in Washington town- ship. Having determined to make the prac- tice of medicine liis hfe work he then began reachng under the direction of Dr. J. C Faimestock, of Piqua. and later attended the Pulte Medical College, of Cincinnati, where he pursued his studies for two years. On the ex])iration of that period he matricu- lated in the Chicag(i Homeopathic Medical College, in wliich he was graduated on the 22d of March, 1898, winning second hon- ors in a class of forty. Thus with a com- prehensive knowledge of the science of medi- cine he enteretl u])on his professional career in Troy, on the ist of June, 1898. In the spring of 1899 he was appointed health officer of the city, and already he has won a liberal patronage, for his ability and skill have been recognized and ha\e awakened public confidence. , On th-e 1st of December, 1898, was cele- brated the marriage of Dr. Loy and Miss Alberta Carson, of Piqua, a daughter of James and Willa ( Munger) Carson. They have a ]5leasant home in Troy, and have made manv warm friends, who esteem them highly for their per.sonal worth. They have one son, Robert Bellville, born No- vember 9, 1899. The Doctor is a man of pleasing personality, of imiform courtesy and genial manner, and these qualities, when added to accurate professional kn(nvledge always insure success to those who repre- sent the medical fraternity. CHARLES A. WOOD. The deser\'ed reward of a well-spent life is an honored retirement from business, in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. To- day, after a useful and beneficial career, Mr. Wood is quietly living at his pleasant home in Piqua, Ohio, surrounded by the com- forts that earnest labor has brought him. Mr. Wood was born in Hollis, New Hamp- shire, February 24, 1820, the seventh son of Deacon Phillip and Dorothy Davis Wood. Deacon Phillip Wood was born in 1780, at the family homestead which is now standing in Dracut, Massachusetts, and was the son of Abijah and Ester (Lewis) Wood, Abi- jah Wood was the son of Benjamin Wood, who was the great-grandfather of General Leonard Wood, of Cuban fame. They were of English Puritan stock and came to the colony of Massachusetts in 1635 from Ames- bury. Wiltshire. England, leaving there on account of religious persecution. Both the paternal and the maternal grandfathers of the subject of this sketch were soldiers of the Revolution; his grandfather Wood, ac- cording to ]\'Iassachusetts records, was at the battle of Concord, Massachusetts, at Bennington, Vermont, and at the capture of Burgo}-ne. His grandfather Davis was at the siege of Boston, u 'der Washington, and at Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain. Charles A. Wood, the subject of this re- view, was reared in his native town where he attended school a few weeks each winter until sixteen years of age, when, having to make his own living, he worked on a farm in the summer seasons and in the wofids in the winter months cutting wood until his twenty-third year, when he came to Piqua, Ohio, and engaged in farming and various other occupations until 1870. He and his eldest son, C. L. Wood, engaged in the store and lumber trade at Dunkirk, Indiana, for eight years, then came back to Pi(|ua aufl, in company with C. L. Wood, started the Piqua planing mill and lumber yard. In 856 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 1870, after fifty years of incessant toil, Mr. Wood ga\ e up all active business. ■ In 1840 Mr. Wood was united in mar- riage to Miss Hannah Washer, of Bedford, New Hampshire, and their union has been blessed with the following children . Charles Leonard, who resides in Piqua, Ohio; George Philip, who resides in Kokomo, Indiana; and Marcus Davis, who resides in Dunkirk, Indiana. In 1873, some years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Wood married Mrs. Sarah Brown, who still lives and makes a happy Christian home for their declining years. LEOXIDAS CONOVER. Leonidas Conover, the efficient and popu- lar postmaster of Covington, was born in Miamisburg, Montgomery county, April 4, 1847. •t^i'' grandfather, William Conover, was a natixe of New Jersey, and on coming to Ohio, in 1800, established a home in Montgomery count}-. He then returned to his native state and in 1805 brought his family to the west. Here he spent his re- maining days, devoting his energies to farm- ing. He had reached the venerable age of ninety-three years when called to his final rest. In her maidenhood his wife was Miss Sutphen, of Xew Jersey. C. S. Conover, the father of nur sulject, was als(_) licirn in Xew Jersey, and dietl on his farm near Miamis- burg in 1890. His wife was Ellen Denice, and her death occurred in .Miamisbin"g in 1854. The subject of this review pursued his education in the public schools of his native town, and in February, 1864, when only seventeen years of age, he responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting as a private in Company D, One Hundred and Eighty- fourth Infantry, under Captain Joseph Wise. They joined the regiment at Colum- bus, where they were in camp for a time, but afterward proceeded south to Xashville, thence to Chattanooga and later to Bridge- port, Alabama. Mr. Conover was mustered out at Nashville, in September, 1865, and received an honorable discharge at Colum- bus a month later. He then returned home and attended school the following winter. In 1869 he went to Kansas and spent one year as a traveling salesman for a firm en- gaged in the nursery business. On the expiration of that period he returned home, but afterward again went to the Sunflower state where he spent four years in a similar manner, once more taking up his abode in Ohio, in 1876. A subsequent trip to Kansas resulted only in a short stay, after which he accepted a position as salesman with J. W. Lingo, of Lebanon, Ohio, a dealer in hardware and farm implements. He ne.xt became connected with D. ^I. Ostorne & Company, of Auburn, Xew York, with which firm he remained for se\en years. He then traveled for four- teen years for ]Morris Woodhull, manu- facturer of carriages and buggies, of Day- ton, Ohio, and in 1887 he came to Cov- ington, where he has since made his home. During Mr. Cono\er's traveling career, a period of nearly twenty-five years, he cov- ered many states in the east, west, north- west and south, and won for himself an en- viable reputation as a salesman. His ser- vices have always been in demand, and by his genial, warm-hearted maimer he has made innumerable, life-long friends. Rec- ognized as an active factor in political af- fairs, he was called to serve as a member of the Covington council, and in April, 1898, he resigned his position to accept the office GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 357 of postmaster, whicli place he has since creditably filled, his administration being characterized by promptness and fidelity in the discharge of his duties. Mr. Conover was married, January 7, 1874, to Miss Laura Ralston, of Lebanon, Ohio. She died at Franklin, Ohio, Jan- uary 19, 1880, leaving a daughter, ]\Iaud, now the wife of William Todd, of Red Lion, Ohio. In Covington, on the 3d of Novem- ber, 1887, ]Mr. Conox-er was again married, his second union being with Miss Emma F. Hartzell, of this city. Their children are Leon Schenck, Lucile and Athenea. In his political views Mr. Conover is a Republican, and gi\es an unwavering sup- port to the men and measures of the j^arty. He belongs to Langston Post, G. A. R., and is a valued and representative citizen of Cm-- ington, well deserving of the public trust which is accorded him. WILLIAM H. FRANCIS. William H. Francis is accounted one of the leading representatives of commercial interests in Troy, and his business methods have not onl)' won to him success but have gained him the confidence and regard of his fellow townsmen. He is a senior member of the firm of Francis, Clemm & Company, lumber dealers, and from the public he re- ceives a liberal patronage, which is accorded him by reason of his straightforward busi- ness methods and his earnest desire to please his customers. A native of Ohio, his birth occurred in Butler county on the 3 1 st of January, 1 848, his parents being Jacob and Maria (Young) Francis, natives of Pennsylvania. The fa- ther came to Ohio in 1797, before the admis- sion of the state into the Union, and settled in what is now Butler county, and the year 1825 witnessed the arri\-al of ]Mrs. Francis in. the Buckeye state. By occupation he was a farmer, but during the war of 1812 he put aside all business considerations, joined the army, and aided in defending the republic against the oppression of England. His father, George Francis, was a soldier of the Revolution, and died in Butler coun- ty, Ohio, at the age of sixty-nine years. Jacob Francis was called to his final rest July 21. 1890. when almost ninety-se\'en years of age, while his wife passed away in Butler coi.nty. Ohio, in February, 1892. Jacob Francis was twice married. His first wife v.-as Lydia Ford, by whom he had eight chil- dren, three of whcnu are still living. Our subject is a child of the second marriage. In a family of eight children William H. Francis was the sixth in order of birth. Fi\-e of the number are now living. He was reared in ihe usual manner of farmer lads, his time being occupied by the work of the schoolroom and the fields, and naturally some attention was given to the sports whicli usually find favor with boys. Having ac- quired his preliminar}- education in the schools near his hdine he afterward entered tht Lebanon, Ohio. Normal School, where he remained for two years. Subsequently he engaged in teaching, and for five years successfully followed that profession. On the 1st of [March, 1876. he embarked in the lumber business at Arcanum, Ohio, where he continued fiir thirteen ^-ears, after which he came to Tro}-. in 1889. Here he has carried on business and now has the largest stock of any lumberman in Troy, reciving a liberal patronage, which he well merits. He also conducts a branch yard at Arcanum and one at Ingomar, and his extensive oper- 358 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ations bring to him gratifying success. He is likewise interested in the Troy Wagon Works, and is a man of resourceful ability, Avho carries forward to successful completion \\hate\er he undertakes. His keen dis- cernment and unflagging energy have been important factors in his career and are ac- counted dominant elements in his success. In November, 1876, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Francis and Miss Ella Gifford, a native of Preble county, Ohio, and a daughter of Anuel and Sarah Gifford, who were early settlers of Preble county. They have two children, Jesse and Opal. The parents hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and he contributed most liberally to the construction of the new house of worship erected by that deiiomination in Troy. In politics he is a stanch Republican, but has never sought or desired public office, preferring to give his time and energies to his commercial pursuits. His reputation in jjusiness circles is unassailable and has stood the test of many years' connection with the lumber interests. His worth commends him to public confidence and regard, and his circle of friends in the community is very extensive. DR. GODWIN V. DORSEY. Godwin Volney Dorsey. the only son of James Maxwell and Martha (McComos) Dorsey, was born in O.xford, Butler county, Ohio, November 17, 18 12. He was a grad- uate of Oxford College, now known as the Miami University, and in 1836 was grad- uated in the Ohio Medical College. He w.s a prominent physician of Miami county and was an able politician. For many years he was president of the Miami County Medical Society, also a member of the State Medical Society. He was the author of a number of professional papers, which appeared in the medical journals, and established for him the reputation of being a learned and able physician. In the political field he was a leader in the Democratic party until the formation of the Republican party, when he united with that organization and was one of its trusty leaders up to the date of his death. As a Democrat he was a member of the constitu- tional convention of 1850-51 and was very active in its deliberations. He was twice nominated for congress by his party, and twice defeated. He was a delegate to the national Democratic con\-ention in 1856, and supported James Buchanan as the Democrat- ' ic candidate for president. In 1857 he was the Democratic candidate for state auditor. In i860 he supported Stephen A. Douglas for president. When Fort Sumter was fired upon he stood by the old flag, and was a bold uncompromising Union man and united with the Republican party. In 1861 he was elected state treasurer and was re-elected in 1863, In 1864 he was a delegate to the na- tional Republican convention which re- nominated Abraham Lincoln, and in the same year was chairman of the Republican state executive committee. He was an elector on the Grant and Colfax ticket of 1868. For twenty years he was a member of the board of trustees of the Miami University, was president of the Citizens' National Bank, of Piqua, and was a successful business man. In July, 1836, he was married to Miss • McGorkle, daughter of Hon. John McCorkle, who bore him eight children and died in 1855. In 1856 he married Mrs. L. P. Morrow, of Indianapolis, Indiana. After a busv life and an honorable career Dr. Dor- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 859 sey died in Piqua on the 15th day of May, 1885. He was a man of scholar!}' attainments, well versed in the classics, and was also a man of thought and was a leader of men. He was a good sjjeaker on the political plat- form, not so eloquent as logical, but was a man of firm convictions and had the courage to advocate whatever he believed to be right, whether it was jxjpular or unpopular. He will long he remembered in Miami county. E. s. w. GEORGE F. IRWIN. The welfare and prosperity of a commu- nity depend more largely than is generally recognized lipon an efficient police force, and it is of greatest importance that men- who stand as conservators of the public safety, of right and liberty, should be those whose records are irreproachable, who are fearless in conduct, faultless in honor and stainless in reputation. Such men become the safeguards of the public, awakening the confidence of the law-abiding elements and the fear of those who have little regard for the law. Certainly no higher testimonial to his efficient service could be given than the statement of the fact that George F. Irwin for sixteen years filled the office of city marshal in Troy. On the 2d of April, 1900, he was appointed chief of police by the mayor and confirmed by the unanimous vote of the city council, and is now accept- ably serving in that capacity. He was born in Troy, September 19, 185 1, and few of its residents are more widely, and certainly none are more favor- ably, known. His father, John Irwin, was for many years the miller at the canal lock. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Amy Horner, was a native of the Buckeye state, and died in 1858, but the father, long surviving, passed away at the age of seventy- seven years, in Oxford, Ohio. During his early boyhood George F. Irwin followed the tow-path along the Miami and Erie canal. He first became identified with the political interests of Troy in an official capacity when elected to the office of marshal, on the 6th of April, 1884. For seven successi\-e terms he was re-elected to that position; his last term will complete an occupancy of that office of sixteen years. His service was at all times most commend- able and efficient. Soon after his election to the office he broke up a noted gang of coun- terfeiters that had been operating in the old icehouse in the town, and for his service he was handsomely rewarded l)y the United States government with a nice sum of money. He was largely instrumental in procuring and working up the evidence in the Shank murder case, which resulted in sending Shank to the penitentiary for life. This gave him a wide and favorable repu- tation as a successful detective, and made him very popular in the southern part of the state. He has also been very successful in procuring and restoring stolen property to the owners. In the prosecution of his du- ties he has formed a wide acquaintance throughout the state among detectives and police officers, who are willing and ready at all times to render him a helping hand, as by his integrity and fair dealing he has en- deared himself to all of them. He is a most conscientious, prompt and reliable man in the discharge of the duties devolving upon him, and his fellow townsmen repose the utmost confidence in him. For over six years he did all of the police work of Troy, but the city council then created a police 360 GENEALOGICAL .IXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. force, to whicli they have added as the city grew until at present they have an efficient corps of officers. In 1886 Mr. Irwin was united in mar- riage to j\lrs. Sally E. Bates, nee Leavell, of Troy, who was born in tlie western part of Miami county. Socially Mr. Irwin is con- nected with Franklin Lodge, No. 14, F. & A. M.. ul Truy; Troy Lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Ancient Order of United Workmen ill Piqua. He is also a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Since attaining liis majority he has given his sup- port to the Republican party, and has la- bored earnestl)' and efficiently in its behalf, his efforts largely promoting its interests. In Troy, where he !uis so long resided, Mr. Irwin i^ faniiliarh' known as "Pappy,"' a term that is indicative of his good fellow- ship, his genial manner and his uniform kindness. All these are qualities of the man, and it is only when justice requires sternness that the other side of his nature is shown. His circle of friends is very ex- tensive, and he is considered one of the lead- ing men of Troy. \\TLLI.\M W. SAXDO. William W. Sando is engaged in the manufacture of lumber in Bloomer and is conducting a successful and constantly growing business. He well deserves men- tion, not only as a leading" representative of industrial interests, but also as a member of one of the pioneer families of the Buck- eye state. His grandfather, Joseph Sando, was a native of Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania, and was married there to ]Mrs. Catherine Hoovler, a widow. They came to Ohio prior to 1834, locating in Darke county, near the Miami county line. Mr. Sando finally sold his place there and re- mo\ed to a place a half-mile from George- town, making Iris home thereon until his death, in 1867. His wife passed away in 1865. Their children were as follows : Will- iam, who was accidentally killed when a young man; Samuel: Josej)!!, of Cieorge- town, Miami county; Jacob, a resident of Laura, Miami county ; Sarah, wife of Samuel Harshbarger, of Xewberry township ; Amy, who became the wife of Daniel Isenbarger, and died in Darke count}', Oliio; Maria, de- ceased wife of Aden Davenport; Susan, who also married Aden Da\-enport. Samuel Sando, the father of our sub- ject, was born on the old family homestead in Darke county, west of Georgetown, in November, 1834, was reared to manhood under the parental roof and obtained his education in the district schools. He began to earn his own living at an early age and had few advantages. He worked at the car- penter's trade, drove a team or performed other such labor as he could secure that would yield him an honest living. He was married, in 1853, to Miss Celia D. Hill, a daughter of Jonas and IMary (Marcum) Hill. After his marriage the father took up his abpde near Georgetown, where he remained until 1866, performing various kinds of labor. He at one time carried the mail from Georgetown to Brookville. About 1865 he removed to Darke county, locating four miles east of Arcanum. He resided in that county for a few years and then went to Georgetown, where he was employed in a sawmill for a few months. He later purchased an interest in a sawmill, and subsequently entered into partnership with J. C. Henderson, carrying on business in Darke countv until the summer of W. W. SANDO. MRS. W. W. SANDO. GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 3(53 1880. The business relationship with Hen- derson, liowever, had been cHssolved in 1875. Five years afterward Mr. Sando came to Bloomer, estabhshed liis mill and enoaeed in the manufacture of lumber until 1895, his son, ^^'illiam W., owning a half interest in the enterprise. ■ In that year the father sokl his share to the son. He is still engaged at work in the mill. In his politi- cal affiliations Mr. Sando is a Republican, and is a member of the L'nitetl Brethren in Christ church. His wife was born No- vember 2^. 1833, in Union township, Miami county. Her fatlier. Jonas Hill, was born in Tennessee February 25. 1787, and was there married to Mary ^larcum, who was born in that state February 8, 1795. From the state of their nativity they removed to Ohio at an early day and located upon a farm in Union township, Miami county, where Mr. Hill died February 18, 1859, his wife de- parting this life .\ugust 3, 1875. Their children were as follows : Nancy, who was born November 19, 181 5. was married to Amos Penny, June 12, 1837, and died June 6, 1861, in one of the western states. Char- lotte, who was born July 14, 181 7, was mar- ried, August 12, 1832, to Thomas Thomp- son, and later she became the wife of Van Vleet. Her death occurred November i, 1888. Elizabeth, who was born May 4, 18 1 9, married David Fetter, April 8, 1836, and died May 9, 1859. Martha, born June 22, 1 82 1, was married August 8, 1839, to Peter Vore, and died near Converse, Indi- ana, in December, 1899. Temperance, born Feljruary 4, 1823, became the wife of Dow W'illiamsson February 7, 1858, and died in Bloomer April 7, 1895. Priscilla, born Oc- tober 9, 1825, was married, in 1843, to John Porter and died in 1869. Daniel, born Sep- tember 7, 1827, was married, in Julv, 1850, 21 to Elizabeth Pipinger, and died April 8, 1 85 1. Nathan, who was born October ig, 1829, died July 15, 1833. Asa, born Octo- ber 29, 1 83 1, died July 17, 1833. Celia D., born November 27,, 1833, was married, March 4, 1854, to Samuel Sando, father of our subject. \Villiam W., born November 6, 1835, was married, June 11, 1851, to Sarah Tucker, who died in 1866, and on the 2d of May, 1867, he wedded M. J. Win- tro. their home being now in Laura. John M., who was born December 11, 1839, mar- ried Elizabeth J. Tucker January i, 1863, and died August 22, 1887. The children born to Samuel and Celia Sando were eleven in number. Harvey, the eldest, was born January i, 1855, and died in 1856. William is the second. Syl- vanus, born February 2, i860, married Jen- nie W'ineland .and resides in Bloomer. John H., born October 7. 1861, wedded Ella Ste- vens and also lives in Bloomer. Ulysses, born July 20, 1863, died October 2y, 1864. Judson K., born June 21, 1865, married Ellen Peterseim and died in Piqua Octo- ber 22, 1895. Mary, born September 24, 1868, became the wife of William \V. Woods and died in Bloomer March 2, 1887. War- ren H., born May 17, 1872, married Edith sFinfrock and is living in Pleasant Hill. Rosella, born February 24, 1874, died Au- gust 24, 1894. Russell, born June 23, 1878, married Artie Stewart .and li\'es in Bloomer. William W. Sando, the subject of this sketch, was born in Monroe township, Darke county, April 6, 1857, acquired the greater part of his education in the schools of Georgetown, and at the age of seventeen began work in his father's sawmill. He was married, December 30, 1877, to Miss Lu- cinda Hebb, a native of German township, Darke county, and a daughter of Jacob and 804 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Rebecca (Hollinger) Hebb. Tiieir union has been blessed with tliree cliildren : Or- ville. wiio was born March lo. 1879. and died June 28, 1880; Iva, wlio was born April 10. 1881. and is the wife of F. R. Greer, of Wayne township, Darke county, whom she wedded May 7. 1899; and ^laud. who was born August 19. 1884. and was married. June 18. 1899, to Walter Heffner. After his marriage I\Ir. Sando resided in Butler township, Darke county, until 1880. and in July of that year he became a resident of Bloomer. In 1877 he had been admitted as a partner to his father's business, and in December, 1894, he became sole proprietor of the sawmill. It was in 1877 tiiat he resolved to learn jjlacksmithing. but his father promised him a third in- terest in the profits of the mill if he would remain with him and later gave him a third interest in the business, and thus for twenty- three years he has been engaged in the man- ufacture of lumber in Miami county. He has also been identified with the educational interests of the county to some extent. After he had been married nine years he entered Alia College, w here he continued as a student for twenty weeks. He began teaching school in 1887 and f(jr five years followetl that pro- fession, spending three years in schools of Miami county and one year each in Shelby j and Darke counties. In addition to his saw- mill he owns sixty-five acres of land, di- \-ided into t\\CCe.A^ GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 373 to possess. From the commencement of liis business career he has advanced steadily step by step until he is now occupying a position of prominence and trust that many might envy. Through his entire Inisiness career he has been looked upon as a model of integrity and honor, never making an engagement that he has not fulfilled, and he stands to-day as an example of what de- termination and force, combined ' with the highest tlegree of business integrity, can ac- complisli for a man of natural ability and strength of character. A list of the im- portant enterprises with which he is con- nected indicates that his has been a potent influence in the successful management of manv of the leading industries, which have contributed largely to the material pros- perity and development of Miami county. Colonel Battelle was l)orn in Clarksburg, Virginia, in 1845. and is a son of Gordon Battelle, long prominent in the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church. Re ex- erted a strong influence, not only in religious circles, but in political afl:'airs as well and was a recognized leader of thought and action in the community in which he resided. His grandfather had been one of the heroes of the Rex'olutionary war and as colonel of a Massachusetts regiment had loyally aided the colonies in their struggle for indepen- dence. The same patriotic spirit dominated the Rev. Gordon Battelle and during the Ci\'il war he went to the front as chaplain of the first loyal Virginia Infantry. He was a member of the ^'irginia convention, held, in WHieeling, which resulted in the es- tablishment of West Virginia in 1863, but before the war ended his death occurred in Washington, so that he diil not live to see the firm estalilisliment of Union supremacy. John Gordon Battelle, whose name forms the caption of this article, spent his boy- hood days in various towns in \\'est Vir- ginia, for his father belonged to the West \^irginia conference and by his conference was assigned to various pastorates in that state. He enjoyed the refining influences of a good home and his common-school train- ing was supplemented by the lessons of industry, integrity and honor which he learned under the direction of his parents. In 1866 he became interested in the manu- facture of iron in Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, being at that time about twenty-one years of age. Later he continued in the same business in Memphis, Tennessee, and throughout this period acquired a compre- liensive and accurate knowledge of iron man- ufacture in all its various departments and he was thus well equipped for the manage- ment of extensive iron enterprises, and in that capacity he came to Piqua to assume control of the works now conducted under the name of the Pi(|ua Rolling Mill Com- pr nv and the Cincinnati Corrugating Com- panv. Of the former he is president and of the latter vice-president and manager. The plants ami main ofiices of these com- panies are at Piqua and for the past ten years Mr. Battelle has lived in this city, ha\'ing the management of these two ex- tensive industries, which employ more than three hundred men. Although the business is conducted under two names it is in pos- session of the same stockholders and a half- million of dollars is invested in the enter- prise, which is one of the most extensive in this line in the state. Their plant was among the first to manufacture tin plate in the United States, and William McKin- lev, now the honored president of the nation, operated the mechanism wherewith was manufactured the first plates. The product 374 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ol tlie factory includes steel and inni plates tor ruohng. siding and ceilings, and their output is sent to all portions of the coun- try, for tire excellence of the product and the relialjility of the companies are widely known. The Corrugating Company was in- corporated in 1884 and the Piqua Rolling Mill Company in 1889. Its leading stock- holders are J. G. Battelle. James Hicks, W. ]'. Orr, Louis Leonard and Joseph H. Frantz, all of Piqua. While ^[v. Battelle is very active in the management of these extensi\e enterprises, his efforts ha\e by no means been confined to one line. He. is a man of resourceful busi- ness aliility and his counsel and labors have prii\-ed important factors in the successful control of many other industrial concerns. He is president of the Piqua Wagon Com- pany and is treasurer of the ^iidland Steel Company, at Muncie. Indiana, and both are carrying on extensive business, his soimd judgment having done much to secure tle- sirable results. In j88i Mr. Battelle was married to Miss Annie Norton, and they have one son, Gor- don. Their home is in Piqua and their residence has Ijecome the center of a cult- ured society circle. His inherent interest in military affairs, his patriotic spirit and his love of historical research is indicated by his connection with the Loyal Legion, the Sons of N'eterans and the Sons of the Amer- ican Revolution. He is also a memlier of the Sacred Co\enant of Massachusetts and is now serving on the staff of Governor Nash with the rank of colonel. His well known interest in educational matters is shown by his position on the school board of Pi(|ua. It is a widely known fact that he is one of the leading supporters of the Re- publican party of the count)', his connection therewith beginning in 1868, when he cast his first presidential vote for General Grant. While in West \'irginia he was a member of the state convention, which met in Park- ersburg and nominated General Xathan Goff for governor, and was once a candi- date for commissioner of Ohio county. West X'irginia ; but ixilitical offices have had little attraction for him, as he has always pre- ferred to give his time and attention tu his business affairs. \\'ith a just appreciation of his duties as a citizen, however, he has gi\en close and earnest thought to political (juestions and is always able to support his position by intelligent explanation. He has aided in the work of the state organization. his executive ability lieing brought into good plav in the management of campaign forces. He made an adilress to the ways and means committee of congress on the tariff question — ra most masterful argument showing the effect that certain measures would have on the trade of the country as seen from the liractical standpoint of a reliable business man. He has been a delegate to most of the state conventions since his arri\al in Ohioi His life history forms an integral part of the annals of Miami county and finds an appropriate place in the record of those men of business and enterprise whose force of character, sterling integrity and good sense in the management of intricate af- fairs and marked success in establishing large industries and bringing to comple- tion great schemes of trade and profit have contributed in an eminent degree to the tlevelopment of the vast resources of this noble commonwealth. In the prosperity of the city of his home he has been an invalu- able factor and his public spirit and his pro- gressive ideas have been of inestimable worth to the community, while to public en- GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 375 terprises and everytliino" Inoking toward the advancement of his fellow citizens he con- trihutes with an open hand and is a prime mijver in most of them. He is a man to whom the most envious can scarcely grudge success. So well has he earned it, so admir- ahly does he use it and so entirely does he lack pride of purse. He is kind, unaffected and approachable and every cne and being poorly cleared there were many stumps, brush and great snow drifts, but our teams were gentle and we were mak- ing good headway under the circumstances. \\lien the night overtook us before we found 376 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. shelter and the oxen in some way caught their sled on a stump and Ijroke the tongue out. Unwilling to leave the oxen and goods behind we decided to stay where we were until morning. We had no way to make a fire or light, and would not ha\'e dared to huild a fire if we had for fear Indians. So securing our teams and covering the chil- dren with blankets, mother and I began walking around the little encampment to drive back the wolves, which had been howl- ing since nightfall and now were getting close. \\'hy they did not rush in and kill us I never coulcl understand, imless God pre- served us.- Oh, but the night was long! but at length the blessed sun arose. We soon ascertainetl that he could not fix the sled ; so we left it and the oxen and started on with our horse team. After going four or five miles we came to a cabin and hired a man to go back, repair the sled and bring the oxen to his house. That was the most miserable night I ever spent. IMy mother's feet were so badlv frozen that she could scarcely walk for three weeks." The next day they continued on their journey and arrived at the home of her father's brnther. Here ^Irs. Thompson was compelled to remain for se\"eral weeks on ac- count of her frozen feet. Three gentle- men, who were acquainted with Mr. Thomp- son, stopped at the house and tokl Sally's mother that if she and her family would trust to their protection they would take them to Cle\eland. Sally's uncle jirex-ailed upon her mother to leave Sally with him as he intended leaving the country. Sally bade her mother and the children a loving farewell, expecting soon to rejoin them in Cleveland, but she ne\er again saw her mother, father, brothers or sisters, and never received any word or tidings from them. Before Sally's uncle had time to arrange his afifairs for leaving Canada he was drafted into the British army, and she was left with her aunt. Shortly afterwards she was placed in the care of some people who promised to take her to Cleveland. Init unfortunately the parties to whom she was entrusted were dis- honest, and after traveling around the coun- try came to Fort Meigs, and left her among a lot of French and Indians, she being the only American in the place. This rough set of people were not kind to the little waif and when an old lady she often said that at times she often prayed that death might come as a relief to her hardships and suffer- ings. However a Colonel Cromer, with a band of Indians, friendly to the American cause, stopped at the ft>rt. The Colonel o]> served Sally, and asked why she was there. After hearing her pitiful story he told her if she could ride a horse he would take her to Piqua. She gladly consented, hoping that in some way she could find her parents. The journey was two hundred miles, and the road was a bridle path through an un- broken forest. They rode in single file, her place being next to the Colonel. She was riding a man's saddle, but Colonel Cromer was kind to her and had a tent for her ac- commodation, and trusty guards to see that she was not molested. Upon arriving at Wapokoneta the Indians were given a ration of rum. Sally was placed in the care of a squaw who could talk some English. She, fearing trouble because the Indians were drunk and could not be controlled, took Sally as soon as it was dark upon her pony to Fort Loramie, twenty miles distant. Up- on Colonel Cromer's arrival at Loramie he again took charge of Sally, and upon reach- ing Piqua delivered her to Colonel John Johnson, the Indian agent. She lived in Col- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 377 onel Johnson's family for one year, and after- wards lived with a Airs. Ewing and finally made her home with the family of Jesse Mil- ler, with whom she lived until her marriage to James Kerr, in 1818. She came to Piqua in August, 181 2, and was married in her eighteenth year. During their married life she was the mother of ele\-en children. Her husband was a'prosperous farmer and owned agoodfarmlin Monroe township, this county. He died in 1863 and his wife lived on the old homestead with her son Perry. While she had no opportunity for an education, she learned to read and was fond of good books. She was a thrifty housekeeper, was a devout member of the Baptist church and was lo\'ed and respected by the whole community, and as she was a good conversationalist, her neighbors and friends often gathered around her to hear her relate the thrilling events of her early life. She lived until eighty-three years of age, and died August 28, 1883. E. ^S. W. ISAAC N. PRICE. Xot all men order their lives to their liking; nor yet are all men true to them- selves in living as nearly to their ideals as possible and attaining to such heights as their talents and opportunities render access- ible. We now turn to one who has done much and has done it well, wherein all honor lies. Not a pretentious or exalted life has been his, luit one that has been true to itself and its possibilities, and one to which the bi-' ographist may revert with a feeling of re- spect and satisfaction. He was born in Wayne township, ^Montgomery county, Ohio, August 5, 1829, and is a representative of one of the old Pennsylvania families. His grandfather, Solomon Price, came by team from the Keystone state to Ohio and pur- chased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he lived until his death. He passed away at the advanced age of eighty- four years. His wife was in her maiden- hood Miss Moyer. and they were the parents of thirteen children, all of whom reached years of maturity. David Price, the father of our subject, was l)orn in Lancaster county, Pe.insyhania, in iSoi; and accompanied his father on his remo\-al from the Keystone state. Here he married Miss Sarah Long, a .native of Preble county, and she was more than ninety years of age when called to her final rest. In early life, David Price had learned the wea\or"s trade, but during the greater part of his business career he carried on agricul- tural pursuits. He was a member of the L'nited Brethren church and died in that faith, in Montgomery county, in 1855. In his family were three children, namely : Isaac N., of this review; Emanuel L., a re- tired merchant living in Marysville, Ohio; and Catherine A., widow of D. J. Randall, a resident of Picjua, Ohio. Mr. Price, of this review, spent the days of his youth in Wayne township, Montgom- ery county, and is indebted to the common school system for the educational privileges which were accorded him. At the age of fifteen years, he started out to make his own way in the world, being employed as a farm hand by the month. His attention was given to such work for about four years. Later he served a two years' apprenticeship at the cooper's trade, receiving forty-fi\-e dollars in compensation for his services during that period. For three years he worked for the man to whom he was apprenticed, mastering 378 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the luisiness botli in principal and detail. He then returned t(.) the farm, and after two year spent in agricultural pursuits he en- tered a store at Sniithville, as a clerk. Two years were passed in this' clerical position, after which lie went to Dayton and for one year acted as janitor of a clothing store. On the expiration of that period, he accepted a clerkship in the clothing store of Salvador Schaffer, with whom he remained for one year, when he secured a stock of goods to be sold on commission. Removing to Tip- pecanoe City, he opened a store with a stock valued at eight hundred dollars, and for nine* years he there engaged in business, meeting with excellent success, his trade steadily and constantly increasing until it had assumed extensive proportions. On his retirement from mercantile- life, he purchased a farm of one hundred acres, near Covington, and for one year devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, but at the end of that period came to Troy, where he accepted the general agency of the Aetna Fire Insurance Com- pany of Hartford'. He took up his abode in Troy, in 1868, and carried on the insurance business for ten years, when he was injured in a runaway. Having recovered, he joined J. B. Bennet, of Cincinnati, in the organiza- tion of the Andes Fire Insurance Company, beciiming one of its stockholders antl ser\'- ing as adjuster for the company until 1873, ■when he embarked in the grocery business vvih F. P. Brichbell. That connection was maintained for eight years, during which time they carried on a large and profitable luisiness. Mr. Price tlien sold his interest in the partnership and invested his capital in land in Miami county. He owns seventy- five acres in Staunton township and one hun- dred and sixty acres in Union township, and fmm his farms he derives a good income. He also served as secretar}- of the Troy Water \\'orks from 1886 until 1896. On the 1 2th of November, 1861, Mr. Price was married to Miss Mary Young, of New York cit_\'. a daughter of Peter and Rhoda Young. Mrs. Price came to Tippe- canoe City, Ohio, about 1859. Our subject and his wife hold membership in the Meth- odist Episcopal church, with which they have been connected for more than thirty years. He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges, of Troy, and in his political views is a Republican, but has never sought nor desired the honors and emoluments of public office, preferring that his time and attention should be given entirely to his business affairs. Everywhere in our land are found men who ha\'e worked tiieir own way from humble and lowly beginnings to positions of prominence in connection with the business interests of the locality in which they reside. Such a one is Mr. Price, and through the legitimate channels of trade he has acquired a handsome property, be- coming one of the substantial citizens of his adopted county. He has a wide acquaint- ance and his genial manner and courteous disjxjsition have gained him the respect of all who know him. \\tllia:\i shrader. William Shrader was born in Monroe township December 25, 1845, 3"^ is a son of Charles and Rosanna (Gates) Shrader. whose family numbered four children, two sons and two daughters. He was reared to manhood upon his father's farm, early be- coming familiar with all the labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. From the J GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 379 time of spring planting until crops were harvested in the autumn he assisted in the work of the fields, and then entered the dis- trict school of the neighborhood. At the call for one hundred-day men he responded to his country's need and joined the service, although not yet twenty-one years of age. He became a private in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Cavalry, being mustered in at Camp Dennison. The regiment went to Washington to defend the capital city and was there stationed until the expiration of his term. After his military service Mr. Shrader returned to the home farm. up^ c mmunit^" and the ]\Ieeks household is noted for its hospital- ity. In his political x'iews Mr. Meeks is a Republican and frequent]}- attends the con- ventions of his party. For seven years he served as one of tlie township trustees, discharging his duty with promptness and fidelity, and in the spring of 1900 was re- elected for a three-year term. In religious faith he is a Baptist and in the church in Casstown, in which he Imlds membership, he is serving as deacon. His entire life has been passed in Miami county and all who know him esteem him for his sterling worth. CHARLES A. McCOOLE. One of the native sons of Miami county, Charles A. McCoole was born at Fredericks- burg, Miami county, on the 8th of Novem- ber, 1858, his parents being William and Mary E. (Hoover) McCoole. The father was also a native of Fredericksburg and a son of Y. G. and Margaret (Cloyd) Mc- Coole. The grandfather was a shoemaker by trade and operated a shop at Fredericks- burg, where he died at the age of se\-enty- five years. His wife passed away many years previous. William McCoole and Mary Hoover were married in Fredericks- burg, althinigh the latter was reared iiear West Milton. The former learned the shoe- maker's trade and remained in his native town until after the inauguration of the civil war. when he joined the army as a memljer of Company B, Ninety-fourth Ohio X'olunteer Infantry, serving as a teamster with the regiment. He remained at the front until the close of the war, and is now connected with the Grand Army Post at Troy, taking a very acti\-e interest in its work. During his service his wife had remo\-ed to the property three miles west of Troy, in Concord township, Miami coun- ty, where his remaining days were passed, his death occurring when he had reached the age of fifty-eight years. His widow still resides at the old homestead. In poli- tics he was a stalwart Republican, unswerv- ing in his support of the principles of the party. He belie\-ed it his duty to advocate that organization and would not e\-en \-ote for a friend on an opposition ticket. He worked untiringly and effectively in behalf of Republican interests and was likewise prominent in local Grand Army circles. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McCoole were born five children. Captain J. B., who is living in Troy; jMary Elizabeth, who became the wife of James Robbins, of Concord township, and died at the age of thirty-five years; Charles, of this review; James, who died in childhood ; and Shern-ian, who lives with his mother. Charles A. McCoole spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads. The opening of spring caused him to make his way to the fields, where he assisted in the plowing and planting, and his time was largely occupied there until the crops were harvested in the autumn. After attaining his majority he rei-ited a farm, remaining at heme until his marriage. On the 21st of 886 GEXEALOCICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. October, 1880. he led to tlie marriage altar Miss Callie Myers, a daughter of Charles and Minnie Myers, both natives of Germany. Their marriage, however, was celebrated in Troy, Ohio, and the mother is still living at Grayson Station. The father died at his home in Concord township in February, 1879, when in the prime of life. They had a family of two sons and four daughters : Augusta became the wife of Fred Raymer, of Staunton township, and died at the age of fortv-two vears ; Elizabeth became the wife of Frank Wilhelm, of Staunton town- ship; Mrs. McCoole is the next; ^linnie is the wife of Ferdinand Prakel, of Elizabeth township ; Charles resides in Staunton town- ship: and William died at the age of nine- teen years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McCoole have been born three children : James Wal- ter, who died at the age of seven years ; Emma, who is attending school : and Helen, the baby, who is with her parents. After his marriage Mr. McCoole rented a farm in Staunt<:)n township, where he car- ried on agricultural pursuits until 1S91, w'hen he purchased his present farm of forty acres, situated in Elizabeth township on the Troy and Charleston pike, about four and a half miles from Troy, and this is known as the Jerry Dye farm and is one of the oldest developed places in the countv. Mr. McCoole is progressive and practical in liis farming methods, and his marketl industrv has resulted in securing to him a comfortable competenece. He is a member of the Bethel Christian church in Corcord. and his wife holds membership in the English Lutheran church of Troy. In politics he is a Repub- lican, unswerving in his support of the prin- ciples of the party. In all his relations with his fellow men he has manifested those sterling traits of character which everywhere command respect, and the county may be proud to number him among her native sons. JOSHUA FURXAS. Back to England Mr. Furnas traces his ancestry. The first of the name of whom he has authentic record are John and Mary Furnas, who were born in Cumberland- shire, in the town of Standing Stone, which town deri\eecca, who was born March i, 1825, becan-ie the wife of Henry Rike, of Newberry township, and died July 2, 1895; Sarah Ann, born September 2, 1827, is deceased; James Harvey, born July 8, 183c, has also passed away; and Mary Ellen, who w'as born August 28, 1832, has departed this life. After his marriage Mr. Furnas rented the old home farm of his father, and after the latter's death he purchased the property, now- comprising fifty-two acres. It was for- merly one hundred and forty-four acres in extent, but he has sold a portion of this, reducing it to its present size. He carries on general fanning and has engaged in bee culture for twenty-five years, having a very extensive apiary, from which he has taken as high as two thousand pounds of honey ill a single season. He also cultivates small fruit, including various varieties of berries, and in 1899 he sold one hundred bushels of strawberries. He is an enterprising, indus- trious and practical agriculturist and horti- culturist, and excellent success is attending his efforts. 390 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Furnas was l^orn a daugliter. Emma Belle, whose birth occurred June 17, 1 87 1. She was married, October II. 1888, to Warren A. Hill, who was bom at Laura. ]\Iiami county, on the 14th of April, 1867. He was reared to manhood in his native town and in Mooresville, Indi- ana. When he was about sixteen years of age, his parents removed to Versailles, Darke coiuity. Ohio, and thence to Bloomer. Miami county. He learned the blacksmith's trade with his fatlier. but since his marriage has engaged in farming. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and religiously has Ijeen connected with the Cumberland Presbyterian church of Covington since his marriage, pre- vious to which time he was a memlier of the Christian church. He is a grandson of James Hill and a son of John M. Hill, who was born near Laura December 11. 1839, and was reared in this county. He enlisted October 7. 1861. being mustered into the L'nited States service at Paducah. Ken- tucky, as a private of Company B. Seventy - first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was pro- moted to the rank of first lieutenant Novem- ber 21. 1 86 1, and first saw service in snuth- ern Kentucky and Tennessee. In the sum- mer of 18G2 part of his regiment was sur- rendered by Colonel Mason to Kentucky militia. He was discharged July 14. 1862, owing to ill health, and was brought home sick with consumption. After somewhat re- covering his health he began work at his trade and later he married Elizabeth J. Tucker, the wedding taking place at Milton. She was born in Mercer county. Ohio. June J 3, 1840. Mr. Hill died at Bloomer in Au- gust, 1887. He was a member of the Chris- tian church and a Republican in his politi- cal affiliations. His wife still survives him and resides at Laura. About 1870 Mr. Furnas united with the Cumberland Presbyterian church of Cov- ington, and socially he is connected with Langston Post. G. .\. R.. of Covington. In liis political views he is an ardent Republican and also believes in prohibition principles. His memory covers the pioneer epoch in the history of this section of Ohio. His father settled here with the family when every- thing was in a primitive condition, when there were no roads through the woods, the forest standing in its primeval strength. All kinds of wild game were to be had in abundance, and when Joshua Furnas wished to replenish the larder he would go about one hundred yards awav from his home and shoot turkeys. Cooking was done over tlie old fashioned fireplace, Mr. Furnas being quite a boy when he first saw a cook stove. He has also seen great changes in methods of farming, the old sickle having long since been replaced liy the most comi)lete uKidern machinery. He has cut wheat many a tlay with a reap hook, and has heard old men scoff at the idea of reapers and binders. There was no postoffice near his pioneer home, and en\-elopes and postage stamps were not in use. the letter being simply folded and sealed with wax. It was then taken to the postmaster, to whom the sender would pay fi\e cents to ha\e it forwarded. The school house of the neighborhood was built of logs and was alxnit two miles distant from the Furnas home, the path thereto leading through an almost impass- able woods. School was held about three months each year. All the clothing worn by the family was made by the mother and daughters. The father kei)t sheep and the mother would spin the wool into yarn, which was woven into the cloth for their garments. The tuembers of the family would also pull GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 391 the flax, tie it up in bunches, set it up in small shocks, and when dry it was taken in, the seed threshed out and the straw was then spread on the clean, green lawn until the straw rotted and the fibre was left. This fibre was then cleaned on a frame and "scutched," which was the third process in cleansing it. It was then spun into yarn and woven in a hand loom, after which it was manufactured into clothing, table cloths and other useful articles. Such were some of the labors performed by the early set- tlers in pioneer days. Mr. Furnas remem- bers many interesting incidents of those times, but takes just pride in the progress the county has made and has accorded a willing support to many measures which he believed to be of public benefit. He has led a busy, useful and honorable life, thus gaining the respect and confidence of all who know him, and in the history of Miami county he well deserves representation. SPAFFORD W. MAXWELL. Spafford W. Maxwell is a representative of a well known family of Ohio pioneers. He was born in Mianiisburg, Montgomery county, on the 20th of October, 1836. His father, Thomas Maxwell, was a native of Monmouth county. New Jersey, born May 29, 1800, and a son of Thomas Maxwell, Sr., whose people removed from Connecti- cut to New Jersey. Leaving the latter state in 1806, the grandfather made his way by team to Ohio, reaching Cincinnati at a time when it contained only one brick house. He settled at Franklin, Ohio, where he entered government land and there spent his remain- ing days, his death occurring when he had at- tained the age of sixtv-seven vears. His son. Thomas, was reared to manhood in Warren county, where he remained until eighteen 3-ears of age, when he went to Cincinnati and there followed the painter's trade for several years. On the expiration of that period he took up his abode in Miamisburg, Montgomery county, where he engaged in painting until his marriage to Miss Susan Jones, a native of Dayton, Ohio. Their union was blessed with four children : Stephen J., who became a farmer and died in Staunton township, Miami county; Martha A., deceased wife of William Dun- can ; Rachel A., who became the wife of Jonathan Rollins, and after his death wedded J. C. \\'inans; and Spaff^ord W., the young- est and only survivor of the family. Soon after his marriage the father located on a farm in Montgomery county, where he re- mained until 1839. when he came to the farm upon which our subject now resides. He purchased one hundred and two acres of land on section 20 from Caleb Hathaway, who had entered it from the government. There was a double log house upon the farm, which was erected in 181 3, and is still in use, one of the few landmarks of pioneer days yet remaining. Upon the farm which he there developed and improved Thomas Max- well spent the remainder of his life, being called to the home beyond on the nth of 'October. 1884. He was an active and in- fluential member of the Presbyterian church of Troy and a man of the highest respecta- bility. His wife died April 16, 1848, and the father afterward again married, his sec- ond union being with Annie Martin. Spaft'ord W. Maxwell was only two years old when his parents came to the home- stead farm in Miami county, upon which he was reared to manhood. He remained with his father and to him gave the benefit 392 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of his services until thirty years of age, when he was married. January 8, 1868, to Rachel A. Devol. She was born in Staun- ton township April 23. 1842, a daughter of Harrison and Jane L. (Orr) Devol, the for- mer a native of Chillicothe, Ohio. On com- ing to Miami county he located where Clarke Hikes now lives, and there Mrs. Maxwell was born. She is the third of a family of four children, the others being: Hiram W., a resident of Indiana; John, who makes his home in Troy; and Sarah, wife of Will- oughby Murphy, of Knoxville, Tennessee. The father died May 29, 1875, in the faith of the ^Methodist churcli, of which he was a member. After their marriage Mr. and ]\lrs. Max- well located upon a rented farm in Staunton township and lived upon land owned by others until 1876, when they returned to the old Maxwell homestead, which our sub- ject purchased of his father. He has made most of the improvements upon the place and now has st farm whose neat and attractive appearance indicates his careful supervision and progressive methods. The home has been blessed by the presence of seven chd- dren, namely; Minnie J., wife of Edwin Foster, of Staunton townshij); ^\'alter F., of Troy; Sarah E. ; Annie M. ; Bertha and Myrtie, twins; and \\'ilbur D. All are liv- ing with the exce]jtion of Myrtie, who died* at the age of eighteen years. During the civil war Mr. Maxwell re- sponded to the call for men to serve one hundred days and joined the army on the 29th of May, 1864, as a private of Com- pank K, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Oliio Infantry, and was made corporal. He went to the defense of Washington, being on guard duty near the capital city throughout the term of his service. Pie is a Republican in his political views, and was one of the or- ganizers and charter members of Coleman Post, G. A. R. He and his family are mem- bers of the First Presbyterian church of Troy, in which he has been an elder for twenty-one years. They take a deep interest in its work, doing much to promote its growth and welfare. Mr. Maxwell has never sought political preferment, yet in re- sponse to the wishes of his fellow towns- men he has served as justice of the peace, his incumbency in that office covering a period of twelve years. He has also been a member of the school board for twenty- five years, and the cause of education has found in him a warm friend, whose labors have been effective in promoting the work of the schools in this locality. As an official he is ever true and faithful to his duty, mani- festing the same patriotic spirit which prompted his enlistment under the old Hag. For sixty years he has been a resident of Miami county and has therefore witnessed the major part of its growth and develop- ment. He has seen the forests fall before the sturdy strokes of the woodsman and has watched the wild land transformed into rich farms, which have become the homes of a contented and prosperous people. Measures and movements calculated to promote the general good in securing his aid ha\e re- ceived irom him hearty encouragement and substantial assistance, and he is known as one of the reliable citizens of the community. He and his wife both enjoy the warm regard of many friends in his sectionof Miami county. CHRISTOPH LANDMANN. Christoph Landmann is the well known proprietor of the Alcony Flour Mills, at .\lconv, ]\Iiami countv. The German ele- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. £93 meat in our national American civilization is one of the- most important, for the repre- sentatives of the Teutonic race possess ster- ling qualities, being enterprising, resolute and reliable. Mr. Landmann is a native of the fatherland, his birth having occurred in Hesse, Germany, on the 15th of Decem- ber, 1854. His boyhood days were there passed and he learned the miller's trade, after which he worked with his bri)ther, and for three years had charge of a mill. In 1888 he determined to try his fortune in America, for the opportunities and advan- tages afforded young men had liy that time become a familiar story to the sons of the fatherland. Crossing the Atlantic he se- cured a position as miller at Piqua, Ohio, the property being under the supervision of his brother. In 1893 'i^ purchased the Alcony mill, vvhich he has since completely overhauled, supplying it with new ma- chinery, including a complete roller sys- tem. The mill now has a capacity of fifty barrels daily, and its output is sold to the local trade, including the residents as well as the merchants of the community. Alto- gether improvements were made to the value of fi\-e thousand dollars, and a twenty-five horse-power natural-gas engine has been placed in the plant. The chief brand of flour manufactured is called the Victor, and its excellent quality insures to it a large sale on the market. Throughout his busi- ness career Mr. Landmann has followed milling, and is thoroughly informed concern- ing the business in e\-ery department. The mill at Alcony is tlie most important indus- .try in Elizabeth township. It has been in existence for more than half a century and at an early day was operated as an old style water mill, a race about a half-mile in length supplying the power. ]\Ir. Landmann was married, in Ger- many, to Lena Shurholtz, and they now have a daughter, Lena, at home. She has been a student in the Piqua high school and is a cultured young lady. Air. Landmann is a member of the Lutheran church at Troy, but with his familv attends the Re- formed church at Alcony. .\s a business man he is energetic, practical and progres- sive, and his well directed efforts have se- cured to him a comfortable competence. His hope of bettering his financial condition in America has been realized, and he has not only wnn a good business but has also gained many warm friends in the commun- itv in which he makes his home. THOMAS B. STE\\-ART. Thomas B. Stewart was born near Har- risburg, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, September 2 7^, 1840. His boyhood and youth were spent on the home farm, where his da_\-s were quietly passed, unmarked by any event of special importance until after the inauguration of the civil war, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he re- sponded to the country's call for aid, enlist- ing on the 23d of September, 1861, as a member of Company I, Se\-enth Pennsyl- vania Cavalry, for three years. He was mustered in at Harrisburg and with his com- mand joined the Army of the Cumberland, after which he participated in the battle of Stone River and the wirious engagements of that campaign leading up to Chicka- niauga. Later he was under fire at the bat- tle of Buzzard's Roost, the battle of Atlanta with Stanley's cavalry, and then joined Kil- patrick's ca\-alry corps, with which com- mand he participated in many lesser engage- 894 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ments. When his term had expired he re- ceived an honorable discharge at Columbia, Tennessee, on the 29th of September, 1864, at which time he held the rank of sergeant. He was the first volunteer to enlist from West Hanover township. — his home neigh- borhood, — joining the armv as a private. Meritorious service, however, won him the rank of sergeant at Murfreesboro, on the 1st of January, 1863. He was always found at his post of duty, faithfully defending the old flag and the cause it represented. After receiving his discharge Mr. Stew- art returned to Pennsylvania and there re- mained until 1872, when he came to Ohio, establishing a home in Stauntnn township. Miami county. The same year he purchased his present farm and has since made it his place of residence. He here has one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 15, of which one hundred and ten acres are under cultivation. The place is located on the Peterson pike, four miles from Troy, and there he successfully carries on general farming, his well tilled fields bringing to him a golden return for the care and labor he bestows upon them. On the 3d of December. 1872, Mr. Stew- art was united in marriage to Miss Matilda IMcAlhaney, by whom he has eight children : Robert E. ; Sarah E.. wife of Samuel Mc- Curdy; John J., a farmer; Thonias R. ; Lenora ; Arthur, deceased ; Charles C. ; and Pearl E. The Stewart household is noted for its hospitality, and the members of the family enjoy the warm regard of many friends. In his political views ^Ir. Stewart is a Republican, having always given his support to the party. Through his member- ship with the Grand Army of the Republic he maintains pleasant relationships with his old armv comrades, thus calling: to mind in- teresting stories of life around the camp fires and on the tented fields. His work has been diligently carried forward, and it is his unremitting toil that has brought to him his well deser\-ed success. CYRUS T. BROWX. Cyrus T. Brown was born June i. 1844. on the farm where he now lives in Staunton township. Miami county. Ohio. His father. Daniel Brown, a well known and respected citizen of Miami county, was born ]\Iay 9, 1809, at Chepachet, Rhode Island. He was the son of Arnold Brown, who was a native of Rhode Island, and in 1832 came with his family to Ohio and settled near Reading, in Hamilton county, and from there, in 1836, he remo\-ed to Miami county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Staunton township, it being the farm on which Cyrus T. Brown, the subject of this review, now lives. He married Elizabeth Owens, and to them were born seven chil- dren, namely : Daniel ; John ; Elizabeth, who married Louis Morse : Mary, who mar- ried C. W. Singer : Joseph ; Sarah and Al- mira. He was a blacksmith by trade, but after he removed to Ohio his principal occu- pation was farming, and he was a successful, money-making agriculturist, adding to his farm acre after acre. He died in 1869, at the ripe old age of eighty-four. Daniel Brown, his eldest son and the father of Cyrus T. Brown, married Eliza Telford, June 13, 1843. She was born in Concord township, on the old Telford farm, near the present site of the county fair grounds. She was the daughter of Andrew and Jane ( Mc- Kaig) Telford. This marriage was blessed with six children : Cvrus T. ; Cornelia, who GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 395 resides on the old liomestead : ]\lary B., a woman of more than orchnary intellect, who is now and has been a practicing physician since 1880 in Xew York city; Arnold O., who resides in Troy ; Harry W. ; and Re- becca, who died when two years of age. Daniel Brown remained on the old farm from the time it was purchased liy his fa- ) ther, in 1836, until he died, in 1877. He was not a member of any church, but attended and gave his money and influence to the sup- port of the Troy Presbyterian church. His wife died November 27, 1899. Daniel Brown was a man of indomitable energy and of fine business sense. He accumulated a good estate and was a public spirited man. Cyrus T. Brown, of this review, was ed- ucated in tlie common schools of Staunton township and in the public schools of Troy. When twenty-four years of age his father placed him in charge of the farm, which then and now has within its boundary five hundred acres, four hundred and fifty of which is under cultivation, and since his father's death he has the management of the estate. He has always been a busy man. He controls valuable blocks and real estate in Troy. He was one of the organizers of the Troy Wagon \\^orks Conipany, one of the most important manufacturing com- panies in that city, and is its secretary and treasurer. He is one of the directors of the First National Bank of Troy, and has been clerk of Staunton township for eighteen con- secutive years. He was also one of the organizers of the Miami Farmers' Fire In- surance Company and has been its treasurer for twenty years. His past record has been that of a very busy man, with the prospect of many years of usefulness yet to come, for he is in the vigor and strength of mature manhood, with a character of integrity witli- out a stain, possessing the confidence of his fellow citizens. He has been urged to ac- cept political honors, but he has always been too busy to engage in politics, except to vote the straight Republican ticket. He believes every man ought to attend strictly to his own luisiness, and that the surest road to pros- perity, private or public, is for every citizen to attend strictly to his own affairs, giving enough time to public enterprises to push along the car of progress. Such is the life and character of Cvrus T. Brown. JAMES H. LOWE. M. D. It has assuredly been not uninteresting to o!)ser\e in the series of biographical sketches appearing in this volume the vary- ing nationality, origin and early environ- ment of men who have made their way to positions of prominence and success. In no better way can we gain a conception of the diverse elements which have entered into our social, professional and commercial lite, and whicii will impart to the future Ameri- can types features which can not be con- jectured at the present time. We have had an American type in tlie past, we shall have a distinctly national character in the future, but for the present, amalgamation of the varied elements is proceeding, and the final result is yet remote. The Lowe family is of English origin and was founded in Maryland at a very early date in the history of the country, its repre- sentati\'es having been noted for their longevity. The Doctor's father, John Thomas Lowe, was born in Baltimore coun- ty, Maryland, near Parkton, and was there reared upon a farm, but after attaining his S96 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. majority he 'left the old liomestead and conducted a !)us line for several seasons. Later he went to Baltimore, where he was married, and in 1856 he removed with his family to Butler county. Ohio, making- the journey hy rail and on a tiathoat down the Ohio river to Cincinnati, tlience overland to his destination. In Butler county he pur- chased a farm, upon which he lived for sev- eral years, after which he sold that property and removed to Bethany. Ohio, where he lived retired until his death, which occurred when he was seventy-five -years of age. In his political affiliations he was a Democrat. His wife. Mary Elizabeth Lowe, is a native of southern Maryland and now lives near Hamilton. Ohio, at the age of sixty-eight 'years. By her marriage she became the mother of one son and four daughters, name- ly : James Harris : Alice Eugenia, wife of John F. Gillespie, who is living near Riley. Ohio ; Genevieve, who died at the age of twenty-eight years ; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Bion Ayers. who lives near Hamilton, Ohio; and one wlm died in infancy. Dr. Lowe was only about a year old wh.en he was brought by his parents to Ohio. He remained on the old home farm until seventeen years of age. when he became a student in the schools of Bethany. Later he contiiuietl his studies in the National Xorma! University at Lebanon, Ohio, w here he was graduated in 1879, after which he taught for several terms. He was for four terms ■district principal at Springdale and at Hang- ing Rock, Ohio. He occupied a similar posi- tion in Hartwell. Ohio, and has been superin- tendent of the schools in Dayton. Kentucky, and principal of one of the ward schools of Covington, that state. His experience as an educator covers a period of about fourteen 3-ears, during which time he won marked prestige as a very able representati\e of his profession. In the meantime the Doctor had been • reading luedicine. pursuing his studies untler the direction of Dr. C. A. L. Reed, of Cin- cinnati. In 1886 he entered Belle\'ue Hos- pital ]\Iedical College of Xew York, where he was graduated in I\Iarch, 1888. He then took a post-graduate course of three months in the Xew York Polyclinic School, after which he located in Cincinnati, but in the spring of 1889 he came to Piqua. where he has since been engaged in general prac- tice. He belongs to the Miami Medical So- ciety, the Ohio State Medical Society and was secretary of the Piqua Medical Society for about eight years. He is a close and earnest student of his profession, doing all in his power to attain perfection in the line of his chosen calling. His knowledge is being continually augmented by e.x'tensive reading and investigation, and his efforts have made him one of the best informed practitioners in ■Miami county. He enjoys a \ery larg-e and lucrative practice and his patronage is steadily increasing. The Doctor was united in marriage, in Pi(|ua, to Miss Gussie Jacobs, of this city, and they have one son. Stewart H., who is now four years of age. The Doctor is a Democrat in his political affiliations and has servetl as a member of the board of health of Pif|ua for one term of three years. He has also been a member of the board of edu- cation for three years, and his labors have been effective in promoting the welfare of the schools. He is recognized as a most ac- tive member of the Schmidlapp Free School library committee and drew the plans for the large, new building \vhich is now the home of the library. He has done more than any other man for that institution, I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 397 whicli is certainly a credit to the city and is proving- of great benefit also. The Doctor is a man of broad humanitarian principles and has been particularly earnest in ad\-o- cating mental culture, thus fitting one for the important responsibilities which life brings. ELIZABETH SHEETS. The Sheets famil_\- is one of the oldest antl best known in Miami count)- and the stu- dent of history cannot carry his investiga- tions far into the annals of this locality with- out learning- that representati\es of the name have figured prominently in promoting the substantial growth and improvement of this section of the state. Andrew Sheets, the first of the name to locate in Miami count\-, was born December 25, 1768. He married Katherine Sills, who was born in 1770 and died May 29, 1840. The family is of Ger- man lineage, the original American ances- tors having located in Maryland. Andrew Sheets, however, made his h(ime in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, until 1807, when he removed to Tennessee. In the fall of 181 2 he came to Ohio, having in the meantime re- sided near Nashville, Tennessee, and later near Fayetteville. On reaching Miami county he settled on the farm now owned by Joseph M. Studebaker, and the house which he erected in 181 5 is still standing. About 1834 he left that farm and remo\-ed to the place n(jw owned by George Mumford, there living until 1840, when he took up his abode in Champaign county, Ohio, his death occurring March 29, 1844. He was buried in the McKendree cemetery, near Miami City, in Clark county. In his family were six daughters and five sons, naniely : Eve, Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sarah, Katherine, Michael and Andrew, twins, Isaac S., Henry S. and John R. Isaac S. Sheets was born January 10, 1799, and married Ann Ki-ioop, whose birth occurred March 27, 1801. For some years they lived with his father, who was blind. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born Feb- ruary 7, 1826, and she is the only member of the family that was born on the original homestead. In that year her father located on the farni where the Sheets mill .is now- located, and in the midst of the forest he began clearing away the trees and developing the wild tract into rich and fertile fields. In 1833 he built the mill which is still stand- ir.g. Prior to this time he had erected a saw-mill on the same site, and this he continued t(j operate, cutting lumber both tor the mill and for the home Udw oc- cupied liy his son George and daughter Mary. There }*Ir. Sheets continued to re- side until his death, which occurred in Phila- deli)hia, Septemlier 24, 1876. He had g-(.ine to that city with his daughter Mary to visit the Centennial Exposition. His remains were brought back to Ohio and laid to rest in the Knoop cemetery, near his home. His wife had passed away May 3. 1862. From the beginning he had been president of the Troy and Springfield pike, which passed his property and part of which was con- structed by liim. In his family were the folh.iwing chil- dren : Elizabeth ; Andrew, who died July 13, 1845. at the age of eighteen years; John Knoop ; Mary ; Barbara Jane, wife of John Little, of Xenia, Ohio; and George Mes- senger. Elizabeth Sheets remained at home until a year after her father's death, and came to her present farni in 1877. It had been in 398 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. his possesion exactly fifty-five years on the date of liis death. She has erected here a pleasant residence and gives her attention to the supervision of the farm, which is op- erated hy a tenant. She is a member of the Universahst church, and is a lady whom all esteem for her many excellencies of char- acter. FRANCIS GRAY. This name at once suggests a power in the world of trade and an influence that has long been a dominant element in the busi- ness life of Piqua and Miami county. To say of him that he has risen unaided from comparative obscurity to rank among the leading manufacturers of western Ohio, is a statement that seems trite to those familiar with his life, yet it is but just to say, in a history that will descend to future genera- tions, that his business record lias been one that many a man would be proud to possess. Beginning at the very bottom round of the ladder, he has advanced steadily step by step until he now occupies a position of prominence in trade reached by very few men. Through his entire business career lie has been looked upon as a model of in- tegrity and honor, never making an en- gagement that he has not fulfilled and stand- ing to-day as an example of what determina- tion and force, combined with the highest degree of Ijusiness integrity, can accomplish for a man of natural ability and strength of character. He i.s respected by the com- munity at large and honored by his business associates. Air. Gray was born in Pennsylvania, in 1 82 1, and received the usual common-school privileges of the day. He is a son of Will- iam and Ellen Gray. The Gray family is . of Scotch-Irish ancestry and William Gray was a nati\e of the Keystone state and a soldier of the war of 181 2. On attaining his majority, the subject of this review embarked in the lumber business, rafting lumlier down the river to Pittsburg and Cin- cinnati and at the same time he conducted a store in Pittsfield, in which he was quite successful, but in the spring of 1850 a sud- den and violent flood carried ofif l^is logs and lumber, thus causing him a heavy loss, and it became necessary for him to make an as- signment and. regarding this as the most honorable thing to do under the circum- stances, he made one of his creditors his assignee. The man, however, instead of honorably dividing the proceeds of Mr. Gray's property, took everything he could get and left, leaving the other debts unpaid. It was then that Mr. Gray left his old home and started out to seek employment elsewhere. Placing his family upon a raft, he made his way to Covington, Kentucky, \\liere he arri\ed in September, 185 1, hav- ing with him about one hundred and fifty dollars. Through his acquaintance with the lumber trade and lumber dealers, however, he. soon succeeded in obtaining temporary employment at measuring lumber on the wharves, and gradually he built up a busi- ness of selling shingles, for which he re- ceived a commission of fifty cents per thou- sand. One morning he conducted a large transaction and returned home with two hundred dollars in his possession. This seemed to him a large sum, for in the mean- time he had passed through very troubled financial waters. Judiciously investing his money, he was concerned in various trading transactions until he had accumulated about one thousand dollars. He then once more embarked in business for himself. In the FRANCIS GRAY. GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 401 meantime he had more thoroughly prepared for such a work by taking:" a regular com- mercial course in a mercantile college in Cincinnati. Again he became connected with the lumber trade, having a yard in Covington in partnership with a man who had equal capital with Air. Gray. An ex- tensive lumber dealer, who was accjuainted with Mr. Gray and knew his circumstances, assured the firm that they could get all the lumber they wanted from him on credit, — a fact which shows his business standing and the confidence reposed in his ability and mtegrity. He had not in the interval paid off his Pennsylvania debts, but never for a moment had the determination or desire to do so left him ; and when it became possible for him to once more engage in business, it seemed that the day might come when he could met his obligatins, and accordingly he returned to the East, where he arranged with his creditors to make payment, giving notes with approved security. In 1859 jMr. Gray extended his field of operations by accepting an offer from J. D. Patch, of Cynthiana, Kentucky, to become a half owner in a flouring mill. Believing this would prove an advantageous move, Mr. Gray sold his lumber interests and went to Cynthiana. Having paid off some of his indebtedness, he had a capital of only two thousand dollars to take to the new en- terprise and he still owed about two thou- sand dollars on old debts. He paid to Mr. Patch one thousand dollars, giving his in- dividual notes for the balance of five thou- sand, which was the price of a half interest in the business. For six years a resident of Cynthiana, Mr. Gray won prosperity during that period, his financial returns en- abling him to pay ofT his old debts and pay for a half interest in the mill and to establish 23 a woolen mill. He severed his business con- nection in Cynthiana, however, in the spring of 1865, and in February of that year, returned to Covington, free from debt and with a bank account of twenty-eight thousand dollars. He immediately leased a large building and fitted it up with the latest improved machinery for the manu- facture of all kinds of woolen goods. This he operated until 1869, when, on account of the difficulty of obtaining water in sufficient quantities, he sought another location, which he found in the beautiful Miami valley at Piqua. Becoming identified with the in- dustrial interests of this city, he has since been an active factor in the promotion of the manufacturing interests which have contributed in such large measure to the welfare and prosperity of the city. He en- tered into partnership with Dr. O'Farrell and Thomas L. Daniels and conducted a prosperous business until the financial panic of 1873, when it became impossible to man- ufacture woolens without loss. But Mr. Gray, with marked foresight and sagacity, planned another enterprise, which has now grown to be one of the most extensive manu- facturing interests of Piqua. He had pre- viously become interested in the working of felt paper mills and, realizing the demand for a really good mill of that kind in this section of the country, he succeeded in ob- taining the rudiments for manufactures of various kinds from an old Englishman, who worked at the business in England. His partner. Dr. O'Farrell, however, did not sanction this new enterprise, believing that useless expense would be incurred without compensative financial returns. With a firm belief, however, in the value of such an enterprise. Mr. Gray secured aid from some friends in the East, completed his arrange- 402 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. meats and bouglit out his partner's interest in the former mill. Through the first year or two of the ex- istence of the felt-paper manufactory in Piqua, there were many discouraging cir- cumstances connected with the business and also considerable loss, but with determined energy and perseverance Air. Gray continued his labors and ultimately succeeded in mak- ing felts which are now successfully com- peting with those of vast manufactories that formerly occupied the field to the exclusion of all others. The F. Gray Company was incorporated in 1 88 1, the leading stockholders and own- ers of the company being Francis Gray, H. C. Nellis and William C. Gray. A number of substantial brick buildings constitute the manufacturing plant, which is equipped with all the latest machinery anil appliances known to the trade. The old plant was destroyed by fire in 1882 and the new one erected, so that even the buildings are com- paratively modern. Paper-makers' felts and jackets, blankets, flannels and yarns are manu- factured, and their orders, especially for felts, come from all parts of the United States and Canada and even from across the Atlantic. Their cylinder felt jackets are pronounced by competent paper-mill men to be the best in the world and the industry, of which Mr. Gray is the head, has become one of the most important in Piqua. Employ- ment is furnished to one hundred and fifty workmen in the manufacture of paper- inakers' felts and jackets, laundry machine clothing, mangled cloths and scarlet flannels for underwear. The utmost care is taken in the selection of the best grades of wools and in the \arious processes of manufacture, and their goods compare favorably with the choicest importations. The paper-makers' felts and laundry machine clothing are made specially to order to suit the requirements of dift'erent manufacturers and the company supply many of the largest paper mills in America with these felts. The company sells its products directly to the trade throughout the United States and wherever handled they are highly recommended by dealers and consumers. The factory un- doubtedly ranks among the most important in Piqua. and its conduct has contributed much to the growth and prosperity of the city, for its hundreds of employees^ receiv- ing good wages, ha\'e been able to secure homes here and have greatly impro\-ed their flr.ancial cinidition. I\Ir. Gray was married, in 1844, to Miss Rebekah Arthur, who died in 1855, leaving a son. W. C. Gray, who is now associated with his father in business. In 1857 Mr. Gray married Mrs. Jane E. Penney, of Cov- ington, Kentucky. She died in 1875 and also left a son, Walter E. Penney, of her former marriage, who was born in 1852. Mr. Gray was made a Mason in Covington, Kentucky, in 1852, joining Colonel Clay Lodge, No. 159, F. & A. M. In early life he was an old line Whig, but on the disso- lution of that party, joined the ranks of the Republican party, becoming one of its stanch advocates. He believes most firmly in its principles, although he has never been an aspirant for political honors and offices. Mr. Gray has indeed had a successful career, and furthermore his property is the de- served reward of his own efforts. There is no detail of his vast business too small to be overlooked b}' him. He gives everything his personal attention. He is liberal and, above all, is just. His maxims are, honesty, fair dealing, appreciation and truthfulness. He always appreciates faithfulness on the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 403 part of his employees, is quicic to reward good service, and to-day stands a promi- nent figure in the industrial world, an honest, leliable self-made man. SAMUEL G. Mcknight. Samuel G. McKnight, one of the leading and intiuential farmers of Spring Creek township, was born near Sidney, in Shelby county, Ohio, September 29. 1848. and is a representative of one of the pioneer fam- ilies of the state. His father, Joseph Mc- Knight, was born near Newville, Pennsyl- ^■ania. and with his mother and her family came to Miami county, a location being made near Piqua upon rented land. Subse- quently he removed to Shelby county and en- tered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government, there dex-eloping the farm upon which occurred the Ijirth of our subject. In October, 1867, the family re- moved to the farm upon which Samuel Mc- Knight now resides, and there the father spent his remaining days, his death occurring on the 9th of February, 1875, when he had attained the age of seventy-three years. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary \Viley, and of their union seven children were born, Ixit the eldest died in' infancy. The others are Sarah J., Mary A., William J., Mar- garet B., Maria L. and Samuel G. Under the parental roof Samuel G. Mc- Knight was reared. He remained with his father until the latter's death and then took charge of the home farm, CDUtinuing to care for his mother until she, too, passed away, in October, 1887, at the age of eighty-four years. He now owns eighty acres of land on section 10, Spring Creek township, on the Piqua and Plattsville pike, four and a half miles from the city of Piqua. He also has another farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 9, and devotes his time to the cultivation of grain and the raising of live stock. His methods are practical and progressive, and his thorough understand- ing of the scientific principles which under- lie farming has made him prosperous in his undertakings. He became one of the or- ganizers of the Miami Grange, and since its establishment has served as its secretaiy. He believes in investigating all ideas that are advanced concerning farming and adopting those which are calculated to prove of prac- tical benefit. He exercises his right of fran- chise in support of the Prohibition party, and is ever earnest in his advocacy of that political organization. He belongs to the United Presbyterian church and is a mem- ber of the session. Such is the record of one who has long been a resident of Miami county and has at all times enjoyed the mer- ited confidence and regard of his fellow men. A. C. AxND W. P. MARTIN.. A biographical sketch of Abijah C. Mar- tin and ^^'illiam P. Martin, of Elizabeth township, Miami county, Ohio, is the rec- ord of two brothers, separated in early child- hood and united in early manhood. They have since lived in the same house and, since they were of age, have been in partnership in all their business affairs. Their parents, Joseph and Mary (Clyne) Martin, were born in Miami county, Ohio, and were married in February or March, 1827, and lived their brief married life in Lost Creek township. There were three, children born to them : Abijah C, born on the 23rd of December. 1827; William P. 40i GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Martin, born on tlie 15th of February, 1830, and Hannab Alartin, wbo was born Marcb 20, 1833, and is now tbe widow of Dr. Kellogg and resides in Nevada, Iowa. Jo- seph Martin and his wife died in October, 1833, of cholera, both being attacked by that dreadful disease the same day. They died within an hour of each other, on the night of the day tliey were stricken with the dis- ease, leaving three small children to the care of friends and relatives. Their uncle, Corbly Martin, was appointed guardian of the children. A. C. Martin lived with a relative of Corbly Martin, at Lebanon, Ohio, where he spent the years of his early youth. He removed with that family to St. Louis, Missouri. When he arrived at the age of twenty-one he returned to jMiami county, and was married, ^Nlarch 2. 1859, to Eliza- beth Knoop, daughter of Daniel and Lucy Knoop. This miion was blessed with four children: Mary B., who is the wife of Dr. W. \V. Ely, and resides in Walla Walla, Washington; Charles D., who married ^liss Amanda See, and is living on the farm; John K., who is living at home, as is also the youngest child, Lucy D. Martin. They gave their children good educations and they are a source of pride and comfort to their parents. W. P. ^Lirtin was bound out to David Hathaway, of ^liami county, who removed to Troy when William was ten years of age. He then left Mr. Hathaway to live with his aunt, Minerva, the wife of Levi Hart. He lived with them until he was of age, work- ing on the f?rm and, under the instructions of his uncle, Levi Hart, he also learned the cooper's trade. When his brother, A. C, came back from St. Louis and married, he formed a partnership with him and has lived with him to the present. The brothers had a little property left from their father's es- tate, and, in partnership, they purchased a farm near Alcony, in Elizabeth township, and afterwards a farm in Lost Creek town- ship. In 1872 they purchased the farm on which they now reside, which was known in the early history of the county as the Gor- dan Cecil farm. It contains two hundred and seven acres. The two brothers fol- lowed farming as their principal occupation, and have the reputation of being up-to-date farmers in every respect. Their farm is under a high state of cultivation ; their home is a magnificent mansion and the barn and outbuildings are first-class. On the farm they have a new tenant house, now occupied by the eldest son of A. C. Martin. W. P. Martin is a bachelor. His home with his brother was satisfactory to him and he never cared to change his life of single blessed- ness. Both brothers are Democrats, but with liberal views on public questions. \\'. P. ]\Iartin has been honored Ijy his party in being nominated for county commissioner, and received a flattering vote. The county is so strongly Republican that it i^ very sel- dom a Democrat is elected. He is town- ship treasurer, and has served in the office for nine years. He has served many years as township trustee, and in 1899 he was elected without opposition as land appraiser. He is a director in the Troy National Bank. He was never an office seeker, yet his record in life has been such that all parties trust in him and have confidence in his judgment and integrity. In 1881 A. C. Martin had the misfor- tune to injure his arm in a clover huller, and that member was amputated above the elbow. He is known as a quiet, unassuming man, a thrifty farmer, blessed with a noble wife. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 405 and as he lias reason to be, is very proud of his cliildren. This sketch would not be complete with- out referring to the grandparents of A. C. and W. P. Martin. Levi Martin and his wife, Delilah (Corbly) Martin, were among the early settlers of Staunton, on the banks of the Miami. They came there from Penn- sylvania, but not until his wife had a sad experience of Indian cruelty. In 17S8 the family of John Corbly lived at Girard Sta-< tion, on the Monongahela river, not far from Red Stone Fort. While on their way to church they were attacked by the Indians, and Mrs. John Corbly and three children were killed ; two other children, who were the youngest, and girls, were left for dead and were scalped, as was the mother and the older children. The two youngest girls recovered, and the youngest, Delilah Corbly, married Levi Martin and raised a family of ten children. Levi Martin was a soldier under General Wayne, and while scouting he saw the beautiful country along the Miami, now within the borders of Staunton township, and resolved, when he could, to emigrate there, which he did, settling on a farm in Staunton township. Such is the ancestry of the subjects of this-sketch. The pioneers of Miami county have left their impress upon the early history of Ohio, and their posterity have inherited their cotu^age and love of justice. ISAAC S. SHEETS. Isaac S. Sheets, a representative of the farming and dairying interests of Miami county, is a gentleman of sterling worth, who brings to the conduct of business af- fairs a knowledge of the underlying scien- tific principles which form the basis of all work. Cause and effect arc found in every department of labor and are specially no- ticeable in the work of the farm. Added to his knowledge of the needs of cereals and of stock, is an tmflagging diligence and res- olute purpose which makes Mr. Sheets one of the most prosperous and progressive ag- riculturists of his community. He was born September 7, 1872, on the farm adjoining that on which he now resides. His paternal grandparents were Isaac and Nancy (Knoop) Sheets, the former a nati\-e of Pennsylvania and the latter of Staunton township, Miami county. During his child- hood Isaac Sheets accompanied his parents on their removal to Tennessee and thence to Miami county, in 1812, the family locat- ing on the farm now owned by Isaac Stude- baker. In 1832 the grandfather removed to Clark county, Ohio, where his last days were spent. After his marriage Isaac Sheets re- mained with his father two years and then located on the old Sheets homestead, two miles east of Troy, which is within the bor- der of Elizabeth township. There he lived and died. He erected a sawmill at an early day and in 1832 built a gristmill, which he began to operate in 1834. The old struct- ure is still standing, but has not been in op- eration for some years. Mrs. Sheets died May 3, 1862, and Mr. Sheets' death oc- curred on the 24th of September, 1876, result- ing from heart disease while he was in at- tendance at the Centennial Exposition, at Philadelphia. He was then nearly seventy- eight years of age. He was a very popular and highly respected citizen, having for two years served as county commissioner, and at all times led an active and useful life, advocating all works of public improvement that tended toward the substantial upbuild- 406 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. iiig of the county. In liis family were seven children, five of whom survive him, namely: Elizal)eth, who is still living in Elizabeth township ; Alary, who resides on the old homestead with lier youngest brother; John K., father of our subject; Barbara Jane; and George M. John K. Sheets, father of him whose name introduces this re\iew, was born on the old family homestcail in Elizabeth town- ship, September 2y, 1833. His boyhood days were passed on the farm and his educa- tion was obtained in the public schools and in R. M. Bartlett's Commercial College, at Cincinnati, where he was graduated on the CDmpletion of the course. He operated the old Sheets mill on the farm for many years, carrying on that business at intervals until 1880. He also engaged in farming and about 1887 he took up his abode on the land which now constitutes the farm of his son, Isaac S. It is known as the old Gearheart place and upon it, on a beautiful knoll, is located the old private family cemetery. It has been used as a city of the dead for o\-er fifty years. John K. Sheets gave his entire attention to agricultural pursuits upon the farm now occupied by his son, and on the old Tom Miller farm, comprising about four hundred acres of land. When he took possession of the Gearheart fanu it had been allowed to run down greatly, and with his characteristic energy he began making sub- stantial improvements. He tiled it with un- derground drainage and thus reclaimed thirty acres of land which is now the richest tract of the entire property. In 1892 he erected the present home, which stands on a beautiful eminence, commanding an excel- lent view of the surrounding country. He also made other extensive improvements and the farm thus became one of the most valuable and attractive in this section of the state. Few men have done more to advance agricultural interests in Aliami county than did Air. Sheets, who was one of the first to begin the breeding of imported Jersey cat- tle. Since that time he has kept a choice herd upon his farm and has made an excel- lent success of this industry, receiving good prices for his stock. Establishing a dairy business, he conducted it with excellent re- sults and in all his undertakings met with gratifying success. After a long, useful and honorable life he passed away, September 19, 1895, having for more than a year been confined to his bed. He was deeply inter- ested in politics and Avas a stanch advocate of Democratic principles, yet never sought or desired ofiice. Reared in the Univer- salist faith, he became a Unitarian in his religious belief, although he never aftiliated with any society. His opinions were formed as a result of careful study of the Bible and he remained quite liberal in his views. He was not of an argumentative nature, always avoiding controversy in religious as well as other matters. On the 4th of June, 1861, Air. Sheets was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Xull, daughter of Jacob and Sybil (Alapes) XuH, of West Charleston, Bethel township. The lady was born in that locality, where her father had located on coming to this state from Pennsylvania. He was a public land- lord and storekeeper. Airs. Sheets is still living and makes her home in Troy. Unto Air. and Airs. Sheets were born the follow- ing children : Alary Jane, who was a stu- dent in the Troy high school at the time of her death, which occurred when she was six- teen years of age; Isaac; and Arthur K., a student in the Kenyon Alilitary College, at Gambier, Ohio. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 407 Isaac S. Sheets, whose name introduces this record, spent his childhood days under the parental roof and was provided with ex- cellent educational privileges. He was grad- uated in the high school of Troy, with the class of 1 89 1, and then entered upon the classical work of the Michigan State Uni- \-ersity, at Ann Arbor. He would have graduated in June, 1895, btit in the midst of the last session of the senior year he was called home on account of the illness and subsequent death of his lather. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, a Greek let- ter society, and took an active part in its work. Upon his father's death he assumed the control of the farm, and, being appointed administrator, took up the work of settling the estate. He has since engaged in the business of farming and dairying, and is particularly successful in the latter branch, keeping twenty-five head of cows for this purpose. He keeps Jerseycattleand sells milk in bottles to the Troy trade. He also has on hand some registered stock for breeding purposes. He operates two farms which were owned by his father, and is accounted one of the most practical and progressive young representatives of agricultural inter- ests in Miami county. On the loth of June, 1895, -^^i'- Sheets was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Marie Sweinfurth, who is a graduate of the high school, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. She pos- sesses excellent powers as a vocalist and was a member of the Choral Union, of Ann Ar- bor, the second largest student chorus in existence. She belongs to the Methodist church, and like her husband enjoys the warm regard of a very extensive circle of friends. Mr. Sheets finds his chief source of recreation with rod and gun, and each year, for a short period, puts aside the ardu- ous cares of business life and enjoys those sports. He is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer family, and the fact that his warmest friends are among those who have known him from boyhood is an indi- cation that his career has ever been honor- able and upright. GEORGE M. SANDERS. On the anniversary of the day on which the independence of the nation was declared, George M. Sanders became a citizen of the republic. His birth occurred July 4, 1855, on the farm where he now lives, his father being John Sanders, who was there born March 7, 1825. The grandfather was Benajah Sanders, who entered the land from the government, becoming the owner of a quarter-section, and thus established what has long been known as the old Sanders h.omestead. He married a Miss Taylor, and there reared his family, including John San- ders, the father of our subject. Benajah Sanders was one of the party who found Henry Dilbone, who was killed by the In- dians in the atrocious massacre which is elsewhere described in this volume. Hav- ing arrived at man's estate, John Sanders chose as a companion and helpmeet on life's journey Miss Elizabeth Hunt, and their mar- riage was blessed with two children, but the daughter, Hannah P., who became the wife of Benjamin F. Hetzler, is now de- ceased. The father spent his entire life on the old home farm, cleared and improved the land and made it a valuable property. In politics he was a Democrat and for twelve consecutive years served as township trustee, a fact which well indicates his promptness 40^ GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and fidelity in tlie discharge of his duties and the confidence reposed in liim. He v.as a member of the Christian cliurch and a man of strong decision of character and high moral principle. He died August 15, 1896. and was laid to rest in Fletcher ceme- tery. His business career had been crowned with a high degree of success, and he was known as one of the substantial agricult- urists of his community. His schooling was limted. and he often went barefooted in win- ter months, although it was some distance to his school. He was a great reader and thereby increased his education so as to en- al)le him to conduct his business in an in- telligent manner. During his youth George M. Sanders attended the common schools of the neigh- borhood, and there secured a good educa- tion which has l)een a source of great pleas- ure to him. He early became familiar with all the work of the farm, and his practical training well fitted him for the work which he now performs. When he married he rented the old home place, and at his fa- ther's death he inherited the property. It was on the 24th of October, 1876, that he was joined in wedlock to Sarah A. White, and their home has been blessed with two children, Eveline, who died at the age of four years, and John G., who was born March 20. 1884. Mr. Sanders carries on general farming, and his place is located five miles to the east and one mile to the north of Piqua. It comprises eighty acres on section 2, Spring Creek township, and, with the e.Kception of sixteen acres of timber land, all is under cul- tivation. It is rich soil and good harvests are yearly garnered. Mr. Sanders is a member of the Christian church, and in poli- tics is a Democrat. FREDERICK B. McXEAL. It is a well attested maxim that the great- ness of a state lies not in its machinery of government nor even in its institutions, but in the sterling qualities of its individual citi- zens and in their capacity for high and un- selfish efifort, and their devotion to the pub- lic good. The goal to which Dr. McXeal has- tened during his many years of toil and pa- tient endeavor is that which is attained only by such as have by patriotism and wise counsels impro\ed and extended the privi- leges and welfare of the common people. Such have gained the right and title to have bright pages of history. As state dairy and food commissioner, Frederick B. I\Ic- Xeal has won a reputation that was not bounded by the confines of Ohio. He stands to-day as one of the leading representatives of the agricultural interests of his state, being successfully engaged in farming and stock raising in Elizabeth township, Miami county. He was born in this township, October 31, 1840, .and is a son of Daniel and Bar- bara (Brechbill) McNeal, who came from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, in 1839. The parents were both natives of Cumljerland county, and the father was a son of Daniel McXeal, and he was a son of Daniel McXeal. who came from the north of Ireland to America and was of Scotch-Irish parentage. Five brothers of the name crossed the Atlantic to the new world, one locating in Virginia, another in Xew Hamp- shire, while three took up their abode in the Keystone state. The great-grandfather of our subject served as a teamster during a part of the Revolutionarj' war. His son Daniel was a farmer, and died at the age of thirty-fi\e years. His wife b(ire the maiden 1 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 409 name of Sarah Brougher, and, coming to Ohio, slie made her home with her son Daniel until her death, which occurred in 1868, at the age of seventy-two years. Dan- iel McXeal, the father of the Doctor, died February 23, 1892, at the age of seventy- five years. He married Barbara Brechbill, daughter of Frederick Brechbill, who was of German lineage, his ancestors having been among the early German settlers of Lebanon county, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Bar- bara RIcXeal died October i, 1863, at the age of forty-two years. By her marriage she had eleven children, of whom two died at the age of seventeen years, and one when three years of age. The others all grew to maturity and four are now living. After the death of the mother, Daniel JMcXeal married Mrs. Ann Kessler, whose maiden name was \'ore. and who was a native of Union township. Miami county. She still survives her husliand. Daniel McXeal. the Doctor's father, spent his entire life, after moving to Ohio, on section 8, Elizabeth township, INIiami county, and there his widow still makes her home. They had two children : Henry, who is yet living, and one who died in childhood. Mr. McXeal was a man of considerable prominence, a recognized leader of pulilic thought and ac- tion. He held several township offices, for many years filling the position of justice of the peace. He was a Jacksonian Demo- crat, unflinching and inflexible in support of the principles of the party. He usually attended the county, district and state con- ventions, often driving to Columbus in his carriage in order to be present at the last named. In his business affairs he pros- pered, and to his children he gave each a nice property. Of the Cove Springs Chris- tian church he was an acti\-e and consistent member, doing much to promote its welfare. Socially he was connected with the Masonic fraternity at Xew Carlisle, but took no ac- tive part in its work. The cause of edu- cation found in him a warm friend, and his labors largely resulted to the benefit of the schools of the community. For twenty years he served as land appraiser, he and Isaac Cl3'ne appraising the land in Elizabeth township for forty years. During the civil war he was known as a most earnest sup- porter of the Union, doing all in his power to secure troops for the field. A man of strong convictions, he was so honest and loyal in what he believed to be right that he won the respect of even those who differed from him, and for many years he ranked among the leading and influential citizens of his adopted county. Frederick B. McX''eal obtained- a com- mon school education. In 1858 he entered the academy at X''ew Carlisle, being grad- uated on the completion of the four-years course, with the class of 1862, the degree of B. C. L. being then conferred upon him. Previous to this time he had engaged in teaching school for two terms. On the 22d of July, after his graduation, he joined the Union army and by Governor Tod was com- missioned a lieutenant in Company B, Xine- ty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, his su- perior officers being Captain John C. Drurv and D. G. McLaughlin. He was instru- mental in raising Company B, Xinety- fourth Ohio Infantry, nine of its members being residents of Elizabeth township, while all were sons of Miami county. The Xinety- fourth saw service in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, and Dr. McXeal remained at the front until 1863, when on account of dis- ability he was discharged. Soon after going to the front he was made quartermaster of 410 GE.XEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. his regiment, serving on the regimental staff. He did double dutjr part of the time, acting as commander of the company, for Captain J. C. Drury was killed on the 8th day of October, 1862, at Perryville. Kentucky. The regiment had seen severe service, and Dr. IMcXeal. who was first lieutenant of Company B, also served at the same time as quartermaster of the regiment. He par- ticipated in a number of important engage- ments. After his return from the war the Doctor engaged in teaching school for some time and then read medicine, completing his course in Bellevue Hospital Medical Col- lege, of Xew York city, in which he was graduated in 1867. There was a class of one hundred and forty members, and b}' reason of his superior scholarship he had the honor of being valedictorian. He be- gan practice in Troy in 1867, and after- wards went to the west, spending three years. In 1871 he returned, and on the 1 2th of January, of that year, he was mar- ried to Miss Martha J. Stafford, of Clark county, Ohio, who was reared in his neigh- borhood. He continued to practice in Xew Carlisle until 1876, when he secured a farm in Elizabeth township, and has since given his attention to agricultural i)ursuits. He located on his present farm in 1885, and has here a valuable tract of land of one hundred and thirty-two acres. In addition to the cultivation of the various cereals best adapt- ed to this climate he is also extensi\ely en- gaged in breeding and raising Shropshire sheep, and has a registered flock of about seventy-five head. He has exhibited many of his sheep at the fairs in this section of the state, where he has won first prizes. He finds a ready sale for the animals which he raises on account of their superiority, and he is regarded as authority on all matters connected wth sheep raising. His farm is very carefully and systematically conducted, and he is a practical and prosperous agri- culturist. In early manhood, at the outbreak of the civil war. Dr. McX'eal renounced the political faith in which he had been reared, anil joined the ranks of the Republican party. Until a few years ago he was the only member of his family connected with that organization. He has long been one of its most active and earnest supporters, doing all in his power to advance its in- terests, and to various county, district and state conventions he has served as delegate. In 1 89 1 he was elected state dairy and food commissioner, and served during the ad- ministration of William ^McKinley as gov- ernor of Ohio. In 1893 he was re-elected and filled the office for a second term, but a factional fight in his party prevented his nomination for a third term. In 1891 he began the work of securing new legislation to enable him to prosecute his work as a commissioner. He was the first man ever elected to such an ofiice in the United States. In Ohio for six years prior to this time the position had been an appointive one. There had been very little done; no records had been kept and there was no account of any official acts except the drawing of the salary. The commissioner had but desk room in the state house, and his labors were largely nominal, antl the office a sinecure. Dr. McXeal, however, set to work to in- augurate a reform. He secured an office and originated a system of bookkeeping, re- cording all work done. He was instru- mental in having the legislature collect fines which were paid into the state treasury, and his records show every case that was GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 411 investigated by the department. Over sixty-five hundred samples were analyzed by the department chemists, and seventeen hundred and thirty-five cases were prose- cuted, from which fifty thousand and eighty dollars in fines were collected and turned over to the state treasury. Bitter contests were waged against the department, backed by mercantile companies with millions back of them. The work of the commission greatly affected the companies manufactur- ing goods for the grocery trade. The depart- ment employed as many as thirty-two men to prosecute tne work of food and dairy commissioner. The Doctor's enforcement of the law resulted in damage suits agamst him amounting, in aggregate, to two hun- dred and eighty thousand dollars, one being for fifty thousand dollars and another for two hundred thousand dollars, one suit being continued in the courts for twelve months after his retirement from office. One pat- ent medicine company expended over sixty thousand dollars to secure evidence against him, but in none of the damage cases w.ts a judgment rendered against him. In tlie proceedings against men who were guilty of adulterating their goods, no precedents of law had been established. Nine cases prosecuted were carried to the supreme court, and in every case the construction of the law made by Dr. McXeal was sustained by the court. The Wholesale Grocers' As- sociation lexied a tribute on houses from New York to St. Louis to pay for opposing the legislation requested by the department. At first the general assembly was slow to act in these matters, but later the legisla- ture and the people worked together until the end for which Dr. ■SlcNeal was striving was accomplished. When it was seen that the law would be enforced, the tendency was to more nearly conform to its recjuirements and during his official term adulterations we're found to decrease to twenty-two per cent. The charge was made that the em- ployes in the commissioner's office had been bribed, and the legislature appointed an investigating committee, the work of which was continued for five weeks under the leadership of the \-ice-president of the \\'holesale Grocers' Association, who after- wards stated that six thousand dollars were paid to the attorneys during the investiga- tion in the hope that they might secure evi- dence against Dr. McNeal, but though every eft'ort was put forth to convict him, the com- mittee not only exonerated him from all blame, but complimented the people of the state upon his strict enforcement of law. His salary was twice increased by voluntary act of the legislature, and his term was also continued so that he filled the ol^ce for nine months longer than had first been agreed upon. He retired February 15, 1897, with the confidence and respect of all, save those who wished to evade the law. Since his retirement from office, Dr. Mc- Neal has devoted his attention mainly to his farm, but keeps in touch with the. work of his party. He has been solicited to de- liver addresses all over the state before farmers' institutes and other public meet- ings, and he is an instructive and popular speaker. Since 1880 he has been a member of the Grange, has been very active in its work and has been especially prominent in the state grange meetings. For some time he was connected with the County Agricult- ural Society and the State Agricultural As- sociation, and his labors have been very eft'ective in promoting the farming interests of Ohio. The Doctor and his wife are members of 412 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the McKendree Methodist Episcopal church, in wliich he is now servin_^ as trustee: He is also prominent in the work of the Sunchiy school, and has served as its superintend- ent. A very prominent Mason, he belongs to Xew Carlisle lodge and chapter, to the Scottish Rite body of Columbus, and to the consistory of the valley of Cincinnati. He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his connection with A. H. Coleman Post, G. A. R., of Troy. An enumeration of those men of the present generation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time ha\e honored the state in which they belong, would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to Dr. McX'eal. A strong mentality, an in\incible courage and a most determined individuality have so entered into his nature as to render him a natural leader of men in every matter of reform to which he devotes his time and attention. e. s. w. WILLIAM R. IMUMFORD. Among the families long identified with the agricultural interests of Aliami county is the one to which our subject belongs. He was born June 7. 1841, on the farm which he now occupies in Elizabeth township, his parents being John and Mary (Crawmer) Mumford. The father was a native of Frederick county, Marjdand, born Septem- ber 16, 1805, and was there married. His wife, Mary Mumford, was also a native of Frederick county, Maryland, born Septem- ber 4, 1S09. Subsequently he came with his wife to Ohio, and for about eight years lived upon rented farms. His industry and economy during that period brought to him some capital which he then invested in land, constituting the farm upon which his son \\'illiam now resides. There he spent his remaining days, his death occurring Sep- tember 16, 1868. His wife, surviving him for some years, passed away July 3, 1894. He was the owner of a valuable tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres in the old homestead, and had property elsewhere, carrying on agricultural pursuits on an ex- tensive scale. He became one of the original members of the L'niversalist church at Miami city, and was a recognized leader in the congregation. His political support was given the Democracy, but he never sought or desired preferment along that line. His wife was also active in chiu'ch work, and was connected with the Lutheran denomina- tion. In their family were eight children : Matilda, who died at the age of nineteen years; James, who resided in Elizabeth town- ship, and died at the age of thirty years ; John Peter, a resident farmer of Elizabeth township: William R., of this review; Jo- seph, V. ho was a merchant of Miami city and died at the age of fifty-four years, leaving a widow and daughter, Mary Grace, who now resides at Alcony; and Mary Jane and Amanda, who are living with their brother William. The former is a member of the Christian church at Honey Creek. The lat- ter is an invalid, being able to go about only in a wheeled chair. She is a woman of bright intellect antl has many friends in the community. ^^'illiam R. jMumford remained upon the home farm throughout the days of his boy- hood and youth, and on attaining his ma- jority he took charge of the property. Since his mother's death he has purchased the old homestead and has recently erected a new residence and barn upon another part of the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 413 farm. He here owns one hundred and sixty acres, and has a tract of twenty-one acres elsewhere. His time is given to general farming and to sheep raising, making a specialty of the Shropshire sheep. Idleness and indolence are utterly foreign to his na- ture, and his unfailing industry has enabled him to work his way upward to a position of affluence, overcoming all difficulties and ob- stacles in his path. On the 7th of November, 1867, occurred the marriage of Mr. Mumford and Miss Olivia Schindler, a daughter of John Schin- dler, a native of Maryland. Mrs. Mumford was also born in Maryland, and during her girlhood came to Ohio, where she died Sep- tember 7, 1876, leaving four children, two sons and two daughters. One daughter died in early life, and Viola at the age of fifteen years. The living children are Irving and Eben. Irving married Susie Drake and re- sides on the old homestead, which he is op- erating in connection with his father. Eben, who engaged in teaching for two years and was a student in the Ada Normal School, was graduated in the Buchtel College at Akron, Ohio, and is now a student in the Chicago University, where he is pursuing a post-graduate course with the class of 1900, and also studying theology. He is an ordained preacher in the Universalist church, and has occupied the pulpit of that denomination in Alcony. Mr. Mumford gives his political support to the Democracy, and is able to uphold his position by intelligent argument, yet has never sought or desired office. He is a member and trustee of the Universalist church, and- the cause of education finds in him a warm friend. For twenty-seven con- secutive years he has served on the township school board, and has labored earnestly and effectively to promote the interests of the schools in this locality. His is a record of a well spent life, and although it is not filled with events of exciting interest, it has been characterized by fidelity to his duty to him- self, to his neighbors and to his country. JOHN M. CAVEN. On the farm where he now lives on sec- tion I, Spring Creek township, John M. Caven first opened his eyes to the light of day December 9, 1848. His father, John Caven, Sr., was born on a farm and was a son of George Caven, who came to Ohio from Virginia, and entered the old home-- stead from the government, securine a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which not a furrow had been turned or an im- provement made. With characteristic en- ergy he began the dex'elopment of his land and continued its cultivation until his death. There, amid the wild scenes of frontier life, John Caven, Sr., was reared, and when he had attained man's estate he married Ase- nath Ross, by whom he had six children, namely: Mary A., widow of \ViIliam D. Suber; Ross, Sally, Maggie, John M. and Asenath A. The father spent his entire life upon the home farm, devoting his attention to its cultivation and caring nothing for the honors and emoluments of public office. He held membership in the United Presbyterian church, and died at the age of sixty-one years. The old Caven homestead is dear to our subject through the associations of his boy- hood as well as those of his later years, for it was his play-ground in youth and has been the scene of his manhood's endeavors. The common schools afiforded him his edu- 414 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. cational privileges, and under his father's direction he was trained to the practical work of the farm. Upon his father's death, in 1872. he took charge of the place and is to-day the owner of one hundred and twenty acres on section i, Spring Creek township. Miami county. Of this ninety acres arc under cultivation and the well tilled fields give promise of golden harvests. He is en- ergetic and j)rogressive in his work and therehy has won a comfortable competence. The place is pleasantly situated four and a half miles east of Piqua and is one of the oldest farms in this locality. Mr. Caven exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for office. His worth as a man and citizen are well known to his fellow townsmen and he is therefore held in high regard. COLONEL JOHN JOHXSOX. One of the most influential men in Miami county in the early settlement of western Ohio was Colonel John Johnson, of X'pper Piqua. For many years he held the then very responsible and important office of In- dian agent. In 1S18, at the treaty of St. Mary's, he was senior agent in the service and had under his command, to manage, care for and supply, ten thousand Indians. These were the Miamis. Delawares. Shaw- anese, W'yandottes, Pottawatamies, Chippa- was, Ottawas. Senecas, some Kickapoos, Saukees and Kaskaskias. His administration was noted by reason of the integrity of the man, the honesty of his dealings with the Indians, his humane and judicious policy with them and his fidelity to the government. Colonel Johnson was born in 1775. in the north of Ireland, and at this point the writer will insert a portion of a narrative written by him. October 10. 1857. "My father. Stephen Johnson, with his brothers. John and Francis, each having large families, emigrated from the north of Ireland at the close of the American Revolution, and set- tled in Sherman's valley in the then county of Cumberland, now Perry county, Penn- sylvania. My paternal ancestors went from Scotland into Ireland with the Protestant King William, and. being officers, were re- warded with estates near Enniskillen. in the county of Fermanagh. ■My maternal an- cestors, named Bernard, were of the Hugue- nots who fled from France, for conscience' sake, and took refuge in Ireland. I can therefore, with some truth, boast of having descended from good stock. "Several of my blood relations, both by father and mother, fought, bled and died under Washington, in the glorious contest for independence : and I humbly trust as their blood flows in my \-eins. the spirit which guided them has still an abiding place in my affections, for my rule throughout a long life of more than four score years, in peace or war, has invariably been to go for our country, no matter who may govern it ; and this lesson has been evermore instilled into the minds of my children ; and so it was with their excellent mother, who trained them up for God and their country. "My two gifted and gallant sons who per- ished in the ^Mexican war. went forth, forti- fied by such household words, to battle for their country. My parting adieu to them was 'You are to know nothing of party men : be faithful to your flag, and always remem- ber that the first and last duty of a soldier is to keep a shut month and obey orders.' "My early years were spent at Carlisle, Pennsvlvania. in the mercantile establish- GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 415 ment of Judge John Creigli. That place was the rendezvous for the troops enlisted for the war with the western Indians. Gen- eral St. Clair had been defeated, and another arm\- had to be recruited and equipped for the field, under the gallant and chivalrous A\'ayne, in order to chastise the sax'ages and regain the ground that was lost in the cam- paigns of Harmar and St. Clair. At times there were large bodies of troops in the bar- racks of Carlisle. These were marched off to the west as soon as they were properly drilled Un- the service. Colonel Thomas Butler, who was wounded in St. Clair"s de- feat, with other officers who survived that sanguinary contest, were there stationed, and it was hearing their descriptions of the boundless prairies, forests and rivers of the great west, that first inspired my mind with an ardent desire to visit the country. .\n opportunity soon occurred. Samuel Creigh was prepared to go west with a stock of goods for sale to the troops. I agreed at once to accrre.st Ely, born September 25, 1883. Mr. Morrow was reared in the Whig part}-, but on' the organization of the Re- publican party became one of its stanch supporters, and has since fought under its banners. Of the Presbyterian church of Piqua he is a devout and faithful member, and has served as one of its elders since 1880. He is a well-informed man, an ex- tensive reader and an entertaining o mversa- tionalist, and his pleasant home is noted for its generous hospitality. His amiable dis- position and devotion to the welfare of the family renders him an ideal husl)and and father, and to him friendship is inxiolable. He possesses those sterliup' traits of charac- ter which in every land and in every clime command respect. REESE McXEIL SIFFORD. If those who claim that fortune has fav- ored certain individuals above others will but investigate the cause of success and fail- ure, it will be found that the former is large- ly due to the improvement of opportunity, the latter to the neglect of it. Fortunate en- vironments encompass nearly every man at some stage in his career, but the strong man and the successful man is he who realizes that the proper moment has come, that the present and not the future holds his oppor- tunity. The man who makes use of the Xow and not the To Be is the one who passes on the highway of life others who started out ahead of him and reaches the goal of pros- perity far in advance of them. It is this quality in ]Mr. Sifford that has made him a leader in the business world and won him a name in connection with commercial inter- ests that is known throughout the state. He holds the responsible position of snperin- ttndent of bridges and buildings for the Cincinnati. Hamilton &■ Dayton Railroad .Company, and makes his home in Co\ing- ton. Ohio. His birth occurred in Spring- field township. Ross county, August 14, 1842. On the paternal side he is of German lineage. His grandfather. Christian Seif- fert, was born in Germany, and. as is seen, the orthography of the name has been changed in the later generations. After coming to the United States the grandfather settled in Pennsylvania, and later removed to Maryland, where his death occurred. He was a cabinet-maker by trade, and followed that pursuit in order to support his family, one of whom was Lewis ^^'. Sifford. the fa- ther of our subject. He was bom in Mid- dletown, Maryland, February 2=,. 1810. and was a cabinet-maker bv trade. \\'hen a GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 427 young man he came to Ros? county, Oliio, and there wedded Mary McXeil, a daughter of Azeal McXeil, who came from Virginia to Ohio, locating in Ross county. Mr. Sif- ford took up his abode in Liberty township, and later removed to Springtield township the same year, and for some time the father of our subject was engaged in ci inducting a saw-mill and also surveyed land in that sec- tion of the state. He was a man of sterling character and of marked ability, and his oratorical power was of no mean order, and made him an effective worker in political, campaigns. He served as county commis- sioner, was for four years United States marshal and at one time represented his district in the state legislature. On his re- tirement from the office of marshal he be- came resident engineer cif the C)liio Canal Company. In politics he was a stanch Democrat, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the partv. He held' mem- bership in the ^^lethodist Episcopal church, and his life was at all times characterized by honesty and fidelity to duty. -\ man of imposing appearance and well-cut features, he thus gave evidence of his sterling char- acter and at all times commanded the re- spect of all with whom he came in contact. His death occurred in Springfield township, Decemljer 20, 1878, and his wife, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, March 15, 1813, died in Springfield town.ship, Ross county, October 5, 1876. Their children were Catherine, wife of James B. ^labury, of Kansas City, Missouri ; Mary, wife of David Dunn, of Chillicothe, Ohi(3 ; Reese, of this review: Lewis C, of Lima, Ohio; Emma, who became the wife of Joseph Ir- win, and died in Dayton, Ohio: John and Maria, twins ; and William, of \\'ellston, Ohio. Mr. Sifford, whose name introduces this record, spent his childhood days under the parental roof in Ross county, Ohio, and in the public schools acquired a good educa- tion, pursuing his studies until eighteen years of age. He then served a two years' apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, which he followed as contractor of Iniildings for some years, or until 1870. From 1870 until 1886 he was emploved as foreman under the management of the lessee ()f public works of the Ohio canal, between Columbus and Portsmouth, wdiich position he held until 1886, when he entered the employ of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company, Dayton and fronton I X. SCARFF. Clearly defined purpose and consecutive efYort in the affairs of life will eventuate in the attaining of a due measure of success. In the business world, as well as in all other deijartments of the material world, effect logically follows cause, and in the analyza- tion of a successful career we find that pros- perity has resulted from effort well directed, from sound judgment and from indefati- gable enterprise. It is true that sometimes incompetent men win success, but their wealth comes as the effect of the labor of some one. One of the most prominent busi- ness men of central Ohio is ^^'illiam N. Scarff. and his efforts have resulted largely J GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 429 in promoting horticultural interests in this state. In that department of business life he sustains a very wide reputation, being known throughout the country in connec- tion with certain improvements and progress in his chosen field of labor. Mr. Scarff was born in Miami countw December 19, 1863, his i)arents being John J. and Mary E. ( Neft j Scarff. They were married in Miami county and the father be- came a most successful farmer and stock raiser, making a specialty of the breeding of Devonshire and Jersey cattle and of Poland China and Chester White swine. He also raised fine jjoultry, and in the \'arious de- partments of his business met with credit- able success. His sales became very exten- sive and he was widely known in connection with his stuck raising interests, his efforts being largely instrumental in advancing the grade of stock raised by the farmers of this locality. His life has been one of acti\-ity and enterprise, lint he is now lix'ing retired, at the age of seventy-four years, enjoying the rest which he has truly won and richly deserves. William N. Scarff spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm and in the dis- trict schools acquired his elementary edu- cation, which was sui)plemented Ijy two years" study in the Ohio .State Uni\'ersity. Failing health compelled him to abandon his collegiate cijurse, and with the hope of being benefitted by outtloor life he began fruit raising on a \'ery small scale, ha\-ing an acre of land, which he planted to various kinds of small fruits. That was the nucleus of his present extensive Ijusiness. As his sales have increased he has enlarged his facilities, has secured new varieties of fruit and has done much toward producing su- perior qualities. He has extended the field of his operations by building up a large nursery trade, and he has to-dav two hun- dred and fifty acr^s of valuable land de\'oted to the fruit and nurserv business. He makes a specialty of small fruits, and in' the vear 1899 he raised twenty-five hundred bushels of strawberries and five hundred bushels each of raspberries. Ijlackberries, currants and gooseberries. Throughout the year he furnishes regular employment to from fifteen to twenty men, during the [lacking season to from fifty to seventy-fi\-e men and wi >men and during the picking season to from one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty. He has made a vevy close and crmipre- hensive study of the needs of various fruits, and his thorough understanding has enabled him to produce fruit of a superior size, quality and flavor. He has recently ])lanted a new orchard of cherries, plums and peaches, having fifteen hundred trees of each kind. An eighty-acre farm, four miles north of Dayton, is de\'oted entirely to his nursery business, and in 1896 he purchased the old Scarff homestead of one hundred and forty-four acres in Miami county. Thishehas also planted to fruit and nursery stock. In 1899, in company with his brother, M. T. Scarff', of Michigan city. North Dakota, he also purchased his father's homestead in Clark county, of two hundred and thirty- two acres, and there he engages in fruit growing, general farming and stock raising. His nursery business is confined to the production of small-fruit plants, which he produces to the amount of over two million annually, his yearly sales bringing him from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. He sells to the wholesale trade and also sells through catalogues, of which he sends out fiftv thou- sand annually. Air. Scarff' introduce married Eliza- beth Rarick, and afterward married Eliza Swank; Savilla. wife of Samuel Verty, of Kewberry township; \\'illiam, who mar- ried Margaret Apple, but is now deceased; Levi, who married Sarah Wyatt and lived in Xewberry township; Thomas, who mar- ried Margaret Apple, and is a resident of Newberry township; and Isaiah, who died at the age of three years. Reuben Routzon, of this review, was born August 5. 1833. in the old log cabin on the homestead farm, and was reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier, there becom- ir.g familiar with the arduous labor of clear- ing and develi iping new land. He was \ery young when he began to handle an ax in the ■forest, and in preparing the fields for cultiva- tion, thereljy developing habits of industry and enleri)rise which have been the means of bringing to him success in later life. He began his education in wh^t was known as Fetter's school. The building was con- structed of round k)gs and, instead of glass in the windows, paper was used, greased with opossum fat, which matle it translucent. The benches were made of split logs and the other furnishings were as crude and primi- ti\e. He completed his education when eighteen years of age, putting aside his text- books in order to learn the carpenter's trade under the direction of Peter Hartle. The first summer he received three dollars per month and a set of bench tools; the second lie was given thirty-sc\en cents per day. and on the expiration of that period was admit- ted to partnership by his employer, Mr. Hartle. He was thus engaged in the con- struction of many of the leading buildings in Xewberry township and followed his trade with good success for sixteen years. On the 28th of February. 1861. Mr. Routzon married Miss Catherine Rhoda- hofifer, who was born in ^Montgomery coun- ty, near Farmersvilie, May 16, 1834. She was a daughter of David and Margaret ( Ap- ple) Rhodahofifer, and with her parents came to Xewberry township. They are now deceased. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with ten chil- dren : George \\'., who was born December 7. 1861. married Angeline Bronson' and re- sides in Staunton township; ^Margaret, who was born December 1 1. 1862, is the wife of John Christy, of Darke county; Xancy Eliz- abeth, born January 31. 1866, died at the age of two years; David Jefferson, who was born February 13. 1867. married Sarah Ap- ple, and resides in Xewberry township; An- geline Belle, who was born January 11, 1869, became the wife of Henry Ballinger, of Darke county: Mary Jane, who was born Xovember 8, 1870, is the wife of. Amos Fessler, of Monroe township; Sarah Ann, who was born April 15, 1872, is at home; Ida May, who was born September 11, 1873, became the wife of Isaiah Apple, of Shelby county; Wesley S., who was born Decem- ber 31, 1875. is with his parents; Savilla Josephine, who was born March 10, 1877, is the wife of Uriah Apple, of Xewberry township. After his marriage. Mr. Routzon lo- cated on his present farm, which is the old family homestead, and has added a twenty- tive-acre tract to the fifty acres left by his father. He also owns a farm of one hun- dred and twelve acres, part of which is the old homestead of his wife's father. He carries on general farming, and is an enter- prising agriculturist who follows progress- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 433 ive and systematic methods. He is not afraid of work, and to this more than any- thing else may he attrihuted his snccess in life. In pohtics he is a stalwart Democrat, and has served as trustee of his township for four terms and as assessor for one term. Both lie ami his wife are consistent and faithful members of the Lutheran church, in which he has served as treasurer, secre- tary and trustee. His life has been well spent, and he has never withheld his support from any measure or movement which he belie\-etl would prove of general good. A self-made man. he has advanced steadily step by step on the road to affluence, and his life record should serve to encourage others who are forced to start out for themselves without capital. MRS. EUSEBIA B.'MEEKS. In everv community are to be fnund women who, after discharging the domestic duties pertaining to wife and mother, find time to work with either pen or hand for the good of the community in which they live. When deep sorrow needs a comforting word, and tears are to be wiped away by soft and gentle hand, the poor to be relie\'o 1, and the hungry fed ; when the forsaken need a friend, and the outcast a prayer ; where ?OGd is to be done and the community made better in the name and by the grace of our lovmg God, they are at work. Such a life was led by Mrs. Eusebia B. Meeks, who died in Troy, Ohio, June 17, 1889. She was the daughter of Rev. John Blodgett, a Bap- tist minister, and his wife, Roxanna Daven- port Blodgett, and was born June 7, 1821, in Champion, Jefferson county. New York. Her father was of Huguenot ancestry, and the story of the escape of his ancestors from the bloody massacre of St. Bartholo- mew's day was iianded down from genera- tion to generation with rexerent and thrill- ing interest. The spirit of bravery and, if need be, of martyrdom for conscience sake descended to the posterity of her Huguenot ancestor, and was possessed in a marked degree by the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Meeks' early life was spent largely in the companionship of her father and her early education was conducted liv him. She was a delicate child and when an infant be- came lame from an accident, the result of the carelessness of a nurse girl who had charge of her. For that reason she could n.ot be sent to school, Ijut she receixxd a good home education anil acquired the habits of deep, earnest thought, not only in her studies but other subjects of general interest. As she grew to womanhood her physical trouble grew better, and she was able to walk, but never entirely reco\-ered from her lameness. When al)out eighteen years of age she entered and attended for two years a seminary at Harveysburg, conducted by the Friends, or, as they were called in that day, "Quakers." In her twentieth year she united with the Baptist church and for many years was a faithful, devoted member of that church, but in later years she united with the Presbyterian church, of Troy. On the nth day of February, 1847, she was married to Mr. William Harris, who died four years later. Their married life was one of rare affection and trust. One daugh- ter was born to them, — now Mrs. Anna D. Stillwell, whose one aim in life has been to follow the example of her mother, and she is one of the good, useful women of Troy. After her husband's death Mrs. Meeks made her home with her parents, who had removed to Casstown, Miami county, Ohio, 434 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. until the nth day of September, 1S53. when she was united in marriage to Dr. I. S. Meeks. They removed to Troy, in Novem- ber, 1S59. and remained there until she was called from labor to reward. When ]\Irs. Meeks was a girl of thirteen years, her father accepted a pastorate at Lebanon, Ohio, and there she was associated in church and society with the Corwins and had access to the library of Hon. Thomas Corwin. She early became an nncompro- mising foe of slavery and intemperance. She was. gifted as a writer and had the al)ility to clothe her thoughts in pure, vigor- ous English, 1)ut she never searched for graces of rhetoric to render attractive the arguments of her convictions. Her writ- ings never sparkled with wit, yet were some- tinies, in her earnestness, touched with the spirit of bitter, cutting sarcasm. She was one of the active Crusaders of Troy, and devoted the later years of life to the cause of temperance, and she died a vet- eran in active warfare against the accursed traffic. Her voice and pen have long been silent in the solitude of the grave, but her memorj' remains with her friends and sis- ters of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, serving as an inspiration to them to battle on for a higher and nobler standard of manhood and womanhood. E. S. W. JOHN R. STRATTON. In a little log cabin on the site of his present home in Lost Creek township, Miami county, John Riley Stratton was born on the 27th of November, 183 1. His par- ents were Orrange and Isa1)ella (Long) Stratton. The father was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Cephas and Hannah Stratton. The family is of English lineage and was founded in America in early colonial days. The great- great-grandfather of Orrange Stratton aided in bulding Fort Pitt, where the city of Pitts- biu"g nt)w stands, and took part in the Brad- dock campaign. The family established a home in Tioga county, whence Cephas Strat- ton reuKJved to what is now Cumminsville, near Cincinnati. He was a resident of this city for two or three years before Or- range Stratton joined him in 1820. Cephas Stratton spent his remaining days at Cum- minsville, where he died when little past the prime of life. Orrange had five brothers, but was the only one to come to IMiami county. One brother, Myron Stratton, re- moved to Jeffersonville, Lidiana, and his son is the famous \\'infield Scott Stratton, the mining king of Cripple Creek, Colorado. He was born about the time of the Mexican war. In early manhood John Riley Stratton visited the home of his uncle Myron and he therefore remembers his cousin \\'infield as a lad. John R. Stratton spent his boyhood days or the home farm. He bade adieu to friends and relatives in the winter of 1849, i" order to enter upon his business career in the city. He secured a clerkship in a dry-gods stoi"0 in Cincinnati and was thus employed for four years. On the expiration of that pe- riod he went to New Orleans, by boat. He had expected to remain there, but yellow fever was prevalent and he returned. In the fall of the same year, however, he again made his way to the Crescent city, where he erigaged in clerking for two years. He then went up the river to St. Louis, where he re- mained for a short time and next made a visit to his old home. Later, in the winter of 1S56, he went to Davenport, Iowa, and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 435 spent two winters in teaching school in Scott county, Iowa, while in the summer montlis he engaged in the raising of garden vegetables, near Davenport. He loaded his crop of onions and potatoes onto a flatboat which he intended floating, down the Miss- issippi river to market. The river was filled at the time with similar boats and at Grand Tower an exciting incident occurred. The channel narrows very much at that place and high banks are on either side so that the current is very strong. Four men were on the flatboat and, the river being gorged with ice, it was only by a desperate effort that they pulled to the shore, making fast their cable of two-inch rope, but the ice snapped the rope. Mr. Stratton's com- panions struck out for the shore, but he stuck to the boat. Seeing that it was being crowded down, he jumped into the water and clung to the broken end of the rope until the others came to his assistance, when he succeeded in pulling the boat back of a small bank and thus protecting it. This was dur- ing the Christmas holida3's. The ice was carried down stream in a week and the water sank rapidly, leaving the boat fully a quarter of a mile on dry land, so the four men simply camped in that neighborhood, spending their time in hunting and fishing until the ist of March. In February, however, Mr. Strat- ton took a few bushels down to Cairo, one hundred miles below, where he sold them, returning by steamer. Unloading his flat- boat he attempted to haul it to the water, but it took twenty men a whole day to move it the width of the boat. Mr. Stratton was much discouraged, but that night the water rose and in a few hours the boat was afloat so that he again began loading it and, when the task was completed, the river was high enough to float it easilv down stream. This 25 was the happiest hour of his life, and the music of a band on a passing steamer seemed to him the sweetest he had ever heard. He went down to Memphis, where he sold his produce to good advantage and also sold his boat, after which he returned to Davenport and raised a second crop. This he sold in St. Louis, attempting to go no further south on account of the war. While in that city he visited the state convention, where the question whether Missouri should remain in the Union or not, was being discussed, Sterling Price acting as president of the con- vention. I\Ir. Stratton returned to Davenport and in 1862 enlisted in Company D, Twentieth Iowa Infantry. He served in Missouri, Arkansas and the Indian Territory under General Herron, participating in several skir- mishes and the battle of Prairie Grove, in northwestern Kansas. The next spring his command went to Vicksburg, the regiment lying in trenches and participating in the siege of that city. Later they went to Port Hudson and to Xew Orleans, where Mr. Stratton witnessed the grand review, just before Grant went to take command of the Union forces in the east. Contracting a ■fever, his surgeon secured for him a furlough and he returned home, but after recovering he went back to New Orleans, and found that the regiment had gone to Texas. Ac- cordingly he boarded the Cape Dale, bound for Texas, but when off the coast of Gal- veston they were caught in a storm and the vessel was disabled. Three days they kept afloat only by pumping and in the third night e\'erybody thought the vessel was doomed to sink; finally a blockading vessel offered to take the men on board, but the storm was such that it was dangerous for the vessel to come close enough. At length, however, 436 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the storm subsided and one of the blockading fleet towed the vessel into Berwick bay. Mr. Stratton then went by rail to New Orleans and a week later was sent to Point Isabel, Texas, with a squad of men, to join his regi- ment. On reaching that place, however, the command had left there and at Aransas Pass they finally found their companions. They Avere there camped for eight months, or un- til July, 1864, when they went to Browns- ville, on the Rio Grande, remaining at that point for two months, and in the fall of the same year they were sent to Fort Morgan, near Mobile, and were among those to take possession of the fort, which had been cap- tured as the result of dropping shells into it from the vessels. This was the greatest bombardment Mr. Stratton ever witnessed. Subsequently he was sent back to New Or- leans for a few months and afterward to Pensacola, Florida. With his command he marched through Florida and Alabama to the rear of Mobile, which had not yet fallen. Starting out with five days' rations, it was found necessary to make their food supplies last two weeks. They marched through swamps most of the way and occasionally Mr. Stratton and his companions picked up corn, where horses had been fed, and parched it to eat. It was on that trip that the Twen- tieth Iowa endured its greatest sufferings, but finally the regiment reached Fort Blakely and, after its surrender, marched into the city of Mobile, where our subject received an honorable discharge. He then returned to Iowa, but soon after came to Ohio. In 1898 he attended a reunion of the regiment at Dav- enport, Iowa, for the first time since the war. Th.ere he spent some of the happiest days of h.is life, for in the intervening years he had met only one of the old comrades of the blue. After his return to Ohio, Mr. Stratton remained upon the old home farm and has since successfully carried on agricultural pur- suits. He was married, in 1866, to jMiss Jane Ann Walker, a sister of John E. Walker, and they now have three children : Clifford Eugene, who is clerking in Troy; Curtis AX'alker, a farmer residing near the old homestead; and Susie \'iola, wdio is yet with her parents. Mr. Stratton is a Republican in his po- litical views, and is a member of Marion A. Ross Post, G. A. R., of Addison, Ohio, in which he has taken an active interest. For ten years he served as master of Burr Oak Grange, No. 541, and has been a member- of both the county and state organizations of the Grange. He also belongs to the Lost Creek Christian church, of which he is trus- tee. His life has been spent in the quiet pursuits of farming, and in days of peace he is as loyal to the country as when he followed the old flag upon the battlefields of the south. He is familiar with the history of pioneer development of the west, and in many ways has aided in its substantial growth and im- provement. ADAM BRIGHT. Investigation into the history of those men who have been most successful in the affairs of life will show that in the majority of cases their prosperity has resulted from untiring eft'ort, they having not only the abil- ity to plan but the power to execute. Close application and unflagging industry have done more to secure success than any other elements which have contributed to the finan- cial upbuilding of the race. The life record of Adam Bright stands in exemplification of wh.at may be accomplished !>y one who is GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 437 nut afraid to work and whose labors are guided by sound judgment. He is to-day numbered among the most prosperous farm- ers of Miami county and his Inisiness repu- tation is unassailable. Mr. Bright was born in Nelson county, Virginia, September 4, 1834, a son of Ste- phen and Catherine Bright. In 1839 the parents came with their family to Ohio, lo- cating in Gallia county, whence they came to Miami county five years later. Mr. Bright's uncle, John Bright, was then living on the farm now owned by the subject of this re- view. He had come to the county in 1827 and was therefore one of its pioneer settlers. Not long after their arrival in this section of the state Stephen Bright and his family took u]j their abode in Clark county, two and a half miles southeast of Addison, where they li\-ed until 1854, when they removed to In- diana, the father spending his remaining days in the Hoosier state, where he died at the age of sixty-seven years. Adam Bright, however, remained in Ohio when his parents went to Indiana. He worked by the month in Clark county receiv- ing six dollars for his services as a farm hand. He also assisted in clearing land for one summer, but he felt the wages he re- ceived did not compensate him and he there- fore resolved to learn the carpenter's trade, at which he served an apprenticeship under Andy Howell, for whom he worked for nine months, for thirteen dollars per month. He was employed on farm buildings, and on the expiration cf that period his employer offered him eighteen dollars per month for the suc- ceeding season. However, he did not find this occupation entirely to his taste and on Saturday night, after completing six doors as a week's work, he left the bench and never returned to it. From that time forward he has devoted his energies to agricultural pur- suits. During the first year in which he ear- ned on farming for himself he operated land on the shar-es, recei\'ing a third of the crops. During that time he saved enough money to buy a land warrant for eighty acres, paying for this eighty dollars. He located the war- rant in Pulaski county, Indiana, and his fa- tlier settled upon the land, making his home there until his death. In the meantime he operated a rented farm for John Merritt for twelve years, receiving one-third of the profits. About twenty years before this time his uncle, John Bright, had died, and in 1866 his widow also passed awa}', leaving no fam- ily. The farm was then sold and the pro- ceeds went to his brothers and sisters. Adam's share of the place was about forty dollars. At the administrator's sale, in 1867, be purchased the farm, paying seventy-eight hundred dollars for the tract of one hundred and sixty acres. He made a payment of one-third cash, the remainder to be paid in one and two years. The capital which en- abled him to make this purchase was se- cured through his labors upon a rented farm and as a stock raiser. He has been very successful in the purchase and sale of cattle, hogs, and sheep, and during the war he made a large amount of money in that way. He started in the business with Benoni Wilson as a partner, and purchased stock over a dis- tance extending one hundred miles in each direction. Mr. Wilson supplied the money and Mr. Bright did all the work. He was also in partnership with Wallace McRae, an old trader, and they conducted business together until 1864, when Mr. Bright en- tered into partnership with George Simmons, a relationship that has since been main- tained with mutual pleasure and profit. As his financial resources have increased Mr. 438 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Bright has added to his land. He traded his eighty-acre farm near Addison for an- other tract near home, and he is to-day the owner of eight hundred and five acres of rich land, comprising in all six farms, each of which is improved with substantial build- ings. The farms are all located in Lost Creek township, being w'ithin a short dis- tance of the old homestead. Me has paid from fifty to seventy-five dollars per acre for liis land and the improvements which he has placed thereon have made the various farms desirable and valuable properties. When he came into possession of the home- stead it was all run down, Init with character- istic energy he began its development and to- day the highly culti\-ated fields yield to him a golden tribute. Throughout all the years he has engaged in stock raising he has found it a profitable source of income, Conover be- ing his shipping point and his market, Pitts- burg, Pennsylvania. He feeds from two to five hundred head of hogs, five hundred sheep and three or four hundred head of cat- tle annually. In this business he is asso- ciated with a partner, but is alone in his farming operations. At the age of thirty years Air. Bright was united in marriage to Miss Ellen ]\Ier- ritt, of Champaign county. They li\ed to- gether four years and had one child, Alary, who is now the wife of J. T. ^^'ilgus, of Lost Creek township. In 1872 Air. Bright was again married, his second union being with Eliza Davis, also of Champaign county. Their children are four in number, namely: Harry .\., who married Bertha AI. Nicholas and operates one of his father's farms ; Alin- nie, wife of Alva C. Studebaker, of Elizabeth township ; Otis C. ; and Cory L. They also have a grandchild. Earl Alartin Bright, son nf Harry Bright, who is now three vears of age and who has lived with them since two weeks old. Another member of the family i.-^ Delia Wilson. Air. Bright is a Republican in his po- litical affiliations and has frequently attended the county conx'entions. He served as laiod appraiser for one term of ten years and proved a capable official. Both he and his wife are members of the Casstown Baptist church and are highly esteemed in the com- munity. Air. Bright has long been recog- nized as one of the most enterprising and successful business men in Aliami county, and entirely through his own efforts he has worked his way upward to a position among its wealthiest farmers. LUCIEN L. YOUART. Lucien L. Youart is the chief engineer of the Tippecanoe City Electric Light & Water Works. He was born in this city, August 24, 1876, and is a son of George K. Youart, whose sketch appears on another page of this work. His father was also an engineer, and as soon as old enough to handle a shovel our subject began to feed the fire m the furnace for his father. From his ear- liest boyhood therefore he became familiar with machinery and the j)rinciples which un- derlie its operation, and when only seventeen years of age he was given entire charge of the engine at the Excelsior works. He continued in that position for some time and afterward was given charge of the engine in the works of the Tippecanoe Building & Alanufacturing Company, remaining at the latter place until April i, 1899, ^vhen he was appointed by the city council to his present position. He is very capable, thoroughly understanmployed in the Snyder & Com- pany Bending Works, and is still connected with the enterprise. His wife bore the maiden name of Malvina Hart, and was a daughter of Charles Hart, of Gustavus, Trumbull county, Ohio. The two brothers, Charles and Edwin Magee, attended the Piqua schools, but left the high school be- fore graduating. Charles learned the print- er's trade in the office of Jerome Smilley, proprietor of the Daily Leader, and after serving his apprenticeship spent some time in acquiring skill and experience in larger offices in eastern cities. In 1896 he re- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 445 turned to Piqua and the same year ])urcliased the Inisinoss of the Fraternal I'ubhshing Company. At that time the plant consisted of one small press, but the facilities have Ijeen constantly increased until now seven large presses are constantly in operation, and their work rooms and offices are arranged in the l)est possible manner and supplied with all the latest improved machinery and mod- ern conveniences. Thus the firm is able to turn out a very high grade of work in print- ing, engraving, designing and binding. Edwin Roy Magee, the junior member of tlie lirm, after completing his education was employed in the office of the Cincinnati Corrugating Company, and in 1897 entered the printing office (nvned by his !)rother. He married Miss Harriet Tysnn, of h'letch- er, Miami county, a tlaughtcr of G. \V. Tyson, who was born in Virginia, and set- tled in this county at a very early day. The Magee Brothers give the greater part of their time and attention to their lousiness interests, and their trade has steadily and constantly increased so that they now have both night and day forces of men. They do all the business of some of the large factories whose catalogues and printed matter find their way to every part of this country and to foreign lands as well. Not content with a liberal share of the patronage of Piqua, the Magee Brothers, prompted by a laudable ambition, ha\e won their business support from other localities and are now enjoying a very liberal and constantly increasing patronage. As business y men they have been conspicuous among their associates not onl\- for their success but for their probity, fairness and honorable methods. In every- thing they have been eminently practical, and this has been not only manifest in their busi- ness undertakings but also in private and social life. Having made their way through the world by dint of their own efforts, they have always had a kindly sympathy for those whom they have found starting in life as they started, and have been ready to aid those who are willing to work. In manner they are genial, and their cordiality and kindly disposition have gained them many warm friends. So worthily has their prosperity been won that the most envious cannot grudge them their success. During the years that they have participated in the busi- ness life of Pi()ua they have so conducted all the affairs intrusted to them as to merit the confidence and esteem of the entire com- munity and no word of censure has ever been uttered against their actions. SALLIE E. TAYLOR. Tippecanoe City has just reason to be proud of her schools which rank among the best in the state and among her efficient corps of teachers is numbered Miss Taylor, who for many years has been in charge of the pri- mary department. It is now a generally recognized fact that primary work is proba- bly the most important grade in the schools, for there are formed the habits of study and application which will color the student's entire school life. It is theref\vn- ship. a position which he has acceptably filled for the past ten years, was born in 1842, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 4C9 on the farm where he now resitles, his par- ents being Elhott and Catherine '(Myers) \\'right. His paternal grandfather removed from Virginia to this county when Elhott was quite young and entered from the gov- ernment a tract of land which has since been in possession of his descendants. The i\Iyers family came from Pennsylvania to Ohio. The parents of our subject were well-known and esteemed farming people of Concord township, where the father died in 1850. at the age of thirty-eight years, the mother in 18;;, at the age of thirtv-three years. John C. Wright, of this review, spent his boyhood days upon the old home farm, and his labors in the field were alternated Ijy at- tendance at the district schools. He mar- ried Miss Sarah Rudy, a daughter of Sam- uel Rudy, of Newton township, and to them were burn the following children : Samuel Elliott, now a farmer of Newton township, who married ]\liss Armina i\Iay Helmick, a daughter of Philip Helmick; Maggie Elizabeth, wife of John Rontzong, a farmer and trustee of \'an Buren township, Darke county, Ohio, by whom she has two chil- dren, John Omer and Ruth ; John Carlton, an agriculturist of Concord township, who wedded Mary E., a daughter of William Fleming, and has one son, George Stanley ; Hannah Alary, wife of Abijah Swab, of Darke county, by whom she has two boys, George and Herman ; and Charles Irvin, who married Miss Lida Deitrich, and has a sl)n, Edgar. After the death of his first wife Mr. Wright was again married, his second union being with Catherine Caroline Bubeck, a daughter of John Bubeck, of Darke county. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Baisch, and both were natives of Germanv. Mr. and Airs. Wright now have one son, Herman Walter, a promising young man of seventeen years who is still at home with his parents. During the civil war Mr. Wright mani- fested his loyalty to the Union by enlisting in the Fifty-seventh Ohio Infantry for three years, but after fourteen months, on account of disability, he was honorably discharged. He participated in the battle of Shiloh and many engagements of lesser importance. With the exception of the time spent at the front Mr. Wright has always resided upon the old homestead farm in Concord town- ship, where he owns eighty acres of rich land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation. His home is one of the finest residences of the neighborhood, and the barns, outbuildings and fences are kept in good repair and indicate the careful super- vision of the owner, who is regarded as on© of the mijst practical, progressi\-e and pros- perous farmers of his neighborhood. The esteem in which he is held by his fellow townsmen is shown by the fact that he has served for ten consecutive years as township assessor. This is a township in which a Democrat never holds office except as a special mark of great confidence on the part of the community, for the majority is usually overwhelmingly Republican. He is most true and loyal to the trust reposed in him, and is a man whose pitblic and private rec- ord are alike beyond reproach. \\ ILLIAAI I. THOMAS. In the early history of Troy no settler left a more lasting impress upon the com- munity, in whose steady growth for more than half a century he was an important factor and an active force, than William I. 470 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Thomas. He was born in Pliiladelpliia, July 4, 1796, of Welsh parents, who emigrated to the young republic of the west soon after the close of the Revolutionary war. Later he came with his parents to Lancaster, Ohio, where his boyhood was spent. Subsequent- ly he entered the Ohio University, at Athens, but before completing the full college course began the study of law under the Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sr., of Lancaster. Upon his admission to the bar he settled in Troy and began the practice of his profession, in which he quickly gained a high and enviable rank, due to his great ability as a pleader and advocate. His practice was not con- hned to Miami county. He was a well- known figure in all the courts of the coun- ties north as far as Putnam, in the days when the most popular and often the only mode of travel was on horseback. Through this long stretch of country he became fa- mous for his ready wit, his forensic ability and his great legal learning. His knowledge was not confined to the books of his profession. He was a student along the lines of the best and noblest litera- ture and his mind and memory were stored with the thoughts of the great authors. Noted for his rare and quaint sayings, he was the most congenial of characters and his native courtesy made him the charm of every social circle. He held many local and county of^ces during his life. He served severa*! terms as justice of the peace and for a nvunber of years was prosecuting attorney for Miami ■county. He also served as the Whig post- master, in Troy, in the '20s. Li 1836 he was elected to the state senate on the ^^dlig ticket and served as such for si.x terms. In the senate he quickly became one of the party leaders, holding the position by his thorough knowledge of men and things, and with such compeers as Chase and Gid- dings kept the state in the Whig column. In 1856. when the Whig party was a thing of the past, he allied himself with the Dem- ocratic party, his ancient enemy, but he never was heartily in accord with the prin- ciples or practice of his new political ally. Upon his death, November 6, 1869. the Mi- ami county bar paid a fitting tribute to the worth of Mr. Thomas in the resolutions which said that he was "eminently conspic- uous for those attributes of intellectual power and culture, solid and varied learning, and eminent professional integrity which merited and commanded universal respect and con- fidence during the long period of his active practice as an attorney and counselor-at- law and in the various oflficial trusts com- mitted to his charge." He was married, September 29, 1828, to Lucinda M. Neale, the daughter of Richard H. Neale, of Parkersinirg, Virginia, who belonged to a noted family of the old commonwealth. Of this marriage eleven children were born, of whom only four sur- vive : Stanley O., of New Orleans, Louisi- ana ; Walter S., Llewellyn A. and Gilmer T. Thomas, of Troy. e. s. vv. OSWELL D. LAMME. Oswell D. Lamme, the efficient trustee of Elizabeth township, and a well-known fann- er of Miami county, was born in Greene county, Ohio, June 4, 1847. His parents, James and Hester (Black) Lamme, were also natives of the same county, and the pa- ternal grandfather was one of its pioneers. On the maternal side the subject of this re- view is of Scotch lineage. His father was I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 471 a stock dealer, and lived in Spring valley, Greene county, until he departed this life, about 1855. Under the parental roof Mr. Lamme of this re\ie\v spent the first sixteen years of his life and then, actuated by a spirit of pa- triotism, he resix)nded to the country's call for aid. enlisting, in 1864, as a member of Company H, Thirty-fourth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry. He joined the regiment un- der the command of Colonel Hunter and served until the close of the war. The troops were attached to Sheridan's army and went to the front as a Zoua\e regiment, but later were mounted infantry. He took part in twenty-eight skirmishes and battles and was captured at Beverly, West Virginia, by Mosby's troops, about four hundred men being taken captive while in camp, the at- tack being made before daylight. They were confined in Libby prison, and, after suffering many of the hardships of prison life for forty days, were exchanged. Mr. Lamme then rejoined his regiment, which was consolidated with the Thirty-sixth Ohio, for at that time there were only about three hundred members of the Thirty-fourth remaining. He participated in the cam- paign of the Shenandoah and was constantly with his command, except during the period of his imprisonment, until honorably dis- charged July, 1865, at the close of the war. Returning to his home, Mr. Lamme pur- chased a farm in Allen county and in 1877 came to Miami county. For twenty years he has resided upon his present farm. He has handled cattle, but has given the greater part of his attention to general farming and his methods are practical and enterprising, bringing to him good success. On the 25th of December, 1872, Mr. Lamme was united in marriage^ in Miami county, to Miss Mary Drake, daughter of Jacob and Ruth (Titus) Drake. Her par- ents were both natives of New Jersey, but were married in Ohio, and the daughter was born on their farm in Elizabeth township. The father died in the spring of 1865, but his wife survived him until February, 1880, dying on the old homestead, at the age of sixty-eight years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lamme have been born the following chil- dren : Rena, wife of Bert Gearheart, who is principal of the schools in Addison, Ohio; William, who pursued a commercial course- in the Miami Commercial College, in Day- ton, and is now at home, and Jesse, who completes the family. The daughter's hus- band is a son of J. H. Gearheart and was born in Elizabeth township. He is a grad- uate of the Troy high school and was a student in the Miami Commercial College. For four years he has been a successful teacher in the schools of Miami county. Mr. Lamme and his family attend the Christian church at Honey Creek and he is serving as one of its trustees. In politics Mr. Lamme is a Republican and in 1899 was elected township trustee, the duties of which posi- tion he is now faithfully discharging. He holds membership in the Marion A. Ross Post, G. A. R., of Addison, and to-day he is as true to the duties of citizenship as when he followed the flag upon the fields of battle in the south. GEORGE K. YOUART. George K. Youart is a capable engineer in the wheel works of Ford & Company, of Tippecanoe City, and with this enterprise has been connected almost continuously for thirty years. He was born in Miami coun- 472 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ty, two miles south of Troy, ^larch 21, 1841, his parents being James and Mary (Kerr) Youart. The father was a native of county Antrim, Ireland, born in 1804, and crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1819, becoming a resident of Mi- ami county the same year, the voyage being made in company with his parents, John Alex and Ann Youart, who settled in Con- cord .township, where they spent their re- maining days, both living to an advanced age. James Youart learned the carpenter's trade in early life, but became a farmer. He married ]\{ary Kerr, daughter of George Kerr and a sister of Hamilton Kerr. In 1856 the family came to Tippecanoe City and the father purchased a steam saw-mill, which he operated until his wife's death, in 1 86 1. Subsequently he removed to London, Ohio, where he died in February, 1873, at the age of sixty-nine years. They had a family of four children, one of whom died at the age of thirteen years, while three grew to years of maturity. John, however, passed away at the age of twenty-nine. The living are George K. and Martha Ann, the latter now the widow of Dr. I. K. Gilbert, of Car- lisle, Ohio. George K. Youart was a youth of fifteen when he came with his father to Tippecanoe City. He assisted in the operation of his father's steam saw-mill and learned the busi- ness of engineering. He was engineer in the mill for a period of six years and when his father closed out business he was given the position of engineer by his successor, filling the place for seven years longer. He was also at one time employed as engineer by the Smith Bridge Company, of Toledo, and in 1869 he came to Tippecanoe City to set up the first engine owned by ^Ir. Ford, who in that vear began business as the senior partner of the firm of Ford & Company. Mr. Youart operated that engine for twenty- one years and in 1890 it was replaced by a one-hundred-and-twenty-fi\'e-horse-power Buckeye engine, of which he has had charge up to the present time, making a period of thirty years, which has been continuous, with the exception of about three years spent in other factories. During the forty-four years in which he has carried on engineering work he has ne\-er met with an accident by which he has sustained an injury. On one occa- sion, while he was chief engineer in the sugar factory, the boiler exploded, destroy- ing the entire battery of four one-4inndred- horse-power boilers, but ^Ir. Youart was not on duty at the time. On the 7th of September, 1862, Mr. Youart was united in marriage to Miss Candace Karn, who was reared by an aunt upon a farm which is now theirs. Four children have been born to them : John R., an engineer in the employ of the Street Railway Company, of Kansas City, ^lis- souri; Alva George, who is clerk in the Hotel Cordova, in Kansas City; Harry A., an engineer in the Union depot in Kansas City, and Lucian Lester, an engineer in the water power house at Tippecanoe City. The sons were all instructed by their father in the business, which he has made his life work, and were therefore well fitted fui" the practical duties of business life. Since 1874 Mr. Youart has been chief engineer of the fire department, which owns a Silsby engine. He has invested in a farm near the village and also in village property, which indicates his thrift and enterprise, all having been ac- quired as the result of his earnest and per- severing effort. He is a most trusted and reliable employee and fully merits the con- fidence reposed in him. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 473 ALFRED M. Le BLOND. A representative of the industrial inter- ests of Troy, Mr. Le Blond is nnmliered among the native sons of the Buckeye state, his birth hax'ing occurred in Mercer county, October 17, 1867, his parents being Alfred and Jane R. (Slack) Le Blond. The mother was born in Morrow county, where her people had located in pioneer days. Li 1868, during the infancy of our subject, his father died and his mother then came to ]\Iiami county. Alfred ^L Le Blond has therefnre spent almost his entire life in this localitv, was reared on a farm near West Milton, and during" his youth became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He attended the pul:)lic schools and, well ecjuipped for life's prac- tical duties by a good English education, he came to Troy in 1889, and was first em- ployed in the Troy Wagon Works. He spent three years in the department where the wagon beds are manufactured, after which he became inspector of the lumber and is also foreman of the yards and drying department at the present time. A very ex- tensive business is carried on by this cor- poration at the present time and his duties are therefore arduous and responsible. That he has the unqualified confidence of the com- pany is evidenced by his long connection with the business. In April, 1893. Mr. Le Blond was united in marriage to Miss Ida R. Van Horn, of Elizabeth township, a daughter of John and Lizzie Van Horn. Their only son, V. Max, born August, 1899, has the distinction of being the only child of Miami county that owes its existence to the Cesarean operation. The little boy is the light and life of the home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Le Blond enjoy the warm regard of all with whom they have been brought in contact and our subject is highly respected as a citizen of marked in- dustry and worth. HON. NOAH H. ALBAUGH. The life records of the successful busi- ness men of Miami county are with but few exceptions those of men who in the early years of their career had to depend upon their own efforts for the common necessa- ries of life, and they had before them the problem how to live on a meager income. The life of self-denial and frugality, how- ever, gradually bore fruit until little by little they got a small amount ahead that was the foundation upon whicli was ])uilt the su- perstructure of a successful business life, and the attainment of positions of trust and honor. Such has been the record of Hon. Noah H. Albaugh, the second son of Sam- uel and Anna (Rodkey) Albaugh, who was born in Union township, Miami county, Ohio, May 22, 1834, in a log cabin erected by his father on eighty acres of land, which he entered, in 1829, at the land office at Cincinnati, and paid for at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. There, in 1830, he erected a log cabin, and there raised and educated a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, each one of whom has made a record as a useful member of so- ciety. The ancestors of Mr. Albaugh came to Philadelphia, Pennsyh-ania, in September, 1734, on the ship "Hope," from the Palatin- ate of Rhenish Bavaria. Their names were Johann Wilhelm Ahlback, and four sons : Zachariah. Johann Wilhelm. Johann Ger- hardt and Johann Peter. The name was 474 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. changed to Albach. Aulabacli. Allbacli, and. in the branch to whicli Hon. N. H. belong.s, to the form whicli he uses. The literal translation of the name into English is All- brook. Zachariah Albaugh is an immediate ancestor of the Miami county Albaughs. He entered government land in Frederick county, Maryland, and there settled and lived until 1782. The records of Frederick coun- ty show that his will was probated August 19, 1782. He had a large family of chil- dren, two of whom the writer will mention in this sketch. First, Zachariah, who was born in Frederick county, Maryland, in September, 1747, and died in Newton town- ship. Licking county, Ohio, at the residence of his son, Solomon Albaugh, November 9, 1856. at the remarkable old age of one hundred and nine years and nine months. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and entered the army as a private soldier, serving in the bloody battle of German- town, fought October 31, 1777. After the war he removed to W^estmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he resided forty years. One of his close neighbors was General Ar- thur St. Clair. In 18 17 he removed to Lick- ing county, Ohio. David Albaugh, the other son, was born in Maryland, April i, 1760, and after his marriage removed to Huntingdon, Pennsyl- vania. He was a preacher in the German Baptist church. He had a large family and one of his sons was Samuel Albaugh, the father of N. H. Albaugh. The writer has briefly sketched the ancestry of Mr. Al- baugh, because it is a subject of general interest in this county, and of special in- terest to the young and rising generation of kinship, who proudly trace their pedigree to the old Bavarian who came from his Fatherland to the new continent, across the wide and restless ocean, in search of a home where his spirit of religious and civil liberty was unvexed by a tyrant king or bigoted priests. To return to the subject of this sketch, the writer has learned of no incident in the boyhood life of N. H. Albaugh other than the usual hard work on a farm in a new coun- try, where forests were to be felled and ground to be cleared in order that a home of comfort might be made. In the winter he attended school in a log school house, and, fortunately for him, bis father was a fair scholar, so that, in addition to what he learned at the log school house, he re- ceived instruction in the humble log-cabin home until he had acquired a good educa- tion. \\'hen he was seventeen years of age he obtained a certificate to teach school, and taught for several years, establishing such a reputation for thoroughness in the English branches that he was appointed county school examiner for this county, and re- appointed until be bad served twelve years. In 1855 he removed to Bethel township, Miami comity, purchased a small farm of thirty acres, and taught school in winter, while in the summer he farmed, until 1861. In 1858 he started a small nursery antl his business prospered and grew, so that in 1888 it was incorporated with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, under the name of The Albaugh Nursery & Orchard Company. He was elected president and has been re-elected every year since. The company is very prosperous and the exten- sive enterprise is the outgrowth of the small nursery started in 1858. It now comprises about five hundred acres devoted to nursery stock. Peach trees are his specialty, but he is growing extensively apples, cherries, plums and pears, and employs constantly GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 475 fifty men, and about fifty additional men during the packing and shipping season, the annual output being sold principally in the central states of the Union. Mr. Albaugh also started a nursery, in 1870, at Carmi, Illinois, where he owns a body of land, and at a later date he established a nursery at Burlington, Kansas, and also one at Sparta, Wisconsin, all of which are in successful operation. Mr. Albaugh is a leading horti- culturist and is prominent in the count)' and state horticultural societies. He served for two terms as president of the American As- sociation of Nurserymen, and is now presi- dent of the Nurserymen's Mutual Protective Association, and was elected again, June 13, 1900, for the tenth time. In 1890, in company with a number of prominent horti- culturists, he traveled through Georgia, with the result that the Albaugh Georgia Fruit Company was formed, with a capital stock of thirty-two thousand dollars, of which he is now president, and so successful has been that company that four other fruit companies have been formed, and are now in successful operation. In these he is also largely inter- ested. In 1885 Mr. Albaugh was elected rep- resentative to the Ohio legislature from this county, and re-elected in 1887. His record as a legislator was approved by his con- stituents, and, although he had no ambition to shine among those who aspired to be leaders, yet he was noted for his practical sense, sound judgment, and the merit of the bills he introduced. He drafted the present excellent school law of Ohio, and was un- tiring in his efforts to secure its passage. He established the reputation of being one of the best parliamentarians in the legisla- ture, and in his second term was elected by acclamation in the house as speaker pro-tcin, in which office he served with credit to him- self. While a member of the legislature he was elected president of the Troy National Bank, and he is at present a prominent stock- holder in the Fourth National Bank, of Dayton, Ohio. In 1892 he was chosen one of Ohio's presidential electors on the Re- publican ticket. He has always been an ar- dent and devoted Republican, and has done good service as a public speaker for the party, and yet his neighbors in the Demo- cratic township of Bethel, in which he re- sides, have elected him justice of the peace, and notwithstanding his otherwise busy life he has served as such for twenty-four years, and for over twenty years has served as president of the school board of the town- ship. One of Mr. Albaugh's strong charac- teristics is his devotion to his township and its best interests, especially its educational interests. Under his management and forc- ible influence. Bethel township has one of the finest high schools in the county, occupying a beautiful building, which is the pride and honor of the citizens of that agricultural community. The township is dotted with nurseries, and his influence has brought into the township thousands of dollars for the benefit of its citizens. During the civil war he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a pri- vate soldier, and was promoted to or- derly sergeant of Company B, of that regiment, which was in General Augur's di- vision of the Twenty-second Army Corps, and took a gallant and effective part in re- pelling tJie Confederate army under Gen- eral Early, in its attacks on Washington city. He is a member of the Milton Weaver Post, of the Grand Army, at) Vandal ia, and is an active worker in that militarv order. 476 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Fraternally, Mr. Albaugh is a devoted Mason and has enjo3-ed the honor of filling many high and responsible positions in that mystic order, from master of the lodge up to the highest honors, and is a member of the « Scottish rite, thirty-second degree, of the Cincinnati Consistory. In 1854 Mr. Albaugh was married to Lucinda Beeson. They had three children : Clifford L., born in 1855; Ida May, in 1857, and Jesse E., in 1861. The youngest son, when eighteen years of age. lost his life by an accident with a team which he was driving. Clifford L. married Francis L. Anderson in 1883, and they have four chil- dren. Mr. Albaugii and his wife are mem- bers of the Bethel Reformed church, and he has served that church as elder for thirty years, and for fourteen years as superintend- ent of the Sunday school. The record of the busy life above writ- ten would not lead the reader of this sketch to surmise that Hon. X. H. Albaugh was fond of literature, yet he is a careful reader of good books, and has a well selected libra- ry, and what is more, he has found time to write poetry. How much he has now in manuscript form, the writer does not know, but in 1855 he published a neat little volume called "Wayside Blossoms," with the follow- ing dedication, which speaks more eloquently than the writer can portray, his home life: "TO HER WHO HAS WALKED T.Y MY SITE, ADOWN LIFE'S VALE, THKOUCir Sl-NSHI.\E AND SHADOW, WHERE, WITHOUT HER HELP. LIKE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FAILURE, THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS MOST AFFECTIONATELV DEDICATED." Space will not permit inserting in this sketch some of the poetic gems found in this little volume, but its publication was a com- plete surprise to the many friends of the practical man of method and good business sense, who is its author. Hon. N. H. Albaugh is a large, portly man, with a mannerism peculiarly his own. He is a genial, pleasant companion, a solid, practical speaker, with now and then a flash of wit. the more pleasant because unex- pected from a man of affairs. He has a reputation for honesty and fidelity that is the secret of his influence, both in pri\-ate and public enterprises. His is the record of a long and useful life, witli the promise of many more years of activity to come, for . he will never rust nut. but work until the Master calls. e. s. w. HEXRY COBLE. Of the business interests of Troy, there is none that has contributed more largely to the general welfare and prosperity of the community than the Troy Wagon Works, and the success of this extensive concern is due in a very large measure to the capa- bility of the foremen of the dift'erent de- partments. For the past fifteen years Mr. Coble has been superintendent of the wood department and enjoys the unqualified re- gard of the members of the corporation who recognize his ability and fidelity. A native of York county, Pennsyhania. he was born March 4, 1854, a son of John K. Coble, who was also a native of the same locality. The mother bore the maiden name of Sarah Campbell and was a daugh- ter of Peter Campbell, also of York, Penn- sylvania. In 1865 the father removed with his familv to Trov. where he followed his i GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 477 trade, that of contracting and building, for a number of years. His death occurred in 1891, but his wife still survives, and yet makes her home in this state. Mr. Coble had one brother who served in the civil war. The subject of this review was a lad of only eleven years when brought by his par- ents to Ohio, and in the schools of Troy he completed his literary education. On put- ting aside his text-books he learned the carpenter's trade, developing considerable mechanical ingenuity. In 18SS he entered the shop of the Troy ^^'agon W'orks Com- pany, and since that time has been foreman in the wood department. For three years prior, he was foreman of the Corn Planter & Rake Factory, which, in 1888, was merged into the wagon factory. In his career of fifteen years as superintendent of his department he has shown himself to be a skillful mechanic who thoroughly under- stands the business both in principle and de- tail and well merits the confidence and trust reposed in him. Mr. Coble was united in marriage to Ella Shilling, of Madison county, Ohio, a daughter of John Shilling, who located in Troy, in 1870, and died in this state twenty years later. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Coble have been l)orn two sons and two daughters, namely : Earl Raymond, who is employed as a clerk; AMlliam H., who is a farmer re- siding near Addison, Ohio, and married Miss Ollie Wilson, a daughter of John Wilson ; Bessie, who is forewoman in the Sunshade Factory, and May Ermie, who is attending school. The family have a very comfortable home in Troy, and the members of the house- hold occupy an enviable position in social circles. In religious belief they are Method- ists and take an active part in the work of the church here. Fraternallv, INIr. Coble is connected with the Royal Arcanum and, politically, he is a Republican, but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring that his undivided attention shall be given to his business affairs. The important posi- tion which he occupies indicates his high standing in industrial circles. Steadily has he worked his way upward, and although he started out in life empty handed he is now the possessor of a comfortable com- petence, which he certainly merits. ALBERT M. BROTHERTOX. Although now li\-ing retired. Albert M. Brotherton has been an active factor in the building interests of Piqua, his native city, where he was born on the i6th of October, 1844. His father, Philemon Brotherton, was born in Onondaga county, New York, in 181 5, and when a boy of ten years came with his parents to Ohio, the family locating in Hamilton county, where he remained un- til 1829, — the year of his arrival in Piqua. Here he was engaged in the manufacture of brick until 1852, when he retired from that department of labor. For some years he was engaged in the cooperage business, employ- ing from five to six hands and shipping the barrels manufactured to Cincinnati. Subse- quently he conducted a grocery and produce business until 1885, wheir he retired to pri- vate life, having gained a handsome com- petence as the result of his careful manage- ment and well-directed labors. He con- tinued his residence in Piqua until called to the home beyond at the age of se\'enty- nine years, and was one of the most highly respected citizens. In early life he gave his political support to the Democracy, but at the time of the civil war he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, with 478 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. which lie affiliated until Grant's second term, when he returned to the Democracy. He was cemetery trustee for six years, but never desired office, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business interests, in which he met with splendid success. He was an active member of the Presbyterian church, and his aid was given cheerfully and largely to every movement which he believed would prove of public benefit. His father, Abel Brotherton, was a native of Syracuse count)'. New York, and with three brothers he came to Ohio in 1800. He was a soldier in the war of 18 12 and w-as afterward granted a pension by the government. He died at the advanced age of ninety-six years, after fifteen years residence in Miami coun- ty. In politics he was an active Democrat. He belonged to one of the old families of the country, although there is no authentic rec- ords extant concerning" its establishment in this country. On the maternal side our sub- ject is descended from one of the old fam- ihes of Pennsylvania. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Morton, was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, and came to Logan county, Ohio, with her parents during her early girlhood. They removed to Miami county about 1836, and here the parents of our subject were married. Mrs. Brotherton spent the remainder of her life in Piqua and survived her husband only twenty-three days, dying at the age of eighty-five. She was an active member of the Presbyterian church and a lady whose many excellencies of character commended her to the friendship and regard of all with whom she came in contact. She had two children: Albert M., and Frank P., who is just eight years younger than his brother, and is now foreman in the lumber yard and planing mill here. Albert M. Brotherton spent his boyhood days in Piqua and attended the public schools. He left the high school before he was- eighteen years of age to enlist, on the 5th of September, 1861, as a member of Company K, First Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, with which he served for three years and one month. He took part in a numl)er of im- portant engagements, including the battles of Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing. Perryville. Stone River, Chickamauga, ^lission Ridge and Atlanta, and on the expiration of his term of service was honorably discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1864. He was captured at the bat- tle of Stone River, but was only held as a prisoner for about an hour, when he was re- captured by L^nion cavalry troops. He sus- tained four slight flesh wounds, but was al- ways found at his post of duty, faithfully performing e\ery task assigned to him. Mr. Brotherton was not (|uite twenty- one years of age when he returned from the war with an honorable military record, which many an older veteran might welt have envied. He afterward attended a com- mercial college in Lulianapolis, Indiana, and later entered upon his business career in the capacity of Ixiokkeeper. He then sold lum- ber for several vears and followed the mill- wright's trade in Ohio and eastern Indiana in connection with his father-in-law, Peter \\"ea\'er. He was thus engaged for se\eral years, and then began contracting and build- ing on his own account in Piqua, erecting the South street and North street school . houses, remodeling the opera house and re- building the Frank Gray Woolen Mill. He also built an addition to that jjlant and erected many of the dwelling houses of Piqua, building thirty-five in one year. He has charge of the Investment Company GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 479 here and owns considerable property in Piqua, together with a valuable farm of two hundred acres in Mercer county. His business career was a very active one. in which indolence and idleness were at no times manifest. On the other hand energy, persex'crance and enterprise are numbered among his chief characteristics and have contributed in large measure to his suc- cess. In 1896 he retired to private life and is now enjoying a rest which he richly merits. On the 26th of December. 1867. Mr. Brotherton was united in marriage to Miss Anna W'eaver. daughter of Peter and Susan (Tunys(jn) Weaver, who removed from New Jersey to Miami county. Ohio, at an early day. Her father was a millwright and worked in the lock mills here. Mrs. Bmther- ton was reared in Piqua and is widely known in the city. She belongs to the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Brotherton is \'ery generous in his contributions to its support. In pol- itics he is a Democrat and is active in work- ing for his friends who desire office, but has never sought political preferment for him- self. He served on the central ciimmittee of the county for seven years, and, as every true American citizen should do, feels a deep interest in the success of the principles which he advocates. He belongs to both the lodge and the encampment of the Odd Fellows society, in Picjua, and to the Improved Order of Red Men. He is also a member of Alex- ander Mitchell Post, G. A. R., of which he has served as commander. Although he inherited liis father's estate, he has added largely to it, his powers of management en- abling him to greatly augment his capital, until he is to-day one of the most substantial citizens of Miami county. His business methods have ever Ijeen straightforward and honorable, and well does he deserve classi- fication among the representative men of the citv. OLIVER P. RUSSELL. 01i\-er P. Russell is serx'ing as justice of the peace and pension general at Troy. He is a native of Miami county, born September 28, 1826, his parents being Isaac and Tamar (Mendenhall) Russell, the former of \\'elsh extraction. The mother's people were na- tives of Nantucket island, and the maternal great-grandfather of our subject was killed by the Indians at an early period in the de- velopment of this covmtry. One of his sons was also killed and scaljjcd at that time and another son, the grandfather of our subject. was made a prisoner and held a captix'e for several years, after which he was exchanged for an Indian girl whom the white people had captured. The father of our subject was born in South Carolina, in 1800, and in 1806 came to Miami county. Here he ar- rived at years of maturity, after which he wedded Tamar Alendenhall, whose birth oc- curred in North Carolina in 1798. They lo- cated on a farm four miles south of Troy, and there spent their remaining days, both living to a ripe old age. They were among the pioneer settlers of Miami county, tak- ing up their abode here when the entire region was almost an unbroken wilderness, gix'ing little promise of future development and progress. They had a family of ten children, one of whom died in infancy. The others reached years of maturity and five of the number are now living. The only sur- viving brother of our subject is Joseph Rus- sell, a resident of Morrow county, Ohio. The sisters are : Mrs. Rosanna Brooks, of Mulberry. Kansas; Mrs. Harriet Pear- 480 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. son, a resident of Miami county : and Airs. Tamar M. Dixon, of Alecosta county, Mich- igan. Tlidse who liave passed away are : Samuei. who died in March, 1S96. wlien about seventy-three years of age ; Isaac, who died in 1855, at the age of twenty-three; Rachel, who died about 1895, ^^ the age of sixty-eight years; Mrs. Rutli Evans, who died in early womanhood ; and an infant who died unnamed. Oliver Perry Russell acquired a common school education in his native county and entered upon his independent business career as a farmer. About 1852 he purchased land in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, adding this to a tract which had come to him through inheritance. He operated this farm for eight years and then, selling the property, purchased a farm in INIontgomery county, Ohio, which he owned until after the close of the ci\il war. During the time the south was engaged in an attempt to overthrow the L nion ]\[r. Russell was numbered among those who wore the blue, and enlisted as a member of Company G, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry, with the rank of corporal. He served at Fort Marcy at ^^'ashing■ton, D. C, his regiment being en- gagetl in defending the capital. He en- hsted fur one hundred and thirty days, but remained in ser\-ice for four months. The hardships of war brought on disease, and for a number of years following his discharge he suffered greatly and at length was obliged to lose his right limb. He now receives a pension granted him by the government. A\'hen the war was over ]\Ir. Russell sold his farm and located in Dayton, where for thirteen years he engaged in business as a contractor and builder. He also represented the Dayton Machine Company, traveling on the road for six years. He sold agricultural implements throughout sixteen states and was regarded as a very successful and reli- able traveling salesman. On leaving Dav- ton he took up his abode in Cardington, Morrow county, Ohio, where he lived for nineteen years. During that time he served for three years as constable and for twelve years as justice of the peace. On the ist of April, 1897, he came to Troy and for one year was not connected with business cares, but after the expiration of that period he was elected justice of the peace and has since filled that position, discharging his duties in a creditable manner, his dicisions being marked by the utmost fairness and impar- tiality. He has also been a recognized pen- sion agent for several years and has pros- ecuted a large number of claims to successful terminatiiin. Mr. Russell was married, on the 23d of November, 1845, t'J Miss Lucretia Kerr, who was born in Miami county June 2, I S28. Theirs was a long and hapijy married life, co^•ering a period of over fifty-three years; but on March 16. 1899, Mrs. Rus- sell was called to the home beyond. Four children were born of their union, of whiim two are now living, namelv : Mattie and ; Alice. Isaac H., who was the eldest, died I at the age of four and a half years, and Emma died when a year old. Mrs. Mattie I Utter, the elder surviving daughter, is liv- , ing in this city, while Mrs. Alice McClem- ent makes her home in Dayton, Ohio. The sons-in-law are both active and successful business men. Mrs. Russell was a con- sistent Christian lady, a member of the Meth- ixlist church, and was a lo\-ing and devoted wife and mother and a woman universally esteemed for her many excellent traits of character. Mr. Russell has also been a life- kmg member of the Methodist church. He J GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 481 belongs to the Grand Army Post, of Card- ington, Ohio, and lias al\va\-s gi\-en his po- litical support to the Republican party. He has held various local offices, including that of assessor, road supervisor and a member of the school board, and every trust reposed in him has been faithfully performed. His life record has been unassailable, for hon- esty is synonymous with his name. FRANKLIN A. DEWEESE. For fifteen years Franklin A. Deweese has resided upon the farm in Staunton town- ship, which is now his home, and has there engaged in the raising of garden and hot- house vegetables for the market. His en- tire life has been spent in Miami county. He was born on the farm where Ed Rusk now lives, his natal day being September 19, 1854, and is a representative of one of the old Virginian families. His grandfa- ther, Joshua Deweese, was born in the latter state December 4. 1796, and having arrived at years of maturity wedded Mary Girard, who was the first white female child boi-n in ]\Iianii county, her l)irth occurring April 21, 1800. Their marriage occurred in June, 1818, and unto tliem were born fifteen chil- dren : Samuel \\'., burn July 14. 1819; Ber- tha, born February i, 1821 ; Sarah, April 27, 1822; Catherine, February 16, 1824; Henry G., January 8, 1826; George \V., January i, 1828; Rachel, July 7, 1S29: Juhn, February 19, 1831 ; Joshua, September I, 1832; Joseph, May 30, 1834; Thomas, May 5, 1839; Mary, January 30, 1840; Mary A., who died in infancy; ]\Iary A., the sec- ond (if the name, born July iS, 1849; ^■'"^ James, who was born November 9, 1853, and died during the war. Henry G. Deweese, the father of our subject, was a native of Staunton township, and in early manhood entered land from the government, thus becoming owner of the farm now the property of Isaac Peck. He was born and reared on a farm of eighty acres, which his father had entered, and there made his home until his marriage to Miss Lucy Estey, who was born in Lijst Creek township. Miami count v, Februarx' 21. 1830, and passed away Alarch 26, 1900. She was a daughter of Da\-id Estey, whose l)irth oc- curred in Nova Scotia July 31, 1792. Her mother bore the maiden name of Ann Knoop and was born in Nova Scotia March 19, 1792. Mr. and Mrs. Estey had a family of ele\'en children, as fcjllows: James E.. bom September 17, 1814; Michael, born April 13, 1816; Eunice, born February 24, 1818: Charles, born April 5. 1820; George, born December 2, 1821 ; Simon, born Jan- uary 24, 1824; Mary, born March 9, 1826; William, born April 6, 1828; Lucy A., born February 2/, 1830; Jotham, born October 5, 1833; si'"^l Maria, born February 7, 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Deweese became the parents of nine children: Annetta, born July 16, 1849 • ^elia A., born April 10, 185 1 ; Jotham, born January 16, 1853; Franklin; Henry H., born Alay 17, 1856; JMaggie, who was born May 2, i860, and is now deceased; Florence, who was born September 8, 1862, and has also passed away; Docia, born Sep- tember 18, 1869; and Alva W., bnrn jNIarch 13. 1873- ^\'hen Franklin Deweese was a lad of twelve years he accompanied his parents on their removal to what became known as the old De Freese farm, in Staunton township, and there he was reared to manhood, de- voting his time and energies to the work of the farm through the summer months, while 482 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. in tlie winter season he pursued, his edu- cation in tlie common schools. On attain- ing his majority lie hegan operating a stone quarry on his father's farm, and was thus employed for two years, after which he re- moved to Shelby county, where he followed farming one year. He then came to Staun- ton township and rented his father's farm for fue years. In 1885 he removed to the place where he now makes his home. He has live acres of land, which is devoted to the raising of garden products. He has two green houses, one 72.X20 feet, the other 44x16 feet. He raises lettuce. in his hot- houses and places upon the market some of the finest specimens of garden vegetables raised in this part of the county. He has made a close study of the business to which he gi\es his attention and thoroughly lui- derstands the needs of the different plants. His close attention to his busines.';. his care- ful management and his enterprise have re-' suited in bringing to him a good income. Mr. Deweese was married. November 20, 1879, to Miss Nettie Small, who was born February 24. 1859, and is the daugh- ter of David and Ellen (Conklin) Small. David B. Small was born in Hamilton coun- ty. Ohio. November 3, J 832, and was six months old when brought to Miami county. The mother was born in New Jersey De- cember 7, 1836, and came to Miami count}' when three years of age. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Deweese has been blessed with Tne children : Lester, born IMarch 26, 1882; Clyde, born July 10. 1884; Mattie, born July 16, 1887; El wood, born July 26, 1890; and ]May, born Alay 25, 1892. The family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. The parents are members of the Christian church, and Mr. Deweese gives liis political support to the Republican party. He has served as superintendent of the Troy and Piqua pike for sixteen years, and is interested in everything pertaining to the substantial improvement and upbuilding of the countv. WTLLIA^I E. PRILL. While it is necessary that a man of ex- cellent executive force be at the head of ex- tensive business concerns, the success of every enterprise must depend in a very large measure upon the faithful performance of duty by each employee, and the aggregate effort in such cases results in prosperity for the concern. William E. Prill is one of the oldest employes in years of continued serv- ice with Ford & Company, and at all times has merited the confidence and trust reposed in him. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, September 22. 1859. and when only three years of age was brought to Tippecanoe City by his parents, John and Eliza (Smith) Prill. The father carried on blacksmithing at this place until his death, which occurred in 1896, when he had attained the age of eighty-four years. His widow still survi\es him, as do their two children, Ophelia Ann, now the wife of J. C. Collins, of Pontiac, Michigan, and W. E.. of this review. No event of special importance occurred to vary the usual routine of boy life during the early years of William E. Prill, and in 1874, at the age of fifteen, he entered upon his business career as an employe of Ford & Company, the tasks assigned him being those usually given an errand boy. His fitlelity and close application won him pro- motion from time to time. He worked in the spoke department for a considerable period and performed other services in the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 483 shop until August. 1898. when he was ap- pointed to succeed E. A. Jackson in tlie of- fice. He then assumed charge of the ship- ping interests and otiier detail work of the house, and the firm has fecund liim a most valuahle representati\e. With the exception of three men he is now the oldest employe of the company, having heen connected therewith f(ir twenty-six years. On the /th of January, 1882. William E. Prill was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Belle Hutchins. daughter of Colonel K. P. Hutchins. who was commander of the Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry dur- ing the civil war and is now a resident of Knoxville. Arkansas. Mrs. Prill was born in. Tipi>ecanoe City on the 30th of April, 1862. In the family is an adopted daughter. Bertha Maud, who has found a pleasant home with 'Mv. and Mrs. Prill since the age of seven years, and is now a school girl of thirteen. Our subject and his wife hold membership in the English Lutheran church, in which he is filling the office of deacon. Mrs. Prill is a graduate of the Tippecanoe City high school and a member of the Chau- tauqua Circle and is a lady of culture and refinement, who presides with gracious hos- pitality over their pleasant home. In his social relations Mr. Prill is an Odd Fellow. belonging to Tippecanoe Lodge. Xo. 247, in which h^has passed all the chairs and is now a member of the board of trustees. He and his wife affiliate with the Rebekah de- gree of the fraternity, and he is past chan- cellor of the Knights of Pythias lodge. His political support is given the Republican party, and he takes a deep and active interest in its growth and welfare. He ser\ed for two years as a member of the county execu- tive committee and his labors have been ef- fective in promoting its interests. Almost his entire life has been passed in Tippecanoe City, and his sterling qualities have gained for him the esteem of his fellow men. J. HARRISON SMITH. Although CLimparati\ely a young man, this gentleman has already attained dis- tinction as one of the ablest members of the Piqua bar, and is now serving as prosecuting attorney of Miami county. In this profes- sion probably more than any other success depends upon individual merit, upon a thorough understanding of the principles of jurisprudence, a poweK of keen analysis and the ability to present clearly, concisely and forcibly the strong points of his cause. Pos- sessing these necessary qualifications. Mr. Smith is accorded a foremost place in the ranks of the profession in Miami county and stands to-day one of the most esteemed members of the Piqua bar. He was born in that city. September i, 1 861, and is a son of John Frederick and Mary (Sullenbarger) Smith. The father, who was born in Baden Batlen. Germany, in 1833, was a soldier in the civil war and was killed in the battle of Stone Ri\-er. The mother was a native of Westmoreland coun- t\', Pennsylvania, where she was reared, and in 1850 came to Miami county, Ohio, where she located permanently, becoming the wife of John F. Smith in i860. Air. Smith spent his boyhood and vc^utli in Piqua, attending the public schools and graduating from the high school in 1884. In 1885 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan LTni- versity, at Delaware, Ohio, where he pur- sued the work of the classical course for a year. He then entered Harvard L'niversity, where he remained two vears, taking the 484 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. regular classical cmirse and alsu studying philosophy, political economy, history and law. On his return to Piqua he commenced the study of law with Hon. John McDon- ald, of that city. Soon afterwarvl, in 1890, he reco:\'ed the appointment as special agent in the United States census department to ascertain the mortgaged indebtedness of the states of Mississippi and Arkansas, and was engaged on that work for six months, at the end of whicli time he went to Washing- ton, D. C, to assist in the classification of the mortgaged indebtedness of the United States, completing that work in 1893. In the meantime he entered the Columbia Law School at Washington, -from which ho re- cei\ed the degree of bachelor of law in 1891 and master of law in 1892. In 1893 he was iidmitted to the bar at Richmond, Virginia. On leaving Washington Mr. Smith re- turned to his old home in Miami .cxinnty. Ohio, and worked on the farm for two years, but on the 14th of March, 1896, he was admitted tij practice in Ohio, and has since devotetl his time and attention to his professional duties, his office being in Piqua. On the 6th of June, 1896, he was nominated by the Republican party as their candidate for prosecuting attorney; was elected at tlie general election the following November, and took charge of the office in January, 1897. In Xovember, 1899, he was re- elected for a term of three years, which does not expire imtil January, 1903. He has priiN'ed a most eflicient man for the place, and the affairs of the county have never been better managed in this direction than under his prosecution. As a Republican he has taken (|uite an active and prominent i)art . in local, congressional and state politics for the past ten years. He is a good judge of law, and, what is of aln.ost equal import- ance, a good judge of men, and it is these qualities, together with his earnestness and ability as a speaker, that have given him marked success in jury cases. Fraternally he is a member of Dorson Lodge, Xo. 16, F. & A. M., of ^\'ashington, D. C. : Piqua Lodge, No. 8, I. O. O. F. ; and Piepia Lodge, No. s^i- B. P. O. E. WILLIA^I B. TEX EICK. The name of ]\Ir. Ten Eick is one which has figured conspicuously in connec- tion with the industrial interests of Tippe- car.oe City. He has n(it onh^ the ability to plan Init the power to execute, and in these qualities lies the secret of his prosperity. Absolute capability, often exists in specific instances, but is never brought into the clear light of the utilitarian and practical life. Hope is of the valley, while effort stands upon the mountain top; so that personal advance- ment comes not to the one who hopes alone, but the one whose hope and faith are those of action. Thus is determined the full meas- ure of success to one who has struggled un- der disadvantageous circumstances, and the prostrate mediocrity to another whose ility has been as great and opportunities wider. Then we may well hold in high regard the results of indi\-idual effort and jjersoi ac- complishment, for cause and efl'ect here maintain their functions in full fi.>rce. It is along these lines that Mr. Ten Eick has at- tained to his present enviable position in con- nection with the business interests of his na- tive county. He was born in Bethel township, IMiami county, on the 14th of July, 1834, and is a son of Henry Ten Eick, who was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, August 14, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 487 1802. The family is of Dutch Hneage, the paternal great-grandfather of our subject be- ing Henry Ten Eick. who came froin Hol- land in an early day. taking up his abode in New Jersey. Durmg the Revolutionary war he joined the colonial arm}', serving under General Washington with the rank of captain, and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill and other memorable engage- ments. He died at the advanced age of eighty-six years. His son, ilathew Ten Eick, was born in New Jersey, May 4, 1764, and was also one of the heroes of the Revolu- tion. On the gtli of April, 1796, he married Cornelia Post, whose Ijirth occurred Jan- uary 4, 1 771. With his family Mathew Ten Eick remo\ed from New Jersey to Ohio in 1812, making the trip by team. He lo- cated in Montgomery ctjunty, near the pres- ent city of Miamisljurg, where he erected a rude log cabin, beginning life on the frontier in true pioneer style. He soon purchased a farm, and with unflagging industry de- veloped a good home, there spending the greater part of his active business life. He passed the last eight years of his earthlv ])il- grimage in Bethel township, living with his son Henry, and died in April, 1853, when almost ninety years of age. His wife passed away in May, 1849. They were the parents of four sons and a daughter. Mathew, the youngest son, went to Iowa at an early period in the development of that state, and in connection witli Governor Lucas laid out Iowa City. His eldest daughter was the first white child born in the place. Henry Ten Eick, the father of our sub- ject, was the third son in the family of Mathew Ten Eick. During his youth he ex- perienced all the hardships and trials of pio- neer life, but thereby developed a vigorous constitution and a fine phvsiriue. In the fall 28 I . 1 of 1 82 1 he engaged in teaming to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he made the ac- cjuaintance of Colonel Johnson, and a warm friendship sprang up between them, which lasted through life. In the spring of 1822 I\Ir. Ten Eick removed to Shelby county, Ohio, and located on a farm, where he car- ried on agricultural pursuits and stock rais- ing. His efforts there were attended with signal success, and to his superior foresight as a business man, his industry and econo- my, may be attributed his prosperity. He remained for six years in Shelby county, and then took up his abode in Bethel town- ship, Miami county, where he remained un- til 1865, when he came to Tippecanoe City. He started out in business for himself with but limited capital, and through his capable management and unflagging industry he amassed a large fortune. He owned four- teen hundred acres of land in one tract, lying in the Horse Shoe bend of Honey creek. Bethel township. He placed the entire amount under a high state of cultivation. He also owned the model farm of central Ohio, comprising one thousand acres, for which he refused sixty thousand dollars. When the Wyandotte reservation of Ohio was sold he purchased twenty-seven hundred acres, afterward disposing of it in two tracts at a large profit. He was equally success- ful in stock dealing and established a wide reputation, owing to his excellent judge of horses. His selection of horses was re- garded as par excellence. While buying horses in Kentucky he became acquainted with Henry Clay, at whose house he fre- quently dined. At one time he convinced Clay that the farming implements of the Miami valley were superior to those used in Kentucky and expressed him a patent Wil- mington plow, which \vas greatly appre- 488 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ciated by the Kentucky statesman. Mr. Ten Eick afterward sold Mr. Clav what tlie latter said was the finest horse he ever owned. During the ci\il war the father of our subject took out contracts to furnisl-. mules for the government, and among the many hundred that he supplied, so well had they been selected, not one was rejected by the government inspectors. In his early life j\Ir. Ten Eick was connected with the Whig partv, and on the organization of the new Republican party he joined its ranks. He was married, May 30, 182 1, to Miss Eleanor Barkalow, and fifty years later they cele- brated their golden wedding. The lady was born November 19, 1812, and by her mar- riage became the mother of the following named children : Sarah, who was born Jan- uary 2/, 1823, became the wife of Robert Morrison on the 29th of December. 1842. and died September 20. 1849; Tunis, born January 27, 1825, died June 23. 1865; Der- rick B.. born June 12, 1827. was married December 27, 1848, to Mary Le Fever, and died March 17, 1849; ^lary C, born April 30, 1829, died May 24. 1844; Rachel, born May 30, 1 83 1, is now the wife of David McConnaughey and is living in Tippecanoe City; William B. is the next of the family; David S.. Ijorn June 12, 1836, was married September 29, 1864, to Hannah J. Smith, and died January 24, 1867; Joseph H., born June 29, 1839, died October 2/, 1865; IMathew. born April, i, 1841, and Robert, born July 18, 1843, "^^'^^^ the youngest mem- bers of the family. William B. Ten Eick was reared in Bethel township, remaining upon the home farm until twenty years of age, when he went to Wyandotte county, Ohio, to assume the management of his father's stock farm, embracing twenty-seven hundred acres of land. There he remained for four years and on the expiration of that period he returned to Bethel township, Miami county, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until after the inauguration of the civil war. when he responded to his country's call for troops, enlisting on the 13th of May, 1864. as a member of Company B, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry, being mus- tered in at Camp Dennison. With his com- mand he was then sent to the defense of Washington and served for four months, after which he returned to his native town- ship, where he carried on farming until 1879. In that year he located in Tippe- canoe City, where he has since made his home. In 1883 he became one of the stuck- holders in the Tippecanoe Paper Mill, and for four years was the president of the cor- poration. In 1888 he became the vice-presi- dent of the Tippecanoe Whip Company and has since held that ofiice. He also owns a fruit farm of one hundred acres at George- town, Indiana, comprising peaches and pears. Mr. Ten Eick has been three times mar- ried. On the 15th of April, 1858. he wedded Louisa Kiser, by whom he had two children : Grace, who died December 21,' 1865. and Charley, a merchant of Tippecanoe City. The mother died April 4, 1884, and on the 3d of January, 1885, Mr. Ten Eick wedded Miss Sophia Herrmann, who died July i, 1890. Their only child, William H., died in infancy. On the 12th of October, 1893, Mr. Ten Eick married Miss Melissa Flor- ence Dye, of Elizabeth township. Mr. and Mrs. Ten Eick have many friends in Tip- pecanoe City and enjoy the hospitality of the best homes of this locality. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, and is a member of D. M. Rouzer Post, Xo. II GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 489 393, G. A. R. He has been a member of the Baptist church since the age of eighteen 3'ears and at all times has been loyal to his professions. He possesses resolute purpose and untiring industry and these qualities have enabled him to so conduct his business affairs as to win therefrom a handsome competence. He is very reliable in all mat- ters of business, and his honesty commends him to the confidence and good will of all. His genial and courteous manner make him popular and he is justly regarded as one of the representative, valuable and hon- orable citizens of this section of Ohio. DANIEL ARGERBRIGHT. Daniel Argerbright, proprietor of the leading photograph studio of Troy, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, April 3, 1834, his parents being Abraham and Deli- lah (Eaton) Argerbright, both of whom were natives of Virginia. His great-grand- father, George Agerbright, served under the personal command of General Washington in the Revolutionary war. The mother's people were of English lineage. In 1840 the parents of our subject came to Ohio, locating at West Alexandria, Preble county, where the father died in 1845. The mother afterward removed to Indiana, where her last days were spent. She was again mar- ried, her second husband being a Mr. An- derson. Mr. Argerbright, whoso name begins this sketch,. has spent nearly his entire life in Preble and Miami counties, and to the common-school system of the state is in- debted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. In early life he served an ap- prenticeship as a body-maker in a carriage manufactory, and in i860 he began business on his own account, conducting a factory in Tippecanoe City until 1872. He then or- ganized the Troy Spring Wagon & Wheel Works, of which he was superintendent for four years, when he re-signed to accept a position with the Milburn Wagon Company, at Toledo. Six months afterward the works were burned and he was thus thrown out of employment. Returning to Troy, he pur- chased property and established a carriage shop, which he conducted for a short time and then closed out. He was the first man in Ohio to introduce and use macliinery in the manufacture of light vehicles, estab- lishing this innovation in Tippecanoe in 1870. Since abandoning the business of carriage manufacturing he has engaged in photographic work and conducts an excellent studio in Troy, where he not only takes first class pictures, but also does water-color, crayon and pastel work. He also handles photographic supplies for men in the pro- fession and for amateurs. He has a gallery well equipped for turning out a high grade of work and receives from the public a very liberal patronage, which is 'well merited. Mr. Argerbright was married, March i, 1855, in Monroe township, Miami count}-, to Miss Sarah I. Wells, a native of this county and a daughter of Silas Wells, who was born in North Carolina and came to Ohio in pioneer days. They lost one child and have one living, now Mrs. Lucy B. Wagner, of Troy. They own their own home, which is one of the pleasant residences of the city, celebrated for its gracious hospitality. Mr. Argerbright assisted in recruiting a regiment for service in the civil war and was tendered a first lieutenancy, but hoiue in- terests demanded his attention and he re- mained in Miami county. He was, how- 490 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ever, a loyal Union subject, and to the ex- tent of his means assisted in caring for sol- diers' families. In 1855 he joined the Ma- sonic fraternity and has attained the rank of Knight Templar. He served as worshipful master in Tippecanoe Lodge and also filled the same position in the lodge at Troy. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which he has been connected for over forty years. Until 1870 he was a radical Republican, but in that year allied himself with the Prohibition party, which he supported until recently, when he became an adherent of the doctrines of the Union Reform party. He is a man firm in the support of his honest convictions, and at all times has been true to every trust reposed in him. His business success is the result of his commendable eft'orts, and as the archi- tect of his own fortune he has builded wisely and well. HOX. ^lARTIX K. GAXTZ. Hon. Martin K. Gantz, the son of George and Caroline (Kissinger) Gantz, was born in Bethel township, Miami county, Ohio, January 28, 1862. His father was a farm- er, and our subject remained on the farm, obtaining what education he could at the country schools until he was sixteen years of age, when he attended the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, for two years. In ]\Iarcli, 1880. he entered the law office of Hon. E. S. Williams, of Troy, as a student, and there remained until 1882, when he entered the Cincinnati Law School, in which he was graduated in June, 1883. Mr. Gantz entered into partnership with Hon. E. S. Williams and remained with him until 1889. In 1891 he formed a partnership with A. F. Broomhall, Esq.. in the practice of law, which continued until 1894. Since that date he has had no partner, but has built up a lucrative practice. As a lawyer he is careful in the selection of his cases, but when he accepts a case he is diligent in its preparation and energetic in bringing it to a conclusion, and rarely fails to win his cause. In 1884 he was nominated for prose- cuting attorney of this county bv the Demo- cratic party against Samuel C. Jones, and was only defeated by a majority of less than five hundred, when the majority for the Republican party in the county that year was nine hundred and eighty-seven. In March, 1890, he was nominated by the Democratic party for mayor of Troy and was elected by a majority of one hundred and ninety-two, over an able man, notwithstanding the Re- publican majority on the rest of the ticket was two hundred and fifty. On the ist of October he was nominated by the Democ- racy for congress in the fourth congres- sional district, then composed of the counties of Champaign, Darke, fiercer. Miami, Preble and Shelby, over a number of the strongest men in the district, after a remark- ably exciting political convention that met in July and adjourned three times, the con- test virtually continuing from July to Oc- tolier. The election was also a contest that was fought by the Republican nominee. General W. P. Orr, a popular and wealthy man, yet ]\Ir. Gantz was elected by twenty thousand, seven hundred and five, against nineteen thousand two hundred and five votes cast for General Orr. This is a proud record for a young man who, at that time, was only twenty-eight years of age — a rec- ord such as is seldom made, CAcn in this M land of popular suffrage. AX'ith the exception of Hon. Joseph \\'. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 491 Bailey, of Texas, Air. Gantz was the young- est member of tlie fifty-second congress. In tliat congress he became known as an in- dustrious member, who was very attentive to tlie interests of his constituents. He was a member of the important committee on banking and currency, and also of tho com- mittee on election of president and vice- president and United States senators. He made a speech in congress in support of a bill sulimitting an amendment to the con- stitution to elect United States senators by a direct vote of the people, instead of state legislatures, which attracted wide attention and favorable comment. In 1892 Miami county was placed in the seventh congress- ional ilistrict, which was Republican Ijy such a large majority that the Democratic nomi- nee had no hope of success. Mr. Gantz was nominated by acclamation and received the full support of his party, running ahead of the ticket by two hundred votes. On the 1st of October, 1885, Mr. Gantz was married, in Troy, to Miss Gertrude Baird. the daughter of Davis and Martha Baird. To this union, one son, Maurice, was born, December 13, 1886. Mrs. Ger- trude Baird Gantz departed this life May 25, 1888. In October, 1891, Mr. Gantz was married to Miss Mary Green, the daughter of Dr. J. H. and Mrs. Almira (Childs) Green. She is a lady of fine education, an active member of tho Baptist church, and prominent in social and literary circles of this city. In 1898 Mr. Gantz, in connection with three other gentlemen, purchased the Troy Democrat, and, in addition to his law prac- tice, he has the duties of managing editor of the leading Democratic newspaper of Miami county. He is still, comparatively speaking, a young man with a splendid rec- ord behind him, and the promise of an hon- orable career in the future, but whether he remains a private citizen, or again engages in the battle for political honors, he has al- ready made a history that is a credit to him and his friends and to the comnuniity iu which he lives. e. s. w. WILLIAM H. ETHELL. Through his connection with the indus- trial interests of Tippecanoe City, William H. Ethell has won a place among the lead- ing business men of the town. The spirit of self-help in an individual is the source of all genuine worth and enables a man to achieve prosperity when the advantages of wealth and the aid of influential friends are denied him at the outset of his career. It has been entirely thrtmgh his own effiirts that Mr. Ethell has gained a place among the substantial citizens of 2\Iiami county. Born in Xoble count}-, Ohio, on the 17th of July, 1848, he is the son of Thomas Ethell, whose birth occurred in Loudoun county, \'irginia, where he became ac- (juainted with and married Sarah G. Sheid, also a nati\-e of that county. They came to Ohio at an early period in the development of Noble county and took up their abode in the nndst of a dense forest. There the father spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1886. when he had attained his eighty-sixth year. He surxiveil his wife some twelve years. \\'illiam H. Ethell spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, and as soon as old enough to handle a plow began work in the fields, continuing his efforts at rais- ing crops until the harvests were garnered in the autumn. Through the winter months 492 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. lie secured his education in tlie district schools. iDut witli the opening of spring again went to the fields. Oil attaining his ma- jority he learned the trade of carpentering, also millwrighting and hridge-lniilding, Avhich he followoil for a few years. He was connected with \-arious companies on their construction of many important works, holding the responsible position of foreman over se\eral men. He has in this way erected and put in operation \-arious mills, and thus ho became familiar with the busi- ness in e\ery department, understanding tiiorouglily the old as well as the modern processes of milling. In 1897 he became connected with the enterprise whicii he now conducts, the Tippecanoe Roller Mill, of which he is proprietor. It was built in 1838 by Uriah and James Johns. In 1843 't ^^as leased by the state to Joe! Schoup for ninety- nine \ears. Tho state had built the old Miami canal, and through his lea.se the lessee secures the water-power privileges and one acre of ground. Air. Schoup did not conduct the mill, but sold the lease to the firm of Pierson & Favorite. At dififer- ent times the mill has been operated succoss- i\-ely by .Mr. Dudd. Gardiner and Joseph Dust, who was succeeded by John K. Horr, and on the 28th of July, 1888, the firm of Kinna, Favorite & Bryant took possession of It, carrying on the business until April 23, 1897, ^vhen it was purchased by the firm of Ethell & Hultman. The latter retired on the lotli of August, 1899, Mr. Ethell be- coming sole proprietor. The roller sys- tem was placed in the mill by the firm of Kinna, Favorite & Bryant, and the plant is equipped with all moflern accessories for turning out excellent work. The capacitv is fifty barrels of flour per day and the out- put is sold to merchants and local customers. The fa\orite brand of flour now manu- factured by Mr. Ethell is called Snow Ball, and its excellence secures it a large sale. He also buys and. ships grain of all kinds and is the local merchant for the various products which he handles. He gives his i^ersonal attention to the business and has built up an enxiable reputation as a manufacturer of flour. Mr. Ethel was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wood, and after their marriage they became members of the Baptist church, in which he has since taken a \-ery actix'e part, doing all in his power to promote its welfare and growth. For three years he has been sui)erintende:it of the Sunday-school, and for many years his labors ha\c been very effective in promoting religious work in this section of the county. His life has been one of activity in business affairs, and yet, recog- nizing the three-fold nature of man. he has found time and opportunity to devote to the development of those characteristics which must in every land and under all circum- stances command respect, being founded upon right, truth and honor. JOHN M. PEARSON. John ]\I. Pearson is living in JNIonroe township, which division of the county was the place of his birth. He first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 31st of Oc- tober. 1 83 1, at which time his parents re- sided on the farm now owned by Milton Evans. Hardly had Ohio entered upon statehood when the Pearson family was es- tablished within its borders by Jonas Pear- son, the grandfather of our subject, who came from South Carolina in 1804. After remaining for two years he returned to the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 493 latter state, but when tliree years had passed, again came to Miami county, locating in Monroe township upon a farm, where the birth of our subject occurred. There he en- tered three hundred and twenty acres of land from the government, erected a log cabin and began life in true pioneer style. There was only one house in Dayton when, in 1804, they passed the site of the present flourish- ing city. Mr. Pearson aided in laying out roads, inorganizing schools and in promoting the progress and development of Miami county along many lines, and after a long and useful career he passed to his reward, at the age of eighty years. He had a fam- ily of four children : Hannah, Aaron, Moses and Mary A. Aaron Pearson, the father of our subject, was born in South Carolina and came with his parents to Ohio. Having arriveil at years of maturity he married Rachel Moore, who was born in Monroe township, Miami county, and was a daughter of John Moore. By this marriage five children were born, as follows : John; George, who died in 1880; Eli, who lives in Pontiac, Illinois; Chris- topher, who died in 1890, and Sarah, who died in 1880. She was the wife of William Sinks. The second son, George, was twen- ty-five years of age when he went west and enlisted in the regular army, serving for eight years. He took part in the war of the Rebellion from the inauguration of hostili- ties until peace was declared, and never en- joyed good health afterward, his constitu- tion being broken down by the rigors and hardships of the war. John Pearson, whose name begins this record, was reared on the old homestead farm. He lost his father when ten years of age and was left an orphan at the age of twelve, by the death of his mother. He then went to live with his grandfather Pear- son, with whom he lived until the latter's death, which occurred when the grandson was eighteen years of age. From that time forward he has depended entirely upon his own resources. He began workings as a farm hand and was employed for three months at a compensation of twenty-five dol- lars. He continued working as a farm hand until his marriage, when he began farming on his own account. In 1856 Miss Harriet Russell became his wife and to him she has been a faithful companion and helpmeet on life's journey. In 1872 they removed to the farm which is now their home, and here Mr. Pearson o\<'ns eighty-two acres of land on section 24, Monroe township, all under a high state of cultivation. He continued the active management of the farm for many years, but has now rentetl his land and lives retired. His has been a useful and hon- orable business career and he well deserves the rest which he is now enjoying. During the civil war Mr. Pearson mani- fested his loyalty to the Union cause by enlisting, in May, 1864, as a private in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-sev- enth Ohio Infantry. He was mustered in at Camp Dennison and with his regiment went to the defense of Washington, D. C, continuing in the service until the expira- tion of his term, when he received an hon- orable discharge, in September, 1864. He has always been loyal to every duty of citi- zenship, promoting the country's welfare with the same fidelity which he manifested when defending the stars and stripes in front of the nation's capital. In politics he is somewhat independent, but usually votes with the Prohibition party. For more than a quarter of a century he has been a member of Monroe Grange and is now serving as 494 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. its treasurer. He belongs to tlie D. I\I. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian chmxh, witii wliich tliey have been connected for more tlian forty years. This worthy couple are people of sterling character, enjoying the high regard of all who know them. SAMUEL X. BAUS.MAX. M. D. On the 26th of April, i860. Dr. Baus- man was born, in Washington township. Miami county, his father being Emanuel Bausman, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. The grandfather, Jnhn Bausman, resided in the Keystone state, whence he removed to Ohio, establishing his home near Covington, about 1840. He was accompanied liy his son, Emanuel, who on reaching man's estate, married Anna E. Ingle, who was born and reared near Cov- ington and belonged to one of the old fam- ilies of the state. He was a carpenter and cabinetmaker by trade, following those pur- suits in early life and later devoting his en- ergies to farming. An industrious and en- ergetic man. he carefully prosecuted his busi- ness affairs and won for his family a com- fortable competence. In 1886 he was called to his final rest, at the age of si.\ty-six \-ears. and his wife passed away in 1888. at the age of fifty-nine. In their family were seven children, as follows: Fianna, wife of Charles Laughman ; Catherine, wife of George Shook; George \V., a farmer residing in Washington township: Samuel X. : Mary E., who is living on the old home farm : Albert J., who is a practicing physician of Pleasant Hill and a graduate of the Ohio Medical College of the class of 1894, and Charles \\'., who is pursuing a preparatory course with the intention of entering the medical profession. Dr. Bausman, whose name introduces this sketch, was born and reared on his fa- ther's farm, the district schools affording him his elementary education, which was supplemented by a three years' course of study at Lebanon. In 1883 he went to Oak- land, Illinois, where he engaged in grain dealing during the summer months and in the winter season taught school. He was thus emploved for six years, after which he ' entered the Medical College of Ohio, in the fall of 1888. He was graduated in that institutiun in the class of 1890 and immedi- i ately afterward came to Pleasant Hill, where he has since practiced. His preparatory training was thorough and comprehensive and well fitted him for a successful career as a medical practitioner. He has since put forth every effort to perfect himself in his chosen calling, and his high standing in the profession is shown by the liberal jxitron- age which is accorded him. The Doctor is a member of llie Masunic fraternity, belonging to Pleasant Hill Lodge, Xo. 361. He also belongs to Lodge Xo. 574, I. O. O. F., and to the Knights of Pythias fraternity of Pleasant Hill. He has served as master in the Masonic order for two years and has filled all the chairs in the Odtl Fellows society. In politics he is a Republican and has served on the central committee, taking an active interest in the work of the party and doing all in his power to promote its growth and insure its suc- cess. He is a man of genial disposition, courteous and kindly, and his prestige as a representative of the medical fraternity is indeed enviable. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 495 IRA D. CROW. Ira D. Crow, who owns and occupies a farm pleasantly situated in Monroe town- ship, a1)iiut eight miles from Troy, was born in Randolph township, Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio, on the 7th of November, 1861. He was there reared upon a farm and in the common schools of the neighborhood ob- tained his education. His father was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1830, and came to Ohio in 1836. On the 1st of January, 1849, he was united in mar- riage to Sarah Curtner, daughter of John and Elizabeth (W'aymire) Curtner. She was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, May I. i8_'9, and became the mother of eight children, three of whom are living; Ira D. ; Harry S., of Montgomery county, and Anna, wife of Samuel P)etz, of i\Iont- gomery county, Ohio. The mother died September 14, 1892. The father passed away July 18, 1896. Ira D. Crow began work in the nursery when ten years of age. He remained upon the home place until he had attained the age of twenty-two and then entered upon an in- dependent business career, purchasing a farm of sixty-five acres in Union township, Mi- ami county. There he engaged in the nur- sery business until 1894, when he sold his , land, but retained his nursery stock and moved to his present farm in IMonnie town- shiip, where he owns r)ne hundred and forty acres of rich land. He still deals in nursery stock and carries on general farming, hav- ing twenty-five acres planted to nursery products, while the remainder is planted to the cereals best adapted to this climate. His place is known as the Fidelity Nursery, and his long and practical experience in the work, comjjined with his unflagging in- dustry, has made him very successful in his chosen occupation. On the 15th of November, 1884, oc- curred the marriage of Mr. Crow and Miss Nannie I. Johnson, of Chambersburg, Ohio, a daughter of Jesse and Sarah Belle John- son. The father was born in Montgoinery county, Ohio, August 4, 1839, and the mother in Greenville, Darke county, Ohio, October 14, 1842. They were married in August, 1858. Three children were born to them: Sella, wife of Edward Kline, of Chambersburg; Mrs. Crow, who was born May I, 1864, and Edward F., of Montgom- ery county. Mr. and Mrs. Crow now have one child, Grace E., who was born F"ebruary 24, 1887. In his political associations Mr. Crow is a Republican, but has never aspired to office, preferring to devote his energies to his business affairs. Socially he is con- nected with \\'est Milton Lodge, K. P. In all trade transactions he is reliable and trust- worthy, and his well directed efforts, keen sa- gacity and capable business affairs have gained him a comfortable competence and won him a position among the substantial citizens of his adopted countv. ALBERT ACTON HALL. Mr. Hall is president of the Ohio Marble Company and for many years has been actively identified with the business inter- ests that have contributed to the material welfare and prosperity of the state. The name of Hall is known throughout the civ- ilized world, in connection with the manu- facture of safes. Flis grandfather, Edward K. Hall, established the safe and lock busi- ness in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and his son, Joseph L. Hall, father of our 496 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. subject, founded a similar enterprise in Cin- cinnati that year. His business steadily in- creased in volume and importance until the Hall Safe & Lock Company, of Cincinnati, became a power in the industrial world, and at the time of the death of Joseph L. Hall he was employing twelve hundred men in the manufacture of the products of the foundry, in every coimtry on the face of the globe in which business is carried on along progressive lines the Hall safes are found. The business title is now the Hall Safe Company, and three of the sons of Joseph L. Hall are active factors in its con- duct. This was the pioneer enterprise of the safe business as carried on to-day, and this extensive concern grew to mammoth pro- portions under the capable management and wise direction of Joseph L. Hall, whose ef- forts not only brought to him a fortune, but contributed in a large measure to the commercial acti\-ity of the state. He mar- ried Miss Sarah Jewell, of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, a daughter of Clark Jewell, who was formerly of Penns Neck, New Jersey, where the family had lived for generations. The Hall family is also one of long identi- fication with that state, the ancestors ha\ing" located in Salem, New Jersey, about 1670. It was there that Edward Hall, the grand- father, was born and reared, and from that city he removed to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. For many generations the Halls were con- nected with the Society of Friends, but the father of our subject became a member of the Methodist church and was one of its most liberal and active supporters. Albert Acton Hall, whose name intro- duces this record, pursued his education in the public schools of Cincinnati, and at the age of eighteen entered his father's safe works. Notwithstanding he was the son of the president of the company, he served a regular apprenticeship, learning the lock- smith's business in all its details. As he mastered the duties entrusted to him he worked his way steadily upward, and in the office has filled every position from that of shipping clerk upward. He spent one year in New York, as assistant manager of the branch located there, and afterward was for four years manager of the branch house in San Francisco. In 1884 the Ohio Marble Company began operation in Piqua and Mr. Hall was induced to becoftie a stockholder. In 1896 he accepted the presidency and as- sumed the management of the business, re- moving to Piqua, where he has since made his home. During the four }-ears which have since passed under his able guidance the enterprise has developed rapidly, its out- put more than doubling in that time. The company owns quarries in this locality, from which they j^rocure a high grade of lime- stone that takes a fine polish. It is found near the surface, an unusual occurrence, and therefore largely lessens the ^ost of taking the stone from the earth. It is milled into Hour and about two million pounds per mimth are shipped to the paint and putty trade, the mineral and soda water trade, to paper manufactories and to asphalt pavement works all over the United states. The com- pany sustains a very high reputation for reliability, and that it faithfully lives up to the terms of its contracts is shown by its constantly increasing trade. Mr. Hall is a man of resourceful busi- ness ability, whose efforts have been in no wise confined to one line. He is now man- ager of tlie Piqua Paint & Putty Company, manufacturers of all kinds of high grade paint, house paint, ready mixed and coach and carriage paint. This business was estab- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 497 lishecl in 1896, and in the short time wliich has since elapsed their paints have been in- troduced into twenty of the forty-five states and have attained a high standing for their excellence. The output has increased rapid- ly at a high ratio, and the volume of the business now demands that many men be employed in carrying on the work. Mr. Hall was married to Miss Mary Foulds, a daughter of Thomas H. Foulds, who served as postmaster at Cincinnati under President Grant. Socially Mr. Hall is connected with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the Scottish rite and Mystic Shrine degrees. Through many decades his family ha\e been connected with the Whig and afterward the Republican party, and he is of the same political faith. His time, however, has been given to his business interests without seeking for offi- cial reward in return for the unswerx'ing advocacy which he has for the Republican tenets. His career has ever been such as to warrant the trust and confidence of the business world, for he has ever conducted all transactions on the strictest principles of honor and integrity. His devotion to the public good is uncpiestioned and arises from a sincere interest in the welfare of his fellow men. P. J. GOODRICH. P. J. Goodrich has the reputation of be- ing the most efficient officer that has ever held the position of city clerk. He is also journal clerk of the common pleas and cir- cuit courts of Miami county and is one of the leaders of the Republican party, un- swerving in his support of its principles. However, he places the county's good be- fore partisan prejudice and labors rather for the faithful discharge of duty than for self aggrandizement. Mr. Goodrich was born on the 22d of De- cember, 1 85 1, in Beverly, \^'ashington county, which was the first countv created in Ohio. He is a son of H. B. and Rebecca (Nickerson) Goodrich, both of whom are descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims. The father was born in the Empire state, in 1 82 1, and died in Sharon. Ohio, in 1873. The mother's birth occurred in Hoskins- ville. Noble county. Ohio, in 1820, and her last days were spent in Caldwell, Ohio, where her death occurred on the ist of June, 1896. Mr. Goodrich, of this review, was reared in Sharon. Xoble county, and acquired a common-school education. For fourteen years he successfully engaged in teaching school in Noble and Washington counties, entering upon his work as an educator when sixteen years of age. His father served as postmaster at Sharon during Lincoln's and Johnson's administrations, and after his death, which occurred in 1873, his son, P. J. Goodrich, filled fuit the unexpired term, a period of eighteen months. In 1883 Mr. Goodrich came to Troy and for a year and a half filled the position of foreman in the Chronicle office. He then spent two years as a teacher in the schools of this citv, so that his connection with educational work will cover a period of sixteen years. In October, 1887, he was appointed court bailiff, which position he filled until November i, 1896, at which time he was appointed jour- nal clerk in the common pleas and circuit courts. In politics he has always been a stanch Republican, unswerving in his sup- port of the ]irinciples of the party and tak- ing an active interest in its affairs, its growth and its success. On the 4th of October, 1892, he was elected city clerk of Troy and is 498 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. now ser\-ing' his fourth term in that capacity. As journal clerk of the courts he has given general satisfaction and the records show that accuracy and neatness characterized the prosecution of his labors. His long con- tinuance in these two positions indicate in an unmistakable manner his fidelity to duty. In June, 1 871, Mr. Goodrich married Miss Lucy L. Smoot, of Xoble county, Ohio, and to them have been born two children, Harry E. and Frank C. Socially, Mr. Goodrich is a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, taking a leading part in the work (jf the order. He and his wife are consistent and faithful meniljers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for twelve years he has been a member of its official board, while in the Sunday school he has served as superintendent. DR. CHARLES H. GOODRICH. The subject of this sketch was born at Sharon, Xoble county, Ohio, January 20, 1844, and at the age of fourteen vears he en- tered the Republican office at Sarahsville, Ohio, as an apprentice, afterward working at his chosen occupation at Springfield, and Newark, Ohio, and enlisting at the latter place, at the age of eighteen }-ears, in the defense of his country. He served with credit during the entire war in the First Ohio Cavalry, being first lieutenant when discharged, in July, 1865. Shortly afterward he was united in mar- riage with Catharine C. Kneisl}-, to which iniion four children were born: Harry O.. Charles F., Louis P. and Walter R., each of whom learned the printer's trade and is now engaged in that line of business. In 1868 Dr. Goodrich was admitted to the practice of medicine, but in a few years resumed the ne\vspaper life, editing papers in several towns in eastern Ohio, and finally located at Troy, Ohio, in 1882, establish- ing The Troy Chronicle and later, in 1884, The Daily Trojan. In 18S9 he was api)ointed assistant door- keeper of the house of representatives, and in 1 89 1 received an appointment under Sec- retary Charles Foster. During the latter years of his life he was a great sufferer from disease contracted in the service of his country, from which he died at Washing- ton, D. C, August 31, 1892. He was buried in the beautiful Riverside cemetery, at Troy, Ohio, September 4, 1892. As a journalist. Dr. Goodrich had a rich, racy style that attracted attention and commanded interest. He had good descrip- ti\'e powers, a humor, quaint, original and sometimes broad in its application. When tramjiled upon he had a pen bitter as gall, and his short pungent, invective sentences were as cruel and merciless as grapeshot from an exploding shell. He despised shams, he \\as intense in his hatred, and faithful in his friendship. JAMES LIXCOLX (;OODKXIGHT, .\. M., D. D. The specific and distincti\e ottice of biog- raphy is not to gi\'e voice to a man"s modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, l)ut rather to leave the perpetual record es- tablishing his character l)y the consensus of opinion on the jiart of his fellow men. That great factor, the public, is a discriminating factor, and yet takes cognizance not of ob- jective exaltation nor yet of objective mod- estv. but deh'cs deeper into the intrinsic es- sence of character, strikes the keynote of individuality, and pronounces judicially and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 499 unequivocally upon the true worth of the man — invariably distinguishing the clear resonance of the true metal from the jarring dissonance of the baser. Thus in touching upon the life history of the subject of this review the biographist would aim to give utterance to no fulsome encomium, to in- dulge in no extravagant praise ; yet would he wish to hold up for consideration those points which ha\'e shown the distinction of a pure, true and useful life, — one character- ized by indomitable perseverance, broad charity, marked ability, high accomplish- ments and well-earned honors. To do this will be but to reiterate the dictum pro- nounced upon the man by his fellow men. James Lincoln Goodknight was born on a farm in Allen cnunt}', Kentuck}-, August 24, 1846, and traces his ancestry back to Germany. The first of the name in .\merica took up their abutle in Philadelphia, I^enn- sylvania, and subsequently remo\-e(l to Rock- bridge, Virginia, whence representatives of the name \\ent to Alecklenburg county. North Carolina. The great-grandfather of Dr. Goodknight was Michael Goodknight, who removed to Kentucky from North Carolina, and his son Isaac was the first white child born in that state. Michael Goodknight was twice married : his first wife he wedded in Germany. He had seventeen children. After the death of his first wife he married Miss Mary J. Landes and they became the parents of se\en children. Two sons served in the Revolutionary war. While returning frcjm a trip to North Caro- lina he was killed at Crab Orchard, Ken- tucky. Among his descendants is Charles Goodknight, "the cattle king" of Texas, who is said to own more land than any other one man in the United States. Isaac Good- knight, the son of JNIichael, took up his abode near Gainsville, Warren county, Kentucky, where he spent his remaining days. Jacob Goodknight. the grandfather of our sulDJect, married Elizabeth Conder and resided in Lincoln county, Kentucky. Their children were : Mary, who married James ^IcMurry and died in Scotts\-ille. Kentucky : John, who wedded Miss Landes and after her death married Agnes \\niarton ; Elizabeth, who be- came the wife of John Billingsley and died in Kentucky; Isaac, the father of our sub- ject ; Thomas, who wedded Miss Dawson and removed to Missouri; Margaret, wife of J. H. Porch, of Ladoga, Indiana : and Sarah, who married Mr. Harney, of Indiana. Isaac Goodknight, father of the subject of this sketch, was a natix'e of Lincoln coun- ty, Kentucky. He was born on a farm and in early life was apprenticed to learn the coppersmith's trade. Because in that busi- ness it was necessary for him to make stills and the worms for \\hisky stills, he aban- doned this vocation and learned the tanner's trade with his brother-in-law, James Mc- I\Iurry. Subsequently Isaac Goodknight and his brother, Henry, established a large tannery in Allen county, and at one time conducted the most extensive business in their line in that part of the state. Henry died early, leaving the whole business to Isaac. In 1850 the latter turned his at- tention wholly to his farm, where he en- gaged in the raising of grain and stock till 1870. His last days, however, were passed in Franklin, Simpson county, Kentucky, where he died in July, 1871. He married Lucinda Billingsley, a daughter of Captain John and Mary (Doak) Billingsley. The Billingsley family is of English origin and was founded in America by three brothers who came from the "merrie isle" to the United States, one locating in Pennsyh'ania, 500 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. another in the CaroHnas, while the third made his way to the northwest. The Doaks were of Scotch-Irish hneage. Captain Jolin Billingsley was l)orn in North Carohna and won iiis title by commanding a company in the war of 1812. In his own family were ten cliildren. namely : Alexander, who mar- ried Elizabeth McMurry ; Jane, who became the wife of Henry Goodknight. and after his death married William Blackburn ; Ma- linda, who became the wife of \\'illiam Gee and removed to Pinckney\-ii]e. Illinois; Lucinda, mother of Dr. Goodknight ; ^liner- va, who became the wife of William Harri- son, of Pinckneyville, Illinois ; Talitha, the wife of Hosea Thornton, of Pinckneyville, Illinois: Rev. John Mitchell, who was a captain in the civil war and married Alice Lambert, of Kentucky, and made his home after the civil war in Flora, Illinois ; Valeria C, who became the wife of Joseph Hinton and died in Kentucky; and Thomas Henry, of Texas, who married Miss Ryan, and after her death married Mary Short. The fifth member of the family was Lucinda Billings- ley, who became the wife of Isaac Good- knight and the mother of our subject. She survived her husband several years and died in May. 1877. They were both leading and active members in the Cumberland Presby- terian church, in which Mr. Goodknight ser\ed as elder, and, in connection with Elder Willis Hinter, he built a Cumberland Pres- byterian church on the Goodknight farm. The parents of our subject had a family of eight children : John Jackson, who married Melvina Reeder; Jacob Henry, who married Nannie Guy, who died in Woodburn, Ken- tucky, in 1876; Thomas Mitchell, who wedded Miss Middleton, and after her death married Norah Murphy; Mary Helen, who became the wife of ^^'illiam L. Livelv, who died in Arkansas, her hotiie being now m St. Paul, that state; Alexander Rowland, who died at the age of seven years; Isaac Herschel, who married Ella Hoy and resides in Franklin, Kentucky, where he is known as a very prominent man, having twice been a member of the state legislature and three times represented his district in the L'nited States congress, while at the present time he is serving as circuit judge; and Margaret E., who became the wife of C. C. Stephen- son and died at Boise, Idaho, in 1884. Dr. Goodknight spent his boyhood days in his native state and acquired liis prelim- inar}' education in an old log schoolhouse, which was situated two miles from his home. School privileges were then very primitixe. the teachers often being inefficient, while text books were old-fashioned. He pos- sessed a studious nature, however, and eagerly embraced every opportunity that of- fered. He was not noted, as a boy, for rapia advancement in liis studies, but laid the foundation for the scholarly attainment which has since given him pre-eminence in ministerial and educational circles. During the periods of vacation he worked on his fa- ther's plantation. In order to inculcate habits of thrift and encourage the boys to put forth energetic eflforts. his father allotted to each of them a jwrtion of ground which they might cultivate for themselves, the half of each Saturday being allowed for this work. Because T. M. Goodknight. the older brother, went into the ministry, the manage- ment of the plantation devolved upon the Doctor, who was then only fifteen years of aee, but his ambition caused him to look beyond the plow and he quietly and per- sistently prepared for the ministry. As a means to this end he began teaching, accept- ine the charge of a school notorious for the i GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. DOl bad conduct of the pupils. His two prede- cessors had been run off by tlie scholars, but ill Dr. Goodknight they found their mas- ter, Ijecause he was a personal friend ; he not only being able to maintain discipline but also awakened among them interest in their studies, which led to marked intellectual ad- vancement. He remained in charge of that school for one year and then spent the fol- lowing year in Franklin Academy, Ken- tucky, after which he entered Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee. In the meantime he had united with the Logan PresbyterA\ On the completion of his col- lege course he was graduated with honors in the class of 1871, and the following year he taught in the Little Muddy school, Ken- tucky. The trustees urged him to take the school for a period of five years, at a salary of one thousand dollars per year, but he had determined to enter the work of the gospel ministry and instead of taking the school he accepted a pastorate in that place, where the salary was only two hundred dollars per year. At the end of four years, how- ever, his salary had been increased to eight hundred dollars per year and he was offered a thousand to remain. His younger brother and sister having in the meantime completed their education. Dr. Goodknight then de- termined to pursue a theological seminary course, and in 1876 entered the Theological Seminary of New York, in which he was graduated three years later. He received calls from several churches, offering salaries as high as eighteen hundred dollars per year, but he regarded not the money side of the proposition, considering only the question of where he could do the most good. Ac- cordingly he accepted a call from the Cum- berland Presbyterian church in Covington, Ohio, which paid a salary of only six hun- dred dollars. He filled that pastorate until 1889, covering a period of ten years, and his influence was most marked ami beneficial in the community. During that time, as a re- sult of his earnest labors, a new church edifice was erected, worth more than fifteen thousand dollars, and the'membership of the church was increased from some ono hundred and fifty to about five hundred. In 1884 Dr. Goodknight was sent as a delegate to the Pan-Presbyterian Alliance, held at Belfast, Ireland. Upon resigning his pastorate in Covington he went to the World's Sunday School Convention, in London, and then traveled for the summer, and settled at Edin- borough, Scotland, to pursue post-graduate studies and take a special course in philos- ophy. He took first honors in philosophy at the university, and while abroad also made a special study of the methods of con- ducting university work. He also carried his investigation into the realm of the home and foreign policy of Great Britain, as the question of government has ever been one of deep interest to him. Proceeding to the continent he pursued a special course in pedagogy in the L^niversity of Jena, Ger- many, under Dr. Rein, studied biology un- der Haeckel and philosophy under Leip- mann. He also noted the methods of con- ducting German schools and universities, visiting many of the most noted institutions of learning in his ancestral fatherland. In the interim he journeyed all over Europe, making a close study of the people and their customs, gaining thereby that knowledge, experience and culture which only travel can bring. Subsequently he continued his researches in Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt, and by way of Port Said went to Joppa, thence through Palestine and Syria. By way of Damascus and Balbeck he proceeded 502 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. to Bayreutli, thence to Smyrna, in Asia ]Min(ji-, and on to Ephesns and Constanti- nople, in tlie latter city he closely noted the methods pursued in Roberts College. He viewed the ancient city of art and learning — Athens, Greece — thence ontmued his journey to Sicily and un the west coast of Italy visited Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii. He also visited Rome, Pisa and Florence and other cities in Italy, attended the Paris expositinn and thence returned to the world's metropc )l!s, London. In lulv. 1 89 1, Dr. Goodknight returned to his native land. While in Germany the degree of doctor of divimtv had been con- ferred upon him by W'aynesburg College, of Pennsyl\-ania, and while in Germany he received a call to the pastorate of the church in Waynesljurg, Pennsylvania. Accepting this, he entered upon his duties on the 1st of October, 1S91, there remaining until June, 1895, when he was elected president of the Uni\-ersity cjf West \'irginia. Under his guidance that institution made rapid prog- ress, but in 1879 he resigned because of political changes in the state. When elected and during his stay at the university he had the unanimous and hearty support of the b( ard of regents, but that bnard was legis- lated out of existence and a new board ap- pointed. During his presidency the attend- ance at the university was duubled, the press of the state becoming a unit in its supiKirt for the first time, and all dennminations be- came its advocate. \\'ith the assistance of others in the university he drew u]) what is known as the "engineering experiment sta- tion jjill," and secured its introduction into the house and senate of congress. Two-thirds of tlic bouse and three- fourths of the senate were pledged to supixirt the Ijill, but when Dr. Goodknight ])assed out of his educational jxjsition there was no one to push the meas- ure and it was not passed. Through his special effort, with the support of loyal frienils and farsighted business men, the Citizens National Hank of Covington, Ohio, was organized. As a witness to his business al)ility and the confidence of directors he was made cashier of this bank. Returning to Aliami county in 1897. the Doctor l(_icated upon the farm where he is now li\-ing in retirement. He has been three times married. In 1882 he wedded Miss Willianis, of Nashville, Tennessee, who died in Covington the following year. In 1885 he married Miss -Mice Cleaver, of Lincoln, Illinois, who died in 1887, and in 1889 Mrs. Ella Biddle Elliott, of Piqua, Ohio, became liis wife. Jjv his first marriage he had one child, C. Williams, who is now a student in the high school. By his second union there was one son, Allie Cleaver, who is also pur- suing a high-school course in Covington. In his political \ie\vs the Doctor is inde- pendent, supporting the men and measures that hobelie\es will best advance the nation's welfare. Sociall}- he is a valued member of the Masonic fraternity and the- Independent Order of Odd Fellows. A man of high intellectuality, Ijroad human sympathies and tolerance, be is imbued with fine sensibilities and clearly defined principles. Honor and integrity are synonymous with his name, and he enjoys the respect, confidence and high regartl of ihe cc>mmunil\-. THOMAS M. WRIGHT, M. D. The liberal ])atronage which is accorded Dr. Thomas Melville \\'right is tlie best in- dication of his superior ability as a physi- cian and surgeon. His comprehensive GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 503 knowledge and his accuracy in applying the principles of medicine to the mastery of disease has gained him creditable prestige, and he is accounted one of the foremost memliers of the medical fraternity in Troy. His birth occurred October 5, 1S48, in Mont- gomery county, Indiana, his parents being James W. and Nancy (Fugate) Wright, natives of Russell county, Virginia. The father was born in 181 1 and the mother in 1814, her death occurring in Boone county, Indiana, in 1852. The father died in Troy, Ohio, in 1897, haxing devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits and to the practice of medicine. With his family he removed to Indiana about 1836, but his last days were spent in the Buckeye state. Thomas M. ^Vright acquired his prelim- inary education in the common schools, after which he entered the National Normal Uni- versity at Lebanon, Ohio, in which institu- tion he was graduated with the class of 1870. He had engaged in teaching for two years prior to entering the normal, ha\-ing had charge of a school at Blue Grass, Illi- nois. It was in that way he acquired the capital necessary to meet his expenses in school. After his graduation he resumed teaching, which he followed for four years, spending one year as principal of the high school in Crawfordsville, Illinois. In 1872 he began the study of medicine, and in 1874 abantloned the w'ork of the schoolroom al- together in order to give his entire time to the mastery of the principles of medical science. His reading was directed by Dr. Nelson Walkley, of Troy, Ohio, and he was graduated in the Kentucky School of Medi- cine in 1876. Immediately afterward he opened an office in Troy and has since en- gaged in practice, securing a large and liberal patronage. He has performed many of the 29 most important abdominal operations in the county, including operative surgical work for ovariotomies, strangulated hernia, ectopic gestation, c;esarian section and ap- pendicitis. He is a member of the Miami County Medical Society, of the Ohio State Medical Society and of the American Medi- cal Association, and is a close student of his profession, keeping in touch with its con- tinued progress and advancement. In 1871 occurred the marriage of Dr. Wright and Miss Angeline Mendenhall, of Miami county. She died m 1879, leaving a son, Thomas M., and the Doctor was again married, in 1880, his second union being with Miss Emma A. Albaugh, of Miami county, by whom he has a daughter, Ange- line Bracken. In his political views a Re- publican, he keeps well informed on the Cjues- tions of the day, but is no aspirant for po- litical honors. He has taken all the York- rite degrees of Masonry, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His direct regard for the ethics of his profession, his wide knowledge and his careful attention to his business have won him prominence and success. REV. GEORGE P. STEINLAGE. There is no position held by man more important than that of a pastor of a church, nor is there a position that has attached to it greater importance or responsibility when properly conceived and conscientiously dis- charged. This is more essentially the case with the clergyman of the Catholic faith, for he is held more as an instructor and guide, not only in religious matters but in moral and social conduct by his congregation. There are few men by character and educa- tion better fitted to preside over a people in 504 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. all these relations than the reverend gentle- man whose name stands at the head of this biography. Father Steinlage. rector of St. Boniface Catholic church, of Piqua, Ohio, was born in Osnabruck. Germany, in 1840. and ac- quired his early education in the schools and colleges of his native land. After pursuing his studies for some time in the college at ]\Iqipen, in Hanover, he was graduated in 1859. The following year he came to the United States, sailing from Hamburg to New York. On his arrival in the latter city he proceeded at once to Cincinnati, Ohio, and entered St. Mary's Seminary, where be completed a course in philosophy and theol- ogy in 1863. That same year he was or- dained by Archbishop John B. Purcell and soon afterward was assigned to St. Paul's church of Cincinnati, as an assistant to the Very Rev. Joseph Ferneding. remaining there two vears. He was then transferred to St. Philomena's church in Cincinnati, being assistant to Father Tobbe for two years. The following seven years he was pastor of St. Joseph's church at Hamilton, Ohio, and during that time built a church and also a school house at that place, the former being known as St. Joseph's church. On leaving Hamilton he was assigned to Taylors Creek, remaining there over five years, and for two years was at Reading, Ohio. On the 14th of February. 1881, Father Steinlage came to Piqua. and has since been m charge at this place as rector of St. Boni- face church. The present church edifice was built in 1865. at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, and the parsonage was erected in 1879, but both have been remodeled by Father Steinlage, who has made many im- provements since locating here. The debt of thirteen thousand dollars which was against the church property when he arrived here has been nearly paid, only about two thousand dollars indebtedness remaining. The church property also includes a good school of four large rooms and is presided ()\er by the Sisters of Christian Charity. The school building and Sisters' residence were both built by Father Steinlage. The church has a seating capacity of six hundred, and the congregation now numbers three hun- dred families residing in the city and sur- rounding country. Xo estimates of material progress, however, can give an indication of the great work which Father Steinlage has done in molding and shaping to higher issues the lives of those to whom he gi\es his best thought. Broad in his views and sympa- thies, a friend of the poor and oppressed, ever ready with helpful counsel for the per- plexed or sorrowful, he has a wide field for labor and well does he discharge its arduous and sacred duties. DAVID E. ULLERY. A native son of [Miami county. David Ellison Ullery is now a retired farmer, liv- ing in CoA-ington. He was born October 25, 1839, on the old home farm in New- berry township, and for many years he has been actively identified with the agricultural interests of the county, but at the present time, having acquired a handsome compe- tence, he is living retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. His grand- father, Jacob Ullery, was born on Chinco- teague Ijsland. just off the eastern shore of Maryland, JMarch 5, 1772, and came to Ohio about 1 810. His death occurred in New- berry township, August 7, 1847, and he was buried in Sugar Grove cemetery. He was 1 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. COS of German descent and a member of the Dunkard or German Baptist church. David Ullery, the father of our subject, was born in Montgomery county. Ohio, February 28, 1809, and during his boyhood accompanied his parents to Miami county. He was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, acquired a limited education in New- berry township and was a highly respected citizen of that community. He was mar- ried, March 8, 1836, to Alsey Gibbons, who was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, J\Iarch 20, 181 8, a daughter of James and Mary Gibbons, natives of Ireland. The Gibbons family came to Miami county at an earlv day, and Mrs. Mary Gibbons died in Newberry township, February 27, 1853, at the advanced age of ninety years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ullery were born the following children : Jacob, who was killed at the bat- tle of Atlanta, Georgia, July 21. 1864; James G., who died in Albuquercjue, New Mexico, and whose wife was Nellie Surratt, a native of Tennessee; and Mary E., who died April 8, 1873. David Ullery died June 5, 1842. His wife survived him until April 8, 1856. David E. Ullery, whose name introduces this review, pursued his education in the old Hart schoolhouse, where he became familiar with the elementary branches of English learning. He was reared in the usual man- ner of farmer lads of the time, in a pleasant home where habits of industry and honesty were inculcated. During his boyhood his father died, and after his death the farm, comprising a quarter-section of land, was operated by his elder brother. He began the work of the fields at a very early age, and becoming greatly attached to his old home, he could not endure to see it pass into the hands of strangers, and, although he was not able to buy it all, when it was sold he pur- chased one hundred acres of it. In the spring of 1872 he began the operation of a sawmill and followed that business in con- nection with farming for twenty-eight years. His enterprise was successfully conducted and his marked energy, perse\'erance and business ability enabled him to acquire a comfortable competence. In the spring of 1861, in company with Hugh Hart, an old school friend, he started on horseback for Illinois to visit his brother, Jacob Ullery, but before they reached their destination Fort Sumter had been fired upon. This news stirred the patriotic blood of these two young travelers and before reaching their journey's end they had de- termined to enlist. When they arri\-ed in Illinois they found that Mr. Ullery's brother, Jacob, had already joined the army, and David became a member of the same company for three months' service. Be- fore the Twentieth Illinois Regiment was formed, however, the quota was full, and the legislature, being in session, issued a call for thirty-day men and the Twentieth responded to that call. Mr. Ullery, of this review, enlisted on the 22d of April, 1861, and was assigned to Company D, Twentieth Regi- ment of Illinois Volunteers, under Captain Charles L. Paige. He afterward re-enlisted as a veteran and served until the close of the war. He and his brother fought side by side until the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, where his brother was killed, shot by a mus- ket ball. He died on the field, giving his life a ransom for his country's preser\-ation. The Twentieth Regiment was assigned to John A. McClernand's Division, and after the battle of Shiloh was in the First Brig- ade, Third Division, under command of General John A. Logan, in the Se\-enteenth 500 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Army Corps, under the command of General JVlcPherson. Mr. UUery participated in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson,Shiloh, where he was wounded by a piece of shell, and in many smaller engagements in the Cor- inth campaign and around \'icksburg. He took part in the Ijattlos of Port Gibson and Ra_\-mond. and in the latter was severely wounded in the left breast and right shijulder, the ball passing through about fourteen inches of flesh, also injuring the right lung, from the effects of which he has never recovered. He remained in the field hospital until after the capitulation of X'icks- burg, when, in July, 1863, he was taken to Lawson Hospital at St. Louis, where ho re- mained until October of that year, when he returned to his regiment. He was pro- HKjted to the rank of sargeant.and was with Sherman's command on the march of one hundroJ miles to Aleridian. In the spring of 1864, after re-enlisting, he was granted a thirty-day furlough, at the end of which time he joined his regiment in Springfield, Illi- nois, and soon after joined Sherman's army at Ackworth, Georgia, when he took part in the battles of Kenesaw Moun.tain and At- lanta, and in the latter the regiment lost fifty- four men, killetl and wounded, on July 21, thus being reduced to only one hundred and fifty men. On the 22nd of July, the Twen- tieth Illinois did some very desperate fighting, and at sunset it numbered but one ofticer and sexenteen men who were still able to hold their position on the line. On that day 'Slv. Ullcry was captured and remained at Ander- sonville prison until October i, 1S64, when he was sent to Savannah, Georgia, for a few days. He afterwards spent thirty days in Charleston, South Carolina, after which he was incarcerated in Florence, that state, until February zy, 1865. At Wilmington, North Carolina, he was paroled and sent to St. Louis, by way of Annapolis, Maryland. On his way t(_) the former city he visited his peo- ple and also paid a visit to his sweetheart in Piqua, Ohio. He finally reported at St. Louis -and was sent to Springfield, Illinois, where he was discharged on the 13th of July, 1865, having served four years, two months and twenty-one days. He came home shat- tered in health, weighing only seventy pounds, owing to the rigors and hardships of war. On the 26th of August, 1865, only about a month after his return, Mr. L'llery was united in marriage to Miss Rachel C. Pas- sage, of Piqua, Ohio, a representative of one of the r)]d pioneer families of the state. Her grandfather, Henry Passage, was married in New' York city to Miss Clausser, a German lady, and their children were Peter, John, Peggie, Elizabeth and Stephen. He died near New Waverly, Indiana, having emi- grated westward at an early day. Peter Passage, the father of Mrs. Ullery, was born in Connecticut, in 180J, and when fourteen years of age went to New York city where he was reared to manhood. By trade he was a cabinet-maker, and at an early day he re- moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, wdiere he learned surveying. He surveyed much of the coun- try, as far west as Fort Wayne, Indiana, and in that work was associated with Captain Riley, a noted surveyor of that state. He followed that business until a year prior to his marriage, which important event of his life occurred in Piqua, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah Lines, a daugiiter of Levi Lines. The maternal great-grandfather of Mrs. Ullery was Samuel Lines, who, with his wife, came from England in colonial days, locating in Connecticut when the Indians were numerous in that state. One night the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 507 red men attacked their home and burned their cabin. Tliey also carried away tiie grandfather of Mrs. Ullery. He was taken to Canada and lived with the Indians until he had attained man"s estate, when he re- turned to his home. 1 he pewter ware of the family had been buried on the night of the attack, and upon his return he took it up, finding- it just where it had been placed many years before. After their marriage Peter Passage and his wife resided for a time at Piqua and then removed to Xew Carlisle, Ohio. Later thoy purchased a farm at De- fiance, Ohio, and while on the way there Mr. Passage was persuaded to accept a posi- tion as section boss on the canal, and while eneaeed in that work, his famih' made their home at Houston, Shelby county, Ohio. Some time afterward he purchased a section of land in Shelby county, and it is upon this tract that the reser\-oir now stands. Mr. Passage returned to Houston, where his death occurred December jo, 1845. I" his early manhood he was a member of the Christian church, and in his life exemplified his belief. After his death, his widow and her family located at Piqua, and after the marriage of Mrs. Ullery, the mother made her home with her until she, too, was called away, in 1887, at the age of eighty-six years. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1801, and was nine years old when her parents re- moved to Piqua, making tho journey in a wagon. On reaching Mad river, they found the stream so sw'ollen that they were com- pelled to halt for two weeks, and during that time their horses wore stolen by the Indians. Theirs was the fifth house built in Piqua, so that the Lines family can well be termed honorable pioneers of Miami county. Mrs. Passage witnesse^l the first treaty made with the Indians and could relate manv interesting incidents of the pioneer days of the Buckeye state. By her marriage she became the mother of the following children, namely : Cinderella, W'idow of Anthony Harp, of Polo, Ohio; Elizabeth, widow of James Harp, of Piqua ; Levi, who served in the cix'il war and died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, about 1889; Rebecca, wife of John Sprague; Peter, who was a corporal in the Eighth Ohio Cavalry and was wounded at the battle of Beverly, but did not die until many years later, his death occurring in Polo, in 1896; Mrs. L'llery ; and Jennie, wife of Jacob Bowers. He served in the Eighth Ohio Caxalry during the civil war, and after his death his widow became the wife of David Daniels, but sur- \-ived her second marriage only one year. After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. L'llery, the young couj)le wer.t to the home that he had prepared for his bride upon a part of the old homestead. There they en- joyed many years of happiness, devoted to each other and their family. They had six children : ]\Iinnie Ci., now the wife of Will- iam Drees, of Covington. Ohio ; James Elli- son, who died at the age of two and a half years; Sadie E.. wife of Wdliam Orr. of Piqua; ClitTord C. who died at the age of eighteen; Joseph C. and Gustin C, who are at home. In public affairs Mr. Ullery has been \ery prominent. He was connected with the township school board in different capacities for fourteen years, and the cause of educa- tion found in him a warm friend who greatly promoted the interests of tho schools. He also served eleven years as township trustee. He was elected real estate appraiser of New- berry township in the fall of 1899, without opposition. In politics he is a stalwart Re- publican, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party. Socially he is con- 608 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. nected with Langston Post, G. A. R., of Covington, and since 1872 has been a mem- ber of the Christian church. ^Ir. UUery has made good use of his opportunities, has prospered from year to year, has comhictetl his business affairs carefully and successfully and in all his acts displays an aptitude for successful management. He has not permit- ted the acquiring of wealth to effect in any way his actions towards thcjse less successful than he, and has always a cheerful word and pleasant smile for all with whom he has come in contact. As a citizen he is as loyal to his country as when upon the field of battle he followed the old Hag. His career has indeed been an upright and honorable one, worthy of high commendation, and he well deserves to be classed among the enterprising and hon- ored citizens of his native county. L. C. CRON. This gentleman needs no introduction to the readers of the history of Miami county, for he is very widely known throughout this section of the state and his business reputa- tion extends far be_\und the confines of western Ohio. For almost a third of a century he has been engaged in the manu' facture of furniture in Piqua, and his laliors have been of substantial benefit to the city, while promoting his individual welfare and prosperity. He is certainly one of the most energetic and enterprising men uf Piqua. America has gained pre-eminence as one of the strongest commercial powers of the world, and in each of its cities are men who are recognized leaders in the industrial, com- mercial and professional circles. Among this number in Piqua is Mr. Cron, and prob- ably no single individual has done more to promote the business activity and conse- quent prosperity of Miami county than he. A native of Ohio, he was born in Piqua, September 16, 1836, and obtained a good elementary education in the public schools, supplementing it by study in private schools. Throughout his business career he has been connected with the manufacture of furni- ture. He early began learning the trade of manufacturing furniture and has since continued to follow that pursuit through an active, honorable and useful life. He es- tablished his present business in 1868, carry- ing it on alone until 1869, when he admitted his present partners, imder the name of the L. C. & W. L. Cron Company. The firm name has since been unchanged and the en- terprise is the oldest of the kind in this sec- tion of Ohio. As the years .passed their trade grew, both in volume and importance, andthefieldof their operations was extended. They were forced to secure larger facilities from time to time until their plant has now grown to extensive proportions. It covers, together with the ground on which the lum- ber is piled, about eight acres, and is con- nected with the railroad system of the city by side tracks, which enter the premises and afford the most complete receiving and ship- ping facilities. The factory and warehouses are embraced in large and substantial brick buildings. The main factory is four stories high and the warehouse three stories in height. These are connected with a covered bridge crossing the street at the second floor. The mechanical equii)ment embraces all the latest improved, labor saving machinery known to the trade, and is operated by a" ^ one hundred horse-power engine, and every operation in connection with the manufacture of the products that may be accomplislied GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 509 by niacliinery is thus executed. Notwith- standing this latter fact employment is given to one hundred and seventy skilled work- men, which is an evidence of the extent of the output. To facilitate the economic and rapid protluction of the pr(jducts an inimenje stock of lumber is kept maturing, and per- fect system and order reign supreme in all the departments of the establishment. The products of the company are bed-room suits, made chiefly from oak and elm. They are made in a variety of handsome and attract- ive styles, the workmnship being most thor- ough and finished, and the output of the factory is in demand in trade circles through- out all sections of the Union. In addition to this they manufacture all kinds of plain and fancy house furniture. New and original styles are being introduced and the company has earned a high reputation for being fully abreast and in advance of the times with ar- tistic novelties in their line. In all valuable elements the products are attractive and salable, and therefore are just what the trade wants. The central location of Piqua, the unsurpassed shipping facilities afforded here, the complete manufacturing" plant of the company and the progressive management of the business, all combine to enable them to offer inducements and advantages to buyers that invariably insure continued business re- lations. The active management of the busi- ness is vested in the hands of L. C. Cron, president, and Edward ^Vhitlock, secretary. Mr. Cron is a practical manufacturer and a progressive business man in the prime of his usefulness, and he takes great pride in turn- ing out the best goods of the kind on the market. The policy upon which this enter- prise is conducted is based on fair and hon- orable dealing, and the well known relia- bility of the company, together with the ex- cellence of their output, secures to them a large and continuous patronage. Mr. Cron has been twice married. On the 29th of September, 1859, he wedded Miss Margaret Ginn, and to them were born five children, namely: George L., who was born -August 2J, 1864, and died February 15, 1867; Maggie E., who was born March 12, 1866; Charles L., born September 26, 1867; Jackson C, born June 18, 1869; and Albert M., who was born December 2j, 1871, and died July 25, 1878. The mother of this family was born in Miami county, Septem- ber 7, 1838, and was called to her final rest on the 27th of December, 1873. On the iilh of August, 1874, Mr. Cron was again married, his second union being with Mar- cella Edmonds, of Dayton, who was born December 4, 1847. They had four children : Hattie B., born July 27, 1875; and Minnie A., who was born September 19, 1878, and died July i, 1879; Florence, born May 30, 1882; Clarence, born in 1886. During the civil war Mr. Cron manifest- ed his locality to the goverment, for, with patriotic spirit, he responded to the call for troops in 1861, spending three years in the arm\\ He was the principal musician in the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battles of Cedar Creek, Fort Petersburg anil many other of less renown. He was always found at his post of duty, faithfully fighting for the cause of the Union. He has filled many positions of pull)ic trust and responsibility. He is president of the Democratic Publishing Com- pany, of Piqua, which was organized in 1 89 1. He is at present serving as presi- dent of the city coimcil. He was mentioned for state representative by the Democrats, and, though he lost the election, it was a 510 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. defeat wliich amounted almost to victory, for in tlie county which usually gives a Re- publican majority of fourteen liundred his opponent received a plurality of only ninety- one votes. The large support which was given Mr. Cron certainly indicated his per- sonal popularity and the "confidence and trust reposed in him. lie is a man of broad capabilities, as his varied and exten- sive business interests indicate. He is at all times approachable and patiently listens to whatever a caller may have to say, always courteous and at all times a gentleman in the truest and best sense of the term. He cares not for notoriety, nor is there about him the least shadow of tnock modesty. His has been the mind to conceive and direct and the hand to execute all of the many improve- ments and ad\ancement which have been made by the company of which he is the head, and that he stands to-day among the most successful and prosperous business men of Piqua is a fact due entirely to his own efforts. MARIOX L. DEWEESE. ;Mr. Deweese, of Troy, is descended from good old Re\olutionary stock. His great-grandfather. Samuel Deweese, held a commission in the Continental armv during the war which brought independence to the nation. His son, Joshua Deweese, grand- father of our subject, located in Concord township, ^liami county, at a very early day. He is said to have been the first Bap- tist minister in this locality, and was licensed to preach about 1824. He came from the Shenandoah valley of \'irginia, and pro- claimed the glad tidings of great joy among the pioneers of the Buckeye state. When his country's liberties and rights were threat- ened, however, he showed the spirit of the warrior by promptly responding to his coun- try's call for aid in the war of 181 2, taking part in the warfare against the Indians, un- der General Wayne. He wedded Miss Mary Gerard, a daughter of Henry Gerard, who came from Pennsylvania to Staunton township, Miami county, with the Knoop family in 1798. They made the first set- tlement of which there is authentic record in tlie county, although, doubtless, the French visited the locality in 1749, and their descendants remained in this part of Ohio as Indian traders. Henry Gerard surveyed a large portion of the land in Miami county, and as compensation for his services re- ceived about eight hundred acres, extending from Spring Creek to Troy. Some of his survey field notes are now in possession of the father of our subject. Mr. Gerard took an active part in the early develt^pment of the county. He built the fir.st mill witliiir its borders, and in all possible ways aided in its progress and advancement. In his later life he removed to Attica, Indiana, where he died at the extreme old age of one hun- dred and twenty-four years. Isaac Gerard was the first teacher in Concord township, and David Gerard, a son of Henry, was the last white man killed by the Indians in this county. He and a comjjanion, bj- the name of Ross, were hewing timber one afternoon about four o'clock in 1812, when two Indians passed by and shot Gerard. Ross made his escape, but the Indians proceeded two miles further north, where the\- found Mr. D;l- bone at work in a flax patch, mortally wound- ed him and also scalped his wife before his eyes. Samuel McDougall Deweese. the father of our subject, was born in Concord town- ship, Miami county, in 1819, and was reared GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 511 amidst the \vil<.l scenes of the frontier. Hav- ing arrived at years of maturity, he married Rachel Conuell, a native of Pennsylvania. Both the father anil mother are still li\ing and enjoying good healtii. having reacheil the ages of eighty-two and seventy-eiglit, respectively. He is perhaps the hest in- formed man in local history in the entire county, and is one of the oldest settlers, his residence here covering a period of eighty- one years. In his family were six sons, name- ly: Albert, a resident of Troy: Edwin, who is living in Philadelphia ; Allen, of Pleasant Hill, Miami county: Jndson. of Decatur, Alabama : and Arthur, of Tippecanoe City, Miami comity. There were also two sis- ters, Mrs. Flenthan Buckler, of Tippecanoe City, ami Mrs. Oresta Cory, of Spriugtield, Ohio. The parents are now living in Tip- pecanoe City. Mr. Deweese, of this review, was born on the old family homestead in Concord township, JDecember 13, 1845, 3'>*^1 pursued his education in the schools of Troy. He entered the high school, but when the civil war was inaugurated he put aside his text- books, anil, at the age of eighteen enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry, in 1864, for three months" service. After receiving his discharge he returned to the home farm, where he remained until twenty- tour years of age. He was married, in 1870, to Elizalieth .\. Frazee, a daughter of James Frazee. of Lost Creek township, and a granddaughter of James Frazee. Sr., who was one of the-pioneer settlers of Miami county. The last named wedded Miss Knight, also a member o{ one of the i)ronu- nent families. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Deweese has been born twii daughters, one, Otilia, dying at the age of twenty-two years. She was a natural artist in oil and crayon : and Lucia, who resiiles with her pareitts in their pleas- ant home in Troy. Mr. Deweese and his wife are consistent members of the Baptist church, and socially he is conitected with the Grand Army Post. His political sup- port is given to the Republican party, but he lias never been an aspirant for public office, preferring to devote his energies and time to his business affairs. He is regTirdevi as the best mechanic in the building trade in Troy, and has a record of more buildings iu the city than any other contracUM". He per- forms his part of a contract most faithfully, and hi:-: reliability and energy have secured to him a very liberal patronage, and is con- stantlv increasing. HLXRY r>. PRIXTZ. Henry B. Printz is a prominent and rep- resentative farmer of XcwIkmiv township, aiul is descended from sterling Cierman a;:- cestry. the strong characteristics oi the Teu- tonic race being at many times manifest in his career. His paternal grandfather was born in Germany, and emigrating to Amer- ica took up his abode iu Berks county, IVnu- sylvania. narticipating in the Revolutionary war when the colonies attempted to throw ofi tile yoke of Piriiish o|ipression. His re- maining days were spent in the Keystone slate. Daniel Printz, the father" of our sub- ject, was Ixirn in Berks counly. about I7g8, He was a stocking weaver by trade, and fol- lowed that luusuit tor some time after his removal to Ohio. He was married in the county of his nativity to Elizabeth Hayden. a native of Berks county. Her father, how- ever, was born in F.ngland, and coming to the L"niteil States in colonial davs. be. too, 512 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. strongly sympathized with the spirit of in- dependence manifested in the colonies, and participated in the Revolutionary war as a member of Washington's army. About 1819 Daniel Printz and his wife, with their three children, removed to Clark county, Ohio, making the journey with a one-horse wagon. His elder brother had preceded him to that county, and for several years the father resided on his farm near Springfield. He then removed to Moorefield township, Clark county, where he remained for more than twenty-six years, during which time he devoted his attention to agricultural pur- suits. He finally purchased a small tract of land which is now in the heart of the city of Springfield. For six years after his arrival in Ohio he followed his trade, and then turned his attention entirely to farm work, becoming one of the most extensive agri- culturists of Clark county. He was pro- gressive, and was the first man to bring a reaper into this state. The following year he purchased another reaper, and at all times he was ready and willing to promote any movement that would advance agricultural interests or facilitate his work. His reap- ers were considered such oddities that at times a hundred people would gather to watch the operation of the inachine. They did not believe it could satisfactorily do the work, and scoffed at the idea of such a machine taking the place of the cradle in the harvest field. Mr. Printz died on his little farm in Springfield, May 19, 1864. In the early days he was a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, but afterward united with the Universalist church. In politics he was a stalwart Democrat, recognized as one of the leaders of his party in Ohio. For many years he served as justice of the peace, and on one occasion he was a candidate for state senator. Although he was not elected, it was a defeat that amounted almost to a victory, for in a strongly Republican dis- trict he lost the election by only four votes. His wife died about 1861, at the age of sixty years. When she was married she weighed only ninety pounds, but at the time of her death she weighed three hundred and eighty-four pounds. In the family of this worthy couple were twelve children : Ange- line. who became the wife of Lewis Petre. and died near Springfield, Ohio; Franklin, of Champaign county, who wedded Cather- ine Gordon, and after her death married Emma Bressman ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Absalom Kepner, and died near Clayton, Miami county; Sarah, wife of Samuel Short, of Shelby county, Ohio; Dan- iel, who married ]Mary J. Coulter, and died in 1855, in Clark county; Susan, who mar- ried Leonard Seibert, and afterward E. R. Ganson, and is now a widow," living in Co- lumbus, Ohio; ^lollie C, wife of Jacob Sei- bert, a resident of Logan county. Illinois; John, who wedded Jane Thatcher, and re- sides in Clark county; Rebecca, who l)ecame the wife of Daniel Teach, and died in Cov- ington, Ohio ; Catherine, who died at the age of three years ; Henry B. ; and James K. Polk, who married Lavina Babylon, and re- sides in Shelby county. For forty years there was not a death in this family of chil- dren. Henry B. PVintz was born in Springfield township, Clark county, Ohio, February 28, 1840, and was reared to manhood in that ai.d Moorefield township. He acquired his education in the countr}' schools of the neigh- borhood, and was reared upon the home farm, his time being passed in the usual manner of farmer boys of that period. On attaining his majority he left the parental I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 513 roof and started out to make his own way in tlie world. Going to Columbus, he was employed as a brakeman for two years on the Little Miami Railroad, and on the expi- ration of that period he returned to his home in Clark county. On the 26th of Novem- ber, 1863, Mr. Printz was united in mar- riage to Miss Deborah Morgan Lynn, who was born in Moorefield township, Clark coun- ty, June 4, 1839, a daughter of Joseph and Catherine ( Suver )Lynn. Her paternal an- cestors came from Ireland, her grandfather being a native of that country, whence he emigrated to the new world, taking up his residence in Virginia. Her maternal grand- father, John Suver, was born in Germany, and was married in Penns}'h-ania to Cather- ine Haines. About 1830 he removed to Clark county, Ohio, where his death occur- red. Her grandfather Lynn died in the state of Virginia. His wife was Deborah Morgan. Joseph Lynn, the father of Mrs. Printz, removed from the Old Dominion to the Buckeye state and located in Clark coun- ty, where he died about 1868. His wife died in 1882, at the age of seventy- four years, and he was about sixty years of age when called to his final rest. After their marriage ^h. Printz located on his father-in-law's farm, where he re- mained for three years, and then removed to another farm in the same township, upon which he resided for a similar period. La the fall of 1868 he took up his abode south of Springfield, where he li\-ed for twelve years. His next home was northeast of Springfield, and after passing three years at that place he became a resident of Miami county, on the 5th of March, 1884, locating on his present farm, then known as the Jamos Patterson property. It comprises one . hundred and two acres of rich land, and he carries on general farming, his principal crops being wheat and corn. He has made many substantial improvements upon the place, building fences, laying tile, remodel- ing the house and barn and doing other such work as contributed to its impro\-ement and development, and it is now considered one of the model properties of the community, unto Mr. and Mrs. Printz ha\-e been born two children, Joseph L. and Kittie, both living at home. The former married Orpha Min- nich, and unto them have been born five children — Fannie, Margie, Gladys, Joseph H. and Reuben M. Mr. Printz is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and in his political views is a stanch Democrat. He is well versed, both politically and other- wise. He has read extensively, is a deep thinker, and is independent in thought and action. His broad, general information makes him an entertaining conversational- ist, and he is a genial and hospitable gentle- man. He has good business judgment, is reliable and trustworthy in all his dealings, and through his well-directed efforts he has accjuired a comfortable competence. His methods of farming are progressive, and the neat and thrifty appearance of his place indi- cates his careful super\-ision. URIAH J. FAVORITE. L'riah J. Favorite is now living a retired life in Tippecanoe City, his many years of active and honorable labor being thus crowned with a well deserved rest. During the civil war he was a loyal defender of his country, and at all times he has been faithful to whatever is true and right, whether in pub- lic, in business or in social life. Thus has he commanded the respect and esteem of his 514 GENEALO-GICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. fellow men, and as one of the leading citizens of the commnnity he well deserves repre- sentation in this \-olunio. He was born in Tippecanoe City, on the 9th of October, 1843, a son of Jonathan and Mary (Hyatt) Favor- ite. The father was a native of Pennsyl- vania, and about 1836 came to Miami county with his parents. Later he married Miss Hyatt, whose father was a merchant and one of the pioneer settlers of this ]<_icality, the hamlet of Hyattville being named in his honor. He was a native of England, and with his family came to America during the early girlhood of his daughter Mary. Both he and his wife attained a very advanced age. Jonathan Favorite, the father of our sub- ject, was a mechanic, carpenter and mill- wright, and iluring the early years of devel- opment in this section of the state was a I)roiuinent business man. In 1838 he Ijuilt the flouring mill, which he conducted for a number of }-ears witii excellent success. At the same time he worked at his trade, and in addition conducted a sawmill. In 1849, '^t" tracted l>y the discovery of gold in California, he made his way to the Pacific slope, where he engaged in mining for tliree years. His efforts were attended with creditable success, and he returned with capital sufficient to enable him to carry on a good business. On the return trij), however, he invested in Iowa lands and was moving his . family to the Hawkeye state when both he and his wife died at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, of river fever. The family of five children re- turned to join an elder sister in Ohio. Nancy, the eldest daughter, is the wife of John Morrison, and is a resident of Nemaha county, Nebraska ; John S. is a real-estate dealer of St. Louis, Missouri ; Jefferson, who became a printer, was married in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died in Sacramento, Cali- fornia, in 1876; Mrs. Martha J. Egner makes her home in Centralia. \\'ashington ; Uriah J. is the next of the family : and I\Irs. Harriet A. Hoover, widow of William Hoover, is living in Lincoln, Nebraska. It will thus be seen that our subject is now the onlv rep- resentative of his immediate family in Miami county. His uncle, Daniel Favorite, how- ever, reared a family north of Troy, and some of his children are still residents of the locality. George Favorite, a half brother of the father, is now living in W'ashington city, and an(_)ther half brother, Lafayette, died in Troy, Ohio. Uriah J. Favorite, whose name intro- duces this review, was a lad of about ten years at the time of his father's death. The children were then separated, and he lived for fi\e years in the family of Samuel Staley, in Bethel county, and his school prixileges were those comiuonly affortled to farmer boys. On entering upon his business career he se- cured a clerkship in a store in Tippecanoe City. Sa\-ing his wages, he afterward en- tered the high school at Piqua, where he pur- sued his studies until his means were ex- hausted. On the 15th of April, 1861, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, lie re- spondetl to President Lincoln's first call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, joining Company D. EIe\'enth Ohio Infantry. On the expiration of the first term of three months he re-enlisted for three years, in the First Independent Ohio Battery and was in the Kanawha division of the Army of the Potomac, with which he saw service under the command of General Garfield, Hayes and McKinley, all of whom were afterwards presidents of the L'nited States. After ~a. time his regiment was trans ferretl to the Potomac and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Antietam and all the en- 11 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 515 gagenients of tho McClellaii campaign. In the spring of 1863 lie was again sent to the Kanawha region and participated in the Hunter raid before Lynchburg. In August, 1864. he received an lionorable discharge at Parkorsburg, for his second term had ex- pired. Still the south was not yet subdued and he once more entered the army, as a member of the secret ser\ice, being sent to Chattanooga to look after go\ernment sup- plies. In the spring of 1865 he was com- missioned by Governor Brough second lieu- tenant of Cijmpau}- (i, Ono Hundreil and Ninety-sixth Ohio Infantry, which company he had assisted in recruiting in Tippecanoe City. With that command he went to the Shenand(_>ah \'alle\', where he remainetl until after Lee's surrender, receiving his discharge at Fort Federal Hill, in Maryland, in Sep- temlier of that year. Fie was in nine im- portant battles and participated in many campaigns. In command of his company he went to Fort Delaware to assume charge of the prisonors and there remained until all were exchanged. After the war was over ISIr. Favorite returned to Miami county and secured em- ployment in the glucose works, learning tho business carried on in the chemical depart- ment, becoming familiar with e\'erv dutv of the laboratory. During various changes in the ownership of tho works he was retained as chemist, and later was made superintend- ent in charge of the interests of the company. After a connection of ten years with that business he closed it out, selling the buildings and remaining in charge until all relations were satisfactorily terminated. He then be- came a partner of Messrs. Kenney & Bry- ant in the purchase and operation of the mill which his father had built and owned thirty years before. For nine years he then en- gaged in the milling busmess, meeting with excellent success in his undertakings, and since that time he has li\-ed retired, owning a pleasant home in Tippecanoe City, where he is surrounded with all the comforts that go to make life worth li\ing. In March, 1900, he was appointed decennial appraiser of re- alty for Monroe township. Mr. Fa\-orite was married, February 21, 1865, to Miss Elizabeth A. Athey, a daugh- ter of William Athey. She was born in \'irgin:a and died April 12, 1896, at the age of fifty-eight years. Their children are: Minnie May, now the wife of John M. Saunders, a grain dealer of Tippecanoe City ; and Harry J., a real-estate and insurance agent of Tippecanoe City, who wedded Mary Hartman, daughter of Dr. Samuel D. Hartman. ^Ir. Favorite is a prominent Mason, be- longing to the lodge at Tippecanoe City, No. 174, to Franklin Chapter No. 24, R. A. M., of Troy, and to Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., also of Troy. His wife was a charter member of the Relief Corps, but gave the greater part of her time and attention to her home. He maintains pleasant relation- ship with his old army comrades through his membership :n D. JM. Rouzer Post, No. 393, Grand Army of the Republic. He has served as commander of the post and is filling that position at the present time. He has attended several national encampments, has revisited some of the battlefields on which he valiantly fought for the preservation of the LTnion, and in the work of the organiza- tion he takes deep interest. His chief source of recreation is with the rod and gun, having always found great delight in the sports of hunting and fishing. His career has been an active and useful one and his well directed efforts have JM-ought him success. He has 516 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. always been a loyal citizen, as true to his country in clays of peace as when he followed the starry Ijanner through the southland. WILLIAM K. BOAL. It is the enterprise and character of the citizen that enrich and ennoble the common wealth. From individual enterprise has sprung all the splendor and importance of this great west. The greatest merchants have developed from "the humblest origins. From clerkships ha\-e emerged men who have built great business enterprises. America is a self-made country, and those who have cre- ated it are self-made men. Xo influence of birth or fortune has favored the architects of her glory. Among those who ha\-e achieved prominence as men of marked abil- ity and substantial worth in Piqua. the sub- ject of this sketch. William K. Boal, occupies a prominent position. The unostentatious routine of private life, although of vast importance to the welfare of the community, has not figured to any great extent in the pages of history. But the names of men who have distinguished themselves by the possession of those quali- ties of character which mainly contribute to the success of private life and to the public stability and who have enjoyed the respect and confidence of those around them should not be permitted to perish. Their example is more valuable to the majority of readers thaii that of heroes, statesmen and writers, as they furnish means of subsistence for the multitude whom they in their useful careers have cmplo3'ed. Such are the thoughts that involuntarily come to our minds when we consider the life of him whose name initiates this sketch. William King Boal was born in J^Iuncy. Ly- coming county, Pennsylvania, November 3, 1 83 1. His father. James Boal, was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and acquired his edu cation in the Glasgow L'niversity. In con- nection with his fatlier and brother he loaded a vessel, the Mary B.. with merchandise and the two sons sailed with it to Philadelphia, where they disposed of the goods. James Boal remained in his native land and engaged in the importing business throughout his acti\'e career. \\'illiani Boal built and sailed other \essels until the firm had seven engaged in the merchant trade. James Boal married Agnes Frederick, who was born in Muncy, Pennsylvania, in 1806. It was for her great- grandfather, Moses Frederick, that the city of Fredericksburg, \'irginia, was named. George F. Boal, another brother of our sub- ject, was graduated in Dickinson College of Pennsylvania, afterwards studied law and became a member of tlie legislature of the Keystone state. Another brother of our subject., James McLellan Boal, studied at Dickinson College and afterward removed to Minnesota. He was at one time the owner of the site on which the city of St. Paul now stands, and was a member of the first legislature of that state. After the death of his father, James Boal. in 1840. William K. Boal, of tlvis review, removed with his mother to Greenup county, Kentucky, where his sisters, Mrs. James W. Allison and Mrs. William M. Patton, resided. On completing his education at the Induc- tive Seminary there, he afterward entered the office of the Iron Furnace Works, owned and controlled by his brother-in-law, William M. Patton. In this way he gained an excellent knowledge of the business with which he was afterward to become so actively cc^nnected. He ser\ed as bookkeeper and manager until GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 5i; 1855, when lie accepted a ptjsition in a bank at Ashland. Kentucky, there remaining until 1863. In that year he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he became a very extensive dealer in cotton and hemp. He also con- ducted a ciiminission Inisiness, his annual sales amounting to more than a million, five hundred thousand dollars. In 1872 he pur- chased the stove foundry of W. C. Davis & Company. Under his management the busi- ness increased rapidly and he sold it to the Favorite Stove Company, but the new or- ganization did not make a success of the en- terprise, and in 1888 Mr. Boal organized the Favorite Stove & Range Company, se- curing the plant and business of the defunct Favorite Stove Company. The new cor- poration purchased land and established its foundry in Piqua, and since that time the business has steadily and constantly grown until it is now one of the largest iif the kind in the United States. From an account of this mammoth busi- ness published in one of the local Piqua papers we quote freely, for certainly such a gigantic concern is deserving of particular mention in connection with the industrial activity of the city. For a number of years Piqua has enjoyed the reputation of having the most extensive manufacturing interests of any city of its size in the state, and chief among these is that conducted by the Favor- ite Stove & Range Company, whose exten- sive plant is located between Young and South streets. The officers are: \V. K. Boal, president; Stanhope Boal, vice-pres- ident; and E. W. Lape, secretary and treas- urer ; while the Board of directors is composed of W. K. Boal ; Jacob Bettman, of Cincin- nati; A. M. Orr; Adam Gray, of Cincinnati; and Stanhope Boal. Under the wise con- trol and capable management of the presi- dent, this has become one of the leading stove antl range manufactories of the United States. The plant was removed to Piqua from Cincinnati in the fall of 1888, and on the 25th of February, of the following year, began operation. Since that time its l:)usi- ness has steadily and rapidly grown, and to- day the output of the factory is known throughout the United States. The line of goods manufactured is quite extensive, consisting of Favorite steel ranges, cast ranges and many kinds of cOok stoves, all of which are made for different kinds of fuel, together with Favorite baseburners for hard coal, and all kinds of heating stoves in varied sizes. In addition they manufacture Favor- ite gas ranges and Favorite gas heaters for artificial and natural gas, and the Favorite Piqua hollow ware is one of their products. The plant has a capacity for turning out one thousand steel ranges, baseburners and other fine stoves each week, which is equivalent to three thousand sto\es of the cheaper grades. In a single day twenty-eight tons of iron are used in making castings of the various stoves and ranges. When the company be- gan operation in Piqua about eleven years ago, it had in its employ two hundre;l and seventy-five men, including the traveling salesmen. To-day there are four hundred men employed at the plant, while the tra\-el- ing salesmen and other representatives num- ber fifty, and the weekly pay roll of the con- cern is enormous. In order to facilitate the trade and make. quicker shipments branch offices have been established in New York, Chicago, St. Paul, Kansas City, Ottumwa, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Mich- igan. At each of these branches a large stock of stoves and ranges are constantly kept on hand so that orders are filled promptly. The rapidly growing trade has 518 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. necessitated the enlargement of the plant from year to year, and recently a new brick building, two hundred and seventy-five feet and two stories high, was erected. The buildings of the company nijw number fifteen and, although some are joined together, there are different departments in each. The entire depth of the buildings is fifteen hun- dred and thirty feet. The office building is located in front of the plant, and is \'ery con- veniently arranged, being handsomely fur- nishetl and supplied with everything that is required to conduct the extensive business which the cnrporation enji)}'s. There are large warehouses and mounting departments in which many men are constantly engaged in setting up stoves and getting them ready for shipment; the cleaning shop, where the rough edges of the castings are taken off be- fore the}' are sent to the mounting depart- ment ; the moulding department, in which every piece that enters into a stove is cast, and in the center of this room is a large cupola where the iron is melted ; in another building are the core ovens, where the cores for the gas ranges and hot plates are made. Another interesting building is the wood pat- tern department. It is here the designs for all of the new stoves are made. E\ery piece that enters into the construction of a stove is carefuly carved from selected pine, and, after being made to fit perfectly, they are taken to the moulding department and iron patterns made from them. When those have served their purpose they -are stored in fire proof buildings and are kept fur futue use. In this building the concern has every p.ittern that has ever been made for a stox'C, no mat- ter how large or small, for they are liable to be needed at any time. There is also a nickel-plating department, and after the plating is done the pieces are carefully dried and then taken to the polishing room where they are brightened. There are storage rooms, and gas range, hollow ware, tin shop and odd plate departments, each being equipped with the latest and most improx'ed machinery. The plant is operate! with a large two-hundred-horse-power Corliss engine and one one-hundred-horse-power Seely engine. There is also a dynamo in this room used for generating light for the entire plant, save for the nickeling department, which has its own dynamo. There are machine shops wdiere various things are made for the different de- l)artments, and a Japanning house, coke and sand houses. Thus thoroughly equipped the Favorite Stove & Range plant has be- come one of the most extensive in the entire country, and its output finds its way to every state in the Union. While thoroughly a man of affairs whose competency to control extensive business in- terests has been manifested in the success of the enterprise with which he is now con- nected, Mr. Boal is in private life a genial, kindly gentleman wlm has won many friends. In 1855 he married Miss Eliza Naomi Van Bibber, the only child of Dr. James and Naomi Barton ( W'hite) \'au Bibber. Her father was a very successful physician and the best known citizen of Greenup county, Kentucky. He was also a cousin of Daniel Boone. His wife \\as a daughter of Naomi Barton, who was of English birth, and a cousin of Francis Scott Key, to whom, as the author of the Star Spangled Banner, the countr_\- will e\er owe a debt of gratitude. Mr, and Mrs. Boal are the parents of seven children, namely: Stella; Nannie: Louise;. Eliza \'an Bibber, wife of A. yi. Orr, of Piqua ; Naomi, wife of George ^Viedeman,of Newport, Kentucky; Ailine, and Stanhope. The son is associated with his father in busi- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 519 ness, and is vice-president of the Favorite Stove & Range Compao}', is president of the National Stove Manufacturers' Association, of the National Gas Stove Works Associa- tion and the Western Association of Stove jManufacturers. A man of fine physique, of affable manner and genial disposition, in business life he is highly regarded for his marked executive ability and the faithfulness with which he discharges the duties that de- volve upon him through his connection with the various organizations of which he is the head. A most pleasant relationship exists between him and the employes of the foun- dry, and a similar regard is shown his father, William K. Bual, who sustains a most envia- ble reputation in business circles. He is well known as a thorough-going business man who conducts his affairs along systematic lines and requires absolute faithfulness on the part of his employes. At the same time they recognize that fidelity to duty is the stepping" stone to something higher, and that as op- portunity oft'ers he will reward their faith- fulness by promotion. The humanitarian spirit of jNIr. Boal was shown at the time of the great financial panic of 1873, when the company retained all their men, paying them regularly every Saturday, although the out- put the factory was very much diminished. Through his effort and those of capable asso- ciates he has built up one of the most exten- sive industrial pursuits in the country. The day of small undertakings, especially _in cities, seems to have passed and the era of gigantic enterprises is upon us. In control of mammoth concerns are men of master minds, of almost limitless ability to guide, of sound judgment and keen discrimination. The:r progressiveness must not onl)- reach the bounds that others have gained, but must even pass beyond into new and broader, un- 30 tried fields of operation; but an unerring foresight and sagacity must make no mis- take by venturing upon uncertain ground. Thus continually growing, a business takes leadership in its special line and the men who are at the head are deservedly eminent in the world of commerce, occupying a position which commands the respect while it excites the admiration of all. Such a place does Mr. Boal now fill. Outside of his office he is known to be a man of genial disposition, courteous and companionable. He is highly esteemed by his brethren of the Masonic fra- ternity and the Odd Fellows society, and is a leading member of the Episcopal church, in \\-hich he is now serving as vestryman. His home is one of the most elegant resi- dences in Piqua, and stands as a monument to a life whose labors have been discerningly directed along lines that have brought to him handsome prosperity, and at the same time have gained for him that good name which is rather to be chosen than great riches. NELSON SHANCK. Nelson Shanck is an enterprising farmer of Union township, Miami county. His birth occurred in Montgomery county, Ohio, three miles southwest of Dayton, on the 3d of January, 1850. His father, Phillip Shanck, \\-as bOrn in Maryland and during his early life emigrated westward with his family and settled near what is now the city of Dayton, then a small village. The family lived on a farm and Phillip Shanck remained at home until his marriage, after which he removed to Indiana. He spent a year in that state and then returned to Ohio, locat- ing upon rented farm land in Aliami county. \Vhen six years had passed he purchased 520 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. his father's old homestead and tliereon re- mained until his life's labors were ended, at the age of seventy-eight. In politics he was a Republican but never sought or de- sired the honors and emoluments of public office. He held membership in the German •Baptist church, which was also the faith of his parents. His father, John Shanck, was a native of Maryland, and died on the old homestead in Ohio, when about eighty-five years of age. He, too, held membership in the German Baptist church and was a man of the highest respectability. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Rebecca Shafer and was born in Pennsyl- vania. During her girlhod she came vi*^h her parents to Ohio and is still living, ar tlie age of se\'enty-eight years. She, too, was a member of the church and led an earnest Christian life. Nelson Shanck remained at home until about twenty years of age, and the duties and pleasures of farm life occupied his time and attention. He then left home and for a time was employed as a farm hand by the day. Subsequently he rented land and en- gaged in raising tobacco and potatoes. Dur- ing the third year in which he was tlius en- gaged he was married, and continued to rent a farm of thirty-five acres in the neigh- borhood for about four years. On the ex- piration of that period he purchased twenty acres just across the line in -Darke county, living there for twelve or thirteen years, 'during which time he extended the boundar- ies of his land by an additional purchase of ■.twenty acres. On selling that property he purchased the eighty-acre tract upon which he now makes his home, and has sir.ce car- ried on general farming, his fields being un- der a high state of cultivation, while the iTiany modern improvements and acces.sories seen upon the place indicate his careful su- pervision and practical, progressive hiethods. As a companion and helpmeet on life's journey Mr. Shanck chose Miss Sally Isen- berger. of Union township, and they now have fi\e children : Edna, wife of Calvin Minnich ; Effie, Noah. Jesse, antl Lucy, all at home. Mr. Schanck exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and meas- ures of the Republican party, and he and his wife hold membership in the Dunkard church. The circle of their friends is al- most co-extensi\e with the circle of their ac- quaintances and they are widely and favora- blv known in Miami countv. H. l.\\\t>:exce houser. Among the native sons of }kliami cmin- ty who are recognized as substantial and re- spected citizens is classified H. Lawrence Houser, whose birth occurred in Spring Creek townshij) on the 13th of December, 1S55. His grandfather was Henry Houser, his father, Aaron Houser, and the latter was born on the old homestead farm in Spring- Creek township, January 27, 1826. Hav- ing arrived at years of maturity he mar- ried Eliza A. Inskeep, a native of Staunton township, and they became the parents of seven children: William S.. now a resident of Piqua; James B., who is living in Spring Creek township: H. Lawrence; Frank, who also resides in Spring Creek township: Jo- seph, who is living in Piqua ; Carrie, wife of Bland Scudder, of Fletcher; and Albert, a resident of Troy. Throughout his active business career the father of this family car- ried on farming with creditable success in his undertakings. He voted with the De- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 521 mocracy and was a prominent member of tlie Methodist Episcopal churcli, in which he served as class leader for many years. He was one of the fonnders of the Bethel church and lal)ored earnestly to promote the cause of Christianit}- in his community. He died January 26, 1899. his wife having- preceded him only a few months, having passed away on the 20th of September, 1898. H. Lawrence Houser spent his youth upon the old family homestead and in the common schools acquired his education. At the age of twenty he began teaching and fol- lowed that profession at intervals for twelve years during the winter months, mostly in Spring Creek and Brown townships. In 1897 he removed to his present farm, which comprises a tract of land of eighty acres on section 9, Spring Creek township, about five and a half miles northeast from Piqua, on the Snodgrass pike. There he carries on general farming, the well-tilled fields giv- ing promise of rich harvests. He also raises stock of a good grade, and this adds materially to his income. An important event in his life occurred on the i8th of May, 1879, when was cele- brated his marriage to Miss Lucinda Snod- grass, a daughter of ^^'illiam Snodgrass. They now have li\e children : Blanche, a student of music ; Harry, who is attending a commercial college in Piqua ; Earl and Earnest, twins ; and Grace, at home. Wide- ly known in their community, Mr. and Mrs. Houser have many warm friends. In poli- tics H. Lawrence Houser is a Democrat. I" or three years be served as justice of the peace and his rulings were fair and impartial. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, his membership being in Orange Lodge, No. 779, of Kirkwood, of which he is a charter member. JOHN E. ANDERSON. John E. Anderson, who is filling the po- sition of county commissioner of Miami county and resides in Piqua, was born near Bethany, in Butler county, Ohio, January 28, ■ 1844. He represents one of the oldest families of the Buckeye state, his grandfather, John Anderson, having emigrated from New Jer- sey to Ohio about the time the state was ad- mitted to the Union. He took up his abode in Butler county and was numbered among- its pioneer families. He there lived to be about eighty years of age. The family is probably of Scotch e.xtraction. He married Miss Mary Hageman, who was born in this country but was of Dutch lineage. She, too, lived to be about eighty years of age. Adrian Anderson, John's father, was born in Butler county, in 1818, and there resided until 1847, when he came to Miami county, taking up his residence near Piqua, where he has since followed agricultural and horticult- ural pursuits, conducting a prosperous busi- ness. He is a Republican in his political views and a United Presbyterian in his re- ligious faith. He married Jane Peterson, a native of ^^'arren county, Ohio, and a daugh- ter of Samuel Peterson, who resided in Adams county, Pennsylvania, whence he came to the Bueke)'e state at an early period in its development. Mrs. Anderson, who was a member of the United Presbyterian church, is now deceased.- She had three children : John, of this re\-iew ; Emma, wife of J. A. Robison, of Piqua; and Laura B. John E.Anderson of this record was only three years old when brought to Piqua b}^ his parents. He remained upon the home farm, assisting in its culti\-ation and im- provement through the summer months, while in the ^^•inter season he attended the 522 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Fiqua schools, pursuing his studies until the breaking out of the civil war. On the ist of August, 1862. he loyally responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting in Company B, Fiftieth Ohio Infantry, in which he served as a private until July, 1865, when he re- ceived an honoraljle discharge and returned home. His regiment was with the army under Sherman and particii)ated in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign and the en- gagements of Franklin and Nashville. ^Ir. Anderson was always found at the post of duty and with true patriotism valiantly aided iri the defense of the Union. When the war was over, he returned to Piqua and completed his course in the high school, where he was graduated in 1866. Sulisequently he learned the carpenter's trade and for se\-eral years was engaged in con- tracting and building, during which time he erected many of the substantial residences of the city. These stand as monuments of tlirift and industry and are an excellent indi- catiiin of his ability. He, however, aban- doned his chosen occupation July i, 1897, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of county commissioner. Mr. Anderson was married to Mrs. Lu- cretia H. Gillespie, a native of ^liami county and a daughter of William Patterson, of Picjua. They are both members of the Pres- byterian church and are people of the high- est respectability, enjoying the warm regard of many friends. I\Jr. Anderson is a stanch Republican in his political affiliations and Jias been quite active in the work of his party. He served for six years on the school board of Piqua, and by appointment became a director of the infirmary. In his present capacity as county commissioner, he has jurisdiction over a territory thirty miles in lengtli and thirtv miles in width. This includes six hundred miles of turnpike and the supervision of all the roads and bridges in Miami county. He now devotes his en- tire time to his official duties, and their dis- charge is characterized by marked prompt- ness and fidelity. Socially, he is connected with Alexander Mitchell Post, No. 157, G. A. R., of Piqua, and served as vice-com- mander for a year. As a citizen lie is as true to-day as when he loyally followed the banners oi the Union on the battlefields of the south. GERHART TIMMER. Much of the civilization of the world has come from the Teutonic race. Contin- ually moving westward, they ha\e taken with them the enterprise and advancement of their eastern homes, and have become valued and useful citizens of various locali- ties. In this country especially have they demonstrated their power to adapt them- selves to new circumstances, retaining at the same time their progressiveness and en- ergy, and have become loyal and devoted citizens, true to the institutions of "the land of the free," and untiring in promotion of all that will prove of benefit to their adopted country. The German element in America forms an importalit part of American citi- zenship, and, while they cannot attain to the highest civil ofiice in the gift of the people, they have given ample evidence of 'their power to sustain and uphold the government of the repul)lic and to become the factors in various communities to whom the locality owes its progress and prosperity. ^Ir. Timmer is a native of the father- land, his birth having occurred in Hanover, in the village of Bentheim, on the 12th of GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 523 ]\Iarch, 1830. He was reared on a farm, early becoming familiar with all the dtities and labors that fall to the lot of the agricult- urist. He came to America in 1853, hoping to benefit his financial condition in the new world. Taking up his abode in Miami county, he learned the cooper's trade at Troy, and for thirty years was engaged in that business. In 1855 he removed to Tip- pecanoe City, and after working for a year in the employ of others, he opened a shop of his own, securing two workmen to aid him in executing the orders given him. He did all kinds of coopering work, and his business steadily increased so that he fur- nished employment to seven or eight work- men. The output of the factory was C|uite extensive, the excellent workmanship and honorable business methods pursued therein winning liberal patronage. During the ex- istence of the sugar factory he employed from twenty to twenty-five men, and con- tinued the conduct of his industry until 1883. In the meantime he had spent three years in California, going to that state in 1859. He engaged in gold mining with satisfactory results, and in 1S62 returned to Tippecanoe City, where he resumed his business. He is a man of resourceful ability, enterprising and energetic, and has not confined his ef- forts to one line, but has been interested in various concerns. He was one of the in- corporators of the wheel factory, and was a director until he sold his stock, and in con- nection with two partners, Fred Huber and Morris Huffman, he rebuilt the malt house, which was operated with fair success for ten years. He also became a stockholder in a paper mill, and on its establishment was made a member of the board of directors. He was thus connected with the enterprise . for three years. He was also one of the original stockholders in the bank, and main- tained his association with the institution for a year. He was one of the first to sub- scribe to stock when the Glucose Company was organized. After disposing of his va- rious industrial and commercial connections he invested his capital in farming land, and is now the owner of three hundred and fifty acres, all in ]\Iiami county. This property he rents and it brings to him a good income. On the 13th of July, 1855, Mr. Timmer was united in marriage, in Dayton, Ohio, to Miss Wilhelmina Kettlehager, a native of Hesse, Germany, who came to America in 1852 with her parents, Conrad and Justina Kettlehager, who located in Tippecanoe City. The father was a carpenter, and died at the age of seventy-two years. In his family are six children who yet survive : Charles and Henry, who are residents of Tippecanoe City; Frederick, a resident of Dayton; Caroline, who is also living in Day- ton ; Riga, of Troy ; and Mrs. Timmer. Unto our subject and his wife have been born the following children : Caroline, a resident of Picjua, Ohio; Matilda, wife of \\". H. Myers, of Dayton; Wilhelmina, wife of S. E. Mus- selman, of Piqua; Bernard, who is con- nected with the bent wood manufactory at Troy; Fanny, wife of T. S. Conway, of Tip- pecanoe City; Ella, at home; Edward, who is engaged in the hardware business; Jus- tina, at home; and Albert, who is also en- gaged in the hardware business. All have been confirmed in the Lutheran church. While his sons were young Mr. Timmer, in order to teach them habits of industry and economy, gave them the task of raising to- bacco, and thus they made their start in life. In his political views Mr. Timmer is a stalwart Democrat, unswerx'ing in his ad- 524 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. vocacy of the party and its principles. He 15 one of the original menihers of the Ger- man Lutheran church, which was originated about eighteen years ago, and has served on the official board. His labors contribute to its support and indicate his interest in the work. As a citizen he manifests a deep in- terest in everything pertaining to the pul)lic good, and his efforts along material, social and moral lines have been very effective and beneficial. Mr. Timmer has won the proud American title of a self-made man, for his success has come to him entirel}' as a result of his own well-directed efforts, his keen discernment in business affairs and his re- liable dealing. His word is as good as his bond, and his reputation in commercial cir- cles is indeed enviable. CLARK E. STEWART. On the 6th of March, 1895, there passed away one of the oldest residents in ]\Iiami county, for Clark E. Stewart was called to his final rest on that day, at the age of ninetj-- five years. Like the day with its morning of hope, its noontide of activity, its evening of completetl and successful eft'ort, ending in the grateful rest and quiet of the night, so was the life of this honored man, and his memory remains as a blessed benediction to all who knew him. He was born in Xew Jersey, September 5, 1800, his parents being David and Sarah (Clark) Stewart, both na- tives of the same state. Emigrating west- ward in the early part of the century, they located in Staunton township, ^liami coun- ty, in 1817, and there secured a tract of government land, on which the father erected a log cabin. He then began clearing his land in true pioneer style. But his labors in his new home were of short duration, as he was attacked by milk sickness, to which so many settlers fell victims. He died in 1820, about three years after locating here. His wife and daughter also died of the same dis- ease in three days' time. The only surviv- ing child, Clark E. Stewart, was also pros- trated with this terrible disease, but eventu- ally recovered from his illness, after which he made his home with his uncle for about three years. He then began learning the mason's trade under the direction of Abra- ham :\liller, of Piqua. He remained with his employer for six years, and became an expert workman, taking an active part in the building interests in his section of the county. On the 25th of Xovember, 1834, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Hannah E. Rollins, a daughter of Josiah and Nancy (Tucker) Rollins, both natives of New Hampshire, whence they came to Ohio in 1815. Tiiey were among the pioneer set- tlers of the county, and took an active part in opening up this region to civilization. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were born ten children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Josiah R. ; David C. and Rich- ard \\'., now deceased; Sarah A., wife of David Rusk, of Troy; Mayhew H., de- ceased; Abigal \V., wife of James W'his- man, of Piqua ; Elizabeth, deceased ; Phoebe, deceased, wife of John Drake, of Piqua ; and Mary J. After his marriage Mr. Stewart resided for twenty-one months on the W'inans farm, and then purchased a tract of land adjoining the farm where he spent his last days. He there remained for a year and a half when he came to the place now known as the Stew- art homestead. When he started out in life for himself he had no capital, but was pos- sessed of strong energy and determination. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 525 and as a result of his resolute purpose and capable management he worked his way steadily upward, overcoming all the diffi- culties and obstacles in his path. He was ably assisted by his wife, who proved to him an excellent helpmeet, and thus they acquired a good farm and home for them- selves and their children. He had seventy- one acres of rich land on section 19, Staun- ton township. The house which he erected was built of brick manufactured on the farm, and all the improvements upon the place stand as monuments to his thrift and enter- prise. He reached a very advanced age, and his career was certainly a long, useful and honorable one, meriting the confidence of all with whom he was associated. He gave his political support to the Democracy, and was a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife died July 2J, 1889, and he survived her for six years, passing away on the 6th of March, 1895. He retained his mental and physical faculties largely unimpaired until the last, and was able to read without glasses almost up to the time of his death. He possessed a strong constitution, and the way in which he husbanded his resources undoubtedly led to his long lease on life. Miss Mary J. Stewart now resides upon the old homestead, and superintends the farm. She is a good business woman, and a kind, generous lady, who stands high in the com- munity where her many good deeds have won her the love and esteem of all who know her. SAMUEL LIXD. The beauty of a city depends largel}' upon its architecture, and to those who design and construct its buildings is due the credit of the position it holds in this direction. Among those who have executed a large amount of the work which adorns the streets and ave- nues of Troy is Samuel Lind, who is well versed in the details and principles of this branch of industry, and who has already es- tablished an extensive and lucrative business. His success has come as the result of well- directed and honorable efifort, and of marked fidelity to the interests of his patrons. Mr. Lind was born in Cumberland coun- ty, Pennsylvania, on the 14th of April, 1S36, and is a son of Samuel and Catherine (Myers) Lind. The father was born in Ireland, about the year 1790, and in 1812 came to the Lnited States, locating first in Pennsylvania. In 1849 he came to Ohio, taking up his residence in Clark county, where he died when about seventy-nine years of age. By occupation he was a bookkeeper, but in later life engaged in farming. His wife was born in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, and died in Clark county, Ohio, in the eighty-third year of her age. In the common schools Samuel Lind ob- tained his education, gaining a good knowl- edge of the English branches and thus be- came well fitted for the practical duties of life. At the age of nineteen years he began learning the carpenter's trade at Addison, in Champaign county, Ohio, and in 1870 he took up his abode in Troy, where he has since resided. Three years later he began contracting and building on his own ac- count. He erected many of the barns and a large number of the residences in Eliza- beth township, and after becoming an active factor in the building interests of the city, he put up, under contract, many of the fine residences of Troy, together with a number of business houses and blocks. Among manv of the best residences which he has 526 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. erected are those owned by W. H. Francis, Dr. Thomas Wright, P. J. Gates, George \\'. Conrad and Mrs. M. Harter. He has also erected the Troy Buggy ^^'orks' shops, the tobacco warehouses. Brown's l)lock and many others of the leading structures of tlie town. He ranks among the most promi- nent contractors and builders of the county, and in business circles is regarded as very reliable. In 1862 Mr. Lind was united in marriage to Miss Susan Xeal, a native of Clark coun- ty, Ohio, and they have two sons, Frank and Harry. In his political opinions Mr. Lind is a Democrat. He has been a Ma- son for thirty years, and is now a member of F"ranklin Lodge, No. 14, F. & A. M. ; Frank- lin Chapter, No. 24, R. A. M.; Franklin Council, No. 14, R. & S. M. ; and Coleman Commander}', No. 17, K. T. All of those organizations are in Troy, and with An- tioch Temple of the Mystic Shrine he is also identified. ]\Irs. Lind is a member of the Christian church, and the family enjoy the friendship of a large circle of ac(|uaint- ances in Troy. WILLIAM H. GILBERT. The glory of our reptiblic is in the per- petuation of individuality and in the accord- ing of the utmost scope for individual ac- complishment. Fostered under the most auspicious of surroundings that can encom- pass one who has the will to dare and to do, our nation has almost spontaneously pro- duced men of finest mental calibre, of true virile strength and vigorous purpose. The cradle has not ever been one of pampered luxury, but the modest couch of infancy has often rocked future greatness. American biography thus becomes, perhaps, one of more perfect individuality, in the general as well as the specific case, than does that of an}^ other nation of the globe. Of America is the self-made man a product, and the rec- ord of accomplishments in this individual sense is the record which the true and loyal American holds in deepest regard and high- est honor. In tracing the career of the sub- ject of this review we are enabled to gain a recognition of this sort of a record, for he is a man of broadest intellectuality and one who has attained to distinguished honors. For this reason there is a particular interest attaching to the points which mark his prog- ress in life and this sketch is amply justified. Mr. Gilbert is still a' young man. He was born on a farm near Gettysburg, in Darke county, Ohio, on the 28th of December, 1863, his parents being Henry and Mary (Harry) Gilbert. The father came with his parents from Lancaster county. Pennsylva- nia, and settled on a farm two miles west of Covington, near Croft's Mill. He mar- ried Mary E. Harry, who came to Miami comity in her early girlhood with her par- ents. The wedding was celebrated January 4, 1863, and they began their domestic life near Gettysburg. Darke county, whence they afterward removed to Miami county. They became the parents of seven children and all are yet li\ing, with the exception of the youngest, who died in childhood. The par- ents are now residents of Pleasant Hill, this county. William Harry Gilbert is the eldest son of the family. He was reared on his fa- ther's farm, and acquired his preliminary education in the common schools of Ohio. He afterward spent a short time as a stu- dent in the Normal school at Portland, in 1884, and was a student in the Normal GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 527 School at Ada, Ohio, in 1S85. He is now a man of scholarly attainments, his knowl- edge, however, having been acquired prin- cipally through a systematic course of study at home. He began reading law in the office of Meeker & Bowman, in Greenville, Ohio, in the spring of 1886, and there remained until November of that year, when he was appointed librarian of the Greenville law li- brary and special court bailiff. He contin- ued his studies in the law library under the direction of the firm of Meeker & Bow- man until October 4, 1888, when he was ad- mitted to practice by the supreme court of Ohio. He has 'since devoted his energies to the profession, and his large clientage at- tests the public's recognition of his ability. On the 1.9th of November, 1890, Mr. Gilbert was united in marriage to Miss Vir- ginia G. Meeker, the accomplished daugh- ter of Judge D. C. Meeker, of Greenville, Ohio. He practiced law in Greenville with fair success until October, 1892, when he removed to Troy and entered into partner- ship with A. R. Byrkett, then one of the leading attorneys of the Miami county bar. That connection was continued until July, 1895, after which Mr. Gilbert was alone in practice until April, 1899, when he ad- mitted to partnership Leonard H. Ship- man, who had formerly been a student in his office. He has devoted his attention ex- clusively to his law practice. During the eight years of his residence in Troy he has secured a large clientele and has been very successful in winning his cases both before the court and jury. One who knew him well has said of him, "Mr. Gilbert is a hard working, skillful lawyer of sterling qualities. In a modern, well-equipped office he carefully stai'ts his cases, and de- velops and thoroughl}' prepares every case step by step, and when he goes into the court room it is with confidence and a well pre- pared plan of attack and defense. Seldom surprised, and never exhibiting surprise or feeling, he carefully tries his case with cool- ness, ability and adroitness. He has su- perior natural abilities, thoroughly believes in his cause, stands by his convictions and ceases to fight only after there is nothing to fight for, and is an aggressive, interminable combatant, often turning defeat into vic- tory by his unswerving loyalty to his cause. One of his best and strongest qualities is his faith in what he undertakes and his ceaseless fidelity to his client, whether rich or poor, or whether for a lucrative fee or merely for the love of his work, and his satisfaction in aiding some' helpless person to obtain justice. In a trial he skillfully develops his case in the most favorable light. His ad- dresses to juries are earnest, thrilling and persuasive, and to the court, clear, logical and convincing. Needless to say he is an all-round, successful lawyer, enjoying the confidence and respect of the bench and bar, and is favored with a large portion of the best civil business. As a citizen he is an in- terested student of politics, and well in- formed upon all leading issues. He is an earnest Republican, but with no political ambitions. His only ambition being to ex- cel in the broad field of the law. JOHN M. SANDERS. A native of Ohio, John M. Sanders was born in Spring \'alley, Greene county, on the 24th of November, 1861, his parents being Jesse P. and Catherine A. (Stoker) Sanders. The father, also a native of Greene countv, was a son of Hiram San- 528 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ders, who removed from the Empire state to Ohio, in 1812. Jesse P. Sanders was for many years proprietor of a hotel at Spring Valley, and thus became widely known to the traveling public. His later years were passed in Montgomery county upon a farm, where his death occurred at the ripe old age of se\enty-seven years. His widow still survives him, and is now living with her son in Tippecanoe City. John M. Sanders spent his boyhood days in his native village, attending the school? there and assisting in the work of the ho- tel. He was married on the 12th of August, 1885, in Tippecanoe City, to ]Miss Minnie ]\lae Favorite, daughter of U. J. Favorite, after which he operated the homestead farm in ^lontgomery county until 1894. He still owns that property, comprising ninety- five acres, and its rental adds materially to his income. Upon his retirement from the fann he became connected with the grain traile in Tippecanoe City, purchasing the elevator and warehouse, the former having been erected soon after the building of the railroad. Later a grocery store was con- verted into a grain establishment. The elevator now has a capacity of three thousand bushels of grain, and Mr. Sanders deals in all kinds of grain and seed, also grinds feed and handles both feed and hay. His business has grown to satisfactory propor- tions, so that he now furnishes employment to from two to four men. His methods are I)ractical, systematic and reliable, and his nidefatigable energy justly entitles him to the prosperity which has crowned his ef- forts. In his political \iews Air. Sanders is a Republican and earnestly advocates the prin- ciples of the party, doing all in his power to promote its growth, and insure its success. He takes an active part in campaign work, attends the local conventions, and for one year he served as a member of the city coun- cil, yet his labors in behalf of Republican- ism have not been' performed with the hope of reward. Fraternally he is a Mason, and with the exception of master has filled all the offices in the blue lodge. He has recently taken the Royal Arch degrees, and will prob- ably in the near future be made a Knight Templar, in Coleman Commandery, at Troy. In demeanor he is unostentatious in man- ner, yet pleasant and genial — an approach- able gentleman who enjoys the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. GEORGE \V. COXRAD. No history of the business life of Troy would be complete without mention of this gentleman, who is actively associated with two of its leading interests, being president and manager of the Troy Bending Company and the senior member of the firm of George \\'. Conrad & Company, coaT dealers. His life has been one of honest and earnest en- deavor, and due success has not been denied him. He is indeed a self-made man. He entered upon his business career without the aid of wealth or influential friends, depend- ing solely upon his own energy and abilit}'. Though he has met obstacles and difficulties, his unfailing perseverance has enabled him to conquer these, and steadily has he ad- vanced to the plane of aflluence. He cer- tainly deserves great credit for his success. It is such men which form the strength of state and nation, their enterprise contribu- ting not alone to their individual prosperity, but also advancing the general welfare and progress. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 529 Mr. Conrad is numbered among tlie na- tive sons of Ohio, his birth having occurred in the capital city, on tlie 22d of February. 1851. His parents were Philip and Re- becca (Yingling) Conrad, natives of Ger- many. The father came to the United States in 1841. locating in Columbus, where he was engaged in the grocery business for a number of years. In 1851 he removed to Monroe county, Michigan, where he car- ried on farming until 1859, when he went to Morgan couniy. Missouri. He was con- nected with the Iniilding interests of V^er- sailles, in that state, until the spring of 1861, when he remo\-ed to a farm in that locality, and there he was killed Ijy bushwhackers, in August of that year, on account of his avowed sympathy with the Union cause. He was a man of firm convictions, fearless in defense of what he believed to be right, and his outspoken utterances in support of the national government at Washington led to his death. After the death of her hus- band, Mrs. Conrad disposed of her house- hold goods and property and went to Tipton, Missouri, where she remained until Jan- uary, 1862, when she returned to Mar3-s- ville, Ohio, making her home in Union county until her death, which occurred in the spring of 1894. She was the mother of four children, two sons and two daughtt rs. George W. Conrad attended the common schools to a limited extent, but his knowl- edge has mostly been acquired through read- ing, experience and observation. At the age. of fifteen he began learning the blacksmith's trade at Milford's Center, Ohio, serx'ing a four years' apprenticeship, and when he had mastered the business he worked at the trade on his own account in Marysville until 1884. In that year Mr. Conrad arrived in Troy, and until 1894 was foreman i^f the blacksmith department of the Troy Buggy Works. In that year, however, he became president and manager of the Troy Bend- ing Company, one of the leading enterprises of the city, employment Ijeing furnished to about one hundred people. This enterprise being located in the heart of the wooded districts of Ohio and Indiana, they have an excellent opportunity to secure superior material for use in their shops. The com- pany owns its own saw-mill, and can cut lumber to anv desired thickness, thus being enabled to fill orders promptly for special sizes. The plant is splendidly equipped with the latest and most improved machin- ery for the manufacture of its products, and its output is very extensive. They manufacture shafts and poles, also hammer handles, and the volume of their business is constantly increasing. Mr. Conrad is also engaged in the retail coal business, as a member of the firm of George W. Conrad & Company, his connection with this trade dating from 1885. In 1872 was celebrated the marriage of our subject and Miss Lena Magerlein, of Columbus, Ohio, wIkj died in 1876, leav- ing one daughter, Mary, who is now the wife of William Frich, of Piqua, Ohio. In 1882 Mr. Conrad was again married, his second union being with Miss Mary Nicol, of ]Ma- rysville, Ohio, by whom he has four sons — Herman, Leo, Edward and Albert. The parents are both members of the Evangeli- cal Lutheran church, and in politics Mr. Conrad is a stanch Republican. He is a charitable man, has aided in many benevo- lent institutions, both of a public and pri- vate character, and in manner is pleasing, genial and very approachable, not hedging himself about with the reserve such as many men do who have become wealthv. When 530 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. we stop to consider that a third of a century ago lie entered upon his business career as a blacksmith's apprentice, his success seems most marvelous, but it is the outcome of his own efforts. There is no trace of the overbearing taskmaster in him. He has great sympathy for those who are striving to im- prove their condition, and is always ready to help those who are willing to help them- selves. A man of unswerving integrity and honor, one who has a perfect ajipreciation of the higher ethics of life, he has gained and retained the confidence and respect of his fellow men and is distinctively one of the leading citizens of the thriving city of Troy, with whose interests he has now been identified for sixteen years. McPHERSOX CROWN. Few men are more prominent or more widely known in the enterprising city of Piqua than McPherson Brown. Although a young man, he has been, and is, an import- ant factor in business circles, and his popu- larity is well deserved as in him are em- braced the characteristics of an unbending in- tegrity, unabating energy and industry that never flags. He is public-spirited, and thoroughly interested in everything that tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of Piqua, anil his fitness for leadership brought him the honor of an election to the state senate of Ohio. Mr. Brown was born in Pittsburg, on the 2 1 St of October, i860, and belongs to one of the old families of that state, which tra- dition says is of Irish extraction. His grand- father, John Brown, was born in that state, as was the father, John Brown, Jr. The latter was a native of Carlisle, and in early life he followed the cooper's trade. When a young man, he went to Pittsburg and there engaged in coopering throughout his re- maining days. He was at one time the pro- prietor of a very extensive establishment in that line, and his excellent workmanship, capable management and honorable deal- ing brought to him good financial returns. In politics he was a Democrat, but never sought or desired ofifice. He died at the \ery advanced age of eighty-two years. His wife, who bore the maiden. name of Sarah Davis, was a native of England, and when a maiden of twehe summers came to America with her parents. Her father, William Da- vis, took up his abode in Pittslnirg and was employed as a shingler in a rolling mill. At one time he was in very comfortable cir- cumstances, but lost considerable in the Pitts- burg fire, in 1845. He lived to be eighty- three years of age. His daughter, Mrs. Brown, spent the greater part of her life in Pittsburg, but about 1890 came to Piqua. where she is still living, at the age of seventy- six years. She is a member of the Presby- terian church, and her careful training has been an important factor in molding the lives of her children. She was the mother of ten sons and four daughters, but seven of the number are deceased, five having died in infancy. Mary Ann and Robert are resi- dents of Pittsburg. John, who was a Union soldier and was held as a prisoner of war for some time, died from the effects of his ser\ice. Jane and Martha are also living in Pittsburg, ^^'illiam was killed at the age of forty-two years. George C. is em- ployed as a sheet roller in the rolling mill in Piqua. McPherson is the next of the family. Charles H. is also a sheet roller of Piqua, and the others died in very early life. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 531 McPherson Brown, whose name intro- duces this review, spent his boyhood days at home, and pursued his early education in tlie public schools of Pittsburg, but when only eight years of age he began to earn his own living by working in a brickyard. In order to acqire a better education, he attended night school until sixteen years of age. He then accepted a clerkship in a grocery store, but after a short time secured employment in a rolling mill, where his close' applica- tion to his duties and his marked ability and fidelity won him promotion from time to time. He was thus employed for about six years, after which he engaged in the manu- facture of brick on his own account in Graf- ton, Pennsylvania, six miles from Pitts- burg. He conducted that enterprise for about two years, but it did not prove a pay- ing one and in consequence he returned to the rolling mill at Pittsburg, where he re- mained until the 2ist of November, 1889, when he can;e to Piqua. He has since served as sheet roller in the extensive rolling mill at this place, with the exception of the time which he spent in the senate, and in the service of the country during the Span- ish-American war. He is a young man of excellent business ability, and his labors have secured a marked advancement in com- mercial and industrial circles. He was at one time vice-president and general manager of the Loyal Mutual Accident Association, serving in that capacity from 1893 to 1899. He is a stockholder and director in the Hub- bard Grocery Gompany, and a director in the Merchants' and ^Mechanics' Building & Loan Association. He is also a stockholder in the King Solomon Mining Gompany, having extensive mines in British Golumbia which are now extensively developed. He has alreadv made monev off of this enter- prise by selling some of his stock at an ad- vanced price. Formerly he was a stock- holder and director of the Dispatch news- paper, but has sold his interest in that jour- nal. Mr. Brown gave his wages to his mother until he was twenty-three years of age, at which time he was married and started out in life for himself with practi- cally no capital. He has steadily worked his v.'ay upward, overcoming all the difficulties and obstacles in his path, and whatever success he has achieved is the merited re- ward of his own labors. ]\lr. Brown was married in Pittsburg, January 13^ 1884, to Miss Mary Janet An- drews, of Pittsburg, and they now have three children: Marguarette Geist; Ethel, who died in infancy; and Frederick Geist. They have many warm friends in Piqua, and enjoy the hospitality of many of the best homes in the city. Li his political views Mr. Brown is a stanch Republican, and has always taken a deep interest in political questions, keeping well informed on the issues of the day. Even before he could vote he was a student of the political history of the country. He cast his first presidential vote for Blaine in 1884, and has ever labored to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. His fitness for leadership being recognized by those prominent in Republican circles, he was nominated for state senator in 1893, was elected and re-elected in 1895. His dis- trict is, as a rule, very strongly^Democratic, its normal majority for that party being about fifteen hundred. Mr. Brown is the second Republican ever sent to the senate from the district, and is the only one that has ever been re-elected. This fact stands in unmistakable evidence of his popularity as a man, and the faithfulness and ability 532 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. with which lie lahored for the county that he represents. During both terms he took an active part in the work performed by the senate, and was instrumental in presenting and passing a great many bills which had for their object the welfare of the commonweath. He opposed the contract system of labor in the penitentiary, and was instrumental in se- curing the passage of a bill to bring about the exchange of commodities between the different public institutions of the state and which would place the labor of some insti- tutions out of competition with the working man. He also introduced a bill to change the fee system in county offices, paying a salary instead to the incumbents. He also labored to secure the passage of the vinegar bill and the pure food commission, and was a member of many of the important commit- tees. He has served on the county central committee, has often been a delegate to the state, congressional, judicial, senatorial and county conventions, and is active in organiz- ing the local work in Miami county. In every respect Senator Brown is a consist- ent, energetic and faithful member of the Republican party. He was a member of the county election board the year in which the Australian ballot system came into vogtie. Although believing most firmly in the prin- ciples of the party, he places his country's Avelfare before partisan prejudice and the public good before self-aggrandizement. In 1898 he raised Company K, to fill the quota of the Third Regiment for the Spanish- American war, and as its captain he went to Tampa, Florida, and thence to Fernan- dina and Huntsville, where he remained for about four months. His regiment was ne\-er ordered to Cuba, and was mustered out at Columbus, on the 26th of October, 1898. Mr. Brown is very prominent in frater- nal circles, belonging to Warren Lodge, Xo, 24, F. & A. M.; Piqua Chapter, No. 31, R. A. -M. ; and to Coleman Commandery, Xo, 17, K. T., of Troy. He has also attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish rite, belongs to the Consistory, of Dayton, and is a member of the Mystic Shrine, of Cin- cinnati. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, to the Knights of Pythias fraternity, the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, and is the only mem- ber of the Heptasophs in Miami county, his membership being in the lodge of that order in Pittsburg. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church. His life has indeed been well spent, and with a just appreciation of the duties of citizen- ship and of the obligations of man to his fellow man and to his Creator, his life has been one commanding the respect of all with whom he has been brought in contact. BYRON T. W^ELDY, ^Ir. W'eldy has a most creditable record and from the study of his life history one may learn valuable lessons. The spirit of self- help is the source of all genuine worth in the individual and is the means of bringing to man success when he has no advantages of wealth or influence io aid him. It illus- trates in no uncertain manner what it is pos- sil)le to accomplish when perseverance and determination form ilie keynote to a man's life. Depending on his own resources, look- ing for no outside aid or support, Mr. W'eldy has risen from comparative obscurity to a place of prominence in the commercial world and is now in control of a certain successful business interest that is regarded as one of the leading enterprises of Miami county. Born in West Charlestown, Bethel town- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 533 ship. Miami county, February 9, 1857, Mr. Weldy is a son of Hazel and Frances E. (Howe) W'eldy. The fatlier was born in West Charlestown, February 21, 1831, and his parents were Daniel and I'riscilla (Thijnias) Weldy. The grandfather was born June 3, 1809, his wife July 3, 181 5, and their marriage was celebrated in 1829. The family is of Gorman lineage, the great- grandparents of our subject having" come with their family to America, making a set- tlement in Pennsylvania. About 18 iS they remmed to Miamisburg, Ohio, where both died. Daniel Weldy was a native of the Fatherland and by trade was a gunsmith. He \\as only fourteen years of age and his wife fifteen years of age when their son Hazel was born. Soon after their marriage they had settled at West Charlestown where Daniel Weldy worked at his trade and after- wards followed farming, making his home there throughout the remainder of life. Fie died March 4, 1873, and his widow after- wards became a resident of Tippecanoe City, where her death occurred August 6, 1892. They had a family of four sons and one daughter who reached years of maturity, namely : Hazel ; Uriah, who is engaged in the cultivation of small fruits at Piqua : Xathan, who died while serving in the Union army during the civil war; Andrew, a farmer and small-fruit grower of Piqua, who died near Troy, Ohio, at the age of forty-five; and Martha, wife of Joseph Benham, a resident of Tippecanoe. Hazel Weldy was reared on the okl home farm, and in company with his brothers operated that tract of land until his mar- riage. On the 2nd of October, 1853, he married Frances Howe, wdio was born near West Liberty, Ohio. He continued to engage in agricultural pursuits near Charlestown until i86t, when, feeling that his country needed his services, he responded to the call for troops, enlisting in Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Infantry. He filled the position of teamster until 1862, wlien he was honorably discharged on account of spinal trouble. He never fully recovered and was afterwards granted a pension. His life was a useful and honorable one, consistent with his profession as a memljer of the I\lethodist Episcopal church, in the work of which he took an acti\e interest. In his family were five children who grew to years of maturity, while two died in early life. The others are Byron T. ; Oscar, who was killed November 2/, 1889, at the age of thirty-one years, leaving a w,ife and one child, Clarence; Laura Belle, wife of George Helmer of Alcou}^, Ohio; Hazel, who is living in West Charlestow'u ; and Maggie, wife of James Funderburg, of Piqua. Byron T. Weldy, whose name introduces this record, spent his boyhood days in West Cliarlestown until fifteen years of age, after which he spent five years in Toledo, Ohio, working in a planing mill. His wages were given to his parents, and he there remained until about the time when he attained his ma- jority. He then returned to West Charles- town and soon after accepted a clerkship in a grocery store in Tippecanoe City. In a few months, however, he engaged in gar- dening at West Charlestown, meeting with excellent success. Fie extended the field of his labors by dealing in nursery stock, begin- ning the enterprise with six bushels of peach seeds. As opportunity afforded he added to his stock, his business constantly growing in volume and importance. In 1892 he em- ployed several men to represent the nursery upon the road and has since operated in that 534 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. manner in addition to the cultivation of nur- sery plants for the wholesale trade. 'I he business proved quite successful and in 1893 he purchased his present farm. He now owns eighty acres of rich and valuable land known as the Benjamin Deitrich farm, one of the oldest farms in the locality. It is splendidly equipped with an excellent house, substantial barns and about sixty acres are planted in trees of various kinds. He also owns a small farm of thirty-three acres near Tippecanoe City, planted in nursery stock. He employs from six to thirty men, accord- ing to the season, and has a canvassing force of fourteen men who sell his goods in Ohio, Indiana, ^Missouri and Kansas. His an- nual sales amount to about twenty-five thousand dollars, the West Charlestown nur- sery having become widely known for the reliability of the owner, while the excellent stock which he carries has secured to the business a most en\iable reputation. ]Mr. W'eldy has made a close study of horticul- ture from the standpoint of the nurseryman and thoroughly understands his business both in principle and iletail. He is a mem- ber of the American Nursery Association, and his opinions are regardetl as authority in many matters connected with his line of business. I.n October, 18S5, occurred the marriage of Mr. Weldy and Aliss Jennie Lee, a daugh- ter of Stephen and Ann (^Shurrum) Lee. She was born in Mercer county, where her father died, and when two years old she was Ijrought back to Brandt by her mother, with whom she li\'ed until her marriage. Her mother died in Brandt, at the age of seventy- one years. ^Irs. A\'eidy has one sister, Xancy Ann, wife of Clayton Davis, of Brandt, and iiad a brother, Thomas, who died at the age of ten vears. Mr. W'eldy takes quite an active part in political affairs, supporting the Republican party, and for some years he served as cen- tral committeeman.- He has frequently been a delegate to the county, judicial, congres- sional and state conventions, and his labors have been effecti\e in promoting the wel- fare of the party. His efforts have been freely offered, for he neither seeks nor desires political preferment. A very prominent Mason, he belongs to the lodge of Tippe- canoe City, to Franklin Chapter, R. A. M., of Troy, to Coleman Commandery. also of Troy, and to Antioch Temple of the IMystic Shrine, at Dayton. He has filled all the chairs in both lodge and encampment of the Odd Fellows society, and both he and his wife are connected with the Order of Re- belcah. He is a man of excellent business ability and enterprise, of strong force of character and of sterling integrity. Through his own capability and careful management he lias succeeded in building up one of the leading industries in this section of Miami county. His life has been manly and his actions sincere, his manner unaffected and his example is well worthy of emulation. HEXRY JAY. Each calling or occupation of life, if honorable, has its place in the ranks of hu- man existence. Emerson said, "AH are needed by each one ; nothing is fair or good alone." It is thus that each honorable work becomes an intricate part in the activity and prosperity of the nation, but is a recognized fact that the noblest lives are those whicli are devoted in a large measure to aiding and assisting others. "Bear ye one another's bur- dens" is the divine command, whose execu- /U^^/ C^jLif^:yOlu.i^ /y^ ^-^i.'i. /i'.-..^. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 539 tiou ennobles and uplifts all who follow the mandate. Mr. Jay is devoting his life to a most humane work. It is concerned with those large, loving interests affecting hu- manity, and his broad sympathy and great kindliness well qualify him for the important task which he is now discharging. He is at the head of the Knoop Children's Home, at Troy, and under his supervision the in- stitution has had a prosperous career. Its beneficent influence is like the ever-widen- ing circles of the water and cannot be meas- ured by any known standard. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it imto me." ^Ir. Ja.y was born at Pleasant Hill, Mi- ami county, on the 20th of November, 1850, his parents being Joseph Furnas and ]SIjiry (Coate) Jay. His father's birth occurred on the farm where Henry first opened his eyes to the light of day, the grandparents being William and ^lary (Furnas) Jay, who entered the land prior to the war of 1812. There the grandfather resided until his death, which occurred at the age of sixty- five years. His wife, Mary, had passed away many years previous. She was born in Montgomery county and at the time of her marriage was a resident of Miami coun- ty. After her death her husband was twice married. Joseph Jay, the father of our sub- ject, was born al^out 1814, spent his entire life on the homestead farm, and died in 1874, in his sixtieth year. His wife sur- vived him until seventy-three years of age. The farm passed into possession of their son, Oliver Perry, who sold it about two years ago. Henry Jay, whose name introduces this re\-iew, spent his boyhood days under the parental roof and early became familiar \\ith the work of the farm in its various 31 departments. He pursued his education in the common schools of the neighborhood and in a high school at Pleasant Hill. He manifested exceptional mechanical skill in his youth, but was connected with agricult- ural interests until his marriage, which oc- curred August 2/, 1875, Miss Laura A. Gritifith, of Adrian, Michigan, becoming his wife. Her father, Rev. George L. Griftith, a minister of the Christian church, is now living retired near Troy, and is widely known in his denomination. He carried on farming in Miami county until he assumed charge of the Ludlow Falls Saw & Lumber Mill, which he operated until chosen super- intendent of the Children's Home, at Troy. He was well known to the trustees of the institution, having had numerous business deals with them previous to this, and thus gained their confidence and proved his ability to superintend the home. On the ist of March, 1891, he became its superintendent and his wife was appointed matron. Under his careful supervision the work has been carried forward most successfully. The task of securing homes for the children devolves almost entirely upon Mr. and ^Irs. Jay, and they have been very fortunate in plac- ing many of these little ones in families where they have received good care and are trained in habits of industry, economy and honesty, so that they become honorable men and women. Such is the confidence that the trustees repose in Mr. Jay that "-hty have given him great latitude in his work, not hampering him with restrictions which would limit the field of his usefulness. The sanitary condition of the school is most ex- cellent, and during the past five years, with an attendance of six hundred children, there has not been a single death in the home. An excellent Sabbath school is conducted in 540 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. connection with the home, under the cHrec- tion of S. G. Harbaugh, of Casstown, who is acting as superintendent. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of Troy, also gives an earnest supervision to the work of the institution, and annually sends its representatives to the home with beautiful flowers for each child. Although there have been epidemics in the institution, about forty per cent, being sick with diphtheria, the splendid care and attention which were given the children by the superintendent, the matron and the attending physician have enabled them to report that not a single •death has occurred. Mr. Jay is a man of excellent business and executive ability, as well as of broad sympathy, and thus his labors are rendered effective and practical. His life is indeed a useful and honorabb one. commending itself to the regard of all. and winning him high admiration for his many excellent qualities. THE KXOOP CHILDREN'S HOME. Perhaps no institution in Miami county reflects more credit upon the citizens of the locality than does the Knoop Children's Home, at Troy, wherein many little home- less boys and girls are each year provided with tender care and given not only the necessities but also many of the comforts of life. Under the able superintendence of two men, who have had the place in charge, it has indeed been made a home, and the kindliness and attention denied children by their parents or as the result of an adverse fate is here accorded them. The institu- tion had its beginning on the 4th of June, 1877, when John K. Knoop deeded to Isaac Clyne. W. H. Xorthcutt and D. E. Branson, commissioners of the county, and their suc- cessors, the place known as the John Statler farm, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land in Elizabeth town- ship, the condition attaching thereto being that the commissioners erect a building and maintain it as a children's home. The ques- | tion of accepting the gift and providing funds to build and maintain the place was voted upon in October of that year, with the following result : five thousand eight hun- dred and ninety-one votes for and one hun- dred and seventy-five against its establish- ment. D. ^V. Gibbs, of Toledo, was se- lected as the architect, and on the 8th of May, 1878, contracts were awarded to \ari- ous builders, the home being erected at a cost of sixteen thousand two hundred and sev- enty dollars and twenty-five cents. The total cost of the main building, including the gas fixtures, was twenty-four thousand one hundred and seventy-one dollars and fifty-nine cents and the entire improvements up to date have been made at a cost of forty- eight thousand dollars. The first trustees selected were \\'illiam Scott, of Piqua; Jacob Rohrer, of Tippecanoe City, and S. K. Harter, of Troy. Mr. Scott, however, de- clined to serve and R. P. Spiker was selected in his place. \\'. Barnes was chosen super- intendent and his wife, Mrs. Martha Barnes, was made matron. On the lOth of March, 1878, he assumed control, and when the in- stitution was opened fifty-two children were placed in its care. Throughout the inter- vening years it has had a prosperous exist- ence. The idea was put forth that the- home would be overcrowded and that the expense would be too heavy for the tax payers, but in 1899, twenty-one years after the establishment of the home, there were onlv fortv-five children therein. Howe\er, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 541 (luring the intervening years it has afforded shelter and secured homes for seven hundred and seventy children. Mr. Barnes, the first superintendent, remained in charge for twelve years, or until i8go, when lie was succeeded by Henry Jay. Instructions ecjual to the regular ten-months schooling is given to the children in the home, who are under the care of two competent teachers. The terms of admission to the home are very liberal, the institution furnishing shelter and protection to such children, who by reason of abandonment by parents or orphanage or neglect or inability of parents to provide for them, become dependent on others. They must have resided at least one year in Miami county, or may be residents of other counties if the trustees wish to admit them to the school. All kinds of small products and fruits and grain are raised in sufficient quantities to provide the table and also for stock-feeding purposes, and thus the insti- tution contributes largely to its own sup- port. The majority of the children who h.a\'e entered the home have been placed with private families, and in a greater num- ber cases have received good care and at- tention and have grown to be a credit to those who have kindly sheltered them. JACOB HENNE. Jacob Henne, proprietor of the Troy brewery, which for many years has been operated under the name of Joseph Henne &: Son, was born on the loth of July, 1861, in the city which is still his home, his par- ents being Joseph and Mary (Long) Henne. The father was born in Germany, and when about eighteen years of age crossed the At- lantic to the new world, locating in Troy. For a number of years he was engaged in the retail shoe business, and in 1874 he pur- chased an interest in the Troy Brewer}^ of Titus Schwind. The business was con- ducted for some time under the firm name of Henne & Mayer, after which Mr. Henne purchased his partner's interest, carrying on the business alone for some time. In 1884, however, he deeded a half interest to his son, Jacob Henne, who was associated with him until his death. The father de- parted this life December 28, 1890, and since 1895 Jacob Henne has been sole proprietor of the business. He was reared in Troy, obtaining his education in the public schools, and on putting aside his text-books he en- tered the brewery to learn the business, gain- ing a practical knowledge of the work in every department. His entire life has been given to this enterprise, and he is now the sole proprietor although operations are still conducted under the old firm name. He has made many impro\-ements on the prop- erty, the plant now having a capacity of five thousand barrels per annum, and the sales are vei^y extensive, the excellent product se- curing a liberal patronage. Since his fa- ther's death he has also been a director in the Troy National Bank. In politics Mr. Henne is a Democrat, warmly espousing the principles of that part)'. In April, 1891, he was elected a member of the city council for two years, representing the fourth ward, and in April, 1899, he was elected as water works trus- tee for a term of three years. Socially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Those who have had busi- ness relations with him esteem him for his reliable methods, and in his circle of friends he is held in high regard. 542 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. EDWIN R. FARRIXGTOX. Edward Ruthven Farrington, a retired capitalist of Piqua, belongs to that class of enterprising, progressive American citizens who owe their advancement entirely to their own well-directed efforts. He is a self- made man and the record of accomplishments in this individual sense is the record which the true and loyal American holds in deep- est regard and highest honor. In tracing the career of the subject of this review we are enabled to gain an insight into the sources of his success, for he is a man of strong mentality, of marked force of char- acter and one who has attained splendid suc- cess in connection with business affairs. For this reason there is particular interest attaching to the points which characterize his progress in life, and his history cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our read- ers, showing as it does the plans and methods he has followed to gain his present enviable position. Edwin Ruthven Farrington was born at Baldwinsville, near Syracuse, Xew York. His father, Philip, was a native of Albany county, Xew York, and in the Empire state spent his entire life. He resided for some years in Oswego county, where he began the manufacture of lumber. He died in 1848. when only about thirty-five years of age. In politics he was a Democrat and took an active interest in the growth and success of his party. He was recognized as an enter- prising business man and thri)ugh his care- tully conducted affairs acquired a handsome competence for that time. In his religious views he was a Methodist. The family from which he is descended was of English ex- traction and the ancestry 111 America can l^e traced back to 1700. His wife, who bore ihe maiden name of Alary Haynes, was born in Onondaga county, Xew York, the father being one of the very prominent citizens of that locality. The Haynes are descended from an old family that lived near Boston in colonial days, but later representatives of the name took up their aliode near Syracuse, Xew York, and owned a farm where the city DOW stands. !Mrs. Farrington, the mother of our subject, died in Xew York, in 1878, when about seventy years of age. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and had a family of two sons, Origen B., a retired fanner and lumljerman, who is now living in Oswego county, Xew York, and is the possessor of a handsome competence, and Edwin R., of this review. Rufus Farrington, a bruther of Philip Farrington, was a very prominent Mason, who died in ]^Iemphis, Tennessee, of cholera. He had a contract with the government to move the Indians west of the Mississippi river and to supply them with blankets and provisions for a number of years. He went to Washington, District of Columbia, to get his money from the government, but l^e- fore his claim was allowed his death oc- curred. Edmond Farrington. another brother, was for many years one of the most prom- inent and active business men of Piqua. His connection with the industrial and commer- cial interests of the city co\ered a period ex- ceeding that of nearly every other man whose labors have proved an important lac- tor in the conduct of business affairs. He was a native of X'ew York and came to this city in 1838. Two years later he married Catherine M., daughter of Robert Young Her death occurred in 1869. Edmond Far- rington became the leading contractor of Piqua. Before coming to this city he built GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 543 the J\Iiami aqueduct and afterward com- pleted se\-eral important contracts on the canal and other pubhc works. In 1848 he engaged. in business in this city, estabhsliing many leachng enterprises which have made this a thriving commercial and' industrial center. His efforts have in very large meas- ure promoted the substantial welfare and progress of the city, nor have his operations been confined to that point, but have been of great benefit throughout the Miami valley. He was for some years a senior member of the firm of Farrington & Slauson. grain dealers, who owned their own canal boat for transportation. He was also a member of the firm of ^\'ood, Farrington & Company, ]iroprietors of the Piqua Oil ^lill, and of the firm of E. Farrington & Company, distill- ers. He was also interested in the grain business at other points and had loans in this part of the state. He was indeed for many years recognized as the leading business man of Miami county and the strongest cap- italist of the valley. He possessed keen discrimination and was a man of distinctive ability whose strong determination and care- ful management enabled him to carr}' for- ward to successful completion whatever he undertook. His business methods were ever honorable and straightforward and his splen- did success was the legitimate outcome of his labors. Edwin Ruthven Farrington, whose name introduces this record, remained under the parental roof until about twenty years of age and obtained his education in the com- mon schools and in an academy in ^Mexico, New York. He put aside his text-books, however, in order to go to Memphis, Ten- nessee, and engaged in the dry-goods lousi- ness with his uncle Rufus. He had been working there for only one year when his father died and in consequence he returned to his home. He and his brother succeeded their father as lumber manufacturers and owned two large mills which they operated for about ten years, when Edwin sold his interest to his brother. That was in No- vember, i860. Immediately afterward he came to Piqua and engaged in the distilling business, in company with his uncle, Edmond Farrington. who owned the distillery. This connection was maintained with mutual pleasure and profit until 1882, when they joined the trust and their business was closed clown. In the meantime they also carried on an extensive business as grain dealers, and their interests were profitably conducted until the uncle's death in the fall of 1892. This severed the partnership which had con- tinued for thirty-two years. Mr. Farring- ton continued in the grain business alone from that time until the summer of 1899, when he rented his building and retired from active business life. His business had grown both in volume and importance until lie was a very extensi^-e shipper. His efforts brought to him a handsome income and he is now numbered among the wealthy men of Miami county. He is vice-president of the Piqua Electric Company and one of its heaviest stockholders. He was one of the pioneers in introducing electricity for lighting pur- poses into the west. In 1880, he went to Pennsylvania and investigating some of the best plants, noting the superiority of elec- tricity over other methods of illumination, and was instrumental in securing a plant for Piqua, establishing here the first electric light plant west of the Alleghany mpuntains. The object at first was simply to light build- ings, but later it was used for furnishing illuminating power in the streets, and Piqua is certainly one of the best lighted towns in 544 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the state and is now putting in a new plant. Mr. Farrington served as president of the first electric light company, continuing to fill that position until the reorganization of the company. He is a stockholder in the Piqua Xational Bank and owns considerable valualile real estate. Socially ]\Ir. Farrington is a Mason, having taken the initiatory degree in the order in Schriba Lodge of Constantia, New York. When he came to Piqua he v.as de- mitted to Warren Lodge, this city, also be- longs to the chapter here and is a member of the commandery at Troy, Xew York. Xo investigation into the history of Miami county can be carried into the last half of the nineteenth century without the student learn- ing that the name of Farrington figures con- spicuously therein. Edwin R. Farrington, as well as his uncle, has left the impress of his individuality upon the city in which he yet makes his home. He is a brilliant finan- cier and a man whose capable business meth- ods are indicated by his splendid success. He possesses a strong will and steadfast nature and has ever persevered in his undertalvings with a persistent purpose. To-day he is not more honored on account of the enviable position which he has acquired in business circles than on account of the many kind- ly deeds of his life which have been fiuietly and unostentatiousl}^ performed. GEORGE W. ROUTSOX. George W. Routson, who owns and op- erates sixty-two acres of land on sections 21 and 27, Staunton township, and is prom- inently connected with the educational inter- ests of this community, was born in Xew- berry township. Miami county, December 7, 1 86 1. The family was founded in this county by George Routson, the grand- father of our subject, who came from Maryland in 1832, and located in Xewberry township, and there, August 5. 1833, oc- curred the birth of Reuben Routson, the father, who first opened his eyes to the light of day on the farm which was the birthplace of our subject. The last named was reared upon the old famih- homestead, and in the common schools acquired his education, man- ifesting special aptitude in his studies. Sub- sequently he engaged in teaching and fol- lowed that profession until 1886, when he became a student in Wittenberg College, there remaining until 1888. He then re- sumed teaching and was thus connected witli the schools of his nati\e township for seven years, when he accepted the position of superintendent in the schools of Casstown. On the expiration of one year he resigned that position in order to become- principal of the schools of Covington, where he also re- mained for one year. He then spent one year as a teacher in the school at Xnrth Clayton, after which he purchased and lo- cated upon his present farm in Staunton township. On the 2 1st of July, 1892, Mr. Routson was married to Miss Angeline Branson, a daughter of D. C. Branson, and a native of Xewberry township. Since he located on his farm, Mr. Routson has servoJ as superin- tentlent of the schools of Staunton town- ship. He has also filled the ofiice of justice of the peace a portion of one year, but re- signed his position because the- duties thereof interfered with his school work. During the summer months he devoted his energies to the care and operation of the farm and has made it a valuable property, its neat appear- ance indicating his sagacious supervision. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 545 In politics he is a Democrat, and in religious belief is a Lutheran. ^Ir. Routson is known as a very capable educator who has the abil- ity to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge he has acquired. He is a man of scholarly attainments and he has given con- siderable thought and attention to the (jues- tions now occupying the public mind, and his life is actuated by broad humanitarian prin- ciples. JOHN L. BOYER. Occupying a conspicuous and influential position among the loading business men of Piqua stands Mr. Boyer, who is proprietor and manager of the Union Underwear Fac- tory. He was born in Clermont county, Ohio, March 7, 1857. His father, E. A. Boyer, is also a native of that county and there spent his entire life, following farming and also gcaeral merchandising at Mil ford. He was a Republican in politics; a member of the Universalist church, and his death occurred when he had attained the age of forty-eight years. Mr. Boyer remained on the nld ln:)me farm in his vouth and pursued his educa- tion in the public schools and in a private seminary in Goshen, Ohio. He there ob- tained a teacher's certificate when seven- teen years of age and for one term had charge of a district school in that county. In 1874 he went to Cincinnati, where he was employed as salesman in a large dry- goods store for five years. He was then employed as salesman in the carpet depart- ment of the large firm of George F. Otto & Company, of Cincinnati, until 18S3, when ho became manager and bu3"er for the car- pet department in the Alms & Drepke Com- pany, of the same city, continuing as one of the most capable and intlustrious em- ployes of that house until 1887, when he resigned. In that year Mr. Boyer came to Piqua, where he established a dry-goods and car- pet store, remaining identified with mercan- tile interests in that city until 1897. He ex- tended the field of his operations, however, in 1895, by entering upon the manufacture of underwear. He started the new enter- prise on a small scale, but his business stead- ily increased in volume and importance, and in order to give more time and attention to manufacturing, he sold his store, after two years, and has since devoted his energies en- tirely to tlte conduct of the factory, which is now the largest in that line in Piqua. He caters to the jobbing trade and his goods an; bought throughout the United States. The output of the factory is now very extensive and he receives for his labors most excellent financial returns. In the factory employment is furnished to from fifty to seventy-five men and girls, and the annual sales amount to about one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. Boyer was married, in Mil ford, to Miss Ida ]\I. Harvey, of that city, daughter of Daniel K. and Hannah H. Harvey. They now have two children — Armotte H., who is twehe years of age, and Elizabeth, eight years of age. Mr. Boyer votes with the Republican party; socially he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. Their home is one of the finest residences in the city, being located at the corner of Downing and Park avenues. His business career has indeed been a creditable one. He was left father- less when only five years of age, and, at the age of seventeen, entered upon an independ- 546 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ent business career. He went to Cincin- nati in order to seek employment, having neither friends nor influence to aid him, Init after he once attained a position it was never again difficuh for him to secure work. He refused the general management of a large firm in that city when he came to Piqua to engage in business on his own account. He is truly a self-made man and one whose pros- perity has been honorably achieved. He is verv popular, his social qualities and his sterling worth gaining him many warm friends. GEORGE W. WHITE. George W. White was born in Johnson township, Champaign county, Ohio, four miles east of his present home, on the 22d of February, 1834, his parents being George and Mary (Anderson) White. The father was a native of Trenton, Xew Jersey, and was married there. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to the earliest epoch in the history of Xew England, the original American ancestor l^eing Pere- grine \\'hite, who was the first white child born in ^Massachusetts, his ancestors hav- ing crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower. Among the old family relics in possession of our subject is a copy of the will of Sarah Hollingshead, of Charleston, South Caro- lina, his great-grandmother on the mater- nal side. George White and his brother, Samuel, came to Ohio in 1830, and both secured government land in Champaign county, where Samuel died when about sixty years of age. His son, D. W. \\liite, is still residing at St. Paris. Ohio, In 1850, George ^\'hite, the father of our subject, located on the farm where his son George now resides. He had previously developed a quarter-section of land in Champaign coun- ty, making it a good farm and improving it with substantial buildings. It was heavily timbered land, but with characteristic energ}' he cleared away the trees and planted crops. After coming to his present farm he con- tinued the work of development and culti- vation, and soon abundant harvests reward- ed his labors. The barn upon the place had been built in 1847, 'ind there was a small l)rick house, but in 1861 he replaced it by the present brick residence. He burned the brick upon his farm and also cut the lumber, having in 1850 set up a saw-mill. Most of the timber was secured upon his own land, for only forty acres had been cleai'ed at the time he took up his abode at this place. As he cut down the trees he converted them into lumber and successfully operated his saw-mill for a numlier of years. It \\"as conducted by him and later by his sons until about 1875. It had been com- pleted only a few days when it v\as burned, but he immediately rebuilt it and also added a flouring mill. The whole plant was af- terward again destroyed by fire, but, not discouraged by his losses, he again rebuilt the saw-mill and continued the manufacture of lumber, for which he found a giiod market at Piqua and Springfield. He did a large cus- tom work for the entire neighborhood, and in this way added materially to his income. In 1875, however, the mill machinery was taken out and the building was used for other purposes. Throughout the years of his residence here he also superintended the operation of his farm, employing hired help to do the work in the fields. In politics he was a \\ big in early life, voting that ticket when there were only si.x ^^ big votes cast in his township, in Champaign county. On the organization of the new Republican GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 547 party, he joined its ranl4, and Lizzie Dowling, with a record of 2:1534. He has owned and trained twenty-eight fine racers with a record of from 2 :o9 to 2 130. He was very successful as a horseman, but on returning to Piqua, he sold all of his racing stock, with the ex- ception of William Penn, which horse has a record of 2:i2J5/2. Mr. Davies married Miss Julia Murphy, of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, and they had two children, but both died in early life. In his political views Mr. Davies is a Democrat, but has never sought or desired office, prefer- ring to give his time and attention to his business interests in which he has met with excellent success. JOHN H. MOORE. In the history of Miami county John H. Moore well deserves representation, for he is numbered among her native sons and has ever been a loyal and valued citizen, true to every trust reposed in him. He was 554 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. born in Brown township, ^larch ^3, 1849, and is a son of William ]\Ioore, whose birth occurred in New Jersey. Reared to man- hood in his native state, the father was there joined in wedlock to Miss Orr, and on emi- grating to Ohio in the early "30s, he took up his abode near Addison, whence he re- moved to Brown township, Miami county. There he purchased a small farm, upon which he lived until his death, passing away in August, 1881, at the ripe old age of eighty-four years. He was twice married and by the first union had two children, who are now deceased. For his second wife he chose Sidney Brooks and they became the parents of nine children. The mother of this family died, and he afterward married Llrs. Rebecca (\\'iley) Belford, and has one child, Joseph, now living in Indianapolis, Indiana. His children by his second- wife were William R., who enlisted, in 1861. in Company E, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with the rank of cap- tain, and died of typhoid fever at Brandy- wine Station, in 1864; Susan, deceased; Thomas B., who has also passed away; Catherine, wife of ]\Iiles ^Mathers, of Brown township ; James, who is engaged in the real estate business in Piqua ; Sidney, deceased ; Priscilla, wife of Elias Snodgrass, of Brown township; Elizabeth, and John H. ^Ir. Moore, of this review, was reared in Brown township until sixteen years of age, at which time he entered the Piqua high school, wherein he pursued his studies for two years. He then began clerking in a store in Fletcher, where he remained for five years. He next embarked in the pro- duce business on his own account in that town. He was for two years a representa- tive of its commercial interests and on the expiration of that ])eri(i(l took up his abode on the farm, which has since been his home. He owns seventy-two acres of land on sec- tion 2, Spring Creek township, where he carries on general fanning, and the neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicates the careful supervision and progressive methods of the owner. The place is im- proved with good buildings and well kept fences and bountiful harvests add materially to his income. In 1871 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Moore and ^liss ^lary Sanders, and they now have five children : N'iolet J., wife of Charles Cox; Forest E., at home; Clinton, deceased; Judson J., and Keifer S., who was named in honor of General Keifer. Mr. Moore has been a school director in Spring Creek township for ele\en years and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend, who is active in the advocacy of every mo\-ement that will promote the ad"- vancement of the community. He is master of the IMiami Grange, which indicates his standing in agricultural circles. He belongs to the Spring Creek Christian church, of which he has been deacon since 1886, and in politics he is a Democrat. PAUL F. KXIGHT. Paul F. Knight, now deceased, was born October 3, 1814, in Hamilton county, Ohio, and died in Casstown, ^liami county, Feb- ruary 6, 1889. His birth occurred near Cin- cinnati and when four years of age he was brought to this count}'. His parents were Jonathan and Catherine (James) Knight. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and a son of William Knight, who purchased the land where the Orphans' Home now stands, becoming a resident of this county GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 555 after the removal of his son to this section of the state. Jonathan Knight had pur- cliased land near Conover, Aliami county, but died before making a permanent loca- tion here. Soon after his death the mother, with her son, Paul, then four years of age, came to Lost Creek township, locating on 'Lin^i Creek, where the grandfather had set- tled. William Knight died in this locality when well advanced in years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of JSIiss Corbly, survived him some time and made her home with her son, William, for a number of years. She was a sister of Mrs. Martin, who was scalped by the Indians in early life. Paul Knight was one in a family of seven children, of whom Mrs. Isaac Clyne is now the only survivor. The four sons of the family were William, Stephen, Paul and Corbly. Their mother remained upon the farm which had been given her by her fa- ther-in-law, and there reared her sons and daughters. Paul Knight remained under the parental roof and early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He was married, April 6, 1837, to Miss Charlotte Ensminger, a daughter of Philip and JNIary (Parks) Ens- minger, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio, making a location in Greene county, where their daughter Charlotte was born, on the 3d of August, 1819. The father was a miller and followed that pursuit on Wolf creek. When ]\Irs. Knight was about ten years of age he purchased the Burkhalter mill on Lost creek, remodeling and rebuild- ing portions of it and successfully conduct- ing it until after the time of his daughter's marriage. Later he sold that property and removed to Indiana, where he died at the ad- vanced age of ninetv vears. Airs. Knight '32 was the only one of the family to remain in Miami county. After his marriage Paul Knight located on the farm adjoining the old homestead, and there successfully carried on agricult- ural pursuits for a number of years. To his mother, who had carefully cared for him in his youth, he gave a good home in her tleclining years, her last days being spent as a member of his household. She was called to her final rest when about seventy- five years of age. Mr. Knight succeeded to the ownershi^^ of the old homestead, and later he became the owner .of the old Ens- minger mill, which had been rebuilt by his wife's father. After operating it for some time he sold that property, and it is still used for its original purpose. The first mill was built by George Green, grandfather of Davis Green, and since that time a mill has been continuously in operation at that place. In his later years Mr. Knight retired from business life. Selling his farm, he removed to Casstown, where he made his home for seven years. His business career was one of activity and industry, guided by sound judgment, and his well-directed efforts brought to him a \-ery comfortable com- petence, which enabled him to spend his de- clining years in retirement. Unto ]\Ir. and Mrs. Knight were born nine children : Stephen, who died in childhood; Catherine, wife of Robert Winters, of Brown county, Kansas ; Caroline, widow of H. Covault, a resident of Lost Creek township; Franklin, who is living in Muncie, Indiana; Joseph, a resident of St. Paris, Champaign county, Ohio ; Mary, wife of J. R. Fuller, now liv- ing with her mother ; Charles Luther, whose home is in Gallon, Ohio; William, a resi- dent of Wapakoneta, Ohio, and Lorenzo, who died at the age of thirty-one years. 556 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mrs. Knight has also reared two grandchil- dren — Lottie, wife of Harry Killian, of Al- bany, Indiana, and Allie, wife of Loren Coppock, of Tippecanoe City. They were daughters of Franklin Knight, and their mother died during their early girlhood. Mrs. Fuller has three children: James, of Columbus, Ohio : Anna and Charley. In his political views Mr. Knight was a Republican, but never sought or desired office, preferring that his attention should be given to his business interests, in which he met with creditable success. In religious faith he was a Baptist, and his life was up- right and honorable, consistent with his pro- fession. In his death the community lost one of its valued citizens, one whose identi- fication with the county covered all the years from its pioneer development, and who had taken an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of the community. He was particularly well versed on religious subjects and was fond of an argument, but was always just and considerate of his opponents. He possessed many excellent qualities, which endeared him to his friends and neighbors,' and in the history of Miami county he well deserves representation. His widow still sur\ives him, but on account of ill health is now con- fined to the house. Soon after her marriage she became a member of the Baptist church and in her life has ever exemplified her Christian faith. LEVI E. RECK, M. D. ' Successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Piqua, Dr. Reck has worked his way upward to a position of prominence in the medical fraternity. He was born in Greenville, Ohio, July 31, 1864. It is be- lieved that the family is of Holland extrac- tion and at an early day was founded in Pennsylvania. The paternal grandfather of the Doctor was David Reck, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, who be- came a successful farmer, was a member of the Lutheran church and lived to be about eighty years of age. He married a Miss Lightner, of English extraction. Frank W. Reck, the Doctor's father, was born near the city of Lancaster, in Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania, and there remained until about fourteen years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Darke coun- ty, Ohio. They located on a farm near Greenville and the father afterward pur- chased a farm adjoining the old family homestead there. For a number of years, in connection with his agricultural jnirsuits, he engaged in the manufacture of lumber as foreman of a planing mill. During the ci\il war he joined the army, loyally serv- ing his country from 1863 to 1865. He married Miss Elizabeth Gilbert, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, a daughter of Levi and Mary (Spiece) Gilbert. The former was born near Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, was there reared and married, and made farming his life work. He lived to be eighty-two years of age. His parents were natives of England, while his wife's people were of German lineage. Mr. and Mrs. Reck became the parents of se\en sons : Charles L., a druggist of Piqua ; Le\i E. ; Louis, a farmer and school teacher in Darke county ; Alonzo, a machinist, of Darke coun- ty; Homer G. and Daniel Webster, at home, and one who died at the age of fourteen years. The parents are both consistent and faithful members of the United Brethren church and are both still living. Dr. Reck spent his boyhood days upon GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 557 the home farm, and tlie duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist early became familiar- to him. He pursued his education in the public schools of the neigh- borhood until about eighteen years of age, when he entered the high school at Green- ville, and. after completing his course there, he continued his studies at the Ada Normal School and later began reading medicine in the office and under the direction of Dr. A. F. Markwith, of Greenville. A year later he entered the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, in which institution he was graduated in March, 1891, after which he opened an office and began practice at Piqua. His professional career has been attended with a gratifying degree of success and he now enjoys a large and constantly increas- ing patronage. He is a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, of Piqua, aiid in politics is a stanch Republican. He does all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. As his elder lirother, Charles L. Reck, is a well known resident of Piqua, it will be interesting in this connection to give a synop- sis of his life. He was born and reared on the home farm in Darke county in the usual manner of farmer lads, and, having acquired his preliminary education in the public schools, he afterward spent six weeks in the Westerville University at Westerville, Ohio, and then matriculated in the Ada Normal University, where he remained for about three years. When his literary course was completed he entered the College of Pharma- cy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he pursued his studies for about three years, being graduated in 1888. He afterward en- gaged in working in drug stores in Phila- delphia, Detroit, Chicago and Dayton, and in May, 1892, he came to Piqua, where he established his present drug store, which he has since successfully conducted. He has now a well appointed establishment and the public accords him a liberal share of its business in his line. Charles Reck was married in Piqua, to Miss Nina Pierce, of Forest, Ohio, and they have two children, Wilbur and Alfred. He votes with the Republican party, and, so- cially is connected with Gettysburg Lodge, No. 477, F. & A. M., of Gettysburg, Ohio. REUBEN MOORE. Reuben Moore was born in Miami coun- ty, on the old family homestead, July 8, 1852, a son of Rufus and Lydia (Bennett) Moore. Gresham Moore was born in Wales in 1752, and his wife, Anna, was born in 1758. They had eight children: Lewis, torn in 1778; Reuben, born in 1791 : Elias, born in 1792; Phebe, born in 1793: Philip, born in 1 794 : Catherine, born in 1 795 ; Rachel, born in 1797: and Nancy, born in 1800. Lewis Moore, the grandfather of our subject, was born Aueust 16, 1778, in New Jersey, and his wife, Susan Moore, was born in that state July 5, 1786. They were the parents of twelve children : Anna, who was born June 6, 1805, and died June 8, 1845; Rufus, the father of our subject; Eliza, born December 17, 1809; Sarah, born October 15, 181 1; Elias, born October 5, 181 3; Amy, born November 2, 181 5; An- thony B., born November 5. 1817, and died February 14, 1839; Reuben, born October 14, 1819, and died October 9, 1849; Sam- uel, born January 13, 1822, and died July 27, 1823; Lydia, born November 29, 1823; Stephen G., born November 12, 1825: and Alpheus E., born April 5, 1828, and died August 17, 1858. The father of this fam- 558 GEXEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ily died May 8, 1859. and his wife passed away on the 19th of December, 1872. The father was born in Butler county, Ohio, March 13, 1807, and the mother's birth occurred in tliat county Xovemljer 11, 181 5. Her marriage was celebrated Feb- ruary 17, 1833, and was blessed with seven children : Nancy Jane, born August 23, 1836, became the wife of George AlcMillan and died July i. 1866, leaving three chil- dren, Alva E., Harry W. and Elroy C. Mary Ann, who was born July 12, 1839; Lewis, \\ho was born April 7, 1843. and died on the i6th of April of that year; Elias, born July 17. 1845, Theodore, born October I, 1847. und Eliza, born August 6. 1850, and Reuben were the )'ounger members of the family. Eliza is nnw the wife of A, Berryman, of Troy. William Bennett, the maternal great- great-grandfather of our subject, was born in England, and came to this country shortly after the time William Penn arrived. He settled on an island in the Susc]uehanna river, and afterward opened copper mines in Pennsylvania. He was the father of nine children. His son, Thomas Bennett, was the father of George Bennett, the maternal grandfather of our subject. George Bennett was born in ^'irginia March 3. 1783, and his wife, Xancy, was born June 10, 1783. They were the parents of ten children : Henrv, born .Vugust 2^, 1814; Lydia, the mother of our subject; Thomas, born Jan- uary 7, 1 81 7; John, born April 7, 1818, and died on the 29th of September of the same year: Susanna, born July 21, 18 19; Amelia, born January 2/. 1821, and died July 17, 1825; ]SIary Ann, born June 10, 1823. and died July 5, 1825; George, born September 28, 1824, and died August 7, 1825; George, the second of the name, born ]ulv 14, 1826; and Elizabeth Ann. born April 2T,. 1 83 1, and died in 1874. George Bennett, the father, died March 15, 1844, and his wife passed away in June, 1836. Rufus Moore, the father of our subject, made his home in Butler county, Ohio, for a sh hen he formed a partnership with a Mr. Parks, and their relationship was maintained for a year, at the end of which time Mr. Hardesty began contracting and building alone. He was not associated with any one again until 1861, when he entered into partnership with David Spellman, and for twenty years the firm of Hardesty & Spellman engaged in general carpentering and contract work. They conducted a shop and also took contracts for the erection of buildings throughout this section of the county. Mr. Hardesty was then actively associated with the material development and improvement of the county through his building interests until two years ago, when he put aside business cares and has since lived retired. He has probably assisted in building or has taken contracts for the erec- tion of more houses than any other man in Piqua, a fact which indicates his excellent workmanship and his fidelity to the terms of contracts. He has also purchased land, improved and sold many properties in the city. On the 23d of November, 1847, ^^i'- Hardesty was married to Miss Lidia Nigh, who was born in Spring Creek township, Miami county, a daughter of Jacob and Orcia Ann (McCann) Nigh. Her father was born in Maryland, in 1800. and during hiis early boyhood days came to Ohio with his parents. He worked in a sawmill for many years and made his home in Pitiua until his death, which occurred at the age of eighty-one years. His wife, who was born in Ohio, in 1807, came with her par- ents to this state from. New Jersey. She was a consistent member of the Christian church and lived to 1)e about seventy-three years of age. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hardesty have been born six children, who are yet liv- ing: Laura, wife of John Davis, of Piqua; Frances, widow of Marcus Atattler; Anna, at home; Osborn, who is engaged in' the coal business in Piqua ; Jennie, wife of Will- iam Anderson, of the same city ; and Ger- trude, who is employed in a drygoods store in Piqua. They also lost four children. Mr. Hardesty votes independently at lo- cal elections, but at national elections sup- ports the principles and measures of the Re- publican party. He served as township trustee for twehe or fourteen years, proving a capable officer. He and his wife have long been members of the Baptist church, and he has also been a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Piqua for forty-fi\'e years, this record being ecnialed by only one other member of the lodg^e. CHARLES O. HARDESTY. Charles O. Hardesty, proprietor of the coal and wood yard of Piqua, was born in the city which is still his home November 21, 1858. He is a son of James W., whose sketch appears above. His boyhood days 562 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ^\■ere spent under the parental ruof, amid the refining influences of a good liome and iri tiie puhlic schools of his nati\e city ac- quired his literary education. He has. how- e\er, added to his knowledge hy experience and o!)servation and is now a well in- formed man. As soon as he was old enough to work he hegan learning the carpenter's trade under the direction of his father, and <\-as employed in connection with tlie build- ing interests of the city until about 1890. when he accepted a position as salesman for a lumber company, with which lie pjmained for four years. On the expiration of that period, with a capital which he had acquired through his own well directed efforts, he embarked in business for himself, establish- ing a coal and wood yard in Piqua. He has since secured an excellent trade, which is constantly increasing, and his sales are now very large and bring to him a good financial return. Mr. Hardesty was married to Miss Ida M. Licklader. and they have two sons. Tames D. and Charles K. Socially ;Mr. Hardestv is connected with tlie Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Knights of Pythias fraternity. In politics he is a Re- publican on national questions, but at local elections, where no issue is involved, he votes for the man whom he believes to be best fitted for the office. He belongs to the Bap- tist church and is deeply and acti\ely in- terested in e\erything pertaining to the wel- fare and prosperity of the communitv. JAMES S. MARK. It is interesting in this connection to note the \arious nationalities represented in this commonwealth, and the ciiaracteristics there portrayed show forth in the elemental strength that has been found in each nation. Mr. Marr was born in Edinburgh. Scotland, December 25. 1833. and in his life has ex- emplified the sturtly perseverance and deter- mination so well known as belonging to the Scotch race. His parents were George and Mary Marr. His privileges in youth wore somewhat limited, for. at the age of eleven years, he began an apprenticeship on a merchant vessel and made a trip to tho West Indies and Nova Scotia. After a trip of two years and nine months he landed at Xcw York on the way to Charleston. South Carolina. There he and three others left the vessel at Jersey City. and. as their ap- prenticeship was to cover a jjeriod of four months and had not expired, thev hid in a canal boat until tho \essel on which they sailed had weighed anchor for the southern port. Mr. Marr afterward worked on the Delaware canal for about a year. He then secured employment as a farm hand in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, receiving for his services fifty dollars per year. Tlie sec- ond year he received one hundred and forty- four dollars, and continued to work as a farm hand in that locality until 1859, when he came to Lost Cro^k township. Miami County. There he worked by the month for two years, after which he spent one year in Elizabeth township, and then came to Staun- ton township, where he operated rented land until 1878. In that year he purchased the farm upon which he now resides. Mr. Marr was married, on the 4th of November, 1858, to Miss Mary J. Lacey, who was born in Bucks county. Pennsylva- nia, September 24. 1848. Her parents, Ckorge and Deborah (Caffey) Lacey. came to Casstown in 1858 and both died in that city. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Marr has been blessed with twelve children: GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 563 Laura, who was born October jo, 1859, died in infancy ; William, who was born Janu- ary 9. 1S60, resides in Indiana; Ellsworth, whi> was born August 10, 1863, and is now deceased ; Xora, who was born May 28, 1865, is the wife of Lewis \'an Bargen; Susanna, who was born November 9, 1866, is the wife of George Walters; Minnie, who was born October 19, 1869. and is now de- ceased; Xellie, born February 28, 1871 ; David, who was born April 8. 1873, and is a farmer in Staunton township ; Harry, who was bcjrn June 6, 1876. and is a farmer of Staunt()n township: Bertha, who was born June 4, 1878. and is now deceased; Ida. born April 14, 1880; and one who died in infancy. The home of the family is a well-de- veliiped farm of eighty-seven acres on sec- tion 2, Staunton township. It is four and a half miles from Troy, and thus the city is of easy access. Although only a few acres had been cleared when Mr. Marr took pos- session, it is all n(jw under culti\-ation, and, in addition to the well-tilled fields, there is a good orchard which yields its fruit in se;i- son. He has also erected a good residence and substantial outbuildings. He carries on general farming and, since 1861, has suc- cessfully engaged in the growing of tobacco. He was one of the first to attend the Troy market and twice each week \isited it, kill- ing from six to ten hogs for sale there. He is very energetic and enterprising and his business affairs have been crowned with suc- cess. Mr. Alarr casts his ballot for the Democ- racy and has served as road super\-isor and school director, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are widely and favorably known in their community. Their circle of friends is ex- tensive and their home is justly celebrated for its gracious hospitality. Mr. Marr is certainly a self-made man, as his educational privileges were very limited and he had neither wealth nor influence to aid him as he started out in life. He has worked his way upward by sheer pluck and persever- ance, has overcome obstacles by determined effort, and to-day he stands among the sub- stantial and highly-respected citizens of the community, his life serving as an example of what may be accomplished in America where great opportunities lie before those who reallv desire advancement. :\I.VTTHEW E. McAIANES, M. D. Matthew E. J^IcManes. a worthy medical practitioner of Piqua, is one of the younger representati\es of the profession, but his years have been no bar to his success. He was born in Gabon, Crawford county, Ohio, and is a son of Matthew R. and Louisa ( Haas ) McManes. His father was a na- tive of Pennsylvania and is now living a retired life in Galion, Ohio, at the age of seventy-five years. His mother passed away in 1884. The Doctor reniained under the parental roof during the period of his minor- ity and attended the common schools of Galion, gaining a practical English educa- tion, which served as a good foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional knowledge. Wishing to become a member of the medical fraternity, he began reading in the office and under the direc- tion of Dr. H. W. Todd, of GalicMi, who carefully guided his studies for a year. He then entered the Starling Medical College of Ohio, where he remained for two years, when he matriculated in the College of 564 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Physicians and Surgeons, of Chicago. Ijeing graduated in that institution on the 19th of April. 1898. He also gained practical ex- perience through more than a year's service iii the Cook county hospital. In May, 1898, ho came to Pit|ua, where he has since been engaged in continuous practice, his business constantly increasing botli in volume and im- portance, as he has demonstrated his ability to handle complicated cases. The profession accords him a leading place in its ranks and his success is assured. Socially he is con- nected with In\incible Lodge. Xo. 176, K. of P., and is a popular young man, hav- ing many warm friends in Piqua. JAMES MORROW. James Morrow is a retired farmer of Washington township and one. of the most highly respected citizens of the community. He was born December 20, 1822, in the township so long his home, his parents being Richard and Frances (Clark) Morrow. The father was born upon the banks of the blue Juniata, in Perry county, Pennsyhania, and, with his brother, he emigrated to Ohio in 1814, thus becoming one of the pioneer set- tlers of the state. ' He entered land in A\'ash- ington township, Miami county, and for fifty years was connected with its agricult- ural pursuits, spending the entire half cen- tury upon that farm, where his death oc- curred in ]\Iay, 1864. Their children were Robert Alexander and Hugh C, both de- ceased ; James, of this review ; IMilton and AMlliam, who liave passed away; and An- drew -Mitchell, of Washington township. In the common schools he obtained a good education and in youth he learned the black- smith's trade. l)ut never followed it. He made farming his life work, and by his careful management and untiring industry he se- cured a comfortable competence that now enables him to rest in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. Mr. Morrow was married. March 16, 1847, to Miss Xancy \'an Emon. and for almost a half century they traveled life's journey together, but in 1895 were separa- ted by death, his wife being called to the home beyond. In their family were five chil- dren : John William; Charles Anderson; Richard Edwin: Frances Jane, wife of Charles Munger; and Mary Belle, wife of Emanuel Dagenhart. The father of this family is a devout member of the Presby- terian church, of Piqua, with which he has long been connected, taking an active jjart i:i its work. In }-ears past he serxed as choir leader. In politics he has long been a stanch Republican, gi\ing his indexible support to the measures of the party. His life has been quietly and honorably passed, and he is highly esteemed by all who know him for his sterling worth. JACOB A. DAVY. It is always pleasant to write of men who have been successful in life by \irtue ntinually alive to the in- fluences of progress and makes a close study of the Ijest methods for improving her work. She is a member of both local and state teachers" associations and is wideb" recog- nized as a most successful educator, having the ability to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge she has acquired, and also of maintaining discipline. She is a member of the Progress Club, a literary society. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 571 For many years Miss Bruinp has tauglit tlie primary dC'partment of the Lutheran Sunday-school, and it is a pleasing sight to watch the intense interest with which the litlle ones listen to her interpretation of the great truths and lessons of Christianity. Sho is also actix'e in the various church societies, in mission work, and in fact is the advocate of progress, reform and improve- ment along all social, intellectual and moral lines. Since the organization of the Orien- tal Rehekah Lodge of the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows, in Tippecanoe City, she has served as its financial secretary. Her true womanly qualities, courteous and kindly manner, combined with unfailing sympathy, have won for her the marked regard of all with whom she has been brought in contact, and many of her pupils entertain for her the warmest friendship and resi)ect. JUDGE ARTHUR L. McKLXNEY. Eighty years of life is a brief span in all the years of time; yet, as measured by human existence and the march of events, it is a long life. It has been truly said that the past one hundred years have witnessed more triumphs of the human mind, more progress of human de\'elopment, than one thousand years preceding the dawn of the century that will pass at the close of 1900. Arthur L. AIcKinney was born in Mad River township, Clark county, September 16, 1819, in a log house. Here he lived until ten years of age, when his father moved to Montgomery county, Indiana. By hard work his father had accumulated enough to purchase a farm of forty acres near Enon, Clark county, which he sold at seven dol- lars an acre in 1829. The same land is now 33 worth eighty dollars an acre. In Indiana he purchased from the government one hun- dred and twenty acres thirteen miles north- west of Crawfordsville. That countrv was then the "far west," and it was there that our subject received his knowledge of early pioneer life. His father, in addition to being a backwoods farmer, was also a "back- woods" preacher, said to be one of the ablest in the Western Indiana conference. He was married. March 7, 1841, to ]\Iaria AIcFall, daughter of John and Eliza- beth (^McGregor) AIcFall, of Wilmington, Ohio. They were the parents of eight chil- dren, four of wdiom are living: Laurena, widow of \\'illiam H. Northcutt, wdio was the patentee of the Northcutt system of street and sidewalk paving; John AT; Lillie, wife of Z. T. Dorman, of Greenville, Ohio; and Margaret, wife of Hiram Tulian, of In- dianapolis, Indiana. In 1843 A. L. AIcKinney was ordained a minister of the Christian church of the Western Indiana conference. Feeling the need of education, as a student he bravely entered Wabash College, w'here he remained for fi\j years, maintaining himself and fam- ily by preaching and teaching, neither of ■which afforded much of an income. In 1853 he was elected by the trustees of An- tioch College a member of the faculty, and removed to Yellow Springs, Ohio, the seat of that institution of learning, the same }xar, and was a teacher there for two years. In 1856 he wrote the memoirs of Elder Isaac N. Walter, one of the ablest and most elo- quent ministers in the Christian denomina- tion at the time of his death. In 1857 he moved to Troy and organized the Troy Christian church, which now numbers over four hundred members. He remained pas- tor of that church until he was commissioned GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. captain and chaplain in the Seventy-first Ohio Vokmteer Infantry. March 22, 1862. P"or three years he remained with the regi- ment, \vhe>n he was mustered out. at New ^Market, east Tennessee, on tlie 22d day of March, 1865. by reason of the expiration of his term of service. He returned to Troy and tlie following year was elected treasurer of the county, and in 1868 was re-elected, thus serving four years. In 1871 ho was chosen the pub- lishing agent of the Christian Publishing House, in Dayton, in which position he re- mained one year, at Dayton. In 1872 he was elected tho i)robate judge of Miami ciiunty, and in, 1875 was re-elected, and thus he served the people six years. On the ex- piration of his last term in tliis capacity he engageil in the jjractice of law. although of an age whon other men most generally re- tire. In April. 1894, he was elected the mayor of Troy, and is now serving his third term in this office. This sketch would not be complete with- out referring to the Masonic history of our subject. He was made a Mason in Decem- 1)er. 1846. at Thorntown, Indiana. In 1852 he receiveil the degrees of the Royal Arch chapter at Attica, Indiana; the council de- grees he received in Troy, Ohio, in 1857. and the commandery degrees of Knights Templar in Reed Commandery, at Dayton, Ohio, in 1866. In 1891 he received the Scottisli-rite degrees, in the Cincinnati Con- sistory. He has filled all the offices in Mas- ter Masonry, chapter, council and com- mandery, serving as principal sojourner for twenty-eight years. He is regarded as one of the brightest Masons in southern Ohio. This short sketch shows that Judge Mc- Kinney has been one of life's toilers, and that for him there has been no cessation in life's battle. Born and reared amid the hardships of pioneer life, he has from earlv boyhood to a ripe old age been a constant worker. Under difficulties that would dis- may the stoutest heart he ac(|uire;l a good classical education, and amid all his work he found time to write several books for the people and the church. In the prime of his manhood he was a skilled debater and met the rough but forcible Denton on his own platform in 1856 and gave the cham])ion of infidelity a complete drubbing. He has been honored by the citizens of Miami county; he lias been honored by his church ; he has been honored by the "brethren of the mystic tie," and he has been honored in his old age by the citizens of Troy. In this sketch we have nrit tiiuchcd ujjon his characteristics as a man, nor analyzed his ability as a speaker or a writer, nor have we portrayed the trials or sorrows of his life. Thousands of interesting points in his career could be related, but we ha\'e not iiere the space even to begin such a pleasant task. In general, however, we can say with em- phasis that he nears the farther shore of life with a conscience at peace and with re- lations of peace with all the workl. ABRA^I G. LICKLIDER. Among the leading and successful farm- ers of Washington township none stand higher in public esteem than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He is of German descent and traces his ancestry back to Conrad Licklider, who was born in the Fatherland, and on his emigration to the new world settled near Fredericksburg, Maryland, where he married. Subsequently he removed to Virginia, and owned a planta- tion near Shepherdstown and also had many GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 573 slaves. He died there in tlie '40s, at the zgt of eighty-four years. Of his children, Jacob was a resident of Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio, and died three miles south of Day- ton ; Adam was a saddler and harnessmaker of Shepherdstown, Virginia, where he died; Susan died in the same place ; Daniel was the grandfather of our subject ; George died in ]\lissouri ; Barbara died in Shepherdstown, \'irginia; Lewis died in Missouri, and Thomas li\-ed for a time in Logan county, Ohio, later in Piqua, and finally removed to Missouri, where it is supposed he still re- sides. Daniel Licklider, grandfather of our suljject, was born in Maryland, but mostly reared in Virginia. In 1812 or 181 3 he and his bnjther, Jacob, came to Montgomery county, Ohio, their father having purchased each of them a farm in Dayton township. Later he paid a visit to relatives in Ken- tucky, and while there met the young lady who afterward became his wife. She was Miss Elizabeth Giltner, daughter of Abra- ham Giltner, and a native of Bourbon coun- ty, born between Lexington and Paris. In 1833 Daniel Licklider removed to Washing- ton township, Miami county, where he and the father of our subject bought a quarter- section of land, and he located upon the eighty acres now owned by our subject. He died there in January, 1867, and his wife departed this life in January, 1868. They had three children : Abraham, who was killed by a falling hickory limb at the age of four years; Margaret, who died at the age of nine, and Conrad, father of our subject. Conrad Licklider was born on the old homestead in Dayton township, Montgom- ery county, November 22, 1821, and was twelve years of age when he came to this countv with his father. On the nth of February, 1841, he married Christophene Eckert, who was born in Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, June 6, 1822, a daughter of Chris- topher and Jane (Boles) Eckert. Her fa- ther was a native of Germany and was a young man wheai he came to the United States. He was married in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and soon afterward started for one of the southern states. They took a boat at Pittsburg, but it became fastened in the ice. Mr. Eckert and two other pas- sengers decided to return to land on the sled which was sent to the boat with provisions, but the ice broke and all were drowned, "his being the only body recovered. Mrs. Eckert returned to Pittsburg, where she remained for a short time and while there gave birth to a daughter, who afterward became Mrs. Licklider. Later she married Daniel Lazier and came to Whitewater, Ohio, where her second husband died. Subsequently she re- mo\-ed to Piqua. and there married a Mr. Wagoneck. For many years Conrad Lick- lider engaged in farming, but 'since 1893 has lived a retired life in Piqua. He held the office of assessor for twenty years, and is widely and favorably known. Our sub- ject, Abram G., is the eldest of his three children. Daniel Franklin, the second son, married Callie Drake, and they ha\e two children : Daniel S. and Robert D. The former is a farmer by occupation and mar- ried Dora Rush, by whom he has three chil- dren : Mabel, Roy and Ralph. Robert D. is studying for the ministry. George W., the youngest son of Conrad, married Louisa Cathcart, and they ha\-e one child, John C, who is a farmer. Abram G. Licklider, our subject, was born in Piqua, Ohio, November 3, 1841, and laid the foundation of a good, practical education in the public schools. At the age 574 GENEALOGICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of eleven years he removed with his parents to the old home farm in Washington town- ship, and later attended the Brown school and also the Piqna high school, graduating from the latter at the age of twenty-one. On the 20th of October, 1864, he was united in marriage with Miss Rachel Irvin, who was born in Shelby county, Ohio, July 18, 1844, antl they have become the parents of four children: A. Lincoln, who was born July 26, 1865, and married Osa B. Rollin; Retta May, born May 10, 1868; Lillie B., born November 3, 1870, and Asa Ashton, born November 30, 1876. After his marriage Mr. Licklider lo- cated upon his present farm of eighty acres in Washington township, and has since suc- cessfully engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a thorough business man, practical, progressive and enterprising, and has made many improvements upon his farm, including the erection of good build- ings. He is one of the highly esteemed citi- zens of his community, is courteous, hos- pitable, upright and honorable, and a sup- porter of higher education. He and his family are members of Grace Alethodist Episcopal church, of Picjua, of which he is a trustee, and is the only living charter mem- ber of that church. Although he has never practiced law, he possesses considerable knowledge along that line, and has been called upon to settle as many, if not more, estates than any other man in Ohio. Po- litically he is a strong Republican. LEVI S\\"ITZER. Levi Switzer is a retired farmer whose well-directed efforts in former years now en- able him to put asitle the more arduous du- ties of business life. He was born in York county, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1837, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Cunkle) Switzer, both of whom were na- tives of the Kej'stone state, the former of York county and the latter of Cumberland count}'. The Switzer family is of German lineage and the paternal grandfather of our subject was a pensioner of the war of 1812. He died at the home of his son, William, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. Tlie latter was married in his native county and in the spring of 1853 removed with his family to Clark county, Ohio, where he lived for more than a year, when he came to Miami count)', locating on a farm near Pleasant Hill, in Newton township. There both he and his wife died, the latter at the age of sixty-eight and the former at the age of eighty-seven. They had a family of eight children, of whom six are living. The}' were named as follows : Samuel, ]\lary, Catherine, Le\i, Eliza, Jacob, Caroline and Sarah. Those now deceased are Samuel, Eliza and Caroline. The others all reside in Miami county. ^Ir. Switzer, whose name begins this record, obtained his education in the public schools of the Keystone state and of Ohio. When twenty years of age he started out upon an independent business career, op- erating a rented farm. He continued to en- gage in the cultivation of rented land until 1885, although in the meantime he had previously bought and sold two farms. In the year mentioned he purchased one hun- dred and sixty-six acres of land in Concord township and still has that property, which is now being cultivated by his youngest son. It is a highly improved and valuable farm. Mr. Switzer was an enterprising and pro- gressive agriculturist, who followed sys- tematic business methods, and bv his marked GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 575 industry, careful management and honorable dealing secureer has increased one-third. It is the only German paper in Miami county and has a large circulation among the German speak- ing people of this locality and their de- scendants. He alsii does a good joliliing business. Ixith in l*lnglish and German. On the 27th of September. 1897. Mr. Bartel was united in marriage with Miss }ilarv Murphy, of Picpia, who was Imrn in Cincinnati. She died Alay 7, 1900, when about thirty-five years of age. She was the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Murphy, and. though born in Cinciiuiati, spent almost her entire life in Piqua. She was a member of the Catholic church and an earnest ClnHstian woman, whose many excellent (pialities gained for her the re- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 579 gard and esteem of all with whom she was associated. ^Ir. Bartel also holds member- ship in St. Mary's Catholic church and has a large circle of friends in Piqua, where he is known as a relialile and enterprising busi- ness man and capable journalist. ^IILES W. MATHERS. Miles W. >.Iathers was Imrn mi the farm which is now his hume. his natal day being jNIarch 8, 183-'. This land, located in Brown township. ]\Iiami county, was entered from the go\-ernment liv his granil father. John Mathers, in 1819. and the old patent, signed by James ^Monroe, then president of the United States, is still in possession of our subject. In 1826 David and James Mathers, brothers, came to the county. The latter afterward settled in Shelby county, where his father had also entered land, and there he married and made his home for some time. Subsequently, however, he went to Hamilton ciiuntv. where his last davs were passed. The other brother. Da\-id INIathers. was the father of our subject. He was born in Hamilton county. Ohio, in 1797, his par- ents being John and Jane ( McNight ) Mathers. Both the Mathers and the Mc- Night families were of Scotch-Irish lineage and resided in the northern part of the Em- erald Isle, whence John Mathers, the grand- father, came to America. Reared in Hamil- ton C(.)unty, David IMathers became familiar with the experiences of pioneer life in the Bucke}'e state, and upon coming to Miami county lie made the first clearing upon the land which his father had pre^•iously en- tered. He also built a log cabin and con- tinued his work after the primitive style of the times, owning two horses, a plow and wagon. He was not only a good farmer but possessed considerable niechanical genius, did creditable work as a blacksmith and cabinetmaker, in fact could do almost anything with tools. He manufactured many of the coffins used by the pioneers. His deaths occurred September 11, 1850, when he was fifty-two years of age. His wife afterward went to Illinois, where she died when more than seventy years of age. In their family were seven children, one of whom died at the age of fourteen. Two others ha\e also departed tliis life : Eliza- beth, who liecame the wife of Dr. Joe Brels- ford, died in La Porte, Indiana, at the age of thirty-four years, and Abigail, who be- came the wife of Isaac Dukemineer, died in Indianapolis when more than fifty years of age. The four who still survive are : John H.. a resident of Mason City, Illinois; Jane, wife of John Van Horn, also of Mason City ; Mary Ann. who is living near Denver, Colo- rado ; and Miles Williams, the subject of this review. The last named was reared under the ])arental roof and was eighteen years of age at the time of his father's death. The man- agement and operation of the farm then de- \-olved upon him. At that time about sixty acres of the land had been placed under cultivation, but he now has nearly the entire tract of one hundred and sixty acres cleared and improA'ed. About twenty years ago he erected a substantial residence and the barn was built by his father just a short time before his death. However, it has been en- larged and remodeled l)y the present owner. The farm is well drained, and some swampy, flat land has thus become very valuable, in fact is the most productive portion of the farm. In addition to this property Mr. Mathers has another eightv-acre farm ad- joining the homestead and supplied with 580 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. good impro\-ements. He has made a spe- cialty of botli grain and stock farming and annnaliy sells considerable stock, thns ma- terially increasing his income. He became the owner of the old homestead by purchas- ing: the interest of the other heirs, and throughout his entire life he has resided upon this place, which is therefore endeared to him by the associations of his hoyhooil. as well as tlmse of his mature years. On the 6th of January. 1859, Mr. Mathers was united in marriage to Cath- erine A. Moore, a daughter of William and Cinderella (Brooks) Moore, of Brown townshi]). She \vas born in Champaign county and came to Miami county when eight years of age. Their union has been blessed with the following children : T'rank Jerome, the eldest, died in childhood ; Lu- ella is the wife of William B. Moon, who operates one of the farms and is serx'ing as township trustee, and they have three chil- dren. Joel Oscar, Albert Foster and Elsie H. : William C. who operates the home farm with bis father, married Clara, daugh- ter of George W. White, and they have two children. Lloyd and \'elma : and John H., ^\■ho graduated at the Ohio State University with the class of 1S97. ^^"'is ^ teacher in Brown county, Ohio, and is now residing in Kankakee, Illinois. In his political \iews Mr. Alathers was a Democrat and has served as township trustee. He was also school director for eighteen years, and the cause of education lias found in him a warm friend. The cause of temperance has ever found in him a stanch advocate, and of recent years he has voted the Prohibition ticket. Both he and his wife ha\e been members of the Charity Chapel Christian church for twenty years, are very prominent in its work and are leading citizens of the community, whose well spent lives have gained for them the high regard of all with whrmi they have been lirought in contact. THOMPSON COX. Thompson Cox was for many years an enterprising farmer of Miami county, and through the period of his active connect^jn with agricultural pursuits he acquired a handsome comi>etence that now enables him to live retired. His home at the present time is in Piqua. He was liorn in Hamilton countv. Ohio, Xo\ember 22. 1822, and through several generations traces his an- cestr}^ back to Holland. His great-grand- father. Gresham Cox. was a natixe of the land of dikes, whence he crossed the .At- lantic to the new world, taking up his abode in New Jersey. William G. Co.x. the grand- father of our subject, was born in New Jer- sey about 1778. and located in Hamilton county. Ohio, in 181 1. making a settlement in the midst of the hea\y forest. In 1812 he was drafted for service in the second war with England, being assigned to Wayne's army. He passed through Miami county i>n his way to join his command and for six weeks loyally aided his country. In politics he was a Democrat. He lived to be eight\-two years of age and was accounted one of the honored pioneers of the Buckeye state. Tunis Cox. father of our subject, was a native of New Jersey and came to Hamil- ton county, Ohio, with his parents when nine years of age. There he spent his re- maining days upon a farm, dying at the age of sixtv-one. He was quite successful in his business aiTairs, accumulating a com- fortable property. He, too, was a Democrat GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 581 in liis political affiliations. He wedded Nancy Sparks, who was born in Ohio, in 1800. and for two years they resided at North Bend fort before removing to their home in the midst of the forest. Her fa- ther, Isaac Sparks, was a native of Penn- sylvania and became one of the pioneers of the Bnckeye state. He swam the Ohio river on one occasion in order to escape from the Indians. He serx'ed for sex'eral years as magistrate and lived to an advanced age. The mother of our subject died at the age of forty-one years. She had a family of tweK'e children, all of wliom attained ma- jority, while five are still hving. Mr. Cox, of this review, spent his youth on the old home farm witii his parents. He was seventeen years of age at tlie time his father built a hotel on the pike, and for seven vears he assisted in its conduct. He afterward engaged in agricultural pursuits for two years and then erected the hotel which was known as "The Eleven Mile Hotel" (in the Cincinnati and Hamilton turn- pike. He conducted it for three years, after which he came to Miami county, in 185.2, and purchased a farm of one hundred and fifty acres, two and a half miles southeast of Piqua. There he lived until 1883. since which time he has rented his farm, making his home in the city. He followed pro- gressive agricultural methods and his energy and capable management enabletl him to steadily work his way u])ward to a position of affluence. On the 1 8th of August, 1844, ]\lr. Cox was united in marriage to Miss Susan Pat- terson, who was born in Hamilton county, on a farm eight miles from Cincinnati. Oc- tober 22, 1822. Her father. Alexander Pat- terson, was probably a native of Ohio, and throughout his active business career fol- lowed farming in this state. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Piqua at an early day. Alexander Patter- son gave his political support to the Democ- racy and died in 1858. when about fifty years of age. His wife bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Long. She was a native of Ham- ilton county, Ohio, and reached the very advanced age of eighty-eight years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cox ha\-e been born four chil- dren: Nancy, wife of Howard Deweese, a farmer of Miami county residing in Piqua ; Memrey, a farmer of Fort Scott, Kansas ; Edward, who is living in Piqua; antl Alice, who died at the age of fourteen years. Mr. Cox has ser\ed as school director for a short time, but has never sought or desired the honors or emoluments of public office. He votes with the Democracy and, keeping well informed on the issues of the day, has ever been enabled to support his political position by intelligent argument. He and his wife are members of the Chris- tian church and are people of the highest respectabilit}-. whring circumstances on a Pennsylvania farm and has risen to distinction in connec- tion with the industrial interests of Miami county. He was born in Tulpehocken township, Berks county, Pennsyhania. September 28, 1843. '^"'^ 'ost his father when only three munths old. The home farm was then sold and the family liecame scattered. At the age of seven years Jacob was bound out to an uncle. He was a precocious boy, fond of study, and his uncle sent him to school for three months in the winter season until he was sixteen years of age, when he became a teacher and in this way earned, through the winter months, a portion of the money which enabled him to continue his studies in summer. By nature he was brave and chi\alrous and when the civil war broke out his ])atriniic spirit was aroused and upon the 26th of October. 1862. when only nine- teen years of age, . he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Pennsyl- vania Infantry, under Captain Groh and Colonel Knoderer. The latter was killed at the battle of Deserted Farms. Mr. Wag- ner ])articipated in a number of hard skir- mishes, was in the siege of Suft'olk and was ' discharged at Reading. Pennsylvania, on the i J./^C^Ji). ^lisM /^O-.A^'-^ /^^^^/^^>^^ ^ GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 591 expiration of his term, having served until August 12, 1863. Returning tf Scotch-Irish lineage. His grandfatlier was the founder of the family in America, and his father was one of the lieroes of the Revolutionary war. William Graham worked at the blacksmith's trade in Mercer county, Xew Jersey, and was there rrarried February 17, 1825, to Clementina Middleton. In 1832 he came with his fam- ily to Ohio and established a blacksmith's shop in Lena. In 1840 he removed to a farm on section i, Brown township, al- though in the meantime he had returned to Xew Jersey, in 1834. His old customers, howexer, had taken their patronage to either shops and he soon returned to Lena, where he remained until 1840, when he established his home upon the farm which continued to be- his place of residence until his death. The land had been entered from the gov- ernment by Edward Yates, who sold it to ]\Ir. Graham, and after the death of the lat- ter's widow it was aeain soK Mr. Cira- ham left an estate comprising three hundred acres of valuable land, and, jirior to his death, he had assisted "all his children in ob- taining homes of their own. Reared in the Presbyterian church, in later life he became an acti\'e member of the Methodist church in Lena and dietl in that faith. In politics he was an old-line Democrat, but never sought or desired public ofifice. He had one brother and four sisters who came to Ohio. His death occurred January 21, 1875. when he was about seventy-three years of age, his birth having occurred on the 7th uf ^lay, 1802. His wife, who was born March 20. 1804, passed away August 18, 1883. They were the parents of seven children, and with the exception of Deborah, who died at the age of si.x years, all reachetl mature years. Charles was drowned when twenty-two years of age; Hannah, the widow of John Sargent, resides at Palestine, Shel- by county, Ohio; William L. is the next of the family; Emma Ijecame the wife of Frank D. Jones, of Lena, ;ind died at the age of sixty-two years; Elmira became the wife of Elmer Brecount. who was killed at Perr\-- ville. Kentucky, after which she was mar- ried again, making her home in Lena until GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 595 lier death, at the age of forty-five years; and Mary is also a resident of Lena. William L. Graham, whose name intro- duces this re\ie\v, spent his childhood days under the parental roof, obtaining his edu- cation in the common schools, and in 1870 received from his father twenty-nine acres of land, constituting a part of the old home- stead. And in addition to this he owns fifty- three acres, forming the site of his present home. He has made all of the improve- ments u|)i m his property, and has one of the neatest and most attractive homes in the township. It was erected in 1856, but has since ]:)een remodeled antl enlarged. He makes a specialty of the raising of grain, and has laid about two hundred and fifty rods of tiling upon his farm, thus reclaiming much of the wet land which liitlierto was unfit for cultivation. He certainly has one of the most arable and valuable small farms in his township. On the iJth of April, 1855, occurred the marriage of Mr. Graham and IMiss Lu- cinda M. Merritt, a daughter of Joseph and Kancy (Carter ) Merritt. The wedding took place at Lena, Miami county. The lady was born in W'arren county, Novem- ber 28, 1 83 1, and when about two years of age she came with her parents to Miami county, the family locating at Conover, whence they removed to Lena, where the father conducted a store for several years, and also held the office of postmaster. Sub- sequently he conducted a tavern, and both he and his wife became popular with the traveling public on account of the excellent entertainment which thev furnished their guests. Mr. Merritt continued in that busi- ness until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-fi\'e years of age. During the war of 1812 he served his countrv as a sol- dier. Llis wife, long surviving him, spent her last days in the home of. her daughter, Mrs. Graham, and died in 1870. Li the family of this worth)' couple were five chil- dren : Isaac, who was killed by a falling tree when twenty-one years of age; Mary, who became the wife of J. H. Kelly and died at the age of se\'enty-tw() years; Abraham, who died at his home in Columbus, Ohio, in 1893, when more than seventy years of age; Clarissa, who became the wife of George Ross and removed to Illinois, where she died at the age of thirty years; and Lu- cinda, who is tiie only survivor of the fam- ily. Unto ]Mr. and ^Irs. Graham were Ijorn three children, but mie, .Vrtliur Elwood, died at the age of two and a half years. The daughters, Clara Elma and Ella May, are twins. The former is the wife of Forest A. Colvin, an overall manufacturer of Green- ville, Ohio, and Ella May is at home. Both have received musical training, and the par- ents and their daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as trustee. In politics he is a stalwart Democrat, and for six years prior to 1899 he held the office of township trus- tee. For six years Mr. Graham also served on the agricultural board of Miami county, and there made an en\ial)le rejiutation as a careful and painstaking official. Socially he is a very prominent IMason, having become a member of Social Lodge, No. 217, F. & A. M., at Lena, more than thirty years ago. He has taken a very active interest in the work of the lodge, was master for three years, and has been a representative to the grand lodge. He also belongs to St. Paris Chapter, No. 132, R. A. M.. is an active companion in Capitular Masonry, has served as high priest of the chapter and has also sat in the grand chapter. ^Ir. Ciraham is a 596 GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. most liighly esteemed resident of ]\Iiami county, and withholds his support from no measure or movement which he beheves will prove of public good along social, moral, material and educational lines. JOHN WATKIXS MOORE. Among the practical and enterprising farmers of Brown township. Miami county, none is more worthy of high regard than ]\Ir. ^h:)ore, antl it is therefore with pleasure that we present the record of his life to our readers as that of a representative citizen of the community. He was born in Dearborn countv, Indiana, ten miles north of the Ohio river, on the i8th of February. 1830, his parents being Isaac and ]\Iary (W'atkins) Moore. Their marriage was celelirated ten miles south of Dayton, Ohio, and later they removed to the Hoosier state. The father was a native of Maryland and when a young- man came with his parents to the west, driv- ing a team from ^Maryland to Dearliorn county, Indiana. Taking up his abode in this state, he was employed on the locks at P'ranklin. and there he met his wife while boarding with the W'atkins family in Center- ville. Tlie lady was a tlaughter of William Watkins. who came to Ohio from Kentucky, and her birth occurred in the Buckeye state, in ]8ii. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore returned to Indiana, and when their son John was three months old they took up their abode at Centerville, Ohio, and the father operated the W'atkins farm until the fall of 1831, when he came to Miami County, establishing a home in the north- eastern corner of Brown township, adjoin- ir.g the boundary line between Miami and Champaign counties and a mile south of tlie Shelby county line, .\boul fifteen acres of the land had been cleared and a two-room log house had been built. Several fam- ilies from Centerville came to the county about the same time, and the Moore family made a pernianent location here. The father developed a good farm of one hundred and si.Nteen acres and thus aided in reclaiming the w ild land for the purpose of civilization. He died in 1879. at the age of seventy-five years, his l)irth having occurred in 1804. His wife had passed away some vears ])re- \-ious, being about si.xty years old at the time of her death. In the family were nine children, five of whom were li\-ing at the time of the father's death, while three vet ■ survive. These were: J. W'., of this re- view: Thomas S., who is li\-ing in Brown township: Martha Jane, wife of Thomjison Counts, also of Brown township: losepli M.. who died at the age of forty-five, leaving a widow, who is living in Conover: and .\lex- ander. who died at the age of si.xtv vears. leax'ing a w idow, who resides in Lena. These were the only members of the familv who reached years of maturity. The father was one of the original class of Methodists in Lena and contributed to the building of a li.'g house of worship known as the ^It. Ver- non church. In politics he was a Demo- crat, but never took an active ])art in polit- ical affairs. His wife was a laily of domestic tastes, her interests centering in her family, and for many years prior to her tleath she was an invalid. John W'atkins .Moore spent the first eighteen years of his life upon the old home- stead and then learned the wagonmaker's trade with Israel Roberts, of Lena, serving a three-years apprenticeship, during which time be received thirty dollars per year and liis boaixl. On the expiration of that period he bought the business of his cmi)li;\er. in GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 597 connection witli the latter's son, \Villiam Roberts, liis wages being applied as part of the purchase price. The shop was located on the stage route between Columbus and Piqua, and-as that was then a greatly traveled road he did a good business, their partner- ship continuing lor ele\en years. They had learnetl the trade together and the most pleasant relationship existed between them. On the expiration of that period Mr. Moore sold his interests to JNIr. Roberts, who still conducts the shop. Turning his attention to agricultural pursuits, our subject operated a rented farm for six years, and in 1861 he purchased his | present farm of eighty acres for which he paid f(.irty-three dollars per acre. The greater part of it was covered with hea\'y timljcr ar.d l)ut few imi)rovements had been made, but through his enterprising efforts Mr. Moore has nearly the entire tract untler cul- tixation. He realizeil a fair income from his timber, which was used both for wood and conversion into lumber in a saAvmill in the neighborhood. Since coming to the farm he has devoted his attention exclusively to its development and improvement, has in- creased its Ijoundaries Iiy the purchase of an additional forty acres, and has made a spe- c'alt}- of the raising of grain. The place is well drained, for he has placed about four hundred rods of tiling upon it, thus reclaim- ing a swampy tract and making it \-ery profit- able. His improvements include a comfort- able residence and first-class outbuildings, together with all the accessories and con- \eniences of a model farm of the twentieth century . Mr. Moore was married October 26, ierity but has proved of material benefit to the coniniunitx- b\' fur- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 605 nishing- a market for the farmers who sell ti) him their grain. He lias eqiii])pe(l the ele\'ator with new machinery nf modern constriiction. inchuling- a twenty-horse- power engine. He has an excellent corn sheller anil is supplied with all the api)liances known to the modern grain merchant who carries on business along- progressive lines. On the _'6th of March. 1868, Mr. Sulli- van was married, in Dayton, Ohio, to Miss Alma A. Smith, a daughter of John Smith. a teacher of this city. Mrs. Sullivan also engaged in teaching and is a lady of marked culture and literary ability. Their union has been 'blessed with two children; (irace W. is now the wife of W. T. Sherman and resides with her parents. She has one child, Howard Cook Sherman. Fanny, the younger daughter, is still at home and in Bethed and Troy high schools has acipiired a lilieral education. Mr. Sullivan well de- serves mention among the prominent Inisi^ ness men of Miami county and should find a place in the history of those whose enter- prise has contributed to the welfare and progress of the community. His force of character, sterling integrity and ability to control circumstances ha\e won to bim a well-merited prosperit\\ TAMES E. AND THOMAS B. GEAR- HEART. James E. and Thomas B. Gearheart are enterprising farmers and own and operate the old homestead in Elizabeth township. Among the first settlers in Miami county were John and Catherine (Bourcatman) Gearheart, the great-grandparents, who took up their abode here in the pioneer epoch of the county's development. They settled where Isaac Sheets now lives, and the great- grandfather was almost a centenarian, at the time of his death, haxing attained his ninety- ninth. His \\ife had passed away many years previous. It is known that bis mother came from Pennsylvania with bim. She was then an old lady and for many years was blind. She, too, was almost a centenarian when called to her final rest. John Gear- heart, the grandfather, was Ijorn in Penn- sylvania, in 1790, and was therefore quite young when the family came to Ohio. He was married near Urbana to Eleanor Beatty, who came from \'irginia to Ohio during her childhood. They located on a farm in Elizabeth township, near the Kyle cemetery, and there Mr. Gearheart cleared and culti- vated land, becoming one of the enterpris- ing and progressive agriculturists of the community. He carried on farming until his death, wdiich occurred August 16, 1850, his wife surviving bim until January 3, 1871. Upon the old farm in Elizabeth town- ship James M. (iearheart, the father of James E. and Thomas B., was l)orn ilarch 10, 1824. \Mien be was abi_)Ut fifteen years of age his parents removed to the farm upon which his widow and children now reside. He had one brother, Ji.)hn X., who is now a resident of Troy. In the usual manner of farmer ' lads James M. Gearheart spent the days of his boyhood and youth, and, having arrived at years of maturity, be was married, on the 1 6th of September, 1847, to Miss ]\Iatilda Sprowl, who lived on an adjoining farm. Thev began their domestic life ujjon a farm in Elizabeth townsbii), where the father spent his entire life. He became the owner of one hundred and fifty acres of rich and arable land, the greater part of which w-as under a high state of cultivation. In his 606 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. farming methods he was both practical and progressixe. and his liome was one of tlie 1)est properties of the neighborhood. After a long illness he passed away, ]\Iarch 6, 1884, and the community moiu'ned the loss of one of its best citizens. His w ife. who was born .March 5. 1824. and was. therefore, just live days his senior, is still li\ing upon the okl homestead. The present residence was completed the fall \n-ior to her husband's .death. He left his family in good circum- stances, and yivs. Gearheart is now well pro- vided with the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. Air. Gearheart was a man of very genial and kindly disposition, who could not do too much to enhance the wel- fare and happiness of his family. He won a large circle of friends, all of whom esteemed him highly for his sterling worth. In re- ligious faith he was a Methodist, holding membership w ith that church. He accorded to all the right which he reserved for him- self of forming his own opinions in religious matters. His wife remains a member of the Presbyterian church. Unto Mr. and ]\lrs. Gearheart were born six children: John H., Robert S., William J., James E., Thomas B. and Hilary B. The sons, James E. and Thomas B. Gear- heart, operate the old homestead farm and are recognized as enterprising agriculturists of the community. Their fields are well tilled, buildings and fences kept in good re- pair and all the improvements of the model farm are seen around their place. In busi- ness circles they sustain an enviable repu- tation for straightforward dealing, and thus they have gained the confidence and esteem of all with whom they have been brought im contact. James E. Gearheart was mar- ried, l-'ebruary 20. 1897. the lady of his choice having 1)een Miss Ida Smith, daugh- ter of John and Alary (IdamilerJ Smith, of AlontgomerV county, Ohio. The family- is one <_)f prominence in the community, and the members of the household Inne a large circle of friends in the cotmty. DAXIEL SWALLOW. One of the oldest millers of Ohio and one of the most capable representatives of this industry is Daniel Swallow, who is con- ducting a successful business in the line of his chosen vocation in Bethel township, Mi- ami county. He was born in Butler town- ship. Montgomery county, on the 3d of July, 1 83 1, and is a son of James O. and Judith ( Hutchins) Swallow.. His parents were married in Butler township and there re- sided for some years. From the pioneef epoch in the history of Ohio the family has .been identified \vith its upbuilding" and im- provement along material lines. The grand- father, Sylvanus Swallow, was a resident of Pennsylvania, whence he came to the Buck- eye state during the war of 181 2. James O. Swallow was a farmer and lumber manu- facturer. He owned an extensive and valuable tract of land and for thirty years he was engaged in the lumber business, op- erating an old water mill on Poplar creek at that early day, and later conducting a steam mill at \'andalia. Prominent in the affairs of the community, he served for twenty-one years as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with marked ability and fairness. His political support was given the Repulilican party and he took an active interest in its work and success. His entire married life was spent in Butler town- ship, Montgomery county. His death oc- curred in \'andalia, in his sixty-sixth year. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. GOT His wife passed away when about the same age. Daniel Swallow, whose name introduces tliis re\'iew, began work in his father's mill when about fifteen years of age and occupied the position of head sawyer in the steam mill at V^andalia. Subsequently he purchased a half-interest in that mill, his partner being Jacob Kaufman. After several years they sold out, and ilr. Swallow removed to Tad- mor, Montgomery county, where he built acircular-saw mill, which he operated for two years. In 1872 he came to his present home in Bethel township, Miami county, and, in ])artnership with John Ross, purchased the steam mill which he now conducts. The re- lationship was maintained for nine years and afterward JNIr. Swallow was in partnership with Henry Howard for two years. On the expiration of that period he became sole pro- prietor and has since carried on the busi- ness with excellent success. He does custom work principally and his patronage is ex- tensive and of a profitable character. His son, D. W. Swallow, now assists him in buy- ing both logs and timber. Mr. Sv,allow ships the products of his mill to Dayton and other markets. He makes a specialty of handling oak, hickory, ash and poplar lumber to be used in the ci:instruction of bridges and wagons. His lumber is nearly all cut to order and many of his patrons have been numbered among his purchasers for many years. Soon after coming to Bethel town- ship Mr. Swallow purchased a half interest in a similar custom mill at Brandt and was interested in its operation for nine years, fiuring which time he was connected with several partners. He acted as sawyer at each mill and still performs the work of head sawyer in his Bethel mill, having de- voted his energies to that special branch of 35 work for fifty-four years. At one time his hand was slightly cut by the saw, but he has never had an accident of a serious nature. H'e is one of the oldest mill men now living in Ohio and few have such a comprehensive and exact understanding of the business. He is thoroughly familiar with the work of manufacturing lumber, both in principle and detail, and his long experience has made . him pecidiarly capable. In the spring of 1864 Mr. Swallow put aside business cares for a time in order to aid liis country, then engaged in civil war. He en- .listed in Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-second Ohio Infantry, and served for four months at City Point and in the vi- cinity of Richmond, being discharged in the month of September. Previous to this Mr. Swallow was a member of Company E, Twelfth Regular Battalion, Ohio National Guards, joining on the 26th of July, 1863, for a term of five years, and, through his service in the civil war, w'as honorably dis- charged from this organization, May i, 1866. On the 17th of July, 185 1, at Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Swallow was married to Miss Louisa Micum, who was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, and removed to Montgomery county, when a maiden of ten years, in company with her parents, Daniel and Nancy (Linn) Micum. Her father died in Illinois, and her mother, who afterward married Henry Snyder, is now residing in Seneca, South Dakota, a well-preserved old lady of eighty- four years. Airs. Swallow was only sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. .She noW' has five children : Amanda, who for twelve years engaged in teaching school, spending that entire time in two districts, was afterwards married to James M. \\diite, who was engaged in the nursery and fruit 60S GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. business. His death occurred on the 12th of }klarch, 1898. since which time Mrs. W'iiite has resided with lier parents. Caro- Hne is the wife of \\'iniam Putterbaugh, of Bethel township, Miami county. Rhoda is the wife of Charles Senseman, also of Bethel township. Daniel \\'ebster married Emma Davidson and resides on the farm near his father. Elizabeth is the wife of Daniel Slanker, a resident of Wayne township, Montgomery county. Retta, a daughter of Caroline Putterbaugh and grandduaghter of Mr. and ilrs. Swallow, has made her home in their family since her childhood. Five generations of the Swallow" family are liv- ing. ]\lr. Swallow and his daughter, Mrs. \\'hite, o\vn. in partnership, a nice little farm of seventy-one acres of fine land, well im- pro\'ed, and have other investments which represent the fruits of their well-spent ener- gies. In his political views Mr. Swallow is a Republican and served as township trustee one term, but refused further election on account of interference with his business. Socially he is connected with the Milton \\'eaver Post, G. A. R., at Vandalia. He has always greatly enjoyed hunting and in former tiays had excellent opportunities to indulge his love for that sport in this sec- tion of Ohio. As the state has become more thickly settled, however, game has in conse- quence been dri\en to wilder haunts and he lias frequently gone with a hunting party to Michigan and Minnesota. He is a member of the Buckeye Gun Club, and of the Da}-- ton and Wilson Gun Club and has won dis- tmction as an excellent shot. In manner ]\Ir. Swallow is frank, genial and courteous. During his long residence in this section of the state lie has become widely known and is f Tr(jy, occupies the resimnsible position of foreman in the plrm- ing-mill department of the Troy Wagon Works, a position which he has acceptably tilled for thirteen years. He was Ixirn in Kno.x county, Ohio, June 9, 1840, a son of William Tannehill, who resided near Har- risl)urg, Pennsylvania, wdience he remos'ed to Knox county, Ohio, about 1S36. There he located upon a farm. His father was a native of Scotland and resided in the same locality where occurred the l^irth of the Scotch poet, Tannehill, to whose memory has been erected a lieautiful monument, his countrymen thus paying tribute to his ability. His mother bore the maiden name of Elea- nor AlcMillan ann the high seas by a British man- of-war and he with others was taken aboard the British ship. Although much against their wishes, they were forced to serve under the English flag. Mr. Patterson communi- cated with his brotlier James, of New York, and the latter appealed to the government, after which an eff'ort was made to secure the release of John Patterson, but without avail. After the close of the war, however, he landed in the eastern metropolis and re- mained with his brother for some time. In 181 7 he started for Ohio with a one-horse Dearborn wagon. On the 17th of March, 181 7, he reached Loramie township, Shelby county, and soon after entered two and a c|uarter sections in the township. The following year he married Miss Elizabeth Anderson^ who was born in county Derry, Ireland, near tlie town of Coleraine, a daughter of William and Martha Anderson. Her parents came with their family to the United States, landing at Baltimore, whence they made their way to Pliiladelphia. They were very jwor and for three years Mr. An- derson worked in Cumberland county, Penn- sylvania, making pikes. In this way he earned the money to bring himself and fam- ily to Ohio. He arrived in Loramie town- ship, Shelby county, on the 3d of October, 1817, and thus became one of the pioneer settlers of that locality. Unto John and Elizabeth (Anderson) Patterson were born eight children, namely : John, whose name introduces this review ; William, who is a prominent farmer in Washington township and married ^Margaret Crozier, who is now deceased ; Martha, who became the wife of William Levering and died in Washington township, Miami coun- ty ; Jane, also deceased ; Robert, who resides in California; Alexander, who married Catherine Cox and li\-es in Shelby county; James, of Shelby county, who married Eliza- beth Walls and after her death wedded Ann Lynn; and Elizabeth, who became the wife of Dyer Levering and died in Wapakoneta, Ohio, in 1865. The father of this family passed away in 1849 and the mother's death occurred in 1874. John Patterson, whose name begins this record, first opened his eyes to the light of day in a little log cabin, the country round- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 655 about aljounding in wild game, and he early became familiar with the- use of the gun. When a child he frequently rode on horse- back behind his father to Piqua, which was then a little hamlet containing four log cabins. Many a time he has worked all day with an ax felling forest trees, and in all de- partments of farm work he soon became aljle to do his share. He started to school when in his ninth year. As there was no school near his home, his father sent him to board with iiis uncle Robert, that he might attend school in that neighborhood. The little luiilding in which he first conned his lessons was a rude log structure with greased-paper windows and furnished after the primitive style of the times. The teacher was John Buffington, a man very severe who believed in the maxim that if we spared the rod we would spoil the child. The school was conducted on the sub- scription plan. Mr. Patterson enjoyed such educational privileges as were there afforded from 1828 until 1830, when the appropria- tion gave out and the school was not again opened until 1S39. He is practically a self- educated man, but experience, reading and observation have made him well informed. He remained at home until his marriage, which occurred May 28, 1846, the lady of his choice being Miss Mary Ellen Hunter, a daughter of Joseph and Jane (Eaton) Hunter. She was born January 9, 1815. After their marriage, Mr. Patterson rented the Russell farm in Miami county for three years and then purchased his present farm of two hundred and forty acres. This tract was entered in 1808 by Mr. Houston, who sold it to Mr. Widney, of Franklin county, and from Mr. Widney our subject purchased it. Soon after he took up his abode there he began dealing in stock and successfully carried on that business for twenty years. His unflagging industry, keen discernment and sound practical judgment brought to him success, and he is now the possessor of a comfortable competence which for some years has enabled him to li\e retired and to enjoy the fruits of his former toil. In 1893 Mr. Patterson was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 31st of December of that year. She was the mother of two children : William, who married Mary L. Myer and is living in Washington township; and Mary Eliza- beth, at home. Mr. Patterson has traveled extensively in the western states, going as far as the Pacific coast. Throughout his life he has given his support to the Demo- cratic party, believing most firmly in its prin- ciples. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and his life has been an upright one. His veracity is above question and his ca- reer has at all times been worthy of emu- lation, so that in the evening of life he re- ceives the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded old age. WILLIAM ASHWORTH. Faithfulness to duty and strict adher- ence to a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance a man's interest than wealth or advantageous circumstances. The success- ful men of the day are those who have planned their own advancement and have accomplished it in spite of many obstacles, and with the certainty that it could not have been attained except through their own efforts. This class of men has a worthy representative in Mr. Ashw^orth, who be- gan life under unfavoralile circumstances in a little shoe shop, but to-day occupies a position of distinction in connection with the commercial interests of Miami county. 656 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Born ill Middletcni. Lancasliire. Eng- land, on the loth of February. 1836. he is a son of George and Betty ( Nutt ) Ash- worth. Tlie father was a native of the same locaHty. In the family were three sons: William and Thomas, who were born in England : and John, whose birtli occurred in Monroe township. Miami coun- ty. In the land of his nativity George Ash- worth learned the baker's trade, \\bich he followed in England until 1839, when with his family he came to America, crossing the Atlantic on a sailing vessel, which, after a voyage of six weeks, reached the harbor of Philadelphia. Although not then four years of age, Mr. .\slnvorth of this review, has a faint remembrance of the trip. The family landed at Philadelphia, but came at once to Tippecanoe City, where they ar- rived on the 3d of November. 1839. The town at that time was kmjwn as Hyattsx'ille. The father learned the shoemaker's trade of William Cutler, under whom lie worked for a year. At the end of that time he removed to a farm in Concord township. Miami county, but after two years returned to Tippecanoe City, where he engaged in shoe- making until his death, which occurred July 2^, 1849. when he was only thirty-six years of age. His wife, long survi\-ing him. passed away April 3. 1876. at the age of sixty-four years. Mr. Ashworth is familiar with the his- tory of pioneer life in Miami county. At the time of his arrival there were only five iiousee where Tippecanoe City now stands, these being occupied by the Clark, Krise, Shyrock, Favorite and Cottoral families, and Mr. Clark also owned a little store. Mr. Ashworth obtained his education in the public schools, but his pri\ileges were very limited, for when eleven years of age he began work in his father's shoe shop, and was thus employed until the latter's death. In 1853 he went to Dayton, where he served an apprenticeship for two and a half years under J. T. Kinney, a harness-maker, receiving sixty-two dollars for his services during tliat period. On the expiration of that time he came to Tippecanoe City and began tlie nursery business upon an acre of ground — his mother's home. His first crop was that of currants and gooseberries, and on four square rods of land he culti- vated fruit to the \alue of eighty dollars. In 1857 he purchased six acres, which was the nucleus of his present extensive farm. Upon this little tract his residence is now located. He increased his farm as oppor- tunity offered, and in connection with the nursery business he engaged in raising vege- tables until 1862. On the 24th of August, of that year, Mr. Ashworth enlisted as fifth sergeant in Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Infantry, being mustered in at Camp Piqiia. By train he went to Lexington. Kentucky, on the 28th of August, and the first engage- ment in which he participated was at Perr}-- ville. October 8. He afterward took part in the battle of Stone River, which began on the 24th of December, 1862. lasting three days. The army then went into camp at Murfreesboro. where lie remained until June 24, 1863, when a skirmish occurred at Tun- nel Hill. The regiment was attached to the Fourteenth Army Corps, under General Thomas, and their next movement was to flank Bragg at Tullahoma. Not long after this Mr. Ashworth was detailed to return to Miami county on recruiting service, and on the 27th of July. 1863. arrived at his old home, where he remained until November. He then rejoined his regiment and partici- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 657 pated in the siegeof Chattanooga, after which the troops moved to Grasville, Georgia. In March, 1864, lie was sent back to the field hospital in Chattanooga, on acconnt of ill- ness, and there remained nntil December, 1864, when he rejoined his regiment at Goldsboro, North Carolina, making the trip by way of the water ronte. He was on the transport Ajax, which encountered a terri- ble storm off Cape Hatteras. A few days after rejoining his regiment he participated in the running fight with Johnston's army, which continued until the time of Lee's sur- render. His command was then near Ra- leigh, where Johnston surrendered his forces to General Sherman. Mr. Ashworth received an honorable discharge June 15, 1865, and with a cred- itable military record he returned to Tippe- canoe City, where he has since engaged in the nursery lousiness in company with his brother John, under the firm name of \V^ &' J. Ashworth. They own the Fair view- Nursery, to which they have added from time to time until the property now com- prises one hundred acres. The output of their nursery finds a ready sale on the market, and their shipments are very extensi\'e. Mr. Ashworth of this review has held the office of superintendent of the Cemetery Associa- tion since its organization in 1874, and has been a director in the Tippecanoe National Bank from its organization, in 1884. On the 24th of December. 1857, occur- red the marriage of our subject and Miss Sarah Wilson, of Monroe township, by whom he had two children, George and John, both of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Ashworth was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, February 22. 1841, the daughter of George and Sarah (Thompson) Wilson, both natives of Lancaster county. 38 They were married in 1834 and came to Ohio in the autumn of 1844, stopping in Clark county, and in 1849 came to Miami county, settling in Monroe township, one mile south of Tippecanoe City, wdiere they resided until his death. May 31, 1867, his wife surx'iving him until December 17, 1892. In politics Mr. Ashworth is a stanch Republican, and for five terms, or ten years, he has served as a member of the city coun- cil, giving his support to many measures and movements which have contributed to the substantial development and welfare of the community. W^ith no special advan- tages or oportunities to aid him in early life, he has steadily worked his way upward until he has become an important factor in business circles in his adopted county. His life has indeed been a busy and useful one, and he enjoys the esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact. He mani- fested his loyalty to the government upon southern battlefields, and he is just as faith- ful to-day to the starry banner, which is the emblem of the republic. ALBERT MILLER. Albert Miller, who is the foreman of the Tippecanoe Building & Manufacturing Com- nany. was born in the city which is still his home on the nth of May, i860. His father, Joseph Miller, was a native of Baden, Ger- many, and in 1848 left that country, sail- ing for America. After a voyage of forty- eight days the vessel in which he took pass- age dropped anchor in the harbor of New York, and almost immediately afterward he made his way to Dayton, Ohio, where he worked at the cooper's trade for eight years. On the expiration of that period he came to 058 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Tippecanoe City, where he engaged in the hotel business, conducting the Hotel Henn until his death, which occurred on the 13th of July, 1870, when he was forty-four years of age. He married Miss Annie Zimmer- man, who also was born in Germany and spent ninety-nine days on the voyage to the new world. Their marriage occurred in Dayton, Ohio, in 1853. and was blessed with seven children, but three died in in- fancy. Those still living are Josephine, the widow of Conrad Bolte. of Tippecanoe City ; Joseph, who is employed by the Davis Whip Company, of Tippecanoe City; ]Mary, the wife of John Henn, the proprietor of the Hotel Henn ; and Albert, whose name intro- duces this review. In the public schools of Tippecanoe City Albert Miller acquired his literary educa- tion and prepared for his business career by a course in the Queen City Commercial Col- lege, of Cincinnati. At the age of eighteen years he began work for the Trupp-\\"eekley Manufacturing Company, with which he was connected for two years as an employe, and he then became a partner in the business and was made foreman. In 1895 the com- pany was reorganized under the name of the Tippecanoe Building & Manufacturing Com- pany, with which he has since remained as a stockholder and foreman. This is one of the leading industries of the city and Mr. Miller has contributed in no small degree to its success by his capable management. He is a man of excellent business and executive ability, of unflagging industry and resolute purpose, and these qualities have enabled him to promote his individual success and to in- sure prosperity to the interests under his charge. In 1886 Mr. Miller was united in mar- riage with Miss Josephine Fortner, who died two years later. On the 28th of January, 1889. he married Miss Emily Huber, daugh- ter of Fred Huber, and they now have four interesting children : Mary. Fredia, Leo and Bernard. In his political views, Mr. Miller is a Democrat, and is a member of the Catholic church. He is recognized as one of the enterprising business men of Tippecanoe City, a position to which he has attained by !iis own efforts. He began life in the humble capacity of an employe and has steadily worked his way upward, win- ning advancement through close application and painstakng care in the discharge of the duties imposed on him. LEVI AMMON. At the time of his death, Le\-i Ammon was regarded as a leading merchant and business man of Georgetown, a position which he well merited, for his career was characterized by unflagging industry, capa- ble management and the most unfaltering honesty. He was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, November 9, 181 3. His father, George Ammon, was also a native of that county, but the grandfather was of German birth. On emigrating to the new world he took up his abode in Berks county, where he followed farming and lived to a ripe old age. During the Revolutionary war he loyally served his country, enlisting as a private. The son. George Ammon, spent his entire life in the county of his nati\ity and was a millwright by trade. He died in 1814, in early manhood, but his widow 1 lived to an advanced age. In her maiden- hood she was. Miss Beard, a daughter of Captain Beard, who was a nati\e of tlie Keystone state, a farmer by occupation and served on ^^'ashington's staff in the Revo- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 659 lutionary war. His father came from Ger- many. Levi Ammon was one of the two chil- dren born to George Ammon and his wife. He was only about a year old when his father died, and when a little lad of seven he was bound out to a Mr. Baker, of Penn- sylvania, learning the shoemaker's trade. At the age of sixteen years he left the man to whom he had been apprenticed, then worked at his trade for about two years and bought his time from Mr. Baker. At the age of eighteen he came west, settling in Liberty, Montgomery county, Ohio, where he followed shoemaking. Subsequently he was engaged in shoemaking for twenty-five or thirty years and was very successful, but lost the greater part of his property by going security for a friend. In i860 he came to Miami county and purchased a farm of eighty acres near Georgetown, of which thirty acres had been cleared. He continued its further development and improvement until 1S65, when he engaged in merchan- dising in Georgetown, successfully conduct- ing his store until his death, July 9, 1898. Li 1864, however, he lost two thousand dol- lars by again going security. On this ac- count he sold his farm and in 1865 purchased the store which is now conducted by his sons. In April, 1869, he admitted his three eldest sons to partnership in the business, and in 1872 his son Charles was made a partner. They carried a stock of general merchandise and also dealt in leaf tobacco and were the pioneers in the buggy business in Georgetown. Mr. Ammon was married to Miss Mar- garet C. Bierley, who was born in Maryland and came with her parents to Ohio during her girlhood. She was a daughter of John Bierley, who settled in Liberty, this state, where he owned a large mill and at one time was a wealthy man, but he, too, lost the greater part of what he had made by going security. He afterward worked at the shoe-making trade in Liberty, where Mrs. Ammon spent her girlhood days. She is still living, at an advanced age. By her marriage she became the mother of four- teen children, seven of whom died in early life. The others are as follows : Mary is the wife of Charles Welbaum, of Union township ; Jane died at the age of thirty-nine years; George H., who was born April 5, 1844, ^"d was the eldest son that reached maturity, was considered one of the most capable business men in the county, but his career was terminated by death x\pril 9, 1898; Edwin M., who was born May 7, 1848, is now conducting a store in Gor- don, Ohio, married Amanda Faulkner and they have two sons. Earl and Roy, who are both in their father's store; William, who conducts the store in Potsdam, mar- ried Miss Mary Mast, of West Milton, and they have a son, Harry D., now a student in the high school in Dayton, Ohio ; Belle A. is the wife of G. P. Ditmer ; and Charles, who resides with his mother, is also a member of the mercantile firm. The subject of this review was an active Prohititionist for many years and when he purchased his store he would not sell drinks as the other merchants did at that time. He was most earnest in his advocacy of the cause of temperance and both he and his wife are leading and influential members of the United Brethren church. He con- tributed most liberally to the building of the house of worship and was an earnest and active Christian gentleman. Industry was one of his chief characteristics and it was supplemented by honesty in all life's 660 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. relations. Thus he won a creditable success and was very prominent in business circles. His death was the occasion of universal re- gret throughout the community and his loss was deeply mourned not only by his imme- diate family but also by many friends. For more than a third of a century the name of Amnion has been prominent in connection with the business interests of Potsdam. At the time of his father's death, the firm name of Levi Amnion & Sons was assumed, and when George, the eldest brother, died they settled the business among themselves. When their father died, the four sons purchased their sister's interest in the estate, and, without emplnying a lawyer, satisfactorily arranged their busi- ness affairs, taking the name by v,-hicli they are now known. The three sons who are now in partnership never had any division of the business, for what belongs to one be- long to all. The relation between them has ever been most harmonious and they own property in West Milton, Troy and Dayton, and about eighteen hundred acres of land comprised within inipro\-e(l farms in Miami and adjoining counties. They also (leal in good horses and are very prominent and reliable business men, whose reputation in commercial circles is unassailable. CHARLES EDGAR ASPINALL. Among the native sons of Miami county now actively interested in its business affairs, and well known as a reliable citizen of ster- ling worth, is Charles E. Aspinall. He was born April i, 1869, on the old homestead farm of the family in Newberry township antl traces his ancestry back to England. His grandfather, William Aspinall, was a na- tive of that land and his wife and three children came to America about 1830, land- ing at Xew York city. He spent a short time in Philadelphia after which he removed to Greene county, Ohio, and subsequently settled on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Newberry township, above Clayton. He sold that tract three years later and purchased eighty acres on section 21, Newberry township, and there success- fully carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, in i86j. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Miss Brown, survived him until 1895, passing away at the advanced age of eighty-three years. Richard Brown Aspinall. the father of our suliject, was reared in the Buckeye state. He ilid not manifest a very studious dispo- sition in youth, preferring to aid in the work of the farm. After the death of his father he remained for one year on the old home- stead with his mother and then started out to make his own way in the world, being em- ployed as a farm hand in the neighborhood of his home. On the 9tli of August, 1862, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he offered his services to the government and was en- rolled among the "boys in blue" of Company I. One Hundred and Tenth Ohio \*olunteer Infantry. He served on detached duty most of the time and was ill in a hospital for nine months, spending part of that time in Cum- berland, Maryland, after which he was sent to a regimental hospital at ]\Ioorev!lle. He then was taken in a wagon with the regiment until able to take his place in the line of march. He participated in the battle of \\'incliester and received an honorable dis- charge at Columbus, July 25. 1S65. Returning to his home, ]\Ir. Aspinall en- gaged in farming on a tract of forty acres which he had ]nirchased in 1864, while in the army. About 1895 '^^ bought another GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. eoi tract of forty acres and is now the owner of a valuable farm, which adds materially to his income. Here he has successfully car- ried on agricultural pursuits, and is now recognized as one of the leading farmers of the community. He married Miss Hattie E. Rain, a tlaughter of Francis and Sarah (Roney) Rain. They had ten children, namely : Frank, who died in infancy ; Sarah E., wife of Charles Helmich, of West Mil- ton ; Charles E.,of this review ; Harry Brown, who died at the age of twenty years ; Cora Belle, wife of Warren B. Crampton, of Cov- ington ; Benjamin Lee, at home; George Luther Lorin, who is a student in school ; Emma L., Carl and Bertha. Mr. Aspinall, whose name introduces this review, spent the days of his childhood and youth upon the old homestead farm and early became familiar w4th the va- rious duties that fall to the lot of the agri- culturist. He did not desire, however, to make farming his life work, and in conse- quence, on attaining his majority, he left home and began to learn telegraphy, in De- cember, 1889, under the instruction of Will- iam Sowers, the operator at Summit. After mastering the business he was employed as an e.xtra man at different places along the Panhandle line. His ability and faithful- ness were soon recognized and he was given the position of operator at Covington, where he acceptably served until October, 1899, when he was placed in charge of the Coving- ton tower, his present position. He is an ex- pert operator, very careful and accr.rate, and well merits the confidence of the cor- poration by -which he is employed. On Christmas day of 1894 Mr. Aspinall was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C. Myers, of Washington township, a daugh- ter of Joseph and Mary ( Brinkman ) Myers. One daughter now graces their union, Edith Josephine. Li politics Mr. Aspinall is a stanch Republican and socially he is con- nected with the Lidependent Order of Odd Fellows, the Royal Encampment and the Sons of Veterans. A consistent member of the Christian church, he is highly esteemed as a young man of many excellent qualities, and both he and his wife occupy an en- viable position in social circles and enjoy the warm regard of many friends. SAMUEL HILL. No family has been more widely known in Miami county than the Hill family, and he whose name introduces this review was one of its worthy representatives. He was born August 19, 1825, in Newton township, his parents having made the first settlement there. Hjs father, John Hill, was a native of Maryland, and emigrated to Ohio about the year 1803, locating on Stillwater creek, south of Pleasant Hill, in Newton township. He served during the war of 18 12 as a cap- tain at Fort Green\-ille. His father, Thomas Hill, was of English descent, and married a Miss Williams. After a settlement was made in Miami county representatives of the name took an active part in reclaiming the wild land for purposes of civilization and in aiding in the progress and upbuilding of this section of the state. Amid the wild scenes of the frontier Samuel Hill was reared, and after attaining his majority he was married, on the 12th of September, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Weaver, whose birth occurred in Petersburg, High- land county, January 4, 1826. \^'hen three years of age her father, Henry Weaver, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Susan Winters, located with their familv near West 662 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ]Milton, on a tract of land inherited Ijy tlie latter. The conntry was wild and the w(jrk of improvement seemod scarcely begun in this section of the state, but the father made a clearing and soon built a house of logs which in those days were considered a vory fine residence, for it had two doors, other cabins having but one. It contained but one room, which, however, was very large, one end of it being occupied by three beds. Over these on poles hung the family washing. Later Henry Weaver sold that farm and pur- chased one hundred and sixty acres of land near Gettysburg, Darke county, and to this was added an adjoining farm which was give4i him by his father. He operated a large sugar camp on his farm and in this the children were employed, making sugar and molasses. I\Irs. Hill was marrried when nineteen years of age. She- was a \ ery pop- ular young lady and the Weaver home was the scene of many social gatherings which were attended by the lads and lassies for miles around. The cabin also served as a house of worship, in which religious services were held before churches were built in the neighborhood. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hill remained upon their farm until 1878, when they traded it for property in Covington, and a year later established a home there, Mr. Hill being a successful hotel-keeper of the town for twenty years. His business 'and executive ability won him prosperity, and his genial manner made him a popular host and won the warm friendship of many of his guests. He formed a very wide ac- quaintance and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him. His death occurred De- cember 22. 1892. after which his wife con- ducted the hotel until October, 1899, when she rented the property to Doctor Gaines. She displayed excellent business qualities, and although now well advanced in years she is a bright, active and energetic lady and an entertaining conversationalist. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hill were born the following children : Susan, wife of Captain C. R. Mans: Elijah \\'., who was born Jan- uary 31, 1848; Thomas E., who married Miss Cole: Xancy Belle, wife of Captain S. D. Palmer, the present mayor of Covington ; Sarah, who died at the age of six years; and Mary, wife of John J. Mohler. Of this family Elijah \\'. is a resident of Covington. He learned the trade of a harness-maker at Gettysburg, followed farming for a time, and was engaged in merchandising in Shelby county, Ohio. He was married September 2. 1872, to Josephine Flomerfelt, of Darke county, and they became the parents of six children: Musolla, wife of W. A. Reed, of Piqua; Daisy, who died at the age of six years: Grace G. ; Herbert H., Eva. Ethel and Leslia L., at home. '1 he father of this family is now engaged in the manufacture of medicines in Coving- ton. He is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the F. & A. M.. the Knights of Pythias fraternity. Knights of the Golde:i Eagle and the Sons of \'eterans' association, and in politics he is a stanch Democrat. Such in brief is the historv of the Hill fam- ily, a family well worthy of representation in the annals of ^liami countv. FRANCIS M. WALL. Francis M. Wall, of Concord township, was born in Greene county. Ohio, on the 22(1 of June. 1848. His father, David Wall, was born near Milton. Pennsylvania, and when a 3-oung man went to Greene county. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 663 Oliio, wliere lie carried on agriculture until his death, which occurred un 1867. when he was fifty-nine years of age. During the civil war he enlisted in a battery raised at Xenia, Ohio, and participated in the en- gagement at Pittsburg Landing. Soon after- wards, however, he was taken ill and on ac- count of his disability received an honorable discharge. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Amanda A. Sliingledecker, was a native of Greene county, Ohio, where her par- ents located in pioneer days, coming to the Buckeye state from Pennsylvania. She was the- mother of two sons, the second being Jasper Newton Wall, now a resident of Bluffton, Indiana. Francis M. Wall, whose name introduces this review, pursued his education in the pub- lic schools and during his youth worked on his father's farm, early becoming familiar with all the labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. At the age of nineteen years he responded to his country's call for troops, enlisting, in 1865, in the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio Infantry, in which he served for nine months. He suffered an at- tack of the measles and also injured his knee in such a manner that as the years went by it grew worse and worse until finally he was forced to have his left leg amputated. He was one of the most robust young men who entered the army from his native town. To thus go through life deprived of the opportunities and pleasures incident to a sound body is a sacrifice to country that is seldom fully appreciated or rewarded as it deserves. Mr. \\'all removed to Fletcher, ^liami county, in 1867, and on the 5th of November, of that year, he married Miss Harriet Hill, a native of that town and a daughter of John A. and Olivia (Stillwell) Hill, w^lio at an early day removed from Catskill, New York, locating at Fletcher, Miami county. Mr. Hill was widely and favorably known as a valued and enterprising citizen antl in political affairs he was an active Democrat. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wall have been born two children : Robert Earl, of Concord town- ship, who married Arabella North, daughter of Joseph and Sarah North, of the same township; and Emma Alta, who is with her parents and has proved of great assistance to them, for her mother is in poor health. Mr. Wall devotes his energies to agricul- tural pursuits, and the neat and thrifty ap- pearance of the place indicates his personal supervision and excellent business ability. He is public-spirited and progressive, mani- festing a deep interest in everything pertain- ing to the welfare and prosperity of the communitv. THOMAS C. BROWN. Thomas C. Brown is extensively and successfully engaged in farming and in the breeding of blooded stock. He owns one of the finest stock farms in the county and in the capable control of his business affairs has gained a place among the most substantial citizens of his community. His parents were Benjamin F. and Mary C. (Hilliard) Brown, and on the maternal side he is descended from one of the oldest families in Miami county. The Browns, too, were early settlers ; and the father of our subject, Benjamin F. Brown, was born on the old family homestead, in what is now Washington township, December 11, 181 1. There he was reared to manhood, attending the subscription schools. He became a well- to-do farmer, inheriting a share of the old 664 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. homestead, after wliich lie purcliased the in- terest of the other heirs. Thus he became the owner of one hundred and six acres of vakiable land, which had been entered by his father, and to this he added a tract of one hundred and twenty-six acres. He married Miss Mary C. HiUiard, who was born on the old Milliard farm, Spring Creek township, that property now being included within tho corporation limits of Piqua. Her father, Joseph Hilliard, came to the Buckeye state from Pennsylvania. Her grandfather, John Hilliard, made a tempor- ary location at Will Creek, and, as soon as he believed it to be safe to venture into the forest beyond, and not incur tlie danger of death at tho hands of the savages, he came to Miami county and entered the land now comprising section 30, Spring Creek township. There he cleared a little tract and built a log hut. and on the 4th of April, 1797, he moved into that rude cabin with his family. Being an aged man, he could not endure the hardships of pioneer life and his health soon failed him. He was laid to rest in a lovely spot in the midst of the for- est, hie being the first death and first burial in that part of the county. Benjamin F. Brown, the father of our subject, made farminp- his life work and died on the old homestead May 2, 1887. He was a very energetic and enterprising man, pos- sessed of much natural ability, and was highly esteemed as an honored citizen who withheld his support from no measure which he believed would prove of public benefit. He took a very active interest in township affairs and donated the ground on which was erected what is now known as the Brown school. He held public office throughout the greater part of his life, serving as county commissioner from 1856 until 1862, and again from 1870 tmtil 1876. In that ca- pacity he largely promoted the welfare of his towni and county, doing all in his power to secure advancement along social, edu- cational, material and moral lines. In early life he \'ote(I with the Whig party, and on its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, continuing under its ban- ner throughout the remainder of his life. He died May 2, 1887; and his wife, a devout member of the Baptist church, passed away on the 1 6th of March, 1897. They had four children : Joseph H., who served on the iron- clad Carondelet on the Red river expedition under Porter, was taken ill with typhoid fever and died in 1864; Nancy J., the wife of Alanson Hamilton, of Piqua ; Thomas C. and Clara F. are the other members of the family. '1 homas C. Brown was born upon the old home farm, March 29, 1845, and was there reared to manhood, amid pleasant sur- roundings and good home influences. Having" acquired his preliminary education in the Brown school-house, he afterward pursued his studies in the high school of Piqua and was for one term a student in the commercial college at Dayton. The work of the farm occupied his time and attention when not engaged with his school studies, and proved an excellent preparation for his life work. After his marriage he rented the home farm for a time and now owns that property. In connection with the cultiva- tion of the fields, he has carried on stock- raising, and is one of the leading stock- dealers of Miami county. His large barn, built in octagon shape, is one of the most extensive and best equipped in this section of the state. He has every convenience necessary to promote his stock-raising in- terests. He has raised some very fine troc- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 605 ting' horses and owns the stalhon Syrian, one of the best bred animals in Ohio, and also the stallion Delegate, with a record of 2:i9>4. In Somervillo, Massachusetts, on the i6th of February, 1876, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Aliss Alice E. Sawyer, who was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, a daughter of Seth Sawyer, a well known hotel proprietor of that place. Mrs. Brown's childhood homo was very near Bunker Hill monument and during her girlhood days she often romped and played upon the old historical battle ground. By her marriage she became the mother of two children : Frank B., who died at the age of twelve years ; and Susan, who is now in school. In his political views Mr. Brown is a Republican who firmly advocates the prin- ciples of the party and does all indiis power to promote its growth and insure its success. He is a reliable business man, a genial gentle- man, and his home is noted for his generous hospitality. Throughout his entire life he has resided in Miami county and is both widely and favorably known among its citizens. JOHN McMAKEN. John McMaken, who is carrying on farming in Newberry township, was born near Westchester, in Butler county, Ohio, on the 4th of November, 1825, and w^as only about seven years of age when he came with his parents to Miami county. The family is of _ Scotch-Irish lineage. The ancestors many generations removed, lived in Scot- land, but on account of religious persecution fled to Ireland and thence crossed the At- lantic to the new world, a settlement being made in Maryland, where the grandfather of our subject died. The father, John Mc- Maken, was born in Maryland, and some time prior to 1825 came to Ohio, locating in Butler county, where he was reared to man- hood and was married. In 1832 he brought his family to what was then known as the Falser farm, an eighty-acre tract of land in JNliami county. It was mostly wild, but a small portion having been cleared and cul- tivated. Upon the place was a hewed-log house twenty-four feet square, which is still standing, but has been weatherboarded. This, howe\'er, was not the first home of the family, for previous to the erection of the more pretentious structure they lived in a little cabin built of round logs. It con- tained but one room and had an immense fireplace, in which could be burned a four - foot log. The logs w-ere rolled into the fire place on "skids." In the cabin were double doors, which swung on wooden hinges. Some years after locating in the county the father extended the boundaries of the farm by the purchase of an additional forty acres. He placed his land under a high state of cul- tivation, with the aid of his sons, and as the years passed became the owner of a desirable property. He owned a number of good dogs and was very fond of hunting, being an excellent shot. He killed deer, turkeys and other kinil of wild game and thus fre- quently replenished the family larder. He died about 1863, but his wife, Mrs. Lydia McMaken, survived him several years. They were acti\e and consistent members of the Cumberlaiul Presbyterian church, and Mr. McMaken was a stanch Democrat, who enjoyed the respect and good will of all with whom he came in contact. Amid the wild scenes of the frontier John McMaken, of this review, was reared to manhood. At the age of seven he came to 666 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mianai cnunty and is therefore familiar witli its pioneer history as well as that of later days. The journey to this country was made in covered wagons. A few da}'s he- fore starting Mr. McMaken, of this re- view, sufifered a slight accident. While on the way he got out of the wagon to walk and was left l)ehind. Traveling alone through dense forests was not a very safe thing for a boy of seven, and the family became much alarmed ; but soon he came hobbling up, much to the relief of his parents. When not at work he attended the neighboring school, but his opportunities in that direction were very limited. Schools were conducted on the subscription plan. The father said that the older brother, James, should attend school, while John should assist in the work of the farm, and that when James had com- pleted his studies he should remain at home to work in the fields and John should be given the privilege of attending school ; but when John's turn came he found that boys of his own age had advanced so far beyond him that he would not go, and his knowledge is therefore largely self-acquired. He helped his father clear nearly every acre of ground in the old home place, for his training at farm labor was not meager. He lived at home until his marriage and then located upon a part of his father's land, taking up his abode in a round-log house. He cultivated the land on the shares for a short time and then resided upon the Perry farm for two years, after which he rented what was then known as the Jim Clark farm, but is now the Wei)]) McMaken farm. He afterward purchased his present farm of eighty acres and in the midst of the forest erected his home. His time and attention have been luiceasingly given to the develop- ment and improvement of the place and he now has a valuable property. He began to build his home during the Christmas holi- days and moved into it on the i8th of the following November. His land is under a high state of cultivation and yields a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon it. He can relate many inter- esting reminiscences of pioneer times, when everything was primitive and the work of progress seemed scarcely begun in this neigh- borhood. He has frequently gone coon- hunting at night, when they would have to take a pack of dogs along to keep the wohes from attacking them, as well as to "tree" the coons and other animals. In one spring Mr. McMaken attended twenty-six log-rollings. When a new settler wished to build a cabin he would invite all the men and boys of the neighborhood, and a hearty response made it jjossible for them to construct tlie cabin in a single day. Mr. McMaken owned an ox team, which was generally used in hauling the logs to the place where they were wanted. He has watched with interest the marked progress which has bosn made in the county, as its wild lands have been transformed into beautiful homes and farms, and all the ac- cessories and conveniences of mudern civ- ilization have been added, and he has en- dorsed all movements which he believed would pro\e of public good. Mr. McMaken was first married to Mar- garet Rife, a daughter of John and Cather- ine (Shell) Rife. She died on their farm, lea\'ing three children : Jane, now the wife of William Heckendorn, of ISTewberry town- ship; James Henry, who married Miss Reach and lives in Covington ; and John Lewis, of Logansport, Indiana, who mar- ried Annie Butt. After the death of his first wife Mr. McMaken wedded Miss Mar- tha Ullery, a daughter of John and Eliza- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 667 beth (Dale) Ullery. They also had three children: Forest Lee, of Newberry town- ship; Charles S.. who married Minnie Boggs ; and Emma A., at home. Many years ago Mr. McMaken united with the Cumberland Presbyterian churcli, and his life has ever been in harmony with his profession. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy, Ijut has never been an aspirant for political honors, preferring to devoto his time and attention to his business interests in which he has met with creditalile success. All that he has he has acquired through his own efforts, his unfaltering in- dustry bringing him a comfortable property. JOHN A. BUCHANAN. Among the representative farmers of Newberry township is John Allen Buchanan, wdio was born December i6, 1851, on the old Buchanan homestead on Trotter's creek, in Newberry township. He was also reared to manhood there and acquired his education in the schools of the neighborhood, his first teacher being Lizzie Stevens, an estimable young lady who afterward went west with her parents, and was killed, together with the whole party, by Indians on the plains. Mr. Buchanan further continued his studies in the little town of Clayton, and when eighteen years of age attended his last term in school in district No. 13, his teacher being Mr. Fordyce. During the periods of vaca- tion he assisted in the work of the home farm, and early became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the farmer. At the age of eighteen, after leaving school, he began to learn the car- penter's trade, under the direction of John Loy, working southeast of Piqua. He served a two-years apprenticeship and after- ward worked at his trade for sixteen years, being engaged on the construction of many buildings in the county. In Newberry township, in 1873, ]Mr. Bu- chanan was united in marriage to Miss Mar- garet Jane Fulker, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (McDowell) Fulker. L'nto them have been born four children, namely : Otto Loy, who was educated in the schools of Newberry township, and has engaged in teaching since he was seventeen years of age, married Delia Routson and resides in New- berry township: Homer \\'illis is a school teacher at Maplewood : Jo Lee and Ola Elizabeth are at home. After his marriage Mr. Buchanan resided with Mr. Fulker, his father-in-law, for two years, after which he purchased fi\'e acres of land, which is now included within his present valuable and desirable farm of eighty acres. He worked at carpentering till about 1897, since which time he has carried on agricultural pursuits, his training in youth well fitting him for this work. He built his present beautiful home in 1878 and has made all the improvements upon his place, build- ing fences, laying tile and placing his land under a high state of cultivation. Every- thing about the farm is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates the general super- vision of the owner, who is recognized as an enterprising and progressive agriculturist. In politics he has always been an ardent Democrat ever since casting his first pres- idential vote for Samuel J. Tilden. JOHN M. KERR. The specific history of the west was made by the pioneers : it was emblazoned on the forest trees by the strength of sturdy arms 668 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. and gleaming ax. and written on the surface of the earth by the track of tlie primitive plow. These were strong men and true who came to found the empire of the west — these hardy settlers who builded their rude dom- iciles, grappled with the giants of the forest, andfrom the sylvan wilds evolved the fertile and productive fields which ha\e these many years been furrowed and refurrowed by the plowshare. The red man, in his motley garb, stalked through the dim, woody ave- nues, and the wild beasts disputed his do- minion. Tho trackless prairie was made to yield its tribute under the effective en- deavors of the pioneer, and slowly and surely were laid the steadfast foundations upon which have been builded the magnificent superstructure of an opulent and enlight- ened commonwealth. To establish a home amid such surroundings, and to cope with the many privations and hardships which were the inevitable concomitants, demanded an invincible courage and fortitude, strong hearts and willing hands. All these were characteristic of the pioneers, whose names and deeds should be held in perpetual rev- erence by those who enjoy the fruits of their toil. John M. Kerr is not only a representative of one of the pioneer families of Ohio, but has been himself also a resident of Miami county for three score years and ten. He was born in Monroe township. April 2, 1829, on the old family homestead which his grand- father, George Kerr, entered from the gov- ernment prior to 181 2. Hamilton Kerr, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio, in 1803. The land purchased by George Kerr has since been in possession of the family, being now owned by Furnas Kerr, a brother of our subject. Upon taking up his abode in Miami county he erected a log cabin, about twenty by twenty-four feet, which continued to be his home for several years. He then built a brick house of two rooms, and in that residence died in 1836. He was a \ery successful farmer, his enter- prising efforts having made him the posses- sor of five hundred acres of land. He mar- ried Miss Rhoda Furnas, a native of Monroe township. Miami county, and unto them were born four children : Xewell, who died July 18, 1876, at the age of forty-nine years; John M. ; George, a farmer of Concord township, iliami county, and Furnas, a re- tired farmer who is now living in Tippeca- noe City. John M. Kerr, whose name introduces this review, can relate many interesting in- cidents of pioneer life in Miami county. He pursued his education in a little log school-house, walking a mile and a half through the woods in order to recite his les- sons in that institution. His training at farm labor was not meager, for he early learned to handle the scythe and to follow the plow. Until twenty-four years of age he assisted his father in the work of field and meadow and then removed to an adjoining farm of one hundred and si.xty acres on sec- tions 10 and 15, Monroe township. There he resided until 1889 and developed one of the best farming properties in the neighbor- hood. His richly cultivated fields and sub- stantial buildings indicated to the passer-by the thrift and enterprise of the owner. Upon his removal to Tippecanoe City, in 1889, he put aside business cares and has since lived retired, enjoying the rest which he has truly earned. On the 17th of May, 1866, Mr. Korr was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Coates, who was born in Warren county. Indiana, and died in 1867, at the age of twenty ' GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 669 eight years and eighteen days. Mr. Kerr has no children of liis own, but his niece, now Mrs. J. F. Deitrick, lived with him fron; her early childhood and was to him a daugh- ter. He is yet the owner of a valuable farm of three hundred and twenty acres, and from his place derives a good income. He has been a member of the Masonic fra- ternity since 1859, and his membership is now in Tippecanoe Lodge, Xo. 74. In politics he is a Democrat. Having witnessed the entire growth and develop- ment of this county he is wo'.l informed concerning its history, and is accounted one of the valued citizens whose efforts have contributed in no small degree to the general prosperity and progress. His activ- ity in business aft'airs, combined with hon- orable dealing and sound judgment, brought to him creditable success, while his upright life has won for him the high regard of all with whom he has l)een brous'ht in contact. SAMUEL HOEFLICH. Samuel Hoeflich was born December 31, 1S57, in Dayton, Ohio, and is of Ger- man lineage. His father, Charles Hoef- lich, was born in Tuebingen, \Vurtemberg, Germany, in 181 2, and was an officer in the French army fijr fourteen years and a veteran of several wars. He ran away from home when eighteen years of age and enlisted in the military service. After leaving the army, he followed the trade of book-binding for some time and then de- termined to seek a home in America. On reaching the new world, he took up his abode in Dayton, Ohio, where he married Mrs. Caeherine Kraus, widow of Andrew Kraus. By her first marriage she had five children : John A. and Christopher G., both of Cov- ington, and three who died in childhood. Mr. and Airs. Kraus came to the United States in 1854, and the former died in Day- ton. By her second marriage, the motlier of our subject had three children, Samuel being the eldest and the others were Caroline and Annie, who died in infancy. The fa- ther of tliis family was called to his final rest in 1863, and the mother survived him until 1879. Samuel Hoefiich, of this review, was only two years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Piqua. His father was employed on the canal and the family remo\-ed from place to place in order to be near him at his work. When Sam- uel was four years old they resided in Buck- neck, Miami county, where the father died in 1863. In the spring of 1864 the widow remo\'ed with her family to Covington, where she kept her children together, work- ing most industriously and untiringly in order to provide for their support. When our subject became old enough he took part of the burden from her willing shoulders and aided in maintaining the family. Turn- ing his wages over to his mother, in time he became her main support, the hard work of former years undermining her health, and it became his turn to care for her who had so heroically labored for her children in years past. She had established a board- ing-house and also conducted a grocery store and saloon. JNIr. Hoeflich assumed entire control of the business in 1879. After the death of his mother, he removed the old building in which she began business, to another location and erected on the site the present brick store and dwelling. He has sold out the grocery store and now conducts a first-class saloon, carrying also a full line of cigars and tobacco. C70 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mr. Hoeflich was married, in 1884, to Miss Lizzie M. Popp, who died Marcii 4, 1895. Tiieir children were Carl J., horn Decemher 17, 1885; George Lafayette, born Octoher 2, 1887; and Cleo Catherine, born July I, 1889. All three are now in school. The father was again married, January 2^, 1897, his second union being with Anna R. Kriegbaum, a daughter of George Krieg- baum. Mr. Hoeflich is a charter member of Covington Lodge, K. of P., and also be- longs to the Improved Order of Red Men. His marked musical talent lias rendered him a favorite in musical circles and for fifteen years he was a member of the Third Ohio Regiment band. He is also a mem- ber of the Covington Union band, of Cov- ington, which worn a most excellent repu- tation. Holding membership in the Lu- theran church, he has served as the leader of the choir, both in church and Sunday school. He is a man highly esteemed, is affable in manner and has hosts of warm friends in his communitv. ELMER E. THOMSON. Elmer E. Thomson is a leading under- taker and embalmer of Miami county, and is a representative of a family that for many years has been prominently connected with the business interests of this section of the state. In tracing the genealogy of our sub- ject we find that he is descended from a long line of sturdy, intelligent and honor- able ancestors, and that in both the lineal and collateral branches representatives have been prominent in the history of the nation. His paternal grandfather was born in Vir- ginia and served in the war of 181 2. When he went to the front he left his wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Tullis, and his two children, in Troy, Ohio, rejoining them at that place when his services were no longer needed in defense of American inter- ests. He was a prominent factor in public affairs in his section of the state and after- W'ard entered the land upon which the town of Muncie, Indiana, now stands, becoming one of the pioneer settlers in that locality. He ser\ed as keeper of the Miami county jail, and it was in that building, at the south- east corner of Main and Plumb streets, in Troy, that Joel T. Thomson, the father of our subject, was born. Mr. Thomson often referred in a jocular manner to the fact that he was born in a jail. In his native city he became an active and influential business man. In 1840 he established there a fur- niture store to which he gave his constant personal attention for fifty 3'ears, or until the time of his death, which occurred in 1890, when he had attained the age of sev- enty-three years. He enjoyed exceptionally good health, was strong and vigorous and thus was well fitted to meet the arduous du- ties of business life. He advocated aboli- tion principles at a time when it required great personal bravery to announce oneself as a friend and protector of the colored people. He made his home a station on the underground railroad, and thus assisted many a dusky fugitive on his way to free- dom, beyond the reach of southern masters. On the breaking out of the civil war he closed his furniture store and carried on only the undertaking department of his business in order to allow his three employes to enter the L'Uion ranks. All three served in many sanguinary batttles, but returned unharmed at the close of the war and are yet living, being numbered among the \-aIiant heroes to whom the Union owes her preser\'ation. J I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 671 However, many brave soldiers from Miami county gave up their lives on the battle- fields of the south. Eighty-two of the num- ber were brought to their homes, and Mr. Thomson ufficiated as undertaker at eighty - one of these soldier funerals. During the fif- ty years of his business career he acted as undertaker at over eleven thousand funerals in Miami county. During all those years he enjoved the esteem and confidence of his fellow men and was often honored with po- sitions of trust in administering the affairs of the town of Troy. In early manhood he was united in marriage to Miss Mahala Helen Gilkerson, who is still living in Troy, and who came to this state with her parents from West Virginia, then a part of Virginia. She traces her ancestry back to the Virginia pioneer and explorer, the famous Captain John Smith, and on her mother's side she is related to the family of John Randolph, one of the colonial governors of Virginia and one of the leading spirits in the Revolu- tionary war, whose memory will ever be honored on account of his lofty patriotism, his unswerving devotion to his country and his noble character. Other members of the family were equally loyal and prominent, and well may Mr. Thomson l)e proud to trace his lineage to such a source. Four sons and three daughters were born to the parents of our subject, namely: Wilbur, who was for many years a teacher in the county schools, and his death, at the age of thirty-five years, was a great loss to his fam- ily and the community. Emma is now the wife of John H. Stafford, of Meridian, Miss- issippi, and the mother of Harry Stafford, — her only son, — who entered the Spanish- American war as first sergeant in Colonel Roosevelt's Rough Riders and took part in the arduous campaign of that now famotis regiment in front of Santiago, resulting in the capture of the city. Sergeant Staft'ord captured General Toral's pony and brought It as a trophy to New York. On the dis- bandment of the Rough Riders he enlisted as sergeant in the company that was sent to the Philippines, and while bravely fight- ing in the front he was severely wounded in the breast, but finally recovered from the injury. Mary, the third of the family, is now' deceased. Charles is a leading under- taker at Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio. Wal- ter J. was a prominent physician in Union, Ohio, at the time of his death, which oc- curred July 12. 1896. He was a surgeon on the pension board of Montgomery county for seven years, and occupied a position of prominence in professional circles. In poli- tics he was a Republican and a man of marked influence in the councils of his party. His wife has also passed away, but two children survive them. Our subject, Elmer E., is the sixth of the family, and Mrs. Etta Bizer, of Piqua, Ohio, who is now de- ceased, is the youngest. In early vouth Elmer E. Thomson at- tended the public schools of Troy and was graduated in the high school at the age of eighteen years. From early youth he was more or less connected with his father in business and very naturally was his success- or. He became thoroughly proficient in his chosen vocation, and after spending two years in the study of medicine with Dr. J. H. Green, an eminent physician of Troy, he took two courses of lectures in the col- lege at Columbus, Ohio, making a specialty of surgery. He introduced arterial em- balming in this section of the country, and has practiced the embalming art with great skill and success, having received profes- sional calls not only to all parts of Miami 672 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. county but to distant parts of the state as well. For the last five years he has been a member of the Undertakers" Association of the United States. In 1887 he entered into partnership with his father, at Troy, and since tht latter's death, in 1890, he has car- ried on the business alone. On April 16 1900, his place of business and its contents were destroyed by fire, since which time he has had quarters a few doors north on Market street, and with the assistance of new and improved inventions is better able than Ijefore to carry on the undertaking pro- fession. On the 1 ith of July, 1889, Mr. Thomson was united in marriage to Miss Carrie J. Riley, who is a graduate of the Troy schools and of Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, and a lady of superior culture and refine- ment. For about seven years prior to her marriage she was a popular teacher in the public schools of Troy, and she still takes great interest in educational matters and in the intellectual advancement and progress of the town. She is especially active in promoting higher education and the advance- ment of women and is a member of the ex- ecutive committee of the Standard Clul), an association of ladies formed for mutual im- provement. Clifford, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, is an extremely bright little lad of six stmimers, who has just en- tered school and gives promise of special aptitude and al)ility in matters of education. The parents are consistent and active mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, and their labors are effective in promoting that de- nominational organization of Troy. Mr. Thomson is a stalwart Repulilican in politics, and is a member of the local com- mittee. He was elected county infirmary director for Miami county, serving from 1 89 1 until 1894, and during that time was clerk of the board. He is justly proud of the fact that no deserving person was de- nied the necessaries of life during that time, owing to his unremitting interest in this great work, established for the relief of the worthy but unfortunate people of the county. Mr. Thomson is a member of the Odd Fellows Society, the Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Knights of Honor, and has served as noble chief of the second order. He is a perfect specimen of physi- cal manhood, well developed and \"igorous, with a strong, pleasant face and clear-cut features and a cordial manner that enables hiiu not only to win but to retain his friends as the years pass by. Such in l^rief is the life history of Mr. Thomson. His character has been shadowed forth between the lines of this review, and in the summary of his career we note only a few of the salient ])oints, — his activit}' and sound judgment in business affairs and his conformitv to the ethics of commercial life, together with his faithfulness to public office, his genuine friendship and his regard for true worth of character. These are the cjualities which make Elmer E. Thomson a valued citizen in wha':e\er community he has made his home. LEWIS T. SHEETS. The history of a state, as well as that of a nation, is chiefly a chrc)nicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. The world judges of the character of a community by those of its rei)resentati\-e citizens, and yields its tribute of admiration and respect for the genius or learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 673 a state's prosperity and pride. It is this record tiiat offers for our consideration the history of men who for their probity, benevo- lence and kindly virtues, as well as their in- tegrity in the affairs of life, are ever afford- ing to the young- examples worthy of emu- lation. For many years Mr. Sheets has been regarded as one of the most prominent resi- dents of Tippecanoe City, and since 1896 has held the ofiice of mayor, to which position he was called by popular ballot, his fellow townsmen recognizing his worth and ability. His administration has been most progres- sive, and the period of his incumbency has been an era of substantial growth and im- provement in the history of the municipality. Mr. Sheets is a native of Tippecanoe City, born September 30, 1869. His fa- ther, Thomas J. Sheets, was born in Clear Spring, Maryland, September i, 1841, and was a millwright by trade. In 1859 he came to Ohio, locating in Tippecanoe City, where he worked on the old mill, being thus em- ployed until the breaking out of the war. On the 5th of August, 1862, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of the navy. He was assigned to th.e g'unjjoat Tyler, in the Mississippi squad- ron, under Commodore David Porter, and from time to time received promotion, be- coming a master mate and afterward an en- sign, with which rank he was discharged in December, 1863, on account of ill health. He participated in the bombardment of Vicksl)urg and in other important en- gagements of the Mississippi squadron. After his return to Tippecanoe City he en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, which pursuits he followed until 1874, when he be- came the superintendent and general man- ager of the Tippecanoe Wheel \Vorks. Un- der h.is leadership the plant was enlarged, 39 new machinery was added and a very suc- cessful business was conducted, the enter- prise proving a very profitable one to the town. On the 1 6th of October, 1861, Thomas Sheets was united in marriage to MiiS Allie Crane, a daughter of Dr. Crane, and to them were born two children, Lewis and Anna, the latter an accomplished young lady residing with her mother. Mr. Sheets was regarded as one of the most prominent, in- fluential and able men of Tippecanoe City, and at his death all of the stores of the town were closed as a tribute of respect to one widely known and honored. He passed away July 24, 1882, and all who knew him mourned his loss. He was very charitable in his opinions and was beloved alike by old and.young, rich or poor. As a citizen he was pifblic-spirited and withheld his. support from no movement or measure which he be- lieved would prove a public benefit. So- cially he was connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, of Tippecanoe City, and in_ politics was a stalwart Republican. His many excellencies of character gained him high regard, and throughout the com- munity he had a \'ery extensive circle of friends. Mr. Sheets, whose name introiluces this review, obtained his preliminary oducation in the public schools of Tippecanoe City and later attended Eastman's Business College, at Poughkeepsie, New York. Ho was thus well trained for life's practical and respon- sible duties, and when twenty-two years of age he became a member of the firm of Trupp, Weekly & Company, lumber deal- ers, contractors and builders. While a member of that firm he was also one of the organizers of tho Troy Bending Company, of Troy, Ohio, which was established in 674 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 1890. Two years later, however, he sold his interest in that company, but retained his connection witli the Trupp-Weekly Manufacturing Company until 1894, when ho disposed of his share of stock to H. J. Ritter. The business has since been re- organized under the name of the Tippe- canoe Building & Manufacturing Com- pany. Mr. Sheets is now the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and fifteen acres in Monroe township, and also super- intends the cultivation of his mother's farm of four hundred and forty acres. He is a man of excellent business and executive ability, who carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and his keen discernment and capable management assures him a high degree of prosperity. In 1895 Mr. Sheets was elected a trial justice of the peace, which office he has since filled in a most creditable manner. In 1896 he was elected mayor of the city, and has now filled the office for four consecutix'e years, during which time he has exercised his official prerogatives in behalf of many measures and movements toward the ad- vancement of the city's interests. He gave his support to the establishment of the new electric power house, owned and controlled by the city, and other substantial move- ments sprang into existence as the result of his labors and advocacy. In his politics he is a Repul)lican, unfaltering in his support of the party principles. A very i^rominent Mason, he belongs to Tippecanoe Lodge, No. 174, of Tippecanoe City, and is now n past master. He is also a member of iM-anklin Chapter, No. 24, R. A. M., of Troy, in which he is now holding the office of king, and belongs to the council and Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., of Trov. A man of distinguished and forceful in- dividuality, of broad mentality and most mature judgment, he has left and is leaving his impress upon the industrial world, while his study of economic questions and matters of public policy has been so close, practical and comprehensive that his judgment is re- lied upon and his utterances have weight in those circles where the material progress of his native citv is centered. HENRY FULKER. Actively identified with agricultural pur- suits for many years, Henry Fulker is now living retired, enjoying a rest which he richly merits, for he has led a busy, useful and upright life. He belongs to an old fam- ily of German origin. His father, Peter Fulker, was born in Germany and was reared upon a farm. To escape being im- pressed into the army he ran away from home and came to the Uniteil States when about twenty years of age. He had no money when he landed in Baltimore and was sold in that place to pay his passage. After working until he had made enough to re- imburse the man who had paid his passage, he took up his abode in the vicinity of Hagerstown, Maryland, where he married Barbara Barnhart, a daughter of Jacob Barnhart, a native of Pennsylvania or Mary- land. After his marriage he operated his father-in-law's farm until coming to the west about 1835. He was accompanied by his wife and children, making the journey by wagons, and reaching his destination after about seven weeks of travel. There were several families in the party. Mr. Fulker purchased one hundred and fifty- four acres of land, adjoining the Mc- Dowell farm. It was mostly covered with GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. G75 timber. The family lived with Daniel Babylon, a neighbor, until their own house could be built. Their first home was a lit- tle cabin built of round logs and covered with a clapboard roof. From an old-fash- ioned fireplace the smoke made its escape through a wooden chimney. The boys would cut the logs used in the fireplace and then haul them to the house with a horse. In that first cabin the family lived until a hewed-log house could bo built. To that was afterward added a brick kitchen. The boys cleared the land, and where once stood the trees in their native strength was soon seen waving fields of grain. The father died on the farm, which he secured by trad- ing with John Myers, his death occurring in Deccaiber, 1882. His wife died in June of the same year, at the age of eighty-eight years, her birth having occurred in Mary- land in 1794. Both were members of the German Baptist church, and Mr. Fulkor was a Whig in his political views until the or- ganization of the Republican party, when he joined its ranks. In the family of this worthy couple were born six children, name- ly: Henry, who is the subject of this re- view ; Samuel, who married Barbara Roda- haft'er and afterward wedded Mary Chris- tian, and mo\ed to South Dakota, but spent his last days near Aberdeen; Peter, who ■died at the age of sixteen; Catherine, who is the wife of Henry Billingsley, of New- berry township; Lydia, who is the wife of A. Worley, of the same township ; and Eliza- beth, who died at the age of twelve years. Henry Fulker, whose name stands at the head of this article, was born near Hagers- town, Maryland, June 12, 1826. He be- gan his education in the subscription schools of his native state, and at the age of nine years accompanied his parents on their emi- gration to Miami county. He walked most of the way, but at times he and other boys of the party would hide in his uncle's wagon and thus steal a ride, but the uncle kept quite strict watch on them and would make them leave the wagon. During his first winter in Ohio Mr. Fulker had all of the wood to haid and chop for the family and became quite expert at that work, being able to chop a cord of wood each day, and was also capable of splitting one hundred rails a day. He aided in clearing away the timber on his father's land and thus getting it ready for cultivation. He also learned to cut wheat with a butcher-knife, for his mother had the only sickle on the place and could reap with the skill of a man. In order to gain any education he had to walk three miles to school. He seldom had shoes to wear and had to experience many of the hardships and trials which fell to the lot of the agriculturist. In March, 1849, Mr. Fulker was united in marriage by the Rev. Mr. Hershey, the pastor of the Lutheran church, to Miss Margaret McDowell, who was of Scotch lineage, the family having originated in the land of hills and heather. Mark McDowell was the first emigrant of the name to seek a home in America. He took up his abode in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming and also worked at the Vv heel Wright's trade. He was a man of fine physique, six feet, two and a half inches tall, well proportioned and with jet black hair and deep blue eyes. Coming to Ohio he entered land on Lost creek, Miami county, about 1820, and later gave to each of his sons a farm. His children were: Mark, who located in Guernsey county, Ohio, and died there ; Alexander, who made his home in Lost Creek township, Miami 670 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. countv, until liis death : James, who was also a resident of that township and died there; Samueh who died on his farm in Lost Creek township; Luke, the father of ^Mrs. Fulker ; ]^Iary, who became ]\Irs. Jones and died in this county; Rachel, who became Mrs. Richardson and removed to Indiana, where her death occurred; Sarah, who bo- came the wife of Rev. Samuel Sheehan and removed to Illinois, where her remaining days were passed; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Samuel Deweeso and died in Miami county; Susie, who married Will- iam Deweese and died near Casstown, and Matilda, who became Mrs. Abbott and died in this county. Luke McDowell, the father of Mrs. Fulker, was born in Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania, and there spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He married Elizabeth Bailor, who was liorn in Berks county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Mark Bailor. After his marriage Mrs. ^McDowell removed tc Ohio and located on a quarter-section of land which was covered with a growth of timber. L'pon his land he built a hewed- log house, 22x28 feet, and cleared his entire farm with the exception of eight acres. He was a great hunter, was fond of the sport and killed much wild game. His neighbor. Colonel George Buchanan, was rather a wasteful man, and when butchering one year he killed thirteen hogs. He was throwing away the heads, backbones and ribs, when ]\Ir. McDc_iwell went over and offered to heli) with the butchering if the Colonel would give him the meat he was throwing away. This was done, and the McDowells had enough meat to keep them all winter. One year Mr. ^IcDowell and his sons killed thirteen deer. The boys would track a doer and drive him up to the crossing, where the father would sit on his horse and shoot the deer as it approached. Seldom did he fail to bring down an ani- mal at which he fired. He was a stanch Democrat in his political views and was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He died on his farm, August 16, 1849, at the age of seventy years, and his wife passed away in 185 1, when sixty years of age. Their children were : Elizabeth, who became the wife of Charles Orwan and after his death went to Kansas, where she died ; John, who married Miss Lucinda Perry, and afterward removed to Iowa, where his last days were passed ; Luke, who wedded Elizabeth Fahnestock and died in Xewberry township; Mary, wife of James Madison Skelton, who was a pilot on the Mississippi river and in 1849 went to Cali- fornia, where he died, his widow still liv- ing there; Lydia, who became the wife of Joseph Templeton and died at their home in Kansas ; Alargaret, now Mrs. Fulker ; David, who married Xancy Childress and lives in Miami county, Indiana; Sarah, who became the wife of Benjamin Snow, remov- ing to Iowa, then again to Shelby county, later to Covington, Ohio, where her death occurred ; and Jackson, wdio married Mar- garet Fulker and now resides in P'oweshiek county, Iowa. After his marriage, Mr. Fulker. of this review, rented the McDowell farm for eighteen months and then went to Powe- shiek county. Iowa, where he purchased a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, after- ward entering it from the government. Later he added to it a forty-acre tract. He. paid fiftv dollars for the claim and two hun- dred and fifty to enter it. He and his fam- ily lived in the barn until a house could be erected. Mr. Fulker cultivated that land GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 677 for four years, and then sold the property for twenty-seven hundred dohars, after wliicli lie returned to Miami county and purchased the old jNIcDowell homestead. Smce that time he has erected all of the buildings upon the place. He erected his present homo in 1870 and added many other modern and substantial improvements. He continued the acti\e management of his farm until 1877. when he put aside business cares, his sons assuming the management of the property. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Fulker has been Ijlessed with five children, but Samuel and Barbara, the two youngest ciiildren, are now deceased. The others are : Margaret, wife of John Buchanan, of New- berry township; Peter Luke; and Henry \V., who has charge of the old home place: he married Emeline Fritz and has nine children —Esther, Iven, Dellmer, Lydia, Wilbur, Otto, Mary, Martha and Hobart. In his political views Mr. Fulker, of this rex'iew, is a stanch Republican, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the partv. On account of his removal to Iowa, he could not vote at the election of 1856, and in consecjuence cast his first presiden- tial ballot for Abraham Lincoln. His life has been one of marked industry. Ln former years he labored early and late, and his untiring efforts enabled him to triumph over many obstacles and steadily work his way upward to success. He is now- num- bered among the substantial citizens of the community and his prosperity has been wi.irthilv won. PHILIP J. DOLL. Philip J. Doll, who is carrying on agri- cultural pursuits- on section 13, Monroe township, where he owns eighty acres of land, was born in Germany, March 15, 1842, his parents being Conrad and Mary (Faver) Doll. They had three children, who were born in Germany, and one after their ar- rival in America. The father was a brick- maker by trade and followed that pursuit in his native land until the fall of 1843, wjien he came with his wife and children to the new world, taking passage on a sailing vessel, which after a voyage of forty-two days dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. From that city JNIr. Doll and his family made their way to Troy, where he remained for a year, and then removed to Cowlesvillo, where he worked in a still- I'.ouse. Subsequently he returned to Troy and, in company with his brothers-in-law, Henry O. and George Genslinger, he en- gaged in the manufacture of brick until the spring of 1858. He then purchased sixty acres of land on section 18, Monroe township, where his son, Frederick, now lives. There was a log cabin upon the place and he built a log barn. About thirty acres of the land had Ijeeii cleared and with char- acteristic energy he continued its de\'elop- ment and cultivation until his death, which was occasioned by accident, a falling limb crushing him as he was engaged in clearing a field. This was on the 15th of March, 1 86 1, and he was fifty-one years of age at the time. He held membership in the Ger- man Luther-an church and was a gentleman of the highest respectability, and all who knew him esteemed him for his sterling worth. His wife died February 16, 1875, at the age of sixty-one years. They had a family of seven children : Elizabeth and Catherine, who died in Germany ; Fred, who is living on the old homestead ; Philip J., of this review: Henry, deceased: Conrad and George. 678 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mr. Doll, whose name introduces this sketch, was only a year old when his par- ents came to Ohio and was a youth of thir- teen when the family took up their residence in Monroe township. At the time of his father's death he and his brother, Fred, took charge of the home farm, where they remained until 1864. He then removed to the farm now occupied by Samuel Kessler, there making his home until 1876, when he came to his present place of abode on section 13, Monroe township. Hero he owns and cultivates eighty acres of land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation, reaping good crops as a reward of his early labors in the spring. On the 2d of Octotber, 1862, Mr. Doll was united in marriage to Miss Rachel Webb, who was born in Monroe township on the 1st of August, 1844, her parents be- ing Joseph and Annie (Huntsinger) Webb. Her father was born near Fredericksburg, Maryland, and died when his daughter was very small. The grandfather was William Webb. His wife bore the maiden name of Lila Truitt. .\fter the death of her husband she and her cliildren came to Ohio, locating in London, and while there the mother died, leaving two sons, Josiah and Isaac N., aged eight and nine years, respecti\-ely. On foot they made their way to Miami county, and Josiah became an inmate in the home of James Kerr, with whom he remained until he was apprenticed to William Collins to learn the blacksmith's trade. He afterward purchased his employer's shop and con- ducted business therein for o\-er fifty years. He died December 21, 1897, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his wife passed away December 19, 1890, at the age of sixty-eight years. They had a family of six children, namelv: Mrs. Doll; Marv D., wife of Eben Sutherland, of Troy; William W., a farmer of Concord township; Annie I. S., wife of Clark Brown, of Newton township; Alice L., wife of Franklin L. Elifritz ; and Martha, wife of John Goodenough. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Doll have, been born ten children, as follows: \\'illiam C, who. died November 29, 1899; John J., who is living at home; Annie E., wife of John Lehman; Albert R., who resides near Frederick; Emma E., wife of Henry Oburn, of Concord township; Margaret A., wife of Charles Moist, of Kessler Station ; Alinnie P.; Charles Frederick, at home; Harrison, and Walter C, deceased. Mr. Doll has made all the improvements upon his farm and has also contributed to the development and progress of his section of the county. He aided in building Doll's pike, which extends from the Tippecanoe & Milton pike to Troy pike. He withholds his support from no measure or movement which he beliex'es would prove a public ben- efit, gives his political support to the Demo- cratic party and is a consistent member of the Christian church, to which his wife also belongs. They are most highly respected citizens and enjoy the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. JACOB SLNKS. Before Ohio was admitted to the Union| representatives of the Sinks family came to this state. The grandfather, who resided in North Carolina, started westward and crossing the mountains with a team arrived I in Ohio in 1798. He was the first one to make a location north of Dayton and he had to cut his way through the woods to the farm which he selected. His home was located about twelve miles from Dayton, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 679 where he secured a tract of government land, upon whicli ho erected a log cabin. He was accompanied by his son, Andrew Sinks, the father of our subject, who was born in Nortii Carolina, but spent a part of his youth in this state. After arriving at years of maturity he married Miss Emily Yount and then located upon a farm where Jacob Sinks was born and reared. They lived in true pioneer style and experienced many of the hartlships and privations of frontier life. The mother often rode to Dayton on horseback to procure a sack of flour or meal. The father continued the arduous task of developing the land and in course of time he became the owner of an extensive and valuable farm. He died at the advanced age of eighty-six years. They were consistent members of the Chris- tian churcli and in that faith reared their family. They had twelve children, namely : Elizabeth, Enoch, George, Frederick, Ale.x- ander, Henry, Rosanna, Andy Y., Noah, William, Ira and Jacob. All of the chil- dren reached mature years and were mar- ried. The four youngest are still living. Mr. Sinks, of this review, was born in Butler township, Montgomery county, on the 1st day of March, 1832, and spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads, aiding in the work of the fields and meadows through the summer months, while in the winter season he pursued his education in the common schools of the neighborhood. He remained in Butler township, Montgomery county, until twen- ty-three years of age, when he was married and began the operation of a saw-mill, which he conducted for a year of two. He then purchased a farm of eighty acres in Mont- gomery county, just across the township line from Miami county, and lived there until 1S92, when he came to Tippecanoe City. He still owns one hundred and five acres of land in Butler township and a valuable tract of eighty acres in Monroe township, Miami county. He successfully carried on farming for a number of years, but now he is retired, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. Mr. Sinks was married, January 25, 1855, to Miss Phoebe Macy, and they had three children : Emma, wife of George Smith; Perry, who is still living on his fa- ther's farm, and Ella, wife of Eli Saunders, of Tippecanoe City. The mother died in 1863, and in 1865 Mr. Sinks was again married, his second union being with Miss Elizabeth Tenney, by whom he had two children, Lettie and Nellie, both now de- ceased. His second wife died in 1870, and on the 3d of October, 1872, Mr. Sinks mar- ried Clarissa Macy, a sister of his first wife. They have one child, Annie, who married Luther Weaver. Mr. Sinks is a member of the Christian church, and in politics has always been a Republican, unswerving in his support of the principles of the party. He has witnessed almost the entire growth of this county and in the community where he has resided has been known as a worthy citizen. His prosperity has resulted from his well-directed efforts and he certainly de- serves the rest which has come to him in his declining years. GEORGE W. CRUSE. George W. Cruse was born in Piqua, December 17, 1838, and spent the first eight years of his life in that city. He then accompanied his parents on their re- moval to a farm in Spring Creek township, where he was reared to manhood, the duties 680 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 1 and labors of the fields becoming familiar to iiim througiiout the time he remained under the parental roof. At the age of nineteen he began farming for himself, and has made that pursuit his life work. After the inauguration of the civil war he put aside all personal considerations, enlisting on the 2d of August. 1862. as a private of the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infan- try, for three years. He participated in the battles of Winchester and Mine Run. and then went into winter quarters. The fol- lowing year he took part in the battle of the Wilderness, and was with Grant's command at Spottsyl\-ania Court House and at Cold Harbor. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac, and in the winter of 1 864- 1 865 he was detailed for service at the headfiuartors of the Sixth Army Corps as a mounted police, remaining with that corp, of the headquarter's train until honorably discharged, July 2, 1865. He was always found at his post of duty, faithfully perform- ing" the tasks assigned him. Upon returning to Spring Creek town- ship Mr. Cruse resumed farming and was identified with its agricultural interests until 1900. with the exception of three years which he passed in Kansas. He was a gen- eral farmer, and the success which he achieved has resulted from earnest and steady application. He has never engaged in speculation, but has depended upon hon- orable and resolute purpose to bring him the necessaries of life. On the 2i\ of August. 1868, occurred the marriage of Mr. Cruse and Miss Joseph- ine H. Statler. by whom he has six chil- dren, namely: Delia I., Alberta M., Earl S., Clyde E.. Forest C. and Helen B. In February. 1900, Mr. Cruse retired from farming and with his familv moved to Picjua, where they will enjoy the comforts of city life the remainder of their days. They have a pleasant home and are well and favorably known in the conmuinity. In politics Mr. Cruse is a Democrat, and socially is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. As a citizen he is as true to-day to his duties as when he fol- lowed the stars and stripes upon the battle fields of the south in defense of the Union. JOHN G. HAGAX. John G. Hagan is employed as a sheet roller in the rolling mills of Piqua. It is the most responsible position in the me- chanical department of the rolling mills and Mr. Hagan is considered an expert work- man, having a thorough understanding" of the business and performing his duty with accuracy and promptness. He was born on the Susquehanna river, in Lancaster coun- ty, Pennsylvania. September 3. 1856. his parents being Thomas and Jane (Allen) Hagan, both of whom were born and reared in county Tyrone, Ireland, where their mar- riage was celebrated on the 4th of Jul}-, 1855. Their wedding tour consisted of the voj-age to America, and. after twenty-nine days spent as passengers on the Great West- ern, they arrived at New York in Septem- ber of that year. Tiiey located first at Trenton. New Jersey, whence they removed to Columbia, Pennsylvania, and afterward to F'lainfield, that state. The father was a boilermaker by trade and followed that busi- ness until his death, which occurred in 1864, at the early age of thirty-six years. In his early manhood he was a member of the Pres- byterian church, but afterward joined the Baptist church. His widow is still living, at the age of sixty-six years, her birth hav- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 681 ing occurred on the ist of January, 1835. She is a member of the Disciples church. Tlie parents of our suljject were of English and Scotch extraction and had "a family of three children, namely : John ; Margaret Jane, wife of John \'eller, of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, and William A., who died March i, 1891, at the age of twonty-nine years. Air. Hagan, whose name introduces this record, was reared in Newcastle, Pennsyl- vania, and when but a boy secured employ- meat in the rolling mills. His work has always ])een along that line and steadily he has advanced step by step, mastering the business in all its departments. In No- vember, 1889, he came to Picpa, where he has since made his home, and throughout this period he has held the responsible po- sition of a sheet roller in the Piqua Rolling Mills. On the 27th of November, 1879, Mr. Hagan was married to Miss Salina Moes- ley, who died June 17, 1893, leaving a fam- ily of two children, Edna Pearl and Joseph T. In his political views Hr. Hagan is a stanch Republican and takes a deep interest as a citizen in the welfare of his party. He servod as a member of the school board of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in 1888, re- signing the position at the time of his re- moval to Piqua. Socially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, belonging to Shenango Lodge, No. 195, and Lawrence Encampment, No. 86, both of New Castle. He also holds mem- bership in Livincible Lodge, No. 176, K. P., of Piqua; Picjua Lodge, No. 523, B. P. O. E. ; Warren Lodge, No. 24, F. & A. M. ; Piqua Chapter, No. 31, R. A. M. ; Cole- man Commandery, No. 17, K. T. ; the Tribe of Ben Hur, of Piqua, and the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers. He is a consistent and faithful member of the Disciples church and is a man of sterling worth, reliable under all circumstances, faithful to every trust reposed in him. He enjoys the confidence and highest esteem of his fellow^ men and is widely and favorably known in Piqua. ALONZO B. CAMPBELL. Among the citizens, who, in the midst of a useful business career, have been called from life's activities, amid the universal re- gret of the community with wdiich they were identified, is Alonzo B. Campbell, who for some time was engaged in the grain business at West Milton, where he owned an ele- vator. He was recognized as a progressive and public-spirited citizen and one which the town could ill afford to lose. His birth occurred in Montgomery county, Ohio, on the i8th of November, i85i,and his boyhood days were spent on the home farm, while his education was acquired in the district schools of the neighborhood and in the high school at Eaton. When a young man he taught several terms of school, after which, in connection with his brother, Thomas, he conducted a dry-goods store in Arcanum. About the time of his marriage he aban- doned mercantile pursuits and returned to the old homestead, where he remained for two years. He then came to West Milton, purchased his brother John's interest in the elevator and grain business at this place, where, in connection with his brother, Jesse K. Campbell, he carried on operations until the time of his death. He was quite suc- cessful and was known as a very reliable and trustworthy business man, whose la- bors were diligently prosecuted. 682 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. On the 29th of March, 1877, occvirred the marriage of Mr. Campbell and Miss Florida R. Mills, who was born near Alex- ander, Montgomery county, Ohio, a daugh- ter of Jewett and Mary (Acton) MiUs. The father was born in Kentucky and came to Ohio with his parents during his boy- hood. Sul)se(|uently he devoted his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits in Montgomery county, but at the present time he is living retired from active business cares in his pleasant home at Pyrmont. He votes with the Republican party and in his religious affiliations is a [Methodist, having long held membership in that church. He is now eighty-four years of age and receives the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded those who stand upon the down- ward slope of life and whose career has ever been honorable. His wife was a native of Maryland and is still living, at the age of eighty-two years. She, too, is a member of the Methodist church. Her parents were natives of England. Mr. and ]\Irs. Mills had a family of ten children. They are quite active old people and have a large circle of friends in the community where they now reside. Mrs. .Campbell spent her girlhood days upon the home farm with her parents and was roared amid the refining influences of a good home. She now has two children, Jesse A., who pursued a com- mercial course of study in Dayton, Ohio, and is now filling the position of bookkeeper in the Gas & Coke Company of that city, and Nellie, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell held member- ship in the United Brethren church, and socially he was connected with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows in early life. He exercised his right of franchise in sup- port of the men and measures of the Republi- can party, and at all times kept well informed on the issues of the day, thus being enabled to give intelligent allegiance to the principles which he advocated. His was an honorable and upright career, in which he gained the confidence and respect of his fellowmen. He passed away January 27, 1890, and left to his family a good property and the price- less heritage of an honorable name. LEVI HOUSER. Levi Houser. now deceased, was born in Spring Creek township May 20, 1823. and upon the old homestead farm remained un- til twenty years of age. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and on lea\-ing the pa- rental roof he went to Dayton, where he worked on a farm with his uncle for two years. On the expiration of that period, with the capital which he had acquired through his industry and economy, he pur- chased eighty acres of land in Spring Creek township, and from that time forward made his home upon the property. In addition to the cultivation of the fields he purchased cattle and sheep, and was numbered among the extensive and successful stock dealers until his death. His busmess affairs were energetically prosecuted and always cliar- acterized by the utmost reliability. On the 29th of ISIarch, 1849. Mr. Houser was united in marriage to Miss Christina \Miitney, who was born in War- ren county, Ohio, September 29, 1829, and came to Shelby county with her parents, Francis and Abigail ( Blanchard ) Whitney. Mr. and Airs. Houser were married in Shelby county and their union was blessed with five children. Ephraim, the eldest, now living in Piqua. married Sophia Blalock and thev had two children, Lee and Flossie ^ GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 68:3 The mother died, and by his second wife. Jennie, who was a sister of his first wife, he had fonr cliildren, — Clyde. Nellie, Harry and Bessie. Martin, the second son of the family, now operates the home farm. He married Annie Schoemaker. and they have two children, Wilson and Gracie. Maggie is the wife of John Brennar, who is living in Staunton township, and they have two chil- dren li\'ing, Oscar and Earl, while Harry died in infancy. Samuel married Jennie Hammond and they have two children. Forest and Edith, .\higail is the wife of Harvey Anderson, a farmer of Spring Creek township, and their children are Ber- tha and Annie L. When Mr. and Mrs. Houser took up their abode upon the farm where the widow now resides it was a tract of heavy timber land, but Mr. Houser cleared away the trees, plowed the land, and in due course of time garnered abundant harvests. Their first home was a log cabin, but in later years it was replaced by a more commodious and modern residence. As the years passed by all the accessories and conveniences of the model farm were added, and the property became a very valuable one, Mr. Houser continuing the cultivation of the fields until his death. He was for thirty-eight years a consistent member of the Baptist church, and in his life exemplified his religious faith. His political support was given the Republican party, and he served as town- ship trustee, supervisor and school director for many years, discharging his duties with marked promptness and fidelity. He died May 6, 1884 and his remains were interred in the Fletcher cemetery. In bis death the community lost a valued citizen, bis neigh- bors a faithful friend and his family a lov- ing husband and father. Mrs. Houser is now the owner of an eighty-acre farm in Spring Creek township and also has fifty- six acres in Staunton township, so that she is well supplied with life's comforts. She, too, is a consistent and faithful member of the Baptist church, and the many excellencies of her character have gained her warm re- gard. PETER HETZLER. Peter Hetzler was numbered among the pioneer settlers of Miami county who came to this section of the state when it was an unbroken wilderness, and clearing away the forest trees which stood in their primeval strength he established a home and developed a farm, thus laying the foundation of the present progress and prosperity of the coun- ty. Mr. Hetzler was born in Northumber- land county, Pennsylvania, in 1795, and was a son of Jacob Hetzler, who was born in Germanv and l^ecame the founder of the family in America. He married Elizabeth Bullinger and with bis family removed from the Keystone state to Hamilton county, Ohio. By the marriage of this worthy couple ten children were born, John and Peter, the two eldest, being residents of Pennsylvania. The others were George, Jacob, Pulser, Christian. Joseph, Rebecca, Annie and Kate, all natives of Ohio. On the old homestead farm in Hamilton county, this state, Peter Hetzler was reared to manhood, sharing in all the hardships and trials of pioneer life which fell to the lot of the family. He was married, in that county, to Sarah Cox. and in 1820 came by team to Miami county with his family. They drove two teams and had to cut their way through the forest, for no roads had then been laid out. The family slept in a wagon until a log 684 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. caliin could be erected. Tlie first liome was a little log building of one room. It bad greased-paper windows and was beated by means of tbe buge fireplace. The Indians ■were encamped near their farm when Peter Hetzler located here, but they generally maintained pleasant relations with tbe white settlers. Mr. Hetzler secured his land from the government, entering one hundred and sixty acres, for which be paid a dollar and a quarter an acre. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon the place, but with characteristic energy be be- gan its development. He cut away the trees, cleared away tbe stumps and then plowed his land and planted bis crops, which in course of time yielded good harvests. Throughout his life be carried on agricult- ural pursuits and established a good home, becoming one of tbe substantial citizens of his community. Mr. and Mrs. Hetzler became the par- ents of eight children : George, who died in 1840; Elizabeth, widow of Joel Redden- baugh and a resident of Shelby county ; Rosana. who died in 1896; Joseph, a farmer living in Shelby county; Jacob; Julia A., who became the wife of Elias Snodgrass and died October 5, 1877; Peter J., who is living in Shelby county; and Christian. Tbe father of this family always bore his part in the work of improvement and prog- ress in Miami county, and lived to witness the greater part of its wonderful develop- ment. He saw its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms, while roads were laid out, railroads built, industries es- tablished and all tbe improvements of the older east introduced. He was a member of the Baptist church and served as one of its deacons. Throughout his entire life be gave his political support to tbe Democracy, Init never sought or desired office for himself, preferring that bis attention should l;)e given undividedly to bis business affairs, in which be met with creditable success. During the last five years of his life he was paralyzed, and on tbe 12th of September. 1894. death ended his labors, when he was ninety-nine years of age. His life record deserves an honored place in the pioneer annals of the county and it is with pleasure that we pre- sent this sketch to our readers. His two sons, Jacob and Christian, reside on section 3. Spring Creek township, where they own eighty acres,— tbe original farm which was entered from the government by their father four score years ago. EPHRAIM PEARSON. Epbraim Pearson is a retired farmer living in Covington, the fruits of his former toil enabling him at tbe present time to rest from arduous business cares. He was born on the old Pearson homestead in Newton township, Miami county, in 1834. His fa- ther, Wilkinson Pearson, was born June 30, 1803, and when two years of age was brought l\v bis parents to i\Iiami county, where he followed farming throughout his entire life. He was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends or Quakers, to which he adhered until middle life, when be joined tbe Christian church. He died April 13, 1882, and his remains were interred in Pleasant Hill cemetery. His wife, who bore tbe maiden name of Elinor Leavell. was born October 21, 1805, and was a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Perry) Leavell, who were among the pio- neer settlers of this section of Ohio, com- ing here at tbe dawn of the nineteenth cen- turv, while tbe Indians still inhabitated the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 685 wilderness, througli which flowed the l3eau- til'ul Stillwater river. They advanced far into the country infested Ijy the redskins, but on account of the hostilities of the red men they were obHged to abandon their log cabin and return to the more thickly settled country of Ludlow creek, where their daughter, Elinor, was born. After the Indians were compelled to leave their hunting grounds to the hardy pioneers, who bv degrees pushed forward in the forests, where with gleaming ax they would fell the sturdy trees to make a small clearing in order that a log cabin might be erected, Mr. and Mrs. Leavell again took up their abode on Pan- tlier creek, where they had formerly endeav- ored to establish a home. There Mrs. Pearson grew to womanhood, sharing with her fam- ily the hardships and trials which come to those who settle on the frontier, and also en- joying the pleasures and privileges known to the early residents of a new locality. On the jd of March, 1824, she ga\-e her hand in marriage to Wilkinson Pearson and was to him a faithful companion and helpmate on life's journey for fifty-three years, their mutual love and confidence increasing as the days passed by. On the 13th of April, 1882, she was called upon to mourn the loss of the husband of her youth, whose hair was now white with the snows of many winters. He left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name and his memory is cherished by all who knew him. He was familiarly known throughout the community as Uncle W'ilk, and his wife was lovingly called Aunt Nelly. Her gentle manner, her kindly words and her many estimable characteristics won her the esteem and love of young and old, rich and poor, and no one in the entire commimity had more friends than this worthy couple. She died November 6, 1898. Her children were : Elmira, who became the wife of James Knouff and died at Greenville, Ohio: Al- fred, who died near Pine Village, Indiana; James, who was a member of Company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Infantry, during the one-hundred-day ser\'ice and died at Covington; Ephraim, of this review; Richard, who served for three years during the Rebellion as orderly sergeant of Com- pany B, One Hund'red and Tenth Ohio Infantry, and was discharged with the rank of captain after a long and faithful service, in which he was five times wounded ; Job, who was killed at the battle of Cold Harbor; Catherine, who became the wife of Cor- nelius Dye and died at Columbus Grox'e, Ohio, and her remains are interred in Highland cemetery at Covington ; and Ann Rebecca, who died in 1865. Ephraim Pearson, whose name intro- duces this record, received but limited ed- ucational privileges, being permitted to at- tend school for only a few weeks during each winter, and when any special work was to be done upon the farm he was forced to remain at home and assist. He aided his father in the development and cultivation of the old homestead until his marriage, after which he culti\-ated his father-in-law's farm one year. He afterward located upon his own farm in Newton township and suc- cessfully carried on agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1883, when he rented his property and took up his abode in Coving- ton, where he has since lived a retired life, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. During the war he put aside business considerations to serve under the call for one-hundred-day men in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Infan- try. For a time he was stationed at Ar- 68(3 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. lington Heights, and was honorably dis- charged at Camp Dennison at the expiration of his term. On Feljruary 22,, 1854, ]\Ir. Pearson was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Caldwell, who was born in Newton township, January I, 1836, a representative of one of the well known and honored families of the county, and to them have been born four children : James \\'., a resident of Nowton township; Harvey Edward, who died at the age of two years; Alfred Ellis, who is living in Troy; and Hannah A., wife of George Maier, by whom she has one child, Harley W. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson have a large circle of friends and acquaintances in this community, for their sterling traits of char- acter have gained them the high regard of all with whom they have been brought in contact. The success of his life is due to no inherited fortune or to any happy succession of ad\-antageous circumstances, but to his own sturdy will, steady application, tireless industry and sterling integrity. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson united with the Hopewell Christian church, of Pleasant Hill, in 1859, and since coming to Covington have been devoted members of the church here. Mr. Pearson was a deacon of the Hopewell church for years and served as a trustee of the Covington church. Mrs. Pearson is a member of the Ladies' Aid and Alissionary Societies. Mr. Pearson has al- ways been a stanch Republican, casting his first vote for Fremont. He served as a trustee of Newton township for three years and in the same capacity in Newberry town- ship for twelve years. He was urged to accept another term, but declined. He served one term in the Covington town council and four years on the soldiers' relief committee. Pie is a member of Lono-ston G. A. R. Post, No. 299, and served therein as quartermaster and chaplain. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson were charter members of the Grange and remained with them until their removal to Bradford. HENRY BROKAW. When the destruction of the Union was threatened by the secession of the south, Henry Brokaw was among those who re- sponded to the country's call for troops and loyally aided in preserving the nation intact, so that not one state should be taken from the splendid galaxy that forms the republic. In times of peace he is as true and loyal as when upon the battle fields of the south he fol- lowed the stars and stripes, and such a man well deserves mention among the repre- sentative citizens of Miami county. He was born in Spring Creek township, this county, June 20, 1844, on a farm now owned by Josiah Fry. His father, James Brokaw, was born in Staunton township, this county, in 1822. The grandfather was a native of New Jersey and with a team he and his family made the journey westward to Ohio at an early day. Reaching this county he secured a claim of eighty acres of govern- ment land and thereon erected a log cabin. At the time of their reniDval there were three children in the family, but the birth of others increased the number to eight, wiio were named as follows : Eliza, Henry, Sarah, Mary, Martha, James, Caroline Michel and Ellen, and with the exception of Caroline and ]Martha all were married and reared families. The grandfather died at the age of seventy-two years. He was an earnest Christian man, who took an active part in church work antl did all in his power to promote the ^Master's cause among his GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 687 fellow men. James Brokaw, the father of otir subject, having arrived at years of ma- tm-ity, married Margaret Sims, daughter of Jose])h Sims and a sister of e.x-Governor \\'aucup, of California. This marriage was blessed with three children namely: Henry; Joseph, a resident farmer of Spring Creek township, IMiami county, and James M., who is proprietor of a men's furnishing goods store in St. Joseph, Missouri. In the usual manner of farmer lads Henry Brokaw was reared and early became familiar with the duties and labors of the farm. After the inauguration of the civil war, however, he left the plow and shoul- dered his rifle, preparatory to aiding in the defense of the Union. He enlisted in 1862, as a private in Company E, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and at the battle of Winchester was taken prisoner. After being incarcerated in Libby prison for thirty days he was transferred to Belle Isle, and a few days afterward was sent to a tobacco house then used as a prison by the Confederates. Subsecjuently he was paroled at Richmond and sent to Annapolis, Mary- land, and on being exchanged he rejoined his regiment. He participated in many of the most important battles of the war, in- cluding the engagements at Locust Grove, Mine Run, Wilderness, SiX)ttsylvania, Gaines Mills, Cold Harbor, Bermuda Hun- dred, Petersburg, Monocacy, Charleston, Smithfield, Flint Hill and Cedar Creek, and at Washington, D. C, received an hon- orable discharge in 1865. When the war was over and the country no longer needed his ser\'ices Mr. Brokaw returned to Spring Creek township, where he has since been engaged in farming and in dealing in timber. He was married, Jan- uary 14, 1867, to Sarah E. Baker, and they have eight children, namely: James M., Joseph E., William H., Charles E., Mary G., Frank E., Nora F. and Mettie M. All are yet living with the exception of William H. The family home is situated just across the Miami river from Piqua and occupies an attractive location. The farm comprises one hundred, and twenty-seven acres of rich land, which is improved with all the ac- cessories of the model farm, indicating the practical, progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Brokaw also has two other tracts of eighty acres each, and from his well de- veloped fields he secures a good income. In his political views he is a Democrat, and for si.x years has served as assessor of Spring Creek township, but his time and attention have been more largely given to his business affairs, in which he has met with signal suc- cess, gaining that sure reward of honorable and well directed labor. HARRY J. RITTER. The department of biography is crowded with the lives of men distinguished in war, politics, science, literature and the profes- sions. All the embellishments of rhetoric and the imagination have been assayed to captivate, stimulate and direct into these "upper walks of life" the youthful mind and ambition of the country. The result of this system is manifest and by no means for- tunate. The ranks of the professions are filled to overflowing. Thousands of young men of respectable abilities, entirely capable of achieving competence and character in the useful and more unpretending employments, are annually lured into professions for which they are entirely unsuited, and in which they can never succeed. To instill into the minds and hearts of the young respect for great 688 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. attainments and re\-erence for great virtues, and to excite the generous emulation, liy holding up, as examples for admiration and imitation, the lives of the wise, the great and the good, is commendable and right. But the field of example should be extended, and lessons of industry, energy, usefulness, virtue, honor, the true aims of life and the true sources of happiness, should be gathered and enforced from all the various provinces of human labor, ho\ve\-er humble. Our countrv is eminently in need of increasing intelligence in commerce, agriculture and mechanism. Those great dix'isions of labor should be rendered not only lucrative and respectable, as they are. but honorable and attractive to the young in all classes of so- ciety. The lives of eminent merchants, farmers, manufacturers, mechanics. — of all who by honest lalxir have achieved distin- guished success in the different occupations, shotild be written and commended to the young men of the republic. The path of labor and usefulness should be indicated as the highway to honor. Mr. Ritter is recognized as one of the most prominent business men of ]\Iiami county, and in the active affairs of life has not only won prosperity but has gained the honor and esteem of his fellow men. He was born near Reading. Pennsylvania. March 29. 1848, and is a son of Israel Ritter. When seven years of age he accompanied his father on his removal to Reading, where he remained until he entered Pennsyh'ania College, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at- tending school until 1864. at which time he responded to his countrv's call for troops. He was then si.xteen years of age. but a patri- otic spirit prompted his enlistment and he joined the signal corps, his duties calling him to Virginia. West Virginia and [Maryland, He served until August 5. 1865, when he received an honorable discharge at Green- castle. Pennsylvania, and with a creditable military record returned to his home. The duties in the service of the signal corps are of the most delicate, arduous and oft- times dangerous nature and are of the great- est importance. Upon again reaching Reading Mr. Ritter entered the business college at that place and graduated in 1866. He then accepted a clerkship in a hardware store, where he remained for a year, after which he removed to Carroll county, Missouri, where, in com- pany with his brother-in-law, he engaged in the stock business for one and a half years. On the expiration of that periotl he returned to Pennsylvania and, with head- quarters at Reading, began dealing in horses, making a specialty of trotting" stock. His time was. thus occupied until 1871. when he went into the oil fields near Titusville Penn- syhania, becoming connected with the im- portant industry of the development of the oil wells. He, however, continued his opera- tions as a dealer in horses until 1874. when he came to Tippecanoe City and tmik charge of Colonel John R. Woodward's stock farm in Bethel township. Miami county, continu- ing as the manager until the fall of 1876. The Colonel died in 1876 and Mr. Ritter look entire charge of the stock farm, breed- ing and developing trotting horses until 1881. Fie then came to Tippecanoe City, and in the sjiring of i88j went to Europe as a purchasing agent of the well known firm of f^nvell Brothers, horse importers of Shadeland, Penns}l\ania. He was with that firm for eight years, during which period he crossed the water sixteen times, traveling through England. Ireland. Scot- land, Belgium, Erance, Germany and the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. (389 Shetland Islands, in which countries he pur- chased fine horses, shipping them to America. In the spring of 1890 Mr. Ritter again came to Tippecanoe City, and in 1894 he pur- chased the business of C. Trupp & C(.impany and re-organized it under the name of the Tippecanoe Building & Manufacturing Com- pany. He became its principal stockholder, also general manager, secretary and treas- urer, and in these capacities he has since been connected with what is now one of the most extensive and important industries of this section of the county. The company do a large contracting and building busi- ness, operate lumber yards, a planing mill and sawmill, and also manufacture novelties. Employment is furnished to about sixty men, and the output of their plant is very ex- tensive, its products being sold in many parts of the country. Air. Ritter is also a director in the Monroe Building & Loan Association, and is the manager and president of the Tippecanoe City Inter-urban Telephone Company, which was organized in January, 1899. He is also a director in the Troy Buggy Works Company, of Troy, Ohio. He is recognized as one of the most promi- nent business men of this section of the state, possessing resourceful ability, keen discern- ment and unfailing diligence, which qualities enable him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. On the 14th of October, 1879, Mr. Ritter was united in marriage to Miss Ada L. Woodward, a daughter of Colonel John Woodward, who was born in Bethel town- ship, Miami county, December 10, 1835, and was a son of William Woodward, whose birth occurred in Williamsport, Pennsyl- vania, and who was one of the pioneer set- tlers of Miami county. The Colonel was married, October 14, 1856, to Miss Marcella 40 Bell, and to them were born two children, W^illiam B., who is interested in a large, lumber yard at Washington Court House, and Mrs. Ritter. During the civil war Col- onel Woodward responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in September, 1861, as the captain of Company C, Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battle of Shiloh and remained at the front until August, 1862, when he returned to his home. In 1864 he aided in organizing and raising the One Hundred and Forty- seventh Ohio Regiment for one hundred days' service and was chosen lieutenant- colonel. At the close of the war he received an honorable discharge, and, returning to the farm in Miami county, remained there until his life's labors were ended in death. Mr. and Mrs. Ritter have one son, Harry Woodward, who was born February 19, 1886. In his social relations Mr. Ritter is con- nected with D. M. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City, and is a past com- mander. He also belongs to Tippecanoe Lodge, No. 174, F. & A. M. ; of Franklin Chapter, R. A. M. ; the Coleman Com- mandery, K. T., of Troy, and the Royal Arcanum lodge, of which he is a past regent. In his political views he is a Republican, firm in the support of the principles of the party. For se\'en years he has served as a member of the school board and for four years was its clerk. He has also been a member of the board of aldermen of Tippe- canoe City, and in that capacity labored earnestly and effectively to promote the best interests of the community. He has for many years been a member of the Lutheran church, and at all times he gives his support to the measures which are calculated to pro- mote the material, social, educational and 690 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. moral welfare of his community. His life has indeed been well spent, and his success is the merited reward of his own efforts, for he started out upon his business career in the humble capacity of a clerk. In man- ner Mr. Ritter is genial and kindly, his un- failing courtesy being manifest in his busi- ness as well as social life, and his employes never see any traces of the overbearing task- master in him. He inspires personal friend- ships of unusual strength, and all who know him have the highest admiration for him be- cause of his many fine qut^lities of mind and heart. ISAAC MUMFORD. One of the native sons of Ohio, Isaac Mumford was born in Pike township, Clark county, on the 28th of February, 1847, his parents being George and Ruth Ann (Martin) Mumford, whose history appears elsewhere in this volume. The first twelve years of his life were spent in the county of his nativity, and he then came to Elizabeth township, Miami county, remaining with his father until twenty-five years of age. His boyhood days were passed in the usual man- ner of farmer lads, the duties of the school- rue im occupying his attention during the winter months, while in the summer season he assisted in the work of the farm. When twenty-five years of age he was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Almira Tower, daughter of Jonathan and Eliza- beth (Graham) Tower, of Anderson, Indi- ana, They began their domestic life on their present farm, which was given Mr. Mum- ford by his fatlier. It was the old Arthur Vandevere place, and had been in the posses- sion of the Vandevere family from the earliest period of development in this section of Ohio. It comprises one hundred and forty-seven acres of rich land, the greater part of which is now under the plow, the well tilled fields yielding to him a golden return for his efforts. Mr. Mumford fol- lows ad\-anced methods of farming, under- stands the necessity of rotating crops and cultivates his land and garners his harvests with the aid of the latest improved ma- chinery. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Mum- ford has been blessed with three children, all of whom are now married : \Valter, who wedded Hattie Buchanan, operates the home farm, and has one child, John Isaac, born February i, 1900; Clara Belle is the wife of H. V. Shroyer, of Bethel township, and has two children, Marie and Hazel; Addie May is the wife of Mack Snider, of Alcony, and has one child, Myra Alice, born February 16, 1900. Mr. Mumford and his family attend the Umversalist church at Alcony, and in social circles they occupy an enviable position. In politics he is a Re- publican, having always cast his ballot for the men and measures of that j)arty. He is frequently seen in its conventions and takes a deep interest in its growth and success. For nine years he has served as constable, discharging his duties in a very creditable manner, and in the spring of 1900 was "re- elected for a term of three vears. LEVI CLARK. At a period in the pioneer de\'el(ipment of Miami county Levi Clark was born, in Monroe township, November 22, 18 18, his birth occurring near the site of Tippecanoe City, although it was many years thereafter when the town was founded. He was the son of John Clark, one of the first settlers of Miami county. It was his father who, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 691 after purchasing a tract of one hundred acres, laid out thereon the httle village which is now known as the enterprising and progres- sive Tippecanoe City. Upon a farm our subject was reared, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He remained with his father until nineteen years of age, when he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and near that place served a three-years apprenticeship in the tanner's trade, during which time he was allowed the privilege of attending school rn GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 703 April 28, 1855, and is the \\-i(Io\v of George Schilling; Ella F., who was born May 7, 1857, and died October 20, 1890: Albert E., who was born Ma}' 17, i860, and is a farn'.er of Spring Creek township ; Clara, who was January 7, 1863, and died April 28, 1889; and Rosetta, who was born November i-|, 1867, and is now Mrs. Rowe, of Indiana. Soon after their marriage the parents of this family located upon a part of the old home- stead and erected a log cabin, eighteen by twenty feet, containing a room on both the first and seconil Hoors. The land was cov- ered with a heavy growth of timber and it was an arduous task to clear and prepare it for the plow, but beneath the steady strokes of Mr. Miller's sturdy ax the trees fell and in the course of time the land was placed under cultivation. He was a member of the Baptist church, and was ever true to his duties and to what he believed to be right. He died September 22, 1873, and his wife, surviving him some years, passed away May 15, 1892. Mr. Miller, whose name heads this record, was reared on the old homestead farm and is indebted to the common schools for the educational privileges which he en- joyed. He had to walk two miles to the schoolhouse and there conned his lessons, becoming familiar with the elementary branches of English knowledge. After his mariage he removed to a farm near his fa- ther's home, living there for a season, and after his father's death he returned to the old farmstead, of which he took charge. There he resided until 1876, when he re- moved to his present home, which is situated on land that was purchased by his grand- father at a very early period in the develop- ment of the county. He was married Feb- ruary 27, 1873, to Miss Annie E. Buckles, a daughter of George and Nancy (Riddle) Buckles. Her father was born in Lost Creek township and was one of the early settlers of the neighborhood. Mr. and Mrs. Miller now have a family of eight children: Delia, who was born November 12, 1874, and is the wife of A. E. Cleam, a Baptist minister, of Milford Center, Ohio; Clarence, wdio was born April 17. 1877, in Miami county; Clyde, who was born July 10. 1879, and is a telegraph operator at Van Wert, Ohio; Ernest, wdio was born May 7, 1882, and is a student in the high school at Fletcher; Bessie M., who was born October 4, 1884, and is attending school; Elsie T., bom July 12. 1887; Walter, born December 19, 1890; and George E., born January 20, 1899. Mr. Miller owns and operates fifty-nine acres of land, his fields being planted to the grains best adapted to this climate. His life has been quietly passed in the pursuit of his business afi"airs, and as a result of his steady application and capable management he has become the possessor of a very com- fortable competence. In politics he is a Democrat, and in religious belief he and his wife are Baptists, belonging to the Union Baptist church, in which he has served as deacon for nine years. WILLIAM LEPPERT. W^illiam Leppert is a representative of the industrial interests of Tippecanoe City, being the leading blacksmith and carriage manufacturer of this place. Recognizing the fact that industry is the keynote to suc- cess, he has not failed to apply himself closely to his work, and in this manner his labors, being guided by sound judgment and supple- mented by honorable dealing, he has won not only a comfortable competence but also 704 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the respect of his fellow men. He is num- bered among tlie natix'e sons of the Buck- eye state, his birth having occurred in Pom- eroy, Ohio, on the 13th of February. 1852. His father. Rev. John Leppert. was born in .Ahnanswier. (lermany, January 19. 1828. Dorothea ( Geyer ) Leppert, the mother of our subject, was born in Durmstein. Ger- many. October 27. 1830. Mr. Leppert was a Methodist minister, and when our subject was eight years of age he remo\ed to Law- renceburg. Indiana, where the succeeding four years were passed. On the expiration of that i^eriod they located near Dillsburg. Indiana, upon a farm, and W'iliam Leppert. assisted in the labors of the field and meadow until se\'enteen years of age, when he went to Piqua. where he served a three-years ap- prenticeshi]) to the carriage-making and blacksmithing trades. During that time he recei\-e(l his Imard antl onlv enough money to buy his clothes. His employer was R. P. Spiker, under whose direction he obtained a thorough knowledge of the business, be- coming an expert workman. After com- pleting his a])]3renticeshii5 he went to Cass- town Ohio, and entered the employ of David B. Knoop. with whom he remained for nine years as a most competent and trusted em- ploye. He then entered into partnership with H. Hance and began the business of blacksmithing and carriage-making on his own account. After a year had passed he sold his interest to his partner and in j\Iarch. 1881. came to Tippecanoe City, where he worked at his trade for a year, in the em- ploy of Joseph Bowsman. He then con- ducted a blacksmith shoo of his own for a year, after which he sold out and remo\-ed t(.i Cortland, Indiana, where ho conducted a shop for three and a half years. During that time, in 1886 he founded and patented the well known Climax wagon, selling a half interest in his patent to Messrs. Gardiner and Cross. A company was organized for the manufacture of this wagon and the plant was established and operated in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Leppert continuing an active memjjer of the firm until 1887. when he sold out to liis partners and returned to Tippe- canoe. For two years he conducted a black- smith and cai riage-making shop in the li >wer part of the town, at the expiration of which time his former partners in Louisville oi-- fered him the position of manager of the Climax Buggy Company. Accepting the offer he remained in Louisville until 1892, when he again came to Tippecanoe City, and in March of the following year erected his present blacksmith, carriage and paint shop, the main building being 24x80 feet and two stories high. There is also an addition 24x30 feet, two stories in height. This is the leading blacksmith and carriage-manu- facturing industry in the city, and a \'ery lib- eral patronage is accorded the proprietor, who is now conducting one of the leading industrial concerns of the place. On the 26th of January, 1872, Mr. Lep- ])ert was united in marriage to Miss Sallie Lower, who died the following year. In 1874 he married her sister, and this union has been blessed with three children, — Ed- Ward. Harry and Grace. In his political \'iews Mr. Leppert is a Republican, but has ne\er sought or ilesirecl office, preferring to devote his energies to his business interests. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum and Tippecanoe City Lodge, No. 174, A. F. & A. :\L, also of the iNletho- dist Episcojial church, and is recognized as one of the enterprising and progressive busi- ness men of Aliami count}. He is self-edu- cated and self-made. A feeling of respect is GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 705 always accorded one who starts out in life amid unfavoring circumstances and who wrests fortune from the hands of an adverse fate. This Mr. Leppert has done, and to-day he stands among the substantial citizens of his adopted county. He has been true to e\ery manly principle, honorable in his deal- ings and straightforward in his relations with his fellow men, and the sterling qual- ities of his character command universal respect. ISAAC CLYNE. Through the greater part of the nine- teenth century the Ciyne family was con- nected with the history of Miami county, and the family name is inseparably inter- woven with its annals, for its members have been active factors in promoting the material progress and development of this section of the state. Isaac Clyne was born in Eliza- beth township March i8, 1818, on the farm where he now lives, and is a son of Isaac and Olive (Ingraham) Clyne. His parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, living near Waynesburg, Greene county, that state, whence they came to Ohio. The paternal grandfather, Jacob Clyne, was a nati\-e of Saxony, Germany, and emigrated to Amer- ica prior to the war of the Revolution. The maternal grandfather, Richard Ingraham, was a native of Ipswich, England. In 181 1 Isaac and Olive Clyne came to the Buckeye state, and in less than a year located on the farm which is now owned and occupied by our sul)ject. There was a little cabin upon the place and the parents therein began life in true pioneer style. The father had his money stolen while they were on the way from Pennsylvania. The journey had been made down the river and they had to pull 41 the keel of their boat to the bank at night. While thus engaged Mr. Clyne was robbed. When a boy he had suffered from a white swelling which crippled his limb, and thus handicapped he began life on the western frontier. Leaving his family at home he soon returned to Pennsylvania to collect the balance due on th.e sale of his farm, and, being disappointed, he returned to Ohio, making the journey with a team, which he traded for the land that forms a part of the old family homestead. Only two acres had been cleared and a little rude cabin was the only improvement that had been made. About 1822 he erected a log house, which, in 1873, was replaced by the present sub- stantial brick residence that is now occupied by his son, Isaac. The old log house was the home of the family for more than fifty years. As time passed and prosperity re- warded his efforts the father was enabled to add to his original purchase, and at his death left the farm as it now- stands. He died during the cholera epidemic in 1833, at the age of fifty-six years, his wife surviving him until 1852. For a number of years he served as trustee of his township and was trustee of the school section. He always took a deep interest in whatever pertained to the welfare of the community, and with- held his support from no measure or move- ment which he belie\-ed would prove of pub- lic good. In early days corn sold for six cents per bushel and wdieat for twenty-five cents per bushel. There was a mill on Lost creek, owned and built by John M. Dye, and there the farm products were converted into breadstuits, which they hauled to Cin- cinnati and sold. Frequently the settlers \\-ould haul their wheat to Sandusky and in return received merchandise. Salt was pro- cured from Zanesville, and at Troy it 706 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. brought about eleven dollars per barrel. There were many hardships and trials to be borne liy the early settlers, but as the years passed these gave way before advanced civ- ilization, and the settlers enjoyed all the comforts, improvements and accessories known to the civilization of the east. In his political views Mr. Clyne was a Demo- crat of the Jacksonian school, and was a great admirer of Thomas Jefferson. He was also a prominent member of the Baptist church at Lost Creek, and was a man of unquestioned honesty and integrity. In his family were the following chil- dren who reached years of maturity, name- ly : John, who died when aliout eighty years of age; Hannah, who married Lewis Deweese, of Staunton township, and died at the age of eighty years; Minerva, who became the wife of Levi Hart, of Elizabeth township, and died when more than seventy years of age ; Mary, who became the wife of Joseph Martin and the mother of W. P. Martin; Jacob, who died of cholera in 1833; Elizabeth, who Ijecame the wife of Isaac Dye, and departed this life when more than eighty years of age; Letitia, who married Patterson Crane, of Lost Creek township, and died when more than eighty years of age ; Isaac, who is the only survivor of the family; Ingraham, who died in Delaware county, Indiana, at the age of seventy-six years ; and William, who died in Adams county, Illinois, at the age of thirty-five years. Isaac Clyne, whose name introduces this review, was reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier and his experiences were those which fall to the lot of pioneer settlers. He aided in the arduous task of developing new land, of improving raw fields, and in the winter months pursued his education in the primitive schools of the neighl)orhood. That life, however, was not unmixed with keen pleasures, for hospitality reigned supreme and sociability existed that is often lacking at the present day. He remained at home until his marriage, which occurred on the 9th of April, 1839, Miss Elizabeth Knight becoming his wife. She was born January 30, 1 81 8, in Hamilton county, Ohio, and when a maiden of ten summers came to Lost Creek township with her parents, Jona- than and Catherine (James) Knight. Her grandfather, William Knight, cleared the land where the Children's Home now stands. There he carried on agricultural pursuits for a number of years, when he moved to Lost Creek township, \\here he remained until his death. Mrs. Clyne's father died when she was only four years old, leaving the mother with seven children. She came to Lost Creek township and kept the chil- dren together upon a small farm which she owned. Here she lived until her death, which occurred in 1875, when she was well advanced in years. Mrs. Clyne is the only survivor of that family. Her brothers were : W'illiam D., who located in Champaign county, Ohio ; Stephen, who died in Troy, at the age of eighty-two years; Paul, who died in Casstown when more than seventy years of age; and Corbley, who located in Illinois when a young man. There were also two sisters : Mary, who became the wife of John Green; and Priscilla, wife of George C. Clyde. The Knight family was of English descent, the James family of Scotch lineage. The Knights were long prominent factors iii the development of Miami crmnty, and their name is deeply en- graved on the pages of its history. For two years after his marriage Isaac Clyne resided upon a farm in Lost Creek GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 707 townsliip and then returned to tlie old homestead, purchasing the interest of the other heirs in the property. It required much liard labor, extending over a numl.ier of- years, to impro\-e the place, but he has his farm now under a high state of cultiva- tion, the well tilled fields giving promise of abundant harvests. This land has now been in possession of the family for almost ninety years, and is one of the valuable and well improved farming properties of the county. Mr. Clyne has taken a very active in- terest in public affairs and has exercised his ofhcial prerogatives so as to largely pro- mote the welfare and substantial improve- ment of this section of the state. For six years he served as county commissioner, dur- ing which time his associates on the board Avere B. Franklin Brown, David M. Coate and William Xorthcutt. During the time of his incumbency as county commissioner the Children's Home was established. This is one of the most important works eva^ done by the board, and the county certainly deser\-es great credit for keeping up such a laudal)le institution. While he served as commissioner the old company pikes were converted into free pikes and many miles of new pikes were added. He was the first county commissioner to vote for the erection of an iron bridge. When he first gave his support to the adoption of such a structure the other commissioners opposed him, but finally they became convinced that such bridges were the best and many have since been erected in the county. He favored every public improvement which he belie\-ed would contril:)ute to the general welfare. The cause of education has ever found in him a warm friend, and he has advocated the employment of capable teachers and the maintenance of good schools. For a number of years he served as school director and in that way was able to promote in a consider- able degree the effectiveness of tlie schools. In politics he has always been a Democrat since casting his first presidential vote for Martin Van Buren, in 1840. However, he has never been a politician in the commonly accepted sense of the term, has never sought office and has only held positions of political preferment at the solicitation of his friends, in fact he has refused a number of offices. AVhen the township was in debt all parties joined in asking him to become a trustee, and it was only after much pressure was brought to bear upon him that he consented to accept the office. He served in that ca- pacity until its financial affairs were finally righted, at which time he refused to again become a candidate. His excellent business and executive ability have made him a very popular and valued official. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Clyne have been born the following children : John, who died at the age of twenty-one years; Letitia, who became the wife of Jacob Long and died in early womanhood; Jane and Olive Belle, who died in childhood; Mary Ann, wife of Joseph M. Studebaker; Nettie, wife of Will- iam Frazee, of Dayton ; Priscilla, wife of B. F. Hance ; Horatio, a farmer of Lost Creek township; William K., who is farm- ing near the old homestead; and Ella, wife of Frank Knick, who for some years was a bookkeeper at Springfield. They now reside with her parents and Mr. Knick is engaged in the sale of buggies. For forty years Mr. and Mrs. Clyne have been consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church of Casstown, and their lives have e\'er been in harmony with their professions. Their record is an open book which all may read. They have been true to duty and to principle, have ro8 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. reared a family who do credit to their name, and liave ever commaniled the respect and regard of their fellow townsmen hy their w^ell spent lives. HENRY M. LAIR. The jirosperity of every community de- pends in large measure upon its merchants. and their enterprise and progressiveness are an important factor which contributes to the develojjment and prosperity of the localities which they represent. One of the wide- awake and practical merchants of \\'est Mil- ton is Henry M. Lair. He was born in Darke county, Ohio, on the farm where Gordontown now stands, the place having been named in honor of his grandfather. Phillip Gordon, the date of his birth being- April 13, 1844, and his parents v,'cre David and Sarah (Gordon) Lair. The Lair fam- ily was founded in America by William Lair, who was born in France and was brought to America when two years of age. the voy- age being made about 1752. The mother took up her abode near Trenton, New Jersey, and there William Lair was reared as a car- penter, which pursuit he followed in con- nection with farming. He served in the Revolutionary war and lived to be seventy- eight years of age. In politics he was a stanch Whig, inflexible in his support of the principles of the party. He married Ann Boss, who was born in New Jersey, although her parents were natives of France. She had ^a brother who was killed in the Revolutionary war. She died at the age of fifty-seven years, leaving two children, David, and a daugliter who died at the age of twenty-two. David Lair, the father of our subject. was born August 28, 1809, reared in New Jersey, and after his marriage emigrated westward to Darke county in 1839. He laid out the town of Gordontown when the railroad was built, and for many years fol- lowed carpentering and coopering, Iseing thus engaged until about 1870. He then gave his attention exclusively to farming pursuits until 1885, when he came to West ]\Iilton. where he has since made his home with his sons. Although he is now ninety- one years of age he is a hale and hearty old man, taking an active interest in public affairs. He served as captain of militia in the early days and has always been stalwart and earnest in support of his political belief. In early life he voted in the \\'hig party, after.ward became a Know-Nothing, and on the organization of the Republican party joined its ranks. On the 2d of October, 1 83 1, David Lair was married to Sarah Gordon, who was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and died in West Milton, Ohio, June 21, 1894. at the age of eighty-one years, seven months and two days. She Iiad twelve children, of whom three sons and four daughters are yet living. Her great-grand- father Gordon was a native of Scotland and was the founder of the family in America. Her paternal grandfather, Mr. Harden, came from Germany. Henry M. Lair, whose name introduces this sketch, spent his boyhood days in Gor- dontown until seventeen years of age. when he came to West Milton and learned the shoemaker's trade, following that pursuit until the 19th of September. 1861. On that date he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company E, Forty-eighth Ohio Infantry, with which he served for one year. He was wounded by a gunshot in the right thigh at the battle of Shiloh. In Feliruary. 1S64, he enlisted GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ro9 ill Company L, Eighth Ohio Cavalry, and served until August, 1865, when he received an honorable discharge at Clarksburg, West Virginia. He took part in the engagements at Liberty and Beverly, West Virginia, and was taken prisoner in the Shenandoah val- ley, being incarcerated for tliirteen days, after which it required ten days to get back to the Union lines. On the i ith of January, 1865, the whole command was captured at Beverly and taken to Richmond, where, on the 15th of February, they were paroled, and at Philippi, West Virginia, were re- organized. Mr. Lair was ever a loyal and faithful soldier, true to the old flag and the cause it represented.- At the close of the war he returned home with an honorable military record and embarked in business at West Milton, in partnership with his brother-in- law, Daniel Coffman. They began the man- ufacture and sale of shoes until the spring of 1881, when Mr. Lair became sole proprietor and has since carried on the business alone. He still works at the bench, doing repair work, and carries a good stock of ready- made shoes, receiving a liberal patronage from the public. Mr. Lair was married to Miss Annie Yount, daughter of Elem Yount, who is still living. Nine children were born to them, but three of the number died in child- hood. Those still living are Theodocia, wife of John Willoughby, a carriage-maker of West Milton; Byron H., proprietor of a shoe store in Bellefontaine, Ohio; Mary F., at home; Frank, who is clerking for his brother in Bellefontaine; and Howard K. and Margaret, who are still with their par- ents. Mr. Lair votes with the Republican party and is most earnest in his advocacy of its principles. Socially he is connected with Stillwater Lodge. No. 165, L O. O. F., and is a charter member of Duncan Post, No. 477, G. A. R., of which he has served as commander. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church, of which he is serving as trustee. He now owns a nice home in West Milton and en- joys the regard of his fellow men, for his life has been an honorable and upright one, true to every duty of citizenship in times of peace and in times of war. SAMUEL KNICK. Well, known in connection with the agri- cultural interests of Miami county, Mr. Knick, to-day the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and forty acres in Eliza- beth township, has resided here since 1858 and has made the property one of the best improved in the neighborhood. The substan- tial residence is supplemented by good barns and outbuildings, and these in turn are sur- rounded by well tilled fields which yield a good return for his care and labor. The neat and thrifty appearance of the place in- dicates his personal supervision and at a glance the passer-by can recognize the fact that the owner is a man of progressive as well as practical ideas. Mr. Knick was born near Casstown, Miami county, December 9, 1832, his par- ents being William and Rachel (Armstrong) Knick, both of whom were natives of Rock- bridge county, Virginia. The family is of German lineage. William Knick's father was a Revolutionary soldier in the company of Captain Bettas, of Hagerstown, Mary- land; was taken prisoner at Camden, New Jersey, while fighting under the command of General Gates, and was kept in the British 710 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. prison at Charleston, Suuth Carolina, until the end of the war. The father of our sub- ject was a soldier in the war of 1812 and be- came one of the pioneers of Ohio, making the journey to this state from his Virginia home in an old-fashioned, high-backed wagon, drawn by horses. At a later date he returned to \'irginia on horseback and the saddlebags which he then carried with him, in accordance with the custom of the times, are now in possession of his son, Samuel. On arriving in IMiami county he took up his abode on the farm near Casstown, where both he and his wife died, his death occur- ring December 14, 1848, in his fifty-seventh year, and his wife passed away Octoljer 3, 1864, in her seventy-seventh year. They had a family of nine children, eight sons and a daughter. Rebecca, the eldest, and only daughter, became the wife of Samuel Cav- ender. They made their home in Tippe- canoe City, where both died of cholera in 1849, their remains being interred in one grave. They left three children, the eklest being then twelve years of age. William Knick, his brother, buried both of the par- ents and then took the children to his mother's home. The oldest died a few days afterward of the cholera, but not one of the sons in the family of William Knick, Sr., in- ctu'red the disease, although Samuel slept Vi'ith the little nephew whose death occurretl so shortly after that of his parents. John, the eldest brother lived on the old homestead un- til his death, which occurred when he had at- tained the age of seventy years. His widow now resides in Troy. \\'illiam, a stock buyer of Casstown, died at the age of sixty- five years. James is now living in Darke county, Ohio, and is seventv-six years of age. George, who has been in the west for twenty-five years, is now a resident of Ore- gon. Isaac is living in Staunton and owns a part of the old homestead. Sanntel was the next of the family. Harrison, a farmer, died August 31, 1868, in his thirty-fourth year. Thomas, the 3'oungest, is now an ag- riculturist of Brown township, Miami county. Samuel Knick, whose name introduces this review, remained at home until his fa- ther's death, which occurred when he was sixteen years of age. He then began op- erating a farm on the shares, receiving one- third of the profits in compensation for his labor. He was associated with Isaac Ulery in the business, their connection continuing for four years. By the time that he had at- tained his majority, as the result of his in- dustry and economy, he had accumulated a thousand dollars. Much of this was ob- tained by successful trading in horses, for even as a boy he won quite a reputation for his ability in that line, and as he grew older his business became extensive and profitable. He continued to rent land until his marriage and later purchased a farm, the income from which has steadily augmented his capital until he is now one of the stibstantial citizens of the community. On the i8th of October, 1855, Mr. Knick married Miss Alary Elizabeth Strock, who was then about twenty-two years of age and resided near Atldison, Clark county, Ohio, The young couple began their domestic life on the farm where the Children's Home now stands, it being then the property of Nellie Stattler. In 1858 he purchased one hundred and ten acres of land near ]kliami City, of which about fifty acres had been placed under the plow. An old log cabin constituted the improvements upon the farm at the time of the purchase, but soon this was supplemented by other needed buildings and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 711 in course of time the little hotise was re- placed by a more commodious residence erected in 1866. The roof was made of shaved pine shingles, which are still in serv- ice. Mr. Knick has added to the property by additional purchase of thirty acres and has carried forward the work of improve- ment and culti^'ation so energetically that he is to-day the owner of one of the most valuable and attractive farms of the neigii- borhood. He has laid over five hundred rods of tiling and everything is in a first- class condition. Throughout the years he has made a specialty of stock raising and feeding cattle and hogs. He also breeds Poland China hogs and now has some fine specimens of the O. I. C. breed. He has also fed a good many cattle and bought and shipped stock. To some extent he has also bred and sold horses and in these various departments of his business he has met with prosperity. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Knick have been born six children : Melissa, wife of William Merrett, who is living on the Springfield pike in Elizabeth township; Emma J., wife of Henry Beals, who resides in Elizabeth township, near Tippecanoe ; Frank, who pur- sued a commercial. course and was a book- keeper in Springfield, Oliio, for twelve years, but is now living with his wife's father, Isaac Clyne, near the old homestead in Eliza- beth township; Charles, who wedded Lida Frantom and is now assisting his father in the operation of the home farm; Ella, wife of John Widner, a popular teacher of Eliza- beth township ; and Ida, at home. The chil- dren ha\'e all been provided with excellent educational privileges and thus fitted for the practical and responsible duties of life. Mr. Knick has kindly aided them In many other ways, and on Christmas day, 1889, at the annual family dinner, when all the children and grandchildren were around him, he gave to them a substantial share of the property he had acquired, the amounts being entirely equal. The welfare and happiness of his family have always been to him of the first consideration. Mr. Knick has taken a deep interest in the improvement of the county, has aided in building free pike roads and in other ways assisted in the promotion of the public wel- fare. He is a member of the Honey Creek Christian church, and in politics is a Demo- crat. For twenty years he served on the board of trustees and was never defeated for that office. He refused at one time to be- come a candidate, but was soon after renom- inated, for his fellow townsmen, recogniz- ing his worth, ability and fidelity, desired him to represent them on the board. He has frequently served as a delegate to the con- ventions of his party, but has never sottght public office in any way, content to indicate his political preferences by his ballot. He has always lived on good terms with his neighbors, and to the poor and needy he has been a charitable friend. Mr. Knick finds his chief source of recreation in hunting and fishing and has frequently gone on such ex- cursions, making trips as far as Iowa. His life has been manly, his actions sincere, his manner unaffected and his example is well worthy of emulation. WILLIAM STEWART. William Stewart, who carries on general farming in Elizabeth township, Miami coun- ty, was born four miles from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the 3d of April, 1822. His parents were James and Mary (Hayes) 712 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Stewart, tlie former a native of Adams coun- ty and the latter of Shippensburg, Cumber- land county, Pennsylvania. The Stewart family is of Scotch-Irish lineage and was founded in America prior to the war of the Revolution. In 1834 the parents of our subject came to Miami county and in the spring of 1835 settled upon the farm which is now the home of our subject, and which is pleasantly located three miles east of Troy. It was then almost destitute of improve- ments and the father began the work of further development, but was not long per- UMtted to enjoy his new home, his death oc- curring in the fall of 1835. In the family were six children, \Mlliam, the eldest, be- ing then but thirteen j'ears of age. The mother kept her children with her until they were reared and ^settled in life for them- selves. The youngest, however, died a month after the father's death, and the five who survived were as follows: Wiliam; Elizabeth, who married Alex Clark and w^ent to Jefferson, Iowa, when that was a new lo- cality, both Mr. and Mrs. Clark dying at that place when about fifty years of age: David Hayes, who remained at home until he had attained his majority, when he be- came a pioneer settler of Jefferson county, Iowa, there making his home until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-six years of age; Jane L., who married Stephen Max- v/ell, of Spring Creek, and died when more than sixty years of age ; and Eleazer, who went to Iowa with his brother and is still living on a farm in that state. Upon his fathei's death \\'illiam Stew- art assumed the management of the old homestead and has since given his attention to the farm. His labor and resolution en- abled him to successfully conduct his busi- ness aft'airs. He was married on the 5th of February, 1852, in Casstown, to Ann L. Wilson, who was born near Gettysburg, Pennsyh'ania, within two miles of her hus- band's birthplace. She spent her girlhood there and afterward came to Ohio and lived with her uncle, Thomas Armstrong, unitl her marriage, which was celebrated in his home. She had met her husband, liowever, in Penn- sylvania, he having made a trip on horse- back to that state about 1845, spending the again went to Pennsylvania in the winter , winter of 1845- 1846 i" that locality. He | of 1850-185 1 and the acquaintance, begun at the former visit, was then continued. After his marriage Mr. Stewart brought his bride to the old home farm, the other children of the family having settled else- where. His mother, however, remained with him until her death, which occurred when she was seventy-three years of age. Before his death his father had contracted for the building of a barn, and the work was superintended by his widow. The present liome was erected by William Stewart, in 1865, and he has made many other substan- tial improvements. The place was heavily timbered, the trees being mostly poplar and oak, but now the greater part of the land is under a high state of cultivation. The farm comprises one hundred and twenty acres and is now planted to wheat and corn. Mr. Stewart attended the first fair held in the county, the date being 1854. He has fa- vored all improvements — the building of pikes, the establishment of good schools and the inauguration of other movements and measures, which have contributed to the general welfare. He served as school di- rector, but has never sought township offices, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business. He cast his first presi- dential vote for Henry Clay, in 1844. and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 718 since the organization of the Repubhcan party has been one of its advocates. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have been born the following children : Mary Jane, wife of Albert Knoop, a farmer of Lost Creek township; James Wilson, who for some years was engaged in teaching and is now living at Piqua; John Hayes, of Troy, who like his brother, James, was educated in Lebanon, Ohio ; Annie R., who is at home ; Wililam R., who married Flora Burton and has one child, Horace, and is operating the home farm; and Charles, who died at the age of one year. Mr. Stewart and his wife are consistent and faithful members of the Presbyterian church of Troy, with which they have been connected for over forty years. At the reunion of the Ohio soldiers and the unveiling of the Ohio Soldiers' monument on the battle field of Gettysburg, he and his wife revisited the scenes of their childhood, for they had played on the battle ground in early life. W'hen the draft was drawn in 1864 to fill the cjuota to be called for in Elizabeth township, he aided in raising troops, was a strong Union man and has always been a faithful citizen, true to every- thing calculated to promote the welfare of his community. During his long residence in Miami county he has become widely and favorably known and enjoys the warm re- gard of all with whom he has been brought in contact. AARON A. MEREDITH. A veteran of two of the great wars in which this country has engaged, and one of the honored pioneers of Miami county who became identified with this section of the state at a very early period. Major Aaron A. Meredith certainly deserves mention among those whose life work forms a part of the annals of this section of the state. Although his last days were spent in Wis- consin, he is remembered by many of the residents of this community, and his widow is now living in Tippecanoe City. A native of Miami county, his birth occurred in Troy on the 14th of July, 1829, his parents being Norville and RLiry (James) Meredith. They had ten children, eight sons and two daughters, namely : John, Samuel, Sarah E., William, Olive J., Aaron A., Richard, Harvey, Henry and Lewis A. Major Meredith was reared in the city of his nativity until after his mother's death, when he went to live on a farm with Mack C. Hart, with whom he continued for two years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Lafayette, Indiana, where he began working at the carpenter's trade, being thus employed until his enlistment in the Mexican war, in April, 1846. He be- came a private of the Second Ohio Volunteer Regiment, under Colonel Mitchell, and par- ticipated in the famous battle of Monterey, the gallantry of the soldiers at that winning them immortal fame. His regiment afterward acted as guard at Monterey and was under General Taylor in northern Mex- ico. Mv. Meredith was a member "of the army for two j-ears and then returned to Troy, Ohio, where he was married, on the 24th of August, 1848, to Miss Lutitia A. Dye, a daughter of Benjamin and Priscilla (Long) Dye. Her father was born Decem- ber 2^. 1 77 1. He first married Elizabeth Jackson, the wedding being celebrated in Pennsyhania, and about 1799 he started with his wife for Ohio. Their eldest child was born that winter near the present site of the city of Cincinnati. Mr. Dye and his wife made their way down the Ohio river 714 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. on a flat-l3oat from Pittsburg, bringing with them a feather bed, one horse and a fine rifle. Arriving in Cincinnati, an old French Indian trader and trapper offered Mr. Dye a large tract of land which is now in the heart of Cincinnati in exchange for his rifle, but Mr. Dye refused the offer. However, he remained for some time near Cincinnati and there Iniilt a log cabin, in which the family lived in true pioneer style. Subse- quently he removed to what is now Elizabeth township, Miami county, where he built a little home on a tract of wild land, which he afterward transformed into a good farm, there continuing his abode until his death, which occurred in 1843, when he was sixty- three years of age. He was the father of the following chil- dren : Steven, who was born April 22, 1799; Elizabeth, who was born October 8, iSoo, and was married, in July, 181 7, to John Pettit ; Horatio P., who was her twin brother and married ]\Iargaret Baxter Ramsey; Vincent, who was born January 25, 1802; Andrew, who was born March 8, 1804; James, who was born September 6, 1805; Sarah M., who was born December 16, 1806; Wihiam, born April 15, 1808; Benjamin, born March 16, 1810; ]Maria, who was born April 7, 1812, and was married, March 3, 1825, to John Marsh; and John, born Sep- tember 3, 1814. After the death of his first wife Mr. Dye wedded his brother's widow. She bore the maiden name of Priscilla Long and was liorn July 22, 1786, her death oc- curring December 12, 1848. The children of the second marriage are : Amanda, who was born May 10, 1817, and died in infancy; Jeremiah L., born September 24, 1819; Priscilla, who was born April 2, 1821, and died at the age of forty-one years ; Horatio P., who was born .Vpril 4, 1823, and left a daughter, Mrs. W. B. Ten Eick, who in con- nection with her sister owns the old family homestead where the grandfather first set- tled; Boswell M., who was born March 2, 1826; and Lutitia, who was born August 16, 1829, and became the wife of Major Meredith. The father of this family was one of the honored pioneers of Miami coun- ty and at his death owned a valuable tract of land of four hundred acres. In 1838 he replaced the log cabin with a substantial brick residence, which was one of the finest homes in the county at an early day, and it still stands as one of the landmarks of that time. After his marriage Major Meredith en- gaged in building canal boats at Troy, Ohio, for two years, and then removed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he conducted -a gro- cery store for five years. On the expiration of that period he removed to JMadison, \\"is- consin, where he engaged in clerking for two years, after which he took up his abode on a farm near the city, continuing its culti- vation for a 3'ear. Returning to Matlison, he conducted the Hotel ISIeredith until 1861, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he again responded to his country's call for troops and enlisted as a member of Com- pany H. Second \\''isconsin Infantry, his regiment becoming a part of the famous Iron Brigade. He was made first lieuten- ant, and with his command proceeded to Washington. D. C. He participated in the first battle of Bull Run, where he was wound- ed by a minie ball in the right arm, which crippled that member for life. For a time he remained in tlie Georgetown hospital, but after a few weeks returned to his home in Madison on furlough. Soon afterward he was detailed as a recruiting officer, serv- ing in that capacity from July until the fol- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 715 lowing April, when lie returned to Wash- ington as captain and was gi\-en cliarge of army suppHes in the commissary department. He was captured and held a prisoner by Stuart's cavalry while proceeding from his post on the upper Potomac with four boat-loads of commissaries intended for Frederick, Maryland. He and five officers, including Major Duan of the regular army, were thus captured, Init were paroled. At York, Pensylvania, he served as commissary for two years, and on the ist of September, 1865, he was mustered out with the rank of major, and immediately afterward returned to his home in Madison. There, in November, 1865, he received an appointment from Governor Fairchilds, of Wisconsin, to the position of superintend- ent of public property, and served in that capacity for eight years, being most faith- ful to the trusts reposed in him. On the expiration of that period he removed to St. I.ouis, Missouri, and became a stockholder and the treasurer of the Western Engrav- ing Company, which conducted a large steel- piate engraving house. Major Meredith continued his connection with that business from 1874 until 1879, when, on account of ill health, he returned to Madison, where his death occurred November 8, 1883. Major Meredith was a valued member of Fairchilds Post, G. A. R., of Madison, and enjoyed the pleasant meetings with his old army comrades, where they lived again in memory the scenes that occurred when they '"wore the blue" and followed the starry banner on southern battle fields. In busi- ness he was very successful, having the abili- \y to plan and execute the right thing at the right time. His labors were prosecuted earnestly and systematically and carried on with such diligence that they resulted in bringing to him a handsome competence. At all times his dealings were strictly hon- orable and his business reputation was thus unassailable. ,V11 who knew him greatly es- teemed him for his sterling worth. He in- spired warm personal friendship, and was held in the highest regard by reason of his many excellent qualities of head and heart. WILLIAM H. KESSLER, M. D. A successful medical practitioner of West Milton, Dr. Kessler is numbered among the native sons of Miami county, his birth having occurred in Monroe town- ship, January 13, 1839. He traces his an- cestry back to Ulrich Kessler, who came to America in 1716, landing in Philadelphia. He was born in Switzerland and with his parents and one sister started for the new world, but the mother died on the voyage and was buried at sea. The father and his two children landed at Philadelphia, but he w-as very ]wor anil they were sold on the auction block to pay their passage. Ulrich was then ten years old, and he served for eleven years in order to compensate the man who had paitl his passage money. During that time he learned the weaver's trade. As soon as he was free he began seeking for his fa- ther and sister, but after a fruitless search of many weary months he abandoned it, feeling that he was indeed alone in the world. He then applied himself to the weaver's trade and was quite successful, but an unprincipled man swindled him out of his property. He then went to Virginia, where he remained for several years, after which he removed to North Carolina. In the meantime he had married and reared a family, and his sons were married in the last named state. He came to Ohio with his 716 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. sons, John and Joseph, and ched in ]\Iont- gomery county. Joseph Kessler, the great-great-grand- father, of our subject, was born in Pliiladel- phia, February 17, 1767. and on the 4th of February 1787, married ]\Iary Steel, of North Carohna, who was born November 1 1 , 1 768. They died in Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio, and were buried in the oltl cem- etery near Union. They were members of the Dunkard church and he was chosen as one of the ministers of that denomination. Iri Iiis business he was quite successful,, fol- lowing farming and wagon-making. He and his son, John B., made the first wind- mills ever constructed in Montgomery coun- ty. Joseph Kessler died August 21, 1840, his wife September 22, 1843, and they were laid to rest by the side of Ulrich Kessler, the founder of the family in America. The Doctor's grandparents were John B. and Susanna (Feese) Kessler, both na- tives of North Carolina. The former was born November 12, 1786, and on the 2d of June, 1807, he wedded Miss Feese, whose birth occurred January 21, 1787. She died June 3, 1850, her husband surviving until September' 22, 1866. They came to Miami county among the first settlers who estab- lished homes in this section of the state. The grandfather was a faj-mer and wagon- maker, and resided in Monroe township until well advanced in years, when he re- moved to Troy, where his death occurred. He was a Whig in his political belief and a Methodist in his religious faith. His son, Martin Kessler, the Doctor's father, was born in Miami county, November 17, 1816, and was reared upon the home farm, where he spent his entire life, with the exception of the period passed in the south at the time of the civil war. He enlisted in Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a pri\'ate and served about a year and was woimded at Tate's Ferry, Kentucky. He was then taken to the hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, but never reco\-ered from the gunshot wound, and after several months of suffering died, July 23, 1863, when about forty-seven years of age. He was an active Republican in politics and held a number of township offices. Socially he was connected with the Masonic fraternity of Tippecanoe, and, religiously, with the Presbyterian church, in the work of which he took a very active part. He was a loyal defender of the Union and bravely laid down his life on the altar of his country that the nation should not be rolil^ed of any of the states which form the splendid gala.xy of the re- public. The boyhood days of our subject were spent on the home farm and his elementary education, acquired in the common schools, was supplemented by a course of three years in the high school of Tippecanoe. He after- ward engaged in teaching in the district schools of the county until July, 1862, when he put aside the text books and left the school I'oom in order to march forth to the defense of his country, whose safety was imperiled 1 by the attempt at secession in the south. I In July, 1862, he enlisted as a member of Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after three years' service was honorably discharged as orderly sergeant. He participated in the battles of Tate's Ferry, Perry ville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Look- out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Rocky Face Ridge, the engagements of the Atlanta campaign, and went with Sherman on the march to the sea. participating in the capture of Savannah. He was also in the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 717 battles of Bentonville, was present at the sur- render of General Johnston and then went with Sherman's army to Washington, where he participated in the grand review, the most celebrated military pageant ever witnessed on the western hemisphere. At Camp Chase he received an honorable discharge and with a creditable military record re- turned to his home. He was wounded at Missionary Ridge, being shot through the left leg, near the knee. For a time he was in the hospital at Chattanooga, and on an- other occasion the sight of his right eye was destroyed by the explosion of a shell. After his return from the war, Dr. Kess- ler engaged in teaching school near Alilton, and also took up the study of medicine. He attended lectures in Buffalo, New York, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was graduated in the latter place in June, 1869. He began practice in Milton, wdiere he has since been located, and within a short time he had se- cured a liberal patronage, for his skill and ability were recognized and the people there- fore gave him their support. In 1894 he formed a partnership, for his health was failing, and he found that it was not possi- ble for him to attend to his practice un- aided. Dr. Kessler has been twice married. He first wedded Lydia A. Cratty, of Miami county, daughter of James Cratty. She was an active member of the }>Iethodist Episcopal church and died in that faith. At her death she left a daughter, Althea May, wife of F. M. Townsley, of West Milton. For his second wife the Doctor chose Miss Martha x-\. Funk, of Miami county, who is also a member of the Methodist church, and a lady of many estimal^le qualities. In his political views Dr. Kessler is a stalwart Re- publican, has taken an active part in the work of the party, and for four years has been pension examiner. Socially he is con- nected with the Masonic Lodge, of West Milton, and is a charter member of Duncan Post, No. 477, G. A. R. He, too, is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has long held rank among the leading phy- sicians of the county, among the reliable business men and loyal citizens, and as his life history forms an integral part of the an- nals of West Milton, we gladly present to our readers the record of his honorable career. PRESTON P. MOORE. Actively and prominently identified with agricultural interests in IMiami county, Preston P. Moore is now numbered among the most successful farmers of Elizabeth township. A man's prominence is not de- termined by the height to which he has climbed, but by the depths from which he started. In the valley of limited circum- stances Mr. Moore began life, and has stead- ily and persistently worked his way upward to the plane of affluence. Untiring industry may well be termed the keynote of his char- acter, and as it forms the foundation of all success it is but reasonable to suppose that he has gained a comfortable competence. This belief would be confirmed by a glance at his attractive home, his well-tilled fields in- dicating to the passer-by the careful super- vision of the owner, and giving evidence of abundant harvests. Mr. Moore was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, April i, 18 14, and when a lad of two years was brought to Ohio by his parents, with whom he remained until twelve years of age, when he began to earn his own living by working on the river. On lis GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. attaining his majority he came to !\Iiami county with his'parents, Randolph and JNIary (Porter) Moore, the family residing upon the farm now occupied by Isaac Mumford. The father resided in this township until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy- five years, and the mother passed away when ninety years of age. Preston Moore in his youth engaged in cutting and cording wood at thirty-three cents per cord and in splitting rails, for which work he received from twenty-five to thirty cents per hundred. Out of this meagre salary he boarded himself. Tlirough- out the winter months he engaged in rail splitting, antl frequently would make a dol- lar per day, although some days he could not make more than fifty cents. He and his brother made five hundred rails per day, cutting the timber themselves. At the age of twenty-seven he took unto himself a help- mate, the lady of his choice being Miss Elizabeth Mumford, whose family history is given in connection with the sketch of George Mumford on another page of this work. In 1865 they removed to their present farm, ]\Ir. Moore securing seventy-five acres, covered with mixed timber. He has cleared the tract, transforming it into highly culti- vated fields^ upon which he has placed many rods of tiling. All the accessories and im- provements of a model farm are here found, including a comfortable residence, substan- tial barns and outbuildings, the latest im- proved machinery and well kept fences. In 1 89 1 he erected a neat and attractive resi- dence, and in 1899 built a substantial barn, 40x60 feet. These stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise, for all that he pos- sesses has been acquired through his own well-directed efforts. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moore were born two cliildren. who died in infancy — Hannah and one unnamed. Randolph, the eldest surviving son, was en- gaged in farming in Clark county from 1876 mitil 1888, when he went to Emporia, Kan- sas, being connected with the street railway of that city for three years. He also spent three years in Muncie, Indiana, where he was employed as a mechanic, and since that time he has lived with his father on the old homestead. For several years he operated a threshing machine. Mary, the surviving daughter, is the wife of John R. Snider, who is engaged in the operation of the old home place. The mother died September 14, 1876, her loss being deeply mourned by many friends, who esteemed her highly for her many excellencies of character. Mr. Moore is a member of the Univer- salist church, and in his political affiliations he is a Democrat, always exercising his right of franchise in support of the men and meas- ures of that party. He has not, however, sought office for himself, but has given his attention in an undivided manner to his business affairs, which he has conducted with such energy that he has won rank among the substantial citizens of the communitv. JOHN SINGER. Actively connected with the agricultural interests of Bethel township, John Singer was born in the village of Brandt, October 2, 184S, and is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Miami coun- ty. His ancestors came to this section of the state at an early period in its development, when the most far-sighted could not have dreamed of the changes which were soon to occur and produce the transformation, plac- ing this part of Ohio on a par with the older- settled regions of the east. The forests were GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 719 uncut, the prairies uncultivated and the labor of development remained for the future. The parents of our subject were John and Elizabeth (Arnold) Singer, and it was Jacob Arnold, the maternal grandfather, who came to Miami county in pioneer days, locating near Brandt when only seven years old. The great-grandfather also bore the name of Jacob Arnold, and was a native of Germany. When a young man he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode in Kentuck)', where he was married. Subsequently he removed to Greene county, Ohio, and two years later took up his abode in Wayne townshi]), Montgomery county, where his family reiuained for many years. John Singer, the father of our subject, was also born of German parentage, and by trade was a shoemaker. He was twice married, his first union being with a Miss Bodiker, whom he wedded in Brandt. She died a year later, and their only child died in in- fancy. Mr. Singer worked at the shoe- maker's trade and enjoyed a good business, furnishing employment to four or five men. During a portion of his business career he successfully conducted a grocery store. He was recognized as one of the leading rep- resentatives of the business interests of this community, and through his well-directed efforts he acquired a comfortable com- petence. His death occurred in i860, when he had attained the age of forty-eight years. His wife, who was born in Montgomery county, survived him until June 17, 1894, when she, too, was called to her final rest, departing this life in Brandt. In their fam- ily were four children : John, whose name introduces this review; Mary, wife of David D. Mann, a farmer of Brandt; Elizabeth, wife of Michael Brenner, of Dayton, Ohio; and Anna Margaret, who died July 26, 1894. at the age of thirty-six years. Her death occurred just five weeks after her luother's demise. John Singer spent his boyhood days at Brandt and in the common schools obtained his education. He was early trained to habits of industry upon the home farm, working the fields throughout the summer months. For a number of years he served as township assessor, and his capability and worth were widely recognized by his fellow townsmen. In 1880, however, he left the farm and engaged in the grocery business, in company with John Black. The partner- ship was maintained for fourteen years and was attended with excellent success. They also bought and shipped wool and clover seed, handling almost all the wool grown in this section of the state. Close applica- tion to business, sound judgment and earnest purpose brought to them success, and they made money rapidly. In 1894, however, Mr. Singer sold his interest in the store, but yet deals in wool and clover seed. He has made judicious investments in farming land and is now the owner of a valuable tract of land in Bethel township, near Brandt, and another farm in Lost Creek township, giving his personal supervision to the former. He has it well stocked with sheep for wool producing purposes, and annually sells a large amount of that product. His home is situated in the village of Brandt and is a very pleasant residence. On the 20th of October, 1898, oc- curred the marriage of Mr. Singer and Miss Lana Hagen, a daughter of Augustus and Catherine (Smith) Hagen, of Elizabeth township, Miami county. Mrs. Singer was born in Minnesota, but during her early girlhood was brought by her parents to Ohio and spent the greater part of her early life 720 GENEALOGICAL AND BfOGRAPHICAL RECORD. in ]\Iiami county. She is a meailjer of the Reformed cliurch. of Alcony, and is a most estimable lady. In 1895 Mr. Singer's partner was elected to the position of township treasurer, but his death occurred the following fall and his last request was that John Singer be se- lected to fill the vacancy. The trustees there- fore appointed him. and the following spring he was elected to the office and has twice been re-elected without opposition, so that he is the present incumbent. He supports Democratic principles, often attends the con- ventions of his party and takes an active interest in its success and growth. In 1S84 he was appointed postmaster and served four years, and in 1892 he was again appointed and served through Cleveland's second term. This office was not sought by him, but thrust upon him and he served his people well. Socially he is connected with the New Carlisle Lodge, No. 100, F. & A. M., but the greater part of his attention is given to his business affairs. In manner he is never ostentatious, but possesses that pure worth which cannot be hidden and which is always recognized by people of superiority. He is a type of the progressive spirit of the age — the spirit which has given marked pre- eminence along various business lines — and the undaunted enterprise, indomitable per- severance and resolute purpose which have ever characterized his career have been the means of raising him from a position of com- parative obscurity to a leading place in the ranks of the business men of ]sliami county. WTLLIAAI A. DUNCAN. One of the successful business men of Spring Creek township is William A. Duncan. Tireless energy and capable man- agement never fail to win prosperitv. and it is these qualities which have gained to Air. Duncan his place among the substan- tial citizens of this community. His entire life has been passed in Miami county and he is so widely known that he needs no special introduction to the readers of this volume. His birth occurred in Union township. De- cember 9, 1845. His father, Samuel Dun- can, was born in the same county, No\em- ber 9, 181 5, and is a son of Amos Duncan, a native of North Carolina, born February 27, 1782. The year 1805 witnessed his emi- gration to Ohio. He located in Greene county and three years later came to Aliami county, establishing his home in Union town- ship, where he died July i. 1868. The subject of this review was only five years of age when his father removed to Spring Creek township, where he grew to manhood on the farm, which is now- the home of S. Frank Duncan. He acquired a good practical education in the common schools, was early trained to habits of in- dustry and economy and remained with his father until his marriage, which occurred on the 26th of January, 1871, the lady of his choice being Miss Jennie Leonard, who was born in Clermont county. Their union has been blessed with two children, Frank, who is living on the farm with his grandfather, and Chester A. The year following his marriage Air. Duncan of this review removed to the farm on which he is now living. He has made all of the improvements on the place and the valuable tract of one hundred acres is under a very high state of cultivation. Its fields are well tilled, its buildings kept in good re- pair and all the accessories and conveniences of the modern farm are here found. He car- ries on general farming and has been en- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 721 gaged in contracting and building for many years. The timber he used in the construc- tion of his own home was cut upon the farm. Mr. Duncan is known as a reHable business man, entirely trustworthy, for he follows closely the ethics of business life. When investigation sets us to seek the secret of suc- cess, we find that in the majority of cases it has resulted from energy closely applied and from capable management. Such is the case with Mr. Duncan, who may well be numbered among the honored, self-made men of the community. Politically he is a Republican, unswerving in his advocacy of the party's principles. For four years he has served as justice of the peace, his rul- ings being strictly fair and- impartial, and thus has he won the commendation of all concerned. JOHN HAMILTON SAYERS. John Hamilton Savers, who is engaged in farming in Brown township, was born in Lost Creek township, Miami county, near Casstown, May 21, 1845, his parents being \\'illiam and Alary (Mason) Sayers. The Sayers family is one of the oldest in the county, a settlement having been made in Staunton township, near Troy, about 18 12, when almost this entire region was in its primiti\'e C(indition. The father of our subject was the fifth son of Thomas Sayers, who was born December 25, 1770. His wife, Frances (Dye) Sayers, was born in 1777. Their children were Andrew, Thomas, Jefifer- son, Samuel, William, Phebe, Sarah, Rachel, Mary, Elizabeth, Frances, Persilla, Cassa, Ann, Clarissa, Harriet and Eloner. Ezekiel Sayers, of Troy, is a son of Jefferson Say- ers. William Sayers, the father of our sub- ject, was married in Greene countv, Penn- 42 sylvania, in 1S36. Previous to his marriage he had lived with his parents in Staunton township, and then located in Lost Creek township. His wife was a daughter of James and Mary ]\Iason. Her father was born in Ireland, in 1784. \\'hen two years of age he was brought by his parents to America, the family locating in Pennsyl- \ania, where he grew to manhood. He wedded Mary Johnson. They spent their remaining days in Greene county, Pennsyl- vania, the father dying at the age of eighty- five years, the mother in her one hundredth year. Their daughter ]\Iary was born No- vember 9, 1 810, was married August 24, 1836, and is still living in Greene county, Ohio. After their marriage William and Mary Sayers located on a farm near Cass- town, in Lost Creek township, and in 1850 removed to Clark county, Ohio. Four years later they took up their abode upon a farm in Greene county, and there Mrs. Sayers is still living, but the father died March 17, 1887, at the age of seventy-two years, his birth having occurred in Staunton township, Miami county, on the 29th of May, 1815. He was a prosperous farmer whose well conducted business afYairs brought to him a comfortable competence. In politics he was always a Democrat, but never sought or de- sired ofiice. In his family were eight chil- dren ; James M., born July 2, 1837, was mar- ried August 18, 1863, to Eliza Miller, and died in Clinton county, Ohio, August 26, 1882; Frances E., born January 21, 1839, married Josiah Hitchcock and resides in Del- aware county, Indiana ; Clarissa, born March 19, 1 84 1, died at the age of twenty-four years; Mary E., born May 6, 1843, became the wife of John Messecher and after his death became the wife of Solomon Koontz, her death occurring at the age of forty-seven 722 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. years; John Hamilton is the next younger; Charlotte S., born May 17, 1848, lives with her mother; George W., born May 27, 185 1, is married and operates the- old home farm in Greene county; and William R., born Oc- tober 15, 1853, is a resident of Huntington, Indiana. John Hamilton Sayers remained at home until twenty-nine years of age, with the ex- ception of one year passed in Indiana and one year spent at work as a farm hand. He was married, Se^Dtember 24, 1874, in Warren county, Ohio, to Miss Sarah Dakin, daugh- ter of James and Nancy (Rich) Dakin, and a native of Warren county. Prior to his marriage Mr. Sayers purchased a farm in Greene county, and there lived until the death of his wife, November i, 1885. She died of typhoid fe\er, but had boen in delicate health for some years previously. She left two children, James Wilbur and Artineca, tho latter now the wife of Harley Snider, a farmer residing in Brown township. The son remained with the father until after he had attained his majority, but is now living in Greene county. Mr. Sayers, of this re- view, was married a second time, in Greene county, November 6, 1886, the lady of his choice being Miss Rosa Paxon, daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Mason) Paxon. They have four children : Annie, Lucreta, Cora and Ina. In 1889 Mr. Sayers purchased his pres- ent farm, which had been entered from the government by Peter Shank, the original patent being now in the hands of our sub- ject. The farm comprises eighty acres and has only once been transferred, Mr. Sayers purchasing it at an administrator's sale. Peter Shank erected the present brick house in 1838 and the barn was built in 1834. For some time before our subject took pos- session the property was rented and was therefore in a somewhat dilapidated condi- tion, but he has since made many excellent improvements and now has one of the most valuable properties in the \-icinity. He raises very extensive corn crops and his fields are well tilled. x\lthough his fields are naturally well drained, he has laid about four hundred rods of tiling. He devotes his attention almost exclusively to his agri- cultural pursuits and is regarded as one of the best farmers of the county. In politics he is usually accounted independent, but is now associated with the People's party, although he does not consider himself bound by party ties. Early in life he joined the Friends meeting and has since remained in active connection with that society. He is a member of tho Odd Fellows lodge, at Fletcher, and he and his wife are members of the Rebekah lodge. He has passed all of the chairs in the subordinate organization and is past noble grand. WTLLIAM M. THOMPSON. William M. Thompson follows farming in Newberry township, being connected with the pursuit that for many years has formed the means of livelihood of representatives of the Thompson family living in Miami county. Sylvester Thompson, his great- grandfather, was born in North Carolina, and about the year 1807, with his wife and five children, emigrated to Miami county, Ohio, taking up his abode in Newton town- ship, where he entered a claim now known as the Landis farm. He afterward entered the west half of section 32, Newberry town- ship, removing to that property about 181 7. He also entered two quarter-sections on GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 723 Greenville creek about the same time, his landed possessions thus becoming very ex- tensive. He conducted a stillhouse on his farm and was one day found dead, lying in the spring branch. It is supposed that he had lain flat on his stomach in order to get a drink, and died in that position. This was in 1826, when he was about sixty years of age. In politics he was a stanch Democrat. His wife, Mrs. Polly Thompson, who was noted for her kindness of heart and sweet, gentle disposition, died in April, 1843, ^^ the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Hill, near the town of Pleasant Hill. After the death of her first husband she was again married, becoming the wife of a Mr. Freeman, of Newberry township. The chil- dren of Sylvester and Polly Thompson were fi\-o in number : John, the eldest, married Catherine Rench, and resides in Covington. In connection with his brother William he owned the site on which the east half of Covington was built, and conducted a tavern where Doctor Mover's house now stands. He afterward sold that and later engaged in the hardware business on what was then called Water street, close to the river. He ■died on his farm east of Covington, on the 8th of July, 1 841. James Thompson, the second member of the family, was born about 1800, married Elizabeth Bierly and located ■on Greenville creek, becoming an influential agriculturist of that community. He died on his farm several years prior to the death of his wife. Samuel, the third member of the family, was born in 1802, and was mar- ried in 1823 to Hannah Rench, daughter of Peter Rench. He died in 1895, on the farm where his son Josephus now lives. Will- iam, the fourth member of the family, wedded Nancy Rudy, and located on wdiat is known as the Teague farm, which was part of the land entered by his father from the government. He died at his pleasant home near Pleasant Hill in 1882. Nancy, the only daughter and the eldest of the family, was the wife of John Hill and lived on a farm near Pleasant Hill, which is now owned by Nate Iddings, of Bradford. There she spent her remaining days. It was William Thompson who became the grandfather of our subject. He was born in North Carolina, in 1804, and was consecpiently three years of age when his parents came to Miami county. His father entered land from the government and gave to him one hundred and sixty acres after his marriage. He wedded Nancy, daughter of Samuel and Sally Rudy, and about 1834 he sold his farm and removed to Illinois, but as he could find no land to suit him in that state, he returned to Ohio and repurchased the old homestead from his brother John. He then engaged in farming for a time, but afterward once more sold the property to his brother John and purchased what is now the Kilworth farm, which was entered from the government by Samuel Rudy. On dispos- ing of that property he purchased the Fox farm, near the Darke county line, remain- ing thereon for a few years, when he again sold and bought thirty acres in Newton township from Mr. Butterfield. When he found a purchaser for that land he bought ten acres east of Pleasant Hill, and there prac- tically lived retired until his death, which occurred May 18, 1882. His wife, Nancy Thompson, passed away in 1847, and he afterward married Rachel Spillers, widow of William Kendall. She survived him for a few years. William Thompson was laid to rest in the Greenville creek cemetery. The children by his first marriage were: Mary, who married John Arnold and after- J24: GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ward married William ]\Iurphy, but is now a widow, and makes her home in Bradford; John, who married Catherine Coates, and re- sides in Xewborry township; Samuel, who married jMary Ann Fachler and died near Red River, Darke county, as did his wife; James, the father of our subject; Sarah, widow of Emanuel J. Beard, of Xewberry township; Martha, wife of Calvin Brant, both now deceased; Margaret, who became the wife of Joiin Swisher, and died in New- berry township; Hannah, who became the wife of Isaac Hollopeter and died near Hous- ton, Shelby county. Ohio, where her hus- band's death also occurred; William, who married Elizabeth Smith, and died in Cov- ington; Nancy Ann, who became the wife of Henry Cassal, with whom she removed to Illinois, where her death occurred, her re- mains, howover, being interred in Greenville creek cemetery ; Henry, of Fort Wayne, In- diana ; Nathan, who married Amanda Muck, and is living in Ludlow Falls ; and Sylvester, who married Miss Long, and resides in Pleasant Hill. There were two children by the second marriage, Matilda, wife of Ed- ward Carson, who resides near Sidney, Ohio, and Susan, wife of Samuel Burns, of Piqua. James Thompson, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Newberry township, in 1826. and was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period. He had no ed- ucational privileges and after the children attended school they taught him to read and write. He married Mary Moss, who was born in Xewljerry township in 1826, a daughter nf William Moss. They resided in Newberry township, where the father died in i86_'. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in his country's serxice as a member of Com- pany B. Seventy-iirst Ohio Infantry, under Captain McConnell. In }klay of the follow- ing year he was sent home on account of illness, and died on the 21st of that month. His wife, long surviving him. passed away in 1882. and both wore buried in the Green- ville creek cemetery. Their children were William JNI. ; Charles, who married Salome- Matthews and died in Newberr}- township in 1876; Peter, who married Catherine Sheffbaugh and is living in Covington; James, of Darke county, who married Cath- erine Rike, who is now deceased ; and Rachel M.. who died in infancy. William M. Thompson was born January 25. 1846, on what is known as the James Teague farm, in Newberry township. There he was reared to manhood and obtained his education in the district school near his home. His privileges were somewhat lim- ited, however, for his services were needed in clearing and developing the home farm. On the 8th of February, 1864, at Covington, he responded to his country's call for aid, en- listing as a member of Company A, Eighth Ohio Cavalry, for three years' service. He went to Camp Dennison and after a short time to Camp Pratt, Virginia. The troops thence proceeded on the Lynchburg raid, but were driven back to Camp Pratt and after- ward sent to Martinsburg. in the Shenan- doah valley, and thence through Maryland anil Pennsylvania, being present at the burn- ing of Chamliersburg. j\Ir. Thompson also participated in the heaxy skirmish which was continued through thirteen days. The troops were pursued to Beverly, \'irginia, where Air. Thompson ami four hundred of his companions were taken prisoners, being taken to Staunton, where they were put on board trains bountl for Richmond. He was incarcerated in Libby prison from th? 1 6th of June until the 26th of February, 1865, when he was paroled and returned GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 725: home. After \-isiting in Ohio for thirty days he started to rejoin his regiment, but learnetl of Lee's surrender and went to Co- lumbus, where he reported for dut)-. He was then sent to his regiment in Phihppi, West Virginia, where the command was given tlie chity of gathering up United States property, being thus engaged for about four weeks. Mr. Thompson was then dis- charged at Clarksburg, Virginia, July 13, 1865. He saw hard service throughout his connection with the army, and spent the nineteenth anniversary of his birth in Libby prison. While at Beverly he and his com- panion, Martin Van Kirk, had pictures taken together. Mr. Thompson mailed one to his mothc'r in Ohio, but the mails were robbed by the rebels and the picture did not reach its destination ; but when Mr. Thompson was gathering up government property in Crab Bottom, Virginia, one of his comrades hap- pened to visit the home of a Confederate and saw the picture there. He then in- formed i\lr. Thompson, who visited the place, and after considerable parley the photograpli was returned to him. At the time of the capture of Beverly the Union troops were surprised in their bunks by the rebels. He and his friend. Van Kirk, were together as usual, and the latter went out to see what was the matter, whereupon he was seized. He then shouted to j\Ir. Thompson, who seized his gun with the intention of making a dash for liberty, but he found that the rebel force were too many for him, and after ex- changing some lively words was forced to surrender. By the side of his friend. Van Kirk, they started to march away shoulder to shoulder, but a volley was fired by some unknown scouts and Van Kirk fell, hit in the forehead by a bullet. Such, in brief, are some of the experiences through which Mr. Thompson passed while loyally defend- ing the Union during the civil war. x\fter he returned home he resumed work on the home farm. During his boyhood he had been emplo)-ed as a farm hand for two dollars per month and his board. After his marriage he received as high as three dol- lars per day for cradling wheat, being able to cut four acres per day. On the loth of March, 1867, Mr. Thomp- son was married to Miss Nancy J. Green, a daughter of Samuel Green, deceased, of Newberry township. They remained on his mother's farm where they lived for one and a half years and then rented land in Concord township, where they made their home for eight eyars. On the expiration of that period they returned to his mother's farm, and after her death Mr. Thompson purchased the property, to which he has since added twenty acres, and there he built a substantial and comfortable res- idence. He raised tobacco and garden prod- uce and attends the market at Piqua twice a week. He purchased forty acres of land near Fort Recovery and removed there in 1882, but after remaining there a year and a half he returned to his present home. He is enterprising and progressi\'e in his business methods and receives a good income as the result of his energetic labors. Mr. and ]\Irs. Thompson now have six children : Charles, who died at the age of twenty years; Oscar, who married Emma Stauffer and lives in Covington; Walter E., who married Flora Reiber, and resides in Newberry township; Myrtie E., who mar- ried Asa Reck, a farmer in Darke county; and Hattie and George W. at home. The parents hold membership in the Greenville Creek Christian church, of which Mr. Thompson has been a member for many r26 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. years. In politics Mr. Thompson is a stanch Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, but has not sought office, desiring rather to give his time and energies entirely to his business interests, in which he has met with signal success. JOHN H. FREDERICK. John H. Frederick, now deceased, was called from a life of active usefulness, Janu- ary 21, 1899. He was born in Fredericks- town, Frederick county, Maryland, January 27, 1820, and in early life was apprenticed to a butcher to learn the trade. He spent the years of minority in his native state, and at the age of twenty-one accompaned his fa- ther's family to Ohio, a location being made in Montgomery county. The journey wai made across the country, the younger mem- bers of the family riding in wagons, while the older ones had to walk. They settled in Alexandria, but Mr. Frederick, of this re- view, went to Dayton, where he learned tb.e trade of blacksmithing. While he was there his parents removed to Beaver Creek town- ship, Greene county, and on the completion of his apprenticeship he joined them. He was accompanied by his wife, for in the meantime he had wedded Miss Sarah Black, the wedding taking place August 17, 1847. She was born Xovember 12, 1828, in Beaver Creek township, and is a daughter of Robert Black, whose birth occurred in X'orthumber- land county, Pennsylvania, in February. 1806. Throughout his entire life he carried on agri- cultural pursuits, being for many years a farmer of Greene county. At the age of twenty-one he wedded ^lary Coogler, who was born in that county. He spent the last years of his life in Daj'ton, where he lived retired, his death occurring there in 1869. His wife, long surviving him, passed away in 1888. They were members of the German Reformed church. Their children are: Sarah, now Mrs. Frederick Simon, of Greene county; Jonathan, also of Greene county; Rebecca, wife of Orlando Lafony, of that county: Mary, deceased; Anna, wife of Samson Cozad, who is living near Eureka, I\Iissouri; Jacob, of Vermilion county. Illi- nois ; Jennie, wife of Morris Custer, of Day- ton; and Kate, who is also living in that city. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Frederick was James Black. He was of Irish descent, and married a ladv who was also born on the Emerald Isle. Coming to Oliio they located on a farm in Clark county, where they spent their remaining days. As before stated, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Frederick joined his parents in Greene county. His father afterward removed to a farm in Darke county, where he spent the remainder of his life. Our subject did not long remain in Greene county, but removed to Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio, where he conducted a blacksmith shop for seven years. He also carried on the same line of business in Piqua for two years and thence came to Covington. For several years he engaged in blacksmithing where Dr. Hall's dental parlors are now located and then re- moved to North High street, where he built l;is home in 1887. During the war he en- listed as a prixate in 1862, becoming a mem- ber of Company B, Forty-fourth Ohio In- fantry. He served as a blacksmith through- out the remainder of the struggle, and was a most loyal advocate of the Union cause. He was always a faithful citizen, interested in whatever pertained to the welfare and progress of his community. His life was one of marked industry and enterprise, and commended him to the confidence of all with GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 727 whom lie came in contact. On the 2 1st of January, 1899, he was called to his final rest, and the community mourned the loss of one whom they had known to respect and honor. His widow still survives him. They had traveled life's journey together for more than a half century, and his loss was an ir- reparable one. She has many warm friends in Covington, and occupies a comfortable home which was left to her by her husband. MARION JACKSON. In Loudoun county, Virginia, William Jackson was born in 1768, eight years be- fore our forefathers sent forth to the world the Declaration of Independence, and all through the long contest of seven years this sturdy Virginia boy remained at home, the support and comfort of his mother. He was fifteen years old when old England ac- knowledged the independence of the thir- teen colonies, and in the hands of the three millions of people on the Atlantic shore of the new world was entrusted the great prob- lem of a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Since then the history of the new world cannot be written without the glorious history of the grandest republic of modern times. When William Jackson arrived at years of manhood he emigrated to Pennsylvania, near Red Stone Fort, and there he met, wooed and won for his wife Elizabeth Cred- lebaugh, who was born in Frederick, Mary- land, of German parents. Soon afterward the young married couple concluded to seek a home in the new-formed state of Ohio, and in 1804 they settled in Warren county, where they remained four 3'ears, when they re- moved to what is now Elizabeth township, Miami county, in a then wild wilderness with here and there a pioneer's rude log cabin. He lived for a time upon the farm of Benjamin Dye, a relative of his, who came here in 1799, and settled on the farm that, in part, yet remains in the Dye fam- ily. Two years previous to his removal to Miami county, William Jackson visited Ben- jamin Dye, and purchased a hundred and thirty acres at one dollar and a quarter per acre. He desired to purchase the farm now known as the Le Fevre farm, which was offered at one dollar per acre, but the Miami river and Lost creek were at flood tide, and the Le Fevre farm was a lake of water, and neither Staunton, then the county seat, nor Troy could be reached except by a skifif. The writer mentions this fact to show that at that early date Miami and Lost creek went together below the Broad ford as they did in 1898. He cleared a small field and erected a cabin on the one hundred and thirty acres, close by the present residence, and here was born his son, W^illiam Jack- son, December 5. 18 12, the father of Marion Jackson. William Jackson, Jr., worked and resided with his father until his marriage to Mary A. Ramsey, which occurred May 12, 1839, and he then lived on the home place for three years, when he purchased a farm of fifty acres, within a mile of his father's farm, and lived there eight years. His fa- ther died on the 5th day of December, 1843, at the age of seventy;-five years. In 185 1 William JacksOn, Jr., sold his fifty-acre farm and purchased of his brothers and sisters their interest in the old home- stead. In 1854 his mother died at a ripe old age, after a life full of good deeds, a typical pioneer mother. William Jackson, Jr., had five children: Ellen, who married Jacob See; Amanda, ]\Iarion, Albert, and William Henry, who 728 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. died in infancy. He was a man of much more than ordinary judgment as a farmer, and although he had but a Hmited education, yet he was a good business man, for to tlie old homestead he added forty acres of land, and afterwards purchased, within a mile of the old homestead, a farm of one hundred and eighty-eight acres, which he paid for ofif cf the products of the farms, and then added to his farms by purchasing, in partnership with his son-in-law, a place known as the French farm of one hundred and forty acres. He died !March 8, 1878, respected and honored by all who knew him. The writer knew him well. He was a frugal, indus- trious farmer with a record of strict honesty, and so cautious and careful in his business matters that he enjoyed the confidence of the community in which he lived. He was occasionally selected as the administrator to settle estates, and guardian for minor chil- dren, and no one ever criticized his man- agement, and he was very successful in clos- ing the business of estates satisfactorily to the court, the heirs and the creditors. He often regretted his lack of education, and ga\'e to his children good common school educations. For many years he was a di- rector in the school district in which he lived. His wife, Mary (Ramsey) Jackson, was a worthy helpmate to her husband, and she survived him sixteen years. She passed away November 2, 1894. Marion Jackson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Elizabeth township, Miami county, ]\Iarch 4, 1849. He alwavs lived on the farm with his parents, and after his father died he and his sister, Amanda, and brother, Albert, purchased their sister Fllen See's interest in her father's estate, ex- cept forty-eight acres in the French farm. which they deeded to her, and all three re- mained on the farm with their mother until February 12, 1891, when Albert, the young- est son, was married to Miss Lillie Brad- fute, of Greene county, Ohio. Since then Albert has lived on what is known as the Bousman farm. To his marriage were born five children ; two have passed away and three are living. Marion and his sister remained single, and li\-e on the old Jackson homestead. The two brothers and their sister, Amanda, are equal partners in the land left by their fa- ther and acquired since his death. Marion is the business manager, and Albert has charge of the farms and farm hands. He is a natural mechanic, and does most of the repairing, both in iron and woodwork. Tti the estate of their father they have added since his death a farm known as the old Edwards, or Morrison farm, of one hundred and thirty-five acres, also a half interest in one hundred and seventy-two acres known as the Booher farm, which is all bottom land lying along the Miami river, and the Bousman farm, adjoining the old home- stead, of one hundred and twenty-two acres. They own in common seven hun- dred and seven acres, all of the best quality, well tiled, and improved in every respect, for the two brothers are good farmers, and have been ver\' successful both as farmers and stock dealers. Marion Jackson in many respects has the characteristics of his father, and inherits his business qualifications. He is known over this county as a gooil business man, and has the reputation of being a man of stern mtegrity. He has settled many estates and has served his township as justice of the peace for twelve years. He is a man of few words, and while he votes the Demo- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. r29 cratic ticket, he is not a partisan nor a poli- tician. In farming he and his brother, Al- bert, are up with the times, and are recog- nized as money-makers and money-sa\'ers, and yet they live well, but have no money to squander or waste in the giddy pleasures of the world. The sister, Amanda, is a noble woman of domestic tastes, and has devoted her life to the care of her mother and broth- ers. She has remained unmarried from choice, believing her life duty was to care for her parents and her brothers, and a lov- ing, faithful daughter and sister she has been. The lesson of this sketch is that on the farm, with economy and industry, a com- fortable living can be made, and that also a reasonable competence can be secured. There were numbers of rich farmers' sons in Lost Creek and adjoining townships that are poor today because they thought a farmer's life Vv-as below their dignity, and they sold their interests in the old homestead and moved to the city to lead the life of "city gentlemen." Many of them engaged in mercantile trade withnut previous training for that business; others led a life of ease and idleness until their money was gone. Nine-tenths of them are today daily laborers, and some of them pay their rent by moving every few months, but the Jackson boys are comparatively rich, because they stayed by the old farm and fol- lowed the occupation they learned in boy- hood. The writer desires to emphasize the statement for the benefit of the farmer boys of this county: Stay by the farm and the farm will stay by 3'ou. E. s. \v. JUSTUS DIEHL. For thirty-four years Mr. Diehl has suc- cessfully conducted a wagon and blacksmith shop in Troy and his marked industry has re- sulted in bringing to him a comfortable com- petence which he justly merits. He was born in Hessen-Cassel, Germany, October I, 1839. and attended the public schools un- til fourteen years of age, in accordance with the laws of his native land. Subsequently he worked for three years at the cabinet- maker's trade with his father, and at the age of seventeen he crossed the Atlantic to America, making his way to Dayton, Ohio, where he joined his eldest brother. He learned the trade of wagon making and blacksmithing in Sidney, Ohio, txnder the direction of Jacob Piper, who is still living there, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. In 1863, however, Mr. Diehl put aside all personal considerations and re- sponded to the call of his adopted country for aid, and joined the boys in blue of the Eighth Ohio Battery. On the wall of his home he has framed a memorial in the shape of a record of the officers and men of his battery, together with a list of the battles in which it achie\'ed renown for skill and valor. Among the engagements are those of Vicksburg, Nashville, Yazoo and Arkan- sas Junction. Although always found at his post, Mr. Diehl was never wounded and returned in safety to his home, when his company was mustered out at Camp Denni- son, August 9, 1865. His patriotism and love of military life caused him to organize the Troy Battery of two guns, of which he was captain. In 1866 Mr. Diehl took up his abode in Troy and opened a blacksmith and wagon shop, which he has conducted for thirty- four years, although he is now living partial- ly retired. As the result of his close appli- cation to business, his excellent workman- ship and his honorable dealing he secured a liberal patronage, and this brought to him 730 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a comfortable competence so that he is now the owner of tlie nice residence that stands in the midst of a well-kept lawn on one of the valued corners of Main street. Mr. Diehl has been twice married. He wedded Mrs. Mary Ann Prill, of Troy, a native of Miami county, and to them were born five children : Charles, of Tippecanoe City; William and George, who are residents of Lima, Ohio ; Mrs. Walter Brown, of Pi- qua ; and Licla, who is also living in Piqua. After the death of the mother, Mr. Diehl married Mrs. Catherine Shell, a native of Covington, Ohio. Mr. Diehl is a charter member of Coleman Post, G. A. R., and takes an active and helpful interest in those affairs which relate to the welfare of his comrades in arms. He has always been noted for his loyalty as a citizen and re- spected for his industry and integrity in business affairs. From the little German home across the sea he made his way to the new world and entered upon his career which has been alike honorable and successful. SAMUEL C. KESSLER. Samuel C. Kessler is numbered among the native sons of Miami county, his birth having occurred on the 24th of March, 1847, on the farm where his brother John now resides. His father, Martin Kessler, was also a native of the county, his birth having occurred in 1816, on the farm which is the home of John Layman. The grand- father, John B. Kessler, was born in Xorth Carolina and emigrated westward, becom- ing one of the pioneer settlers of Ohio. Here he secured three hundred and twenty acres of government land and became one of tlie successful and enterprising farmers of his community. He was also a recognized leader in public affairs and contributed large- ly to the substantial improvement of this sec- tion of the state. He aided in laying out roads, in building schools and served as a justice of the peace for many years, and was an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal church. Thus he contributed to tlie nmral, social, material and intellectual welfare of the cssmmunity. He died at the advanced age of eighty-three years, respected Ijy all who knew him. Martin Kessler, the father of our sub- ject, was reared under the parental roof and married Anna Hoover, whose birth occurred April 3, 1838. Her father, Solomon Hoo- ver, was born near Frederick, Miami county, in 1795, and her mother, Barbara Hoover, was born in Miami county, in 1800. In the family of Martin Kessler there were born eleven children, namely: William H. H., who was born June 13, 1839, and is a physi- cian at West ]Milton : Susan E., born Sep- tember 7, 1840. is the wife of Perry Kerr, of Dayton. Ohio; Daniel S., born June 18, 1842, is living in West ^Nlilton; John O., born July 31, 1844; Samuel C, of this re- view: Solomon W., born April 8, 1849, and died in 1887: Sarah ]\L. born March 7, 1 85 1, is the wife of James Cress, of Union township: Martha E., born September 17, 1854, became the wife of Rufus P. Davis, of Troy, and died in 1893; Alartin W'., born June 2, 1857, is now engaged in the coal business in Troy: \\'ebster, born June 19, 1859, is living on the old home farm; and Elizabeth B., born September 20. 1862, is a resident of West Milton. Martin Kess- ler died in the hospital at Xashvil.le, Ten- nessee. July 23, 1863, and his wife passed away January 4, 1892. Air. Kessler, whose name introduces this review, spent his childhood and youth in his GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. (81 father's home, where he early learned habits of industry and economy that have pr(jved of incalculable benefit in his business career. When twenty-two years old he was married and removed to a farm in Concord town- ship, Miami county, where he remained for one year, when he returned to Monroe town- ship and rented the Patty farm for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased the farm which has since been his home, and the many excellent imjjrovements upon the place indicate his progressive meth- ods and his careful supervision. Mr. Kessler was married March 20, 1869, to Miss Martha A. Macy, a native of Monroe township, born April 13, 1851, a daughter of Enoch and Eliza Macy. Enoch Macy was born in Monroe township in 1826, and died February 20, 1894. The mother was born in Pennsylvania in 1826, and is still living, in this township. Two children have lieen born to them : Ida, now the wife of Charles Pearson, of Monroe township; and Dora, wife of Freeman Pearson, a pho- tographer of Tippecanoe City. In 1898 Mr. Kessler was elected trustee of Monroe township for a term of three years and has been a school director for sev- eral years, his duties being discharged with promptness and in a creditable manner. In politics he is a Republican and socially he is connected with Stillwater Lodge, I. O. O. F., of West Milton, and religiously with the Christian church. His life has been cjuietly but honorably passed and he has gained the respect and friendship of many citizens of his community. VALENTINE DECKER. Classified among the leading and enter- prising business men of Piqua, Mr. Decker is now extensively engaged as a packer and wholesale dealer in meats. His record is one of which he may justly be proud, for his prosperity is the reward of his own effort. Success is not measured by the height which one may chance to occupy, but by the distance between the starting point and the altitude which he has reached ; there- fore Mr. Decker has gained a most merited success — a just reward for meritorious labor, — which commands the admiration and re- spect of all. He was born in Baden, Germany, April 7, 1847, ^^'^^ when fifteen years of age se- cured employment in a meat market, being thus engaged until his emigration to Amer- ica in 1868. Hoping to better his financial condition in the new world, he crossed the Atlantic, landing at New York city on the 1st of July, from the steamer Harmonia. He at once made his way to Miami cou4ity, and for about six months w(5rked in a butcher's shop in Troy. He then came to Piqua, where he worked for about two years, after which he went to Union City, Indiana, where he was employed for a similar period. In 1872 he returned to Piqua and was en- gaged in the retail meat business until Oc- tober, 1898, since which time he has con- ducted his wholesale establishment. He now does the largest wholesale meat business in the county and is an extensive packer. He has a good slaughter and packing house and his plant is excellently equipped for car- rying on his large and steadily growing business. On the 20th of February, 1872, Mr. Decker was united in marriage to Miss Han- nah Schafer, who was born in Germany and was brought to America when two years old. They have seven children : Louis F., who now conducts his father's retail meat market; George H., who is acting as sales- 73-2 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. man and collector in his father's employ; Carl Jacob, who is also employed by his father; Walter Jacob; and Carrie Margaret, Hannah Elizabeth and William, all at home. ]\Ir. Decker and his family are members of the Catholic chvirch and he is now serving as treasurer of the church with which he is connected. In his political views he is lib- eral. He borrowed money with which to come to America, but his hope of improving his financial condition has been more than realized, for he is now the possessor of con- siderable valuable property in Piqua and is recognized as one of its leading and enter- prising men. JOHN W. SNYDER. The inevitable law of destiny accords to tireless energy and industry a successful career. Clearly defined purpose and con- secutive elTort in the affairs of life will eventuate in the attainment of a due measure of prosperity, and in following out the career of one who has gained success by his own efiforts there comes into view the intrinsic individuality which makes such accomplish- ments possible. The history of such a one also indicates the possibilities that lie before every young man who enters the business world. Mr. Snyder is one who owes his prosperity to his own labors and may well be called a self-made man. He is now one of the owners and the manager of the Fran- cis Planing Mill and Sash & Door Factory, of Troy, an enterprise which contributes not only to the success of the owners but is also of material benefit to the city by pro- moting commercial activity. Mr. Snyder was born in German town- ship, Montgomery county, Ohio, June 28, 1872. His fathen, Holcomb Snyder, re- moved from Waterloo, New York, to that township, in i860, and there engaged in the milling business until 1894. He afterward worked in the Francis Planing Mill until his death, which occurred October 20, 1899. His wife bore the maiden name of Nancy Frank, and was a daughter of John Frank, one of the early settlers of German town- ship. Her mother belonged to the Loy fam- ily, one of the most prominent and influential in Montgomery county. Mrs. Snyder passed away in 1889. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Snyder were born three sons and three daughters, but Edgar died at the age of fourteen years. Frank Snyder, the eldest, is now a rising young attorney at law of Portland, Indiana. The sisters, Mollie, Emma and Sallie, re- side with their brother, our subject, in Troy, where the family are most highly esteemed. John W. Snyder is indebted to the public schools of his native town for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. On putting aside his text-books he began work in a saw-mill and also worked in a sash and door factory owned and controlled by his father. Since May, 1899, he has managed the busi- ness of the Francis Planing Mill and Sash & Door Factory, becoming his father's suc- cessor. Mr. Francis, the owner of the plant, is one of the best known lumber manu- facturers and mill-men of this section of the state and is carrying on a very extensive business, and to be associated with him in any enterprise of which he has control is a guarantee of success and an indication that the partner possesses skill and ability of superior order and enjoys an unassailable reputation in business circles. Mr. Snyder is certainly well qualified for his present position. His knowledge of the business is practical as well as theoretical and he is thus enabled to superintend the men under him GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. r33 most effectively. There is no trace of the overbearing taskmaster in him, yet he de- mands faithfnl service on the part of the employes and rewards them by promotion as opportunity offers. Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss Daisy Martz, daughter of Alvin Martz, a merchant of Germantown, Ohio. They now have four interesting little sons : Cur- tis, Holcomh, Martz, and Harry. The par- ents are memliers of the German Reformed church, and fraternally Mr. Snyder is an Odd Fellow, while in politics he is a Repub- lican. He has nex'er sought or desired ofifice, howexer, preferring" to give his time and attention to his business interests, in which he has met with good success. ROBERT W. RIMES. The true measure of individual success 4s determined Ijy what one has accomplished, and, as taken in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, there is particular interest attaching to the career of Professor Himes, the subject of this review, since he is a native son of this section of Ohio, where he has passed almost his entire life and so directed his ability and efforts as to gain recognition as one of the representative citi- zens of Miami county. He is now occupy- ing the responsible position of superintendent of the schools of Covington and is recog- nized as one of the leading educators in that locality, his methods being along the line of marked advancement that have given the Ohio schools prestige throughout the Union. It was on a farm southwest of Dayton m Montgomery county that Professor Himes was born, his natal day being April 15, 1850. His father, Martin Himes, was born in Montgomery county, November 13, 1823, received a limited education and entere 1 up .n his business career as a farmer. He married Anna Van Cleve, who was born in Mont- gomery county, Ohio, June 13, 1825. Her death occurred in 1883, and Martin Himes died at the home of our subject, on January 10, 1897. They were consistent members of the Presbyterian church and people of the highest respectability. In their family were but two children, — Robert W. and Charles M., — both residents of Covington. At an earl)' day in the development of Ohio, the Himes family was established in this state by Samuel Himes, the paternal grand- father of our subject. He was born in Maryland, but emigrated westward in the early part of the century, accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth Himes, and the journey being made on horseback. His remaining days were passed in the Buckeye state and he died in Montgomery county. When only four years of age Professor Himes of this re\'iew accompanied his parents on their removal to Alpha, Greene county, Ohio, \\-here he remained for about eleven years. There he began his education in the public schools. In 1865 the family removed to Newberry township, ^liami county, where he continued his studies until 1866, when he entered the Covington high school, graduating in that institution in 1870. During the periods of vacation he assisted in the work of the home farm. Determined to devote his life to edu- cational labors, he began teaching in the country schools of Washington township until the fall of 1870, when, desiring to still further perfect his own knowledge, he ma- triculated in the Heidelberg College, in Tiffin, Ohio, where he remained two years. On the expiration of that period he accepted 734 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a position as assistant in the Covington high school, serving in that capacity until iSgi, Avhen he resigned in order to accept the pro- fessorship of Latin and Greek in the South- ern Illinois College. Later he was elected president of that college and served for two years, but in 1894 returned to Covington and succeeded Professor Bennett as the su- perintendent of the schools of this place. For six years he has been in charge of the educational interests of the city. He is con- stantly in touch with the progressive trend of the times and is continuously contriving to promote the interests of the sciiools along various lines. During his incumbency, the present splendid new school building has been erected and a musical course has been introduced. He believes most iirmly in higher education, realizing the importance of mental development • as a preparation for life's responsible duties. His labors are practical and his efforts consist not of an attempt to make the student familiar with the historical facts and scientific principles merely as such, but are directed toward making these of practical value that they -may be of use to the students in the general affairs of business or home life. In Covington, on the 26th of August, 1873, Professor Himes was married to Miss Laura J. Ullery, a daughter of Aaron and Eliza (Merriwether) Ullery. Six children have blessed their union, but their first born and Edith died in infancy. The others are Clara, Arthur, Ruth and Alice. During his boyhood Professor Himes united with the Evangelical Lutheran church and later be- came a member of the German Reformed church. He is now a mem1:)er and elder in tile Cumberland Presbyterian church and takes a very active interest in its work. He is widelv known as an earnest Christian gentleman, affable and kindly in manner and highly esteemed for his sterling worth. He is a man of high intellectuality, broad human sympathies and tolerance, and imbued with fine sensibilities and clearly defined prin- ciples. Honor and integrity are synony- mous with his name, and he enjoys the re- spect, confidence and high regard of the community. THOMAS L. HUGHES. In no field of human endeavor is there given to the world a clearer assurance of a man and a man's appreciation of the higher ethics of life, than when cognizance is taken of the efforts of one who has consecrated his life to the work of the Christian ministry and who has labored to goodly ends. There is, then, an eminent degree of satisfaction in directing the attention at this jwint to the pastor of the First Presbyterian church at Picjua, and of reviewing his career suc- cinctly and with due regard to the innate modesty of the man, who has ever endeav- ored to follow the divine behest and not allow his left hand to know what his right hand is doing. The church has been advanced ma- terially and spiritually and in its various functions the pastor maintains a lively and well informed interest, according due value to every phase of church work, and by pre- cept and example vitalizing each element. He was born in Jackson county, Ohio, April 27, 1850. His father, Thomas L. Hughes, Sr., was a native of Wales and re- mained in that little rock-ribbed country un- til about thirty-five years of age. when he came to America. He engaged in the manu- facture of pig-iron at Oak Hill, Jackson county, Ohio, and was one of the stock- holders in the Jefferson Furnace Company, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 785 in wliich he held the office of secretary and treasurer. Before becoming C(jnnected with the company he had engaged in merchandis- ing in Oak Hill for several years. Not only prominent in industrial circles, he was rec- ognized as one of the leading representa- ti\es of the Republican party, and on that ticket was elected to the state legislature. He also serx'ed as county commissioner and justice of the peace. A man of scholarly attainments and marked literary ability, he contributed frequently to \\'elsh magazines, and wrote the only Life of Christ ever pub- lished in the Welsh language, in America. He was a prominent and faithful member of the Welsh Presbyterian church and his re- ligious belief dominated his entire career, making his life a very honorable and upright one. In his business affairs he met with splendid success, obtaining a handsome com- petence as the result of his careful manage- ment and well-directed efforts. He died in March. 1896, when about ninety years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Ann Jones, was born in South Wales and when a young lady came to America. They were married in Cincinnati and she died in 1857, when about thirty-seven years of age. Like her husband she, too, was a member of the Welsh Presbyterian church. In their family were five children : Jane, wife of M. D. Jones, a coal operator of Jack- son county, Ohio ; Thomas Lloyd, of this review; Anna, who became the wife of Dr. W. E. Williams, of Jackson county, Ohio, and died at the age of thirty-eight years ; and Winnifred, who became the wife of J. A. Jones, of Oak Hill, and died when about thirty-five years of age, leaving one child. Rev. Thomas Lloyd Hughes was reared amid the refined influences of a cultured home, and after acquiring his preliminary educa- tion in the common schools pursued his studies at Oak Hill. When about fourteen years of age he entered the Ohio University and after his graduation in that institution pursued a post-graduate course in Princeton University. He then studied law in the Cincinnati Law College, was admitted to the bar in 1874 and practiced in Jackson county for about two years, but, wishing to devote his energies to the higher and holier calling of the ministry, he began preparation therefor in 1876, pursuing a partial course of study in Lane's Seminary. He was or- dained to preach in June, 1877, and took charge of the Eckmansville church, where he remained for three and a half years. He was then pastor of the Presbyterian church r.t Pomeroy for two and one-half years, after which he accepted the pastorate of the Pres- byterian church at Shelbyville, Indiana. During his nine years' service there he built a new church and the Portage Mission chapel. In September, 1892, he came to Piqua, where he has since remained. The church here has a membership of about six hundred and fifty and owns property to the value of seventy-nine thousand dollars. Rev. Hughes was married in Ports- mouth, Ohio, to Miss Hattie Clare, who was born in Jackson county, Ohio. They have six children : James Clare, who is a stu- dent in the State Law School and has just been admitted to the bar; Catherine, wife of J. B. Wilkinson, of Piqua; Anna; Thomas L. ; Mary; and Emma. In his political views Mr. Hughes is an earnest Republican and served as city solicitor while practicing law in Jackson. -When only twenty-two years of age he could have been elected to the legislature, but his father objected to his accepting the nomination. Hanover College has conferred upon him the degree 736 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of Doctor of Divinity in reciignition of his scholarly attainments and excellent work in the church. In 1899 he was elected moder- ator of the synod of Ohio. He is one of the most eminent of the Presbyterian minis- ters of the state and is now in charge of one ,of the largest pastorates in this part of Ohio. He has that practical appreciation of the affairs of life that lends greater potency to his ministerial labors, while as a pulpit orator he is logical, convincing and eloquent, ap- pealing not alone to the emotional side of human nature, but to the most mature judg- ment and most critical wisdom. His strength as an organizer and practical worker 'is evidenced sufficiently in his accomplishments, and the Christian religion has an able and de- voted supporter and advocate in the hon- ored subject of this sketch. ^^CHAEL CRA\V}>IER. For many years a resident of Miami county,Michael Crawmer was one of its most highly respected citizens and in his death the comunity lost one whom all had learned to respect and honor for his sterling quali- ties of head and heart. He was boni in Frederick county, Maryland, near Frederick City, on the 12th of February, 181 1. His grandfather was a Hessian soldier who fought in the Revolutionary v>ar. He came to this country with the British army, but, becoming convinced of the justice of the American cause, he deserted near Philadel- phia and established a home in the new world. After the war he took up his abode in Alaryland, and thus became the founder of a family on this side of the Atlantic. Peter Crawmer, the father of our subject, came to Muskingum county about 1833, '^"^^ here spent his remaining days. His son. Michael, was reared in ^laryland, being twenty-two years of age when the family came to Ohio. He learned the cooper's trade in Muskingum county, serving a regu- lar apprenticesiiip, during which time he received twenty-five cents per week and his board. Subsequently he worked as a jour- _neyman, receiving twenty-five cents each for flour barrels. During that year Mr. Crawmer was mar- ried, on the 28th of October, 1838. to }iliss ^Miranda Alumford, a sister of John ^lum- ford. They at once began housekeeping, Mr. Crawmer making his own furniture, while 'the cooking utensils and other fur- nishings of that character were given them by their parents. During the first winter after his marriage Mr. Crawmer's labors at coopering brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a horse, and the next spring his lirother-in-law, George Mum- ford, remo\ed them to Miami county. For two years Mr. Crawmer rented a farm north of Alcony and subsequently spent thirteen years on the Dr. Beard farm. His labors during that period brought him capital suffi- cient to enable him to make a third payment upon one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead farm. He purchased this in 1853 and at once began its further develop- ment and improvement. A small clearing had been made and a small log house had been erected. With characteristic energy Mr. Crawmer took up the work of dexxlop- ment and improvement and within t\\ i) years not onlv had his lanil under a good state of cultivation but had disch.arged the entire indebtedness on the place. For eighteen years he there carried on agricultural pur- suits and was a most systematic and enter- prising general farmer. In 1857 he erected the barn which is still standing. The timber GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. IBl was cut upon the farm and the structure is as it was originally built, having been kept in good repair. The residence was erected in 1 86 1, the old-fashioned heavy frames being used. Mr. Crawmer made the plans for both the house and l)arn and gave his personal supervision to the work. He placed about one hundred and thirty-five acres of his land untler cultivation and divided the farm into fields of convenient size, which yielded him a golden tribute in return for his care and labor. He reclaimed a swampy tract of several acres by tiling and made that portion of his farm the most productive and \-alu- able part of it, having refused one hundred and fifty dollars per acre for it. About 1870 he began adding to his property, purchasing forty-five acres adjoining the old homestead. His farm was planted to the grains best adapted to the climate, and his labors were rewarded with excellent harvests. During the last thirteen years of his life he lived re- tired, relegating the management of his property to others while he enjoyed a well- merited rest. Unto Mr. and Airs. Crawmer were born the following children : Henry G., who died at the age of forty-five years ; Elizabeth Ann, wife of Henry Lefl^el, of Clark county ; George W., of Elizabeth township; John P., of Clark county; Miranda Ellen, wife of James Ledwidge, of Miami county; Mary Amanda, wife of W. D. Weaver, of this county; James W., of Elizabeth township; Robert, who died in infancy, as did the next chikl; Charles E. S. ; and Maggie L., who married E. L. Davis and died at the age of twenty-five years. In his political views Mr. Crawmer was a stanch Democrat and kept well informed on the issues of the day, yet ne\-er sought or desired public office, caring not to enter 43 into political controversy. His opinions were formed as the result of careful delibera- tion, and he accorded to all the right he re- served for himself of working out his own ideas and exemplifying them in his ballot. At the age of sixteen years he joined the Lutheran church and throughout his life was a consistent Christian gentleman. He contributed generously to all church work and was very liberal in his \'iews, although he believed most firmly in the teachings of the scripture. He read the Bible through seven times and was well qualified to argue on any subject connected therewith, making a close study of religious questions. He was absolutely just and fair in his treatment of friends and neighbors and was never known to over-reach anyone in a business trans- action. He felt the keenest interest in the welfare and advancement of Miami county, which he regarded as the garden spot of Eden. His support was withheld from no measure which he believed would prove of public good and he was recognized as one of the valued citizens of his community. Some time prior to his death he gave much thought to the division of his property and left a will which was pronounced to be one of the most correct ever probated. His wife, who was a most estimable lady and devoted to her home and family, passed away on the 20th of September, 1881, but he sur- vived her for about sixteen years, dying on the 1 2th of August, 1897. All who knew him esteemed him for his sterling worth. In business matters he was prompt and re- liable, his religious views were consistent yet tolerant, and in his relations with his fel- low men he was known as a trustworthy friend and a loving husband and father, as well as a loyal citizen. He well deserves mention among those whose influence and 738 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. labors have been directed in those channels' which make the world better aloiig ethical as well as moral lines. CHARLES E. S. CRAWMER. Charles E. S. Crawmer occupies the old family homestead where his birth occurred May 1 8, 1857. He first ojjened his eyes to the light of day in the little log cabin which was the home of his parents, Michael and Miranda (Alumford) Crawmer. His edu- cation was obtained in the local schools and upon the home farm he was early trained to habits of industry and enterprise. In his youth he became familiar with the work of field and meadow and assisted in all the labors of the farm until his father's retire- ment, when he assumed the management of the property, which he has since operated. Upon his father's death he inherited forty acres of land — the tract upon which the old home was located. He has since purchased the interest of some of the other heirs and his farm now comprises one hundred and twenty acres. He carries on general farm- ing and stock-raising and his place is neat and thrifty in its appearance. He makes a specialty of feeding cattle and hogs, and finds in that branch of his business a profit- able source of income. On the 1st of March, 1893, Mr. Craw- mer was united in marriage to Miss Jennie M. Moses, a daughter of Samuel F. and Su- sanna (Nolan) Moses, of Champaign county. She was born in Staunton town- ship, Miami county, but was reared in Champaign county and obtained her educa- tion in the schools there. Both Mr. and Mrs. Crawmer enjoy the warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. He has spent his entire life in this locality, and the fact that those who have known him long- est are numbered among his best friends is an indication that his career has lieen an honorable and upright one. His life, though quietly passed, has ever been characterized by fidelity to duty, and he is known as a wor- thy representative of an honored pioneer family. HENRY H. HART. Henry H. Hart, who is now living a re- tired life in Casstown, was born in Eliza- betii township, Miami county, near the old Sheets mill, December 4, 1835. His parents were Harrison and Catherine Emeline (Ti- tus) Hart, both of whom were natives of New Jersey, born near Trenton. Nothing is known concerning the early history of the Hart family. Samuel Titus, the mater- nal grandfather, was born December i, 1761, and wedded Mary Van Kirk, whose birth occurred on the 14th of November, 1779. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and participated in the liattle of Trenton, New Jersey. Coming to Ohio at an early period in the history of the state, he here made his home until his death, which oc- curred about 1840. His widow survived him about twenty years, passing away in i860, at the age of eighty years. Their son, Asa Titus, inherited the old homestead, which he sold to Isaac Sheets about 1850, and then returned to New Jersey. He had two sisters, Catherine Emeline and Ruth Ann. The latter married Jacob Drake and died in Elizabeth township when about sixty-six years of age. The former was the mother of our subject. She was born in New Jersey, October i, 1816, and about 1830 came with her parents to !Miami county. She passed away at tiie age of seventy-one. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 739 Mr. Hart, of this review, was born and reared in Elizabeth township and tliere re- sided until twenty-eight years of age. When a youth of ten years he went to live with H. G. Carver, at the old woolen-mill, there re- maining until seventeen years of age. He had there an excellent home and was allowed the privilege of attending school through the winter months. Subsequently he learned the carpenter's trade under the direction of Eli Miller, of Lost Creek township, Imt after a year he began to work on a farm by the month, in Elizabeth township, being em- ployed mostly by Mr. Carver. On the 1st of January, 1861, Mr. Hart was united in marriage to Miss Minerva Jane Crane, daughter of James P. and Letitia (Clyne) Crane. The father was a son of Ephraim Crane, and was born in Ohio. He died when his son was about nine years of age, leaving two children : Jacob and Min- erva J., the former a resident of Staunton township. Mrs. James P. Crane, is a sister of Isaac Clyne. She came to Casstown during her early girlhood and there remained throughout the rest of her lifetime. Her last days were spent in the home of hor daughter, and she died at the age of sixty- four years. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hart resided upon a rented farm for four years, and in 1865 came to Casstown, where he en- gaged in carpentering with Alec Long, with whom he worke-d for twenty-five years. During a greater part of his active business career his energies have been devoted to building. In 1889 he purchased a farm in Lost Creek township, four miles northeast of Casstown, where he has one hundred and sixty acres of rich land, a portion of which he rents. He has erected nearly all of the best homes and barns in Lost Creek town- ship, and on all sides stand these monuments to his thrift and enterprise. His life has been an energetic and useful one and his business dealings have ever been character- ized by honesty. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hart were born two children, but the younger, William L., died in infancy. The daughter, Mary Olive, is now the wife of Fernando Free, and is living on a farm near her father. Mr. Hart votes with the Democracy on matters of state and national importance, but at local elections casts his vote independently. He is a mem- ber of the Cove Springs Christian church and his wife of the Casstown Methodist Episcopal church. In 1872 he became a member of the Odd Fellows society in Cass- town Lodge, No. 426, has passed all the chairs and is now identified with the Uni- formed Rank. He came to Casstown in 1865 and purchased the home which he yet occu- pies, and throughout the intervening years he has been regarded as one of the enterprising, progressive, and valued citizens of the com- munity. He is widely known for his sterling worth and his fidelity to principle, and in this volume he well deserves representation. DAVID C. MANNING. David C. Manning is numbered among Miami county's native sons. He was born in the northeast corner of Brown township, February 3, 1835, his parents being Major Clarkson and Phoebe (Corey) Manning, who resided at Plainfield, New Jersey, thirty- five miles west of New York. The pa- ternal grandfather was Isaac Manning, who was of German descent and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, taking part with Washington's army in the battle of Trenton. Clarkson Manning was a 740 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. soldier in the war of 1812, his services heing in connection with the guarding of the hay of New York and Sandy Hook. He was at that fort when the British vessels ap- proached, and aided in firing one of three guns. A shot struck one of the vessels and the fleet then retreated. From that time for- ward Mr. Planning was known hy the title cf major. He was married in Xew Jer- sey, and in 1818 took up his abode in Butler county, Ohio, entering land from the gov- ernment in ^liami county, and making his Ijermanent home thereon. The old sheep- skin patent, dated July 13, 1819, and signed by President James Alonroe, is now in pos- session of his son David. His services in the w-ar of 181 2 were recognized by the gov- ernment in 1852 when President Fillmore signed a patent granting him land in Illinois. He, however, never left his Ohio home, which was his abode from 18 19 until his death, which occurred April 12, 1887, when he was in his ninety-fourth year. He re- tained his mental faculties unimpaired. His death resulted from an accident, he having slipped on the ice several weeks before. His wife passed away about eighteen weeks pre- vious, her death having occurred in her ninety-seventh year. Both were particularly well preserved old people, who to the last maintained an active interest in the affairs of the day. Air. Manning was a Jacksonian Democrat, and was always ready to uphold his position by intelligent argument. His wife was a member of the Leatherwood Baptist church, which owned the iirst brick house of worship in the township. Mr. Manning was not a memlser of church but was a great believer in church and always accompanied his wife to the house of wor- ship. Airs. Alanning was particularly active in church work, was a verv true and loval woman, anil both were people of the highest respectability. His first house was a log cabin of primiti\'e construction, but later it was replaced by a fine log house, well built, twenty-two by twenty-eight feet, and two stories high. It was the first dwelling in the township that had a shingle roof, and for many years it was occupied, but was ultimately torn down by David C. Alanning. His third home, built about sixty years ago, is still standing. It is a two-story brick residence, and at an early day the place was noted for its generous hospitality, entertain- ment being there furnished to all travelers who passed this way. Air. and Airs. Alan- ning were the parents of seven children: Parkus, who died at the age of nine years; Elsie Anna, who became the wife of David Counts, and died at her home in Fletcher about ten 3-ears of age : Isaac, who died at the age of forty years on his f^rm east of Lena, in Champaign county, where his son Walter is now living; Johanna, wife of John Hair, who removed to Illinois in pioneer days, Airs. Hair dying in Fulton county, that state-; Alary Jane, widow of William Wooley and a resident of Palestine, Ohio ; and John, who died at the age of eighteen years. David Corey Alanning, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the farm and for some years operated the old homestead. Later, however, his father rented the prop- erty. On the 5th of February, 1857, our subject was married to Aliss Caroline Throckmorton, of Brown township, a daughter of George and Sarah (Lafferty) Throckmorton, w'ho were New Jersey peo- ple. The father came to Ohio with his par- ents, and in Warren county was married. He was a carpenter by trade and for some time resided in Piqua, but afterward settled on the farm in Brown township now owned GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 741 by S. S. Yates. Tliere he developed a good farm, making it liis home until his removal to Clinton county. After three years, how- ever, he returned and purchased a farm ad- joining his old place. He died on that prop- erty, but in the meantime had resided for a brief interval at Conover. Mrs. Manning was born on the old homestead, October 25, 1838, and by her marriage became the mother of two sons, George D. and Charles E., the latter li\'ing on the old Manning home- stead. Both are married and are numbered among the enterprising farme>rs of Brown township. Since the age of eighteen George has engaged in teaching, and is one of the well known educators of the county. In 1865 David C. Manning, of this re- view, took charge of a steam saw-mill north of Conover and operated the same until it was destroyed by fire three years later. In 1868 he purchased his present farm of Daniel H. Knoop, and after ten years had cleared the place of all indebtedness. This farm comprises seventy-seven and a half acres, upon which he has made excellent improve- ments, including the erection of substantial farm Iniildings. Everything about the place is in first class condition and indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive owner. In addition to managing his own affairs, he acted as administrator of his fa- ther's estate, the land being divided according to his father's wishes. He received forty acres of the old homestead, since which time he has purchased his sister's interest and now has eighty acres. He was also administra- tor of his father-in-law's estate, successfully controlling that business and settling up affairs satisfactorily to all. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democracy, but has ne\^er held office, save that of trustee, to which he was elected for an unexpired term of six months, then ro elected to the same office for one year and afterwards for three years more. He never asked any man for his vote, and the support given him was an acknowledgment of his popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. Early in the existence of the Grange movement he became identified therewith and took an active part in its work, holding many offices therein. His life has ben an active, honorable and u.seful one, and every trust reposed in him has been faithfully performed. THOMAS KNICK. Thomas Knick was born on the old fam- ily homestead a half mile west of Casstown, in Lost Creek township, August 13, 1837. His parents were \\'iliam and Rachel (Arm- strong) Knick, natives of Virginia, who came to this county among the early settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Knick had a family of nine chil- dren. The father served in the war of 1812, and after his death his widow was granted a pension. He died December 14, 1848, at the age of fifty-six years, two months and seven days, and his wife passed away Octo- ber 3, 1864, at the age of seventy-one years and seven months, their remains being in- terred in the Knoop cemetery in Staunton township. Mr. Knick, whose name introduces this review, spent his boyhood days on the home farm, assisting in the work of field and meadow through the summer months, while in the winter season he pursued his education in the public schools. After attaining the age of twenty-five years he operated the old homestead on his own account for two years. He remained with his mother after her hus- 742 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. band's death until she, too, was called to her home beyond, when the old farmstead was sold. Mr. Knick thus realized a little more than thirteen hundred dollars from the estate, and with what he had saved he had eighteen hundred dollars with which to begin life for himself. He rented his brother's farm, the old Stroch place, near Addison, Clark county, and operated it for two years, after which he removed to the Joseph Fuller farm in Clark county, upon which he resided one year. On the expiration of that period he came to his present farm in Brown township, Miami county, becoming the owner of eighty acres of land, for which he paid forty-eight Iiundred dollars. After making a payment upon it he was still in debt to the amount of twenty-five hundred dollars, but his crops brought him good financial returns and he was soon enabled to clear his farm from all indebtedness. The greater part of it was covered with timber at the time he took possession and the improvements consisted only of a small log house and barn. He at once began the work of clearing away the trees and has placed seventy-two acres under a high state of cultivation. He has also laid one hundred and sixty rods of tiling and thus reclaimed what was ijefore wet land. He feeds most of the grain raised on his farm to his stock and is recognized as one of the successful and extensive stock-dealers of the community. About nine" years ago he erected a commodious and suljstantial resi- dence and has since made other modern im- provements, so that he is to-day the owner of one of the desirable farms of his neighbor- hood. In 1865 occurred the marriage of Mr. Knick and Aliss Beckie Croy, of Miami City. Their union has been blessed with the following children: Maggie; Riky ; Fir- man, who at the time of this writing has just returned from a hunting trip on the ]\Iissis- sippi, laden with trophies of the chase ; Will- iam Harle}', who is twenty-one years of age and is a student in the blind institution of Columbus; Bessie, wife of Lewis Kiser, a farmer of Brown township; Ervin; Gracie; and Clarence B., who died in infancy. The family is one of prominence in the commu- nity, the members of the household occupy- ing a leading position in social circles. Mr. Knick votes with the Democracy, but his time and attention are fully occupied by his business affairs, and he is known as one of the most energetic and capable farmers of his neighborhood. His success has come to him as the direct result of his own efforts and his example shows what may be accom- plished by determined purpose when guided by honesty and supplemented by careful management. CHARLES U. BRIGGS. In the great competitive struggle of life, when each must enter the field and fight his way to the front, or else be overtaken by disaster of time and place, there is ever par- ticular interest attaching to the life of one who has turned the tide of success, has sur- mounted obstacles and has shown his ability to cope with others in their rush for the coveted goal. Ibis Mr. Briggs has done, and to-da}' he is at the head of the extensive business conducted under the name of the Troy Marble Works. A native of Dayton, Ohio, he was born on October 11, 1S58. His father, W. H. Briggs, of that city, was born in England, and when a lad of seven years came to Amer- ica with his parents. After attaining to man's estate he established marble works in GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 743 Dayton, in 1866, and enjoyed a large trade which extended over sections of Ohio and Indiana. He is now Hving retired, making his home in VandaHa, this state. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary A. Barman and was a native of Cincinnati, her father, James Barman, having located there in an early day after his emigration from Germany to the New World. This worthy couple had four children : Charles, Harry, Katie, who married O. R. Davis, of San Antonio, Texas; and Alay, who married Charles Mil- ler, of Troy, Ohio. ]\Ir. Briggs, whose name introduces this review, attended the schools of Dayton and learned the marble-cutter's trade with his fa- ther. He began business on his own ac- count in Troy, in 1887, and has since carried on operations along that line, his trade stead- ily and constantly increasing until it now ex- tends over eight counties in Ohio and eastern Indiana. The excellent grade of work done in the factory secures him a large sale and a continuance of the success which has hith- erto rewarded his labors. In 1886, in VandaHa, Ohio, occurred the marriage of Mr. Briggs and Miss Carrie North, a daughter of J. V. North, who now makes his home in Troy, and travels for Mr. Briggs as a representative of the monu- ment business. They now have a son, Wal- ter, who is attending school. The success which Mr. Briggs has won has enabled him to make judi- cious investments in real estate, and, in connection with the land on which his business plant is located, he is the owner of a tasteful residence, which he occupies, also two dwellings on the river opposite the town, and other property. In politics he is a Democrat, and in the year when Troy was incorporated as a city he became a member of the city council, filling that position for five years. He exercised his official prerogatives in support of the various measures and movements which con- tributed toward the public good and pro- moted the progress of the city along material lines of development. He is now numbered among the leading business men of Troy, and belongs to that class of representative Americans who, while promoting individual success, also aids in establishing the public good. WILLIAM A. EDDY. William A. Eddy is a well-known farmer of Elizabeth township, whose en- tire life has been passed in Miami county. His father, William Eddy, was born near Reinersville, Morgan coun- ty, Ohio, January 24, 1823, and died June 20, 1879. Throughout the greater part of his life he carried on agri- cultural pursuits and became one of the sub- stantial farmers of the locality in which his son now resides. He was married, March 22, 1853, to Miss Caroline Head, who was born March 14, 1831, and died July 15, 1887, at their home in Elizabeth township. In 1873 he secured the farm upon which his son William now resides. Prior to this time he had engaged in agricultural pursuits in Perry county for some years, but taking up his abode in ;\Iiami county he became the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of rich and arable land, which yielded to him a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestowed upon it. His at- tention was given closely to his business interests, and his executive ability, indefat- igable enterprise and resolute purpose brought to him success. In politics he was 744 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a Democrat. For some years prior to his death he was in delicate healtli, his demise being occasioned by the comphcation of dropsy and heart disease. His remains were interred in McKendree cemetery, two miles southeast of Miami city. His wife survived him eight years, and after his death she rented a portion of the farm, the remainder being operated by her son. Her life was devoted to her family, and her chil- dren did credit to her. She was a member of the Cove Springs Christian church, and her life was in harmony with her profes- sions. ]Mr. and Mrs. William Eddy be- came the parents of five daugliters and a son, namely: Sarah J., wife of Wakefield Bray, of Champaign county, Ohio; Nancy E.. wife of Joseph Mumford, of Alcony; Alica A., wife of George Killenbarger, of Elizabeth township; Mary C, who became the wife of William H. Helmer and died at the age of thirty-four years; William A., of this review; and Rose E., wife of Elwood Macy, who is occupying a part of the old homestead. William A. Eddy, whose name intro- duces this sketch, was born. September lo, 1865, and was only fourteen years of age at the time of his father's death. He then began operating the farm and remained with his mother until her demise. He in- herited eighty-five acres of the old home- stead, including the portion upon which the buildings were located. He then bought out the interest of the other heirs and now has a very valuable property. The farm is well drained, for he has laid over a mile of tiling, and all the modern accessories and improvements are there found. He car- ries on general farming and his labors re- sult in bringing to him a comfortable com- petence. On the iSth of March. 18S8. Mr. Eddy wedded Miss Anna Hagen, a daughter of Augustus and Catherine (Smith) Hagen. Her father, a native of Germany, came to America at the age of nineteen years and was married in Springfield, Ohio, to Miss Smith, whose birth occurred in the Buckeye state. They resided in Clark county, Ohio, until they removed to Minnesota, where their daughter Anna was born, near St. Paul. When she was three and a half years of age they came to Miami county, locating in Elizabeth township, where the father still resides. The mother died July 3, 1892, and he afterward married Callie Clingan. He had six daughters and a son, four daugh- ters being residents of ^liami county, name- ly : Lillie, wife of Douglas Bray, of Staun- ton township; Anna; Lana, wife of John Singer, of Brandt; Bertia, wife of Warren Winters, of Troy ; and ^Irs. Eddy. Katie died at the age of seventeen years, Daisy at the age of sixteen years and the one son died in infancy. Mrs. Eddy is a member of the Cove Springs church. Mr. Eddy is a Democrat in politics, but has never sought or desired political preferment, giving his time and attention to his business interests, in which he is meeting with creditable suc- cess. He is a progressive and enterprising farmer, and a glance at his neat and thrifty place will indicate to the passer-by his care- ful supervision. AMLLIAM W. DA\'Y. William W. Davy is now devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits on section 19, Elizabeth township, but for many years he was connected with educational work, and his influence on behalf of intellectual prog- ress was most marked and beneficial. He GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 745 was born in Porter township. Delaware county, Ohio, on the i6th of May, 1839, and is a son of Elder D. and Elizabeth (Leath- erman) Davy, both natives of Tuscarawas county, this state. They were married May 31. 1832. The father, who was born May 4. 181 1, died September 7, 1895. Ihe grandfather, John Davy, was likewise born in Ohio, but the great-grandfather, who also bore the name of John, was a native of Wales, whence he crossed the Atlantic to America, taking up his residence in the Buck- eye state. The mother of our subject died in 1850, in Delaware county, and on the 17th of November, 1850, the father mar- ried Catherine Bostetter. with whom he re- moved to Elizabeth township, locating near Casstown. where he resided until his death, which occurred when he had attained the age of eighty-three years. His second wife passed away when about seventy years of age. By his first marriage he had five sons and five daughters, of whom seven are still living, and by his second marriage there were four sons, three of whom are living: J. A., a resident of Troy; Henry D., who is living in Staunton township; and E. S., a resident of Fletcher, Ohio. Of his first family there are but four surviving sons at the present time, namely: William W., of this review ; Dr. Jesse O. Davy, who for- merly practiced medicine in Miami county, and is now a successful practitioner of Springfield. Ohio; John L.. a farmer in Delaware county; and Ezra J., a farmer in Morrow county. The father engaged in farming, and was likewise a minister of the German Baptist church for about forty years. He was well known in connection with religious work, serving on a number of important committees, which caused fre- quent journeys into various states. He also did much evangelical work, and was known as elder or bishop. For many years he was connected with the annual conference as moderator, the assemblage being composed of delegates from all over the United States. In these important sessions all queries and imp(irtant questions are discussed, and the conference was formed of the most emi- nent and representative men of the denomi- nation, Mr. Davy continued in active church work until within a few years of his death, and was very prominent in his own denomination. His life was ever u]5right. and his memory remains as a blessed bene- diction to all who knew him. William W. Davy, whose name intro- duces this review, spent his boyhood days on the farm in Delaware county, and at the age of eighteen bought his time of his father in order that he might educate himself for the work of the scho'ol room. He attended a select school, and at the age of nineteen began teaching in Knox county. For more than thirty years he followed his chosen profession, and with the exception of three or four years was continuously a represent- ative of the school interests of Delaware, I\Iiami and Knox counties. In 1872 he came to Miami county to take charge of a school in Elizabeth township, near Alcony, and for some time thereafter engaged in teaching in Elizabeth and Monroe town- ships. About seven years since he retired from professional life, but for many years his influence will be felt upon the educa- tional interests of his native state. He has been an important factor in many teachers' associations, whereby intellectual activity has been increased. He believes that the common schools should afford superior edu- cational privileges, and should lay the foun- dation for a successful career; that teachers 746 GENEALOGICAL. AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of marked ability should be employed ; and that the standard of the schools should be \ery high. In 1888 he located upon his farm, and has since devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits, his land being un- der a very high state of cultivation. His farm comorises ninety-seven acres, pleas- antly located on the division line between Elizabeth and Bethel townships, and its highly cultivated fields bring to him a rich return for his labor. On the 29th of December, 1863, ^Mr. Davy wedded Miss Sarah J. Page, of Dela- ware county, Ohio, and their union has been blessed with five children : Edward Em- mer, who operates the home farm and in connection with his brother, Charles R., conducts a saw-mill and threshing machine, married Clara ]M. Yantis and has one child, William Edward; Ella Adelaide died at the age of eighteen years; Charles R. is as- sociated in business with his elder brother ; ]\Iary O. is the wife of Harrison Frantz, of Clark county, Ohio; and Grace died at the age of two years. William W. Davy, with his three broth- ers, served in the civil war, he and his brother. Dr. Jesse O. Davy, enlisting at the first call, while the other two joined the army three months later. Our subject enlisted in Company I, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infant- ry, at the first call, April 15, 1861, and served for eighteen months, being honorably discharged at Washington, D. C, Septem- ber 17, 1862, being disabled for further ser- vice. IMr. Davy votes with the Republican party and believes most firmly in its teach- ings and principles, yet has never been an office-seeker. He was reared in the faith of the German Baptist church, and fcjr many years has been one of its members. He is a man of marked intellectuality, and of strong force of character, never wavering in his support of what he believes to be right. His life work has been of wide- spread benefit, and while guiding the intel- lectual advancement of those who have come under his instructions, his own sterling character has always left its impress upon the lives of the young. CHARLES W. ROSEVELT. In all the industrial and professional walks of life success depends solely upon individual merit, ability being the key which unlocks the portals of prosperity. Men who advance on the highway of life are, therefore, the ones whose labors display more skill than others who devote their en- ergies to the same line of work, and the re- sponsible position W'hich Mr. Rose\elt now occupies is an indication of unflagging ef- fort, combined with talent. He is today serving as foreman of the paint department of the Troy Buggy Works, and his artistic ability has enabled him to occupy other im- portant places in connection with some of the most extensive industrial concerns of the state. A native of Alton, Illinois, ^Ir. Rose- velt was born April 20, 1850, and is a son of John Jason Rosevelt. The father was a native of New York city, and in early manhood removed to the Prairie state, where he engaged in contracting and building. During the Black Hawk war he served as a member of a cavalry corps. In 1854 his death occurred, and to the widow he left the care of their family of young children. Mrs. Rosevelt bore the maiden name of Mary \\'ood. She was born in Lynchburg, Vir- ginia, her father having been an extensive GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 747 planter of the Old Dominion. Mrs. Rose- velt had to cope with many difficulties and hardships in her attempt to establish a home and provide for her children in the new coun- try in which she was living. Her son, Charles W., was only four years old at the time of the father's death. He attended school to a limited extent between the ages of eight and eleven years, and his mother, seeing no opportunity to provide for him and fit him for tlie practical duties of life aside from ap])renticing him to a trade, bound him out to learn painting in a car- riage factory. He served for a term of five years, and after working hard through the day he attended a night school at the Wash- ington University, in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied the various English branches of learning, but paid special attention to paint- ing and drawing and throughout his life he has continued his studious habits. After re- moving to Cincinnati he spent one or two winters as a student in the McMicken Art School and two winters in the Mechanical Institute. As opportunity offered he also continued his studies, for two years, under the direction of Mr. Hammell, a celebrated animal painter of Cincinnati, and for two years was a student in R. T. Clark's studio and art school. His natural talent, com- bined with enthusiasm and industry, enabled him to make rapid progress and he became recognized as a first-class decorator. His apprenticeship to the carriage trade, at the age of eleven years, was with Theodore Sa- lorgne, of St. Louis, the Brewster of the west, and since that time he has worked for every leading carriage firm of Cincinnati. He painted landscapes for the Hall Safe Company and fruit and flowers for C. F. Manwold, of Cincinnati, manufacturer of wood mantels and grates. In i8q8 he came to Trov, as foreman of the painting and decorating department of the Troy Buggy Works Company, which in all its depart- ments secures the best skill to be had. Some of Mr. Rosevelt's heraldic work attracted such attention in 1876 that he received a tempting offer to go to London, England, and engage exclusively in such work, but his love for America and his appreciation of its privileges were so great that he resolved to remain in his native land. Air. Rosevelt is particularly liberal along all lines and especially on religious subjects. In manner he is unostentatious, and his ster- ling qualities commend him to the confidence of all with whom he comes in contact. Re- membering his own struggles in youth, he is always ready to encourage others and is a stanch champion of public institutions of learning, commending most highly the work accomplished bv the libraries, mechanical in- stitutions and art schools of the cities. Through every winter for many years he has devoted three nights each week to teach- ing art to any worthy and ambitious young men who desire to learn, and has never ac- cepted any compensation for his services aside from the gratification there has been in knowing that some of his students are now occupying commanding positions and have won wealth and honor. Mr. Rosevelt is certainly a credit to the well known New ■^'ork family. His great-uncle foimded the celebrated Rosevelt Hospital. Governor Theodore Roosevelt is also descended from the same ancestry, although his branch of the family has adopted a different mode of spelling the name. Mr. Rosevelt is now a member of the Knights of Pythias, is past dictator of Louis- ville Lodo-e, Xo. 2, K. of H., and is a valued member of the Masonic fraternity. He 748 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. takes very little interest in party politics and rarely ever votes. He inspires personal friendships of great streneth and has the happy faculty of drawing his friends closer to him as the years pass by. CHARLES M. PATTY. Charles M. Patty has for more than half a century been a witness to the continuous growth and development of Miami county and is to-day numbered among its represent- ative, practical and progressive farmers. He was born on the 21st of September, 1843, on the farm where William Davis now lives, on section 7, Monroe township, his father being Enoch Patty, whose birth occurred in Frederick, Monroe township, in 1814. The grandfather, Charles Patty, was born near Columbia, South Carolina, and was married there to Phebe Pearson. Subsequently he emigrated to Ohio, about 1806, making the journey with a one-horse wagon. He set- tled near West Milton and after a few years came to Monroe township, locating on the farm where Webster Fenner now resides. There he erected a log cabin and through a long period continued his residence in that locality. Later, however, he remo\-ed to Montgomery county and afterward went to Newton township, Miami county, where he died when about sixty years of age. Iti his family were nine children, five sons and four daughters. Enoch Patty, the father of the subject of this review, was reared and educated in this section of Ohio, and in early manhood mar- ried Rebecca Curtiss, by whom he had two children, William and Angeline, both now deceased. For his second wife Mr. Patty chose Catherine Kessler. and they became the parents of nine children, namely : Susan, wife of Aaron Thomas, of Monroe township; Charles M. ; John and Phebe, both deceased ; Rebecca, wife of William Davis, who is living on the old homestead ; Samuel and Libby, also deceased : and two who died in infancy. For two years Enoch Patty re- sided on the farm where his son Charles was born and erected there ^ log cabin. He afterward removed to Montgomery county, where he made his home for fourteen years, when, in 1859, he returned to the farm in Monroe township, there carrying on agri- cultural pursuits until his death, which oc- curred in 1880. He was at one time the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land, which he divided among his children ere called to his final rest. During the civil war he responded to his country's call for troops, enlisting on the 15th of August, 1862, in Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Infan- try, for three years. The first engagement in which he participated was Tait's Ferry, and later he participated in the battle of Perryville, where he was wounded. Ery- sipelas set in, antl thus being unfit for further duty he received an honorable discharge on account of disability in April, 1863, and at that time he held the rank of corporal. He was a Ifiyal and faithful soldier and at all times, whether in military service or in pri- vate life, he was true to the duties devohing upon him. He held membership in the Christian church, and his honorable, upright life won him the unqualified respect of his fellow men. Charles M. Patty was sixteen years of age when his father returned to Monroe township. He remained under the par- ental roof until bis marriage, which oc- curred on the 20th of August, 1863. In March, 1864, he came to his pres- ent home, where he has since lived - GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 749 with the exception of a period of seven years, when lie resided elsewhere in the township. He was liardly established upon his new farm when he went forth to aid in defending the city of Washington. He belonged to the state militia which enlisted in the United States service in May, 1864, at which time he became a member of Company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry. The regiment proceeded southward to pro- tect the capital city, and after one hundred days had passed he returned to Ohio. Mr. Patty then again took up his alxide on the home farm and has since carried on agri- cultural pursuits with good success. He owns seventy-three acres of land on section 10, Monroe township, and the various sub- stantial improvements upon the place stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He carries on genyal farming and his inde- fatigable efforts ha\e brought to him a com- fortable competence. On the 20th of .August, 1863, Mr. Patty was united in marriage to Miss Maria Long, a native- of Concord township, Miami county, and a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Corpman) Long. Her father was a native of Lel)anon county, Pennsylvania, and in his family were ten children, namely : Mary, wife of James F. McCool, of Darke county, Ohio; Mrs. Patty; Alartha, wife of John O, Kessler; Sally, v»ife of Dr. C. D. Speagh, of Dayton; George H., of Lima, Ohio; Charles W., a conductor on tlie Cleveland, Hocking & Deleware Railroad, making his home in Dayton; Susannah, deceased wife of Alfred Pearson; Elizabeth, deceased wife of John Hostetter ; .\manda, who married William Hill and has also passed away ; and LoUie, deceased wife of Job Stahl. Unto Mr. and 3.1rs. Patty were born four children, but three died in infancy, the sur- viving son being Arthur S., who is a grad- uate of Dayton Commercial School and is now engaged in teaching in the puljlic schools. In his political views jMr. Patty is a Republican, and socially he is connected with D. M. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., and Tippecanoe Lodge, No. 174, F. & A. M. He belongs to the Christian church and his life lias been in harmony with his profes- sions. Those sterling traits of character which everywhere command respect are strongly manifest in his career, and he is known throughout the community as a citi- zen of the highest respectability. GEORGE W. CARVER. George W. Carver was born September 20, 1852, on the farm now owned by his brother, Mordica Carver. His parents were Henry G. and Millie ( Knoop) Carver. The mother is still lixing in Troy, but the father died on the 15th of July. 1890. In the fam- ily were three sons and a daughter, namely : Mordica B. ; Winfield S., who died in 1876, at the age of twenty-six years ; George W. ; and ]\Iary B., wife of Lemuel Nysewander, of Troy. George W. Carver spent his boyhood days under the parental roof and learned the trade of a woolen manufacturer in the employ of Rudy Studebaker, who at that time owned the woolen mill. It had been originally a stillhouse and flouring mill, but was converted into a woolen mill and op- erated by the Studebakers for some years. During the civil war it burned down and ;\Ir. Studebaker failed in business. In 1870, however, it was rebuilt by E. Pearson and James Ouinter, sons-in-law of Mr. Stude- baker, who then took charge of it, operating 750 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. it through his son, Rudy. Later he sold it to H. G. Carver. The subject of this re- view learned the trade under the direction of Rudy Studebaker, entering upon his ap- prenticeship when twenty-three years of age. He was there employed for some time, the last two years of his connection with the mill being at the period when Samuel Hor- ner conducted it. It was afterward pur- chased by H. G. Carver, who placed our subject in charge, he entering upon that work in 1880, and successfully conducting it for eight years. After remaining idle for a year it was leased by J. H. Wild, who re- mained in charge for four years, when its career as a mill was ended. It has since been dismantled, the machinery sold and the building transformed into a barn. During the eight years in which Mr. Carver had control the enterprise was quite successfully conducted, and he extensively engaged in manufacturing woolens, blankets, yarns, cassimers and satinets, but at a later date the larger mills which were established in this section of the state crowded out the enterprise. George W. Car\er was the guardian of his father for about eight years, his father being stricken with paralysis, and conducted his extensive farming operations. At his father's death he was retired from this re- sponsibility. He now owns one hundred and forty-four acres of the old homestead, in- cluding the mill property and residence, which is under the control of a tenant, he ha\-ing practically retired from business life. He built his present residence on a part of the farm, and in his pleasant home he en- joys the fruits of his former toil. George W. Carver was married, April 9, 1885, to Julia Mock, a daughter of Sam- uel and Mary (Botkin) Mock, of Clark county, Ohio, where the daughter was born. She obtained her education in the public schools and afterward began teaching, fol- lowing that profession up to the time of her marriage. She is a member of the Chris- tian church and takes an active interest in the work and upbuilding of the organization at Cove Spring. Mr. Carver is a Republican in his political affiliations, and is a member of the Masonic lodge, of Troy, and the chapter, council and commandery at that place. He has been a member of the school board for several years, assessor one year, and in the spring of 1900 was elected one of the three trustees of Elizabeth township for a term of three years. His life has been one of activity and now, in the enjoyment of a well earned rest, he is living retired at his pleasant home in Elizabeth township. JAMES H. ESTEY. Among the honored veterans of the civil war is James H. Estey, who upon the battle fields of the south manifested his loyalty to the Union cause, valiantly aiding in the defense of the stars and stripes. As a citi- zen in days of peace, he is likewise true to all his duties, and manifests an active and public-spirited interest in every movement calculated to prove a public benefit. He was born in Lost Creek township, three miles north of Casstown, Miami county, on the nth of December, 1840, his parents being Michael and Mary (Swindler) Estey. The father was born in New Brunswick and when a child came to IMiami county with his parents, David and Anna (Knoop) Estey, who came direct from New Brunswick to this locality. The mother died when her son James was quite small, at which time the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 751 family were living in Shelby county. The father afterward removed to Indiana, later to California and is now living in Jasper county, Missouri. After his mother died the subject of this review spent two years with his uncle in Miami county and later resided with George Blaker in Lost Creek township, be- coming a member of Mr. Blaker's family when eight years old, antl there remaining until he had attained his majority. He had one brother and two sisters, the former being Silas V. Estey, who became a member of the Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try. On the second day of the battle of Chickamauga he was missing and was prob- ably killed. He was at that time in his twenty-fifth year. One of his sisters, Emily J., became the wife of Silas French, and after his death married A. D. Howard. Dur- ing her married life she resided in the west, her death occurring at Anoka, Minnesota, on the 1 6th of December, 1899. Aldazera, another sister, became the wife of Joseph French, brother of Silas French, and for a number of years they resided in Miami coun- ty, but are now living in Macon county, Missouri. After the mother died the children were scattered. James H. Estey remaining with Mr. Blaker, where he had a good home, receiving the educational advantages that the public school afforded. After the in- auguration of the civil war he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting September 2, 1861, in Company A, Forty- fourth Ohio Infantry. During the first year of his service his regiment was in West Vir- ginia in the Kanawha valley. Later the troops were sent to Kentucky and attached to the ami}' of the Ohio, operating in the eastern part of the state under General Burn- side. In January, 1863, after the siege of Knoxville, Mr. Estey re-enlisted in the Eighth Ohio Cavalry and returned home on a furlough. When his vacation time had expired he again went to West Virginia and participated in the Shenandoah valley campaign under Sheridan, the company be- ing engaged, much of the time on guard duty. Subsequently the command was sta- tioned at Beverly, West Virginia. Mr. Estey was four times wounded : a ball pierc- ing his thigh, caused him to remain in the hospital for more than a month and has occasioned him trouble ever since. At an- other time a bullet smashed a silver pencil case in his jwcket. His wounds were all sustained in the skirmishes while serving with the ca\-alry. \\'hile at Shafer moun- tain, Virginia, all the members of the com- pany, with the exception of the pickets, v/ere captured by guerrillas, but were soon released, except the captain and a few of the men. Mr. Estey entered the service as a private and was afterward promoted to the rank of first sergeant. The government now grants him a pension, for his wounds have in a measure disabled him for active duty in business life. After nearly four years of service he received an honorable discharge in July, 1865, returning to his home with a creditable military record. Mr. Estey afterward rented the farm of his employer, Mr. Blaker. and operated it until his marriage, which occurred on the 29th of April, 1869, Miss Debby Roe be- coming his wife. She was born March 20, 1852, in Brown township, and is a daughter of John S. and Mary (Wright) Roe. They went at once to Atlantic City, Idaho, and Mr. Estey spent one year in the quartz mines of that locality. He then engaged in garden- ins: and farming, after which he \-isited 752 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. various places in the west, remaining in that section of the country for six years, the last two years being spent in Kansas. He be- came discouraged with the conditions in that state, however, where the hot winds, the chinch bugs and the grasshoppers com- pletely destroyed their crops. Accordingly, in 1874, they returned to Ohio^ locating ten miles north of Sidney, Shelby county, where they remained four years, after which they again came to IMiami county. In 1884 Mr. Estey purchased his present farm in Eliza- beth township and now has seventy-two acres of rich land, which he cultivates, rais- ing both grain and tobacco. He has re- cently engaged in growing nursery stock and has about fi\e acres of land devoted to that purpose. He is very energetic and resolute in the prosecution of his business interests and his unflagging industry and capable management have brought to him a comfortable competence. Unto ]\Ir. and Mrs. Estey have been born a daughter, Elsie I\I., who is a grad- uate of the Tippecanoe high school, and was also at one time a student in the high school of Anoka, Minnesota. She is now the wife of William Fletcher Bohlender, who is as- sociated in the nursery business with his father, Peter Bohlender. Mr. Estey and his wife are members of the English Lutheran church at Tippecanoe City and are people of sterling worth, who enjoy the confidence and good will of a large circle of friends. He exercises his right of franchise m support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and is connected with Ranger Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City, whereby he maintains pleasant relationship with the boys in blue with whom he went to the front during the civil war. As a citizen he believes in advocating all measures for the public good, giving his support to whatever he believes will contribute to the material, so- cial and moral welfare of the community. JACOB SCHAFFER. Jacob Schaffer was born in Germany January 11. 183 J, and was reared to man- hood upon a farm. Determining to try his fortune in America, where he believed better opportunities were afforded young men than in the older countries of Europe, he bade adieu to home and friends in 1855, taking passage on a sailing \'essel, which, after a voyage of thirty-eight days, reached the har- bor of Xew York. He at once made his way westward, locating in Darke county. Ohio, where he was employed as a farm hand un- t'l 1865. He afterward worked at the brick- layer's trade for one year, and in 1869 he purchased the farm upon which he now lives. He first bought but ten acres, but has added to his place from time to time until he now owns a valuable tract of seventy- eight and a half acres, situated on section 12, Spring Creek township. He has made all the improvements upon his place, and the buildings stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He carries on general farm- ing and makes a specialty of the raising of tobacco, and by his well directed efforts b has won a place among the substantial citi- zens of his community. In 1865 Mr. Schaffer was united in mar- riage to Catherine ]\Iass, who was born in Strausburg, Germany, in 1842. Her father. Joseph Mass, came to America in 1851, crossing the Atlantic to Xew Orleans, whence he made his wa\' up the river to Cincinnati, Ohio. The voyage across the Atlantic had been made in a sailing vessel, which reached the harbor six weeks after GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 753 weighing anclior at tiie French port. After a few months spent in Cincinnati Mr. Mass came to Piqua, where he followed the car- penter's trade twelve years. He then pur- chased one hundred and fifteen acres of land in Shelby county and turned his attention to fanning. Fourteen children were born of the marriage of Mr. Schafifer and Cath- erine Mass, but eight of the number are now deceased. Those still living are i\Iary. Jacob, Annie, Lee. Willie and Benjamin. Jacob was married in 1898 and lives in Shelby county. Ohio. During the civil war ]\Ir. Schaffer man- ifested his loyalty to his adopted land by entering the country's service in September, 1 86 1, as a private in a regiment of Ohio light artillery. He joined Battery M and was mustered in at Camp Dennison for three years, participating in the engagements at Stone River, Chickamauga, those of the siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station. After the last named he returned to Atlanta, and at Camp Dennison he was honorably discharged on the 3d of Decem- ber, 1865. He was ever loyal to the old flag and the cause it represented, and is now a valued member of Foster's Command, U. V. U.. and the Grand Army Post at Piqua. At all times he has favored the movements and measures which have pro- moted the general good, and he is a con- sistent member of the Catholic church. GEORGE P. HOFFMAN. George P. Hoffman is engaged in sell- ing buggies and wagons at Pleasant Hill and is also interested in agricultural pur- suits in ^liami county. He was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, October 20, 1852, and there resided upon a farm until 44 fourteen years of age, when he came with his parents to America. The voyage across the Atlantic consumed three weeks, after which a landing was effected at New York, whence the family made their way to Spring- field, Ohio. In the fall of the same year, — 1867, — George P. Hoffman came to West Milton, where he began to learn the black- smith's trade under the direction of John Krickbaum. serving a three-years apprentice- ship. He remained with his employer al- together for eight years, and then came to Pleasant Hill, where he has since made his home. He purchased a shop and engaged in general blacksmithing until 1899, when he rented liis smithy. In 1890 he began deal- ing in all kinds of buggies and wagons and now carries a large line of vehicles, enjoy- ing a good trade. In addition he owns a farm of ninety-eight acres in Newton township and one of eighty acres in Union township, and the income derived therefrom adds materially to his capital. On the 17th of February, 1876, Mr. Hoffman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Krickbaum, daughter of Mr. Krick- baum. with whom Mr. Hoffman learned his trade. Two children have been born to them : Josephine, wife of Wihiam De Bray, a resident of Pleasant Hill, and Rodney Leroy, who assists . his father in business. Mr. Hoffman has filled the office of cor- poration treasurer and has been a member of the town council for six 3-ears. He has also served on the school board for several years and was one of the organizers and is now chief of the Pleasant Hill fire depart- ment. He takes an active and commendable interest in everything pertaining to the wel- fare of his town and county, withholding his support from no measure which he believes will prove of public good. His political 754 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. support is gi\-en tlie Democracy, and so- cially he has been connected with the Odd Fellows Society since attaining his majority, being now past grand of Pleasant Hill lodge He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and is a memljer of the Christian church. He started out in life for him- self a poor boy and has steadily worked his way upward, overcoming all difficulties and obstacles in his path by determined and earnest purpose. He has much energv', keen discrimination and resolute will, and these qualities ha\-e secured to him not only a comfortable competence, but have won him an enviable position as a substantial citizen of his conimunitv. SOLOMON JENNINGS, M. D. The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has been worthily achieved, who has acquired the highest rep- utation in his chosen calling by merit and whose social prominence is not less the re- sult of an irreproachable life than of rec- ognized natural gifts. Prominent as a citi- zen, esteemed as a friend and holding high- est rank among the medical fraternity of Miami county, Dr. Jennings certainly de- serves representation in this volume. He was born January i, 1834, in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and belongs to one of the old and honored pioneer families of this state. The Jennings family are of sturdy Eng- lish stock. The Doctor's grandfather, Gideon Jennings, came to America about the time of the opening of the Revolutionary war, and in the struggle with the British government for liberty he aided the colonists, participating in the famous battle of Brandy- wine and in numerous other engagements. He married Grace Day, and after a short residence in Rockingham county, \'irginia, they removed to Tuscarawas county, Ohio, where, by entry and purchase, the grand- father became the owner of a large tract of land at what is now New Philadelphia. He was the first settler of that locality, taking up his abode there when the country was a dense wilderness. The trees were mostly beech, and in order to raise any kind of a crop he was compelled to climb them and trim off the branches in order that the sun- shine might fall upon his growing grain. The Indians still lived in the neighborhood and numerous were the encounters Gideon Jennings had with them. His home was twenty miles from any habitation, but he soon l^ecame known as a famous hunter throughout that section of Ohio, and fish and game, captured by his rod and gun, plentifully supplied his larder. He cleared a good farm, where he made his home for many years, becoming one of the prosperous agriculturists of Tuscarawas county. He took an active part in the improx'cment and progress of the state and built one mile of the Ohio canal, which passed for that dis- tance across his farm. At a very early day he built the first gristmill in his section of the country, and ground meal for the neigh- bors in primitive style, for the mill con- sisted of a stone hollowed out and the corn was ground with mortars. Gideon Jennings became the father of nine children, namely : James, Aaron, William, John, Jonathan, Gideon, David, Mary and Druscilla. The father was one of the early Methodists of Ohio and his home was the headquarters for the early itinerant ministers of the de- nomination, who labored so zealously to spread the gospel throughout the west. After his children were grown he again moved into the wilderness, taking up his GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 755 abode in Allen county, Ohio. In 1832 he purcliased eleven hundred acres of land, three miles north of Lima, on Sugar creek, where he once more carved out a home in the midst of the forest. He gave each of his sons one hundred and sixty acres of land and his daughter, Druscilla, who mar- ried Silas Williams, received one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead. Mary married Benjamin Williams, a brother of Silas, and also received her just proportion of her father's property. Druscilla became the mother of Bishop Williams, of the Meth- odist church, who was present at the cjuad- rennial convention held in Omaha, Nebras- ka, in 1892. Gideon Jennings lived to the age of four score years, dying on his farm August 28, 1843. He played an important part in the early development of the state and well deserves mention in this history. David Jennings was his seventh son and was born near New Philadelphia, Ohio, July 13, 1 8 10. He pursued his education in the old leg school house which had been built on his father's farm, ind his teacher wore a buckskin suit. In 1831, in the neighborhood of his nativity, David Jennings married Elizabeth Laughlin, who was born February '12, 1814, in Allegheny county, Pennsyl- vania, a daughter of James Laughlin, a pio- neer farmer of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry who located in America in colonial days. By their union ten children were born, all of whom reached honorable manhood and womanhood, namely : Susannah, born Feb- ruary 18, 1832; Solomon; Abel, born April 13, 1836; James W., May 4, 1838; Isabel, March 4, 1840; Mary, June 27, 1842 ; Aaron, August 7, 1844; Druscilla, October 30, 1846; Samuel, November 22, 1849; ^^'^^ Charles W., January i, 1853. Of these Abel died in 18G8, Samuel in 1870, Charles W. in 1872 and Aaron in 1876. In 1833 David Jennings, the father, removed to Sugar creek, near Lima, Ohio, and there cleared a tract of land and developed a farm. Through the dense forest bear, deer and wolves roamed at will, and everything was wild and unimproved in this section of the state. For many years David Jennings re- sided upon his farm. In 1863 he removed to Williams county, Ohio, and purchased a farm near Bryan, on which he passed the remainder of his days. He lived to the age of sixty-six years, dying in Millersburg, In- diana, October 30, 1876, while visiting his son, James. His wife died on the home farm near Bryan September 30, 1866. Dr. Jennings remained upon the old homestead with his parents and pursued his elementary education in the common schools. He read medicine with Dr. Samuel Jenkins and Dr. Milton Booth, of West Cairo, Ohio, and attended lectures at the University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, being gradu- ated in that institution. Thus well qualified for his chosen calling he practiced in West Cairo for a short time and in 1863 came to West Milton, where for more than thirty- seven years he has been in continuous prac- tice. He rapidly worked his way upward un- til he occupied a commanding position in the medical fraternity and enjoyed a very lib- eral and lucrative patronage. In 1859 Dr. Jennings was united in mar- riage to Miss Helen C. Cratty, daughter of James B. Cratty, who is now eighty years of age and makes his home with the Doctor and his wife. Doctor and Mrs. Jennings have one child, Gainor, who for some years has been associated with his father in prac- tice. The Doctor was a Republican until 1896, when, on account of his views on the roO GEXEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. money question, he severed his connection witli the old party and became a free-silver man. He is an active and exemplary mem- ber of the Masonic lodge of West Milton. He and his wife are members of the Chris- tian church and are people of sterling worth, enjoying the high regard of their many friends in this community, The Doctor long since gained prestige as a representa- tive of the medical profession, and has ever maintained his high place in its ranks. He has taken post-graduate and special courses in Chicago and New York. He does an office practice, only going out on special oc- casions of consultation. He has made a spe- cialty of the treatment of diseases of women and of surgical practice. He has the latest electrical apparatus and a well appointed of- fice, splendidly equipped for doing all kinds of work. Long since he has left the rank? of the many to stand among the successful few and his prominence is well merited. Gainor Jennings, his son, was born in West Cairo, Allen county, Ohio, June 4, i860, and until about seventeen years of age he attended the common schools. He then pursued a three-years collegiate course, after which he spent one year as a student in the Baltimore College of Physicians and Sur- geons. He next entered the Cincinnati Col- lege of I^Iedicine and Surgery, where he con- tinued for one year, being graduated in 1883. Immediately afterward he returned to West Milton and joined his father in practice. He attends to all of the visiting practice, is surgeon for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, health officer and is a popular physician, whose genial manner and well known skill make his presence in the sick room very welcome. On the i8th of February, 18S5, Dr. Gainor Jennings married Miss Nellie Pear- son, a daughter of Alfred Pearson, of West Milton, and they now have two sons, Paxton and Ewing, aged, respectively, thirteen and nine years. The Doctor is a stanch Demo- crat, earnest in his ad\ocacy of the party and well informed on the issues of the day. He served as examining surgeon for the bureau of pensions under President CIe\-e- land for four years. Dr. Gainor Jennings is a member of the American Medical As- sociation, of the Ohio State and Miami County Medical Societies. He is a charter member of ^lilton Lodge. Xo. -,--, F. & A. ]M., of which he served as the first senior wanlen; also belongs to Coleman Com- mandery, Xo. 17. K. T:, of Troy, and to Antioch Temple of the ]ilystic Shrine, of Dayton. He is likewise a valued repre- sentative of the Knights of Pythias lodge, of Milton, and of Stillwater Lodge, Xo. 165, L O. O. F.. having been past district deputy grand master in each order. He and his wife hold membership in the Christian church, and are popular residents of the community in which thev make their home. CHARLES H. BRO\\X. Charles H. Brown was born in Pitts-" burg, Pennsyhania, on the 14th of Feb- ruar}-, 1866, and is a brother of Hon. Mc- Pherson Brown, in whose sketch, on an- other page of this work, api>ears the family history. He spent his boyhood days in his native city, and in the public schools ac- quired his education, pursuing his studies there until twelve years of age, wh.en he began to learn engraving, but he did not complete his course in that calling, turning his attention to other pursuits. He ac- cepted a clerkship in a retail grocery house, where he was employed for four years, after GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 757 \\liicli he spent two years in a wholesale grocery house, having charge of the pack- ing department for one year and during the second year was salesman in the city depart- ment. On the expiration of that period he aljandoned the grocery tirade and secured employment in the rolling mills, being at that time about twenty-three years of age. He was first employed as rollingman in a sheet mill, and, applying himself diligently to his work, he soon mastered both the prin- ciple and detail of the work in his depart- ment. In November, 1889, he came to Piqua, where he has since remained, ac- ti\ely associated with the iron manufactur- ing interests of this city. He began here as a roughman and for four years was em- ployed at the heating furnace. He was then made rollman — a work which commands higher wages than that of any other depart- ment of the rolling mill. He is an expert workman, competent and reliable, and en- joys the unqualified confidence and trust of his employers. On the 18th of August, 1887, Mr. Brown was united in marriage, in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, to Miss C, May Arbuckle, of Mercer county, and to them have been born two children, — Mamie Orr, whose birth oc- curred August 8, 1889, and Frank Arbuckle, born in July, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Brown ha\e a wide acquaintance in Piqua and are favorably known on account of their many excellent qualities. They are both active members of the Presbyterian church, tak- ing a leading part in its work. Mr. Brown has served as chorister in the church, Sun- day school and Young Men's Christian As- sociation, also as superintendent of the Sun- day school and is an active member of the Young Men's Christian Association. He votes wi^h the Republican party on questions of national importance, but at local elections regards only the fitness of the candidates to discharge the business duties connected with the conduct of municipal affairs. He is public spirited and progressive, a man at all times honorable and upright, and his co-operation is freely given to every move- ment ^\•hich he believes will prove of public lienefit to the city along educational, social, material and moral lines. JOHX REED. On the present site of the elevator in Pleasant Hill stood the little home in which occurred the birth of John Reed. He was born May 12, 1818, his parents being John and Elizabeth (Miller) Reed, both of whom were natives of A'irginia, whence they emi- grated westward to Ohio, making the jour- ney with a four-horse team. This was about the year 18 14. The father purchased a farm, where occurred the birth of our subject, be- coming owner of one hundred acres of land, which he bought from James and Robert Long. A few acres of the place had been cleared and upon it had been erected a log cabin containing one room with a puncheon floor. Mr. Reed afterward ]3urchased an- other farm of eighty acres in 1821. His death was occasioned by accident. He was struck by a falling limb and died a few- hours afterward. His wife survived for some time and passed away at the age of sixty-three years. In the family of this worthy couple were six children. Polly, who became the wife of Abraham Deeter and died at the age of sixty years: Betsey, who married Jacob Deeter ; Sally, who is the wife of John Deeter and is living in Syra- cuse, Indiana, at the age of eighty-seven years; Frederick, who died when twelve 758 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. years of age; John, of this review; and Car- oline, deceased wife of J. K. Teeter. After his father died, John Reed, of this review, went to Hve with Joshua Sowders, with whom he remained for two years. He then returned to his mother's home and after living with her for two years, spent some time in the liome of an elder sister. At the age of fourteen he hegan working as a farm hand for five and a half dollars per month and was thus employed for two years, when he began learning the carpenter's trade in Covington, serving an apprenticeship of about the same time. He was then married, remaining on the old home farm where he lived for two years and then purchased eighty acres of land in Xewton townshin. Soon one-cjuarter of the place had been cleared and a log cabin afforded shelter for the family. With characteristic energy Mr. Reed continued its cultivation and develop- ment and soon the well tilled fields showed how earnestly he applied himself to the work of clearing and cultivating his land. He fol- lowed farming with gi;iod success in that place until 1885, when he removed to his present home, which had previously been owned by his father. John Reed was married, in 1836, to Miss Katie Deeter, and by their marriage they became the parents of thirteen cliilrlren : Elizabeth, the widow nf Adam Urant; Will- iam ; Jacob, David and Xancy, these three being deceased; Christina, wife of Samuel Furlong; Malinda, wife of Tilman Furlong; Lucintla, wife of F'eter Xull : Frederick; and four who died in infancy. The mother of this family passed away in 1893, ^"^l i" ^'O" vember, 1894, Mr. Reed married Mrs. Eliza Moist, widow of George Moist and a daugh- ter of George Swank. She was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1827, and by her first husband she had four children : Aaron, "Moses, Isabella, deceased, and Emma. Mr. Reed is truly a self-made man, for at a very early age he was thrown upon his own resources and has since depended en- tirely upon his own efforts to secure a live- lihood. He was educated in the old-time subscription school, held in a log building, where greased j^aper was used for window panes. His advantages in that connection, however, as in all others, were very meager and it has been through his own efforts that he has become a well-informed man. His business abilitv has enabled him to accjuire a comfortable competence ami he now owns four acres of the old homestead, upon which he lives, and two farms, one of eighty acres and the other of one hundred and eight acres. His labors have been vigorously prosecuted and his life's record illustrates what can be accomplished by those who are not afraid cf hard work. In his political views he has always been a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Dunkard church. For eighty-two years he has resided in Mi- ami countv being one of its oldest native citizens and his life's history forms the con- necting link between the pioneer past and the prosperous present. HEXRY Y. RUSH. An able representative of the Chrisf'an cliurch. Rev. Henry Y. Rush has labored ef- fectively in the cause of Christianity. He is a man of ripe scholarship and marked ex- ecutive ability whose life has been conse- crated to the cause of the Master and to the uplifting of man. He has devoted himself without ceasing to the interests of humanity and to the furtherance of all good works. His reputation is not of restricted otder and I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 759 his power and influence in his holy office have been exerted in the spirit of deepest human sympathy and tender soHcitude. He ifi nut at the present time connected with any rehgious organization as its pastor, but is hving retired in West Milton, Miami county. Mr. Rush was born in Randolph county, •North Carolina, August 25, 1835. His fa- ther, Azel Rush, was also a native of Ran- dolph county and was a son of Benjamin Rush, whose birth occurred near Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. The great-grandfather was a native of England and became the founder of the family on American soil. Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, a cousin of the grandfather, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence. When a young man the grandfa- ther of Rev. Henry Y. Rush removed from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. A lame- ness prevented army service in the Revolu- tionary war, but he became an officer in the home guards. He was a planter and slave- holder, carr3nng on an extensive business in his adopted state. At one time he owned a large number of slaves and his landed posses- sions were also extensive. In politics he was an active Whig and was a member of the Methodist church, in the faith of which he died when about eighty yearsof age. His wife bore the maiden name of Dorcas Vickery and was born in North Carolina. She belonged to one of the old families of this country. One of their sons, Zebedee, was elected to the legislature by the Whig party of North Carolina and served for seven consecutive terms. The family was one of prominence in that state, exerting a wide influence in party affairs. When the trouble arose be- tween the two sections of the country nearly al! the representatives of tlie name became loyal adherents of the Union cause. Azel. Rush, the father of our subject, was reared in the state of his nativity upon the home plantation, and afterward became the owner of a large tract of land and sev- eral slaves. But about the vear 1834 he freed his negroes, ten in number, for he be- came convinced that slavery was wrong. He sent most of them to Wayne county, Indi- ana, and aided them in securing homes, but two of them would never leave him — a fact which indicates that he must have been a very kind and considerate master. In 1850 he sold his property in the south and removed t<5 Grant county, Indiana, where he pur- chased about five hundred acres of land, which he improved, transforming the tract irito a highly cultivated farm. He made his home there until his death, which oc- curred when he was eighty years of age. In early life he was a Whio-, and on the or- ganization of the Republican party ioined its ranks. His business affairs were crowned with a high degree of success and he became a well-to-do citizen. In early life he was an ardent memlier of the Methodist church, but later joined the Society of Friends on account of their opposition to slavery. He married Sarah Young, a native of Randolph county. North Carolina, where she was reared and educated. Her parents were Henry and Lizzie (Ritter) Young, both of whom were natives of Maryland, hut their parents were born in Germany. Mrs. Rush also held membership relations with the So- ciety of Friends. She became the mother of three children: Thomas E., a farmer of Jonesboro, Indiana; Henry Y. ; and Noah, who carried on agricultural pursuits near Fairmount, Indiana. In his eleventh year the subject of this review began a two-years apprenticeship in a printing office at Ashboro, North Carolina, 760 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the county seat of his native county. W'hen his term of service had ended he entered the Brooks Male Academy and continued as a student for two years. In iS^o he emi- grated with his parents to Grant county, In- diana, and after some months passed on a farm in that locahty he spent a year in the Friends high school at Back Creek, where he continued his education under the direction of Professor William Neil. Later he was a student in the Doan Academy at ]\Iarion, Indiana, and on leaving that school he en- gaged in teaching in select and day schools for a year. Subsequently he matriculated in Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio, which institution was then under the presi- dency of Horace Mann. After two years, however, he was compelled to leave tliere on account of failing health, caused by hard study and manual labor performed outside of school hours in order to meet his ex- penses. For nearly a year thereafter he de- voted his attention to teaching, in the mean- time preaching at different places as oppor- tunity offered. He had become imbued with a desire to enter the ministry and devote his life to the uulifting of his fellow men, and in 1854 he entered the Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, Theological Seminary, in which in- stitution he was graduated in the year 1857. On the 27th of April, 1858, Mr. Rush was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Kepper, daughter of John and Lucinda Kep- per, and about the same time began pastoral work at the Cove Springs Christian church, also having charge of adjacent churches in Clark and Champaign counties. In July, 1862. prompted by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Rush aided in raising a large part of Company E, of the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment of Ohio Infantry, and was commissioned first lieutenant bv Governor I'od, but the hard services of marches, scout- ing and battles so seriously aft'ected his health that he was honorably discharged in October, 1864. Returning from the army he soon resumed the work of the ministry. In 1865 he was elected to the editorship of the Herald of Gospel Liberty, a religious paper published in Dayton, Ohio. He held that position for thirteen years, and on the exoiration of that period was called to the pastorate of the Franklin Christian cliurch, in Warren county, Ohio, where he remained for ten years. Resienin^ the charge at that place, he then removed to West Milton, \>here he has since made his home. For a number of years he was pastor of the church at this place and afterward of adjoining churches, all prospering and maintaining good audiences and growing interest under his ministry. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rush has been liorn a daugliter, Et^e May. She was graduated with honor in the Glendale Female College, at Glendale, Ohio, in her eighteenth vear, and while her parents resided in Franklin she was married to Daniel H. Pfontz, of Dayton, Ohio, a member of the present law firm of Pfontz & Hartranft. Both Rev. Rush and his wife ha\'e exerted strong influence for good in every community with which they have been connected, their eft'orts being effective in social, intellectual and moral cir- cles. Tlieir home is the center of a cultured society circle, and their circle of friends is almost co-extensive with that of their ac- quaintance. Rev. Rush belongs to the Ma- sonic lodge of West Milton, and to Cole- man Commandery of Troy, and is a member of the Grand Army post. His is that prac- tical appreciation of the affairs of life that lends greater potency to his ministerial la- bors, while as a pulpit orator he is logical. 1 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 761 convincing and eloquent, appealing not alone to the emotional side of human nature, but to the most mature jutlgment and most crit- ical wisdom. His strength as an organizer and practical worker is evidenced sufficiently ill his accomplishments, and the Christian religion has an able and dexoted supporter and advocate in the honored subject of this sketch. GEORGE MUMFORD. Proniinently iilentified with the agricult- ural interests of Miami county, George Mumford is a representative of one of the pioneer families of this section of the state. His father, George Mumford, was born in Maryland, February i6, 1812, and died on the old homestead farm in Elizabeth town- ship, this county, September 25, 1882, having reached the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten. His parents were John and Hannah Mumford, the former a native of England and the latter of Maryland. John Mumford died in Maryland, but his wife spent her last days in Ohio, attaining the very advanced age of one hundred and five years. In their family were fourteen children, those \vho came to Miami county being: Richard, who died in Shelby county, Ohio; John, the father of William R. Mumford, of Alcony; William, who spent his last days in Miami county, leaving a son, John, who yet resides in this section of the state; George, of this review ; Elizabeth, wife of Preston Moore, who resides in Elizabeth township ; Miranda, wife of Michael Cramer, who resides near Alcony; and Hannah, who married Jacob Dick and died at Miami Citv. All of that generation have now passed away, George Mumford, the father of our subject, havingr been the last survivor of the family. From Maryland the family came to the Buckeye state, and after one year spent in Muskingum county, George Mumford, Sr., returned to Maryland, where he was mar- ried, August 6, 1835, to Ruth Ann Martin, daughter of Isaac and Ruth Ann Martin. They began their domestic life in Musking- um county, and about 1845 located in Pike township, Clark county, where they remained until 1854. In that year they settled on the farm where their son, George, is now living. The land was covered with a heavy growth of timber and the father cleared the greater part of it himself, thus becoming the owner of one hundred and forty acres, constitut- ing one of the valuable farming properties of the neighborhood. He also purchased two adjoining farms, his landed possessions thereby aggregating four hundred and six- teen acres. He operated the entire amount himself and did an extensive business, being one of the practical and progressive agricul- turists of the communit}'. He managed the property until his demise, although two years before his death he had a leg broken and was therefore obliged to ride over his farm in a buggy. The immedi- ate cause of his death, however, was tvphoid fever. He left a valuable prooerty to be disposed of through his will. His wife died June 8, 1888. She was a member of the Lutheran church, and like her husband enjoyed the warm regard of many friends. In politics Mr. Mumford was a Whig until the dissolution of the party, when he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. He took an acti\-e interest in the substantial im- provements of the county, and was largely instrumental in building free pikes in this section of the state. For eighteen years, or up to the time he was disabled by the acci- dent, he served as a school trustee, and the 76-2 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. cause of education found in him a warm friend. Unto Air. and Airs. Alumford were born ten children, two of whom died in early life. Those who survive are : Martha Josephine, wife of John Huggins, of Indiana; Eliza- beth, wife of John Harod, who is living near Troy, Ohio: Wilbur Harrison; Isaac; Maria M., wife of J. T. Hermann, of Elizabeth township; George; Melissa, wife of George Jackson, of Tippecanoe City; and Clara Belle, wife of John Rockey. of Lost Creek township. The three sons remained at home until their marriage, after which Harrison and Isaac located on farms owned by their father. George, however, remained with his father until his death and is now operating the old homestead. In the schools of the neighborhood George Mumford, Jr., received his education and early learned lessons of industry and en- terprise under the direction of his father. He assisted in the work of the field and meadow throughout his minority and con- tinued on the old homestead, which he in- herited at the time of his father's death. Ele is now accounted one of the leading ag- riculturists of the community, his methods being systematic and commendable. The well tilled fields yield to him a golden tribute in return for his labors and the improve- ments upon the place indicate his care and supervision. For ten years he has served as school director and has labored most earn- estly and effectively in securing good teach- ers and upholding the high standard of edu- cation in the township. On the 23d of December, 1883. Mr. Mumford was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen Boswell, daughter of George and Luvina (Taylor) Boswell. Her father was a native of Maryland and her mother of Logan county, Ohio, her parents moving to Indiana, whence she returned to Ohio at the age of fourteen years, living with an aunt, Luvina Goodwin, in Elizabeth town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Boswell were married in Miami county and are now residing near Alcony. Mrs. Mumford, the eldest of their seven children, was born in Elizabeth tmvn- ship, April 21, 1855, and by her marriage she has become the mother of four children : Blanche, Xora, \"ernon Dale and Ruth. Airs. Mumford is a member of the Method- ist church. Air. Alumford is a stalwart Republican in his political views and often attends the local conventions of his party. His life has been quietly passed, in the faith- ful performance of each day's duty, and he possesses those sterling traits of character which ever command respect and are at all times worthy of emulation. VICTOR E. CAAIPBELL. Victor E. Campbell is the proprietor of an elevator and grain warehouse at West Al'ilton and handles much of the grain' shipped from this section of the county. He is widely known as a progressive and repre- sentative business man, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present to our read- ers his life record, which began in Johns\-ille, Alontgomery county, Ohio, on the 25th of August. 1873, when he first opened his eyes to the light of day. His father, Jesse K. Campbell, was a son of John G. and Alar- garet (Ware) Campbell, and was a native of Atontgomery county, his birth having oc- curred near Pyrmont, on the 8th of Alarch, 1836. On the old homestead farm the days of his boyhood and youth were passed and in the public schools he acquired his ele- mentary education. W'hen about twenty- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 7t5S five years of age he began teacliing, follow- ing that profession for two years in both Trotwood and Eaton, Ohio. Subsequently he was traveling salesman for a grocerv firm for two years and then engaged in the grocery business in Liberty, Ohio, for a similar period. On the 29th of May, 1864, he was married and removed to a farm near Johnsville, Ohio, and spent the summer months in the fields, while in the winter sea- son he engaged in teaching school for seven years. In 1879 he removed to West Milton, where, in connection with his brother John, he built an elevator, carrving on business as a grain merchant until his death, which oc- curred February 10, 1899, when he was sixty-two years, eleven months and five days old. He also owned and operated an ele- vator at Lewisburg and in partnership with his son, Victor E., owned an elevator at Kessler Station. Prosperity attended his business pursuits, which were prosecuted along well defined lines of l.abor, and in addi- tion to his grain business he was owner of a valuable farm in Union township of sixty acres, one in Preble county, of one hundred and six acres, one in Darke county of eighty acres, and his elevators and home residence in West Milton. All that he possessed was acquired through his own efforts, and to his capable management and keen discrimina- tion his success was attributable. He voted with the Republican party, but never sought or desired office. In earl}' life he was an active member of the United Brethren church, but after his removal to West Milton, as there was no organization of that denom- ination here, he attended the services of the Society of Friends. He was a teacher in the Sunday school, having charge of the old people's Bible class for fifteen years. Ever active in church work, he did all in his power to promote the cause of Christianity among his fellow men, and gave one-tenth of his earnings to church and charitable work. He wedded Mary A. Hutchinson, who was born near Troy, Miami county, and when fifteen years of age went with her parents to Dayton, where she was married at the age of twenty-three years. She, too, was a member of the United Brethren church and reared her family in that faith. She be- came the mother of seven children, all of whom are yet living, namely: Jennie V., wife of Charles T. Pierce, of Lewisburg, Ihio; Lola Belle; Victor E. ; Celia, who has attended college at Valparaiso, Indiana ; Margaret, who is a student in a medical col- lege at Indianapolis, Indiana: John G., who is pursuing his education in the high school at West Milton: and Jessie Gaynell, who is living with her eldest sister in Lewisburg. Victor E. Campbell was only six years old when he came with his parents to West Milton, where his boyhood days were passed. He obtained his literary education in the schools here and afterward pursued a com- mercial course in the school conducted by A. D. Welt, of Dayton, Ohio. At the age of nineteen years he entered the employ of a proprietor of an elevator at West Milton, in whose service he continued for three years, when he entered into partnership with his father, owning a half interest in the busi- ness. They carried on operations here for four years, at the end of which time they each purchased a third interest in an elevator at Kessler, and the firm of Campliell, Younce & Campbell was formed. They still retain tl.eir interest in that enterprise, but Mr. Campbell, of this review, continues to make his home in West Milton and is active in the management of the grain business at this place. 764 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. On the 23d of Xovember. 1893. was celebrated his marriage to Miss Mattie B. Tliompson, of Union township, Miami county, a daughter of \\'esley Thompson. Their home is blessed with the presence of two daughters : Gladys, who was born June 21, 1894; and a baby, born May 2, 1900. Mr. Campbell votes with the Republican party on questions of national importance, but at local elections, where no issue is in- volved, he is independent in politics. So- cially he is connected with Stillman Lodge, No. 165, I. O. O. F., of Milton, and attends the Friends church. His mother died May 15, 1899, surviving her husband only three months. Both passed away at the eighth hour of the day. At the request of the fa- ther the property has never been divided and is managed by our subject and his brother- in-law. Mr. Campbell is widely recognized a? a leading young business man of the town, energetic, capable and resolute, and in the control of his interests he has added to the success which has long attended the conduct of the grain business in W^est Milton. GEORGE W. SPEELMAN. George \\'. Speelman, a representative cf the industrial, interests of Covington, was born in Rising Sun, Indiana, September 10, 1842. His father, John Speelman, a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, was born in 18 12 and was of German lineage. In 1837 he removed to Indiana with his wife and family, making the journey 1:)y wagon. In 1 85 1 he became a resident of J^Iiami coun- ty, Ohio, here spending his remaining days, his death occurring near Piqua, about 18S9. ]\Irs. Speelman bore the maiden name of Margaret Morgan and was born in \\'est- moreland county, in 181 1, her parents being John and [Margaret Morgan. Her paternal grandfather was a native of the north of Ireland and became the founder of the fam- ily in America. Mrs. Speelman. surviving her husband several years, died April 9, 1896. In the town of his nativity George W. Speelman spent the first seven years of his life and then accompanied his parents on their removal to \'ersailles, Darke county, Ohio, where they remained two years, and in 1 85 1 came to Washington township, Miami county. He was first employed as a farm hand, entering upon his business career in that capacity, after acquiring a good education in the public schools and in the Kerr school in IVoy. After the inauguration of hostilities between the north and the south he respond- ed to his country's call for troops, enlisting for three years, on the 7th of July, 1 861, as a member of Company I, First Ohio Cavalry, under the command of Captain S. C. Rieter and Colonel O. P. Ransom. The first en- gagement in which he participated was on the 30th of May, 1862, and it is what is known in history as the evacuation of Cor- inth. Later he took part in the battles of Blackland. Stone River, Chattanooga, Chick- amauga, Atlanta, Lovejoy Station, Golds- boro, Nashville, the Wilson raid and Jones- boro. He was also in many skirmishes, and although wounded many times he spent only four days in the hospital He was wound- ed in the right foot near Corinth, his right thigh was pierced by a musket ball at Decatur, Alabama, and he received two other bullet wounds in almost the same place on the same day. Mr. Speelman was taken prisoner there and was incarcerated in different prisons in Mississippi, after which he was sent to Mo- bile, Alabama, and later to Vicksburg, where he was exchanged. Rejoining his regiment in GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 765 October, 1863, lie veteranized with his com- mand on the 4th of January, 1864. at Pulas- ki, Tennessee, and was given the rank and pay of sergeant. Wlien the war was over he re- ceived an lionorable discharge at Columbus, November zj, 1865. and with a most credit- able military record returned to his home at Piqua. There Mr. Speelman engaged in carpen- tering for four years, after which he re- moved to Covington and learned the black- smith's trade, which he has since followed. He conducts one of the leading shops in the city and enjoys a liberal patronage, which is accorded him by reason of his capable work- manship and his honesty in all business trans- actions. Mr. Speelman was married in Piqua, on the 1 8th of February, 1864, to Miss Eliza- beth Kiger, of that citv, who died April 9, 1899, leaving two children: Altitia, wife of John Rike, and William A., of Chicago. Mr. Speelman is a valued member of Langston Post, G. A. R., and served for one term as vice commander. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, both of the subordinate lodge and the encamp- ment. His life has been quietly and unos- tentatiously passed, but his career has ever been characterized by fidelity to duty, whether on the fields of battle or in the peace- ful pursuits of c'wW life. DAVID M. COATE. A retired farmer and merchant of \\'est Milton, years of activity in business well en- title Mr. Coate to the rest which he is now enjoying. His has been an honorable and useful business career, and the comforts which he is now enjiiying are the reward of well-directed labor. He has a wide ac- <;uaintance throughout Miami, his native county, his birth having occurred in Union township, on the 9th of July, 1823. His fa- ther, Henry Coate, was born in South Caro- lina, and in that state was rearetl and edu- cated. He became a sickle-maker and black- smith, following the dual pursuit for a nutn- ber of years. In 1803 he came to Miami county, Ohio, settling by Ludlow creek, w here he conducted a smithy for a time, but through fear of the Indians the fan.iily wished to reside elsewhere and he ren.io\'ed to Waynesville, Warren county, where he lived for ten or twelve years. He then re- turned to his farm in Union township, and carried on agricultural pursuits in connection with blacksmithing until his death, which occurred in 1848. when he was seventy-eight years of age. He was a very industrious aiid energetic man, who W(in success in his Ijusiness ventures and was at one time the ownerof two thousand acres of land. All that h& had he acquired through his own labors, and his prosperity stood in exemplification of what may be accomplished through de- termined purpose, when guided by sound judgment. In his political affiliations he v.-as a Whig and in his religious belief was a Quaker. His father, Marmaduke Coate, the fourth, was probably a native of England, or may have been born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the arrival of the family in the Keystone state. He, too, was a member of the Society of Friends. He wedded Mary Coppic, a nati\'e of South Carolina. On the maternal side our subject also represents an old Pennsylvania family. His mother, who liefore her marriage was Rebecca Wilson, was born in the Keystone state and was married at Waynesville, Ohio, to Henry Coate. She, too, was a member of the So- 76G GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ciety of Friends and died at the age of thir- t_\--fi\-e years. David M. Coate, of this review, was only lour years old at that time. He remained with his father on the home farm until he was married and went to a home of his own. It was in 1843 that this important event in his life occurred, at which time he took up his abode upon a farm one mile west of West Milton. The place was a tract of wild tim- ber land, which his father had entered from the government, at a dollar and a quarter j)er acre. This Mr. Coate cleared and improved, continuing its cultivation until 1865, when he removed to Kokomo, Indiana, where he was engaged in merchandising for a few m.onths. He then disposed of his interests there and purchased the store of Mr. Ran- cialj, in West Milton, being numbered among the enterprising merchants of this place un- til 1872, when he sold in order to enter upon the duties of county commissioner, to which office he had been elected. In all his busi- ness undertakings he had prospered, ha\-ing that determined and enterprising spirit which enabled him to carry forward to suc- cessful completion whatever he undertook. He added to his farm from time to time until he now owns two hundred and seventy acres of valuable land, all under a high state of cultivation. On the 20th of September, 1843, Mr. Coate was united in marriage to Miss Mary Teague, of Newton township, Miami coun- ty, who died October 2, 1894, in the faith of the Society of Friends, of which she was a consistent member. They had two chil- dren: John, a resident of West Milton, and Orrin, who is engaged in merchandising in this place. Mr. Coate is also a member of the Society of Friends, and his upright life has ever been consistent with his professions. In politics he has taken a deep and active interest, voting the Republican ticket and warmly advocating the principles of the party. He served as county commissioner for four j^ears, was a member of the council of West Milton for a number of years and for some time served on the district school board, discharging his duties in a very prompt and commendable manner. His business affairs were ever energetically prose- cuted, and all that he possesses has been ac- quired through his own efforts, having had no assistance save that his father gave him a tract of timber land. Work is the key- note of his prosperity, and it is the open sesame to success to all who care to use it. THEODORE G. TORLINA. One of the most extensive and successful enterprises of Aliami county is the Troy Buggy Works, and at the head of its vari- ous departments are men of marked skill and ability, whose trustworthiness is a matter of record. Among this number is Mr. Tor- lina, who is superintendent of the black- smithing department. A native of Cincin- nati, Ohio, he was born December 2j, 1856, unto George and Dorothy Torlina. His parents were natives of Germany, but during childhood came with their respective fam- ilies to the new world, taking up their abode in Indiana. On leaving the Hoosier state the father located in Cincinnati, where he learned the druggist's trade, being employed in a wholesale house of that city. The subject of this review pursued his education in the public schools of Cincin- nati and, on putting aside his text books, prepared for an active business career by learning the blacksmith's trade. He applied himself diligently to the mastery of his cho- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 767 sen vocation and for ten 3^ears was foreman of the Favorite Carriage Company of Cin- cinnati. In 1894 he came to Troy and has since been superintendent of the l^Iacksmith- ing department of the Troy Buggy Works. The product of this extensive enterprise ranks very high in the country and also in foreign lands and includes every style of carriage and buggy known in the market. A specialty is made of pony carts. No workman is more familiar with the duties of his department or better equipped for their discharge than Air. Torlina, a fact which is attested by his long connection with the Troy -Buggy Works Company and with his old company in Cin- cinnati. He possesses superior mechanical genius and skill and his own thorough and practical knowledge of the business enables him to capably direct the labors of the men under him. He has the entire confidence of his employers and has exclusive charge of the work done in his department. Mr. Torlina was married in Cincinnati, in 1880, to Miss Mary Griffin, daughter of Michael Griffin, of Boston, Massachusetts. They occupy a pleasant home on East Main street and have two children : George J. and Dorthea S. A good library attests the literary taste of the members of the house- hold and indicates their appreciation of in- tellectual advancement. The family are members of the Catholic church, of Troy, and enjoy the warm regard of those with whom thev have been brought in contact. JOHN G. SENOUR, M. D. A native of Troy, Ohio, Dr. Senour was born on the 4th of July, 1855, ''•'^ parents being William and Clara Maria (Gahagan) Senour. The father was a native of Ken- tucky and by occupation was a silversmith. In 1853 he came to Troy, his death occurring in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1880. The Doctor's mother was born in Troy and still resides in that city. Under the parental roof Dr. Senour spent his boyhood days and in the public schools acquired his preliminary education. In 1873 li^ entered upon his business career as an employee in the drug store of Dr. Horace Coleman, with whom he remained for two years. Later he spent one year with the firm of McKinney & Company, also druggists, and in the latter part of 1875 he began the study of medicine in the of- fice and under the direction of Dr. J. H. Green, of Troy. Having secured a good fundamental knowledge of the principles of medicine, he afterward pursued a course of lectures in the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and in 1878 was graduated in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, of New York city. Immediately returning to his native town he opened an office on the 1 8th of April of that year, and has since been a member of the medical profession in Troy, where he has gradually worked his way upward until he now occupies a com- manding" position in the front ranks of the medical fraternity. He has ever been a close and thorough student of his profession and his knowledge is comprehensive and exact. His efforts have been blessed with success, his skill and ability winning him a liberal patronage. On the nth of December, 1878, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Sadie L. Ross, a daughter of J. W. Ross, who died in 1877. They now have two inter- esting children, Lillie M. and Laura B. The Doctor is very fond of a good horse and has been the owner of some fine specimens of 768 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. the noljle steed. In politics he is a Democrat and on that ticket lie was elected coroner of Miami county in 1884, filling the position for two years. Socially he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In all life's relations he has commanded the confidence and esteem of his fellow men, and as a representative citizen of Troy he well deserves mention. THEODORE J. ZELLER. Among the citizens that the Keystone state has furnished to Ohio is numbered Theodore J. Zeller. who now follows farm- ing in Union township. Miami county. His Ijirth occurred in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, on the 26th of August, 1832, and he is of German lineage, the family having been established in America by his grand- father, who came to the new world from Germany. His parents were Henry and Maria (Miller) Zeller, both natives of Penn- sylvania, the former born February 15. 1805, the latter on the 10th of October, 1808. Reared to manhood in his native state, Henry Zeller there learned the saddler's and paint- er's trades, following those pursuits in Penn- sylvania until 1850, when he took up his abode in Clark county, Ohio, near Medway, where he worked at his trade until about 1852, when he came to Miami county and for several years conducted a general mer- cantile establishment in Laura. He won a liberal patronage and derived from his busi- ness a good income. All that he had was the result of his labors and he justly won the title of a self-made man. In politics he was a Republican and religiously was con- nected with the Christian church. He was married, on Christmas day of 1827, to Miss ]ilaria Miller, and they became the parents of ten children, three of whom are now de- ceased. The father died at the age of sev- enty-five years and the mother, who held membership in the Lutheran church, passed away on the 23d of October, 1872. Theodore J. Zeller followed plastering until his health failed in 1S75. He was employed as a farm hand in Pennsyh-ania until the spring of 1850, when he came with his parents to Ohio. Five years later, in 1855, he was married and in the autumn of that 3'ear he came to Laura, where he fol- lowed the plasterer's trade for seven or eight years. In the spring of 1864 he went to West Milton, where he followed plastering until 1875, '^'icl then invested the capital he had acquired in a farm of seventy-two acres in Union township, on which he has since made his home. He now rents his farm to his son-in-law, Horatio Elleman. Mr. Zeller wedded Miss Susan Brosev, of Clark county, Ohio, and unto them were born six children : Orres A. and Clara Amanda, both deceased: Elizal)eth. wife of Horatio Elleman; Effie K.. Walter K. and Harry B., at home. The parents hold mem- bership in the Christian church and are l>eople of sterling worth in the community, enjoying the warm regartl of all with whom they have been brought in contact. ]vlr. Zeller is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the spring of 1864 he manifested his loyalty as a citizen of the republic Iiy responding to the call for men to serve one hundred days. He joined Com- pany D, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry, and went to the defense of Washington. He participated in the battle of Fort Stephen, and on the expiration of his term was honorably discharged. All who know him esteem him for his fidelity to principle. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 769 LEWIS S. HOOVER, M. D. Engaged in the practice of medicine in Laura, Dr. Hoover has secured a large and distinctively representative patronage. He was horn in Frankhn county, this state, in Grove City, Septemher 12, 1848, and be- longs to a family that since early pioneer clays has been connected with the develop- ment and progress of Ohio. His great- grandfather, John Hoover, was probably a nati\e of Germany, and on leaving that country crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He served in the Re\'nlutionary war under General Washing- ton and was afterward granted a pension in recognition of the aid whicli he rendered in establishing the American republic. Li 1806 he came with his family to Ohio, where he followed farming and made his home until his death, hving to be one hundred years of age. He could not read or sijeak English, but was very successful in his busi- ness affairs. The grandfather of our suli- ject, George Hoover, was born in Kentucky and came to the Buckeye state with his father when eleven years of age, the year of their arrival being 1806. A settlement was made near Grove City, Franklin county, and there amid the wild scenes of frontier life George Hoover was reared to manhood. He hunted deer where the city of Columbus now stands and witnessed the marvelous transforma- tion which occurred in the pioneer epoch of Ohio's history. He followed farming with creditable success and lived to the age of seventy-five years. George W. Hoover, the Doctor's father, was a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and has spent his entire life on the farm where he is now- living, at the age of seventy-five 45 years. He, too, has won success in liis busi- ness affairs and now is living retired, renting his land. His political support is given the Democracy. He wedded Nancy Smith, a native of Ohio, who in early life lived in various parts of the state, her father mak- ing many removals from place to place. Her grandfather, Jonas Smith, is buried near Columbus, where at one time he owned a large tract of land. Her father, Silas Smith, was a shoemaker, but later in life read medi- cine and engaged in practice .for a number of years prior to his death. Mrs. Hoover became the mother of twelve children, of whom the Doctor is the eldest, and died at the age of sixty-two years. Dr. Hoover, of this review, spent his boyhood days under the parental roof and in the common schools of the neighborhood accjuired his education. He continued his studies until eighteen years of age in the district schools and then began work as a farm hand by the month in order to obtain the money necessary to permit him to pur- sue a two-years academic course. He spent one 3'ear as a student in the normal school at Lebanon and afterward engaged in teach- ing. When about twenty-two years of age he took up the study of medicine, and pur- sued his reading and investigation along that line while devoting -his energies through the day time to teaching. His studies were directed by Joseph Bulen, of Grove City, and later he was for one term a student in the Miami Medical College, of Cincinnati. Subsequently he studied in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, and was graduated at the Starling Metlical College, of Columbus, in the class of 1874. Im- mediately afterward he began practice in Grove City, where he remaineil for eighteen years, w'hen, in 1892, he came to Laura, 770 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. where he has been in practice continuously since. On the 24th of December. 1874, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Sibray, a native of Grove City. She died in 1 89 1, leaving a daughter, Fay. now the wife of L. M. Jones, of Laura. The Doc- tor afterward married Mrs. Ella Grant, of Grove City, and they now have one child, Lucile, who is four years of age. Dr. Hoover is a conservative Democrat and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, but has never sought or desired political office. Socially he is a member of Laura Lodge. No. 594. K. P., which he joined on its organization, and in his life exemplifies the beneficent principles of the order. The greater part of his time and attention, however, are given to his profes- sional duties, and he keeps in touch with the progress that has been made by the medi- cal fraternity. He holds membership in the Miami Medical Society and the American Medical Association. His interest in his profession and his fellow men is deep and sincere, and thus he has attained an enviable standing in medical circles. FRANK E. CAMPBELL. Perseverance is a potent feature in at- taining prosperity. It has opened the jwr- tals of success to many worthy men. The subject to whose life history we now direct attention has. by ceaseless toil and endeavor, attained a marked success in business affairs, has gained the respect and confidence of men and is recognized as one of the distinctively representati\e citizens of Piqua. where he has l^een conducting a furniture and under- taking business for fourteen years. He was born in Lockington, Shelby coun- ty. Ohio, on the iSth of January, 1859. The family was early established in Pennsylvania, and the grandfather of our subject removed from the Keystone state to Shelby county during its pioneer epoch. Robert R. Camp- bell, the father of our subject, was a native of Shelby county, and having arrived at years of maturity he wedded Sarah J. Mel- linger, a daughter of Squire William Mel- linger, who, with three brothers, came from Pennsylvania, taking up their abode in Lockington, where he became very widely known. When the Miami canal was built at that place Lockington was a very im- portant town, and Squire Mellinger was called upon to settle all disputes arising among the mixed population during those early days. His rulings were so fair and impartial that he won the confidence of all and was held in high esteem. He was there- fore a man of great influence not only among the white people, but also among the Indians who relied upon his judgment, knowing that they would recei\'e even-Iianded justice. For many years he continued to fill the office of justice of the peace, and at the advanced age of eighty years his long and useful career was ended. His wife passed away at the age of seventy-six. One of their sons is now living on the old homestead in Shelby county. Frank Edwin Campbell, whose name in- troduces this review, came to Piqua when seven years of age, his father having lo- cated here, where he became a contractor and builder. After many years of active connection with industrial interests he re- tired to private life, at the age of seventy years, and with his wife, who is now se\'enty- one years of age. he is still living in Piqua, an honored and respected resident of the city. He served for two terms in the city council. L'nder the parental roof the sub- < GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 771 ject of this review was reared and in the high school of Piqua he completed his edu- cation. On putting aside his text books he learned the cabinetmaker's trade, and stead- ily working his way upward became fore- man of a factory. He also attended Clark's Embalming School, at Springfield, Ohio, becoming thoroughly proficient in that line. His business has steadily increased and his patrons are now found throughout the coun- ty. He carries a very large and well se- lected stock of furniture and house furnish- ing goods and has a well equipped under- taking department. He is also president of the Forest Hill cemetery board, to which he has been elected for a second term. Mr. Campbell has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Lyda Gerhart, a daughter of Finley Gerhart, deceased, for- merly of New Carlisle. They have one son, Clinton, who is seventeen years of age and is now attending the high school, where he is recognized as a good student and a young man of promise. For his second wife Mr. Campbell chose Miss Mary E. Kerns, a daughter of Joseph Kerns, of Spring Creek township. They have a large circle of friends in the community. Mr. Campbell is a valued member of the Masonic fra- ternity, of which he has served as secretary ; and to the Odd Fellows, Knights of the Maccabees and Knights of the Golden Eagle he also belongs. In his political views he is a stalwart Republican and in religious faith is a Presbyterian. A man of broad sym- pathies, social, intellectual, fraternal and moral interests have occupied his attention and received his support, and at the same time he is a very prosperous and prominent business man, whose success has been credit- ably won. He possesses untiring industry, keen discrimination and resolute purpose. and these qualities have enabled him to work his way steadily upward until he is now num- bered among the leading representatives of commercial interests in Piqua. CONOVER HALL. Conover Hall, who is engaged in gen- eral farming in Spring Creek township, is numbered among the honored veterans of the civil war who joined the blue and went to the south to defend the cause of the Union. He was born near Carlisle, in War- ren county, Ohio, December 15, 1832, and is a son of Joseph and Sophia (Conover) Hall. In the family were eight children, four sons and four daughters. In 1852 they removed from Warren county to Miami county, locating in Spring Creek township, where the father purchased eighty acres of land on section 13. This is the farm upon which our subject now resides. The father there made his home until his death, which occurred in 1879, when he had attained the age of seventy-two years, his birth having occurred in 1807. His wife was also born in that year and died in 1882. Mr. Hall, whose name introduces this re- view, remained upon the old farm until thirty years of age, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he responded to the call for troops, enlisting on the 8th of August, 1862, as a private of Company A, One Hun- dred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in at Camp Piqua and was first under fire at the battle of Winchester. Later he participated in the engagements at New Market, Union Mills, Star Fort and Stephenson's Depot, and was also on duty near New York from August 17th until September 6, 1865, after which he partici- 172 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. pated in a skirmish near Hazel Run. He also participated in the battles of Rappa- hannock, Mine Run, Locust Grove, the cam- paign of the Wilderness, Brock Road, Spott- sylvania, Poe River. Bloody Angle. Lon- don Heights, North Anna, Cold Harbor, the flank moveinent against Petersburg, the battle of that city, the assault on Gurley House, the battle of Weldon Railroad and JMonocacy, the Shenandoah campaign, and the engagements at Cedar Creek, Summit Point, Charleston, Sm.ithfield, Flint H^ll, Fisher's Hill and Fort Fisher. He was hon- orably discharged with the rank of corporal on the ^^th of June, 1865, for the war was then ended and the country no longer needed his services. He had been a most true and faithful soldier, whose war record was a credit to the army in blue. Returning to Spring Creek township, jMr. Hall has since made his home there, .with the exception of three years passed in Darke county and three years in Staunton township, Miami county. In 1885, how- ever, he returned to the old homestead farm, and here owns and operates fifty-eight acres of land, which is under a high state of cul- tivation. He was married, December 14, 1865, to ]\Iiss Louise E. Edge. They lost one child in infancy, and their other chil- dren are : Ollie M., wife of Charles J. Lentz ; Lillian S., wife of William H. Neg- ley. a resident of Colorado Springs, Colo- rado; Xat Madison, a teacher; Minnie E., wife of William Eldridge, a farmer of Spring Creek township; and Laura B., at home. Mr. Hall entertains pleasant relation- ship with his old army comrades through his membership in Alexander Post, Xo. 1 58, G. A. R., of Piqua, and there recalls mem- ories of the days when they sat around the camp fires upon tented fiel Is. He is also a member of the Presbyterian church and gives a liberal support to all measures which he believes will prove of public benefit. FRANK T. PRIEST. Throughout the entire development of our country's history the Priest family has been represented in America, for the ancestors of our subject came to the new world with the little band of Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic in the ?^Iayflower and made the first settlement on the shores of New Eng- land. Since that time representatives of the name have been important factors in promoting the substantial development and improvement of the communities with which they have been connected, and the present representative, Frank T. Priest, is likewise numbered among the valued and respected citizens of Piqua. His birth occurred Feb- ruary 10. i86g, on a farm in Clark county, Ohio, which was also the birthplace of his father, \\'illiam H. Priest, and his grand- father. T'lhn Priest. The latter was num- bered among the pioneer residents of Clark county. William H. Priest was one of the loyal defenders of the Union during the civil war. .\bout 1S68 he married INIiss Florence JMargaret Dunn, of ^Marion, In- diana, and took up his abode in \^an Wert county, Ohio. In 1879 'i^ rem(i\-ed to Eliz- abeth township, iliami county, and resided upon a farm near Miami City. In April, igoo, he remo\-ed to Troy. His wife died in 1898. In their family were three daugh- ters : Mrs. W. K. ^lumford, of Conover, Ohio: Mrs. Oliver Reaver, of Alcony; and Mary Delight, also of Alcony. Mr. Priest, of this review, pursued his education in the common schools and in the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 773 schools of Casstown. He entereel upon a business career in a grocery store in Troy, and later secured employment with the tele- phone company at Muncie, Indiana, as in- spector, also doing- some office work. Upon his return to Troy he re-entered the grocery business, and also aided in establishing the electric light plant in that city. In 1889 he became an employe of the express company of Troy, and in 1890 was made transfer agent at Peru, Indiana. He also served as money clerk at Toledo and was depot agent and bill clerk at Columbus. In June, 1895, he was made agent for the e.xpress com- pany at Pic|ua and has held the position continuously since. His business methods are thorough and reliable, and his industry and fidelity have won him the confidence of the corporation, while his obliging man- ner has made him very popular with the patrons of the office. Mr. Priest was united in marriage to Miss Ida B. Wyant, of Bradford, Ohio, and in Pic|ua they have many warm friends. Their only child is a little daughter, Flor- ence. Mr. Priest is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias lodge, is secretary and recorder of the Uniform Rank, is a mem- ber of the Essenic Lodge and is secretary and treasurer of the Knights of Pythias band, one of the best in the state, its serv- ices being in constant demand throughout Ohio and in other states. He is also treas- urer of Piqua Lodge, No. 294, of the Mod- ern Brotherhood, and is highly esteemed in all these various organizations. He belongs to the IMethodist church and is a Repub- lican in politics, but has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his time and attention to his business interests. In man- ner he is genial and courteous, and his so- cial qualities have made him very popular. ROBERT SPROUL. Eighty-eight years have passed since Robert Sproul became a resident of Miami county. He belonged to that class of true pioneers who sought homes in the unbroken forests, which the Indians still regarded as their hunting ground and which were the haunts of many wild animals. Dangers and difficulties beset the frontiersmen on every hand, but with courageous spirit Robert Sproul and other pioneers set to work to re- claim the wild land for purposes of civiliza- tion, thus securing good homes where once were waste places of the earth. Mr. Sproul was born in Bride Hill, coun- ty Tyrone, Ireland, in February, 1775, and when about twenty-one years of age came to America for the purpose of returning to Ireland with his sister, whose husband had died here. Her son, however, opposed her return, and Robert Sproul also decided to re- main. He purchased a little farm and was married in South Carolina to Isabella Hays, who was born in November, 1782, in Ire- land. She had come to America in 1793. Their wedding occurred in 1803 and they be- gan their domestic life in the south, where they continued until 1812, when they came to Ohio, making a settlement in this vicinity. In 18 13 Mr. Sproul secured the farm upon which his daughter now resides. During the first winter of his residence here he was drafted to serve in the war, but, hiring a substitute, he turned his attention to the farm. The title of his property has never been transferred from the family. With characteristic energy he began the arduous task of clearing away the trees and trans- forming the raw land into richly cultivated fields. In 1829 he erected the residence which is still standing, bu'lding it of brick, 774 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. which was made upon the place. He had previously erected a saw-mill and cut all the timber and lumber used in the house. He also built a dry kiln, and thus all the ma- terials for the new home were prepared upon the farm. It was one of the finest houses in the county at the time of its erection and is still in a state of good preservation. The mantel in the parlor is a fine specimen of hand work, being carved out in handsome patterns. The parlor carpet is forty years old and was made by the children, the girls spinning the wool, which was woven by the elder sisters. It is also a fine heirloom. The half-section of land which Robert Sproul secured was placed under a high state of cultivation through his own efforts. He conducted a saw-mill for many years and also ground a great deal of grain used for distillerv purposes. The location of the mill is still shown by old pillars. His life was one of industry and close application to business, the farm and mill occunying his attention through many years and bringing th him a handsome competence. At the advanced age of eighty-three years Air. Sproul passed away, his death occurring June 14, 1858. He was a well-preserved did man, his mental and phys- ical faculties being unimpaired. He was never a church member, but had the strictest regard for honesty, justice and right and reared his children so that they became useful and honorable members of society. In early life he was a Jacksonian Democrat, but later became a Whig, and on the organization of the Repuljlican party joined its ranks. As the family to which he belonged was one of means, he obtained a good education in his youth, and in the early days of Ohio was con- sidered the best informed man in his localitv. For this reason he was often calletl upon to perform clerical work, and was regarded as one of the leading and influential citizens of the county. His wife survived him eleven years, dying on the 2d of April, 1869, in her eighty-seventh year. Her life had been devoted to her family and she enjoyed the esteem and lo\-e of many friends in the community. She had eight daughters and four sons, who w^re carefully trained to habits of industry, economy and honesty. Elizabeth, the eldest, became the wife of John Scott and was the mother of Thomas Scott, of Troy; SamueL the second eldest child, died in his sixty-second year, his widow still residing in this neighborhood ; Margaret and Sarah H. were the next of the family; Frances died at the age of twenty- nine years; Xancy is still living on the old homestead ; Thomas died in Auglaize a )un- t)', Ohio, in his sixty-seventh year; James was also a resident of Auglaize county and died in his seventy- fourth year; Isabella was the next of the family ; Rebecca Jane became the wife of Henry Gardner and died in her sixty-seventh year; Alaria Matilda is the wife of James Gearheart ; and Robert died in his s'xty-second year, leaving a daughter, Mrs. Belle Hufford, of Elizabeth. After the father's death five sisters, Mar- garet, Sarah, Xancy, Isabelja and Frances, lived upon the home farm. Frances died at the age of twenty-nine years. Xone of these sisters married, but remained together until, one by one, they were called to the home beyond. Margaret was the first to pass down the corridors of time, her death oc- curring in 1870, in her sixty-third year. Belle died in 1896, in her seventy-seventh year, so that three of the sisters remained together for twenty-six years without a death in the household. The third to pass away was Sarah Hays, who died January 5, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 775 1899, in her ninetieth year. She was always the most dehcate, yet she attained this very advanced age. Although her health was poor, she possessed a very sunny disposition and was ever ready to enjoy a good laugh over a humorous story. The only survivor is Miss Nancy Sproul, who is now in her eighty-seventh year, and her attention has been given to the supervision of the farm and to the many duties and light labors which occupy the attention of ladies. Many excellent specimens of her handiwork are seen in the homes of her friends. All of the sisters were members of the Presbyterian church, at Troy, and did their part in the church work, contributing liberally to its support. Among the old heirlooms in the family is a tine old clock, which is highly prized. The works were sent from Ireland, about 1828, by a nephew of Robert Sproul and the case was made in Troy. Miss Sproul is also the possessor of a set of silver spoons that were used by the family in Ireland dur- ing the boyhood of her father, and she has an old Bible printed in three volumes, which was presented to Robert Sproul in 1826 by his nephew\ It is a handsome specimen of the printer's art, and with many other heir- looms is greatly treasured by the mis- tress of this attractive old home, which throughout the greater part of the nine- teenth century has been in possession of the family. . GEORGE W. LOONEY. Among the venerable citizens who have reached the age of four score years and now receive the respect and esteem of their fel- low townsmen in a high degree is George W. Looney, who resides in Spring Creek township. He was born in Mechanicsburg, Ohio, February 9, 1819, his parents being Jonathan and Mercy (Holsten) Looney. In 1832 the father sold his farm in Cham- paign county and started for Quincy, Illinois, but had only traveled as far as Louisville, Kentucky, when he was stricken with cholera and died. In the family were eight chil- dren : Mary, Margaret, Henry. Stephen, George W., Thomas J., Jonathan, now de- ceased, and Sarah. When George W. Looney was a lad of fifteen years he accompanied his mother and her family on their removal to Allen county, Ohio. He obtained his education in an old log school house, where the expenses were met by the subscriptions of the scholars. He continued his residence in Allen county until 1852, when he came to Miami county and worked at. teaming and aided in construct- ing the Panhandle Railroad. He was em- ployed in the latter way for two months, but afterward turned his attention to farming, and on the 27th of January, 1853, he pur- cliased ninety-five acres of land on section 19, Spring Creek township. Since that time he has added to his landed possessions until the aggregate is now four hundred acres, three hundred and thirty acres on section 19, and the remainder on section 25. He now has three hundred and fifty acres of land under cultivation and carries on gen- eral farming. He erected his fine brick residence in 1877, and has a highly improved property. When he started out in life on own account he had but twenty-eight dollars, but steadily he has augmented his capital until to-day he is accounted one of the substantial residents of his community. He may truly be called a self-made man, for what- he has achieved is the merited reward of his earnest and persistent labor. Hard work has been the kejmote to his success and it will prove an 776 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. open sesame to all who wish to enter the realms of prosperity. George W. Looney was married, on the 5th of Nevember, 1845, to Miss Charlotte Hardman. She died in 1875. and on the 28th of March, 1877, he was again married, and Ijy the second union he had fi\'e children : George \\'., Lee, William, Earl, and one who died in infancy. His second wife died February 12, 1900. In his early life he was a supporter of the Whig party and cast his first presidential vote for William Henry Harrison. On the organization of the Re- puljlican party he joined its ranks and has since been a stalwart advocate of its princi- ples. For forty-seven years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Pitpia, and has long served as one of its trustees. His life has ever been honorable and upright, and the qualities which go to make up an honorable manhood have been manifest in bis career. He has lived to witness many changes in the county and has ever taken a deep interest in those things uhich have led to advancement along ma- terial, intellectual and moral lines. He has now reached the venerable age of eighty-one, and as he passes down the hillslope of life he needs ha\e no regret for opportunities wasted. WILLIAM GIESSEMAN. The improvements on one of the finest farms of Miami county stand as monuments to the thrift, enterprise and labor of William Giesseman, who for many years was active- ly and honorably connected with its agricult- ural interests. He was torn February 28, 1817, and was a son of W^illiam Giesseman, a native of Pennsylvania. Leaving the Key- stone state, the father removed to Ohio, tak- ing up his residence in Bethel township, Mi- ami county, where our subject was reared to manhood, remaining on the old homestead until thirty-one years of age. During his minority he pursued his education in the pub- lic schools and also assisted in the labors of field and meadow. After arriving at man's estate, however, he was married, November 22, 1849, to Miss Malinda ]\IcClelland, who was born in Ross county, Ohio, December 6, 1828, a daughter of Peter and Susanna McClelland, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Giesseman began their domestic life upon a farm in Miami county and in 1834 removed to Cyn- thiana township, Shelby county, where he secured eighty acres of government land and in the midst of the heavy timber erected a log cabin, where they lived in true pioneer style. Mrs. Giesseman can remember see- ing deer in the garden in the early mornings, and other kinds of wild game, especially turkeys were plentiful. In 1856 Mr. Giesse- man purchased a farm of one hundred and si.xty acres on section 21, Spring Creek town- ship, where he made his home until his death, his widow still residing upon the place. They were the parents of five children. Margaret, the eldest, born September 9, 1850, is the wife of Joseph Chambers, of Piqua, and has one child. Rose, who is the wife of Edward Collins. Harrison, born May 11, 1852, owns and operates a part of the old homestead, carrying on general farming. He was mar- ried, in 1878. to Mary Schloss, and they had seven children : Emma, Frank and \\'illiam, twins, Harry, Bertha, George and Stella. Mary L., born September 16, 1855, is the wife of Henry Ciphers, and they have six children : Edna, Martha, Ollie, Muriel. Allie and Maggie. Harvey, born December 7, 1857, is still living on the old homestead. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Ill He wedded Katie Hines, and they have four children : Cloyd, May, CHfford and Blanche. Luella, born June 22, 1864. is the wife of George Simmons, a farmer of Brown town- ship, and they have two children, Charles E. and Ravmond. Mr. Giesseman purchased the old home- stead farm of Amos Gray. Upon the place stood a double log cabin, which was used as a block-house by Gamier Boboe. The land had been entered from the government by him and he erected the cabin. The old structure is still standing and is now con- verted into a stable. In 1855 Mr. Giesseman manufactured the brick used in the erection of the present house and the woodwork was all done by hand, the timber being secured upon his place. The farm comprises two hundred acres of valuable land, all in one body, and Mr. Giesseman successfully carried on general farming, his well-directed efforts bringing to him an excellent income. In politics he was a Democrat, and in re- ligious belief was a Methodist. His life was ever honorable and upright and was par- ticularly pure. He never used tobacco or intoxicants in any form, and at all times he endeavored to mould his conduct by the ex- ample furnished by the lowly Nazarene. He was a man five feet seven inches tall and weighed one hundred and sixty pounds. In manner he was cordial and genial, and his many excellent characteristics gained for him warm regard. He passed away July 25, 1887, and his remains were interred in For- est Hill cemetery. Mrs. Giesseman still re- sides upon the old homestead. She has long been a resident of this community and deserves mention among the honored pioneer women whose labors have contributed in no small degree to the present prosperity and advancement of the locality. SAMUEL P. MILES. Engaged in general farming and tobacco growing on section 35, Newton township, Mr. Miles claims this township as the place of his nativity. He was born on the old farm homestead within its borders October 5, 1838. His father, William Miles, was born November 7, 1807, on the farm now owned and occupied by Joseph Street, his birth occurring at a very early epoch in the pioneer development of this section of the state. He was reared during that period v.-hen the homes were log cabins, when the land was being reclaimed for purposes of civilization and when the Indians still shared with the white men the ownership of the forests. He married Sarah Coate, a daugh- ter of Samuel Coate, who was born Decem- ber 18, 1804, and they became the parents of twelve children, namely : James, who re- sided in Kansas, but is now deceased ; Mary J., the widow of W. R. Sloan, of Denver; Elwood, who is living at Ludlow Falls ; Abi- jah, a practicing physician of Cincinnati ; Samuel P., John, Benton and Wade, de- ceased; Henry; Maggie, who is the wife of Reuben Asher, of Hillsboro, Ohio ; Phcebe, who died in infancy; and an infant, who died unnamed. The father of this family is still, living, at the age of ninety-four years, and makes his home with our subject. He has long been a member of the Christian church and is a man of upright character. His wife passed away April 28, 1878. Samuel P. Miles was reared in Newton township and at the time of the civil war, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, responded to the country's call for troops. He en- listed in the fall of 1861, as a private in Company F, Fifth Ohio Cavalry, and was mustered in at Cincinnati. The regiment 778 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. was then sent to Camp Dennison and in the spring of 1862 took boat for Pittsburg Land- ing. There were ninety-six transports and two gunboats in tlie expedition. The first engagement in wliic-h our subject participated was near Sliiloh cliurch. He afterward took part in tlie battles of Shiloh, Corinth. Hatch- er's Run, Memplhs, Chattanooga, Mission Ridge, Burnt Hickory, Big Shanty, Peach Orchard and Atlanta, and was with Sherman in all the engagements of the Atlanta cam- paign until its close at Jonesboro. After that engagement Mr. !\Iiles returned with his regiment to the pursuit of Hood, and at Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the expiration of his three years' term of service, received an honorable discharge, in 1864. He was taken prisoner near Grand Junction, Tennes- see, being captured by Jackson's men, but after twenty-four hours was paroled. On receiving an honorable discharge Mr. Miles returned to his home and in the spring of 1865 took up his abode upon the farm where he now lives. He has cleared the land, made excellent improvements and is now en- gaged in general farming and in the raising of tobacco. His fields are clean and well kept and the neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicates his careful supervision and his progressive business methods. In i860 occurred the marriage of Mr. Miles and Miss Sarah R. Gearhardt, a daughter of John Gearhardt, of Xew Car- lisle, Ohio. Seven children have been born cl their union, namely : Flora, wife of Henry Davis; Davis; Roger; Sarah; Olive P., wife of George Pleasant; Clark C, and Clara. The family is widely and favorably known in this locality, the members occupying enviable positions in social circles. In politics ]\Ir. Miles is a Republican and socially is connect- ed with the Knights of Pythias fraternity. ROBERT M. EVAXS. Robert M. Evans is a representative of one of the oldest families of Miami county, the name Evans being interwoven with the history of this locality through almost the entire nineteenth century. His grandfather and father took an active part in the work of reducing the wild land to purposes of civilization, and gave their support to many measures which promoted the material prog- ress and substantial upbuilding of this sec- tion of the state. The grandfather. Joseph Evans, resided near Milledgeville. Georgia, and in 180 1 started with his family for the Northwest Territory. The journey was made by team and the party passed the site of the present city of Dayton en route for La Porte, Indiana. That was the year before Ohio was admitted to the L'nion. In 1804 the family returned to the Buckeye state and es- tablished a home in Montgomery county, upon the farm adjoining the boundar}' line of Miami county. This property is now oc- cupied by John Johnson and the little cabin home of the Evans family stood on the site where Mr. Johnson's large brick residence is now located. Their nearest neighbor at the time was a Mr. Pierson, who lived six miles away. Joseph Evans secured a tract of government land, which was covered with heavy timber, and erected a one-story double log house, in which he spent his remaining days, his death occurring when he had at- tained an advanced age. He was a mem- ber of the Society of Friends or Quakers. In his family were three children, who came to Ohio, namely : Robert, Joseph and Sarah. The daughter became the wife of John Fur- nas. Robert Evans, the father of our subject, was born near IMilledgeville, Georgia, Feb- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 79 ruary /, 1789, accompanied his parents to Indiana, and when fourteen years of age came with the family to Ohio. He grew to manh(5od in Montgomery county and re- mained upon the home farm until ahout twenty-three years of age. He was mar- ried, ahout 181 2. to Esther Jenkins, and thev hecame the parents of ten children, namely: Thomas J., who was born April 4, 18 1 3, and died in Tippecanoe City Feb- ruary 6, 1854; Joseph, who was born April 12, 1815, and died August 5, 1845 • Eleanor, who was born February 4, 181 7, became the wife of James Coppock, and died Jan- uary 20, 1847; Jiilia M., who was born i\.ugust 18. 18 19, and died February 19 1823; Esther, who was born August 31, 1 82 1, and died in infancy; William, who was born March 9, 1824, and is living in Shelby county, Ohio ; Moses, who was born June 17, 1826, and resides in Montgomery coun- ty, Ohio; Eli H., who was born July 26, 1832, and died in Peru, Indiana; Maris, who was born November 20, 1828, and is the widow of Jonathan Jay, of Kokomo, Indi- ana ; Esther Ann. who was born November 27, 1834, and died in 1835. After the death of his first wife Mr. Evans was married, about 1834, to Mary Jenkins, and their chil- dren were: Mary L., who was born Au- gust 29, 1836, became the wife of Thomas Hollingsworth, and died Novemlier 10, 1861 ; Aaron, who was born February 5. 1839, and died January 2j. 1842; Jesse J., who was born August i, 1841, and died June 8, 1900, in Kentucky; Keren H.. who was Ijorn July 24, 1843, 's the wife of Davis Jester, a resident of Montgomery county, Ohio; Robert M., of this review; and Eliz- abeth, who was born May 25, 1848, is the wife of William Macy, a resident of Miami county. After his marriage the father re- moved to the Martin Eide Miller farm and later purchased the south half of the land upon which Tippecanoe now stands. There he lived for a few years, but about 1836 traded that farm to John Clark for one-half of the northwest quarter of section 28, Mon- roe township. He then removed to this eighty-acre tract and there spent his re- maining days, his death occurring on the 25th of June, 1863. He was a very suc- cessful business man and accumulated con- siderable property. For many years he be- longed to the Quaker church, but prior to his death joined the New Light church. Robert M. Evans was born on the old homestead farm on section 28. Monroe town- ship, March 18, 1845, and there spent his boyhood days, obtaining his education in the district schools. He remained on the home until after his father's death, and on the 17th of July, 1863, in company with his brothers, Jesse and Moses, he enlisted in Company G, Twenty-fifth Ohio National Guards, which responded to President Lin- coln's last call in March, 1864, going to Washington to defend that city, which the Confederate officers had planned to attack. When the war was over he returned to the old homestead, where he remained until 1879, when he embarked in the grocery and dry- goods business in Ginghamsburg, Ohio, carrying on merchandising at that place until August 2, 1894, when he sold out to A. C. Gleason. For fifteen years he remained in the store and conducted a successful busi- ness, which brought to him good financial returns. In 1890 he purchased his present farm and in 1896 erected thereon the large, tasteful residence in which he now lives. On the 2d of March, 1867, Mr. Evans was united in marriage to Miss Jane Keller and to them have been born ten children : 780 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Alaris A., who was born October 20. 1S68, died April 16, 1870; Lillie H., who was born August 4, 1870. is the wife of Adam Under- wood, of Monroe township ; Sarah A., who was born September 22. 1872, is the wife of Harry Barnliardt, of Monroe township; Korah W., who was born October 11, 1S74. is now the proprietor of the Troy Novelty Works ; Zenitia, who was born October 26, 1876, died June 5, 1895; Laura A., born September 10, 1878: Annie P., who was born January 9, 1881, is the wife of William Kendall, of Piqua; Howard V., who was born February 2y, 1884, died April 23, 1885 ; .Ellen H., who was born October 28, 1886, died November 19 of the same year; and Rhoda M., who was born October 25, 1889, completes the family. On the 6th of November. 1876. Mr. Evans was elected to the office of justice of the peace and has filled that position con- tinuously since, discharging his duties in a most creditable manner, his rulings being strictly fair and impartial. His political support is given the Republican party. He belongs to D. M. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City, and the United Brethren church of Ginghamsburg, in which he has served as Sunday school superintendent and as class leader for fifteen years. The farm upon which he now resides comprises eighty acres of land and in addition to this he also owns forty acres of the old homestead. He is one of the substantial and highly re- spected agriculturists of the community and belongs to the progressive class of citizens who believe that time should bring improve- "ment and that the enterprise of to-day should advance beyond that of former years. Dur- ing his active career he has been found true to the duties of citizenship and to those of public and private life in every particular, and well does he deserve representation in the history of the county wherein his entire life has been spent. MARK C. JONES. Mark C. Jones was born in Union town- ship, Miami county. May 2, 1841. His father. Alexander Jones, remained in Union township until the son was fifteen years of age. when he removed to Newton town- ship. After a happy married life of sixty- one years Alexander Jones and his wife were called to the home beyond. The mother died on the 6th of March, 1900. the father on the 9th of the same month, and they were buried on the same day. Mr. Jones was then eighty-two years of age, his wife seventy- seven, and they were people of the highest respectability, enjoying the warm regard and friendship of all who knew them. They held membership in the Friends' church and their exemplary Christian lives commended them to the confidence, regard and lo\-e of all with whom they were associated. Mark C. Jones remained with his parents until the time of his enlistment for service iri the civil war. On the 22d of August, 1862, he joined Company G, One Hun- dred and Tenth Ohio \^olunteer Infantry, as a private, and was mustered in at Piqua. He then went down the Ohio river to Vir- ginia, and the first engagement in which he participated was the battle of Winchester, on the 13th, 14th and 15th of June, 1863. He also took part in the engagement at Port Royal, July 25, 1863; Kelly's Ford, No- \ember 27; Brandywine Station, Novem- lier 8; Locust Grove, November 2j\ Mine Run. November 28 : the battle of the Wil- derness from the 5th to the nth of May, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 781 1864; Spottsylvania, from the 12th to the 2ist of May of the same year; Gainesville. May 30 and 31 ; Cold Harbor, from the ist to the 1 2th of June; Bermuda Hundred, June 19; Petersburg, June 22 and 22,; Alon- ocacy, July 9; Charleston, August 21; Smithfield, August 29 ; Winchester, Sep- tember 19; Flint Hill, September 21; Fish- er's Hill, September 22 ; Cedar Creek, Octo- ber 19; and Sailor's Run, which was the last battle in which he participated. His regiment formed a part of the Eighth Army Corps, and was under the command of Gen- eral Sedgwick until his death, and afterward under the command of General Wright. Mr. Junes was promoted to the rank of corporal. He was in the hospital for some time suffering with measles and mumps, but was never wounded. He received his final discharge at Columbus, in 1865, and with a creditable military record returned to his home. When the war was over and the coun- try no longer needed his services, Mr. Jones began farming upon the place where he now lives. In the spring of 1866, however, he removed to Union township, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1893, the date of his return to his old home. He has here forty-seven acres of rich land, all under a high state of cultivation, and makes a specialty of the raising of tobacco. As a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Mrs. Alary C. Pierson, a daughter of Isaac Coppock. They were married Feb- ruary i, 1866, and became the parents of eight children : Nora, deceased ; Elizabeth, Harry, Elmer, Laura and Julia, who have passed away; Juclson Rav, and one who died in infancy. After the death of his first wife Mr. Jones was married, on the 6th of April, 1893, to ]\Irs. Emma Coate, the widow of James Coate antl a daughter of Hiram Jones. In his social relations Mr. Jones is a Mason, belonging to the lodge at Pleasant Hill. He is a charter member of Ludlow Grange, in which he has served as the mas- ter, and in politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the Christian church, and his daily life is in harmony with his profession. As a citizen he is as true and loyal as when he followed the starry banner on the battle- fields of the south. WILLIS A. PEARSON. We are now permitted to touch briefly upon the life history of one who has retained a personal association with the affairs of Aliami county for a number of years, and one whoso ancestral history traces back to the colonial epoch. His life has been one of honest and earnest endeavor, and due success has not been denied him. The Pearsons set- tled in the C&rolinas as early as 1680, and in the latter part of the eighteenth cent- ury representatives of the name sought a home in Ohio. The grandfather, Jesse Pearson, cast in his lot with the pioneers of Miami county, coming hither from Newberry, South Carolina, with that host of hardy, freedom-loving men who, owing to the ordinance of congress of 787 that slavery, while permitted south of the JMason and Dixon line, should never extend to the Northwest Territory, left the south and passing by the tempting blue-grass land of Kentucky did not stop until safely across the Ohio river in the beautiful Miami vallev. The conflict concerning the negro race was but postponed until 1861, when it was to be settled by the grandsons of these earlv pioneers. Throughout the history of GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Miami county members of the Pearson fam- il}' have l^een active in promoting its substan- tial growth and development. Jesse Pear- son wedded Anne Macy, who also belonged to an old Carolina family distinguished in state and national history, and for whom Fort Macy was named. Paul Pearson, the father of our subject, was born in Monroe township, Miami county, in the '30s, and spent his youth on the old homestead farm. Having arrived at years of maturity he wedded Rachel Perry, a daughter of Amos Perry, one of the early settlers of Newberry township, Miami coun- ty. He also came to this section of the state from the Carolinas and was one of the earliest educators in this portion of Ohio, teaching the first school in Ludlow Falls. A man of marked individuality and strong force of character, he became a recognized leader of public thought and opinion and represented his county in the state legisla- ture in 1832. He belonged to the same family of which Commodore Perry was a member. Mrs. Pearson's mother bore the maiden name of Douglas, and was descended from an old Scotch family that at one time was more potent in the affairs of Europe than kings or emperors : in fact they constituted the power behind the throne, and the record of their deeds forms the major part of the history of Scotland through many centuries. Willis A. Pearson was born in Monroe township, Miami county, September 4, i860, and his early years were spent upon the farm, assisting in the work of richly culti- vated fields and verdant meadows. To the public schools of the neighborhood he is in- debted for the educational privileges which he received. On attaining his majority he learned the carpenter's trade and spent four years in an architect's office, in Dayton, Ohio. Thus well qualified for practical work in the building line, he was made super- intendent of a planing-mill at Dayton, and occupied that position for a year, having charge of the outside work. In 1894 he came to Troy, where he engaged in contracting and building on his own account. Many of the first residences of the city stand as monu- ments to his thrift and enterprise, and in ad- dition to this he did all of the work on the Hayner distillery and warehouse. He is now proprietor of the Troy Planing Mill, Sash & Door Factory, located at the corner of Lincoln avenue and Raper street. His plant is equipped with the latest improved machinery, and he is thus prepared for turn- ing out a high grade of work. This indus- try furnishes employment to a large number of workmen and is accounted one of the leading manufacturing concerns of the city. Mr. Pearson is enjoying a large and increas- ing patronage, his business success resulting from his close application and honorable efforts. He is now serving as electric light trustee in Troy. In Milton, Miami county, occurred the marriage of our subject and Miss Mollie Winans, a daughter of Major I. C. Winans, of Concord township, now of South Dakota. Her father was an active officer of the militia in the early days of the county and was a \-ery prominent and influential citizen. Lhito Mr. and Mrs. Pearson were born two sons, Howard and Clifford, who are students in the Troy schools. The family attend the services of the Methodist church, and socially Mr. Pearson is a valued representative of the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias fraternities. His political support is given the Republican party, but the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him as his time is fully occupied with his GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 783 business interests. A man of unswerving integrity and honor, one who has a perfect appreciation of the higher ethics of Hfe. he has gained and retained the confidence and respect of his fellow men, and is distinctively one of the leading citizens of Troy with whose interests he has so long been identi- fied. J. ALBERT DEWEESE. J. Albert Deweese is tiie owner of the old Deweese homeetead of one hundred and sixty acres in Staunton township, two miles from Troy. It was on this farm that his birth occurred, June 30. 1864. His father, James Dewesse, was born on the same farm June 15, 1833, and was the son of Lewis De- weese, who founded the family in Miami county, taking up his abo(de on the old liomestead. His original tract comprised one hundred and sixty acres of land in Staunton township. He was married, April 10, 1823, to Hannah Clyne and they became the parents of five children : Isaac, wdio was born January 14, 1824, and died on the nth of October, following; William, who was born May 3, 1827; Olive, who was born April 22, 1829; Jacob, who- was born April 2, 183 1 ; and James. At the time when the grandfather located upon the farm it w^as a tract- of wild and unimproved land, not a furrow having been turned or an im- provement made. With characteristic en- ergy he began its development, clearing away the trees on many an acre and then preparing the land for the plow. After his death his widow erected a brick residence, in which our subject was born and now makes his home. She lived to the very advanced age of eighty years, passing away on the 22d of January. 1884. James Deweese, the father of our subject, spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the old homestead, there remaining until his marriage to Miss Frances Yaste. Not long after he took up his abode in Troy, but subsequently returned to the farm and was prominently connected with the agricultural interests of the county until his death, which occurred on the 22nd of April, 1895. His wife died when her son Albert was only two years of age. Three children were born of their union, but two died in infancy so that Albert Deweese is now the only survivor of the family. After his mother's death Mr. Deweese, of this review, lived with his grandmother until he was thirteen years of age, when he took up his abode in the home of his uncle, Cornelius Brandenburg, of Spring creek township. There he continued to reside until twenty-two years of age, when he re- turned to the old homestead, assuming its management. It has since been his place of residence, and in return for the care and cul- tivation which he has bestowed upon his fields he has garnered good harvests that have brought to him a comfortable compe- tence. Of the quarter-section of land which he owns one hundred and thirty-five acres are under cultivation, while the remaining twenty-fi\'e are woodland. It is situated on the Troy and Casstown pike and its close proximity to the city of Troy enables him to secure the conveniences of city life while enjoying the freedom of farm life. On the loth of February, 1886, was cel- ebrated the marriage of Mr. Deweese and Miss Eva Yaste, of Troy. Six children graced their union, namely: Wilbur S., Ar- thur, Lester, Edward, Myrtle and Marvin, and with the exception of Myrtle, all are yet living. The family is widely and favorably 784 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. known in this locality and the Deweese household is a hospitable one. ^Ir. Deweose is a Democrat in ixjlitics, and socially is connected with Troy Lodge, Xo. 43. I. O. O. F. His entire life has been passed in Miami county and he is a worthy representative of one of the pioneer families that throughout almost the entire century has been identi- fied with its agricultural interests. JOHX F. MITCHELL. John F. ^litcholl, one of the most enter- prising and progressive farmers of Washing- ton township. ^liami county, Ohio, was born in Piqua, May i, 1852, and on the paternal side is of Scotch descent, his great-great- grandfather being a native of Scotland and the founder of the family in America. The grandfather, William Mitchell, was born in Pennsylvania in 1754, and married a Miss Patterson, also a native of that state. At an early day he brought his family to Ohio, and located at Columbia, now a part of Cin- cinnati. They floated down the Ohio river on flat-boats, in company with several other families, including the Espys, Robinsons and Pattersons. Mr. Mitchell lived for a time in Sycamore township, Hamilton county, and in 181 7 moved to Piqua. where he died in 1842, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife died in the same place. He was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and his son James, the grandfather of our subject, served under General Harrison in the war of 181 2. The latter was mily eighteen years old when he enlisted, and was living at that time with his brother-in-law, Thomas Mor- ton, in Cincinnati, at the corner of Sixth and Main streets. He was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1794. and on reaching manh(iod was married, in Hamilton countv. Ohio, to Sarah McChesney, a daughter of John McChesney, and by that union had one son, John. She died on the McChesney homestead, and from her Mr. ^litchell in- herited a part of that farm. He was again married in Sycamore township, Hamilton county, his second wife being Sabina Lucas, by whom ho had five children, namely : Eliza, a resident of Covington, Ohio, who married, first. John Stiftler, of Pennsylvania; and, second, Gilbert Adams, now deceased; David A., father of our subject; Mary, who married Aaron Tyler and died in Piqua ; William, who died in the same city ; and IMartha. wife of James Clark, of Dayton, Ohio. David A. ^litchell, our subject's father, was born in ^lontgomery, Sycamore town- ship, Hamilton county, August 11. 1823, and his boyhood was passed at Lockland, whither his parents had removed, their farm adjoining that of Mr. Van Zandt, a very noted man (known as Van Trump in Harriet Beecher Stowe"s Uncle Tom's Cabin ). r^Ir. ]\Iitchel] saw the first canal boat built and launched on the Miami & Erie canal, it being built by Jonathan Haleman, and calletl the Plow Boy. 1 he town of Lockland w as built after the canal was opened up. In the fall of 1837, at the age of fifteen years, ^Ir. iNIitch- ell attended school in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal church at Piqua, taught by John and Jonathan \'ale, and finished his education in the old Baptist church, on Vine street, under the instruction of James H. Bristow. In 1838 his father moved to Piqua and David A. learned the saddler's trade with his uncle, Thomas ^Mitchell. He worked by the month as a journeyman for Jonathan Dungan, who was an expert and from whom he recei\e(l valuable instruction. On leav- ing him he moved to Fletcher and opened GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 785 a shop of his own although he had only thirty-seven cents with which to begin busi- ness. He formed a partnership with a tan- ner who furnished the material; 'Squire Landis gave him a stove; and he traded an old watch for a "buck." At Piqua he was married, March 25, 1845, by Rev. John E. Thomas, to Sarah Dungan, and the follow- ing day took Iiis brido to Fletcher, but having little to go to housekeeping with she returned to Piqua and got together a few household goods. They had been married only a short time. when she was takon ill at Piqua, and being unable to return to Fletcher Mr. Mitch- ell removed to Piqua, where his wife died, January 22, 1846. Disposing of all his property he paid his debts and with the re- mainder purchased a tombstone for his wife's grave. He then began life anew, his posses- sions consisting only of his clothes and tools. Hearing that work was to be had in Beams- villo, Darke county, he walked to that place, a distance of twenty-ft\'e miles, and began life there with a capital of fifty cents, but at the end of twenty years he was worth twenty thousand dollars, a part of which he made by speculating in farms and property in Piqua, and since then that amount has been more than doubled. On the 19th of April, 1849, in Washington township, this county, he was married, by Rev. M. J. Meeks, to Ann Eliza- beth McAndliss, who was born in Shippens- burg, Pennsylvania, April 4. 1829, and when a small child moved to Clark county, Ohio, with her parents, James and Jane (High- lands) McAndliss. The children born of this union were Oscar D., who married Laura Tate and is a traveling salesman living in Muncie. Indiana; John F., our subject; Mary Jane, wife of William Grosvenor, of Piqua; and Lillie B., wife of Lewis A. Ziegenfelder, of Troy, Ohio. After his second marriage 46 Mr. Mitchell moved to Piqua, where he has made his home ever since, and is now the oldest resident voter of the place. He owns much real estate in that city and several good farms. He has taken an active part in public aiYairs; has served as township trus- tee, six terms, water works trustee and superintendent of the works for two years ; and also served on the boom commit- tee. Politically he was first a Whig and is now a stanch Republican. In 1843 '^^ united with the Baptist church, under the preaching of Rev. John E. Thomas, and has continued one of its active and faithful members. His wife has also been a member of the church since 1855. ' Reared to manhood in Piqua, John F. Mitchell continued his education in the high school of that city to the age of sixteen years, and then commenced work in his father's saddlery shop. When his father disposed of that business and formed a part- nership with Amos McAndliss in the lumber business and the manufacture of sash and doors, our subject learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for a time, but after his marriage, in 1885, he located upon his present farm of seventy acres in Washington township, and has since devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, meeting with good suc- cess in this undertaking. He has erected all the buildings upon his place and made other extensive improvements, so that it is now one of the most desirable farms of its size in the community. In connection with his farming operations he also buys and sells horses, and through the winters boards horses for people living in Piqua. He was reared in the Baptist faith and affiliates with the Republican party. In Piqua Mr. Mitch- ell was married, in 1885, to Miss Fannie 786 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Simons, of that place, a daughter of John C. Simons, and to them were born three chil- dren, namely: Lizzie B., now the wife of Frank Adams, of Piqua; Nellie, at home; and Marion, who died at the age of eight years. A. W. MILES. One of the oldest families of Miami county is that of which our subject is a rei> resentative. In the opening year of the present century his ancestors located here and since that time those of the name have figured conspicuously in connection with the history of the substantial development and material progress of this section of the state. Like those who have given the best service, Mr. Miles has attained to a prominent posi- tion in connection with the business interests of the county, and is also regarded as a public-spirited citizen who contributes to the general welfare while promoting his indi- vidual success. He made a creditable rec- ord as one of the "boys in blue" during the civil war. and at all times he has labored for the ad\ancement and progress of the county of his birth, for he is a native of Miami county. He opened his eyes to the light of day in Newton township, on the 27tli of November, 1839. and in the same township his father, Wade Miles, was born on the 7th of November, 181 9. Jonathan Miles, the grandfather, was a native of South Carolina, and was the first of the name to locate in Ohio. He wedded Mary Pearson and early in the nineteenth century he came to the Buckeye .state with the tide of emigration which was rapidly causing the settlement of this favored sec- tion of the L^nion. He was accompanied by his wife, and continued his travels on horse- back until he reached what is now the town- ship of Newton and located on section 31. Jonathan Miles reared a large family, nine children, and lived to the advanced age of ninety j-ears. A great hunter and trapper, he found ample opportunity to indulge his love for those sports, and at the same time his trapping and hunting probably added materially to his income. He took an act- ive part in the work of progress of his com- munity, did much toward laying out roads, organizing the public schools of the town- ship, and in other ways labored to impress his individuality upon the public life. He was a consistent member and active worker in the Society of Friends, and throughout his business career he followed the pursuit of farming. \\'ade Miles, the father of our subject, learned the carpenter's trade in early life, but after his marriage purchased eighty acres of improved land near the old Miles h.omestead and erected a log cabin on the farm. While it was being builded his wife did the cooking over a wood fire in the yard. The little pioneer hi'ime contained only two rooms, and the family experienced many hardships and difficulties, but also enjoyed many pleasures which are unknown at the present time. ^Ir. ]\Iiles spent his entire life on the farm which he there developed, dying in 1854, at the age of thirty-five years. Both he and his wife were members of the Society of Friends. He married ?^Iary B. Tucker, a daughter of Nichcilas Tucker, and to them were liorn eight children : Jane, who became the wife of Layton North, and died in 1857; A. W., of this review; Naomi, who wedded Amos Brandon ; Allen, who died in infancy; Charity, wife of Louis Ai- key, of ]\Iilesburg, Pennsylvania : Jacob T., a practicing physician of Bryant. Indiana; GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 787 Sarah, widow of D. Anson Coppock ; and Vashti, wife of Harrison Coats, of Rich- mond. After the death of his first wife Mr. Miles married MaHnda W. Hayes, a daugh- ter of Thomas Hayes. They have one child, James S., who is now a merchant of Rich- mond, Indiana. A year after his father's death, when a lad of only fifteen summers, A. W. Miles took charge of the home farm. Soon af- terward he began teaching school in Darke county, for twenty dollars per month, and during his first term he worked night and morning for his board, and in this way was enabled to save his entire salary. In 1857 he went to Iowa, by water and stage. He arrived at a certain town too late to catch the stage and rather than wait for the next stage he started on foot for Leon, walking the entire distance of one hundred and fifty miles in three days. Iowa was then sparsely settled and one night he slept on the prairie. He made the trip in or- der to view the country, but in the spring of 1858 he returned to New- ton township, Miami county, making his home near Pattytown for a short time. Later he came to Tippecanoe City, with John Gerhardt and his family. Soon after his arrival he went to work for John Danid- der, spending a few months on a farm. Later he was employed as a farm hand by A. J. Selby, and then again came to Tippe- canoe City, spending the winter as a student in the public schools. In the spring of 1859 he began clerking in the store of John H. Long, with whom he remained until the breaking out of the civil war. He was visiting an aunt at the time, and while on the return trip learnerl that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, and before reaching Tippecanoe City he met C. M. Kauffman and John Cotteral on the cross roads -Df the Dayton and Troy pike. They were looking for volunteers, and there in the middle of the road Mr. Miles put down his name, being the first to join the army from Tippecanoe City. He enlisted at Columbus in Company H, Ele\-enth Ohio Infantry, April 20, 1861, and with his regiment re- mained at Camp Dennison for three months, being drilled for field service. Shortly af- terward they went to West Virginia. The first engagement in which he participated was at Hawk's Nest. Joining the eastern army, that is, the Army of the Potomac, he afterward participated in the battles of Bull Run, South Mountain and Antietam. Sub- sequently his regiment was attached to the Army of the Cumberland at INIurfreesboro, Tennessee, and took part in the engage- ments at Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Ringgold and Rocky Face Ridge. .Vt the battle of Mission Ridge he and the color- bearer were the first two to set foot on the enemy's breastworks. The latter was se- riously wounded there, but Mr. Miles snatched up the colors which he carried through the battle and until after the battle of Atlanta, when he was detailed for ser- vice at the quartermaster's department as commissary sergeant, in which capacity he served throughout the remainder of the war. He was with Sherman on the memorable march to the sea, and was discharged at Columbus, Ohio, in 1865. with a most cred- itable military record, having faithfully aided in the defense of the Union through- out the entire war. Upon his return to Tippecanoe City Mr. Miles engaged in clerking in the dry-goods store owned by Youart & Jay from March, 1866, until May, 1868. He then served as assistant postmaster under C. M. Kauff- 788 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. man until ]\Lirch, 1S69, when he was ap- pointed postmaster of Tippecanoe City, holding that position continuously until 1884, when he became one of the organ- izers and stockholders of the Tippecanoe City National Bank. From the beginning he has filled the office of cashier and the success of the institution has been due in a large measure to his efforts. He is a most able financier whose conservatism is not a bar to progressiveness, and yet whose meth- ods are always safe and reliable. In 1876 he became the secretary of the Monroe Building & Loan Association, and has filled that office continuously since. During the last twelve years he has also discharged the duties of treasurer, and he is also the treas- urer of Tippecanoe City and of Monroe township. These facts certainly indicate how honorable he is in all financial transac- tions, and well may his fellow men repose their confidence in him, for it has never been betrayed in a single instance. He has also been one of the school board for a number of years, and the cause of education has found in him a friend. Mr. ]\Iiles has been thrice married. On the 17th of January, 1867, he wedded Mary C. \\^esler, of Tippecanoe City, and to them were born six children: Harry J., who is a government photographer at Matanzas, Cuba; Holland W., who died at the age of thirteen months; Herbert L., who is con- nected with the Interstate Association at Cincinnati; Jessie died in infancy; Earl is connected with the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, and is located at Xenia, Ohio; and Joseph R., who is as- sisting his brother, Harry J., in Cuba. The mother of this family died February 2, 1880, | and Mr. Miles was again married on the i 17th of August, 1882, his second union being with Jennie Kittering, whose death occurred March 8, 1884. He married his present wife October 26, 1887. She bore the maiden name of Ada Herman, and was the widow of Charles Dunhalter and the daughter of Jacob and Sopha Herman, of Cincinnati, Ohio. By this union there have been born two children: Xaomi I., who dietl in infancy: and Kathryn G. Mr. rallies maintains pleasant relations with the "boys in blue" through his con- nection with D. ^I. Rouzer Post, G. A. R., of Tippecanoe City, in which lodge he is a past commander. He also belongs to the Alasonic lodge, of Tippecanoe City, of Franklin Chapter, R. A. M., and of Cole- man Commandery, K. T., of Troy. In his religious l^elief he is a Baptist, and has taken an active part in the church work, serving as Sunday school superintendent for a num- ber of j'ears. His wife is a member of the Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Miles is a Republican, and has always given his earnest support to the party in wlnise princi- ples he so firmly believes, and at all times and under all circumstances he has been loyal to truth, honor and right. His business ca- reer has been crowned with success, which has been worthily won ; but he holds as in- finitely preferable to wealth the well-de- served esteem of his fellow men. He is a worthy representative of the honorable pio- neer families of Miami county, and in the history of this part of the state well deserves mention. JA:^IES R. RUSSELL. James R. Russell, who follows farming in Washington township, is a son of Thomas Russell, who was born in Augusta county, \'irginia. and at an early age in life GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 789 was left an orijhan. Some time after liis parents' death he accompanied his sister and two other iDrothers to Allen county, Ohio, where he was reared. There he married Miss Louisa Hubbell, and later removed to a farm half a mile from Troy, where he en- gaged in gardening. After the death of his wife he became a member of his son's household, there dying on the 19th of Jan- uary, 1879. He was a very kind-hearted man, ,honored and respected by all who knew him, and was a consistent member of the Baptist church, of Troy. In politics he was a life-long Democrat, never wavering in his support of the principles of the party. His children were: Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Matthias, who died in Darke county; Jane, who died in childhood; George Harrison and Sarah, who also died in childhood; James R. and George, who passed away in early life. James R. Russell was born on Novem- ber 13. 1847, 01'' the home farm near Troy, and was there reared to manhood. His educational privileges were very limited for when there was work to be done he was kept at home, and his attendance at school was thus greatly interrupted. His wages were given to his father until his marriage. On the 28th of December, 1869, he wedded Miss Malinda Smith and then rented a small home on a farm adjoining the property which he now owns. He started out in life in a \-ery humble way, working as a farm hand, but in time, as the result of his indus- try and economy, he accumulated enough money to purchase sixty acres for a farm. To this he has since added a tract of twenty- one acres, which is just across the line in Shelby county. He has erected a large modern barn and made other excellent im- provements upon his place, and now has a valuable property supplied with all conven- iences and modern accessories. Mrs. Russell is a daughter of Philip and Susan (Harmon) Smith. Her father was one of the early settlers of Newberry town- ship, and became actively identified with its agricultural interests. Nine children have been born of the union of our subject and his wife, namely : Margaret C., who was born September 28, 1870, and died in child- hood ; Susan Mary, who was born August 29. 1872, and is the wife of Wesley Lyon, of Piqua ; Lottie Luella, who was born Oc- tober 22, 1874, and is the wife of John Re- sor, of Piqua ; Sarah Jane, who was born August 31, 1876, and is the wife of Ellis Pearson, of Newberry township, Miami county; Thomas James, who was born Oc- tober I, 1879; Emma, born May 16, 1882; Clara Belle, born August 25, 1885; John Arthur, born January i, 1888; and Ivy Pearl, born April 16, 1898. Mr. Russell gives his political support to the Democracy and keeps well informed on the issues of the day but has never sought public office, his time and energies being given to farming interests. His life has been characterized by untiring industry and strong determination, and it is these quali- ties which ha\-e gained him a place among the substantial citizens of I\Iiami county. JOSEPH C. DOWLER. Joseph C. Dowler, deceased, was a high- h- respected citizen of Newberry township, Miami county, and his connection with agri- cultural interests made him a valuable factor in the improvement and development of the rich lands of this locality. He was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, October i, 1819, and was a son of William Dowler, whose birth oc- 790 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. curred September lo, 1792. For many years the father carried on agricultural pursuits, but for a short time prior to his death he engaged in conducting a grocery store in Clayton, Miami county, where he made his home until April 11, 1849, when called to his final rest. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Eleanor Rey, was born March 19, 1793, and died July 19, 1840. Their chil- dren were Jiiseph C. : Huldah Jane, who was born in October, 1821. and died in 1842; Margaret, who was born June 15, 1823, and is a widow residing in \\'ebster, Ohio ; Sarah Ann, who was born September 2, 1827, and died April 28, 1842; Rebecca, who became the wife of William H. Rike, and died in Miami county; James H., who was born July 8, 1830, and died April 27, 1842 ; and Mary Ellen, who was born August 22. 1832, and died April 25, 1842. By his second wife the father of our subject had two children : Emeline, who became the wife of Oliver Perry and removed to Missouri; and EUza, wife of Joshua Furnass, of Miami county. Mr. Dowler, of this re\iew, was provid- ed with good educational privileges and taught school for many years, being recog- nized as one of the successful educators in this section of the state. At an early day his father removed the family to Xewberry township and built a home in the midst of the forest. After his death ]Mr. Dowler, of this review, purcliased the old homestead from the other heirs and to its further develop- ment and improvement he devoted his ener- gies untiringly. Twice married, he first wedded Dorothy Snow, who was born Feb- ruary 6, 1829, and died on the old home- stead October 24, 1855. They had two chil- dren, but both died in early childhood. On the 14th of August. 1856, Mr. Dowler was again married, his second union being with Susannah Rike, who was born July 29. 18 18, in Montgomery county, Ohio, near Dayton. Her father, John Rike, was born and reared in ^Maryland and was a soldier in the war of 1812. At an early day he took up his abode in Montgomery comity, where he engaged in farming for many years, after which he re- moved to Newberry township, Aliami county, and located on a small tract of land which continued to be his home until his death. He wedded Catherine Shell, also a native of Maryland, and they became the parents of ten children, namely : Elizabeth, who became the wife of Samuel Ury and removed tn In- diana, where her death occurred ; ]Mrs. Dow- ler; Lydia, the widow of T. Ingle; Henr}-, who lived in Xewberry township and mar- ried Rebecca Dowler, a sister of our sub- ject ; Margaret, who became the wife of John McMaken and died in Xewberry town- ship; Adeline, wife of James Mc^Iaken; Reuben, who wedded Martha ^IcMaken, and died in X'ewberry township ; Joseph, who married Sally Ingle; Catherine, who is the wife of Joseph Caterlin. of Xewberry town- ship ; Mary, wife of Ewing ilcMaken ; and John, who married Emma Cooper and re- sides in Kansas. The father of this family died at the age of sixty-two years and the mother, long surviving, passed away at th.e advanced age of eighty-eight years. Airs. Dowler was reared in her native county in the home of an aunt, her parents having removed to Miami county. She re- ceived but limited educational privileges, for the schoolhouse was situated miles away from her aunt"s home and to reach it she had to make her way through dense forests, the trees having been blazed in order to indi- cate to the children the path which they must follow. She came to Miami countv GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 791 when twenty-one years of age and made her home with her parents until her marriage. She has always been a very industrious and energetic woman. During her girlhood she aided in supporting some of the other chil- dren of the family. She took in sewing, spun flax and wove and made their own clothes. After her marriage she became to Mr. Dowler a faithful helpmeet on life's journey. They resided upon a farm until their son, John W'.. was fifteen years of age, when they removed to Covington in order to provide him better educational privileges. At the end of six years, however, they re- turned to the farm, where Mr. Dowler carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred April i, 1892, his remains being interred in Highland cemetery. He was a devout Christian gentleman, a faithful mem- ber of the Presbyterian church; and over the record of his life there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He enjoyed the respect and good will of many friends and his death was deeply mourned throughout the community. Mr. Dowler is survived by his son and their only child, John W.. who is the present county surveyor of Miami coun- ty. He was born July 3, 1857, and was grad- uated in the Covington high school at the age of nineteen years. He wedded Mary Al- mina Freshower and they have two children — George L. and James. They reside at Troy, Ohio, and, like Mrs. Dowler, enjoy the warm regard of many friends. IRA C. MINNICH. Ira C. Alinnich carries on business in Georgetown as a dealer in buggies, bicycles and live stock. He possesses the essential qualifications of a successful merchant, being methodical and systematic in business, at all times reliable, manifesting uniform courtesy and the spirit of accommodation in his treatment of his patrons. In this way he has built up an extensive trade and is regarded as the leading representative of commercial interests in the town where he makes his home. He was born near Union, Montgom- ery county, Ohio, on the 23d of December, 1863. His father, Adam Minnich, is a re- tired farmer living in Georgetown. He was born in Montgomery county, near Salem, on the 6th of April, 1835, and the grandfa- ther of our subject was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared and married. In 183 1 he came to Ohio, taking up his abode near Brookville, Alont- gomery county, where he erected and operat- ed a grist-mill for several years. He then purchased sixty acres of farming land near Salem and thereon made his home for three years, after which he purchased ninety acres near Union, in the same county. On the latter farm he devoted his energies to agri- cultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life, and at the age of seventy-two was called to his final rest. He voted the Re- publican ticket and was a member of the German Baptist church, in the work of which he took an active interest. Both he and his v.-ife belonged to old Pennsylvania families. The latter is still living at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, and, like her husband, holds membership in the German Baptist church. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, of whom three are yet living. Adam Minnich, the father of our sub- ject, spent his boyhood days under the par- ental roof and assisted in the work of the farm until twenty-one years of age, when he rented land for eight years in Montgomery county. He then removed to Noble county, Indiana, where he bought an eighty-acre 792 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. farm, continuing its cultivation for two and a half years. He then sold that property and purchased land in Darke county, there carrying on agricultural pursuits until 1882, when he retired from active work and pur- chased property in Georgetown. He still owns the farm in Darke county. Here he has been engaged in contracting and build- ing, and at one time also conducted a butcher shop. He now owns eighty acres of land, and is a self-made man whose success is at- tributable entirely to his own efforts. He was married in Montgomery county to Cath- erine Ziegler, of that county, and they have five children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Granville W.. who is en- gaged in the grain business in Trotwood, Montgomery county; Solomon E.. who is engaged in the livery business at Arcanum ; Harvey C., superintendent of schools in Hillsboro, Ohio; and Ira C. The father is a Prohibitionist in his political views and for several years has capably filled the office of school director. Both he and his wife hold membership in the German Baptist church, are active in its work, and for eight years he served on the book and tract com- mittee. He was also a member of the mis- sion board for nine years. Ira C. Minnich spent his boyhood days on the home farm until seventeen years of age, when he entered upon an independent business career as a butcher and dealer in live stock for fourteen years, on the expiration of which period he disposed of his market, but continued dealing in live stock, and opened a store for the sale of vehicles. He has since added a stock of bicycles. He also has a large buggy repository and his sales in that and in the implement line are very extensive. His trade has constantly and steadilv increased, his honorable business methods securing him a liberal patronage. He sells more buggies for the Bimel Car- riage Company, of Sidney, Ohio, than any other merchant in the United States. His purchase and sale of live stock are also ex- tensive, and in his business career he exem- plifies the western spirit of enterprise for v.hich this section of the country is noted. In connection with other business interests he is a member of the Progress Telephone Company. He carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and his sound judgment in business affairs carries weight among his friends and associates. Mr. Minnich was united in marriage to Miss Amanda W'enger, daughter of Samuel \\'enger, of Union township. She died Sep- tember 27, 1884, and their only child died in infancy. On the sth of ]\Iarch, 1896, Mr. Minni-ch was again married, his second union being with Delia, daughter of Robinet Bran- don, of Xewton township. They have one son. Walter B., who is now four years old. In his political views Mr. Minnich is a Pro- hibitionist, believing most firmly in the adoption of stringent temperance meas- ures. His fellow townsmen recognized his worth as a citizen and his ability for the dis- charge of public duties and thus has he been three times chosen as a member of the citv council, serving now in his ninth year. He is also serving for the third term as presi- dent of the school board of his township, and his labors in behalf of the cause of education have been very effective and commendable. He withholds his support from no measure or movement which he believes will prove of public good and is recognized as one of the most valued citizens of Georgetown. His fidelity to principle is above question, and he is a popular, genial gentleman who has nianv warm friends. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 793 BENJAMIN LONGANECKER. A retired farmer ni;)\v living in George- town, Mr. Longanecker was born in Juniata county. Pennsyh-ania. on the 19th of June, 181 7, his parents being Henry and Annie (Hart) Longanecker. both of whom are na- tives of the Keystone state. Thence they came to this county; locating in Newton township, in 1834. They were members of the Dunkard church, and the father be- longed to the ministry of that denomina- tion. He lived to be eighty-two years of age. while his wife reached the age of se\-enty-five. The paternal grandfather of our subject also was born in Pennsylvania, where he died at an advanced age, but his father was a nati\-e of Germany and became the founder of the family in America. Under the parental roof Benjamin Longanecker spent the first seventeen years of his life and then came with the famih^ from Pennsylvania to Miami county. At the age of twenty-three years he began learn- ing the lilacksmith's trade, ^\•hich he fol- lowed in Georgetown for about ten years. He conducted a shop of his own and en- gaged in the manufacture of plows. On the expiration of that period, with the capital which he had acquired through his own well- directed efforts, he purchased a farm of sixty-five acres in Union township and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, continuing the cultivation of his land until 1888, when he rented the farm and retired from business life, taking up his abode in Georgetown. He has met with a fair de- gree of success in his undertakings, and still owns two farms, one of one hundred and twenty-five acres and another of eighty acres. He has also been called upon to set- tle four dift'erent estates, his business ability and trustworthiness well qualifying him for the position of administrator. On the 13th of December, 1838, Mr. Longanecker was married to Miss Rebecca ^Vellbaunl. who died on the 26th of July, 1849, leaving five children: Jeremiah, a resident of Kansas ; Samuel, who is livuig in Anderson, Indiana; Sarah Ann, the widow of William Mote, of Georgetown: and Joseph and Henry, twins, both of whom are now farmers in Preble county, Ohio. On the 14th of April, 1850, Mr. Longa- necker was again married, his second union being with Magdelena Wellbaum, of Miami county. She was bom, however, in Mont- gomery county, on the ist of November, 1825. and by her marriage has become the mother of eight children, all of whom are living, namely : Caroline, the widow of Michael Miller; Susanna, the wife of Levi Miller, a farmer of Darke county; Ephraim. who is engaged in agricultural pursuits; Ezra, M. D., of Anderson. Indiana; Davis and Harvey, who are farmers of Union township; Ella, the wife of Willis Stutz- man, a farmer near Georgetown; and Will- iam, a bookkeeper in Columbus, Ohio. In religious belief the parents are Dunk- ards, holding- membership in the church in Georgetown, and take an active part in its work and growth. He has been a deacon in the church for sixty years, and has done all in his power to advance the church work along its various lines. In his political views Mr. Longanecker is an earnest Re- publican, and keeps well informed on the issues of the day. He has served his county as supervisor for two or three terms, and in all relations of life his conduct and atti- tude has been influenced by high moral prin- ciple, and the golden rule has been his guide through a long, useful and active career. 794 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. He is now eighty-three years of age and can look back over the past with httle regret for opportunities left unimproved and for- ward to the future without fear. JOSEPH F. HASKETT. From one of the old families of South Carolina Mr. Haskett, of this review, is de- scended. His paternal grandparents were Isaac and Rebecca (Evans) Haskett, both of whom were natives of South Carolina, in which state they were reared and married. The grandfather was a farmer and carpen- ter, and came to Miami county about 1807, making the journey across the country on horseback. He settled near Ludlow Falls, and died when about se\'enty-eight years of age, his wife passing away at the age of eighty-two. They were both Quakers in religious belief. Thomas Haskett, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Union township, Miami county, November 22. 1809, and was reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier, for his boyhood embraced the earliest period in the pioneer development of this section of the state. His life was spent in farming and carpentering, and in 1S39 he purchased the farm now owned by the subject of this re- view. There he spent the remainder of his days, and was fairly successful in his busi- ness pursuits. He was called upon to act as school director, and took a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of the community. He held mem- bership with the Society of Friends, and died in the faith of that organization on the 20th of November, 1887, at the ad- vanced age of seventy-eight years. Thus was ended a long life spent entirely in Miami county, whose remarkable growth and progress he witnessed through four- score years. He had married . Luvenia Jones, who was born in Union township, De- cember 22, 181 5, her parents being Thomas and Sarah (Jones) Jones. Her father was a native of Georgia, her mother of South Car- olina, and both came to Miami cbunty about 1805. Mr. Jones was a farmer, cooper and shoemaker, and followed all three pursuits in the days of the county's early develop- ment. In 1 81 6 he removed to Darke coun- ty, and in the midst of the forest established a cabin home. He died upon that farm when about fifty years of age, after which his widow and her son removed to Indiana, where she died, at the age of eighty-three years. Both were members of the Friends' church. They had three children. The parents of our subject were married March 7, 1839, and they became the parents of eleven children, five of whom died in child- hood. Those still li\-ing are: Robert, who is engaged in the dry goods business in Chicago ; Reese and Byron, who are also in Chicago; Malinda, wife of Andrew J. Id- dings, a farmer of Union township; Joseph F., and Ledrew, who is engaged in the dry goods business in Spokane, Washington. The parents were members of the Friends' church, and took an acti\e part in its work. The mother is still living, and is a well pre- served old lady, now making her home with our subject. Joseph F. Haskett spent his boyhood daj's on the home farm and upon his father's death assumed the management of the prop- erty. Subsequently he purchased the farm, becoming the owner of eightv acres. He had obtained his elementary education in the district schools and afterward pur- sued his studies in Alilton and then entered Spiceland Academy, in Spiceland, Indiana. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. r95 He was then well fitted for life's practical and responsible duties. He now owns eighty acres of the old homestead property which his father improved, comprising one hundred and thirty acres, pleasantly situated about a mile from the village of West Mil- ton. This is a well improved farm under a high state of cultivation, and yields to the owner a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he has bestowed upon it. On the 4th of October. 1882, Mr. Has- kett as married to Miss Ada Hoover, a daughter of W. J. Hoover, of Union town- ship, and their home is now brightened by the presence of three chiklren — Mabel, Jes- sie and Robert. In his political views Mr. Haskett is a stanch Repuljlican and has served for sev- eral terms as a memljer of the school board, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend whose labors have greatly benefited the schools of the neighborhood. He holds membership with the Society of Friends and his wife is a member ofthe Christian church. They are widely and fa\-orably known in this community, and Mr. Haskett is an enter- prising and worthy citizen of Miami county, who through a long and active business ca- reer has always been loyal to the interests and welfare of his community. FREDERICK STEIL. Frederick Steil, the leading merchant of Troy, was born in Bavaria, Germany, No- vember 15, 1850. He is the son of John Steil, who was a teacher in the public schools of Ungstein, Bavaria, for many years, serv- ing in one school room from i860 to 1897. In the last named year he died, respected and honored by all. He was a graduate of the University of Kaisers Lantern, which is the normal school for the training of teachers in Bavaria. The school system of Germany is the best in Europe. The stu- dents are advanced step by step from one school to another, and the schools are noted for the thorough education of the pupils as they are promoted from one grade to an- other. Frederick Steil attended the public schools of his native place until ten years of age. when he was graduated to the Latin school, in which Latin, French and English are taught to the scholars, who begin the study of languages when they are about ten years of age. The scholars thus gain much time, as compared with the system of Ameri- can schools. In 1865, at the age of fifteen years, Mr. Steil emigrated to the United States and came to Troy at the special rec^uest of his uncle, Adam Steil, then a leading merchant of this city, who in 1859 founded the dry goods business which is now continued by the subject of this sketch. He entered his uncle's store as a clerk, and so continued un- til the death of his uncle, Adam Steil, in December, 1876, when he became the pro- prietor of the store. While a clerk he de- voted his leisure time to mastering the Eng- lish language until he became a good Eng- lish scholar. In the meantime he gave close attention to the mercantile business, famil- iarizing himself with all its details, until now he is one of the best posted merchants of ISIiami county. On October 28, 1875, Mr. Steil was united in marriage to Miss Christina Zieg- enfelder, a daughter of George Zieg- enfelder, of Troy. They have one son, William, who is a graduate of the Troy high school, of the class of 1899, and has en- tered his father's store with the resolve to 796 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. learn the mercantile business, having de- termined to make it his life's work. Under the experience and skillful tutelage of his fa- ther he will undoubtedly succeed, as he is a young man of good habits, active, energetic and popular. He has established an envia- ble reputation for strict integrity, and his store has a good patronage which is increas- ing year by year. The writer has known Frederick Steil for twenty-five years, and speaks from per- sonal knowledge in saying that Mr. Steil is a model American citizen, strictly attentive to business, and while he loves the father- land, he is yet devoted to the stars and stripes and the principles of personal and political liberty for which they stand. He is a thorough merchant, but he is also a stu- dent and a thinker, ^^'hile he affiliates with the Republican party he is not so partisan that he surrenders the right of his own per- sonal convictions on the policy that should control the government. He is a good citi- zen, and he and his wife are active working members of the German Lutheran church, of which he has been treasurer for twenty- five years, and is also a member of the offi- cial board. He is a member of the ^^lasonic order, and has progressed to the Knight Templar degree in Masonry. He is in the vigor and i^rime of mature manhood, and, happy in his family relations and prosper- ous in his Ijusiness, the future has for him a bright outlook of a long and useful life. CHARLES H. ^L\Y. The unostentatious routine of private life, although of vast importance to the wel- fare of the community, has not figured to any great extent on the pages of history. But the names of men who have distin- guished themselves by the possession of those qualities of character which mainly contrib- ute to the success of prixate Hfe and to the public stability, and who have enjoyed the respect and confidence of those around them, should not be permitted to perish. Their example is more valuable to the majorit)- of readers than that of heroes, statesmen and writers, as they furnish means of subsist- ence to the multitude whom they in their useful careers have employed. Such are the thoughts that involuntarily come to our minds when we consider the life of him whose name initiates this sketch, and who stands today as one of the leading owners of business property in Picjua. He was born in Troy, Miami county, on the 31st of March, 1859. He spent the first eleven years of his life in his native city, and then came with his parents to Piqua, where he continued his education in the public schools, receiving his business training in his father's drug store, where he was em- ployed continually until 1879. If there is in Piqua or Miami county one who is a self- made man in every sense of the word that man is Charles H. May, for when, in 1879, he left his Ohio home for Philadelphia to enter college he had but three dollars, and with no assistance from any one he made his way through the most noted college of pharmacy in America, the Philadelphia Col- lege of Pharmacy, and was graduated with honors in a class of two hundred and forty- one members, on the i6th of March, 1881, being the thirty-ninth in rank. He then re- turned to Picjua and the following Decem- ber purchased the drug store which had for- merly belonged to his father, conducting the enterprise with marked success until March, 1896, when he sold the store in order to de- vote his entire attention to his real estate in- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 797 terests. He was only tliirty-seven years of age at the time of his retirement. In the meantime he had made judicious invest- ments in property, both buying and selhng. He borrowed money to begin his real estate operations, and since his retirement from the drug business his attention has been ex- clusively devoted to the care and manage- ment of his property interests, to the collec- tion of rents and to the placing of invest- ments, so extensix-e and important has his business become. His income from his rents is greater than that of any other indi- vidual in the city. He probably owns more good rentable property than any man in Piqua, hax'ing some forty-fi\-e tenants in bus- iness houses. In the past ten years he has added to Piqua no less than fifteen or twenty storerooms, located on some of the most prominent corners of the city. He was at one time the owner uf the corner which is now owned and occupied by the Young Men's Christian Association. This he sold to the present owners for eleven thousand dollars, and then donated one thousand dol- lars to the organization. When the Daily Dispatch and Piqua Journal came into pos- session of the company by which it is now owned he became one of the organizers and leading stockholders of the company, and its president. The Dispatch was formerly a Republican paper, but he had it trans- formed into a Democratic journal, and as such it ranks first in the county. In November, 1882, Mr. May was mar- ried to Miss Carrie Ploch, of Piqua, daugh- ter of Frederick Ploch. and unto them were born five children, but three died in infancy. Those living are Florence and Gertrude. The parents are well known in this locality, - and their circle of friends is almost co-ex- tensive with their circle of acquaintances. Mr. May is one of the prominent and active Democrats of Miami county and chief of the Miami county board of deputy state super- visors. He did as much to nominate and elect Senator Long in 1895, ^^97 '^"^1 i899 as any other man in the county. On the ist of August, 1900, he was again appointed by the secretary of state one of the deputy state supervisors of elections for a two-years term, and on the organization of the board was again chosen its president. He has never sought office for himself, but is active in supporting the candidacy of his friends, and labors untiringly for the acceptance of Democratic principles. He never fails to attend state or national conventions, being at both in 1892 and again in 1896, when Cleveland and Bryan were nominated for the presidency. In religious belief he is a Lutheran, belonging to St. Paul's German Lutheran church, in which he is a trustee. As a business man he has been conspicuous among his associates, not only for his suc- cess, but for his probity, fairness and hon- orable methods. In everything he has been eminently practical, and this has not been manifest in his business undertakings only, but also in pri\-ate and social life. Having made his way through the world by his own efforts, he has always had a kindly sympa- thy for those whom he has found starting out in life as he started. Courteous in dis- position and manners, and at the same time warm-hearted and genial, he has drawn about him a circle of devoted friends. JOHN SHOEMAKER. Since attaining man's estate, and even in liis boyhood days, John Shoemaker has been actively connected with agricultural pursuits. He was born in Franklin county, Penn- 798 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. sylvania, on the 2d of August, 1829, his parents heing John and Catherine ( Min- nich) Shoemaker, in wliose family were six children, the surviving members being Cath- erine, widow of David Metzger, and John. The mother died when our subject was only five years of age and in 1S34 the father came with his family to Ohio, locating in Montgomery county, where he died about 1835. John Shoemaker then went to live with a cousin, with whom he remained for iive years. He came to Miami county when ten years of age, living with a maternal uncle, Wendell Minnich, in Newton township for a similar length of time. On the expiration of that period he began learning the wagon- maker's trade near Covington, being em- ployed by Mr. Jones for a few months; but abandoning that pursuit he accepted employ- ment as a farm hand, his time being thus employed until he was twenty years of age. In the fall of 1849, in company with two companions he started for Iowa, making the journey westward by stage and on foot. During the winter of 1S49-50 he removed to the city of Burlington, then a small hamlet, and in March of the latter year started for California with ox teams, going by the over- land route. On the 30th of July, of that year, he reached his destination and for fif- teen months followed prospecting and min- ing on the Pacific slope, meeting with a fair degree of success in his undertakings. He returned by way of the water route to New York and thence came to Pleasant Hill, where he began farming. His attention has since been devoted to agricultural pursuits and he now owns two valuable tracts of land, one of eighty acres, the other of forty acres. Mr. Shoemaker has been twice married. In 1853 he married Miss Gulaelma Cooper and unto them were born five children : John, deceased; jMarietta, wife of Samuel Strong; Sarah J., who has also passed away; David M., who married Emma Swift; and Clara, who is deceased. The mother of this family died in 1869 and in 1881 Mr. Shoemaker was again married, his second union being with Annie E. Snyder, daughter of Henry M. Snyder, of Frederick countv, Marjdand. 'Sir. Shoemaker is a Republican in his politi- cal associations and a Dunkard in religious faith. Those who have long known him and have watched his daily conduct regard him as a man of sterling worth, trustworthy and reliable, and as a representative farmer of Miami county he well deserves mention in volume. CAPTAIN SAMUEL D. PALMER. Captain Samuel D. Palmer is for the third time serving as mayor of the city of Covington. It is a well attested maxim that the greatness of a state lies not in its ma- chinery of government nor even in its insti- tutions, but in the sterling qualities of its mdividual citizens, in their capacity for high and unselfish effort and their devotion to the public good. Mr. Palmer is one whose official career is above c[uestion, and the fact that he has been chosen three times for the high- est office within the gift of the municipality is unmistakable evidence of his fidelity to duty and his efficiency in promoting the pub- lic welfare. A native of the Keystone state, he was born in Greencastle, Franklin county, Penn- sylvania, on the 19th of April, 1848. He rep- resents an old eastern family that was worth- ily represented in the war of the Revolution. His paternal grandfather, John Palmer, fol- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 799 lowed farming near Frederick, Maryland, in which locality his death occurred. When the colonies attempted to throw off the 3'oke of British oppression he joined the army and loyally aided in the case of indepenilence. Michael Palmer, the father of our subject, was born in Frederickstown, Maryland, and after arriving at years of maturity was mar- ried there to Elizabeth Rowe, daughter of John Rowe, who was born in England and emigrated to America, taking up his resi- dence near Frederickstown. He made the voyage in company with his parents, for he was at that time but a small boy. He died on a farm in Maryland, leaving a widow and one daughter, Elizabeth. After his death Mrs. Rowe was again married, and Iw the second union had two children : Daniel, who died near Lewisburg, Ohio; and Jane, who was married and died near Brownsboro, Maryland. Soon after their marriage Mich- ael and Elizabeth (Rowe) Palmer removed to Greencastle, Pennsylvania, where the fa- ther carried on farming until his death, which occurred in 1878. His wife passed away the previous year, when sixty-nine years of age, her birth having occurred near FretIerickstown,Marylandiin 1808. The chil- dren of Michael and Elizabeth Palmer were as follows : Joshua, who married Kate Det- rich and is living in Franklin county, Penn- sylvania ; Hezekiah, of Frederick, Maryland; Julia Ann, wife of Peter Smith, of Green- castle, Pennsylvania; Peter, of Kansas City, Missouri ; Daniel, who married Anna Gush- ard and is living in Hannibal, Missouri ; Jo- seph, whose home is in Apton, Pennsylvania; Rebecca, wife of Daniel Mowen, of Green- castle, Pennsylvania; Catherine; Jonathan, of Kingston, Missouri, who was a member of Company K, One Hundred and Twenty- sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, and of the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, and married Amanda Apensellers; Levi, who died in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, at the age of thirty-eight years; George F., of Gettysburg, Ohio, who married Laura Shade and during the Civil war served as a member of Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Lifantry, and of the Second Ohio 1\\- fantry; Simon, of Greencastle, Pennsyl- ania, who was a member of Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Pennsyl- nia Lifantry, and afterward joined the First Cavalry Regiment of that state; Samuel D., of this review ; Jacob, who married Annie Cump, and is living in Franklin county, Pennsylvania; and Elizabeth, wife of John Kuhn, of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. Captain Palmer, whose name introduces the initial paragraph of this review, pur- sued his education in the public schools of his native town until his fourteenth year. His school life ended very abruptly, owing to the Civil war. At the age of thirteen he was a member of the Pennsylvania state militia. Each school district was organized, and the boys daily met at the schoolhouse to drill. While the battles of South Mountain and Antietam were being fought those youthful soldiers were doing guard duty between Hagerstown, Maryland, and Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and right well did they per- form the task assigned to them, keeping a strict watch of the enemy who threatened a general invasion of the Keystone state. Not content with such amount of service, how- ever, Captain Palmer patriotically offered his services to the government as a regular volunteer, enlisting in Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Pennsylvania Lifantry. Owing to his extreme youth a brother was sent to bring him l)ack from the army, and after three months' service with 800 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. his regiment Captain Palmer, much against his will, was obliged to return home. On the 1 8th of February, 1864, however, when fif- teen years of age, he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company K. Thirty-fourth Ohio Infantry, afterward the Thirty-sixth Ohio Regiment. On the nth of January, 1865, he was taken prisoner, and after being incarcerated in Libby prison for three months w as paroled. The morning of his capture he waded Green river before sunrise, when the thermometer was twelve degrees below zero. When paroled he was sent to the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, and was also in the hospital at Camp Chase for a time. \\'hen he had somewhat recuperated his health he joined his regiment in the latter part of April, 1865, at Winchester, and remained with his command until the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge at Colum- bus, Ohio, in July, 1865. He then returned to his home in Gettysburg, this state, and well may he be proud of his militarj' record, for as a soldier boy he displayed bravery equal to that of many a time-tried veteran. While at the front he participated in the following engagements : Wjtheville, Vir- ginia; Cloud ^Mountain, Staunton, Lexing- ton, Buchanan, Lynchburg, all in \'irginia in 1864; Liberty, Snicker's Gap, Meadow Biufif, Martinsburg, Monocacy, Maryland, Stevenson's Station, both battles at Winches- ter, Xew Town, \'irginia. Cedar Creek, Fisher's Hill and Beverly. \'irginia, January II, 1865. On recovering his health Captain Palmer was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1880, Vhen he removed to Covington. He has always been deeply interested in military affairs and has been actively identified with the Ohio National Guards. In 1875 he was instrumental in organizing Company L, of the Fifth Battalion, afterward the Third Ohio Regiment, and was elected first ser- geant on the 1st of May of that year. On the 1 2th of February. 1876, he became sec- ond lieutenant and on the loth of September, 1880, was commissioned first lieutenant, while on the 9th of April, 1881, he became captain, serving in that capacity until July 4, 1 89 1. On the 28th of July, 1895, he was appointed captain of Company A, Third Regiment of Covington, and on the outbreak of the Spanish- American war he took his company to Columbus, arriving in that city on the 26th of April, 1898, and was with his company until May 10. There he was placed on the retired list, but when the company re- turned he again assumed command, and was re-elected captain January 28, 1900, for five years. He is a valued and prominent mem- ber of Langston Post, G. A. R., and in De- cember, 1898, was elected commander, to which position he was re-elected in Decem- ber, 1899, so that he is the present incum- bent. He is also a member of the Masonic and Knights of Pythias orders. On the 13th of June. 1869. Captain Pal- mer was married, in Gettysburg. Ohio, to Miss Belle Hill, who was born March 2, 1850, and is a daughter of Samuel and Eliza- beth Hill. Two daughters have graced their union — Ida }vlaud, who is now the wife of William Eichelbarger, of Piqua : and Lor- etta Pearl, who was born May 7, 1873, and is the wife of Dr. Walter B. Carey, of Phila- delphia, Pennsyhania, by whom she has one child, Bernard Palmer. The Captain and his wife hold membership in the Methodist church, in which he has served as steward and class-leader. In politics he is a stalwart Republican and on that ticket has been elect- ed for the third time as mayor of the city. He handles the reins of government with a 1 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 801 steady hand and exercises is official preroga- tive in support of all measures which he be- lieves will promote the material prosperity and general welfare of the city. Outside of office he has also given a generous support to the movements which he believes will prove a public good. At this point it would be almost tauto- logical to enter into any series of statements as showing our subject to be a man of broad iritelligence and genuine public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines of this review. Strong in his individual- ity, he never lacks the courage of his convic- tions, but they are, as dominating elements in his individuality, a lively human sympathy and an abiding charity which, as taken in connection with the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained to Captain Palmer the respect and confidence of men. WILLIAAI KOETITZ. The beauty of a city depends largely upon its architecture, and to those who design and construct its buildings is due the credit of the position it holds in this direction. Among the firms that have done a large amount of the work which adorns the streets and avenues of Tippecanoe City is the Tip- pecanoe Building and Manufacturing Com- pany, of which Mr. Koetitz is the superin- tendent and architect. In this way he has aided materially in the upbuilding, progress and improvement of the city, and in business circles he occupies an enviable position, being widely and favorably known for his reliability as well as for his excellent work- manship. A native of Germany. Mr. Koetitz was born on the 7th of Februarv, 1858. in the 47 town of \\'eimar. His parents were August and Caroline Koetitz, in whose family were eight children, four sons and four daughters. In the public schools of his native town Ihe subject of this review acquired his education, and when fifteen years of age started out to earn his own living, serving an apprentice- ship at the carpenter and joiner's trade. He also learned the mason's trade, and after completing a five-years apprenticeship he spent one year in a training school. Later he entered the German army, in accordance with the laws of that land, serving for three years in a military organization. In the fall of 1 88 1 he resolved to come to America, believing that he might better his financial conditions here. Accordingly he crossed the Atlantic and made his way direct to Tippecanoe City, where he entered the em- ploy of the C. Trupp Manufacturing Com- pany, in the capacity of foreman. He con- tinued his connection as an employe of that firm until October, 1887, when he pur- chased an interest in the business and was made the superintendent. In 1895 the busi- ness was reorganized, the plant was im- proved and enlarged and the name of the Tippecanoe Building & Manufacturing Com- pany was chosen. Since that time Mr. Koetitz has served as superintendent and ar- chitect for the compan}', which is extensively engaged in the manufacture of lumber, op- erating saw-mills and planing-mills. In ad- dition it does contracting and building on a large scale and has erected many of the finest structures in the town. Many of the attractive residences of Tippecanoe City stand as monuments to the skill and enter- prise of Mr. Koetitz. who ranks very high in building circles. On the 1st of January. 1882. Mr. Koetitz was united in marriage to Miss Johanna 802 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Westphal, and they now have three children, Lizzie, Walter and Herman. Mr. Koetitz is a member of the Royal Arcanum and the German Lutheran church. He spends con- sideral)le time in the study of the political questions and issues of the day and gives an earnest support to the principles of the Re- publican party. From the "little Gorman home across the sea" he made his way to the new world and entered upon a career which is indeed enviable on account of the- prosper- ity which has attended it, and yet his success is not the outcome of propitious circum- stances but is the honest reward of labor, without which qualities no man can win good management, ambition and energy, prosperity. I JOHN C. HENDERSON. Devoting his energies to farming and the manufacture of lumber, Mr. Henderson is recognized as a leading and influential business man of Union township, Miami county. He was born in Brown county, Ohio, July 22, 1837. His father, Jonathan Henderson, was born July 2^, 1797,. '" Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, and w-as reared upon a farm, remaining with his parents until about twenty-eight years of age, when he began farming on his own account, locat- ing on a tract of land in the midst of the forest. This was about 1825, and his home was located near Winchester, Ohio, where he built a log cabin and improved a good property. There he successfully carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-eight years of age. He became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres and his farm yielded to him a good return for the care and labor he be- stowed upon it. His support was given the Democracy, and his fellow townsmen, rec- ognizing his worth and ability, frequently called him to public office. He was a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church and his well spent and upright life commended him to the confidence and regard of all with whom he was associated. His wife bore the maiden name of Nancy Carl, and was born in Adams county, Ohio, in 1823, but died in Brown county, February 20, 1894, at the age of seventy-one years. She held mem- bership with the Christian church. In the family of this worthy couple were ten chil- dren, namely : Andrew, Ellen, ^Nlary, Eliza- beth, John C, Joseph, William, Michael, and two who died in infancy. During the days of his boyhood and youth John C. Henderson, of this review, worked on the home farm, following the plow almost from the time he was large enough to reach the handles. He continued with his parents until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1862 he organized a wagon train of twenty-five men for gibvernment work and spent the succeeding twenty-three months as a wagon-master. In that capac- ity he traveled through Kentucky, Tennes- see, Virginia and Georgia, but spent most of the time at Lexington, Kentucky. He was at Knoxville, Tennessee, however, Avhen that city was besieged. \\'hen aliout two years had passed, he returned to Hamilton county, Ohio, where he was married and en- gaged in the drug business and also follow- ing teaming. Three years later he went to Cincinnati, and in 1865 he came to Miami county, operating a rented farm in LTiion township for two years". In 1867 he erected his saw-mill on section 24, Union township, and in 1869 he purchased a mill on the Day- ton & Western Railroad in Darke county. In 1871 he purchased another mill near GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 803 Castine, Darke county, operating the three mills at the same time. They were located about six miles apart, but he gave to each his personal supervision and ilie enterprises proved profitable. After seven months, however, he disposed of one mill and re- moved the Darke county mill to Pittsburg, same county. He has since operated that mill and the one in Union township, and the careful prosecution of his business interests has brought to him a good financial return. In 1875 hs purchased his home farm, comprising fifty-seven acres, and in 1878 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Paulding county, Ohio. The quar- . ter-section was then a tract of timlier land but is now highly improved. In 1877 he purchased forty acres of timber land in Darke county, which he also cleared and improved, and in 1889 he bought forty acres in Monroe township, Darke county. In 1897 he be- came the owner of one hundred and fort\'- seven acres in Union township, Miami coun- ty, and here he has a splendidly improved property, on which are found all moder.n ac- cessories and conveniences. For the past twenty years he has been engaged in raising tobacco and he carries on this work along very progressive lines. On his farm he has sheds in which to cure the tobacco, and ware- houses in West Milton in which to store it. He does an extensive business in the manu- facture of lumber, his sales annually in- creasing. March 17, 1864, Mr. Henderson was married in Hamilton county, Ohio, to Miss Elizabeth Markley, and to them were born two children : Emma, now the wife of Charles Coppock, a resident of Laura, this county; and John W., who is in partnership with Mr. Coppock in the mercantile and grain business at Laura. The mother died No- vember 5, 1885, and Mr. Hende^-son after- ward married Miss Mary Herman, of Union township, a daughter of Christian and Mary (Kojel) Herman, who were both natives of Germany. His political support is given to the Democracy and he takes quite an active part in the work of the party, doing all in his power to promote its growth and to insure its success. He has served as a trustee for ten or twelve years, and after serving one term as county commissioner was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of county com- missioners at a time when all of the county officers were Republicans. He is so loyal and true to his duty that he commands the respect and confidence of even his political opponents and is recognized as a representa- tive citizen. Both he and his wife hold membership in the United Brethren church and to its support he has been a liberal con- tributor. He was one of the building com- mittee and has been one of the trustees since the edifice was completed. JACOB M. FRIEDLICH. One of the distinctively representative citizens of Troy, Jacob M. Friedlich has by earnest and consecutive efifort gained an ad- vanced position in mercantile circles, and is now in control of an extensive commercial enterprise of Miami county. He was born in Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania. February 16, 1846. His father, Moses Friedlich, removed from Pennsylva- nia to Piqua, Ohio, in 1849, and for almost fifty years was extensively engaged in the clothing business there, during which time he built up an excellent patronage and was widely known and uniformly respected throughout Miami county. He also en- 804 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. gaged in the lirukerage business, and was vice-president of the Citizens' Bank, aiding in the organization of that sound financial institution. After a long and useful life of about eighty-one years he was called to his final rest, and in his death the community lost one of its valued and representative citi- zens. He was married in the Keystone state to Miss Emma Abel, a native of Ger- many. Dr. Jacoby, of New York city, who is not only a professor in medical colleges, but a medical author of renown, is a nephew of Mrs. Friedlich, and was reared by her in the fatherland. He was associated with Carl Schurz in the Revolution in Germany in 1848. Together they were imprisoned for one year and then pardoned by King William of Prussia. Dr. Jacoby went to England, and thence came to America. The friendship between him and Mr. Schurz continues with undiminished strength to the present time. The Doctor has attained marked eminence in his profession, and was one of twenty medical men who were sent as representatives of the United States to the World's Medical Congress in Berlin. He was at that time offered the life chair by the emperor, but declined the honor on ac- count of the love which he bore for his adopted land. Mr. Friedlich, whose name introduces this review, pursued his education in the schools of Piqua, and in the Commercial College, of Cincinnati. He then went into business with iiis father and gained practi- cal experience in the methods of mercantile life. On leaving Piqua he removed to Chi- cago, and about twenty-three years ago came to Troy, where he established a large cloth- ing store. The reliable and honorable busi- ness methods which he learned from his fa- ther he has followed in his career here, and his labors have, therefore, been attendetl by success. He has direct regard for the ethics of commercial life, and at all times is court- eous and just in his treatment of patrons. In Chicago, on the 19th of January, 1872. was celebrated the marriage of ]\Ir. Friedlich and Miss Esther Kling. Her par- ents lived in a residence which at one time was built and owned by a brother of Charles Dickens. This Mr. Dickens afterward be- came estranged from the family and was not recognized by his brother, the celebrated author, on the latter's \-isit to Chicago, for which the English writer was greatly blamed by many people. The house was built in the old English style and was a landmark of the community, but was destroyed in the great fire of 1871. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Friedlich have been born two children, Mau- rice and Alfred. The elder is now engaged in business with his father, and displays much of the ability shown by the subject of this review and by the grandfather, Al- fred is now a student in the law department of the Ohio State University, in which he will graduate with the class of 1900, at the age of twenty-two, a most creditable record made by few young men. He is a grad- uate of the Troy high school, of 1896, and is a young man of marked intellectuality, who will undoubtedly win distinction in his chosen profession. His strong mental force is supplemented by a most genial and companionalile manner which makes him a favorite in the best society of Troy and in Columbus. Mr. Friedlich is a member of the Masonic lodge, of Troy, to which his son Maurice als.o belongs, and is likewise a valued representative of the Odd Fellows society and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In business circles he en- joys a high reputation, and his name is GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 805 linked with all that is best in the commu- nity. He belongs to that class of represent- ative American citizens who readily lend their co-operation to every movement for the public good, and his worth to the com- munity is largely recognized both in busi- ness and social circles. HARRY G. RINEHART. "Earn thy reward ; the gods give naught to sloth," said the sage. Epicharmus, and the truth of the admonition has been verified in human affairs in all the ages which have rolled their course since his day. The sub- ject to whose life history we now direct at- tention has, by ceaseless toil and endeavor, attained a marked success in business af- fairs, has gained the respect and confidence of men, and is recognized as one of the dis- tinctively representative citizens of Troy. A native of Maryland, he was born in Carroll county, on the 4th of September, 1864. His father, Israel Clay Rinehart, was a native of the same county, while the grandfather's birth occurred in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. The family is one of long connection with the history of this country, and many of its representatives ha\'e gained distinction in Maryland, Penn- sylvania and the western states. Israel Clay Rinehart is a brother of William Rinehart, the celebrated American sculptor whose studio, in Rome, is the center of the highest art in his line. He won the most favorable criticism of the critics of the world, and his productions will live among the classics of his age. He was called upon by the Ameri- can government to complete the bronze doors of the capitol, begun by Thomas. Va- rious sculptures of Central Park, New York, are some of his most admired works, and a number of beautiful statues resulting from his creative genius adorn the parks of Balti- more. Another brother, Daniel Rinehart, was a captain in the Union army during the civil war, and loyally aided in establishing the supremacy of the government at Wash- ington. A third brother is a respected citi- zen of Troy, Ohio. The mother of our sub- ject, who bore the maiden name of Lucinda Englar, was also born in Carroll county. Maryland, and represented a family of the highest respectability. Harry Grant Rinehart, whose name in- troduces this review, acquired his prelimina- ry education in the public schools, displaying marked aptitude in his studies. Later more advanced opportunities were afforded him and he became a student in Bridgewater College, of Virginia. After determining upon a commercial career, he fitted himself for business life by completing his educa- tion in the normal school at Valparaiso, In- diana. On laying aside his text-books he came to Chicago, where his ability was rec- ognized by some of the leading firms and corporations of the city. At different times he was employed by Hibbard, Spencer, Bart- lett & Company, the Commercial National Bank and the Pearson Lumber Com- pany, with each of which he filled confi- dential positions, including the service of private secretary. Failing health caused him to leave the city and seek an employ- ment which would enable him to have more outdoor exercise. Accordingly, in 1891, he took up his residence upon a fine farm about five miles from Troy, in Elizabeth township, Miami county, and there he engaged in rais- ing grain and stock and was quite success- ful in his endeavors. In 1897 he estab- lished an agricultural implement business in Troy, and has succeeded in building up 80(5 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. a large patronage. He does not act as agent for manufactories Ijut buys his ma- chinery, wagons and plows direct, and is the owner of the stock which he carries. His popularity among the farmers of the dis- trict is most marked, and his honorable busi- ness methods, keen discernment and unflag- ging industry ha\'e secured to him a large trade, which he well deserves. In 1890 Mr. Rinehart was married in Troy to Miss Martha Studebaker, and their union has been blessed with three interest- ing children — Fred Grant, Eugene Frank and Grace Louise. The family have a very pleasant home upon the farm, and Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart enjoy the esteem of a large circle of friends. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have for a second time elected him to the office of clerk of Elizabeth township. In politics he is active and unflinching in his support of Republican principles, and is a recognized leader in the ranks of his party in his com- munity. His sterling worth commends him to the confidence and respect of all who know him, and for the success which he has achieved lie deserves great credit, as it has been won entirelv through his own efforts. GUST.W'US S. HUNT. One of the contractors and builders of Piqua is Gustavus S. Hunt, whose labors have contributed not alone to his individual prosperity, but have also advanced the mate- rial improvement of the city. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 6, 1842, a son of Nathaniel Hunt, a native of New York, born on the 14th of May, 1810. There the father was reared and married, the lady of his choice Iieing Sophia Kenney, who also first opened her eyes to the light of day in New York state. Nathaniel Hunt became a brick mason and ultimately a contractor, and in 1854 he removed to Piqua where he carried on business along that line, until his death, which occurred on the 25th of May, 1 87 1. He did quite an extensive business, and many of the substantial structures of the city stand as monuments to his skill and enterprise. He was quite successful, start- ing out in life empty-handed and steadily working his way upward to a position among the substantial citizens of Piqua. He was left an orphan when a lad of ten years, and thus early thrown upon his own re- sources he deserved great credit for what he accomplished. In his political views he was a Republican, and in religious faith was a Methodist, his wife also belonging to the same church. In the family of this worthy couple were nine children. Gustavus Stevens Hunt was about twelve years of age when he accompan:od his parents on their removal to Piqua. Here he attended school until fourteen years of age, when he began working with his father, continuing as his assistant until the latter's death. Not long afterward he began con- tracting and building on his own account, and in 1874 he formed a partnership with ]\Ir. Scudder, which relationship has since been maintained under the firm name of Hunt & Scudder. They have long enjoyed a verv liberal patronage, have erected nearly all of the schoolhouses in the town since 1874. and many of the other important buildings, including the Stove Works, the Bent Wood Factory, the Oil Mill and oth- ers hardly less important. They faithfully perform the terms of a contract and enjoy a very high reputation for reliability in liusi- ness circles. ]\Ir. Hunt has been twice married. He GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 807 first wedded Martha Hunter, of Piqua, and unto them were horn two children. After the death of his first wife he married Alice Osborn. and in Piqua they are widely and favorably known. In his political affiliations Mr. Hunt is a stalwart Republican who keeps well in- formed on the issues of the day, and does all in his power to promote the growth and success of his party. During the civil war he manifested his loyalty to the government by enlisting on the 7th of August, 1862, as a member of Company A, One Hundred and Tenth Infantry, serving until May, 1865, when he was honorably discharged on ac- count of wounds. He participated in the battles of Winchester, the seven days' bat- tle of the Wilderness, Petersburg and Occo- quan Creek, \\here he was wounded in Sep- tember. 1864. l:)y a gunshot wound in the left thigh. He then spent some time in hos- pitals in Baltimore and Columbus, when he was honorably discharged. His was a cred- itable military record — one of which he has every reason to be proud. He is now a member of Alexander Post, G. A. R.. of Piq- ua, and also belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge here. He is now serving his fourth term as cemetery trustee, and is a citizen whose interest in the welfare and progress of Piqua is manifest in many substantial ways. He holds membership and is deacon in the Presbyterian church, and is now serving as registrar of the Sunday school. PHILIP H. TRACY. Philip H. Tracy was born in Hocking county, Ohio, near the city of Logan, Octo- ber 5, 1840, his parents being James and Su- sanna (Canfield) Tracv, who continued their residence in Hocking county, until 1855, when they removed to Athens county, Ohio. There the subject of this review was reared and married, the public schools of the neigh- borhood affording him his educational priv- ileges. He gave earnest thought to ques- tions which engaged the attention of the country prior to the ci\-il war, and when the dissatisfaction of the south resulted in bring- ing on hostilities between the two sections of the country he resolved to strike a blow in defense of the Union. Accordingly, on the 5th of Angus'., 1 86 1, he enlisted as a private in Company B. Seventy-fifth Ohio Infantry, for three years, and was mustered in at Athens. The first engagement in which he participated was at Monterey, Virginia, and later he took part in the battles at Bull Pas- ture, McCoy's Mills, Franklin, Virginia, Winchester and Cross Keys. He was with the army in its movements in the Shenandoah vallev, his regiment being a part of the Elev- enth Army Corps. Later he participated in the battle of Cedar Mountain, the encounter with the rebels at Rappahannock Bridge, the engagements at White Sulphur Springs and Waterloo and the second battle of Bull Run. On account of disability, however, he re- ceived an honorable discharge in the Army Square Hospital, in Washington, D. C, De- cember 31, 1863. Immediately afterward I\Ir. Tracy re- turned to his home, remaining there until 1865, when he removed to Custer, in Wood county, Ohio, where he engaged in team- ing until 1870. He then became associated with the Howe Sewing Machine Company as general agent for Putnam, Wood and Paulding counties. In 1871 he went to Ot- tawa, Ohio, where he continued in the sew- ing machine business until 1874, when he became the manager of the business of Lewis 808 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Cook, the great carriage manufacturer of Cincinnati, having charge of his interests in the states of Mississippi and Alabama. He continued in that capacity from 1874 until 1876, having six men under his sui:)er- vision. He then formed a connection with Rice, Brown & Comi)any, wheel manufac- turers, of Ottawa, as traveling salesman and represented that house on the road for six years. On the expiration of that period he became a traveling salesman for Anderson, Frazier & Company, wheel manufacturers, with which firm he remained for eighteen months, when he came to Tippecanoe City and entered the employ of Ford & Company, wheel manufacturers. This relation was formed in 1883, and through thirteen con- secutive years he was a traveling salesman for that house, which fact indicates his fitleli- ty and capability. He was one of the most trusted employees of the firm and one of their most expert salesmen. In 1898 Mr. Tracy purchased the Nat Buckles livery stable at Tippecanoe City and his since conducted that business, a liberal patronage being accorded him. On the 31st of December, 1863, Mr. Tracy was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Simmons, a native of Nelsonville, Athens county, Ohi(j, and thev nijw have one child, Nettie, who is at home with her father. The mother died October 8, 1898. Mr. Tracy is a valued and ])rominent member of the D. M. Rouzer Post. G. A. R., served as its adjutant for three years and is now its commander. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and gives his political support to the men and measures of the Re])ublican party. Through his business interests he has formed a wide acquaintance throughout Ohio and other states, and wherever he is known he is held in the highest regard, owing to his genial manner, unfailing courtesy and sterling quali- ties. FRANK EDGAR SCOBEY. Frank Edgar Scobev was born in Miami city, Miami county, Ohio, February 27, 1866. He is the son of William and IMar- tha J. ( X'andeveer ) Scobey. His paternal grandfather was John Scobey and his ma- ternal grandfather was Arthur A. Vande- veer. a well-known and respected citizen of Miami county, who was born in \\'arren county, Ohio, February 7, 1807. and re- moved with his father to Miami county in 181 5, residing for many years on the farm in Elizabeth township where his death oc- curred. The date of his death was March 8, 1880. William Scobey. the father of our subject, was a farmer in his boyhood and early manhood. He enlisted, June 20, 1861, at the age of twenty-two, in Company D, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with that regiment for three years; was promoted to corporal January 26, 1862; was severely wounded in the bloody battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 1863; and was mustered out with the company, June 21, 1864. He was a bra\'e soldier and par- ticipated in a number of the great battles of the war. He came home with impaired health and died in Troy, March 11. 1883, leaving a wife and one child, the subject of this sketch, who was then a youth of seven- teen years. There was but little to live upon, yet bra\ely the mother and son took up the battle of life, and upon the latter, to a great extent, fell the duty of supporting his widowed mother. He had not the opportunity of complet- ing his education, but in the school of expe- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ?09 rience he was an apt scholar. He worked at whatever he could find to do, and in early manhood there came the opportunity to place himself and widowed mother in comfortable circumstances. He secured a responsible position as the agent, at Troy, for the Stand- ard Oil Company, in which business he dis- played so much industry and was so success- ful that he secured the control of their goods in this and adjoining counties as a wholesale dealer. The business prospered in his hands and he made money, but his close application to his work and exposure in all kinds of weather undermined his health, and his lungs becoming affected he was advised by his physicians to seek a change of climate. He sold out his busi- ness and spent three years in constant travel in search of health. During this time he visited the far west, crossed the Rocky mountains, and spent some time in the min- ing districts of the western states. He also traveled through the scflithern states and spent five consecutive winters in Texas and Florida. This, with his indomitable will, has apparently driven from his system the disease that threatened his life and he is apparently in the enjoyment of a strong, robust physical manhood. In 1894 he formed a partnership with his uncle, J. F. Vande\^eer, in the livery business, which connection continues to the present time. In the spring of 1897 Mr. Scobey an- nounced himself as one of the seven candi- dates before the people for the ofiice of sher- ifl' of Miami county. In the Republican primary election he received the largest num- ber of votes and consequently his name was placed on the ticket. Then followed a cam- paign that in many respects was noted in the history of Miami county. The compet- itor of Mr. Scobey endeavored to defeat him on the ground of his youth, claiming that it was an act of presumption for him to as- pire to the office of sheriff. He was called an "upstart" and various other names in the vocabulary of jealousy and envy, but after a bitter contest he won the election with a plurality of six hundred and seventy-eight votes. In 1899 he was renominated without opposition in his own party, and his record as an able and efficient sheriff was such that the Dertiocratic party made no nomination against him, so that he was re-elected with- out opposition. On the /th of May, 1889, at Covington, Ohio, Mr. Scobey was united in marriage to Miss Mayme Barrington. She was a teacher in the public schools of that village and a lady of talent and education. She is the daughter of George Barrington, a prominent merchant of Covington. A daughter was born to this union October 23, 1896, but the babe died August i, 1897. It was a sad be- reavement to the young parents, but in a biographical sketch it is not for the writer to tell the story of the little flower that came and passed away, for they gave "in tears and pain the flower they most did love." Mr. Scobey and his wife are members of the Troy Methodist Episcopal church. He is also prominent in \-arious social and benevolent orders, is a Knight Templar, a prominent member of Lodge No. 43, I. O. O. F., and a leading' member of the Trojan Lodge of the Knights of Pythias. Mrs. Scobey is likewise a valued member of the church and social circles of Troy, and is a prominent representative of the Altrurian Club of this city. The reader of this sketch will observe that the life of Mr. Scobev is an example of what a man can accomplish under adverse circumstances. He is a self-made man. pos- 810 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. sessing a strong will, untiring energy and de- termination that does not know the word fail. He is pleasant and courteous to all, but yet preserves his own individuality and is firm in his own opinions. He has the ele- ments within him of popularity and suc- cess. He has behind him an honorable rec- ord and success achieved in the years of early manhood, while before him is a future of possibility. E. s. w. DAVID DAVIS. In one of the most beautiful homes in Miami count}' David Davis resides, the place of his residence being only about a mile from West Milton. Here he owns one hun- dred and forty-eight acres of rich and arable land, the greater part of which is under a high state of cultivation, yielding to the owner a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon it. He was born in the township where he now makes his home January 2/. 1831. His father, Ben- jamin Davis, was a native of Georgia and was of Welsh lineage, for the paternal grandfather, Abiather Davis, emigrated from Wales to the new world when a young man, taking up his abode in Georgia. He was married in that state and came to Miami county, Ohio, where he entered a section of land, upon which the town of W'est ]\Iil- ton is now built. After recording his claim he went to Elkton, Ohio, where he remained for a couple of years and then removed to his farm, taking up his abode thereon when there was only one house in this section of the county. His land was covered with a dense growth of timber, but with character- istic energy lie began to clear it and soon the fields were yielding to him abundant harvests. He made that his homestead and continued to reside there until his death, which occurred when he was about eighty- seven years of age. In politics he was a \\'hig and was a member of the Friends' church. He had four sons : Annas, Sam- uel, John and Benjamin, and to each of his children he gave one hundred and sixty acres of land. His sons are all now de- ceased. Benjamin Davis, the father of our sub- ject, was a native of Georgia and with his parents came to Miami county in 1802, when ten years of age. Here he spent many years and was an eye witness of the pio- neer development and growth of the county. In 1856 he sold his farm in this county and removed to Lee county, Iowa, but in the meantime he had engaged in merchandising at West Milton for several years and was also interested in an oil mill there. After his removal to the Buckeye state he pur- chased three hundred acres in Lee county, and there followed farming until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-four years of age. He was reared in the fa-ith of the Society of Friends, but as he married outside of that church his connection there- with was severed. Miss Margaret Fetters, who became his wife, was born in Pennsyl- vania and emigrated to Miami county when about twenty years of age. She died in 1847, leaving several^ children. In the fam- ily were, ten, but four of the number died in infancy, the others being Sarah, now deceased ; David, of this review ; Susan, who is living in Lincoln, Nebraska ; Margaret, a resident of Piatt county, Illinois ; AX'illiam H., of Oregon, who died Alay 18, 1900; and George, a farmer and dairyman of Lee county, Iowa. In his political views Mr. Davis was a ^^'llig until the dissolution of the party, when he jijined the ranks of the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Sll Republican party. He served as townsliip trustee for several years and at all times was loyal to his duties of citizenship. David Davis, whose name begins this record, remained with his parents on the old homestead until twenty-one years of age, when he was married and took charge of the farm, which he managed for three or four years. He then purchased eighty acres of his father's land, continuing its cultivation for ten or tweh'e years, when he traded that place for his present home of one hundred and forty-eight acres, on which he has lived since the spring of 1862. He now has a well improved property, on which is a beauti- ful residence that stands in the midst of well tilled fields. He is practical and systematic in his business methods and no delay is found in the prosecution of his work. On the 4th of March, 1852, Mr. Davis w'as married to Miss Anna M. Mote, daugh- ter of John and Rhoda Mote. She died in 1891, leaving five children, namely: John O., of Troy, who served as count}' recorder for six years ; Lambert, who died at the age of twenty-three years: Laura E., wife of John William Macy, of Dayton, Ohio: Susan Mary, wife of Wilson Stebelton : and Joseph W^arren, who is living on his father's farm. David Davis was married the second time, October 4, 1896, to Miss ^lary A. Kelly, the youngest daughter of Seth and Mary Ann Kelly. Seth Kelly was a native of ALassachusetts and died September 19, 1852, aged fifty-seven years and eleven months. Mary Ann Kelly died August 5, 1852, aged forty-four years and nine months. They left four children, — David, Eli, Sarah and Mary A. David died in January, 1890, and Eli in August, 1899. Sarah married Oliver Jay and lives in St. Mary. Ohio. Mrs. Davis was a teacher in the public schools of Troy for twelve years and for four years in Iowa, thus having devoted the best years of her life to educational work. In his political views Mr. Davis is a Repub- lican and is deeply interested in the issues of the day and in the success of his party. He has served as school director, but has ne\-er cared for office, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business in- terests. RAMSEY L. HYDE. M. D. Dr. Hyde, of Piqua. has. through prep- aration and practical experience become a successful representative of both the medi- cal and dental fraternities. He was born in Mount Jackson, West Virginia, November 18, 1858. His father. George S. Hyde, was a native of Tomsbrook, West Virginia, where he obtained his early education and spent his boyhood days. In his youth he worked at the carpenter's trade for several years, but believing professional duties were more to his taste he began reading medicine under private instruction and later matric- ulated in the Baltimore Medical College, in which institution he was graduated in the class of 1 86 1. He opened an office and prac- ticed in Accident. ^Maryland, for about four years, after which he came to Ohio, locating in Lockingham, Shelby county, in 1865. He was identified with the medical fraternity at that place for seven years, and in 1872 he came to Piqua. where he successfully en- gaged in practice until his death. He was regarded for a number of years as one of the leading physicians in this part of the state, his marked skill and ability gaining him prestige as a representative of his chosen calling. He died March 22, 1889, at the age of fiftv-nine years, leaving to his family the 812 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. priceless heritage of an untarnished name. In poHtics he was a RepubHcan and in re- hgious belief was a Methodist, taking an acti\-e part in the work of the church. His father, John Hyde, traced his ancestry back through many generations to Edward Hyde, who came to America in 1660 and served both as lieutenant-governor and governor of North Carolina, in which state he died in 1 71 2. The grandfather of our subject ser\ed as a private in the war of 1812. The Doctor's mother was in her maidenhood Miss Mary Newland, and she. too, was born near Mount Jackson, West Virginia, where she was reared. Becoming a resident of Piqua, she spent her last days in this city her death occurring about five years prior to her husband's demise, when she was fifty- five years of age. She was also a consistent and faithful member of the Methodist church and reared her family in that belief. She had three children: Ida, who died at the age of twelve years; Rose, wife of Joseph D, Sawj'er, of Piqua ; and Ramsey L. The last named spent the first six years of his life in the state of his nativity and then came with his parents to Miami county. His boyhood days were passed in Lockington. Having acquired his literary education in the public schools, he afterward pursued a course in the Commercial College, of Piqua, and then prepared for professional life as a stu- dent in the Ohio College of Dental Surgery at Cincinnati, in which he was graduated in 1880. He then entered upon the practice of dentistry, and while thus engaged also read medicine with his father. He then en- tered the Columbus Medical College, com- pleting the course by graduation in the class of 1886. In connection with his father he practiced medicine until the latter's death and also conducted his dental parlors. He now devotes his energies to both professions and his close and earnest study has gained him prestige along both lines. He now en- joys a very liberal patronage antl his busi- ness is continually increasmg, both in \'ol- ume and importance. Dr. Hyde was united in marriage, April 14, 1 88 1, to Miss Addie Genshnger, of Piqua, and their union has been lilessed with two children: George S., aged eighteen years, and Roselyn, aged sixteen years. Dr. Hyde exercises his right of franchise in sup- port of the men and measures of the Re- publican party, but has never sought or de- sired office, preferring that his energies shall be given to his dual profession. He is a member of the Episcopal church. The suc- cess of his life is due to no inherited fortune or to any happy succession of advantageous circumstances, but to his own sturdy will, steady application, studious habits, tireless industry and sterling integrity. DAVID MYERS. The fitting reward of a well spent life is an honored retirement in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil and rest from the labors which have brought to him a comfortable competence, and this Mr. Myers is now en- joying. He was long connected with the agricultural interests of Miami county, and as the years passed he added continually to his capital, which now supplies him with all necessities and many luxuries. He was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, July 24, 1824, and his youth was spent upon his father's farm. His parents were Michael and Elizabeth (Neman) Myers, whose fam- ily numbered eleven children, nine of whom reached years of maturity. When Da\-id was eight years of age the family left the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 813 Keystone state ami traveled westward by team and canal boat, arriving at Dayton, Ohio, which was then a mere hamlet. At that place the father hired an ox team to bring the family to Miami county, and on reaching their destination a location was made in Newberry township, where Michael Myers purchased eighty acres of wild land, on which stood a log cabin. The greater part of the place was covered with a dense growth of timber. After a time he sold that property and purchased a farm in New- ton township, upon which he spent his re- maining days, his death occurring in 183' It was three years previous to this time when David Myers came with his parents to Ohio, and he was ele\-en years of age when the father was called to the home beyond. The family was left in limited circum- stances, and thus thrown upon his own re- sources Mr. Myers, of this review, began working as a farm hand for his board and clothing. He remained away from home for four vears ami then returned to his mother and assisted her in the manage- ment of the home farm. For some time afterward he was employed during the sum- mer months as a farm hand and gave her his wages making his home with her until 1847, when he came to the farm upon which be now resides. David Alyers had been married the pre- vious year to Alinda Williamson, and they were the parents of two children : Alonzo, who died in infancy, and Sarah, also de- ceased. The mother passed away and on the 17th of October, 1877, David Myers was joined in wedlock to Miss Catherine Wack- ier, who was born in New York June 5, 1845, ^"d came to Miami county with her father, Ernest Wackier, and his family in 1846. Two daughters grace the second mar- riage, Agola M. and Delia M., both of whom are at home. In 1846 Mr. Myers purchased his pres- ent farm, becoming the owner of thirty- nine acres on section 4, Newton township. He took up his abode thereon in 1847, 'i^^'- ing erected a log cabin of one room, 18x18 feet. The timber grew so thickly that he had to clear a space on which to build his house. Before the sturdy blows of his ax tree after tree was felled, and as the land has been cleared he has planted his crops and in due time has reaped abundant har- vests. He has also added to his property and is now the owner of one hundred and four acres, constituting one of the valuable and desirable farms of his neighborhood. In the passing years he has continually aug- mented his capital and thus he is to-day the possessor of the competence which renders it unnecessary for him to engage longer in active labor. JNIr. Myers is truly a self-made man, for his advantages in youth were very limited anil he had neither capital nor influential friends to aid him. He walked two miles to school during the winter months and in a log building pursued his studies, becoming familiar with the elementary English branches. Beyond that, however, his knowl- edge has been self-acquired through read- ing, experience and observation. When he took up his abode upon his farm he did not have money enough to buy an ax with which to begin clearing the land and borrowed one for a time. His industry and enterprise, however, have enabled him to triumph over all difficulties and to use the obstacles in his path as stepping stones on which he has risen to a place among the substantial farmers of his community. He is a member of the Christian church and a Republican in poli- 814 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. tics, and in ever}' relation of life he is true to his honest convictions. The world judges a man by his character worth, and gauged by this standard Mr. Myers well deserves mention among the representative citizens of his adopted county. For almost three score years and ten he has resided witlrn its borders, and with pleasure we present to our readers this record of an honored pioneer. HENRY A. HAWVER. Henry A. Hawver, one of the reliable business men of Tippecanoe City, 'who for many years was a leading stock dealer, was born in Frederick county, ]Maryland, on the 27th of August, 1832, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Buhrman) Hawver. In their family were eight children, namely : George W., a retired farmer and stock dealer; John, who died in 1896, at the age of seventy-two years; Jacob, who is now liv- ing on a farm in Bethel township; Samuel, who makes his home near Fort Wayne, In- diana; Mary A., widow of Samuel Cornell, her home being near Fort Wayne; Henry A., of this re\'iew ; Esther A., widow of H. A. Rodgers, of Logansport, Indiana; and Heze- kiah, who is living in Tippecanoe City. The father of this family died in Tippecanoe City January 29, 1864, at the age of sixty-four years, and the mother, long sur\'iving him, passed away November 18, 1891, at the ad- vanced age of ninety-one years. Born and reared on a farm, ]\Ir. Hawver, of this review, assisted in the work of field and meadow until twenty-one years of age, when he started out in life for himself. Go- ing to Brandt, Ohio, he served an apprentice- ship of one year at the cooper's trade, after which he worked as a farm hand bv the month for two years. On the expiration of that period he entered into partnership with John Brown and began feeding hogs and cattle, carrying on business on a very ex- tensive scale. For several years they fed ten thousand head of hogs annually. In the fall of 1863 Mr. Hawver came to Tippe- canoe City, where he has since made his liome, but continued to feed hogs and cattle until 1872. The capable manner in which he conducted his business interests, his keen discernment and his well-directed efforts brought to him a handsome com- petence. Since his retirement from that business he lias given considerable attention to collecting. On the 21st of September, 1 86 1, Mr. Hawver was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Cecil, of Tippecanoe City, and their union has been blessed with six children : Wilbur C, who was born March 6, 1862, and is now living in Tippecanoe City ; Florence, who died in infancy ; Charles E., who was born April 8, 1866, and is now a stockman of Salt Lake City, Utah; Emma O., who was born January 10, 1869, and died on the 28th of December of that year; and Harry, who was born July 6, 1872, and died on the 23d of September, 1883. Mr. Hawver has taken quite a prominent part in public affairs, and his fellow towns- men, recognizing his worth and ability, ha\e frequently called him to public office. He served as townshin trustee of Monroe town- ship for three years, and in the fall of 1879 he was elected its assessor, filling the posi- tion for twenty years, a fact which indicates his fidelity to duty and his capability. His political support is ever given the Republi- can party, and he most loyally advocates its principles. Since its organization he has been a member of the board of trustees of Maple Hill cemetery, and his labors have GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 815 been effective in improving the city of the dead. Long a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he has served as class- leader for fifteen years, and has also been trustee and steward. He takes a deep and commendable interest in church work, and withholds his support from no measure which is calculated to prove a public benefit. His life has been well spent and his business reputation is unassailable. His fellow townsmen entertain for him the highest re- gard, and he well deserves mention among the representati\'e citizens of his adopted county. PAUL N. S. PENCE. For many years Mr. Pence was connected with the educational interests of Miami county, and was largely instrumental in promoting the intellectual activity of this section of the state. His labors in the school room were certainly very effective and his influence far reaching. Having retired from professional life, he devoted his at- tention to agricultural pursuits for a number of years, but has now put aside business cares and is enjoying a well earned rest. He was born in Lost Creek township, Mi- ami county, February 17, 1835, and spent his boyhood days on the old farmstead, where he early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. In the common schools he pursued his preliminary education, which was supplemented by a course in Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio. After studying there for a year he began teaching in Brown township, and for twenty-five years was identified with the educational de- velopment of this section of the state. Dur- ing the greater part of the time he was em- ployed in the schools of Lost Creek, Brown and Spring Creek townships. He, however, spent one year as a teacher in Indiana and two years in Illinois. From the faithful performance of each day's duties he found inspiration and encouragement for the next. He had the ability to impart clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired, and his career as an educator was one of progress. In the spring of 1880 he taught his last school and then retired to the farm. It was in 1865 that he removed to Spring Creek township, where he lived until 1893. After putting aside his pro- fessional cares he engaged in farming from 1880 until 1893, vvhen he came to Piqua, where he now makes his home. He is yet the owner of valuable property, including one hijndred and twelve acres of land on section 18, Spring Creek township, and one hundred and eight acres in Brown township. His judicious investment of his capital in former years now brings to him a handsome income. On the 20th of April, 1865, Mr. Pence was united in marriage to Miss Margaret A. Sayers, of Brown township. They now have three sons: Arthur L., who is living on a farm in Spring Creek township ; Harry B., a resident of Logansport, Indiana; and Frank N., who is also living in Logansport. There are also three grandchildren, Helen, Wilbur and Nellie. In his political views Mr. Pence as a Democrat, and has been honored by a number of local offices, to which he has been called by his fellow towns- men who recognized his worth and ability. He was township trustee for nine years, and his services as township treasurer of Spring Creek township covers a period of fifteen years, although it has not been con- tinuous. He was also a school director for 816 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. twelve years, and in all these positions dis- charged his duties with a promptness and fidelity that awakened high commendation. He is a member of the Christian church ancl his wife belongs to the Presbyterian church, and in the community where they live they enjoy the hospitality of the best homes. NOAH PEARSON, Jr. Throughout his entire life Noah Pear- son has resided in Aliami county. He was born in Newton township, in October, 1845, and represents one of the honored pioneer families of the Buckeye state. Hardly had Ohio been admitted to the Union when his grandfather, Thomas Pearson, sought a home within its borders and became an active factor in its pioneer development. He was a native of South Carolina, whence he emi- grated by team to Aliami county, taking up his land in Alonroe township, where he en- tered a claim from the government and de- veloped a farm. He was accompanied on his westward journey by his family, includnig Elisha Pearson, father of our subject, who was born in the Newberry district. South Car- olina. Here, amid the wild scenes of frontier life, sharing with the family in all the hard- ships and privations which come to the early settlers, Elisha Pearson was reared to man- hood, and as a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Annie \'an Horn. Soon after their marriage he en- tered a claim from the government, becom- ing the owner of an eighty-acre tract, upon which Stephen Day now resides. There he erected a log cabin and in the midst of the forest began improving his farm. .\ few years later, however, he sold that property and secured another tract of government land, now on the Hog Path nike. He resid- ed there until 18^5. when he disposed of that property and located elsewhere in Newton township. He died in 1877, and his wife, surviving him until 1890. passed away at the ripe old age of seventy-five years. They v.-ere both members of the Society of Friends, and their Christian belief was ex- emplified in their lives. They had six chil- dren, namely : James, deceased ; Jerry, a farmer of Newton township; Olive, who has also passed away ; Noah ; Enos, deceased ; and Alary. Noah Pearson was born and reared tm a farm and was still with his parents when, on the 2d of Alay, 1864, he responded to the president's call for aid, enlisting in Com- pany G, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio \'olunteer Infantry. This regiment was mustered in at Camp Dennison and went to the defense of Washington,^ where he re- mained until honorably discharged, on the 30th of August, 1864, at the close of his three months' service. The following spring he engaged in farming on his own account, rent- ing the land upon which he yet resides. After some time he had accumulated con- siderable capital, and in 1889 he purchased this place. He had no special advantages in his youth, and whate\-er he has achieved has come as the reward of his own labors. His education was acquired in a log school house, furnished with slab seats and situated two miles from his home. To-day he owns eighty acres of rich and arable land on sec- tion 29, Newton township, constituting one of the highlv developed farms i;)f the com- munity. In 1885 Air. Pearson was united in mar- riage to Aliss Rebecca Fockler. and their pleasant home is celebrated for its genial hospitality. He is a member of the Daniel W. Williams Post, No. 369, G. A. R., in GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 817 whicli he has served as officer of the guards. In pohtics he is a RepubHcan and keeps well informed on the issues of the day. As a citi- zen he is always as loyal to what he believes will best advance the interests of his county, state and nation as when he "donned the blue" in defense of the old flag. His life has been quietly passed, and has been hon- orable and ujjright, well worthy of emula- tion in many respects. SAMUEL M. OAKES. A resident of Pleasant Hill, Air. Oakes is now living retired and his rest from active labor is well merited, since for many years he was recognized as one of the leading farmers of the county and his life was one of marked industry in connection with agri- cultural pursuits. Mr. Oakes was one of Ohio's native sons, his birth occurring in Union township, Montgomery county, March 19, 1833. His father, Samuel Oakes, was a native of Pennsylvania, and with the grandfather of our subject, Daniel Oakes, came to Ohio in 181 2, taking up his abode near the present site of the city of Dayton. The grandfather died in Montgomery coun- ty, at the age of eighty-five years, respected by all who knew him, for his career was honorable and upright. Samuel Oakes was a latl of six summers when he accompanied his parents to Montgomery county and upon the old homestead farm he was reared. He learned the blacksmith's trade with his fa- ther, and in 1835 he removed to Miami coun- ty, locating in Nashville, where he conducted a shop for some time. Later he took up his abode in Kessler and subsequently was a resi- dent of Concord township, in which he made his home until 1855. He then came to Newton township, settling on a small farm, 48 and in connection with its cultivation he car- ried on blacksmithing until 1885 or 1886. He next removed to North Star, Darke county, and there died in 1892. His wife bore the maiden name of Isabella Hammel, and by their marriage twelve children were born, of whom four sons are now living, namely: Samuel; Ira, a resident of Piqua; Davis and Joseph. Samuel M. Oakes started out in life on his own account on attaining his majority and followed the occupation to which he was reared, cultivating his father's farm in Concord township. As a companion and helpmeet on life's journey he chose Miss Ma- Ijnda J. Smith, their marriage occurring in December, 1855, and in 1857 removed to another farm in Concord township, Mr. Oakes purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he lived for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased eighty acres in Concord township with his father and made his home thereon for six years, in the meantime extending its boundaries by the additional purchase of forty acres. He then purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Montgomery county, near Salem, but after two and a half years spent upon that place he returned to Miami county and purchased a farm of one hundred and forty-six acres on section 16, Newton township. There he lived until 1882, when he removed to Pleasant Hill, where he has since made his home. Mr. Oakes was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife in 1899, her death occurring on the 3d of January. Six children had been born of their marriage, but only two are now living — Frank L. and Ella S. Those who have passed away were Charley, Har- vey, Kiffer and Hiram, and the last three died on the same day. On the 3d of May, US GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 1900, Mr. Oakes was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Rebecca Will- iams, the widow of Henry Williams. In politics he is a Republican and in religion is a member of the Brethren church. He has long resided in this county and has witnessed most of its growth and progress. He ac- quired his education in a log school house furnished with slab seats. Now an excellent school system prevails throughout the coun- ty and like progress has been made along many lines which promote the general good. He has served as township trustee for three years and proved a capable and trustworthy officer. His business interests have occupied the greater part of his time and attention, and his careful management and wise di- rection, supplemented by unflagging indus- try, have gained him a comfortable com- petence which now enables him to live re- tired. J. GUY O'DONNELL. Mr. O'Donnell is one of the younger representati\es of the bar of Miami county., but has already gained a position of distinc- tion that many an older member of the legal profession might well envy. He was born April 28, 1875, in Morrow county, Ohio, and is a son of James O'Donnell, whose birth oc- curred in the city of Cork, county Mayo, Ireland. When a boy he removed with his parents to the United States, locating at Washington Court House, in Fayette county, Ohio, where he learned the trade of the marble-cutter. Subsecjuently he went to Mount Gilead, where he met and married Miss Mary Williams. They returned to Washington Court House and there he fol- lowed his trade until his death, which oc- curred in 1S78, when he was comparatively a young man. His widow still survives him. She was born at \\'est Point, Morrow coun- ty, and by her marriage became the mother of three children: Carrie, wife of Conrad Buck, of Dayton, Ohio; George, of Coving- ton ; and Guy, of this review. Mr. O'Donnell, whose name introduces this review, obtained his education in the public schools, and after removing to Mi- ami county he spent one year in the schools of Troy and one year in Covington high school, being graduated in the latter on the 19th of May, 189.^. In the fall of that year he took up the study of law in the office and under the direction of Judge Johnson, of Piqua, and remained with him until admitted to the bar on the 13th of October, 1896. Im- mediately afterward he began the jiractice of his profession in Covington, where he has won marked success for one so voung. He has a wide knowledge of legal ijrinciples and always tries to present his arguments in the strong, clear light of common sense and logical principles. On the nth of ^May, 1899, he was admitted to practice in the United States district and circuit courts. He has won a liberal clientage and his abili- ties are such as to insure his further suc- cess. In religious belief he is a Presbyterian and in politics, a stanch Democrat. He served for one term as city solicitor of Cov- ington. Well known there, he is a popular young nian, holding a creditable position in the leading social circles. JOHN ASHWORTH. John Ashworth, who devotes his time and energies to agricultural pursuits, making his home in ]\Ionroe township, was born in Tippecanoe City on the 24th of December, 1840. He obtained his education in the com- GBNEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 819 nion schools and his boyhood days were spent in the usual manner of lads of that period, the sports of youth and his studies largely occupying his time. He became greatly interested in the events which led up to the civil war, and after the south had attempted to overthrow the Union he resolved to strike a blow in its defense. Accordingly, on the i8th of Sep- tember, 1 86 1, he joined the boys in blue of Company E, Forty-fourth Ohio Infantry, and was mustered in at Springfield, whence the regiiuent was sent to Camp Piatt, in West Virginia, remaining there until the first of November. Five companies of the Forty-fourth then joined General Rosecrans' forces near Cotton Hil! and were engaged in a numlier of skirmishes with the enemy, which resulted in driving Floyd from the hill and forcing him to retreat for about twenty-five miles. The five companies then returned to Camp Piatt, where they remained until May, 1862, when the regiment went on an expedition to Jackson River Station and succeeded in capturing that town. Later they proceeded to Lewisburg, Virginia, and Mr. Ashworth, with his command, partici- pated in the battle at that point. On the 23d of May, 1862, he was also in the en- gagements at Charleston, West Virginia, Red Bird creek, siege of Knoxville and the battle of Rutledge. On the 5th of January, 1864. Mr. Ashworth re-enlisted at Straw- berry Plains, Tennessee, where the regiment was reorganized as the Eighth Ohio Ca\'a1ry and was sent back to Charleston, West Vir- ginia. Mr. Ashworth was promoted as com- missary- sergeant. They took part in the ex- pedition to Lynchburg, including all the battles in which their regiment participated. Mr. Ashworth was mustered out at Clarksburg. West Virginia, on the 30th of July, 1865, for the war had ended and his services were no longer needed by the gov- ernment. Returning to Tippecanoe City, Mr. Ash- worth engaged in the nursery business in 1866, in company with his brother, William. When he started for the war he had only eight dollars, which he obtained by selling a double-barreled shotgun to John Kerr, and while in the army he saved over seven hun- dred and fifty dollars. In company with his brother he continued in the nursery business until 1898, meeting with excellent success in the undertaking. They constantly enlarged their facilities to meet the growing demand of their trade and secured a very liberal pat- ronage. In 1 87 1 he purchased twenty acres of land within the corporation limits of Tip- pecanoe City; in 1885 bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 22, Monroe town- ship, for which he paid twelve thousand dollars; in 1881 he became the owner of a forty-acre tract on section 26, Monroe town- ship; in 1889 he purchased eighty acres on section 22, Monroe township; in 1893 be- came the owner of one hundred and seventy- five acres on section 34. Monroe township, and in 1896 purchased fifty-four acres, also on section 34. Thus has he become the owner of over five hundred acres and is to- day one of the extensive land holders and prosperous farmers of Miami county. He rents the greater part of his land, but to a small tract gives his personal attention and supervision. Mr. Ashworth has served for two years as a member of the board of agriculture and is a member of D. M. Rouzer Post, of Tip- pecanoe City; Tippecanoe City Lodge, No. 174, F. & A. M. ; Franklin Chapter, No. 114, R. A. M., and Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., of Troy. His political sup- 820 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. port is given the Republican party, but he has never sought or desired office, preferring to devote his time and attention to his busi- ness interests, in wliich he has met witli creditaljle and satisfactory success. He is to-day accounted one of the prosperous farmers of Miami county, a position to which he has attained as a result of his industry, careful management and honorable dealing". ^VILLIAM WILLIAMS. William Williams is one of the most venerable citizens of Miami county and is a native son of Ohio, his birth having oc- curred in this C(iunty ninety years ago. His grandfather, Michael Williams, was one of the earliest settlers of Ohio. He was born in Wales about 1734, and during his boy- hood came to America with his parents and an uncle. A short time after reaching the new world jNIichael and his father settled in North Carolina, where some time afterward the father was accidentally drowned. His widow later became Mrs. Price. jNIichael Williams was reared to man- hood in North Carolina and there married Barbara Summa. He served throughout the Revolutionary war under General W'ashing- ton, loyally aiding in the struggle for inde- pendence. Removing his family to Green- brier county, Virginia, now West -Virginia, he engaged in farming there until 1798. In the spring of that jxar he sent his eldest son, George, and his son-in-law, John Mann, to the Northwest Territory to locate a claim, make a clearing and plant a crop of corn, so that the family would have something to live on when they came. After reaching Ohio the son and son-in-law located a claim on Mad river, near what is now the city of Dayton. At that time, however, it contained two huts, and some French traders were the representatives of its business interests. After carrying out the instructions of the father the young men returned to Virginia, and the family, with others, started for the Buckeye state, in the fall of 1798. The col- ony was made up of people who represented different religious denominations, but all met in general worship. They would make an early start each day and do their cooking and pasture their stock on the way. At twilight they would camp for the night at some good watering place and at Gallipolis they crossed the Ohio river into the state which was to Ijc their future home. One day, however, all the men went to hunt wild game in order to replenish their larder. One of them shot a huge liuffalo bull, but was unable to find him as he ran for a long distance after being wounded. The next day they again started out to hunt for bear and by good luck found the dead buffalo. After spending one year near Dayton the Williams family removed to Honey Creek, this county. The father went to Cin- cinnati on a visit and there met General Har- rison, who told him of the lieautiful prairie on the Stillwater; so, in 1800, he removed to Newton township, Miami county, where he made a squatter's claim, for the land had not yet been surveyed. He secured a half- section of land on which there was a small prairie ; that was afterward known as Will- iams prairie and bordered on the Stillwater river. His son-in-law, Peter Price, settled on a strip of land adjoining the Williams claim, but Mr. Price had a ([uarrel with an Indian and in the encounter killed him. which incurred the ill will of the tribe, and he was tlierefore forced to abandon his farm. Michael Williams located all of his sons upon the half-section. He was a cooper by trade GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 821 and followed that pursuit in couuection with farming. He died about 1819 and was buried in Pleasant Hill cemetery. Both he and his wife were of the Episcopal faith and they reared nine children : Mary, who became the wife of Peter Price and removed to Vincennes, Indiana ; Catherine, who be- came the wife of Jacob Williams and resided near Greenville, in Darke county, Ohio; Barbara, wife of John Mann, who finally lo- cated with his family in Shelby county; Elizabeth, who became the wife of William Mann ; Frances, who married Nathaniel Hill and died at Pleasant Hill ; George, who wedded Mary Long and settled on part of the land which his father entered; Michael, who became the father of our subject ; Henry, who married Elizabeth Page and located on William prairie, and John,who wedded Mary Yunt and died on the old homestead farm. Michael Williams, Jr., was born in North Carolina in June, 1780, and accompanied his parents to Ohio. He was self-educated and was a self-made man. owing his advance- ment and success in life entirely to his own efforts. In 1807 he was married, in Miami county, to Elizabeth, a daughter of William Long, a pioneer of Newton township. Dur- ing the. war of 1812 Mr. Williams was a member of the home guards, a company which was stationed at a block house built about three-fourths of a mile west of what is now Pleasant Hill, during which time he was appointed adjutant. He was em- ployed by a couple of French traders who made their headquarters at Staunton, in buy- ing furs from the Indians, and when a suf- ficent number had been purchased he would make trips with pack horses to Waupakanati. Fort Wayne, Detroit and other posts to dis- pose of them. He taught school in Newton township in the winter of 181 5- 16 and for years continued to teach subscription schools in that township. About 1820 he removed to Newberry township, having purchased a farm on sec- tion 34, where he resided until his death, in 1850. He experienced all the hardships and trials of pioneer life and performed the arduous labor of developinp^ a new farm, but lived to witness great changes and im- provements in the county. He was re- garded as one of the leading and influential citizens of his community and for thirteen years efficiently and capably served as a county commissioner, filling that office at the time the old court house was built. His wife was born December 11, 1787, and died May 21, 1871. Their children were: Char- lotte, who is living with her brother, Will- iam, at the age of ninety-two years ; our subject; Elizabeth, who was born March 9, 1813, became the wife of George Shumaker and died in Newberry township October 16, 1844; Barbara, who was born July i, 181 5, and became the wife of Lewis Kerns, of Darke county; Rachel, who was born Au- gust 8, 181 7, became the wife of George Coats and died in Darke county July 9 1855 ; Mary, who was born in November, 18 19, and died January 26, 1850; Stephen W., who was born September 6, 1822, and died in Newberry township April 14, 1871 ; Henry H.; who was born December 15, 1824, was twice married and died September 8, 1889: and Nathan H., who was born May 6, 1827, and died October 25, 1832. William Williams, whose name intro- duces this re\iew, was born July 9, 1810, on what is now the Samuel Harshbarger farm in Newton township. During his youth he attended a subscription school that was held in an unoccupied cabin, but his educational privileges extended only over a 822 GEXEALOGICAL A.\'D BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. few months at that time. Later in life, how- ever, reahzing the importance and value of learning, he continued his studies, although thirty years of age. He started out in busi- ness life on his own account al^out 1832, improving and cultivating a tract of land given him by his father. It comprised fifty acres on section 30, Newberry township, and was in its primitive condition, but he made a clearing in the woods and soon built a house of rough logs. To this farm he added twenty acres, and after clearing more land and getting his farm in good condition he decided that he was able to support and care for a wife. He was married, in December, 1844, to Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Gilbert, for whom he had long felt a warm affection. She died in 1855, after a happy married life of eleven years. Their children were as follows : Rachel Jane, who was born Septem1:)er 24. 1845. niarried Calvin Green, by whom she had two children — Lova and Cora — and is now deceased ; Nancy A., born December 11, 1846, became the wife of Sam- uel B. Reiber, of this county; Margaret, born May 11, 1848, married William Heck- man and died in Newberry township : Mary, born April 17, 1850, became the wife of Josiah Harrison and died in Newberry town- ship: William C, born February 9, 185:' married Minerva Grubb; Elizabeth, born May 2, 1854, died at the age of twelve years. After the death of his first wife Mr. W'illiams wedded Nancj' Ann \'annorman. an eastern lady, who died in 1858. Their only child, Sarah Ellen, died in infancy. On the 7th of January. 1869. Mr. Williams was a third time married, the lady of his choice being Sarah \\'aymire, widow of Isaac Williams. She died March 11, 1887. Mr. Williams was formerly a ^^'hig in his political affiliations and on the organiza- tion of the Republican party joined its. ranks and has since been one of its stanch sup- porters. He served in several minor of- fices, but has never aspired to political pre- ferment. Throughout his active business life he followed farming, but since 1868 he has taken no part in the work of the fields, simply giving his supervision to the farm- ing of his land. He is a member of the Christian church at Greenville Creek and for many years held oftice therein. For many decades he has been identified with the interests of Newberry township and Miami county, and has watched almost its entire growth and development, witnessing the wonderful transformation which has placed it upon a par with the older counties of the state, and now, at the age of ninety years, he is a hale, hearty man. active as a man of sixty-five years and takes a great interest in preserving the early history of Miami coun- ty. He is a prominent speaker at pioneer meetings and bids fair to reach the age of one hundred 3'ears. He is well respected in his neighborhood and township, and on ac- count of his honest, upright life and his recollections of the early settlers of this county he is a welcome guest at all family reunions. WILSON ja:\ies peters. The history of an active and successful business man is always one of interest to the reader, young or old. It is often tlie record of a life of self-denial in the be- ginning and is ever the record of a life full of energy, pluck and industry. Wilson James Peters was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg, Au- gust 5, 1849, the son of George and Han- r.ah (Smith) Peters. George Peters was GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 823 born ill Adams county, Pennsylvania, April 1 8, 1827, and was the son of John and Susan (Group) Peters. The family were among the first settlers of Adams county, Pennsylvania, their forefathers coming to America from Germany. George Peters and wife had eight children, two sons and six daughters. He, with his faniil}', removed to Ohio in 1869 and settled in New Carlisle, Clark county, and there engaged in the nur- sery business until March, 1877, when he removed to Troy, Miami county, and exten- sively engaged in the nursery business in partnership with his son until his death, April 4, 1883. He was a good citizen, a de- voted Christian and a careful business man. W. J. Peters, the subject of this sketch, came to Troy in 1876, he and his father having purchased a farm near Troy in 1875. He entered into a partnership with his fa- ther under the firm name of George Peters & Son. At that time they had a farm of one hundred and twenty acres and cultivated the whole farm in nursery stock. The business prospered and was gradually extended until the death of his father in 1883, when the firm name was changed to George Peters & Com- pany, the "company" being the family of George Peters. The firm was continued un- der the management of W. J. Peters for eight years in pursuance of the recjuest made in the will of George Peters. The business increased in value and profit until the expiration of the eight years, when W. J. Peters and his brother, Norris Bernard Peters, purchased the business and the land, which had in- creased from one hundred and twenty acres to two hundred and fifty acres, all of which was devoted to the nursery business. The new firm continued business under the firm name of George Peters & Company, W. J. Peters owning two-thirds and Xorris B. one- third, the business management remaining under the control of W. J. Peters. During the term of George Peters & Company, eight years after the death of George Peters, the business more than doubled in capital and in land, and since the present partnership was formed, 1891, the business has more than doubled until now they have six hun- dred and fifty acres and are the largest nur- sery stock growers in Ohio. Besides the business of growing all kinds of nursery stock W. J. Peters is largely in- terested in the Troy Wagon Works Com- pany, of which he is the president. The Troy Wagon Works Company are perhaps the largest builders of road wagons in the state of Ohio. Mr. Peters is also a large stockholder and director in the Tr(iy Na- tional Bank ; also he and his brother are heavy stockholders in the electric light plant of Middletown, Ohio. W. J. Peters was married, December 25, 1872, to Miss Jennie Foresman, of Yellow Springs, Ohio. They were blessed with two children: Irdine Kirk, born March 12, 1874, a sweet little girl, who passed away at the age of four years, and Charles Nor- ris, who was born June 4, 1876, and was educated in the Troy schools. He was mar- ried to Miss Phenia Davis October 18, 1899, and is now living with his parents. W. J. Peters and his wife are devoted and active members of the Troy Methodist Episcopal church. He is a steward in the church and the chairman of the building committee, which is now engaged in erecting a large and handsome church in the city of Troy. From early manhood he has been connected with the Masonic order and has had conferred upon him all the degrees, including the thir- ty-second in the Cincinnati Consistory. From the above record it will be ob- 824 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. served that Mr. Peters has been what the world calls a successful man. His education was only such as could be obtained at a country school in Adams county. Pennsyl- \'ania. His services were early needed as a hand in his father's nursery, and for many years he was engaged in manual labor, but as the business increased he developed those qualities that make an able and efficient man- ager. For eighteen years he has been the financial manager of the firm. He is now in the prime of life and has many years be- fore him of usefulness, but he is now finan- cially situated so that he feels that he can af- ford to let younger men do the drudgery of the office, but he will still remain the acti\e manager of the many interests con- nected with the firm. In politics he is an active, energetic Re- publican, and does his share of hard work for the sucess of the party, but he has been too busy to seek office. He is known as a public-spirited citizen, whose purse is ever open to advance the interests of his adopted city, of his church and for the needy, worthv poor. His domestic life is pleasant, his wife being one of those women whose whole life is devoted to her home, church and personal friends. His life is an evidence of what energy and untiring industry can accomplish, for he built a happy home, surrounded by many friends, and established a character as a use- ful man in his day and generation. E. s. w. WILLIAM S. HAYS. • William S. Hays was born in Lost Creek township, Miami county, Ohio, on the nth day of December, 1869. His parents. Dr. M. W. Hays and Sarah (Stafford) Hays, were married in this county February 14, 1869, but his father. Dr. Hays, was a native of Brown county, Ohio, to which point his grandfather Hays emigrated at an early day from Virginia. Dr. Hays, after his mar- riage, remo\'ed from Lost Creek township to Troy, and in 1878 was elected mayor of Troy and in 1879 was elected a member of the legislature, where he served credit- ably. He was a gallant soldier in the Union army during the war of 1861-65. The mother of William S. Hays was the daughter of Joseph H. and Jane (Black) Stafford. His maternal grandmother was the daughter of Colonel Samuel Black, of Virginia, who was a captam in the Revolu- tionary war in the First Regiment of \^ir- ginia militia, and in the war of 181 2, in which he was promoted until he was the colonel of the First Regiment in General Tupper's brigade of Virginia militia. Our subject is proud of the soldiery rec- ord of his ancestors. W^ S. Hays was edu- cated in the Troy schools and also graduated at Boston in the Massachusetts School of Technology, in the department of civil en- gineering, in 1890. He was employed as an electrical engineer 1)v the Thomson-Hous- ton Electric Company, and the General Elec- tric Company, of Lynn, Massachusetts, until 1896. He did work for these companies in forty of the states and several of the terri- tories of the republic, also worked for them in Canada, during which time he was em- ployed as assistant engineer under W. P. Gray, the chief engineer for the water plant of Austin. Texas, which cost one million, five hundred thousand dollars. He was em- ployed in this work for two years. In 1897 he formed a partnership in Troy, Ohio, known as the Hays Construction Compau}-, and is now engaged in engineering work, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 825 also in the design of electric lighting and railway systems, also bridge building and other architectural work. He is general manager for the company. Mr. Hays is an enthusiastic Mason, a Knight Templar and a thirty-second-degree Mason ; is an earnest, devoted Republican, because he loves the principles of that great party, but is not a politician, though a zeal- ous worker in the party. He has never mar- ried and has one sister living in Troy. Mr. Hays is a picture of good health and vig- orous manhood, and has before him the pros- pect of a long and useful life. E. s. \v. ^\TLLIAM ELLEMAN. \Villiam Elleman, who is successfully en- gaged in agricultural pursuits in Concord township, was born in Union township, Mi- ami county, January 13, 1862. His father, David Elleman, was born on section 6, of the same township, in 1833, within three- quarters of a mile of the farm u])-nship trustee and in other township of- fices. In early life he became a member of the Christian church and his career was al- ways in harmony with his religious belief. Called to his final rest, his remains were in- terred in Union cemetery on Trotter's creek. John Nicholson, the subject of this re- view, was born on the old Samuel Trotter farm December 11. 1820. He attended the public schools when his father could spare him, but much of his youth was gi\-en to the work of field and meadow. His education was completed in the school which stood on the present site of the village of Polo. He was then twenty-one years of age. He had assisted in the arduous task of clearing wild land, transforming it into richly cul- tivated fields, and the first money he earned was as a farm hand. In 1851 he was mar- ried and then began farming on his own ac- count, cultivating a tract of rented land in Shelby county for a year. On the expiration of that period he remo\'ed to the Knox farm on Trotter's creek, where he remained for five years, after which he spent a year and a half on the home farm with his father. He then removed to the MclMaken farm in New- lierry tt)wnship, for nine years. In 1865 he came to his present home, here having sixty acres of land, constituting a comfortable homestead. His property he highly im- proved with substantial buildings and all modern accessories. His life has been a busy, useful and active one, and although he has now reached the age of four score years he gives his personal attention to the cultivation of the farm. In April. 1851. Mr. Nicholson was mar- ried, by the Rev. Allcox. to Miss Henrietta A. Buchanan, who was born December 12, 1829, on the old Buchanan homestead in Newberry township. Her father, Harvey Buchanan, was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1804, and during his early boy- liood accompanied his parents on their re- moval to West Milton, Miami county. He was a son of Colonel George Buchanan. The father of Mrs. Nicholson was reared to man- hood in West Milton, Miami county. He was a very precocious boy, of a studious na- ture, and when Sunday came he would take his books up to the garret and spend his time in study, while other boys were playing. He married Johanna Hall and in 1826 lo- cated in Newberry township on Trotter's creek, his home farm being now in the pos- session of John Branson. His wife died in 1879, after which he went to live with his daughter, Mrs. Nicholson, dying at their home September 27. 1891. He was a faith- ful member of the Church of Christ and served his township in many ofifices. dis- charging his duties most creditably. His children were \\'illiam Warren, a resident of Piqua. Ohio: George Preston, who died at Covington August 20, 1861 ; Mrs. Nichol- son : James Harvey, who died in 1849, at the age of sixteen years; Mary, wife of William De Voe, of Dallas, Texas ; and Nancy Jane, wife of A. J. King, who is jiving near Pic|ua. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Nicliol- son was blessed with two children. The daughter, Emma Isadore, was born July 21, 1852. and is now the wife of William A. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 833 11 art, by whom slie lias two children, — Clarence Eugene and Eva Florence. Will- iam Preston married Carrie M. Shipley and they have two daughters : Maud Blanch, who is now the wife of John Alguire, of Shelby county, and Glenna Marie, at home. In his political views Mr. Nicholson has always been a stanch Democrat, unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party ; in fact that political organization has never had a more faithful follower or one who believes more firmly in the Jeffersonian doc- trines. He has held several township of- fices, discharging his duties in a prompt and faithful manner. Mr. Nicholson has never let the petty trials of this world worry or annoy him, believing that the energies of liody and mind should be husbanded in order to meet the great events and not be dissi- pated on trifles. One can easily see that this policy is a wise one, for the condition of his health at the age of eighty years enables him to possess the ruddy glow of a man yet in the prime of life. His reputation for in- tegrity and honorable dealing is proverbial, and he has led a devoted Christian life as a member of the Disciple church, of which he was the treasurer for nine years. He is charitable and kindly in manner and at all times has commanded the respect of his fel- low men by his sterling worth. FREDERICK POOCK. Frederick Poock was for many years a resident of Miami county and was numbered among the citizens the fatherland has fur- nished to the Buckeye state. He was born in Hano\-er, Germany, on the nth of Octo- ber. 1833, his parents being Frederick and Frederica Poock, who had eight children, — six sons and two daughters. The father 49 died when his son was eight years of age and from that time he has made his own way in the world, depending entirely upon his own resources for his livelihood. He learned the miller's trade in a flouring mill and followed that pursuit until 1854, when he determined to seek a home in America, hoping thereby to benefit his financial con- dition, for he had heard that excellent op- portunities were furnished young men in this republic. Accordingly he took passage on a sail- ing vessel, which, after a six-weeks trip, anchored in the harbor of New York. Mak- ing his way to Dayton he began work in a brick yard, but after a short time secured employment with a cooper and was thus en- gaged for three years. On tlie expiration of that period he went to Ludlow Falls, where he worked at the carpenter's trade for a year and a half, after which he came to Tippe- canoe City and was employed in the still- house of George Smith for eleven years. Subsequently he spent three years as an em- ploye of Samuel Sullivan in a flouring mill, and then with the capital which he had ac- quired through his own well directed efforts, his industry and economy, he purchased a saw-mill near Frederick and for eight years engaged in its operation. He then remo\'ed the mill to Tippecanoe City, transforming it into a warehouse, and a year later he ex- changed that for the farm upon which he resided until his death. There was a little log cabin upon the lantl, but (Otherwise no improA-ements had been made, anil there- fore the substantial buildtngs which are seen to-day stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He owned one hundred acres of rich and arable land, which he placed under a high state of cultivation, being en- gaged in general farming. In 1879 he 834 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. erected a large barn, 64x40 feet, and had all other necessary buildings, which add to the value and attractive appearance of the farm. In 1858 occurred the marriage of Mr. Poock to Miss Laura Engerman. They now have three children, — Frederica, Will- iam and Henry. In his political views Mr. Poock was a Democrat and he served as a school director. He belonged to the German l-utheran church and ga\'e his aid and co- operation to various interests calculated to promote advancement along material, in- tellectual and moral lines. He contracted an indelnedness of fifty-five dollars in order to secure his passage to America, and thus he be- gan life in the new world worse than empty- handed. That he was numbered among the substantial farmers of his community in- dicates that his life had been an active one, and that resolute purpose, capable manage- ment and industry had been salient features in his career. He died April i, 1900, after an illness of only ten days, leaving his fam- ily and a large circle of friends to mourn his loss. ; LLOYD HARSHBARGER. Devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits in Union township, Lloyd Harsh- barger is accounted one of the representa- tive farmers of his community. He was born in Miami county, Ohio, April 11. 1848, and belongs to an old Virginia family. His grandfather, Henry Harshbarger, was a na- tive of Virginia and came to Ohio at an early day. Taking up his abode in Miami cf)unty he carried on farming in the midst of the forest and here lived to a ripe old age. He held membership in the Dunkard church. George Harshbarger, the father of our subject, was born in Montgomery county. Ohio, near Dayton, but was reared to manhood in Miami county, whither he came with his parents during his early boy- hood. He purchased, improved and after- ward sold many farms. He spent the greater part of his life in Miami county, where he died at the age of sixty-four years. In his business afifairs he was quite success- ful, accumulating a comfortable competence. In politics he was a stanch Republican, un- swerving in his allegiance to the principles of the party, yet he never sought office or desired it for himself. He united with the Dunkard church in early life and afterward became one of its active workers. He mar- ried Mary Penney, who was born in Ohio and died in Mercer county, this state, at the age of seventy years, having survived her husband about six years. She was a mem- ber of the Christian church. In the familv of this worthy couple were five children, one of whom died in early life. The others are Mary J., wife of Henry Fess, of Piqua; Samuel, a farmer of Newton township; Lloyd, of this review; and George, who is also living in Newton township. During his early life Mr. Harshbarger, whose name begins this sketch, was brought by his parents to the home farm where he was reared, early receiving that practical training which well fitted him for life's du- ties in later life. He remained at home un- til twenty years of age, after which he was employed as a farm hand for about a year. At the expiration of that time he was mar- ried, and he and his wife began their married life on a farm of twenty acres in Union township. They lived there for a short time and then removed to a larger farm near Laura. He continued to buy and sell and improve farms until about five years ago, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 835 when he removed to the farm on which he is now living, and which contains fifty-nine acres which is cleared, developed and under a high state of cultivation, the richly im- proved fields bringing to him a golden trib- ute in return for the care and labor bestowed upon them. As a companion and helpmate on life's journey, Mr. Harshbarger chose Miss Electa Shearer, of this township, and they have eight children, one of whom died in early life. The others are: Charles, a resident farmer of Union township; Anna May, wife of Henry Sleppy, who taught in the public schools of the same township for seven years ; \\'illiam and Lorin, who carry on farm- ing in Union township; Howard, who is a teacher; and Roy and Russell, at home. The parents hold membership in the Friends' church, and are people of the highest re- spectability, enjoying the confidence and re- gard of all with whom they have associated. In his political affiliations Mr. Harshbarger is a Republican, keeps well informed on the issues of the day and is very loyal to his party, doing all in his power to secure its success. ELI PEARSON. A representative of one of the old pio- neer families of Miami county, Mr. Pear- son has resided upon the farm in Monroe township, which is still his home, since 1840 — a period of sixty years. His birth oc- curred in this township, November 26, 1831, his parents being Hiram and Elizabeth (Jenkins) Pearson. The father was born at Bush Creek, South Carolina, in 1800, and was a son of Samuel and Mary (Coate) Pearson, also natives of the same locality. In their family were ten children, namely: Enoch, who died in Monroe township ; Ben- jamin, who also followed farming in the same township and is now deceased ; Henry, whose death occurred in Indiana ; Hiram, a resident farmer of Monroe township; John, who died in Indiana; Samuel Y., whose death occurred in Hendricks county, that state; Simpson, who spent his last days in Iowa ; David, who died on the old home farm; Eli, whose death occurred on the old homestead ; and Rachel, who became the wife of Isaac Pearson and has also passed away. All of the children reached mature years and were married. Enoch, Benjamin, Henry and Hiram were born in South Carolina, while the others were natives of Ohio. Sam- uel Pearson, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a blacksmith by trade, and in 1799 he built the wagon that carried the family to Ohio, about 1804. It was also used in transporting army supplies during the war of 1812, being driven by Benjamin Pear- son during the time of hostilities between America and England. Samuel Pearson, the grandfather, on coming to Ohio, located on a farm on sec- tion 20, Monroe township^ where Mrs. Eli Pearson, Sr., now resides. He there entered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government and erected a small log cabin. The land was covered with a heavy growth of oak, hickory and maple trees. Hiram Pearson, the father of our sub- ject, spent his early youth in Miami county. When the family arrived in Ohio there was only a trading post at Cincinnati and the state was on the western frontier, its settle- ments being few and far between. The for- ests stood in their primeval strength, the rivers had to be forded and the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun. Hiram Pearson was a member of 836 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD: tlie Society of Friends. A very active worker iii church, he aided in Iniilding tlie old Concord meeting house. He was num- bered among the leading citizens of his town- ship, having aided in organizing schools, in laying out roads and promoting many of the substantial improvements of the community. He married Elizabeth Jenkins, who was born in 1799, a daughter of Jesse and Hannah (Russell) Jenkins. The certificate of mar- riage is now in possession of the subject of this review. The wedding ceremony oc- curred in the old Concord church and was one of the early marriages of the locality. In the year 1797 the fannly had come to Ohio from South Carolina, being among the pioneer settlers of Monroe township. Unto Mr. and iNIrs. Pearson were born seven chil- dren, namely : Mary, who was born Novem- ber 17, 1825, became the wife of L. F. Jester, and died in 1859; Jesse, born November 7, 1827, died in January, 1895, in White county, Indiana ; Rosanna, born October 29, 1829, became the wife of L. F. Coats, and died in 1893; Eli is the next of the family; Isaac, born October 30, 1833, died in in- fancy; Lidia, born February 17, 1836, died in early life; Elizabeth, Ixirn January 15, 1839, became the wife of .\zariah Stewart, of Union township. After his marriage the father of this family took up his abode in Union town- ship^ where he resided for a few years, when he removed to the farm upon which the birth of Eli occurred. There he lived until the spring of 1840, when he came to the farm upon which Eli now resides. There he car- ried on agricultural pursuits until his death and in his business operations was very suc- cessful, his unflagging diligence and capable management bringing to him a creditable degree of prosperity. He was also a faith- ful member of the Society of Friends and very devoted to the church. He passed awav in August, i88s, and his wife died in 1853- Eli Pearson, of this re\'iew, was a lad of nine summers when his father removed to the home farm in Monroe township. There he was reared to manhood, early becoming fa- miliar with the arduous task of developing new fields. He obtained his education in a log school house, which was situated in the midst of the woods and was furnished with slab benches, while the long board on each side of the school-rcjom served as a writing desk. He remained with his father uniil twenty-two years of age and then he took charge of the home farm, upon which he has resided since 1840. As a comjjanion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Miss Nancy Pearson, their wedding Ijeing cele- brated on the 8th of April, 1852. The lady is a daughter of Noah Pearson, who former- ly resided in Monroe township. Seven chil- dren have been born of their union : Mary E., born February 7, 1853, became the wife of James Counts, and died June 23, 1895; Alva Y., born April 16, 1857, died June 25, 1882; George \V., born August 12, 1859, died in November, 1897; Luetta M., born July 2, 1865, died November 29, 1882; Jen- nie L., b(irn August 29, 1871, is the wife of Clyde Macy, and resides in Montgomery county, Ohio. Two of the children dieil in infancy. Mr. Pearson is now the owner of eighty- three acres of land on section 19, Monroe township, the place being pleasantl\- located on the Tippecanoe and Milton road, three and a half miles west of Tippecanoe City. He has made all of the improvements upon the place and is successfully carrying on gen- eral farming, in adilitinn to which he has GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 837 worked at the caroenter's trade to a greater or less extent for twenty years. His life has indeed been a nseful one and has not been denied that prosperit}' which shonld ever attend honorable and consecntive effort. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have frequently called him to public office. He served as township clerk from 1856 to 1861 and was trustee for three years in the '60s. He is now president of the school board of his towns'hip and the cause ot education finds in him a very faithful friend. In politics he is a stanch Repuljlican. He holds membership in the Christian church and is also a member of the Masonic lodge of West Milton, of which he was the first master. For a third of a century he has been connected with the fraternity, and his life has exemplified its beneficent teachings and its spirit of mutual helpfulness and sympathy. Both he and his wife enjoy the high regard of many friends and aj-e widely and favorably known in Miami countv. JOHN CORNWALL GEYER. One of the prominent young men of Piqua and Miami county was born in Piqua, June 12, i860, and is the son of Frederick and Martha (Manson) Geyer. His father was born in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1814, and his parents were Henry and Eliza- beth (Bonner) Geyer. They came to Ohio in 1824. Henry Geyer, grandfather of John C. Geyer, died in Germantown, Ohio. In 1838 Frederick Geyer, the father of our sub- ject, came to Piqua, where he was engaged in the hardware business for many years, and married Miss Martha Manson. He died in 1875, '^'-'t his widow is still living. Judge Geyer's maternal great-grandfa- ther, David Manson. was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and a soldier of the American Revo- lution, having emigrated to America some time before the war for independence. He en- listed in the Continental army from the col- ony of Pennsylvania. John C. Geyer's ma- ternal great-grandmother was Jean (Johns- ton) Manson. She was a cousin of Colonel John Johnston, the noted Indian agent of Ohio. ' In 1807 David Manson, the Revolution- ary soldier, emigrated to Brown township, Miami county, Ohio, and died there in 1836. His son, David Manson, Jr., was born in Pennsylvania, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was married to Sarah Corn- wall, of Virginia, and they lived and died in Miami coitnty. Their son. General Mahlon D. Manson, the uncle of our subject, re- moved to Indiana and enlisted in the Union army, and for gallant services as a soldier he was promoted to the rank of general. He was for several terms a memlier of congress from Indiana, and was also elected auditor and lieutenant governor of Indiana. In 1893 he died in Crawfordsville, Indiana. John C. Geyer was partially educated in the Piqua schools and then entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1882. He entered the Cincinnati Law School and \^■as there graduated in 1884. He went to Em- poria, Kansas, where he was employed on the Emporia Daily Republican for six months. In 1885 he returned to Piqua and engaged in the practice of law, with fair success for a young man. and in the mean- time, being an ardent, earnest Republican, he engaged in politics and was soon ])romi- nent in this county as a political worker. In 1889 he was elected mayor of Piqua, being the only Republican mayor of the city in twenty-two years. After serving for twenty 838 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. months he resigned that position to serve as probate judge of Miami county, to which position he was elected by a handsome ma- jority in Xovember. 1890, and re-elected in 1893, serving in that responsible position for six years, and by his careful, conserva- tive course he won the confidence of the people and filled the office with credit to him- self and to the satisfaction of the public. In 1896 he was a prominent candidate for congress, for which office he had many sup- porters, but in the convention of that year Hon. W'alter L. Weaver received the nom- ination. He resumed the practice of law and while he is still an earnest worker in the party, he has nOt been a candidate for any ofiice in the gift of the people. He is prominent in fraternal societies. He is a well-known Mason, and has attained the various degrees up to the thirty-second degree, at Cincinnati. He is* also a member of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the Amer- ican Revolution. In Ohio he is known as a prominent and influential member of the Knights of Pythias, and was grand chancel- lor of that order in Ohio for the year enn- ing in May, 1900. For seven years he has been a director of the Ohio Pythian Home at Springfield, and for four years was presi- dent of that board. In 1888 Mr. Gcver was unitetl in mar- riage with Miss Biiniie Page, of Cincinnati. She was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and is a distant relative of Daniel Webster and Rev. Jonathan Edwards. She is also connected with the Fairbanks family, manu- facturers of the celebrated Fairbanks scales. Their marriage has been blessed with three children : Frederick. Martha and John Corn- wall. This is a brief sketch of a youn.g man noted in Miami county for hisgenial. pleasant manners and sterling Republican principles. He is respected for his efforts to fight for himself the battles of life, and not depend upon inherited wealth for a living and posi- tion. He is not physically strong an 1 ro- bust, but he has a determined will and un- tiring energy — such a man's history can not be written until old age or death has closed the chapter. So far Judge Geyer has accom- plished much under circumstances somewhat adverse, and yet he is just entering mature manhood, and there is much for a man of his energy and broad philanthropy yet to do. E. s. w. B. F. TIMMER. Mr. Timmer, the subject of this brief outline, is prominently identified with the industrial interests of Troy as the super- intendent of the Troy Bending Company, and his thorough understanding of the busi- ness makes him fully competent to discharge the arduous duties which devolve upon him. He is at once practical and progressive, and his e.xecuti\'e ability and keen foresight en- able him to capablv control the interests which are under his charge and which have led to the excellent success which attends the enterprise. Mr. Timmer was born in Tippecanoe City. iMiami county. December i, 1862, his parents being Gerhart and Wilhelmina (Kettlehake) Timmer. The father was born in Hanover, Germany, and the mother was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt. In early life they came to the United States and for many years the family have been residents and highly respected citizens of Tippecanoe, Ohio. B. F. Timmer was reared in Tippe- canoe City, obtaining his education in the public schools of that town. He pursued his GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 839 studies until seventeen j'ears of age and then put aside his text books, after which he became his father's assistant, remaining witli Iiim for four years. On attaining his majority he went to Dayton, Ohio, and for six years was in the employ of S. N. Brown & Company, of that city, occupying the po- sition of superintendent of their pole and shaft department for four years. He then returned to Tippecanoe City, where he re- mained for a year, owning an interest in the works of C. Trupp & Company during that interval. In 1890 he came to Troy and has since been connected with the Troy Bending Company, occupying the position of super- intendent through the past eight years. Steadily pursuing his way undeterred by any obstacle or difficulty in his path, he has achieved creditable prosperity. Steady ap- plication, careful study of business methods and plans to be followed and close atten- tion to details, combined with an untiring energy, directed by a strong mind, — these are the traits of character which have brought to him success and made him one of the leading business men of Miami countv. AUGUST H. LARGER. August H. Larger, who is engaged in general farming and the raising of tobacco in Washington township, Miami county, was born on the old homestead farm, Feb- ruary 10, 1850. His father, Joseph Larger, was born in Lower Alsace, then a part of France, March 19. 1808. He attended school until fourteen years of age and later, in connection with his brother, engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods, Joseph at- tending to the delivery of the goods. He married Miss Catherine Hernold and, with their two children, sailed from Havre, France, in 1844, reaching New York after a voyage of sixty-four days. From the eastern metropolis they made their wav to Lancaster, Ohio, and shortly afterward lo- cated in Dayton, where at first he worked on the levee with horse and wagon. Later he engaged in blacksmithing and became the owner of a nice home in Dayton, which he subsequently traded for one hundred and seven acres of land on section thirty-five, Washington township, Miami county. In April, 1848, he took up his abode on the farm and for a time lived in the old log cabin which stood upon the place, but subsequently erected a comfortable red brick residence. He was a successful agriculturist and car- ried on his farm with marked industry and enterprise until his death, which occurred December 8, 1877. He and his wife were devout members of St. Boniface' Roman Catholic church, of Piqua. In politics he was a stalwart Democrat. His wife, who was born in 1816, died in Piqua, in May, 1895. Their children are: Emma, now Mrs. Marcellus Brant, of Piqua; Juha. wife of Joseph Snyder, of Piqua: Mary, wife of Urban Snell, of Piqua: August Henrv, of this review: Elizabeth, wife of Conrad Butz: John R. ; Cornelius and Marie. The subject of this review spent his boy- hood days under the parental roof and du -ing the summer season aided in the labors of the farm, while in the winter he pursued his studies in the district school in the neighbor- hood until eighteen or nineteen vears of age. After the death of his father, he assumed the mana.gement of the home farm, and after his mother's death he purchased the interest of the other heirs. He has prospered in his business undertakings and his labors have been so discerningly directed along well de- 840 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. fined lines tliat he lias met with creditable success. An intelligent understandin"' of farming methods is manifest in all that he does and therefore he has become one of the leading and representative agriculturists of the community. Mr. Larger was united in marriage May 30, 1876. to Miss Sarah A. Hebb, who was born November 13, 1855. in Newberry town- ship, Miami county. Her father. George Hebb. was born April 21, 181 2. in Osterburg. Ba\'aria. Germany, and in 1846 sailed from Ha\re, France, for New York city. He was on the water for se\-enty-two long days, but at length reached the .American port in safety and located in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, where he was married, February 4, 1850, the lady of his choice being Victoria Sirch. In the latter part of 1852 he came to Miami county, locating on a small tract of lanxl in Newberry township, where he died August 3. 1872. He and his family were members of St. Boniface Catholic church, of Piqua, and his political support was given to the Democracy. His wife, who was born in Furbrich, Bavaria, October 30, 1819. died March 10, 1875. ]\Irs. Larger is their only child. By her marriage she has become the mother of three children: Clara, born April 15, 1877; George, born October 23, 1879; and Lauretta, born August 26, 1882. The parents and children are mem- bers of St. Boniface Catholic church, of Piqua, and are widely and favorably known in the community in which they reside. HENRY M. FORMAN, :\I. D. A successful medical practitioner of Bradford who has attained to an enviable position in the ranks of the profession is Henry M. Forman, who was born November 12, 1854, in Newberry township. The fam- ily is of German lineage and was founded in America by the paternal grandparents of the Doctor. Daniel Forman, the grandfa- ther, was born in Heidelberg, Germany, and emigrated to the United States, accompanied by his wife and children. After a vovage of thirty-one days he landed in New York city and subsequently settled in Lancaster coun- ty, Pennsylvania, whence he came to Ohio, purchasing land in Newberry township, Mi- ami county. L^pon the farm which he there developed he made his honoe until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-four years of age. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Ann Sherryville. and died on the old home farm in Miami county at the ad- Nanced age of ninety years. In the Father- land they were members of the Catholic church, but after coming to America they joined the German Baptist church. Their children were : Henry, who died in Ne- Ijraska; Peter, who went south and was ne\-er heard from afterward ; Daniel ; Susan, who became Mrs. .Manning, of Newberry township; Mrs. Mary Grubb, who died in Newberry township, in 1S94; and Catherine. Daniel Forman, the father of our sul)ject, was born in Lancaster county. Pennsyh'ania, and during his boyhood came with his par- ents to Miami county, where he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed during tlie greater part of his life. Having a knowledge of the old style of burr milling, he followed that pursuit during the later years of his business career, but is now living retired in Adams township, Darke county, at the age of seventj^-three years. His wife died in 1866, at the age of thirty-three years, and afterward he married Elizabeth Warner, widow of Samuel Fetters. Mr. and Mrs. Forman's children were : Henry M. ; Eman- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 841 uel. a resident of Fairbury, Jefferson county, Missouri ; John, of Springfield, Ohio ; Anna, wife of \\^ E. Wise, of Newlierry township, Miami county; Daniel F., of Silverton, Col- orado ; Franklin, who died at the age of four years : and Albert, who died in infancy. Dr. Forman, of this re\"ie\v, spent his boy- hood days on the home farm and assisted in the work of field and meadow through the summer season, while in the winter he at- tended the country schools until eleven years of age. He then became a student in Cov- ington, and was graduated in the high school at that place at the age of eighteen years. Determining to make the practice of medi- cine his life work, he began preparation for the profession in 1876, as a student in the office of Dr. Adam Weaver, of Covington, with whom he continued three years. He then entered the Miami oMedical College, of Cincinnati, and was graduated with the class of 1 88 1. He received some assitance from his father, but his college course was made possible mostly by his own labor, and the de- termination which enabled liim to pursue his studies in that manner has been one of the strong elements in his success in later life. After his graduation he opened an office in Bradford, and as a result of his ability, sound judgment and close attention to his professional duties he has been able to build up a large and lucrative practice. Fie is a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and keeps in constant touch with the progress that characterizes the profession. In 1 88 1 the Doctor was united in mar- riage to Miss Ella B. Shoe, of Newberry township, a daughter of Solomon and Bar- bara (Yetter) Shoe. They have a large cir- cle of friends and acquaintances in this com- munity and enjoy the hospitality of the best homes in Bradford. Dr. Forman is a mem- ber of the Christian church, and for some years gave his political support to the De- mocracy, but for the past seven years has been a Republican. He served on the school board, is deeply interested in higher educa- tion, and has been largely instrumental in raising the standard of the Bradford schools. Public spirited and progressive, he is at all times in favor of those measures and move- ments which are calculated to secure ad- vancement along intellectual and moral lines. PETER HOLFINGER. Peter Holfinger, a farmer of Washington township, has spent his entire life in Miami county, although he is of German lineage. His father, Bernard Holfinger, was born May 9, 1820, in Moessingen, Wurtemberg, and attended school there until fourteen years of age. He was married in his native land in 1842, and in 1853, with his wife and six children, came to the United States, land- ing in New York city. Immediately he made his way to Ohio and took up his abode upon a small tract of land in Washington township, Miami county. A painful acci- dent rendered him unfit for work and on this account could not pay for his land, which he forfeited, but being a man of untiring energy and resolute will he was soon able to pur- chase forty acres of land in Adams township, Darke county, where he carried on agricult- ural pursuits for a time. He then traded that tract for sixty acres in Washington town- ship, Miami county, to which he removed, cultivating his fields until his death. His first wife died March 28, 1884, and a year later he wedded Mrs. Louise Maier, nee Gebelie. He was a man of untiring industry and strict honesty and was a devoted hus- band and father. These qualities endeared 842 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. him to his family and fellow citizens. An active and faithful member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, of Coving- ton, he died in that faith, September 3, 1899, and his death was mourned by all who knew him. His children were as follows : Sebas- tian, who was born November 5, 1843, ^"^ is a farmer of Newberry township, married Malinda Patty, and after her death he mar- ried Mrs. Schultz, a widow : Lewis, born February 15, 1846, served as a private in the Forty-fourth Ohio Infantry and in the Eighth Ohio Cavalry, and died on the 27th of April, 1870; George, born March 7, 1848, wedded Miss Christina Flammer and resides in Miami county: Barbara, born on the i6th of September, 1849, died on the 23d of Oc- tober, of the same year ; Christina, born De- cember 2y, i8=;o, died April 10, 1855; Ag- nes, born September 15, 1852, died August 19, 1855 ; John, born October 23, 1853, wed- ded Eliza Musselman and is a farmer of Newton township : Rosina. born March 8. 1856, is the wife of Conrad Reichman, of Washington township; Peter is the subject of this review ; Mary Barbara, born July 16, 1859, died in 1861 ; John Martin, born Sep- tember 29, i860, married Susannah Mohler and is a farmer of Washington township : Bernard C, born June 24, 1863, married Emma Mutchler and is a farmer of Wash- ington township; Samuel, born August 20, 1865, married Minnie Trost and is living in Darke county ; and Hannah, born November 28, 1867, married Charles Patty, of Wash- ington township, and died May 2, 1900. Peter Holfinger, whose name introduces this review, was born on what is now the Shefbaugh farm, in Newberry township, and was reared to manhood on the old homestead in Washington township. Almost as soon as he was old enough to reach the plow han- dles, he began work in the fields and actively assisted in the work of the farm until he at- tained his majority. His educational priv- ileges were very limited, although he was al- lowed to attend school for a short period each winter until he reached the age of thir- teen years. When he had attained man's estate he began work on his own account, being employed as a farm hand by his brother George, on the Patty farm, in New- ton township. The following year he worked for Samuel Reish, and was thus em- ployed until his marriage, after which le made his home for three years on the Rouser farm, in Newton township. Subsequently he operated the old homestead for twelve years, and in the spring of 1894 he purchased thirty acres of that tract from his father and has since added to it forty-two acres. The same year he erected thereon a very com- modious and tasteful residence, having now a comfortaljle home in the midst of higlily cultivated fields. Mr. Holfinger was luarried. October 7, 1882, to Miss Mary, daughter of Charles and Sophia (Trost) Zimmerman, of Newton township. She died January 19, 1896, leaving three children : Charles Henry, born August 2, 1884; Minnie Sophia, born .Vpril 26, 1887; and Lewis Z., born June 2"/, 1889. Mr. Holfinger was again married, No- vember 1 1, 1897, his second wife being Dora Esky, whose birth occurred September 17, i860, in Covington, Ohio. Her parents were Henry and Ursula (Neth) Esky. Her fa- ther, Henry Esky, was born July 31, 1831, in Mechlenburg, Germany, and in 1850 landed in New York city. For a year there- after he worked as a fariu hand in Pnugh- keepsie, and then went to .Albany, New \'ork, where he engaged at the cooper's trade for a short time. He then removed to Piqua, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 843 Ohio, where he followed coopering until lo- cating on a small tract of land in Newberry township, Miami county. Later he took up his abode at Covington and worked at his trade in Shelby county. He also spent four years on a farm there and afterward went to Gettysburg, Darke county, where he resides. His first wife died in 1867. Their children were : George and Mary, who died in in- fancy; Eva Rosina, now the wife of Law- rence Kerr, of Bellefontaine, Ohio ; Agnes, who died at the age of twenty years; Mrs. Holfinger ; John, who died at the age of four j'ears : Mary Catherine; Lewis, who died in infancy: and John Henry, who died in child- hood. Mr. Eskey's second wife bore the maiden name of Annie Margaret Beck, and by their marriage there are six children: John George, a freight conductor on the Pan- handle Railroad, at Indianapolis: Conrad, a freight conductor, of St. Louis, Missouri; Richard, of Gettysburg, Ohio ; Anna, who is living in Dayton : and Henry and Emma, living at home. In his political views Mr. Holfinger is a stanch Democrat, unswerving in his advo- cacy of the principles of the party. He is <'i member of the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, of Covington, and is a highly esteemed man of genial manner, jovial disposition and an intelligent and en- terprising farmer who enjoys a creditable reputation for his fair dealing. DAVID L. LEE. David L. Lee, one of the enterprising and prosperous business men of Troy, is num- bered among Miami county's native sons, his birth having here occurred on the 17th of December, 1843. His father, Abram J. Lee, was born in Virginia, in 1809, and at an early period in the development of Miami county came to Ohio with his father, Benja- min Lee, who was a first cousin of General Robert E. Lee, of Confederate fame. Our subject has the same refined and intellectual face, calm and dignified, yet with his pene- trating expression, as his illustrious cousin. Benjamin Lee located on a farm on Honey creek, and there reared his family. Aliram J. Lee was identified with the agricultural interests of this community in pioneer times, and after arriving at years of maturity he purchased a farm on the Dayton pike, near Troy, now known as the Enyeart fanu. He married Catherine Bowersock, a representa- tive of an old Pennsylvania family. The children of this marriage are: J. H.. who is now in the Klondike ; George, a hardware merchant of Piqua, Ohio; Howard, a re- tired farmer of Kansas; Mrs. G. L. Smith, who resided in St. Paris, but is now de- ceased ; and Davis L.. of this review. George and Howard were both loyal soldiers in the Union army during the civil war. The father of this family died when Da- vid L. Lee was only six years of age. The family afterward removed to Fletcher, where he attended school and also worked on the home farm. At the outbreak of the war of the rebellion, although only seventeen years of age, he was one of the first to respond to the call for troops, enlisting in the Seventy- first Ohio Infantry. After participating in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, he was en- gaged in garrison duty in Tennessee and in fighting guerrillas. In 1864 he re-enlisted and after joining General Sherman's army at Cumberland, he took part in the Atlanta campaign, and was present at the fall of At- lanta. His command was with General Thomas, of the Fourth Army Corps, at the battles of Pulaski, Columbia, Franklin and 814 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Nashville. At the last named place Hood's army was annihilated and was thus pre- vented from making the contemplated raid into Ohio. On the 15th and i6th of De- cember, when General Thomas rode down the line. Mr. Lee states that every man felt that victory had crowned the Union arms. Nashville was the last battle in which Mr. Lee participated, for, by the last gun fired by the rebels, he had his left leg shattered and the member was afterward amputated. For two months he lay in the Xash\-ille hos- pital and then returned to his home. On again reaching the north ^Ir. Lee learned the silversmith's trade, at wdiich he worked for two years, when, on the 3rd of July, 1867, lie was appointed United States storekeeper at Hayner's distillery, in Troy. He held that position for six years, and in the fall of 1873 was elected sheriff of Miami county, and re-elected in 1875. acceptably serving in that capacity for four consecu- tive years. He handled three hundred and fifty prisoners, took fifty criminals to the penitentiary at Columbus and a number of offenders to the Lancaster Farm for Boys and to the Reformed Home for Girls. Two indictments were returned for murder in the first degree, but the convictions were in the second degree so that he narrowly escaped being compelled to hang the murderers. Only one person thus far has been hung in Miami county, and that was by the sheriff succeeding Mr. Lee. In 1878 our subject went to Kansas City, Missouri, but his busi- ness ventures there proved unprofitable, and in 1880 he returned to Troy. Not long af- terward he went to Arizona to visit a broth- er, and while in that territory acted as a clerk in the twelfth Arizona legislature for one term. On again coming to Troy he went into the grocery business, and, while so engaged, was once more a45pointed store- keeper and ganger by President Harrison for a term of four years. L'nder Cleveland he was superseded in the office, but was twice elected township clerk for terms of two years each, and during his incumbency in that position he was reappointed store- keeper and ganger at Hayner's distillery, in which position he is now serving. Mr. Lee was married in Troy, October 8, 1868, to Miss Libby C. Clyde, a daughter of George C. Clyde, now deceased. Her fa- ther, a prominent and influential citizen of the community, served for two terms as treasurer of Miami county, as auditor for two terms and as a member of the state leg- islature. Mr. and I\Irs. Lee now liave two sons, Harry and Fred, the former an in- spector for the Central Union Telephone Company, of Troy, and the latter a clerk in Long & ]\IcKnight's store, in Troy. The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Lee holds membership re- lations with the Knights of Pythias frater- nity. Coleman Post, G. A. R., and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He has filled various offices in those organizations, and at the present time is serving as treas- urer of the first two. He has a fine home on North Mulberry street, which he has gained by his own well directed efforts in business affairs. Many times called to pub- lic office, his career has ever been honorable and loyal, and no trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed. LEWIS W. DAMS. The neat and thrifty appearance of the Davis farm, in Newberry township, well in- dicates the careful supervision of the op- erator, who is numbered among Ohio's na- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 845 tive sons, his birth having occurred in Un- ion township, CHnton county, on the 8th of December, 1847. He is a representative of one of the old famiHes of Pennsylvania. His grandparents were Joshua and Elizabeth (Rogers) Davis, both natives of Allegheny county. Pennsylvania. There the grand- mother spent her entire life, but the grandfa- ther removed to Belmont county. Ohio, Vvdiere his last days were passed. He was three times married. Hiram, the father of our subject, was born in Allegheny county. Pennsylvania, in 181 8. and when nineteen years of age. made the journey to Clinton county. Ohio, on horseback. He there mar- ried Mary Ann Shields, and began his do- mestic life on a farm of fifty acres, for which he traded a horse. Later he sold his farm and operatetl rented land and also engaged in working in the woods till he settled on one hundred acres of land owned by his son. John T. His death occurred on that farm in 185J. His- wife, long surviving him, passed away in 1894, at the advanced age of eighty- three years. She was born in Clinton coun- ty, Ohio, and was the daughter of William and Hannah ( Frazier) Shields. At an early day her father reminxd from Tennessee to Ohio. He was a son of David Shields, who emigrated from Ireland to the new world, taking up his abode in Tennessee, whence he removed to Clinton county, this state. On the voyage to America he was accompanied by two brothers, one of whom settled in Clinton county. At the time when the col- onies attempted to throw off the yoke of British tyranny, David Shields joined the colonial army and served throughout the war. He participated in the battle of Yorktown, and when Washington was negotiating terms of surrender for Cornwallis, Mr. Shields was chosen to carry dispatches to the British leader. It was from this Revo- lutionary hero that Mary Shields, the mother of our subject, was descended. Unto Hiram and ^Nlary Davis were born ten children ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of John H. Shields and died in Clinton county, in 1861 ; Rebecca J., who became the wife of Thomas Garretson, of Clinton county; Ellis, of Dan- ville. Illinois, who married Maria Jane Shields, and afterward married Sarah Do- ran; John T.. who married Ann Thompson and is living on the home farm ; William, who married Bertha Painter and resides in Marion. Indiana; George B.. who married Alice Parrett and is living in Warren county. Ohio ; Joseph, deceased ; Silas, who married Ruth Thatcher and makes his home in Clin- ton county ; Lewis W. ; and Calvin, who mar- ried Hattie Doran and died in Wood coun- ty, Ohio. Lewis \\'alker Davis, whose name heads this review, spent his boyhood days on his father's farm and pursued his education in the public schools during the winter seasons. He remained with his widowed mother un- til after her marriage and aided her in the labor of the cultivation of the homestead. About 1882 lie removed to Grant county, Ohio, and purchased a seventy-acre farm, on which he resided for four years. He then sold that property and removed to \\'arren county, Ohio, where he also spent four years. On the expiration of that period, he located near West ^Milton, JMiami county, and in the spring of 1896 he removed to the Judge Freshour farm of one hundred and eighty acres, on which he has since resided. He does general farming and also makes a specialty of raising tobacco. On the 22d of October, 1874, Mr. Davis married Miss Rebecca Coate. who was born in Newton township. Miami county. Janu- 840 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ary i6, 1846. Her father, Jonathan Coate, was born in Newton township and died there upon iiis farm. He married Miss Elizabeth Jay, a native of Miami county, and they be- came the parents of the following children : Mary, wife of Enoch Berry, of Newton township; John, who died at the age of two years; James, of Troy, who married Miss Pearson and after her death wedded Lydia Deeter; Lurana, wife of Henry Miles, of Newton township ; Mrs. Davis ; Sarah, who died at the age of fifteen; Elizabeth, wife of Charles Gilbert, of Denver, Colorado ; and Amanda, who died in infancy. After the death of his first wife, Jonathan Coate married Rachel Jenkins, who survived her marriage six months. Martha Compton afterward became his wife and their children were : Emma; Ellwood, who died in infancy; Winnie, who became the wife of Otto Sinks and died in Dayton, Ohio; and Alice, wife of A\'ebb Tucker, of Lima, Ohio. The grand- parents of Mrs. Davis were James and Lu- rana (Teague) Coate, tlie latter from South Carolina, and both died in Newton township. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Davis are as follows : Laura and Eva were twins, born in 1875, and the former became the wife of \\'illiam Compton and died February 18, 1899; William and Elda were twins, and the former, a soldier in tlie Spanish-American war, is now following carpentering in Den- ver, Colorado, while the latter is the wife of Walter EUemen, of Newberry township, and has one child, Lewis H. ; Clifford, Lewis and Houston are now at home ; Mary E. and Bertie complete the family, but the latter died at the age of five years. The family is one of prominence in the community, its members ocupying creditable positions in so- cial circles. Mr. Davis is a highly esteemed and intelligent farmer who keeps well in- formed on the issues of the day, is a Repub- lican in his political views and a Quaker in religious faith. JOHN H. ROHRER. One of the extensive land-owners and enterprising farmers of Miami county is John H. Rohrer, who was born in the house which is now his home, his natal day being December 25, 1858. The public schools of Tippecanoe City afforded him his educa- tional privileges, and he was graduated with the class of 1879. He spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, but about 1881 entered commercial life as an assistant book- keeper in the wheel works of Tippecanoe City, where he remained for a year. How- ever, on the expiration of that period he re- turned to the old homestead, where he has since remained. He now owns a hundred and ninety acres of the old farm on section 22. Monroe township, together with one hundred acres on section 27, a thirty-acre tract on the same section, and fifteen acres on section 29. He has a well developed property, his home farm being improved with commodious and substantial buildings, which are surrounded by well tilled fields that indicate the care and supervision of the owner. With a thorough understanding of the rotation of crops and of the needs of the various cereals which he raises, he has applied a practical knowletlge to his work and has therefore obtained excellent results from his labors. On the 7th of April, 1886, Mr. Rohrer was united in marriage with Rosamond Benham, a native of West Charleston, Bethel township, and a daughter of Joseph Benham. Four children were born of their union, but Charles, who was born April 18, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 847 1887, was drowned on the 29th of March, 1890, in a pond near his home, when only three years of age. The others are : Harry, who was born September 12, 1890; Eliza- beth, born May 2/, 1892; and Robert, born November 16, 1895. In his political views Mr, Rohrer is a Republican, unswerving in the support of the principles of the party. He has served for two years on the board of agriculture, and was re-elected in 1897 for a second term of two years. A very promi- nent Mason, he holds membership in Tippe- canoe Lodge, No. 174, F. & A. M. ; Frank- lin Chapter, No. 114, R. A. M, ; Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., of Troy; and on the 7th of December, 1898, he became a noble of Antioch Temple of the Mystic Shrine, at Dayton, Ohio. He has filled all the chairs of the blue lodge, and has served as captain-general, and is now generalis- simo of the Coleman Commandery. His entire life has been passed in Miami county, and within its borders he is both widely and favorably known. DEWITT C. BRANSON. Dewitt C. Branson is numbered among the pioneers as well as the native sons of Miami county, for his birth occurred on the old homestead farm in Lost Creek township. May I, 1828. The Branson family was founded in America by two brothers. One came to this country from England at an e^rly period in the history of America. They located near W'hitesville, Ocean coun- ty, New Jersey. Jonathan, one of the brothers, died a bachelor. Another brother, John, was the father of Samuel Branson, the grandfather of our subject. He resided in New Jersey, and had two brothers. Unto him and his wife, Charlotte, were born seven children, namely : Ann, who was born in 1799, came to Ohio and married Nathaniel Gaskell ; her death occurred in Miami county; Moses N., the second of the family, who was the father of our subject; William W., born June 5, 1803, who died at the age of fifteen years ; Hannah, born February 17, 1805, who married Pierson Ticen, and died in Indiana about 1870; Abi- gail, born October 19, 1806, who died in New Jersey in 1828; Charlotte, born in 1808, who became the wife of Nehemiah Gaskell, and died in Montgomery county, Ohio; Emma, born in 18 10, who became the wife of Sterling Gaskell and died in Shelby- county, Ohio, in 1870. Moses N, Branson, the father of our subject, was born in New Jersey, in 1801, and was left an orphan when fifteen years of age. Determined to seek a home in the west, he started for Ohio, and for some years was a resident of Centerville, Mont- gomery county. Subsequently he came to Miami county and purchased eighty acres of land in Lost Creek township. A few years later he added another eighty-acre tract to his farm, and carried on agricultural pur- suits for a considerable period. He was a very intelligent and highlv respected man, who served as a township trustee and was frequently called upon to settle estates, owing to his well-known integrity. His political support was first given to the Democracy, but on the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks. While in Mont- gomery county he wedded Harriet Nutt. who was born in 1807, a daughter of Levi and Sarah (Moon) Nutt, Her death oc- curred on the old homestead farm in 1841, and later the father was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Phoebe Man- sen, a widow. 848 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mr. Branson, of this review, spent- the days of liis boyhood and youth upon his fa- ther's farm, and there remained until twenty- two years of age, assisting in the work of de\'eloping and cultivating the fields. He attended the old-time subscription schools and also the public schools afte." their estab- lishment, and, being of a studious nature. he gave mure attention to his Ijooks and read continually outside the school room, so tliat he became a well informed man. In 1849 he began teaching, which profession he suc- cessfullv carried on for several successive terms. He then devoted his energies to farm work for about six years, when he again taught school for one term. Education- al work was not conducted in the manner of the present day, and at one time he was obliged to teach in nine different arithmetics and as man\' grammars, for there was no uniformity of text-books used liy his pu- pils. However, he had the ability to im- part clearly and readily to others the knowl- edge he had acquired, and was therefore a successful educator. In 1850 he began the cultivation of his present farm. Here he owned une hundred acres of rich and arable land, the greater part of which is under a high state of cultivation and improved with all modern accessories. The old log cabin which was his first home has long since been replaced by a large and commodious dwell- ing. Other modern improvements have been added imtil the farm is one of the best in the neighborhood. His business career has been seldom interrupted, but during the civil war he put aside all jiersonal ciinsidera- tions and enlisted in May. 1864, i.. response to the call for one-hundred-day men. He was mustered in at Camp Dennison as ser- geant of Company F, One Hundred and Forty-se\'enth Ohio Infantry, and was mus- tered out at Washington, D. C, September 2, 1864. On the 31st of December, 1849. ^^i'- Branson was united in marriage at Troy by Rev. Templeton, to Miss Charlotte Sulser, who was born near Upper Meckfield. Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1827. When only five years old she was brought by her par- ents to Brown township, Miami county. She is a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Duerj Suber. Her father was born No- vember 12. 1799, in Bucks county, Penn- syhania, and was a son of John Peter Suber, who li\ed and died in that county. The pa- ternal grandmother bore the maiden name of Martha Harper, and by her marriage be- came the mother of seven children, namely : Mary, who became the wife of Josiah Duer and died in Shelby county, this state : George, the father of Mrs. Branson : .\nn, who died unmarried ; Sarah, who became the wife of John Haven and died in Bucks coun- ty, Pennsylvania ; Lydia Ann, who died in Fletcher, Ohio ; Joseph, who died in St. Louis. ]\Iissom"i ; and \\'illiam, whose death occurred in Pennsylvania. Of this family George Suber, the father of Mrs. Branson, was reared to manhood upon a farm, and on the 1 8th of October, 1800, he wedded Elizaljeth Duer, a daughter of William and Charlotte (Anderson) Duer. Her mother could, remember and would frequentl}- relate many interesting incidents concerning the Revolutionary war. In 1829 George Suber remox'ed with his family and a compan\' C('mi)osed of sexeral other families to Ohio. They made the journey in wagons and were six weeks upon the way. For two years Mr. Suber was a resident of W^arren count}-, after which he entered and located on land in Brown township, Miami county, there spending his remaining days, liis time and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 849 attention Ijeing devoted to the improvement of his farm. Pie died September 23, i860, and his wife was called to her final rest Au- gust 8, 1872. They were both members of the Presbyterian church, and he was a life- long Democrat in his political affiliations. In their family were nine children, as fol- lows : Harriet D., born December 27, 1 82 1, became the wife of Cyrus Hand, after his death married Nehemia Wharton and died in Shelby county on the 25th of July, in 1886; Caroline Elizalieth, born September 21, 1823, married David Duncan and died in Fletcher, Miami county, in 1848; William D., born May 31, 1825, married Mary Ann Cayen and died on his farm in Brown town- ship, February 5, 1889; Martha and Char- lotte were twins and the former died in in- fancy, while the latter is the wife of Mr. Branson; Martha Jane, born August 17, 1830, became the wife of Benjamin McClary and died in Shelby county, Ohio, August 25, 1899; John Cory, born July 9, 1832, married Sarah Earhart and died in Fletcher June 29, 1896; Maria G., born November 30, 1824, is the wife of John Blackford, of St. Paris, Ohio; and James Watson Tullis, born October 7, 1841, wedded Elizabeth Verdeer, and is conducting a hotel in Fletcher. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Branson are Harriet, wife of F. W. Hildebrand, of Shelby county; Caroline, wife of James Johnson, of San Antonio, Texas; Willis; John; Frank; Sarah, wife of H. E. Hartzell, of Staunton township, Miami county; Lyd- ia ; and Angeline, wife of George W. Rout- son, of Staunton township. Mr. and Mrs Branson celebrated their golden wedding on the 1st of January, 1900. For fifty years they had traveled life's journey together, sharing together life's joys and sorrows, its 50 adversities and prosperity, and when the half-century was ended many of their rela- tives, friends and neighbors gathered to offer their congratulations and good wishes. This worthy couple are members of the Pres- byterian church at Houston, and Mr. Bran- son is a stanch Republican in politics. A successful farmer, he has been quick to no- tice and grasp opportunities, and by his en- ergy and determined purpose he has steadily worked his way upward to a position among the substantial citizens of the community. His life has at all times been so honorable that he commands the uniform respect and confidence of his fellow men. FREDERICK HUBER. Back to the land of the Alps does Mr. Huber trace his lineage, and that in his char- acter abide those sterling qualities which have ever marked the true type of the Swiss nation is manifest when we come to consider the more salient points in his life history, which has been one marked by persistent in- dustry, invincible spirit, sturdy loyalty and unwavering honor, all of which have resulted naturally in securing to him a position among the leading business men and respected citi- zens of his adopted country. Mr. Huber was born in Switzerland, No- vember 14, 1833, and resided in the city of Zurich. His parents were John and Annie Huber, and he was their only child. The fa- ther died when Frederick was only thirteen years of age, and when a youth of sixteen he began working at the butcher's trade, serving a three years' apprenticeship. His employer gave him his board and he paid one hundred dollars to learn the trade. In 1853 he determined to try his fortune in America and crossed the Atlantic on a sailing vessel 850 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. which, after a voyage of sixty-seven days, hmded at Quebec. He made his way to New Uremen, Ohio, where he followed his trade for a time and then went from that point to riqua. Later he went to Dayton, where he worked at his trade for two years, and on tlie expiration of that period he came to Tip- pecanoe City, where he secured employment in the butcher shop of Levi Clark. He re- mained with Mr. Clark two years and then purchased his employer's business, conduct- ing a meat market and buying and selling- cattle until 1864, when he made a business trip to Switzerland, leaving America in April and returning during the summer. In the meantime he had sent for his mother, wdio had ji lined him in his new home. On again reaching this country Air. Ruber took charge of a butchering business, which he conducted until the fall of 1899. In the meantime he engaged in the manufacture of malt, in com- ])any with Messrs. Timmer & Hoffman, suc- cessfully conducting that enterprise for .'•.ev- eral years in connection with other business interests. He was also at one time a stock- holder in the Tippecanoe Paper Mill Com- ])any, but is now retired from active business life. FelMuary 9, 1857, Mr. Huber was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Rupp, and to ihem were born two children: Annie, \vho died at the age of twenty-eight years; and Emily, w^ife of Albert Miller. Mrs. Huber died March 6, 1885. On the 29th of Janu- ary, iS8g, Mr. Huber again married, his sec- ond union being with Miss Emma Nietert. of Dayton, Ohio. In his political views our subject is a Democrat and served as a mem- ber of the city -council of Tippecanoe from 1885 until 1889. He is also a conmnmicant of the Catholic church. For many years he was numbered among the prosperous and leading business men of Tippecanoe City, and certainly he has never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world, for here he has met with pros- perity and has gained the regard of a very extensive circle of friends and acquaintances. J. CHARLES F. HILL. J. Charles F. Hill, one of the prominent and well-to-do farmers of \\'ashington town- ship, was born on Jonathan Drake's farm in this locality, February 14, 1857, and is a representative of one of the old families of Pennsylvania. His paternal grandparents were Isaac and Susan (Barton) Hill, \\\\o removed from the Keystone state to Xew Jersey, where they spent their remaining days. Stephen Hill, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Northampton county, Penn- sylvania, July 9, 1817, and during his early boA'hood accompanied his parents to New Jersey. He was onh' nine years of age when thrown upon his own resources, mving to the parents' death. He went to live in. a family by the name of Deusenl)erry, with whom he remained imtil eight- een years of age, when he began work as a farm hand, being employed in various places in the state. His time was thus largely passed until he was thirty years of age. In December, 1847, '^^ emigrated to Ohio, lo- cating in Warren county, about a mile from Lebanon. There he remained for two or three years, after which he removed to Cen- terville, Montgomery county, where he con- tinued to reside for about tw^o years. On leaving that place he came to Miami county, where he worked by the month for a time and then purchased a farm adjoining the one upon which his last days were spent. His first tract of land consisted of eighty-five GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 851 acres, which was covered with a dense for- est, hut witli characteristic energy he be- gan its development and each year saw a hirger amount cleared. He built a barn and other necessary outbuildings and became comfortably situated in life. He certainly deserved great credit for what he accom- plished, for he started out for himself when a mere child, having no capital or school priv- ileges to aid him. Steadily he worked his way upward and as the result of his careful management and untiring industry he ac- quired a comfortable competence. He pos- sessed great physical strength and his ser- vices were greatly in demand at the old-time log rollings. He first worked at wood-chop- ping, which pursuit he followed for four years, his marked ability in that line enabling him to gain a very good living. He received thirty-se\-en and a half cents per cord, and on Monday would always cut enough wood to pay for his week's board. On the 31st of December, 1855, Mr. Hill was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J . Lukemeyer, a daughter of John and Alice ( Barngrover) Lukemeyer, wdio were na- tives of southern Ohio. . Their daughter was born in Clermont county, Ohio, October 10, 1837, and by her marriage she became the mother of four children: J. Charles F. ; I'Vank S., who was born November 22, 1858; George M., born February 2, 1861; and Alice A., born February 8, 1867. The father of this family died in June, 1898, and in his death the community lost one of the valued pioneer settlers. In. politics he was a stanch Republican, and in religious belief Avas connected with the German Baptist church. J. Charles F. Hill, whose name begins this record, has spent his entire life in Miami county, and upon the old homestead farm was reared to manhood. His own limited educational pri\'ileges made the father desire that his children should receive good oppor- tunities in that direction and therefore he put forth every effort to enable him to attend school and thus prepare for life's practical and responsible duties. Our subject attend- ed the country schools until sixteen years of age, when he entered the Covington high school, where he was graduated in the spring of 1878, taking the honors of the class. Sub- sequently he served a five-years apprentice- ship at the carpenter's trade under the direc- tion of J. A. Buchanan, of Newberry town- ship, but did not follow the pursuit stead- ily. He was married, May 30, 1886, to Miss Sarah Angeline Cassel and resided upon the home farm for a year. He then purchased a residence in Bloomer, Miami county, to which he removed in 1890, there following his trade until November, 1898, when he returned to the homestead farm, v,diich he has since operated, in connection with his two brothers. Mrs. Hill was born in Newberry town- ship, Miami county, December 11, 1864, and was a daughter of Jacob and Hester (Moist) Cassel. Her father, Jacob Cassel, was born near Greenville, Ohio, Novemlier 19, 1840, and was a son of John Cassel, who died in Illinois. His widow afterward i-eturned to Ohio, spending her last days near Arcanum. In their family were six children, namely: Henry, who died in Graham county, Kan- sas; William, who is living near Muncie, In- diana; Simon, of Darke county; Jacob, fa- ther of Mrs. Hill: Conrad, who is also liv- ing in Darke county; and Joseph, a resident of Newberry township. During his child- hood Jacob Cassel accompanied his parents on their removal to Illinois, where the fa- ther's death soon after occurred. When he 852 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. was seven years of age his mother returned to Ohio with her family, and he was bound out to his half brother, David, until he had attained his majority. In 1861 he married Miss Hester Moist, who was born in Alont- gomery county, Ohio, November 2, 1841, a daughter of Abraham and Rachel ( Frone- fteldj jNbiist, who died in Newton township, Miami county. Their children were : Eliza- beth, wife of George Shellerbarger, of New- ton township; Mary, wife of Henry Fink, of Bradford; Hester, of this review; Rachel; and John, who is living in Arcanum, Ohio. For a time after his marriage Jacob Cassel made his home on various farms until he was enabled to purchase land of his own. He bought and located upon a thirty-acre tract, north of Clayton, and subsequently removed to his farm of eighty acres, north of Bloom- er. There he resided until February, 1899, when he put aside business cares and has since lived retired in the village of Bloomer. He has but two children, Mrs. Hill and Charles, who married Miss Martha Hyle, by whom he has a daughter, Mabel. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hill have been born two children, Orpha Edith and Sylvia Flor- ence, who are in school. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are well known in this localitv and enjo}- the warm regard of a large circle of friends. Industry has been one of his chief character- istics and at the same time he is a genial, kindly gentleman, honest in all business affairs and honorable in all life's relations. DANIEL H. LENTZ. Daniel H. Lentz was born in Perry county, Ohio, at Somerset, November 27, 1836, and is a son of Frederick and Hannah (Hen- dricks) Lentz, who had a familj'^ of seven children, six sons and one daughter. Of this number four of the sons served in the civil war as loyal defenders of the Union, and the youngest laid down his life on the altar of his country. Daniel H. Lentz was reared on a farm in the county of his nativity and remained at home until eighteen years of age, when he went to IMissouri and Iowa, where he was engaged in photographic work. In 1857, with three companions, he secured an outfit at Si. Joseph, ^Missouri, and started for Pike's Peak, attracted liy the discovery of gold at that place. They had a three-horse team and with this they made their way along the Platte river to Fort Kearney. At that place they abandoned their intention of proceed- ing to Colorado and traded their provisions t': Indians for buffalo robes, after which they returned to St. Joseph, and a few months later Mr. Lentz was again at home. He then engaged in the lumber business wbicli he folowed with fair success until 1861, when, on the loth of September, he responded to the call for volunteers, enlisting as a pri\'ate in Company D. Third Ohio Cavalry for three years. The first engagement in which he participated was at Nashville, and later he took part in the battles of Stone river and Corinth, and at the former he was wounded by a minie ball in the left leg, below the knee. After three days spent in the field liospital, he was sent to the hospital at Nash- ville and later to the hospital at Louisville. Subsequently he was at Covington, at Camp Dennison and in the hospital at Cleveland, being there for eleven months, owing to the fact that he suffered from gangrene after being wounded. When he had recovered his strength he re-enlisted in the same com- pany and regiment and participated in the battles of Kene.saw Mountain, .\tlanta, Selma. Alabama, Montgomery and Colum- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 858 bia. Ill 1862 he had served as recruiting of- ficer for two months, was afterwards quar- termaster-sergeant for three months and was tlien promoted to the rank of commissary sergeant. He also served for one month as orderly sergeant, and at the close uf the war he returned to Columbus, where he was mus- tered out. He made for himself a very honorable military record, for he was always found at his post, faithfully discharging everv duty and task assigned to him. When hostilities had ceased and the su- premacy of the starry flag was acknowledged throughout the nation, Mr. Lentz turned his attention to the lumber business and was very successful, building up an extensive enter- prise. He established twelve different steam saw-mills and was actively engaged in the operation of one of these until January, igon, when his son took his business. His enter- prise, close application and keen discrimina- tion hatl enabled him to build up an extensive lumber trade and he derived therefrom an excellent income. In 1879 he removed to Covingtiin, and a year later purchased the farm n])ou which he now resides. It contains eight and one-half acres and is planted most- Iv ti) small fruits. In 1869 Air. Lentz was united in mar- riage with Miss Harriet M. Stewart, and to them have been born seven children, of whom six are living, namely: Charley C, Ulysses S. ; Efiie ; Elta ; Walter J. and Law- rence R. Mabel died in early childhood. The family is one of prominence in the com- munity and has made many warm friends in Miami county, while the hospitality of the best homes is extended to them. For two years Mr. Lentz has served as trustee of Spring Creek township. In politics he is a Republican, and his religious faith is in ac- cord with the belief of the Christian church, of which he is a member. In all life's rela- tions he has commanded the respect and es- teem of his fellowmen, and as a citizen is as true, today, to the duties which devolve upon him as when, with the Union army, he participated in the conflicts on southern bat- tlefields. SIMMEON E. HARRIS. Occupying the position of chief engineer of the Pi(|ua Rolling Mills, Simmeon E. Harris is regarded as one of the most trust- worthy and reliable employes in that insti- tution. He was born in Washington town- ship, two miles south of Piqua, on the 27th of December, 1861, a son of Charles and Harriet (Hunt) Harris, the former a na- tive of Wilmington, Clinton county, Ohio, the latter of Shelby county, this state. The father spent hs boyhood days in the place of his nativity, and when a young man took up his abode in Troy, Ohio, where he was married. He was a blacksmith by trade, and later in life was employed as a station- ary engineer in the still house in Miami ccunty. His last position was that of en- gineer in the oil mill in Piqua. When about forty-two years of age he was struck by lightning, and died fourteen years later, at the age of fifty-six years. During the ci\-il war he was most anxious to join the army, but owing to an accident which had injured his leg he was not accepted. In his political views he was independent, vot- ing for the man rather than for party. He held membership in Grace Methodist Episco- pal church, and was an earnest Christian man. His widow is still Iving in Piqua, at the age of fifty years. Like her husband, she is a member of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church and has ever taken a deep 854 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. interest in its work. In tlieir family were two children : Simeon and Rachel Eliza- beth, wife of Frank ^IcMacken, of Piqua. Mr. Harris, of this review, spent the days of his yonth at the family home, two miles south of Piqua, and attended the district schools. When ahout twenty years of age he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he secured employment in the Orr, Leonard & Daniels Linseed Oil Mills, re- maining- there for two years and ten months. On the e.xjiiration of that period he returned to Piqua and worked in the Bent Wood Works, haxdng charge of the night crew in the bending- department. His ne.xt service was in the linseed nil mill, of Piqua, which was owned by Leonard & Daniels, having charge of their cooperage shop. Li fact, he has performed almost every kind of work in the oil mill. He be- gan engineering there, having learned that work under his father. He left the oil mill in order to assist in setting up the 11-iachinery iri the rolling mills, and was cmplo3'-ed as second engineer there for a time. Subse- quently he was liead engineer in the corru- gating works, and later was engineer at the street car barns for six months. When that period had elapsed he went tn Carthage, In- diana, where he was employed as chief en- gineer in a paper box board factory for about three years, when he i-eturncd to I'iqua and accepted the position of second engineer in the rolling mills. A year and a half ago he was promoted to chief engineer, and has since held that ])ositiiin, which is one of great importance in the extensive estal)lishment with which he is now connected. I\Ir. Harris was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Hobbs. of Cincinnati. Ohio. They hold membership in the Presbyterian church, and in this- community enjoy the warm regard of a large circle of ac(|uaint- ances. Mr. Harris is a liberal Democrat in his ])oiitical views. .He belongs to Inxinci- ble Lodge, Xo. 176, K. P., of Picpia, has filled all of its offices and is also a member of the Uniform Rank. He is viceqiresident and \vas one of the organizers of the Knights of Pythias band, and belongs to several other t'raternal societies, including the Maccabees, the Improved Order of Red 'Mtn and the .Ancient Essenic Order. He is a man of fine personal appearance, genial in manner, courteous and kindly, and has many friends in Piqua, where he has spent the greater ])art of his life. :\IOSES KIXSELLA. Closes Kinsclla. a farmer an one of the best farming properties in that section of the county, making his home there until his death, which occurred in June. 1881. in hs eighty-first year. His wife sur- vived him about six years, and passed away at the same age. They had a family of six sons and two daughters, of whom one son died in childhood and a daughter at the age of fifteen years. Those who reached 3'ears of maturity were : Diana, wife of Ira L. Morris, a resident of Troy, Ohio; Basil, who died in his twenty-ninth year; Benjamin D.. w ho left Miami county when a young man. and now li\'es in Pulaski county, Lidiana, where his father had given him land : Sylves- ter, who was owner of a part of the old homesteatl in Lost Creek township, where he died when about forty-seven years of age : William \\'.. and John L.. who died on the old homestead when aliout forty-three years of age. William W. Meeks has spent his entire life in Miami county. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-four years of age. and was early trained to habits of in- dustry and economy, whch have proved im- portant factors in his success. As soon as old enough to handle the plow he began work in the "fields, and in the budding spring time turned many a furrow preparatory to the plantng of the crops, and the district schools of the neighborhood afforded him Ills educational privileges, his studies being pursued through the winter months. On the 2_'d of June. 1865, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Jane Neal, and soon after- ward located on his present farm, which is one of the oldest in the county, having been settled by J. Xeal, Airs. ]\Ieek's grandfather. His son, James Xeal, resided in Pike town- ship, Clark county. He married Melvina Hehey. and their daughter. Jane, was born in Clark county. February 8, 1847. After the death of the father the mother came to Alianii city, where she died when more than eighty years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Meeks took up their abode on their present farm in 1868, and have continuously resided here since that time, covering a period of almost a third of a century. In ctinnectioii with gen- eral farming, he has operated a wagon and carriage repair shop, and has enjoyed a good trade. His fields are well tilled, and yield to him a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon them. Substan- tial improvements indicate his supervision, and he is accounted one of the leading agri- culturists of the community. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Meeks lia\e been born the following children ; Eftie Octavia. who has been a student in the Ada Normal school, is now successfully teaching in Miami county; Alice Ida is the wife of Fred Ely. and has two children, Donna and Carl; GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 857 Delia Melinda, who was educated in the Val- paraiso normal school, is also a teacher of Miami county ; and Horace is a student in the Addison high school. They also have an adopted son, George, who came to them from the Montgomery County Home when eight \'ears of age, and received the same advantages as their own children. He is now twent3--seven years of age, but still as- sists his foster father in the operation of the old homestead. In his political affiliatmns Mr. ]\Ieeks is a Democrat, but has never sought or desired political preferment, his attention being given almost exclusively to his farming in- terests, in which he has met with creditable success. He and his family are members of the Christian church, and in its work he takes an active interest. His life has ever been honorable, manifestmg those sterling cjualities of character which at all times com- mand respect. HOWARD SCUDDER. The building interests of Piqua would be incomplete without mention of !Mr. Scud- der, who has been a yevy active factor in the material improvement of the city, and is rec- ognized as one of the leading contractors and builders of Miami county. He was born here in 1840, and many who know him are familiar with his life record, covering a pe- riod of Mxty years. Throughout the greater part of the time he has been an active factor in their industrial life of Piqua, and today he stands among those to whose efforts the city largely owes its advancement and pros- perity. His father. Cummings Scudder, was also a contractor and builder, and was located in Piqua between the years 1825 and 1830. He was born in Rahway, New Jer- sey, and was there married about 1824 to Sarah Winans, a daughter of Stephen Wi- nans, of that city, and a cousin of Frances Winans Statler, wife of Christopher Statler, one of Piqua's pioneer settlers, whose son, D. C. Statler. is now a well-known resident of Miami county. Locating in Piqua, Cum- mings Scudder at once entered upon his business career as a builder, and erected many of the leading structures at an early day. He purchased four lots on North Wayne street, extendine to Downing street, and on the former he erected the home now occupied by Matt Jones. It was in that house that our subject was born. In the family were nine children, but only three are now living : Stephen, a resident of Piqua; Mrs. Harriet Stilwell, of Iowa; and Howard. One brother, Dorsey, was killed in battle in the civil war, and another broth- er, Ephraim, also loyally' served his country in the war of the Rebellion. The father died in Piqua, in li^yy. at the age of seventy-eight years. He was never ill throughout his en- tire life until his last sickness. He was at one time a member of the city council of Piqua, and was a nian of the highest respect- ability. Howard Scudder pursued his education in the public schools of Piqua, and when only about twehe years of age began to as- sist his father, under whose direction he learned the carpenter's trade, becoming fa- miliar with the work both in principle and detail. At the age of eighteen he began con- tracting and Ijuilding on his own account, and has since been engaged in business, meeting with creditable success in his un- dertakines. For a quarter of a century he has been in partnership with G. S. Hunt, and the well-known firm of Scudder & Hunt 858 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. has executed tlie largest contracts in the city, inchiding tlie erection of the stove works, tlie high school and six ward school. They also erected the Conover Opera House, have three times erected the Orr Ore Mills, and thev ha\-e also taken contracts to erect manv of the fine residences and husiness blocks of the city. On all sides may be seen evidences of their handiwork, which stand as monuments to their splendid abil- ity. Their fidelity to the terms of a con- tract has secured to tiiem a very enviable reputation, and the firm of Scudder & Hunt takes leadership in their line in Piqua. Mr. Scudder was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Mahafifey, a daughter of Isaiah Mahafifey, of Pennsylvania, and they now lun-e two children : Edward C, who is an employe of .\rmour & Company, of Chi- cago; and Louisa B.. at home. Both are graduates of the Piqua high school. Mr. Scudder was reared in the faith of the Meth- odist church, of which his parents were members, and has always attended its ser- vices and contributed liberally to its support and upbuilding. In politics he is a Repub- lican, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. Sociallv he is an Odd Fellow, and has filled all of the offices in the order. For si.x years he served as a member of the city council, and for one year was superintendent of the water works. He has given liberally of both time and money toward advancing the prosperity of the city of his nativity. Every enterprise calculated U< benefit Piqua has found in him a hearty svmpathizer and a generous contributur. He is a very busy man, yet he is e\er ready to ])ause in the midst of his business duties to distribute aid to those in need. He is wholly worthy of the respect wliich is everywhere accorded him, for his name is synonymous witli hon- orable dealing and with all that is elexating and beneficial to the city and to the indi- vidual. CONRAD G. SAXZENBACHER. As his name indicates, Conrad (iotlieb Sanzenbacher is of German birth, and in his life he manifests many of the characteristics of the Teutonic race. He is now an old and highly esteemed farmer of Newberry town- ship, and was l)orn in Brackenheim. W'ur- temlierg, Germany, January 26, 1834. His grandfather, John Sanzenbacher, was a farmer of Wurtemberg, and died in that country, in 1846. His children were : Jnhn George, who came to the United States and finally settled in IMahoning county. Ohio ; Johanis; .\dam, who served in the German army and died in the fatherland ; and Chris- topher, who was also a member of the army and died in Germany. Those children were Ijv the grandfather's first marriage, ami by the second marriage he had three children: Matthias, who served his country as a sol- dier and died in Germany: Gotlieb, who also engaged in military service in accordance with the laws of his country : and one whose name is not remembered. Johanis Sanzenbacher, the father nf nur subject, was born in \\'urteml)erg, in 1797, and married Ann Mary Kramer, whu was born in the same place, in 1792. Her first husband was Johanis Haas. The father of our subject was a farmer, and owned a small tract of land which he operated until his death, in February, 1853. In the spring of 1854 his widow, with our subject and his sister, her only children, took passage from Havre, France, on the saihng vessel Bava- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. soO ria, which, twenty-six days later, dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. They arrived in Piqua, in !\Iarch, 1854, and tlie niotlier purchased one hundred and twenty- five acres of land in Washington township, making her home upon that farm until her death in 1870. Her daughter, Christiann. married John Schmidlapp and is now the widow of Joshua Russell. Her home is in Washington township. Mr. Sanzenbacher, of this review, at- tended the schools of Germany between the ages of five and fourteen years, and then lie gan working on his mother's farm. He also learned the weaver's trade. In 1854 he accompanied his mother to the United States, sailing from Havre on the twentieth anniversary of his birth. He worked for his mother in Miami county for three years, and then went to Dayton, where he was em- ployed in a brewery for five years. Subse- quently he sijent two years in the Pi(|ua brewery, and then, with the capital he had acquired, purchased a tract of land near Covington. Later he sold that property and boug-ht twent_\'-fi\-e acres in Spring Creek township, operating- the farm for two years. On the expiration of that period he sold it, howex'er, and alter renting land for a year, he purchased eightv acres of his present farm, to which he lias since added a tract of eight_\-seven acres. He is an enterpris- ing agriculturist, practical and progressive, and his well-directed efforts have lirought to him a comfortable competence, classify- ing him among the substantial citizens of his community. On the 3rd of March, 1862, Mr. Sanzen- bacher was married, in Piqua, to Miss Mar}- Ann Kopf, who was born in Sultz, Wur- temberg, Germany, July 13, 1843. Then in her sixteenth ^'ear. she came alone to America and joined her sister in Piqua. Pier fatlier was a farmer in the old country. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sanzenbacher are: Ann Mary, at home; Caroline Chris- tina, wife of Frank Nettleship, of Newberry township; William Lincoln, wdio married Jane Nettleship, and is living in \\''ashington township; Charles Henry and Edward Ja- cob, at home; Matilda, wife of William Saxaher, of Piqua ; John, who died in June, 1899, at the age of twenty-iix years: Emma, wife of Charles Ankerman, of Spring Creek township; Albert Conrad, Louisa Rachel, \\'alter and Elizabeth, all at home. The parents hold membership in the St. Paul's German Lutheran church of Piqua, and Mr. Sanzenbacher gi\'es his political support to Democracy. He and his wife are now widely known in the community in which they reside and enjoy the confidence and good will of many friends. J. H. MARLIN. J. H. Marlin, an attorney-at-hn\", has been a practitinner in Cnvington, Ohio, the place of his birth, for about fifteen years. His father possessed an excellent legal edu- cation and was for twenty-one years a mag- istrate of the town, .so the subject of this sketch was by nature and early opportunities well fitted for his chosen profession. At the conclusion of his literary training- he began the study of the law and was in due time admitted to the bar. He possesses an exceedingly fine library of law books with the contents of which he is well acquainted. For nine years Mr. Marlin was a member of the Ohio National Guard, and during 860 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. much of tliat time he served as drum major of the Third Regiment band. At various times he has served his towns- men in the different offices of magistrate, mavor and village solicitor, being at pres- ent investe() hundred and forty-three acres, and three of these are su])plied with excel- lent impnnements. He makes a specialty of the raising of corn and small grains, and feeds such stock as are needed in carrying on the farm work. Immediately after his return Mr. Estey was married, on the 28th of February, 1857, to Miss Mary Jane Hosier, a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth ( Frest ) Hosier, of Staunton township, in which locality Mrs. Estey was born May 6. 1841. She was n(jt yet sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. Her father was a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, and was of Welsh lineage. Her mother belonged to the Frest family of Spring Creek township, but came to Ohio from South Carolina. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Estev has been GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 878 blessed with five children : Clara, who died at the age of twenty-six years, was the wife of Sylvester Robbins, of Staunton town- ship; Orin, a farmer of Staunton township, wedded Martha Small and has two children, Mary and Jimmie: Lizzie is the wife of Lovell Williams, of Lost Creek township, and has two children, Clara and Ray ; Grant, a farmer and stock-raiser of Reno county, Kansas, was married in that state to Sadie Duncan, and has four children, Ralph, Clara, Leo and Russell ; Bert remains at home, and operates the old farm in connec- tion with his brother Orin. There is also a niece. Miss Lillie Wells, who is now a member of the famih'. Mr. and Mrs. Estey are members of the Union Baptist church, in which he has served as deacon for several years. In poli- tics he is a Republican, antl keeps well in- formed on the issues of the day. He has frequently served as a delegate to the public conventions, but has never sought office. For several terms he has been a member of the school board of his locality. Resolute purpose has enabled him to carefully and systematicallv prosecute his business affairs, and in return for his untiring industry he has secured a comfortable competence which numbers him among the substantial citizens of the neighborhood. DAVID MIXXICH. David Minnicli, now deceased, was an esteemed citizen of Aliami count}-, who for many years was actively connected with busi- ness interests and public affairs which con- tributed to the substantial development and progress of the community. He was Iiorn in Franklin county, Pennsybania, in 1829, a son of George Minnicli. who was also a native of the Keysone state, whence he eiui- grated westward to Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1833. A few years later he re- mo\-ed to Miami county. His -wife bore the maiden name of N'ancy Shoemaker, and she, too, was a native of Pennsylvania. The subject of this review accompanied his parents to Ohio, and was reared upon the home farm until eighteen years of age, when he came to Pleasant Hill and entered the service of A. W'hitmer, to learn l)lack- smithing'. He ser\ed an apprenticeship of three years, and during the first two years recei\-ed forty dollars and board in ci^mpen- sation for his services. On the comiiletion of his term of apprenticeship he emliarked in business on his own account, establish- ing a blacksmith shop and also engaging in the manufacture of carriages and wagons. He followed that pursuit for a quarter of a century, after which he gave his attention to the supervision of his fine farm. His marked industry and enterprise were crowned with a high degree of success, and he made judicious investment of his capital, becoming the' owner of a valuable tract of land of one hundred and twenty-six acres. This he placed under a high state of culti- vation, the well-tilled fields bringing tn him a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon them. On the 24th of Septemlier, 1850, ]\Ir. Minnich was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Deeter, and they became the par- ents of the following children : \'i(.)na, Fanny and Martha, all of whom are de- ceased : Christiana, wife of Perry Jay : and William, at hoiue. His fellow citizens, rec- ognizing his worth and ability, frequently called Mr. Minnich to positions of public trust, and for thirty consecutive years he served as trustee of Newton township. He 874 GENEALOGICAL AND BIQGRAPHICAL RECORD. was also a member cif the scIkkjI board and of tlie council for a long period, and in these Aarious offices he discharged his duties with marked promptness and fidelity, winning the confidence and trust of all concerned. His political support was given the Republican party and he kept well informed on the is- sues of the day. He held membership in the Dunkard church, to which his wife also belongs, and was a man of strong purpose, sterling worth and high nuiral character. At all times and under all circumstances he commanded the respect and confidence of his fellow men, and when he was called to his final rest, on the 20th of Decemlier, 1898, the entire conmumity mourned his loss. His \\idow still survives him, and is an esteemed resident of Pleasant Hill, where she has man\' warm friends. CHARLES THACKARA. Xo man in Lost Creek townshi]), Miami county, has gained a higher degree of suc- cess than Charles Thackara, and his life dem- onstrates the i)ossiliilities that lie before those who are not afraid to wdrk in this great re- public where effort and talent are not ham- pered by caste or class and one may steadily adxance on the road to prosperity if he has but the resolution to overcome olistacles and difficulties and the determination to persist in a given purpose. It is such ((ualities that have gained Mr. Thackara his present high financial standing, and now in his old age he is enabled to enjo}' many of the comforts and lu.xuries of life. . His ancestral histor}- can be trace^l back to John and Christian (Joses) Palmer, wiio came from ^'orkshire, England, to America in 1083. locating in Lower Makefield town- ship, r.ucks ciiunt}-. Penns_\-l\ani;i. They had a family of fourteen children, the tenth be- ing Rachel Palmer, who was married, in 1724, to James Thackara, who came from Durham, England, in 1719, and was the first of the name to locate in ,\merica. Their son, JamesThackara, married Esther Brown, and among- their children was Amos Thack- ara, who married Sarah Johnson. Their son, Amos Thackara, Jr., liecame the father of our subject. He was wedded, in 1809, to Ann Carson, and unto them were born the following children : Sarah, wIkj became the wife of Isaiah Stockton and removed to Bucks county, Pennsylvania ; James, \\ho v,as twice married and had three daughters, two of whom are yet living, and a son who died, leaving one child, Ed Thackara, of Addison, Ohio ; Charles, whose name intro- duces this review ; John, who for many years has been a farmer of Lost Creek town- ship and is now living in Casstown, Ohio, at the age of seventy-three years ; Rachel Martin and Susan Booz, deceased ; Anna Maria, wife of Jonathan \\'arner, deceased; Ann Eliza, wife of Joseph Fish, deceased; Ruth, who became the wife of Daniel Hvde, and for a time was a resident of Lost Creek township, but is now living in Columbiana county, Ohio; George, a farmer li\-ing in California; and Amanda M., wife of Sam- uel Warner, of Clark cinmty. deceased. Charles Thackara. whose name intro- duces this review, was born September 2, 1813, in Bucks county, Pennsyhania, and was there reared to manhood. The first money which he secured was obtained by selling a horse. He became the possessor of an old blind horse which he cared for for six months and then disposed of it. thus gaining the nucleus of his present handsome fortune. His life has been one of untiring industry. When he attained his majorit}' he began GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 875 Avorking for a man in whose emplny he re- mained six years, receiving one hun(h"ed and forty dollars per year. At the end of each year he took a note for the amount and, in order to meet his necessary expenses, he hauled goods to the Philadelphia market. At the end of six years he had his wages intact, having saved altogether nine hundred dollars. On the i/th of March, 1841. in Bucks Cdunt}-, Pennsyh'ania, 'Slv. Thackara married Catherine Searls, a daughter of Joseph and Ahigail (Walton) Searls, who died in Cath- erine's infancy. Mrs. Thackara was long a faithful companion and helpmeet to her hus- band, they having traveled life's journey together for more than half a century. Her death occurred March 26, 1893, at the age of seventy-eight years. Immediately after their marriage they came to Ohio, making the journe\' in an old style, covered wagon from their home in Bucks county, to Pittsburg, from wliich place they came down the Ohio river. ^Ir. Thackara's brother, James, had already established a home in Aliami county, and Charles Thackara took, up his abode in Lost Creek townsliip, three miles northeast of Casstown. His wife had been a resident of Philadelphia and it was a great change for lier to leave the comforts and luxuries of life there and endure the privations of a pioneer farm in Ohio. In 1850 they removed to the farm now occupied by their son, Alonzc). The place comprises about one hundred and thirty-one acres, for which he paid twenty- seven hundred dollars and about half of the land had been cleared. In order to place tlie fields in a good condition for cultivation, Mr. Thackara planted a clover crop and spent all of one winter in threshing it, tramping out the seed with horses. He hauled it to Day- ton in order to make the last payment upon liis farm. (Jn one occasion he gave three acres of a wheat crop for the first teapot which his wife owned. They experienced many trials and difficulties and practiced the closest economy in order to gain a start, but as the years advanced and his financial re- sources increased, they were enabled to add many comforts to their home. Mr. Thackara was an untiring worker and his labors brought to him gcind financial returns. He engaged both in grain and stock farming and now both branches of his business are profit- able source of income. He would purchase young stock which he fed and fattened until it was grown, when he disposed of it at good prices. About i860 he began adding to his real estate and kept increasing it from time to time until he was the owner of ten farms, comprising nearly twelve hundred acres. Nearly all of these farms were improved with good buildings and all were rented with the exception of the homestead. He also loaned money in Miami and adjoining counties, ob- taining good security for the same. In 1900 he still owns three of the farms, but the re- mainder have been given to his children, thus enabling them to get a good start in life. In 1893, after the death of his wife, Mr. Thackara decided to assist each of his chil- dren. At their marriage he had given to each of his daughters three hundred dollars, and in the year menti(.)ned he gave to each of his sons and daughters a farm, making their shares equal. Through a long period of un- tiring industry' and close economy and as the result of judicious investments, he had ac- quired about one hundred thousand dollars. He worked hard until he was more than fifty years of age, since which time he has given careful attention to the management of his property and capital, so placing the latter that it has brought him good returns. He is very 876 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. liberal in luans, but belie\-es in collecting each cent due him and is just as careful and exact in making every payment. F(ir the past three years Mr. Thackara has been almost blind owing to cataracts. In 1891 he met with an accident, his Iniggy being struck l)y a car in Urbana. and since that time his health has been more or less affected. In politics he has alwas voted with the Repulilican party but has never sought office. A man of domestic tastes, he has seldom been found away from home at night and for thirty years after his arrival in the county he was never away from it. Unto Mr. and Airs. Thackara have been born nine children, including three pairs of twins. William H.. who died at the age of forty-four ^-ears. was one of twins, the other having died in infancy: Albert B. is now a worthy resident of Lost Creek township; Martha A. is the wife of Samuel W. Helvie, cf New Carlisle, Ohio; Mary D., twin sister of Martha, is the wife of William Green, Jr., of Lost Creek township ; James died in in- fancy ; Alonzo J. is a prominent farmer of Lost Creek township; Rosalin. his twin sis- ter, died in infancy; and Abigail .\. wedded Galiriel Pence and after his death became the wife of Joseph Knight, of Casstown. Alonzo J. Thackara, now one of the lead- ing and influential agriculturists of Lost Creek township, was Ijorn on the 3rd of Feb- rary, 1850, in the townshii) where he yet re- sides and when four weeks old was brought to his present home. He was early trained to habits of industry and economv upon the h;ome farm, and on attaining his majority lit began operating the farm on shares. He was married, September 16, 1874, to Eliza Green, and the same day his brother Albert married Irene Rogers. Together they made a trip to the east, visiting the old Thackara home in Bucks county, Pennsyhania, and spending a month in Trenton, Philadelphia and other places. .\lonzo's father erected a home for him and the parents remained with the son until the mother's death. Three weeks later the old home burned and the fa- ther nearly lost his life in the fire. He after- ward li\ed with his daughter, Mrs. Pence, until her husband's death, and since that time he has lived with his daughter, Mrs. (jreen. In 1897 Alonzo erected his present residence at a cost of three thousand dollars. It is iine of the most beautiful country-seats in the r.eighborhood, built in modern style of archi- tecture and tastefully furnished. He has added one hundreil and twenty-five acres to the old home place and is sticcessfully en- gaged in general farming and feeding stock. He ships his own stock, and his creditable business methods enable him to gain success in his undertakings. The hi^me of ]\lr. and Mrs. Thackara is blessed with a daughter, Fairy (i., a culfured young lady who was educated in Shepardson College, in Granville, Ohio. Mr. Thackara, his wife and daughter are members of the Casstown Baptist church, and he belongs to .\ddison Lodge, I. O. O. V. The famil\- is one of prominence in the community, having been identified with the agricultural interests of Miami countv lor al- most si.xt}' years, and no history of the com- numity would I)e complete without mention of those whose life records form the subject matter of tin's article. WTLI.IAM JOHN DOSS. An enterprising farmer living in Xew- berry township, William John Doss has for a number of years been identified with ag- ricultural ])ursuits in this locality. He was born in Mechlenburg. Prussia, on the 7th GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 877 of October, 1829. His father, Henry Doss, worked as a farm hand in Mechlenburg', wliicli was also the place of his nati^■ity. He married Jilary Foss and in 1853, with his wife and three children, he emigrated to the United States, taking passage at Hamhnrg on a sailing vessel, which reached Onehec after a x-oyage of ten weeks and three days. The \oyage was attended with considerable danger, for in lieavy fogs they drifted from their course and almost struck upon ice- bergs.- On reaching Ohio they made their way to the home of their son William, who x\as then lixing in Pomeroy county, and the three sons of the family learned the carpen- ter's trade and afterward went to the state of Iowa, where, in connection with their fa- ther, they entered land from the government, including the ])resent site of Sicux City. There were only a few log cabins there when the town was laid out and the-\- ilix'ided their land into town lots and sold them at an ex- cellent profit. Mr. Doss and his wife both died in Sic^nx City. Iowa, alxnit 1870. Their children were: John, wlio is now li\-ing in Sioux City; William J., of this review; Frederick. (}f Sioux City; and Christian, or Christopher, who is conducting an extensix'e hotel in Sioux Cit}'. William J. Doss jxir- sued his etlucation in the public schools of his natix'e land until fourteen years of age. He then wont to wiirk on a farm, and at the age of twenty-three he had saved money enough to pay his passage to the United States. He l)elie\-ed that he would benefit his financial condition by emigrating to the United States, and accordingly, in May, 185.2, he sailed from Hamburg, reaching Quebec, Canada, after a voyage of seven weeks. He did ncjt locate in the Dominion. howe\er, but made bis way to Cleveland, Ohit), where he worked on the railroad for a time. He was afterward employed on boats on the Ohio river, but he had natural ability for carpentering and followed that pursuit for some time. His life was one of marked industry and the success that he has achie\ed has been the natural result of his well-directed labors. Mr. Doss was married in Waterloo, Ohio, in 1853, to Miss Sophia Collmorgan, who came to the United States with her husband's parents in 1853. She was liorn May 15, 1832, in Mecklenburg, I''russia, and, ere Mr. Doss sailed for the new world, their troth was plighted. She accordingly came with his parents to the United States and the marriage was celebrated soon after their arrixal. Her father was Henrv Coll- morgan, a farmer, who died in Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1838. Her mother bore the maiden name of Hanna Peterson, and died alxjut 1863. Their children were: Fred, who came to the United States in 1852, and is now living in St. Louis, Missouri ; Mrs. Doss; Charles, who came to the United States in 1855, served in the civil war and is now engaged in farming near Pi(|ua; John, who came to this countrv in 1859, and at St. Louis enlisted in the Unitm armv and was killed in battle; and Christ, who is still living in Mechlenburg, Germany. In 1863 they took up their abode ui>on a farm in Xewberrv township, Miami count\-, where our subject secured sixty acres of land, to which he added a tract of ten acres. l-"or some years they resided in a log cabin which stood on the place, but they now have a C( mi- fortable frame residence which stands in the midst of a well-developed farm, the highly culti\'ated fields yielding a golden tribute in return for the care and lalior bestowed upon them by the owner. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Doss has 878 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. been blessed with eleven children, namely : Mary, who was born November 29, 1855, died May 10. 1870; Charles, born March 19. 1857, resides at Conover. Ohio, and mar- ried .Mice Ward, by whom he has two chil- dren — Ernest L. and Bessie: Annie, who was born January 13, 1859, became the wife of John Cookson and died in \\'orthington. Indiana, December 28, 1898, leaxing four children — Bertha E., John, George and Ben- jamin F. : \\'illiam, born Alarch 2T). 1861, resides in Picjua ; Louisa, born February 28, 1863. married Charles Morrow and resides in Spring Creek township, Miami county; Rosa, born October 16, 1864, died January 30, 1866: George, born March 2^. 1867, married Janet Dinsmore and resides in Piq- ua; Sarah, born October 13, 1868, the wife of Henry Yenney, of Piqua, by her mar- riage becoming the mother of two children —Walter E, and Albert LeRoy : Ella, born October 6, 1870, died March 24, 1885: Frank, born July 26, 1872, married Bessie Gunnette, and resides in Atlanta, Illinois; and Harry, born April 8, 1877, married Rose Sell and resides in Piqua. The parents of these children are members of the Lutheran church, and are people of sterling worth, who exemplify their Christian belief in their daily lix'es. Politically he is a Democrat, imswer\ing m iiis advocacy of the princi- ples of the party. A self-made man, he has worked his way steadily upward. When he located on his farm he had a capital of only fi\e hundred dollars with which to make payment, and thus incurred an indebted- ness of twenty-seven hundred dollars. The land was swampy and covered with stumps, but the latter he cleared away, and then tiling the land, placed it under cultivation. He has made many substantial improvements on his farm which is now a monument to his thrift and industry. He left his little Ger- man home across the sea to seek his fortune in the new world, and has never had occa- sion to regrret the step then taken, for op- portunities lie before every man of energy and enterprise, and by resolute will guided by sound judgment all may achieve suc- cess. Air. Doss has not only gained a com- fortable property, but has won many warm friends in his adopted state. DAVID MANSON. David Alanson has reached the seventy- seventh milestone on life's journey, and has always been a resident of Miami county. He has. therefore, witnessed much of its growth and de\-elopment, and has taken a just pride in its upbuilding and progress. The farm now owned by David Manning, and situated two and a half miles from Fletcher, was his birthplace, his natal day being June 11, 1823. His ancestry can be traced back to the Emerald Isle. His grand- father, David Manson, was born in Ireland, and in colonial days crossed the Atlantic to the new world, allying his interests with those of the colonists. The yoke of IJritish oppression rested heavily, and when an at- tempt was made to secure liberty he joined the army and lnyally participated in the Rev- olutionary war. After its close he took up his abode in Pennsylvania, and was there married. Subsequently he removed with his family from the Keystone state to Ohio, making the journey by team, and cluring the pioneer epoch in the history of Miami county he settled in what is now Brown township. There he purchased eighty acres of land and erected a log cabin, which was used as a fort in an early day for protection against the Indians. When the country GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 87& became involved in war with England he once more joined the army, participating in its campaigns in the northwest. He lived to be an old man, and died in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which he had long lieen a member. Morton Manson, the father of our sub- ject, was born January 5. 1796. in Pennsyl- \'ania, and accompanied his parents on tlreir emigration to this state. He married Cath- erine Smith, whose birth occurred June 25, 1796, their wedding being celebrated De- cember 31, 1818. The following children were Inirn unto them: Josiah S., who was liiirn June 19, 1821, and died in 1880; Mary, who was born April 25, 1825, and is the wife of Henry Arnhart ; Jane, who married John White ; William, a physician of Kansas ; Melissa; John; Eliza, widow of Lewis Co- vault, of Kansas : James, who is living in the Sunflower state: and Alahlon, who is also a resident of Kansas. Upon the farm where the grandfather located Morton Manson made his home until 1855, and throughout almost the entire century representatives of the family have been actively identified with agricultural interests in this county. Mr. Manson, of this review, was born and reared on the old family homestead, where he remained until 1846, when he went to Fletcher, and in addition to the operation of his farm he there conducted a grocery store for five years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Spring Creek township, where he rented land for six years and then returned to the old homestead and took charge of the property. In March. 1858, he removed to the farm where he now lives, and for more than forty years it has been his home. He here owns eighty acres on section 12, Spring Creek township, and in addition to general farming he has en- gaged in the purchase and sale of cattle for a quarter of a century. All of the improve- ments upon his place stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise, and his farm is now one of the best developed in the locality. On the 3rd of September, 1848, Mr. Manson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Covault, who was reared in Mont- gomery county. They now have nine chil- dren : Catherine A., wife of Fred Cleland ; Clarissa B., now deceased; Isadora, wife of Frank ^^'ebster ; James L. ; John : Har\-ey >\'. : Memory M. R. ; May, wife of Delos Miles; and Theodore P., who died in in- fancy. Mr. Manson gives his political sup- port to the Democracy, and for thirteen years has served as trustee of Spring Creek township, discharging his duties with marked fidelity and ability. He obtained his education in a log building where school was conducted on the subscription plan, so that his privileges in that direction, as along other lines, was very limited. The enter- prise and determination which have char- acterized his business career have been im- portant elements in his success, and stand in exemplification of the fact that opportu- nity lies before all who are energetic, ambi- tious and resolute. BENJAMIN S. BASHOR. Among the farmers who have left the plow to live retired is Benjamin Bashor, of Covington, whose rest is well earned, for through many years his life was one of marked industry and toil, whereby he ac- quired a handsome competence. He has manifested in his life the sterling character- istics of his Teutonic ancestors. His great- grandfather came to America from Germany at an early day in the history of this coun-. 880 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. try and settled in Berks county, Pennsyl\a- nia: He was a farmer by occupation, and •was a member of tbe Lutlieran church. His son. Michael Bashor, grandfather of our sul)ject. was born and died in Berks county, Pennsylvania, his attention being devoted to the work of the farm. His children were : Michael, who became owner of the old home- stead, which was his place of residence until his death: Benjamin, and Catherine, who became Mrs. Myers. Benjamin Bashor. the father of our sub- ject. li\ed upon the old homestead in Berks county through the days of his childhood and youth, being reared in the usual man- ner of farmer lads. He was married in that locality to Susan Searer, also a native of that CDunty and a daughter of John Searer. After his marriage he removed to Juniata county, Pennsyh'ania. and purchased a farm near McAllistersville. In 1840 he left the Keystone state, and with his wife and children came to Ohio, making the jour- ney in a wagon drawn by four horses. They were upon the road for about three weeks. From that fall until the following spring they lived four miles from Fairfield, Greene county, and in the latter date came to I\Iiami county, the father purchasing two farms in Xewton township, near Pleasant Hill. He located on the one now owned by his daughter, Mrs. Polly Keister, and ■when well advanced in years he and his wife made their home with their sons, Michael and Benjamin, and when the latter went on a visit to Pennsylvania, the father went to live \\itli his daughter. Mrs. Keister. While there he was taken ill and died, in 1875, ^t the age of eighty-three years. The mother passed away in 1871. at the age of eighty-four years. In their family v.ere eight children: Michael, who mar- ried Henrietta Senseman and died at Pleas- ant Hill, at the age of eighty-three years, having survived his wife about three years ; Katy, who is the widow of Jacob Sighman, and is living in Brandt, Miami county, at the age of eighty-eight years; Elizabeth, who is the widow of John Sighman. of New- ton township, and is now sixty-six years of age; Polly, who is the widow of Peter Keis- ter and lives in Newton township, at the age of eighty- four; Susan, who is the widow of Daniel Landis, and is living in Dayton, at the age of eighty; Benjamin S., of this re- view; George, who is living in Washington, at the age of seventy-four years, but lost liis wife, who bore the maiden name of Tina Deeter, and died in Washington ; and Dan- iel, who married Maria Keester, and is liv- ing in Dayton, aged seventy-two years. Benjamin S. Bashor was born on the 24th of October, 1824, near McAllistersville, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, on a farm there owned by his father. He began his education in the schools of his native town, where his instruction was in the Dutch tongue. He was sixteen years of age when he accompanied his father to Miami county. and here he attended English schools. He aided his father in the work of developing and improving a new farm, and in his early life greatly enjoyed hunting, the forests with their wild game furnishing him ample op- portunity to indulge in this sport. He was reared to manhood on the old homestead in Newton township, and on attaining his ma- jority he was married. He then located on a farm of eighty acres in Newton township. His father and father-in-law together made a payment of nine hundred dollars on the place, and Mr. Bashor paid the lialance. He engaged in farming from 1847 ""t^i' 1888, when he removed to Covington, where he GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 881 has since lived a retired life. He was a very successful agriculturist, and his efforts, prosecuted along the liries of practical labor, brought to him-a good financial return. He placed his land under a high state of culti- vation, erected a fine brick residence, good barns and other outbuildings, and in course of time had one of the most valuable and desirable properties in his section of the county. As his financial resources increased he made judicious investments of his capi- tal by adding to his landed interests, and in addition to the home farm became the owner of a tract of one hundred and twentv acres, two tracts of eighty acres and another farm of seventy acres. To his son John he gave the farm of one hundred and twenty acres, to his son Levi an eightv-acre farm, to his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Dorman, an eighty-acre tract, and to his son Simon the old home property. In 1847 Mr. Bashor was united in marriage to Miss Tina Deeter, n daughter of Abraham Deeter, of Newton township. She died in 1849, ^"d Mr. Ba- shor was again married, his second union being with Susan Martin, of Darke county, a daughter of Jacob Martin. She died in Covington, Ohio, and for his third wife Mr. Bashor chose Mary Miller, of Muncie, In- diana. His children were all born of the second marriage, namely : John, a farmer of Newton township, who married Jane Moist ; Mary Ann, who became the wife of Levi Landis and died in Newberry town- ship; Susan, who died at the age of nine- teen years; Sarah, who became the wife of William Dorman and died in Newton town- ship; Levi, of Newton township, who mar- ried Miss Myers; and Daniel, of Dayton, Ohio, who married Maria Keister; and Si- mon, who married Carra Hartel. Mr. Bashor has traveled extensively, vis- iting twenty-five different states of the Union, and lias gained that knowledge and culture which only travel can bring. In 1896 he spent three months in California, Texas and the southern states. He also visited the city of Washington, and prior to that time visited his old home in Juniata county, Pennsylvania. He also traveled in Michigan the same year, and in the spring of 1899 he made an extended visit in Virginia. In October following he went to Texas, re- turning in the spring of 1900. He has vis- ited many points of interest in various sec- tions of the country, and his mind is stored with interesting reminiscences of his trav- els. In early life he became a member of the Dunkard church, but in 1898 he joined the Christian church. In politics he is a stanch Re]5ublican, but has never sought or desired office, preferring that his attention should be given to his business aft'airs, in which he has met with signal success. SAMUEL \\1XAXS. Samuel Winans was born near Eliza- beth, New Jersey. November 21, 1805, his parents being John and Mary Winans. They had but two children. John C. and Samuel. The mother, accompanied liy her two chil- dren, came to Ohio with her parents, the journey being made by team. They located in Staunton township, Miami county, upon a tract of government land which her fa- ther entered. Our subject was at that time only two years of age, and therefore almost his entire life has been passed in Miami county. He was reared to manhood while it was a frontier settlement, and experienced all of the hardships and trials of pioneer life. One who \isits this beautiful and fertile sec- tion of the state with its finely developed 882 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. farms can scarcely realize the chan<(es which have heen wroug-ht in the past half century. The forests stood in their primeval strength, but trees fell before the sturdy strokes of the woodman's ax, and then the track of the plow was seen across the fields, giving indication (jf coming harvests. Mr. Winans was among those who took an active part in reclaiming this land for purposes of civili- zation. In 1827 he made the journey on foot to Cincinnati, and there entered eighty acres, thus becoming owner of a tract on section 11. S])ring Creek township. The deed to the place was signed by John Quincy Adams. In 183 1 he entered an adjoining eighty-acre tract, and upon his first purchase of government land he erected a log cabin. He also built a saw-mill in the early '30s, and operated it for many years, manufac- turing much of the lumber that was used by the early settlers in this section of the county. He also carried on farming, and from the time of his marriage until his death he lived ujion the farm which is now the home of his daughter, Mrs. Drusilla Gear- hart. On the 26th of September, 1833, Mr. Winans was joined in wedlock to Miss Phoebe Ayers, whose birth occurred in Ham- ilton county, Ohio, in 1813, and who came to Miami county with her father, Benjamin H. Ayers, who located in Spring Creek township in 1831, taking up his abode on the farm now owned by Mrs. John Speel- man. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Winans were born the following children : John C, who died October 4, 1859, at the age of twenty- three years; Darius, who died in childhood; James, who also died in early life; Drusilla; Mary C, who died at the age of seven years; and Jasen, who died November 4, 1879. The father of this family was called to his final rest February 29, 1872. He was a Repub- lican in his political views, and was a suc- cessful farmer who left a valuable property of one hundred and forty acres. His re- mains were interred in the old Winans ceme- tery, now the Raper cemeterj', in Staunton townshi]), and in his death the community lost one of its most valued and highly re- spected citizens. His wife, surviving him for many }-ears, passed away March 24, 1899, at the age of eighty-six, her death re- sulting from a paralytic stroke. Their onl}' li\ing chikl is Drusilla, who was born in Spring Creek township, April 8, 1843, and is the wife of \Villiam R. Gearhart. They had two children: Lenora, now the wife of Edmond Cox, of Piqua, by whom she has (me daughter, Ethel; and Nettie, wife of Charles Deweese. by whom she has two sons, Wilbur G. and Frederick. During the civil war Mr. Gearhart enlisted as a private of Company K, One Hundred and Forty- seventh Ohio Infantry, on the 30th of Ma}^ 1864, and died at Fort Ethan Allen, at Washington, on the iith of July of the same year, his death resulting from typhoid fever. His widow is now the owner of one hundred acres of land which was entered by her father from the government. She is a worthy representative of one of the old pio- neer families, and is a lady of sterling worth whose many excellent qualities have gained her a large circle of friends in the com- munity. JOSEPH F. GEIGER. One of the most prominent contractors of Miami county is Joseph F. Geiger, of Piqua, whose extensive business affairs are an indication of his skill and ability in the line of his chosen calling. Two qualities GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 883 are absolutely essential to success in such a work, and these are a thorough understand- ing of the business in all of its departments and the utmost reliability in all transactions. Ir both of these essentials Mr. Geiger is well qualified, and his business has now assumed extensive proportions. He is a son of Frank Xavier Geiger, a contractor in brick and stone work. His father came to Amer- ica from Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1854. and followed the stonemason's trade, which ht had learned in the old world. Industry, economy and capable management have gained to him a comfortable competence. His life has been one of untiring effort and he is still living, a hale and hearty old gen- tleman. He yet occasionally assists his son in periods of rush of business, but he and his wife are practically living retired, en- joying many comforts as the result of faith- fulness in the years of former toil. From 1854 until i8qo he was numbered among the leading contractors of Piqua, and many of the fine buildings of the city stand as monuments to his thrift, ability and enter- prise, including the Plaza Hotel, the Orr Statler block, the Malt House, tlie Cron Furniture Factory, the electric light plant, and many other important buildings, besides numerous private residences. In religious belief they are German Catholics. Mrs. Geiger was, in her maidenhood, Mary Sider, born in Auglaize county, Ohio, but was of German extraction, her parents having come from the fatherland. Joseph F. Geiger, whose name introduces this review, learned his trade with his fa- ther, with whom he remained until 1890, since which time he has engaged in contract- ing on his own account, taking contracts for executing brick and stone masonry work. He is now engaged in the erection of the 52 large power house for the Light & Power Company. He built a large part of the Favorite Stove Works, and stands in the front ranks of the leading contractors of Piqua. He married Miss Fisher, of Day- ton, Ohio, and they have four children : Clara, Augusta, Hildwig and August. In his political views Mr. Geiger is a Demo- crat, and religiously is a member of the St. Boniface Catholic church. He frequently has large forces of workmen under him, and personally directs their labors. He retains the respect and admiration of his employes, a fact that speaks volumes in his favor as a just and moderate employer. Steadily pur- suing his way, he has achieved creditable success. Careful study of the best business methods and plans to be followed, steady application and close attention to details, combined with untiring energy, directed by a sound mind, these are the traits of char- acter which have brought to him prosper- ity and made him a leading contractor of Piqua. E. B. RENCH. The well-improved farm upon which Mr. Rench resides, and of which he is the owner, is a very desirable property, for its fields are highly cultivated and good build- ings afford ample shelter to grain and stock. Throughout his business life he has-been in- terested in agricultural pursuits. He was born on a farm in Newton township on Christmas day, in 1852, one of nine chil- dren, six sons and three daughters, whose parents were Jacob and Sarah (Boggs) Rench. His childhood and youth were passed in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period. He gave his father the benefit of his services until he was twenty-one years 884 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. of age. and then began farming on his own account by renting and operating the old homestead, and there lie remained until 1883. when he removed to the farm upon which he now resides. Here he owns forty acres of land on section 15, Newton town- ship, and also has another farm of forty-six acres. His attention is devoted to the culti- vation of small fruits of all kinds, and for sixteen years he has also been engaged in the raising of tobacco, having eleven acres planted to Dutch tobacco in 1899. All of the improvements upon his farm have been placed there since he took possession of it and it is now a highly cultivated tract, its fields being clean and well kept, the build- ings and fences in good rejjair and every- thing neat and thrifty in appearance. Mr. Rench was born on an anniversary day and married on another, for on the 4th of July, 1876, he married Miss Clara Kinni- son. They now have eight children : Sa- die, Eva J., Edward M., Susan M., Fran- cis H., Ruth, Maude and Belle, but the last two are now deceased. Such in brief is the life history of one who is widely and favor- ably known in Newton township as a na- tive son of Miami county. CHARLES F. JOHNSON. Charles F. Johnson is a worthy repre- sentative. of the farming interests of Miami county, and is numbered among the valued citizens that Virginia has furnished to the Buckeye state. His birth occurred in Flu- vanna county, December 28, 1845, ^"'i ^s a son of Colonel Peter Ross Johnson, whose birth occurred in the Old Dominion, in iSoo. When the war of 181 2 was inaugurated he desired to enter the service as a substitute for his father, and was alwavs a loval and patriotic citizen. He died in his native state, in 1873, leaving a number of children to mourn his loss. He was twice married, his first union being with a Miss Wilson. After her death he wedded Miss Amy Ven- able. who was born in Fluvanna county, Vir- ginia, and was descended from one of three brothers who came to the United States from England. Her cousin, Captain Ven- I able, wrote the history of the United States ! which was adopted as a text-book by the schools of Ohio. By his first marriage Col- onel Johnson became the father of five chil- dren : John, who died in Alabama: Jo- hanna, who became the wife of John Bain- bridge and died in Texas ; Mrs. Jennie Bain- bridge, of Texas; Nancy, who became the wife of Jessie Howard, and died in Virginia ; and Betty, wife of David Branham, of Albe- marle county. Virginia. By the second marriage there were five children : William R., of City Point, Virginia; Arabella, wife of L. B. Moon, of Fluvanna county, Vir- ginia; Mary Petrus. who became he wife of James Sutherland and died in Fluvanna county; and Abraham D., who died as a prisoner of war in Elmira, New York. He was a soldier in the Confederate army, and just prior to the surrender of Lee was cap- tured, being taken to a prison in the north, where he was confined until July, 1865. Charles F. Johnson, of this review, was reared on a plantation in his native state, and attended the subscription schools, but is largeh' self-educated. His mother died when he was only three years old, leaving him to the care of sisters until the age of sixteen, when he enlisted. After the war ended his slaves, his only property, were free. He was then taken into the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Haden. In her he found a mother, who looked after his wel- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 885 fare, givingf him words of encouragement, for which she will always have a warm place in his heart. When hostilities broke out be- tween the north and south his father fur- nished a substitute, who jumped his bounty in three weeks. Mr. Johnson was then called upon to -furnish another substitute, and his son Charles manfully volunteered tn go. He joined Company F, of White's Thirty-fifth Battalion, Ross' Brigade and Stewart's Cavalry. Two of his brothers also went to the front at the commencement of the war, and both were in the first battle of Manassas. A. D. was captured in the seven days' fight around Richmond. Mr. Johnson, of this review, remained with the army until the close of the war, when he re- turned to his native county. All he pos- sessed in the world was his faithful old gray horse. Thomas Glen. This he gave to a Mr. Taylor in payment for six months' board, and during that period he attended school. On putting aside his text-books he had nothing except his clothing that he wore. He worked at any honorable employment that offered, and for a time was proprietor of a small store at Buffalo Gap, in Augusta county, Virginia. He was at that time pay- ing court to a daughter of a wealthy planter. Mr. Meyers, who greatly opposed his suit. When the opportunity came, however, the young couple quietly left for Washington city, and were there married in room 222, in the Willard Hotel, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Gregory, a Presbyterian minister, February 16, 1869. His wife bore the maiden name of Miss Mollie Jane Meyers, and to her husband she has indeed been a faithful companion and helpmate. They were almost entirely without funds, hut possessed a rich store of ambition and energy. They decided to try their fortune in Ohio, and accordingly made their way to Greenville, Darke county, w hence they after- ward removed to Pikesville, in the same county. There they rented one room in a log cabin and furnished their little home with furniture which Mr. Johnson made with an ax and auger. They borrowed bed clothing enough from neighbors to do them for a time, and then Mr. Johnson made ap- plication for work to Philip Hartzell, a well- to-do farmer of the neighborhood. He told Mr. Johnson he did not think he could do the work, but the latter pleaded for the chance and Mr. Hartzell supplied him with a maul and tw^o wedges and went with him to see him begin his task. Such work was entire- ly new to our subject, who felled a tree and then began to split it very awkwardly. Fi- nally he got his wedge fast in the tree and could proceed no further. All this time Mr. Hartzell sat on the fence laughing at him, but finally showed him how to do the work right. At night he went home to his cabin, his hands badly blistered. Showing them to his wife, he said : "Molly, what shall I do? I can't stand it in this country." "Charles," she answered, "we have got to succeed, ^^'e are without friends, and can't go back if we want to. Try it good and hard : I know you can." He followed her advice, and it proved the turning point in his career, for when people saw his resolute purpose and noted his ambitious spirit they were willing to help him. For a time he worked at any employment that would yield him an honest li\'ing, and in 1875 he rented the Rarick farm in Newberry township, Miami csunty, for a term of five years. On the expiration of that period he removed to his present farm, and after ten years pur- chased the tract for six thousand dollars. It comprises eighty-nine acres of rich and ara- 886 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ble land, and nearly all the improvements upon it are as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. He has tiled the place, erected good huildings and transformed the tract into highly cultivated fields which yield to him a golden return for the care and lahor he 1>estows upon them. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have made sev- eral visits to their old home in Virginia, but prefer their Ohio home, which has become endeared to them through the struggles of their earlier years, as well as the later and more prosperous epoch in their lives. They enjoy tlie warm regard of many friends, and their home is celebrated for the true spirit of southern hospitality. In politics ]\Ir. Johnson is a Democrat, and has served as school director. He is a faithful mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for twenty years has acted on its board of trustees. He is a man of distinguished ap- pearance, and is highly honored by all who know him. His record is indeed creditable. Many difificulties and obstacles were in his path, but by determined purpose and encour- aged by his wife he has pressed steadily for- ward toward the goal of success. Today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his adopted county, and his record is in- deed worthy of emulation, for it is that of one who in all life's relations has been true to duty. JACOB F. DETRICK. Prominently identified with the business interests of Tippecanoe City, Mr. Detrick belongs to that class of representative Ameri- cans who promote the general welfare while advancing individual success. The spirit of self-help is the source of all genuine worth in an individual, and is the means of bring- ing to him prosperity when he has no ad- vantages of wealth or influence to aid him. It illustrates in no uncertain manner wliat it is possible to accomplish when perseverance and determination form the keynote of a man's life. Depending upon his own re- sources and looking for no outside aid or support, Mr. Detrick has risen to a place of prominence in the commercial world of Miami county. He was born near West Charleston, September 27, 1855, and is a son of Benjamin and Catherine (Forney) Detrick. His parents were born, reared and married in Pennsylvania, and in 1850 re- moved to Ohio, where the father developed and impro\'ed a farm, upon which Jacob F. was born. There his death occurred at the age of sixty-four years, his widow after- ward removing to Tippecanoe City. He had been very successful in his business pur- suits, and at his death left a handsome es- tate. In the family were eleven children, seven of whom are now living, five being residents of Miami county : William is a fruit grower of Phoneton, Ohio ; Belle E. is a resident of Tippecanoe City; Jacob F. is the third of the family ; David is a grain dealer of New Carlisle, Ohio; Samuel is a painter of Tippecanoe City; Benjamin E. is the next of the family; Harvey is now in the Klondike; and Sadie died in early womanhood. Jacob F. Detrick spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, pursuing his prelimi- nary education in the common schools and afterward completing his literary course in the high school at Tippecanoe City. He then spent five years in Jefiferson county, Missouri, where he was engaged in conduct- ing a cattle ranch. He carried on this busi- ness on borrowed capital. He had pur- chased two sections of land, and after devot- GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 887 ing two years to farmins: lie embarked in the cattle business, which he followed with A'ery satisfactory results, doubling his capi- tal in 1850. Returning to Ohio, he was married, in 1886, to Miss Ella Coates.'daugh- ter of Robert Coates, of Union City. In- diana. She was born and reared in Miami county, Ohio, and is a niece of John Kerr, of Tippecanoe City, in whose home she was reared. Mr. Detrick is now at the head of the Detrick Milling Company, which was estab- lished in 1884. The plant was erected at a cost of twenty thousand dollars, and in 1890 it became the property of Jacob F. Detrick and his brother, Benjamin E. Detrick. As tb.eir trade increased they enlarged their fa- cilities until about forty thousand dollars were inxested in the business. They oper- ated an elevator at Grayson, Ohio, with a capacity of twenty-five thousand Ijarrels. Purchasing the interest of his brother our subject is now at the head of the Detrick Milling Company, and his success is largely due to his own efforts. He handles all kinds of grain, flour and seeds, and buys and ships from over one hundred points, over two thinisand carloads of the mill products being sent iiut annually, while his sales amount to a half million dollars. The company is doing a large trade as jobbers in the Wash- burn-Crosby flour, and also has exclusive control of the Edwards Brothers flour, of Troy, Ohio. In their own mill they blend winter and spring flou"" under the name of the Monarch. Fourteen men are employed in their establishment, the business is now extensive and is constantly growing owing to the capable management of Mr. Detrick, who thoroughly understands every depart- ment of the milling business, and is thus cap- able of controlling his extensive interests. He is a director and vice-president of the Tippecanoe Interurban Telephone Com- pany, and is connected with other corpora- tions of the county, including his relation with the Bell Company. The Milling Com- pany has erected a private telephone line to Troy, and has six 'phones, bringing it into close connection with the outside world. The products of the mill are sold directly to millers and dealers in interior points, and they have about three hundred and fifty cus- tomers, to whom they quote direct, these being located in Pennsylvania, New York and New England. Mr. Detrick is a very enterprising and successful business man, whose well-directed efforts have brought to him a handsome property. His keen sa- gacity enables him to prosecute his labors without mistakes, and his sound judgment insures to him a prosperous career. His record is honorable and creditable, and his business ability has been manifested in many ways. His prosperity is well-merited and has justly numbered him among the leading representatives of the industrial concerns of Tippecanoe City. DAVID C. STATLER. David C. Statler is the senior member of the firm of D. C. Statler & Company, pro- prietors of extensive stone quarries in Miami county, and dealers in coal and wood in Piqua. He is associated in his labors with his brother, George ^Valker Statler, and his son, Lowry Statler, and by popular consent is ac- corded a foremost place in the ranks of the prominent business men of his community. He possesses all the essential qualifications for a prosperous career, being energetic, reli- able, trustworthy and persevering. David Clarke Statler was born in 1824, GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. on the farm wliere lie imw lives, a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres just south of Piqua. It was there his grandfather, Christopher Statler, located about 1801, making that his home until his deatli in 1824. He was a nati\-e of Switzerland, and in early life crossed the Atlantic to the new world, becoming a resident of Pennsylvania. Chris- topher Statler, Jr., the father of our subject, was born in the Keystone state, about 1787, and in 1801 came with his parents to Miami county, where, on the 27t]i of May, 1810, he was united in marriage to Miss Frances Winans. She was born in New Jersey, in 1 79 1, a daughter of Richard W. and Sarah R. Winans, very highly respected citizens of Miami county. They were married June 4, 1807. ]Mr. Winans was born January 3, I78r, and his wife on the 20th of May, 1788. PI is parents were Samuel and Hannah (Woodruff) Winans, both of whom were nati\-es of New Jersey, the former born March 20. 1746, the latter June 3, 1749. His death occurred May 6, 1830, and his wife died on the 29th of October, of the same year. Their son, Richard Winans, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was called to his final rest January 10, 1863. Christopher and Frances (Winans) Stat- ler, the parents of our subject, began their domestic life on the old family homestead, south of Piqua. He died October 5. 1840, but Mrs. Statler survived him until 1886, pass- ing away at the advanced age of ninety-four. Her mental faculties remained unimpaired to the last and she could remember \i\'idlv all the important events of her life from her early girlhood in New Jersey, when that part of the country was just emerging fmrn the losses and hardshi]>s of the Revolution and its people were turning their eyes to the golden west, then bounded bv Ohio; she could well remember the jnurney westward with ox teams to Wheeling. West Virginia, thence by flatboat to Cincinnati and thence again by team to Piqua ; she saw her father and others push into the primeval forest and brave the dangers of Indian warfare and ]V\o- neer life in order to establish a home in the v.ilderness; and she witnessed the wonderful changes made in the Aliami valle}- until it became the abode of thousands of prosperous farmers and the location of hundreds of thriving towns and cities with all the inven- tions and improvements known ti) modern times. Like the other members of the fam- ily, Mrs. Statler was an earnest Christian woman. She united with the Methodist Episcopal church in New Jersey, in i8o8, and remained a faithful member until her death in 1886, covering a period of seventy-eight years. Such a life cannot fail to exert a wide influence for good. Mr. Statler, whose name introduces this record, spent his Iiovhood days upon the old home farm, ])ursuing his studies in the pub- lic schools of the neighborhood, and in 1848 he was united in marriage to Miss Jerusha Holland Smith, who was born in 1827, a daughter of 01i\-er and Ruth Ann (Hulse) Smith, natives of New York. Her. father was engaged in the commission business, and also conducted a general store. He made his way westward from Boston to Cin- cinnati, and thence to Dayton, where he died in 1842. His family originated in Ver- niont. Levi Smith, the father of Mrs. Stat- ler, joined the American armv during the war uf the Rex'olution, when only fourteen years of age. He served as a drummer boy until after the independence of the na- tion was won. Amos Smith, ex-mayor and ex-collector of customs of Cincinnati, is a cousin of Mrs. Statler and others of the I GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 889 family have been prominent in pnblic af- fairs. After Iiis marriage Mr. Statler took his bride to the old home. His father had en- tered one hundred and sixty acres of land where he now resides, and had erected there- on a square brick house. Many additions have since been made to this until it is now a spacious and comfortable mansion, noted for its hospitality and supplied with all the comforts that go to make life worth living. In the rear are extensive Ixirns and out- buildings and all modern conveniences and improvements. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Statler have been born the following children : Marcus Holland, who died at the age of forty years, mourned by all who knew him, for his life was ever upright and honorable ; Fannie E. ; Ruth, wife of James H. Con- nelly, of Piqua; Mary, wife of John Way- mire, formerly of Dayton but now of Piqua; and Lowrv Williamson, who is the only liv- ing son. He is now engaged in business with his father, and has the active manage- ment of the enterprise. He is very popular in both business and social circles, and is a very enterprising and progressive man. He married Miss Jessie De Camp, of Cincin- nati, and they now have two children, Clarke and De Camp. Mr. Statler has been very prominent in business affairs, and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have fre- quently called him to public office. He was for seven years, fi-om 1889 until 1896, one of the commissioners of Miami county, and prior to that time served for fourteen years as trustee of W'ashington township. So- cially he is connected with the Odd Fellows society, and has filled all of its chairs. His political support is given the Republican party, and he is an active member of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served for forty years as trustee, dur- ing which time he has labored effectively and earnestly for the promotion of the cause which it represents. The present house of worship was built largely through his in- strumentality. In his business affairs he has ever sustained an unassailable reputa- tion. For thirty-two years he engaged in taking contracts for stone and masonry work and bridge building, his patronage extend- ing throughout Ohio. He did a great deal of bridge work on canals in the state and his contracts were manv and extensive, thereby bringing to him a gratifying finan- cial reward. The stone quarries on his lands have been operated since 1855, and are seemingly inexhaustible. A specimen of the stone prepared for the Centennial Ex- position in Philadelphia, in 1876, secured a diploma and medal which are highly prized. This specimen Mr. Statler permitted to be placed in the Smithsonian Institute at Wash- ington, having received a special request for it. The stone is obtained near the surface, is \ery hard, taking a fine polish, and is used by architects all over the country for win- dow-sills, cornice and other such work. Air. Statler is a generous-hearted man of courteous manner, unflinching principle and unquestioned integrity, yet withal of that practical common sense which never runs to extremes, and it is no wonder that wherever he goes he has many friends. His life has been well spent and his honorable and useful career is wi^rthy of emulation. ASA K. BACON. Practical industry wisely and vigorously applied never fail of success ; it carries a man onward and upward, brings out the in- 890 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. di\i(liial character, and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The great- est results in life are usually attained hy simple means and the exercise of the ordi- nary qualities of common sense and perse- verance. The everyday life. \\\\.\\ its cares, necessities and duties, affords ample oppor- tunities for acquiring experience of the best kind, and its most beaten paths proxide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and for self-improvement. It is along such lines that Asa Kendall Bacon has won a place among the respected and esteemed business men of Troy. For more than a quarter of a century he has acted as agent of the Unit- ed States Express Company and his long service stands in unmistakable evidence of his fidelity to duty. Air. Bacon is a native of Oberlin. Ohio, his birth ha\-ing occurred on the 17th of July, 1842. His parents, Francis S. and Mehnda (Kendall) Bacon, removed from Ashhy. Massachusetts, to Brighton town- ship. Lorain count}-, Ohio, in 1833, and the following year they went to Oberlin, spend- ing their remaining days upon a farm near that city. They were laid to rest in the ceme- tery at Oberlin, the father dying in 1850. He was a native of Gardner, Vermont, where the family had resided through several gen- erations. They are of English lineage, com- ing f r< un the same parental stem as did Fran- cis Bacon, one of the greatest philoso])hers that the world has e\er produced. Airs. Bacon was also a representative of an old New England family, for the Ken- dalls removed from the mother country to Jilassachusetts prior to the Revolution. They particii)ated in many events \\liich left an impress upon the historv of the nation, and Asa Kendall, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a most honored American citi- zen who became a trusted friend of Wash- ington during the struggle for independ- ence, serving on the staff of the commander- in-chief. The father of Airs. Bacon resided near Fitchburg, Alassachusetts, where he carried on agricultural pursuits. Deprived of his father's care and guidance at a very early age. Asa K. Bacon received only such limited educational privileges as were af- forded to farmer lads in frontier settle- ments. He was early trained to habits of industry and economy, however, and these ha\-e formed an important factor in his later success. Into his mind were also instilled the lessons which tend to develop an upright life and manhood. His career was begun on the home farm where he followed the plow and assisted in garnering the harvests. When a young man he entered the employ of the Lake Shore Railroad Company, and re- mained with that corporation for ten years, during which time he did his work faitli- fully and well and accumulatefl some capital which enabled him to engage in the liverv business on his own account in Oberlin. There he successfully conducted his new en- terprise imtil a destructive fire swept away the accumulations of prosperous years. At that time he was not only conducting a livery business, but was also in the employ of the LTnited States Express Company. with which he has now been connected for more than a quarter of a century. On the 8th of December. 1893. he was transferred to Troy, assuming the agency at that place, and for six years he has been in charge of the large volume of business which is car- ried on in this commercial and manufactur- ing center. The greatest fidelity and ability are demanded by the corporation on the part of its employes and therefore no higher tes- timony of his ability can be given than the GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 891 fact that he has remained with the company through such a long period. Mr. Bacon was married in WelHngton, Ohio, in 1862, to Miss Jane Mills, a native of Lincolnshire, England, whence her par- ents came to America during her early child- hood. In 1880 she was called to the home bevond. Her death was deeply mourned by her many friends, as well as by her husband and children. In the family are two sons and two daughters, namely : Julia, now the wife of W. S. Horr, of Duluth, Minne- sota, a nephew of Representative R. G. Horr, of Massachusetts; Ella, who resides with her father in Troy; Louis Asa, who is engaged in the plumbing business in Cleve- land, Ohio; and Eber Aaron, who is assist- ant agent in the express office. In politics Mr. Bacon has been a life- long Republican, true to the influences and traditions of Oberlin. That city, as the center of anti-slavery principles, has ever ad- vocated the higher rights of men, and lib- erty to all the oppressed, and his early youth being spent in such an atmosphere, it had its effect upon Mr. Bacon. He is a public- spirited man, progressive and deeply inter- ested in the welfare and progress of Troy, and his support is withheld from no measure which he believes will be a public good. He and his son and daughter, who reside with him, enjoy the esteem and respect of all with whom they have come in contact through business or social relations. WILLIAM HOLLOWAY. One of the most important industries of Piqua is the rolling mills, which furnish em- ployment to a large force of workmen upon whom depends the success of the institution in large measure. Capable management and excellent workmanship are the two indis- pensable elements which enter into the suc- cessful conduct of every business enterprise, and one would be useless without the other. Among those whose efficiency has augmented the prosperity of the Piqua Rolling Mills and who has found a source of livelihood in performing the work connected with such an industrial concern is William Hollo- way, who is employed in the capacity of sheet iron roller. He was born in Stafl:'ordshire, England, on the 1st of June, 1865, a son of Jeremiah Holloway. He was only about three years of age when brought by his parents to x\mer- ica and in Covi'.igton. Kentucky, he was reared. \\'hen about fifteen or sixteen years of age he began working in the iron foundry of that city, and for three years he worked at night and attended commercial college through the day. Such a course showed the elemental strength- of his character and displayed a resolute purpo.se which has con- tributed to his success in life. A strong love of music and natural talent in that direction prompted his attendance at the Cincinnati College of Music, and for three years after leaving commercial college he was a stu- dent in tliat institution, studying theory, harmon}' and compositon. He began work as a sheet rcjller when about eighteen years of age and in 1SS9, when the Piqua Rolling Mills were estalilished, he came to this city and has since been employed in his present capacity. He married Miss Nellie Craig, a native of Covington, Kentucky, and unto them have been born four sons : William, Henry Harrison, Oscar and Charles, all yet at home. Mr. Holloway is an adherent of the Repub- lican party, keeps well versed on political issues and is deeply interested in his party's 892 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. success. He is a very prominent Alason, belonging to Warren Lodge, No. 24, F. & A. M., of Piqua; Piqua Chapter, No. 31. R. A. M. ; Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., and has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in the consistory of Dayton, while of the Mystic Shrine of Cincinnati he is also a member. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and is an accomplished musician, performing splen- didly on the piano. His love of this art en- ables him to spend many pleasant hours and to furnish entertainment for his friends, and is a welcome di\-ersion after the arduous cares of the day. PEYTON E. CROMER, M. D. One of the most aljle and worthy repre- sentatives of the medical fraternity of Miami county is Dr. Cromer, who is successfully practicing in Piqua, lus skill and ability having gained him prestige in the line of his chosen calling. Pie was born in Cherokee county, Alaliama, January 13. i860, and is of German lineage, his grandfather ha\'ing been brought from Germany to America by his parents during his infancy. Philip Cromer, the father of the Doctor, was a native of South Carolina and was there reared upon a farm. When a young man he went to Ala- bama and served as overseer of a large plan- tation until thirty-two years of age. During that time his industry and economy enabled b.im to acquire a capital sufficient to purchase a small farm. He then judiciously invested liis money and operated his land until every- thing was taken from him during the war. He had become convinced that slavery was v.rong and his abolition principles awakened the bitter opposition of the slave-holding people among whom he lived. For some time he had to remain in hiding else his life would have be'en taken by the rebels. All of the buildings and improvements upon his farm were destroyed, and in 1865, selling liis land at a great sacrifice, he came north and rented a farm near Pleasant Hill, Miami county. There he lived for seven years, on the expiration of which period he removed to Darke count}', where he has since been en- gaged in farming and stock-raising. He is now a hale and hearty man of sixty-eight years. In his political affiliations he is a stalwart Republican and is a member of the Christian church. He married Melvina Patty, a native of Albany, who died in Miami coun- ty, when about thirty-five years of age, leav- ing four children. She was one of a family of twenty-one children. Most of her brothers were officers in the rebel army. Dr. Cromer spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads. He attended the district schools for about three months each year and enjoyed no holidays. In the autumn before his eighteenth birthday he walked four miles to attend high school, pursuing his ed- ucation in the institution for three months. He then engaged in teaching in district schools through the winter season, while in the summer months he assisted his father in the work of the farm and attended normal sessions. He was thus engaged until about twenty-three years of age and when twenty- four 3'ears of age he won the degree of bachelor of science. Soon afterward he ac- cepted the position of superintendent of a high school in Versailles, Ohio, where he remained for one year, after which he was superintendent of schools of Arcanum, Ohio, for two years. \\'hile filling that position he received a call by telephone, entirely unso- licited by him, offering him the superintend- encv of the school at Bradford, Ohio, for GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 893 tliree 3-ears. He accepted and was in charge at that place for five years, proving a most capable superintendent. Under his guidance the schools of which he had charge made rapid and marked advancement and' his la- bors were indeed commendable. On leav- ing Bradford the Doctor took up the study of medicine in the Wooster Normal College, of Cleveland, and after one term matriculat- ed in the Ohio Medical College, in Cincin- nati. Subsequently, however, he returned to the \\'ooster College, in which he was graduated with the class of 1892. He be- gan practice at West Baltimore, and after four years came to Piqua, where he has since remainetl. He is a most thorough and dis- criminating stutlent and keeps in constant touch with the progress wdiich characterizes the medical profession. His labors have been attended with excellent results and he is now enjoying a large and lucrative practice. Dr. Cromer was united in marriage to Miss Lucretia Patty, a native of Pleasant Hill, !Miami ciamty, and their union has been blessed with five S(ins : Paul J.. Horace Patty, William, Stewart P. and Luther \'. The family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. The Doctor is a zealous Republican who keeps well informed on the issues of the day and gives an earnest and acti\e support to his party. He has served as major and field surgeon in the order of the Knights of the Maccabees, and, with one ex- ception, this is the highest state office in the fraternity. He and his wife are leading and prominent members of the Methodist Epis- copal church. The Doctor is a self-educated man and when he left the school room and took up the practice of medicine was regard- ed as one of the most able young educators in the state. He still takes great interest in school work and has assisted many young students to continue their education. His advice and counsel are freely given and are frecjuently supplemented by material aid. The poor and needy find in him a warm friend and many are the professional visits which he pays without hope of pecuniary reward. His charity, however, is quiet and unostentatious, being after the manner of the precept, "Let not thy left hand know what thv right hand doeth." ANTHONY MILLER. Anthony Miller is an engineer on the Panhandle Railroad and is also the owner of a farm in Newberry township, IMiami count V. He was born in Germany Oct(5ber 15, 1845, '"I'l '^^''is the youngest of three children, his sisters being Mary and Anna. The father died when Anthony was quite young and the mother afterward became Mrs. Beckley. \\\t\\ her second husband she came to the United States, locating in Fostoria, Ohio, where she yet resides, be- ing the second time a widow. Mr. Miller, of this review, spent the first eight years of his life in the fatherland and then came with relatives to the Lhiited States. \\'ith them he took up his abode in Green- ville, Ohio, but a few years later he was again left alone, owing to the death of those \\ ith whom he emigrated. Pie then went to live with a Mr. Smith and also spent some time in the home of IMrs. Coover, a widow lad}'. Air. Smith was an engineer on the Panhandle Railroad. When Mr. Miller was fifteen years of age Mr. Smith secured him a position as fireman. He has been employed in various capacities by the railroad com- pany, having acted for some time as bag- gage master, was also brakeman and for five or six years was an engineer on the 894 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Bradford yard engine. For tlie past twen- ty-tliree years lie has been an engineer in the employ of tlie Panliandle Railroad, his run 1)eing between Bradford and Logansport, In- diana. He is a most careful, conscientious and reliable employe and enjoys the unqual- ified conficlence of the corporation \\hich he serves. On the 1 6th of Xovemher. 1871. Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Eunice Conea, who was born in Newton township July 31, 1856. Their union has been blessed with eleven children: Franklin J., who wed- ded Anna Hooper and resides in Logansport ; Orpha: William A., of Bradford; George F., who died in infancy; Charles A. ; Harry; Joseph J. ; Edgar ; Pearl May ; Earl Ray ; and (irace. Mr. and Mrs. Miller l>egan their domestic life in Bradford, where they lived until 1884, when they removed to their present home in Newton township. There Mr. Miller owns eighty acres of land, the farm being a highly cultivated tract, the sale of whose products adds materially to his income. In politics he is a stanch Repub- lican, keeps well informed on the issues of the day, but has never sought office. As a courteous and obliging employe of the road he is \\idely known and has many friends all along the line, having spent the greater part of his life in this section of Ohio. His many good qualities have gained him the respect and esteem of his fellow men. CHARLES E. GAINES, M. D. .Among the successful practitioners resid- ing in Covington is Dr. Gaines, who has at- tained a position of relative precedence in connection with his chosen calling. He was born on a farm near L^rbana, Champaign county, October 21, 1857, his parents being Moses T. and Ann E. (Grafton) Gaines. His father, Moses Gaines, was born in New- market, Virginia, in 181 8. He was left an orphan at the age of two years and was reared by strangers. Through his own ef- forts he obtained a good education and later engaged in teaching school. At one time he received only twelve and a half cents per day for his work in the school room — so low were the wages paid to the teachers at that time. His training at farm labor was not meager, for as soon as old enough to handle a plow he began work in the fields, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agri- culturist. At the age of twenty he removed to Champaign county. Ohio, where he pur- chased a farm, since which time he has op- erated his land with success. Although now well advanced in j-ears he still enjoys vig- orous health. He married Ann' E. Graf- ton, who was born in Champaign county and died February 26, 1895. Her father, Thomas Grafton, was the largest land owner in that locality at the time. He was a na- tive of \"irginia, to which state his father remnveil from Grafton, Massachusetts, that town having been named in honor of one of the ancestors of the family. The Graftons were also represented in the Colonial army in the war of the Revolution. The mother of Mrs. Gaines bore the maiden name of Margaret Downey. L^ito Mr. and Mrs. Moses Gaines were born sex'en children, nameh-; Theodore j\I.. a traveling sales- man of Chicago; \\'illiam T., a physician of Houston, Ohio; Ada, wife of John F. Ar- nett, of Pi(|ua, Ohio; Charles E., of this re- view: Mary E., wife of Dr. E. F. Shaflfer. of Illinois; Nettie, at home; Emma, wife of Hudson FIj-nn, of Houston, Ohio; and GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 895 John E., who is a floorwalker in the "Fair" in Chicago. Dr. Gaines pursued his prehminary edu- cation in the pubHc schools and during the periods of \'acation assisted in the work of his father's farm. Later he continued his studies in Oberlin College, and after his graduation in that institution, with the class of 1879, he engaged in teaching in the pub- lic schools. Ambitious for a medical career his labors in the school room were regarded but as a means to this end. He saved all the money possible from his earnings in order to meet his tuition in college, but tiring of this slow process of accumulating funds he determined to seek more lucrative employ- ment, and secured a position as traveling- salesman, acting in that capacity for four years. He then entered the Indiana Medical College, but did not complete his studies at that time. Subseijuently he matriculated in the University of Louisville, in which he was graduated in 1892. He then practiced his profession in that city, removing thence to Houston, Shelby county, Ohio, where he built up a large and lucrative practice, which extended into Miami county. Many of his patrons resided in and near Covington, and deciding that he would be more centrally lo- cated in the latter city he removed to this place on the 15th of November, 1899. As a physician his skill is recognized and appre- ciated liy all who have had occasion to con- sult him. His foresight in the treatment of cases which ha\-e come before him is unsur- passed. He is very careful in his diagnosis and readily anticipates complications and is accurate in determining results. His dis- position is kindly, his manner aiYable and genial, and these qualities have made him very welcome in the sick room. The Doctor is a man of strong domestic tastes and it seems that he cannot do too much to enhance the welfare and secure the happiness of his wife and children. He was married, in 1881, in Urbana, to Laura F., daughter of Riley and Susan (Deston) Stexens, and t(j their union have been born three children, — ^Valdo M., Mabel and The- odora, who are still under the parental roof. The Gaines household is noted for its hos- pitality, which is enjoyed b)- a large circle of friends. The Doctor is a Republican in politics and is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge of Chicago. Although he has made h.is home in Covington but a short time he is widely known here, and his social and pro- fessi(jnal prominence are alike enviable. DAVID M. FINE. David ^l. Fine is engaged in gardening in Newberry township, Miami county, carry- ing on a successful and extensive business. He was born in Sunbury, Delaware county, Ohio, December 25, 1825, and is of German lineage. The first of the name to seek a home in America was his great-grandfather, who took up his abode in Frederick comity, Maryland, and there spent his entire life, passing away when more than ninety years of age. His children were Martin, who died in Alaryland or Virginia; John, who died in Maryland; Frederick; and Mary, who be- came the wife of John Rhodes and died in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where her father was engaged in the milling business for many years. Frederick Fine, the father of our subject, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, in July, 1792, acquired a limited education and was reared to. farm work. In the county of his nativity he was married, in 18 18, to Miss 896 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Mary Garber, a native of that county and a daughter of Joseph Garber. They hved upon rented land until after their removal to Ohio. Four children were born to them in Mary- land, and with their family they started for the Buckeye state in the spring of 1825. mak- ing the journey by wagon. Before crossing the Alleghany mountains they had to buy another horse to assist in drawing the wagon over the steep ascents. On reaching Sun- bury, Delaware county, the father purchased a tract of wild land and in course of time transformed it into a highly developed place. He built a two-story, hewed-log house, one of the most pretentious homes in the locality at that time. The country abounded in wild game, which often had to be driven out of the wheat fields. In 1839 the father sold his farm in Delaware county, and in April of that year came to Miami county, after stop- ping for a short time with relatives in Day- ton. He rented land in Newberry township and subsequently purchased a farm in New- ton township, on the Newberry line. It comprised fifteen acres, which he improved, continuing to make his home there until his wife's death, which occurred about 1871, when slie was seventy-six years of age. After her death the father made his home with his children and died at the home of our subject in June, 1874. This worthy couple were members of the German Bap- tist church and he was a life-long Demo- crat. His many excellencies of character made him highly esteemed and honored, for in all life's relations he was true and loyal to the right. His children were : Eliza, who died in Maryland in childhood ; Delilah, wife of David Brandenburg, of West Cov- ington; Washington, who married Rossanna Vetters and located in Delaware county, In- diana; John, a cooper by trade, who mar- ried Samantha Cheney, who died in New- berry township, after which he was again married, his second wife dying in Troy, sub- sequent to which time, in connection with a Mr. Bowman, he opened a cooper shop in Clay county, Indiana, where his death occurred; David Martin, of this review; Julia Ann, now the wife of George Shoe- maker, who is living near Muncie, Indiana ; Alpheus, who died at the age of seventeen years ; Frederick, who died in childhood ; and Simeon. Two of the sons were loyal soldiers of the Union during the civil war. Washington enlisted in Captain Langston's company of the Forty-fourth Ohio Infantry, for three years, and on the expiration of that period veteranized, but the exposure and hardships of war undermined his health and necessitated his discharge before the close of hostilities. Simeon become a mem- ber of the Ninety-fourth Ohio Infantry and died at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, of dis- ease contracted in the service. David Martin Fine was born on the farm where his parents lived for many years. His educational privileges were very limited. He pursued his education in a log school house, furnished in a most primitive manner. The scholars bored holes in the logs, into which they inserted pins and across those they laid a board which served as a desk. Mr. Fine's training at farm labor, however, was not meager. He assisted his father in develop- ing the farm, clearing the land, cutting wood and splitting rails in addition to the work of plowing, planting and harvesting. Almost from the time that he could lift an ax he began his labors in the forest. As oppor- tunity afforded he attended school. He was fourteen years of age when he came with his parents to Miami county, and in a little log school house, on Greenville creek, he GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 897' completed his education. Wdien the family settled here there was no school building in the neighborhood, but, in connection with Michael Williams, David Shoemaker and Da\-id Elmore, his father built a log school house and Squire Widner was employed to teach for twp terms. It was under his direc- tion that Mr. Fine finished his school days. His wife was then a young girl attending the same school. At the age of twenfy-one Mr. Fine rented a saw-mill at Sugar Grove, operat- ing the same for a year. At the age of twenty-two he was married and purchased fifty acres of the estate of his father-in-law, James Thompson. This land was situated on Greenville creek, Newberry township, and there he lived for many years, develop- ing a good farm. He contracted and built the first school house in his district and was actively identified with the work of improve- ment and progress in the neighborhood. Finally he sold his land, with the intention of going to Iowa, but changing his plans he purchased eighty acres in Franklin town- ship, Darke county. He, however, located upon rented land for several years, and in the meantime he was engaged in the stone quarry business. He also operated a saw- mill and engaged in the manufacture of sorghum molasses. In his undertakings he was reasonably successful, and as his finan- cial resources increased he made judicious investments in land and for many years was an extensive farmer. He also successfully engaged in stock raising for eight years. In 1882 he purchased and located upon his pres- ent farm, since which time he has devoted his efiforts to gardening. He attends the Piqua markets and the excellence of his products enables him to command a ready sale. This venture has proved a very profitable one and his labors are now diligently prosecuted, annually augmenting his income. On the 1 6th of August, 1847, J^Ii"- Fine was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Thompson, who was born July 20, 1830, on the old Thompson homestead in Newberry township, where she was reared to woman- hood. Unto them were born the following- children: Sarah Jane, born August 20, 1848, is now the wife of Zeke Kendall, of Covington. Eliza Ann, born October 12, 1849, 's the wife of John Wetzel, of New- berry township. David, born June 10, 1851, died in infancy. Jerome, born May 16, 1854, is now living on his father's farm on Green- ville creek, in Newberry township. He began his education in the public schools in Newberry township at the age of eight years, completing his studies in what is known as the White school, at the age of twenty, remained with his father until twenty-two years of age, then accepted a position as trav- eling salesman for George W. Hikes, a nur- seryman, with whom he remained for two seasons. He was married October 28, 1878, to Miss Hattie Stanfield, a daughter of Moses S. and Lydia (McCool) Stanfield, and after his marriage located on the Sam- uel Putterbaugh farm in Bethel township. After a year, however, he removed to Sugar Mills, Newton township, and was employed in a mill by E. Kendall for a year. In 1881 he located on the Henry Shafner farm in Concord township, where he remained until the death of his wife, which occurred on the 8th of June, 1882. He then sold his prop- erty and spent the remainder of the year in charge of the horses owned by W. H. Bashore. He next entered the employ of George E. McKaiy, of Troy, having charge of the importation of horses from foreign countries. He made the first importation, 898 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. numbering twenty-two head of fine stock, and continued witli Mr. McKaiy until Au- gust 8, 1883. when lie entered the employ of Dye & Stilwell. of Troy, imiKirters of Eng- Hsh horses. In 189 1 lie formed a Imsiness connection with G. A. Hogg, of Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, with whom he remained one season, handling his horses at the Greens- boro fair ground. In 1893 lie returned to Troy, Ohio, and in the spring of 1894 en- tered the employ of D. \\. Ault, of Balti- more, Fairfield county, Ohio. In the fall of the same year he went to Lancaster, Ohio, where he i)repareil a number of horses for the track. In the spring of 1896 he en- tered the service of George Guyer. of Guyer City, Auglaize county, Ohio. At the end of two years he secured a situation with Swizert Brothers, of Jackson county, Ohio, and in 1898 he returned to Troy, in the em- ploy of J. N. Stilwell, there remaining un- til March, 1900, when he came to Covington and has since been in the employ of Frank Bernis. While in the employ of Dye & Stil- well he went to England and for them shipped a cargo of horses to the United States. There is perhaps no better judge or trainer of horses in Ohio than he. In poli- tics he is a stanch Democrat and is a mem- ber of the Christian church. Delilah, the sixth child oi the family, was born March 4. 1856, married Jesse Lewis and after his death became the wife of Morris Stanfield, now of Troy. Thompson, born November 6, 1857, married Mina Nicodemus and is living in Troy. Catherine, born March 4, 1859, is the wife of A. C. Shaffer, who is living in Newton township. Louisa, born June 20, 1 86 1, is at home. Huldah Alice, born November 30, 1862, married Edward White and is now the wife of Benjamin Bowers, of Troy. Maud E., born October 29, 1863, died in infancy. Roland E., born June 7, 1865, is at home. Simeon E.. born October 17, 1866, married Etta Starry, of Fletcher, Ohio. Frederick, born June 20, 1872, married Ellen Fry and resides in Cov- ington. The parents of these children united with the Greenville Creek Christian church in 1849 ^"'1 ^^''- Fine has since been one of its leading members. His wife was an earnest Christian lady, genial and kindly in disposi- tion and gentle in manner. To her family she was a loving and tender wife and mother and to her neighbors a faithful friend. She passed away June 9, 1898. but her memory remains as a blessed benediction to all who knew her. Mr. Fine is a man of sterling worth, respected and esteemed by those with whom business and social relations have brought him in contact, and it is with pleas- ure that we present the record of his life to the readers of this volume. GEORGE R. McCONNELL. The subject, to whose life history we now direct attention, has, by ceaseless endeavor, attained a marked success in business af- fairs, has gained the respect and confidence of men, and is recognized as one of the dis- tinctively representative citizens of Troy, where is located his insurance office. He is one of the leading insurance men of this section of Ohio, controlling a large amount of business. Mr. McConnell is a native of Hancock, Ohio, born May 19, 1862, and is a son of James R. and Barbara A. (Rowinsky) Mc- Connell, natives of Pennsylvania. In child- hood his parents came to the Buckeye state, locating in Hancock county, and at present they reside in Van Wert county, whither GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 899 they removed. Throughout his entire life tlie father has carried on agricultural pur- suits and on taking up his abode in Van Wert county he secured a tract of land in the midst of the forest. Cutting away the trees he transformed the raw tract into richl}' cultivated fields and now has a good home there. Upon that farm Mr. McConnell. of this review, was reared and in the common schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education, to which he has added through experience, observation and reading" imtil he i'; now an exceptionally well informed man. In 1887 he went to Paulding, Ohio, where Ik engaged in the insurance business as an agent of the Ohio Farmers' Insurance Com- pany, his salary being thirty dollars per month and expenses. Before six months had passed, so successful were his efiforts in that direction, his salary was increased to one htmdred dollars per month and his ex- penses, and he was given the management of the business in Paulding county. On the 6th of June, 1888, he came to Troy, in the interest of the same company, and since that time has had charge of its business in Mi- ami county. He also represents at least thirty other companies, and for eleven years has occupied the position of general insur- ance agent. He practically does all the in- surance business in Troy and Miami county, and has been ver}' successful, owing entirely to his well-directed efforts, his sound judg- ment and his honorable dealing. In 1885 Mr. McConnell was united in marriage to Miss Ollie Hook, of Van Wert county, in w-hich place she had successfully engaged in teaching. They now have two children. Glen and Edna. Mrs. McConnell is a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church and is an estimable ladv, who presides 53 with gracious hospitality over her pleasant home. Mr. McConnell owns a very fine residence in Troy, besides other valuable real estate in the city, and in 1897 he pur- chased the old homestead in Van Wert coun- ty, comprising eighty acres of rich land. In politics he is independent, supporting- the men rather than the party. Prominent in Masonic circles, he attained the Knight Templar degree in 1898 and is now a mem- ber of Coleman Commandery, No. no, K. T. His career has been crowned with a high degree of success and his life illustrates the possibilities that are open to young men of energy and ambition. Not a pretentious life has been his, but one that lias been trtie to itself and its possibilities, and one to which the biographist may revert with a feel- ing of respect and satisfaction. His hon- orable efforts have ever commanded the confidence of his fellow men and he occupies a prominent place in the public regard. THOMAS C. LEON.\RD. That the plenitude of satiety is seldom obtained in the affairs of life is to be con- sidered a most grateful and beneficial de- privation, for where ambition is satisfied and every ultimate aim realized — if such is possi- ble — there must follow individual apathy. Every efifort will cease, accomplishment be prostrate and creative talent waste its en- ergies in supine inactivity. The men who ha\"e pushed forward the wheels of progress have been those whom satiety lay ever in the fiiture, and they have labored consecutively and have not failed to find in each transition stage an incentive for further effort. The unceasing industry of Thomas Corwin Leon- ard and his laudable ambition have been the strong Qoncomitants of his success, winiung ijOO GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. hini a pruud position in business circles. He is secretary, treasurer and manager of the firm of Foril & Company, and his connections with many of their concerns contribute to tlie welfare of the city as well as to the indi- \i(liial success of the stockholders. Thomas Corwin Leonard was born in Covington, Miami county, on the 25th of December, 1849, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret (Lindsay) Leonard, both of whi mi were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they came to the Buckeye state with their respect- ive parents and there married. During the civil war the father served as postmaster at Covington, was also proprietor of a store and engaged in teaching. He died when his son was only two years of age, but the mother is still living and has survived her second husband, Daniel Face, who passed away in 1880. There was also a daughter in the family, who is still living — Serepta. Thomas Corwin Leonard continued with his mother until 1876. Having acquired a good practical education he entered upon his business career and in early life was em- ployed as a clerk in a dry-goods store, se- curing the position when a youth of fifteen. He was married. January 14, 1875, to Miss Mary A. Rohrer, of Tippecanoe City, a daughter of Jacob Rohrer. Her father sought his assistance and offered him a partnership in the business with which he has since been connected — the manufacture of wheels. Mr. Leonard purchased stock in the enterprise and in 1876 was given the position of book- keeper. Not long afterwards he was made secretary and on the retirement of T. J. Sheets he became the manager of the con- cern, being made a member of the directorate. He has since been active in the control of the business and the company has had a very successful career, its prosperity being due in no small degree to his efforts. It is the leading industry of the town, its extensive output indicating its excellent workmanship and the honorable business methods which are followed. The relationship between employer and employee has always been of a pleasant character, as is shown by the fact that some of the representatives of the busi- ness have been connected with it for nearly a (|uarter of a century, among these being E. A. Jackson, who is now clerk of the com- pany. Mr. Leonard is a man of resourceful business ability and his keen discrimination and sound judgment in matters of trade have made his counsels very valuable in the control of the different enterprises. He is now a director in the bank of Tippecanoe City, is a stockholder in the Troy Buggy Company and has been financially concerned in other enterprises. He now operates sev- eral farms, tlie aggregate being three hun- dred acres. For ten years he has been a trustee of the Knoop Children's Home, of i\Iiami county, which was established in 1877 by an endowment of the Knoop family. L'nto Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have been born three children : Joseph E., Louis and ]\Iar- jorie, all of whom are yet in school. Mr. Leonard is c[uite active and prominent in the Masonic fraternity, belonging to lodge, chap- ter and commandery. His wife is a mem- ber of the English Lutheran church and both enjoy the high regard of a large circle of friends. In his political views i\Ir. Leonard is a Democrat and has served as city council- man for several years, also as a member of the school board, yet has never been a poli- tician in the sense of oflice seeking. His business career has been creditable and hon- orable and one which exemplifies the well known fact that in America advancement GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 901 and success depend not on circumstances or upon the influence of friends or family, but upon individual merit, close application and determined purpose. He is recognized as one of the most able business men of Tippe- canoe City. His sagacity and foresight have enabled him to make judicious invest- ments, while his intelligence, indomitable energy and his unswerving perseverance have gained him prosperity. He has done much to promote the general welfare by en- couraging trade and commerce and his career, both public and private, has been marked by strictest integrity and faithful- ness to every trust reposed in him. PETER WEFLER. In the land of the Alps, where men have ever been noted for fidelity, loyalty and valor, Peter Wefler was born, and well may he be prtnid of the fact that he is numbered among the native sons of Switzerland. His birth occurred September 29, 1823, his par- ents being Peter and Susannah Wefler. He is the eldest of seven children, the others be- ing Samuel, John, Christopher, Frederick, Katherine and Mary. Peter Wefler spent the first fourteen years of his life in the land of his birth and then came with his par- ents and their children to the new world. In August, 1837, they bade adieu to Switzer- land, taking passage on a sailing vessel, which, after a voyage of thirty-five days dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. They first located at Albany, New York, and in 1844 came to Ohio, settling in Stark coun- tv. A few months afterward they removed to Pickaway county, locating on a farm, antl our subject, leaving the parental roof, established a butcher shop in Circleville, where he carried on business for eighteen years, meeting with creditable success in his undertakings. On the expiration of that period he purchased a farm in Franklin township, Darke county, becoming owner of two hundred and twenty-four acres of rich land, wdiich he placed under a high state of cultivation. He operated that farm until 1877, when he came to Newton township, Miami county, settling upon his present farm of one hundred and nineteen acres, on section i. In 1885 he erected one of the best barns in this section of the county. It is a bank barn, 40x84 feet. Other excellent improvements have been made upon the place, which is lacking in no modern ac- cessory or convenience. Everything is neat and thrifty in appearance, and the well tilled fields yield to him golden harvests which annually augment his income. In 1850 occurred the marriage of Mr. Wefler and Miss Anna Rudey, by whom he has seven children — Samuel, Charley, Har- riet, Catherine, Kate, Emma and Anna. The family is widely and favorably known in the community, their circle of friends be- ing extensive. In his political views Mr. Wefler is a stanch Republican, believing that the party principles contain the best elements of government. While living in Darke county he served as township trustee. He is a self-made man who started out in life empty handed and by determined purpose has steadily worked his way upward until he now stands on the plane of affluence, being the possessor of one of the attractive and valuable farms of Union township. SAMUEL FOLKER. Samuel Folker, a pension attorney resid- ing at West Milton, was born in Union township, Miami county, on the 19th of 902 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. April. 1838. His father, John Folker, was l;urn in Montgomery county, Ohio, about the year 1808. He was a farmer by occupation and carried on agricultural pursuits in that locality for many years, meeting with credit- able success in his business. He held mem- bership in the Dunkard church and died at the age of seventy-five. His son, John Folker, also followed the plow and engaged in the tilling of the soil throughout his acti\'e business career. He came to Miami county in 1830, but in 1862 sold his property in this locality and returned to Montgomery county, where he died at the advanced age of eighty years and four months. He, too, gained a comfortable competence through his well-directetl efforts. In [jolitics he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican, and in religious faith was a Dunkard. He mar- ried Elizabeth Fry, who was probably a na- tive of Pennsylvania, but during her earh- girlhood she came to Ohio with her parents and died at the age of se\'enty-eight. She, too. held membership in the Dunkard church. Her father, Jacob Fry, was born in the Key- stone state and was of German lineage. Samuel Folker, whose name introduces this article, spent the days of his linyhood and youth upon the home farm and remained with his parents until he was twenty-tliree years of age. He then responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting on the 22d of December, 1 861, as a member of Company D, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served as a private un- til September 20, i8C)3. At i\\2 l)attle of Chickamauga he was captured and taken to Libby Prison, where he was incarcerated for thirty-nine days. On the day of his cap- ture, which occurred on Sunday, between sunset and dark, he was wounded by a shell in the right leg, the tendons being severed, while the small bone was broken by the shot and protruded below the knee. This caused him to lose the use of the limb. He was in the following engagements : at Lexington, Perryville, Nash\-ille, Stone River, Hoover's dap and Decker's Station, and at the last named was wounded by a minie ball in the thigh, but the injury was slight and he was not off duty. At Bridgeport he had the rim (-f his hat shot away. At Looki.mt ]\h)untain he was slightly wounded in the left hand and at Chickamauga he was captured and after being incarcerated in Libb)' Prison for thirty-nine days he was paroled and taken to Annapolis, Maryland, remaining in the hospital there for about eleven months. On the expiration of that period he was sent to Columbus, Ohio, on account of his injuries, and was honorably discharged July 28, 1864. Air. Folker then returned to West Milton, u here for a time he engaged in contracting and building. Subse(|uently he conducted a wholesale and retail cigar store and later took contracts for the building of pikes. As the years passed his capital was annually augmented, until, with a comfortable com- petence, he retired from active business life in 1884. In 1859 Air. Folker was united in mar- riage to Miss Elizabeth Hoover, daughter of Abraham and Esther (Turnfall) Hoover. She was born in this township, September 3. 1838. Her mother is still living, at the achanced age of eighty-eight years, and is the wife of Captain James Sowry. Her fa- ther was born in Carolina and in an early day came to Miami county. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Folker has l)een blessed with four children : Hettie, wife of David W. Macy. of West Milton; James W., a farmer of Union township; Charles W., a teamster GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 903 residing in West Milton: and William E., who is engaged in carpentering in the same tciwn. Mr. Folker exercises his right of fran- ch.ise in support of the men and measures of the Repuhlican party and takes an acti\e in- terest in ijolitical affairs, keeping well in- formed on the issues of the day. He has ser\ed as a member of the city council, has been street commissioner for eighteen years, magistrate for six years — which is the limit of the term — and pension attorney since 1890. He formerly was a member of Rouzer Post, of Tippecanoe, and became a charter member of Duncan Post, No. 447, G. A. R., of West Milton, in which he is now serving as commander. He is also a valued represent- ative of Milton Lodge,No. 577, F. & A. M., 'and in his life exemplifies the benevolent arid fraternal principles of these orders. BERNARD B. SCARFF. Bernard Barton Scarfif was born in Bethel township. Clark county, Ohio, Feb- ruary 12. 1837. Soon after his birth his parents removed to Bethel township, Miami county. He was the son of Joshua and L}-dia ( Stouttemciyer ) Scarff, who removed from the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, in 1832. with a family of four children. The father was a man of sterling integrity and deep religious convictions, and left Virginia because he hated slaxery. He married Lydia Stouttemoyer in January, 1819, and although he had a good farm in Virginia he was un- willing to raise his children under the shadow and influence of slavery. He died in 1842, leaving a family of eight children. His widow was a woman of indomitable en- ergy, frugal and industrious. She sent two of her sons to Granville College, wdiere they graduated with honor. The eldest, Eman- uel Scarff, held the position of president of a Baptist college in Pella, Iowa, for twen- ty-one consecuti\e years. The fourth child, James Madison, settled in New York and was pastor of the Baptist church at Bethany Centre, New York, for twenty-seven years. The other children secured a common-school education and settled not far from the old homestead. The mother, whose life and happiness consisted in labors and sacrifices for her children, died March 14. 187 1. Bernard Scarff worked on the farm left by their father, consisting of two hundred and eighty acres, in connection with his brothers, John and W. H. Scarff, until 1865, when the farms were divided by agreement among the heirs, B. B. Scarff receiving one hundred and forty-three acres. He was ed- ucated in the common schools of his dis- trict and followed farming until 1893. when he removed to the village of Tippecanoe in this county. While on the farm he made a specialty of small fruits and raising of fine sheep of the Hampshire Down stock, fre- quently making importation for his flock of sheep from England. On the iith of October, 1859, he was married to Harriet S. Neff, who was born in Lx3gansport, Indiana. Her father was a na- tive of Virginia and her mother was a daugh- ter of Rev. Archebald Steele, a pioneer citi- zen of New Carlisle, Ohio, who organized the Presbyterian church of that village about 1810. Mrs. Scarff 's mother married a Mr. Stephenson and was soon after left a widow. She then married William Neff, by whom she had four children, who by her death were left motherless. Mrs. Scarff, then a child six years of age, was sent to relatives in this county and was reared by Jacob Saj'- lor, an aged and resi>ected citizen of Miami 904 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. county, with whom slie Hxxd until lier mar- riage to B. B. Scarff. Their union was blessed with two children : Ida. May. who was born July g. i860, and married Webster Artz, is now Ii\-ing on the old homestead in Bethel township, this county; and Laura L. Scarff, wdiO'was born January 17, 1862, mar- ried John Paul Stetch, a printer and journal- ist. They are now residing in Rushville. Infliana. and he is tlie editor' of the Rush- ville Graphic. Both daughters received a good English education and are happily mar- ried. Mrs. Scarff has indeed been a help- mate to her husband and a tender, loving mother. With a competency of this world's goods, they are going down the hill of time with e\'ery prospect of a happy, pleasant old age. The writer has known Bernard B. Scarff from early boyhood to old age. and writes from personal knowledge of his early life, gladly bearing" testimony that there are very few men whose characters are so free from the stain of unworthy actions. He never sowed any wild oats ; from his early youth he was an active, consistent member of the Baptist church and in his old age he holds to the faith of that denomination. \Vhen liv- ing on the old farm he was for fifteen years school director in his district, and for three years one of the trustees for Bethel town- ship of this county. In 1889 he was elected on the Republican ticket as commissioner of Miami county for the term of three years, and so well did he serve the people that he was re-elected in 1892 and served out his second term. In 1893 he removed to Tippe- canoe City, this county, where he is now residing. In every position he has held bv the gift of the people he has been a faithful of- ficial, and if he made anv mistakes thev were those of the head and not of the heart. He is well known in the county and is everywhere respected for his kind heart, pure life and earnest desire to do \vliat is right. He is a devoted Republican, but not a bitter partisan in politics. In the course of na- ture his life's work is almost done, and they are not many who can look back over a life so free from mistakes as Bernard B. Scarff. With only the education that could be gath- ered in the common schools of Ohio forty- five years ago, his aim has been to do what he could for mankind. He has always been acti\e in every enterprise for the benefit of the farmers, and has been an active member of the Grange and County Horticultural So- ciety. He is also a prominent Mason and has filled responsible positions among the brethren of the mystic tie. Old age comes to him and his faithful wife like a beautiful sunset in a clear sky. for they have done what they could and await the summons from life to death in full faith in the promises of the Christian's God. E. S. w. LOUIS H. }>IICHAEL. Louis Henry Alichael. a representative of the building interests of Troy, was born in, Montgomery county, Ohio, March 12, 1855. his parents being Andrew and Susan ( Cutcher ) Michael. He had several uncles who were in the war of 181 2. His father was born in what was then Morgan county, Virginia, but is now a part of West Vir- einia. He died at the age of fiftv-five vears upon a farm in M.'rtaining conversation make him a \alued addition to social circles, and throughout the coiumunitv he has nianv warm friends. JOHN McKEE. To give the origin of the McKees, we go to Ireland as early as 1750, where we have first trace of the McKee family. John McKee. Sr.. came to America when a mere boy, settled in I'errv county. Pennsylvania. He had five sons and two daughters, Da\"id II.. John, James, Thomas, Samuel, Martha and Mariah. David H. McKee, l)orn Octo- ber 6, 1 79 1, married Agnes Reed, May i, 18 1 7, moved to Ohio the same year, and set- tled in Spring Creek township, Miami coun- ty, Ohio, in June. By this imi(.in six chil- dren were born, namely : Martha, who mar- ried William \\'iley; ^lary Ann. who mar- ried Daniel Creegan : Eliza, who died single: Alathilda. wife of John W. Brooks; Penel- ope, who marrietl William J. Wiley; and John, who married Catherine Kerns, daugh- ter of Joseph Kerns, who was horn in Le- high county. Pennsylvania, November 25. 1788, moved to Marylanil with his parents when a mere child, and thence went to Ohio. When of age he went to Kentucky, thence to Missouri, where he was a neighbor of IJaniel Boone and family, thence m(j\e(l l)ack to Ohio. In iSii Joseph Kerns enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812 and was pres- ent with General Harrison when the treaty 01 Green\-ille was made. At the close of the war. in October, 1814, he was married to Barbara Markly and this union was blessed with nine children: John M.. Clarin- da. Mary. Jacob, Elizabeth. Elias. Cather- ine. Stephen W. and Joseph. John McKee. who married L'atherine Kerns in 1847. 'i''^^' h\-es on part rif the old hiime of David H. McKee. To this union of John McKee and Catherine Kerns three children were born, Mary Agnes, David X. and Joseph W. David X. married Clara Knox and Joseph W. married Clara Hunter. Mary Agnes married Joseph E. Wilkinson, \v hose ancestry is traced back to the north of Ireland, near Antrim, whence his grandfa- ther emigrated. Joseph E.. a son of Isaac A. and Ruth I\ ( lu'c Persinger) Wilkinson, was born in Shelby county, Ohio, and is the youngest of six brothers. He was reared on a farm and remained with his parents until eighteen years of age, when he enlisted in the Ninety- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company C, the regiment being organized at Lima. The date of his enlistment was August i, 1862. He was with his regiment in the Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia campaigns, and par- ticipated in the battles of Stone River and Chickamauga, one of his brothers being killed at the latter engagement. On Sun- day after this battle he was with a wounded comrade rendering him such assistance as he could, wdien he was captured by the Rebels, .\fter serving a long period of im- l)risonment he was finally released and re- tiu-ned home in March, 1865. He then at- tf-nded school for a time and prepared him- self for teaching, which profession he fol- lowed about eight years. In 1875 he mar- 912 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. ried I\Iary A. ]\IcKee, of Piqua, Ohio, ami soon afterward located at Sidney, where he engaged in the lumljer and planing-mill busi- ness. In 1 88 1 he sold his interest in this i:idustry to accept the appointment of post- master of Sidney. Mr. \Vilkinson's family consists of his wife and three children, Kath- arine L., John A. and Thomas R. Having spoken of his long imprisonment during the war, it is fitting that we speak more fully of the' subject as one illustrating some of the horrors and barbarities inflicted by a people of pretended cix'ilization and cult- ure upon the helpless prisoners of war. We will present a sketch of Mr. Wilkinson's life in southern prisons just as he narrated it to us : "I was captured at Chickamauga, Sep- tember 20, 1863, and conveyed to Belle Is- land, \'irginia, where I was confined a few days. I was then taken to the city of Rich- mond, and confined there until in December, at which time it became understood there would be no further exchange of prisoners, and about five thousand of us were trans- ported to Danville, Virginia, and confined in toliacco houses until the fdllowing April. During our confinement at this place small- pox broke out among the prisoners and proved very malignant in type. Unfortunate- ly I was prostrated by the disease, but passed through it and acted as nurse for several weeks in what they called the 'hospital.' It did not deserve the name, for we had no medicines whatever, except red pepper pods, which we boiled and administered the tea to the sick with apparently beneficial results, as it seemed to hasten the striking out of the dis- ease. At this time there were twenty-three of my regiment with me, but, alas ! nineteen of the numljer died in the prison pen, and only four ever saw the old flag again. In April, 1864, we were removed to Ander- son\i]le, Georgia, a distance of about seven hundred miles. \\'e were transported over this distance in close box cars, there being from sixty to ninety of us in each car. The trip occupied seven days, and during that time none of us were permitted to leave the cars for any purpose whatever. When we reached Andersonville a number of dead men were found in each car. The sight of this new prison made many of the boys look down-hearted, as they contemplated the evi- dences of horrid cruelty, and thought of the governmental policy which refused exchange of prisoners. The cjuestion. Can we endure another eight months of this torture? was staring us in the face and demanding an an- swer we could not give. Arriving April 19, 1864, we found but few prisoners on our ar- r:\-al, but each day brought in old prisoners from other places of confinement. Ander- sonville is situated about one hundred and sixty miles south of Atlanta, and is quite an obscure place scarcely worthy of a vil- lage name. The prison ]jen was out in the open field, in which a number of trees and slumps were yet standing. We made good use of the time laying in a supply of wood, which we buried in the ground, and then slept over it to prevent its being stolen. All the time our number increased by the ar- rivals of each week, until in August the num- ber reached thirty-five thousand. We re- mained until September, 1864, when the ad- vance of Sherman after the capture of At- lanta alarmed the Rebel go\-ernment touch- ing our safety, and it was determined to re- move us. We were then transported to vari- ous points in the south, about one-third be- ing sent to Florence, South Carolina, a similar prison, but one which proved e\en more destructi\'e to life than .Vndersonville. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 913 With many others I was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, and put in such a position as to defy our government, and prevent our army from further slielling tiie city. After being kept in this position about thirty days, we, too, were sent to Florence. Aly experi- ence at Andersonville is too horrid to relate, and almost beyond belief. It is sufficient to say, the rebel history makes this statement touching the fatality in the prison: April, 1864, one in every sixteen died; May, one in every twenty-six ; June, one in every twen- ty-two; July, one in every eighteen; Au- gust, one in every eleven; September, one in three; October, one in two; and Novem- ber, one in every three. "Think of it for a moment. To realize it fully put yourself in our position and see the increase of the death-rate, until after risking a thousand chances you find in No- vember that the chances are even, and then think of that mortality which carried off thirteen thousand of our boys, actually starved to death in a land of civilization and plenty ! To add one more horror to the pictiu^e recall the infamous and diabolical order of John H. Winder, commander of prisons, who, hearing of the capture of At- lanta, and fearing for our safety, issued the following notice, which he posted promi- nently before the prisoners : 'Order No. 13. 'The officers on duty and in charge of the Battery of Florida Artillery at the time, will, upon receiving notice that the enemy has approached within seven miles of this post, open upon the stockade with grape- shot, without reference to the situation be- yond these lines of defense. (Signed) John H. Winder, Brig.-Gen'l Com'g.' "Think of a man issuins: an order for forty guns to open a deadly fire upon thirty- five thousand unarmed, sick and helpless prisoners ! It is an infamy so diabolical that history need not be asked for a parallel. It has been said that this man Winder 'died a peaceful death.' Perhaps so; in such case justice had not yet been meted out to him, and stern must that justice be which will ever pay him back in ciu"rency of his own coinage. At Florence the prisoners numbered aliout eleven thousand. ]\Iost of us had already been imprisoned about twelve months, and were wearing the same clothing in which we were captured. That clothing had become so ragged and tattereil that it scarcely cov- ered our nakedness. \\'inter was approach- ing and no prospects of release further than the advance of Sherman. Mortality was thinning our ranks, and our prison was a charnel house. Rations were reduced. For four months one pint of coarse corn meal was a daily ration, no salt or meat of any kind, and half the time no wood to cook it. All we could do was to mix our meal in water and drink it without boiling or other- wise cooking it. Such surroundings, such starvation and exposure told terribly against us, and the monthly mortality footed up fifty per cent. In my eighteen months prison life none was more severe than that at Florence. From Florence I arrived at Richmond, March 10, 1865, about one year after leaving it. We were sworn not to take up arms against the Confederate government until duly exchanged. Six hundred of us were then taken down the James river and turned over to United States officers. Quite a number of these were old prisoners. For myself, it had been eighteen months since I had seen the old flag beneath which I had marched and fought. We were all sick and weak, but as we came in sight of the starry 914 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. I.annei" we yelletl wildly and crazily at the tup of our \'i)ices. I'he rebel autlmrities threat- ened to ■pre^■ent our nutbursts of cheers. l)Ut we were iu s\ghx of our men and c• .t^-n*... V V *♦.,,• c° /i:^' °- ^** .^^:;i' "^-^ cp \^;r:^^°- /^--.^^x c°^c;^/ «5°^ .\ -^o^ .1 ^"•^'^*/^ \f^^*j^ ^\^^'\o'>^ \;^^v^ "v^^\ kr.V .*'^\!k-i:./^. .^\»:;^%V J>\i'^:./> ^'>yJkis:.\. J <. v*^-'\#'