AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 277 Following is an approximately complete list of the principal industries of Miami County : PIQUA. The Union Underwear Co. The Atlas Underwear Co. The Superior Underwear Co. The Piqua Hosiery Co. The Stuart Brown Underwear Co. The Orr Felt & Blanket Co. The Pioneer Shaft & Pole Co. The Piqua Handle & Mfg. Co. The Piqua Furniture Co. The Cron-Kills Co. The Wood Shovel & Tool Co. The Sprague-Smith Furniture Co. The Piqua Gas & Coke Co. The Piqua Malt Co. The Piqua Foundry & Machine Co. The Piqua Packer Co. The Piqua Milling Co. The George H. Rundle Co. The Ohio Marble Co. The American Sheet Steel & Tin Plate Co. The King Manufacturing Co. The Favorite Stove & Range Co. The American Wagon Stock Co. The American Straw Board Co. The Piqua Flour Co. The French Oil Machinery Co. The Bowdle Bros. Foundry & Machine Co. The C. L. Wood Planing Mill. The Piqua Blower Co. The Rankin Dyeing & Bleaching Works. The Piqua Creamery Co. TROY. The Allen & Wheeler Co. The American Fixture & Mfg. Co. The Chas. A. P. Barrett Co. The Hayner Distillery. The Hobart Electric Mfg. Co. The Julian Manufacturing Co. The McKinnon Dash Factory. The Pioneer Pole & Shaft Co. The Royal Polished Steel Roaster Co. Troy Buggy Works. Troy Carriage & Sunshade Works. Troy Foundry & Machine Co. The Troy Skirt Co. The Troy Tile & Brick Co. The Troy Umbrella & Canopy Co. The Troy Wagon Works Co. Troy Marble & Granite Works. The Allen & Wheeler Tobacco Warehouse. TIPPECANOE CITY. Ford & Co.'s Wheelworks. The Tippecanoe Strawboard Co. The Tipp Furniture Factory. The Tipp Whip Co. The Davis Whip Co. W. H. Ethell & Co., Millers. The Miami Valley Mills. The Tipp Underwear Co. The Vaughn Gas Engine Co. The Tipp Building & Mfg. Co. The Saunders & Kerr Tobacco Warehouse. The Eli Saunders Tobacco Warehouse. The Detrick Milling Co. The Detrick Distillery Co. The C. W. Jenson Mfg. & Building Co. George Honeyman, Concrete Blocks. William Fenstemaker, Concrete Blocks. COVINGTON. Covington Woolen Mills. Wagner's Tile & Brick Yard. Crampton & Son's Boiler Works. Covington Flouring Mills. Sugar Grove Flouring Mills. The Crescent & Metallic Fence Stay Co. The J. W. Ruhl Quarries. The C. H. Jackson Quarries. The Drees Saw Mills. The R. M. Albery Saw Mills. The C. F. Drees Talcum Powder Co. The Covington Lumber Co. The Covington Telephone Co. Falls Electric Light Co. Covington Steam Laundry. PLEASANT HILL. The Deeter Brick Yard & Tile Co. The M. & P. Tobacco Warehouse. The Longnaker Sand & Gravel Co The Busy Mail Order Co. CHAPTER XXIII. Fraternal Orders, Building and Loan Associations, Population, Etc. The establishment of fraternal societies in the county began at an early date. Many of the first settlers belonged to the older orders, principally Masonic, and as early as 1812 a lodge of that order was established at Troy. From that date the system of fraternalism grew rapidly until today a great many fraternal societies exist in the country. The list that follows is as nearly complete as diligent research can make it. So far as possible the name of the order and the date of organization are given. MASONIC. Name of Lodge - Organized. Franklin Lodge, Troy January 12, 1812 Warren Lodge, Piqua October 21, 1841 Tippecanoe Lodge, Tippecanoe City October 27, 1851 West Milton Lodge, West Milton November 19, 1896 Covington Lodge, Covington 1847 Social Lodge, Lena October 22, 1852 Pleasant Hill Lodge, Pleasant Hill October 17, 1866 Bradford Lodge, Bradford June 27, 1905 Troy Chapter, O. E. S., Troy November 23, 1906 Fidelity Chapter, O. E. S., Lena August 6, 1897 Christian Chapter, O. E. S., Bradford July 14, 1906 Sharon Chapter, O. E. S., West Milton Covington Chapter, Covington 1908 INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS. Name of Lodge - Organized. Piqua Lodge, Piqua April 29, 1839 Piqua Council March 27, 1851 Troy Lodge June 30, 1845 Tippecanoe Lodge May 12, 1854 Industry Lodge, Lena June 17, 1854 Covington Lodge September 7, 1866 Taylor Lodge, Fletcher June 16, 1857 Bradford Lodge September 25, 1873 Stillwater Lodge, West Milton October 19, 1850 Casstown Lodge June 5, 1869 Pleasant Hill Lodge June 24, 1874 Brandt Lodge, Brandt July 3, 1882 Garfield Lodge (col), Troy  REBEKAH LODGES. Name of Lodge - Organized. Begonia Lodge, Bradford June 16, 1875 Virique Lodge, West Milton December 7, 1888 Trojan Lodge, Troy June 22, 1894 Oriental, Tippecanoe City September 15, 1898 Violet Lodge, Fletcher June 6, 1896 Silver Star, Lena June 28, 1896 Mildred Lodge, Covington July 6, 1881 Champion, Casstown August 23, 1903 Household of Ruth, Troy MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES. Name of Lodge - Organized. Piqua Tent, Maccabees September 25, 1889 Crystal Hive, Maccabees May -, 1891 Alexander Mitchel Post, G. A. R., Piqua October 27, 1866 Langston Post, G. A. R., Covington 1883 Grand Army Post, Pleasant Hill September 17, 18S3 A. H. Coleman Post, Troy 1876 A. H. Coleman Corps.. W. R. C., Troy January 7, 1886 Maj. W. H. Gross, Camp S. of V., Covington April 18, 1904 Veterans of the Spanish War, Piqua Chapter D. A. R., Piqua Miami Chapter, D. A. R., Troy May -, 1897 Piqua Tribe, I. O. R. M. May 7, 1908 Amokee Tribe, I. O. R. M., Covington February 26, 1891 Demoiselle Council, D. of P., Covington February 26, 1900 Loramie Tribe, I. O. R. M., Piqua January 1, 1893 Piqua Council, Royal Arcanum 1879 Royal Arcanum Council, Tippecanoe City Piqua Court Foresters December 6, 1893 Piqua Court Marguerite June 19, 1903 Patrons of Husbandry, Covington 1899 Patrons of Husbandry, Pleasant Hill October 23, 1873 D. M. Rouser Post, G. A. R., Tippecanoe City D. M. Rouser., W. R. C., Tippecanoe City February 18, 1891 Chattanooga Castle, K. O. E., Lena April 27, 1892 Willow Camp, W. O. W., Piqua April 11, 1906 Miami Grange, Piqua Jr. O. U. A. M., Conover February 11, 1905 Potsdam Council, Jr. O. U. A. M. September 17, 1902 Miami Lodge, M. B. of A. Piqua May 25, 1897. Knights of Pythias, Fletcher 1887 Jr. O. U. A. M., Fletcher 1903 Milton Lodge, K. of P., West Milton. February 25, 1887 Pythian Sisters, West Milton - 278 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY - 279 Stillwater Lodge, K. of P., Covington Stillwater Grange, Covington Order of the Gobblers, Covington 1906 Knights of Columbus, Piqua February 25, 1906 Jr. O. U. A. M., Tippecanoe City Lodge of the Maccabees, Tippecanoe City Modern Woodmen, Tippecanoe City Daughters of America, Tippecanoe City Order of Ben Hur, Tippecanoe City Royal Arcanum, Tippecanoe City Knights of the Golden Eagle, Troy September 24, 1891 Aerie of Eagles, Piqua Aerie of Eagles, Troy Knights of Pythias, Troy B. P. O. E., Troy March —, 1903 B. P. O. E., Piqua Knights of the Golden Eagle, Troy Jr. O. U. A. M., Troy November 10, 1902 Tonquas Tribe, I. O. R. M., Troy January 11, 1906 Trojan Lodge, K. of P., Troy October 19, 1877 BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS. Following is a list of the Building and Loan Associations now operating successfully in the county : Piqua—Border City Building & Loan Association ; incorporated, June 6, 1871 ; authorized capital, $1,500,000. Officers—President, Henry Flesh ; secretary, Seth McCullough ; treasurer, Samuel Zollinger ; attorney, M. H. Jones. Third Piqua Building & Loan Company ; incorporated, September 24, 1884; authorized capital, $2,000,000. Officers—President, A. M. Leonard ; secretary, F. E. Pursell ; treasurer, J. H. Clark ; attorney, D. S. Lindsey. Troy—Peoples' Builidng & Loan Association Company ; incorporated, April 28, 1890; authorized capital, $3,000,000. Officers—President, A. E. Childs ; secretary, L. 0. Shilling; treasurer, Noah Yount ; attorney, J. C. Fullerton, Jr. Tippecanoe City—Monroe Building & Loan Association ; incorporated, July 19, 1875 ; authorized capital, $400,000. Officers—President, S. D. Hartman ; secretary, A. W. Miles ; treasurer, E. L. Crane ; attorney, E. H. Kerr. Covington—Covington Building & Loan Association; incorporated, March 23, 1886 ; authorized capital stock, $800,000. Officers—President, S. W. Ullery ; secretary, E. S. Mohler ; treasurer, C. C. Shuman; attorney, J. Guy O'Donnell. West Milton—West Milton Home Savings Association; incorporated, December 1, 1887 ; authorized capital, $100,000. Officers—President, J. W. Smithman ; secretary, J. E. Hart ; treasurer, P. O. Yore ; attorney, W. S. Kessler. POPULATION OF THE COUNTY. Bethel Township, 1,596; Brown (including Fletcher), 1,631; Fletcher Village, 375 ; Concord Township (including Troy), 7,187 ; Troy, Ward 1, 1,442 ; Ward 2, 1,263; Ward 3, 1,376 ; Ward 4, 1,800 ; Elizabeth Township, 1,124; Lost Creek (including Casstown), 1,146; Casstown Village, 262; Monroe Township, 2,931; Tippecanoe City, 1,703 ; Newberry, 4,869 ; Covington, 1,791 ; Bradford, in part, 762 ; Newton Township, 2,537 ; Pleasant Hill, 557 ; Spring Creek Township, 1,422 ; Staunton Township, 1,184 ; Union Township, 4,309 ; West Milton, 904 ; New Lebanon, 224 ; Laura, 378 ; Washington Township, 13,169; Piqua, Ward 1, 1,967 ; Ward 2, 2,461; Ward 3, 3,377 ; Ward 4, 2,126 ; Ward 5, 2,241. Population of the whole county, 43,105. Representative citizens NATHAN HILL, founder of Hopewell Christian Church. In Rerick's Atlas of Miami County, it is stated that Nathan Hill was the first settler of Newton Township. This should read : "That he came to what is now Newton Township with the first settlers," for at that time-1800—he was only a boy twelve years of age. He was born in Maryland, near Ellicott's Mills, on the 15th day of March, 1788. His father's name was Thomas Hill, and he and Michael Williams moved west and located in Montgomery County, south of Dayton, Ohio. About 1800 these two pioneers came north, seeking for lands to better their conditions, and it was natural for them to keep on the old Indian trail, as they did until they reached that part of Montgomery County best suited to their tastes, and there selected their future homes, Michael Williams taking the part next to the river, and Nathan Hill taking what is now the old homestead. They each had a half section of land. On the north side of this land they erected comfortable hewed log houses, and the next spring moved their families. Thomas Hill's house stood a little to the north-east of the present residence. It has long since been torn down. They took part in the organization of Miami County, which was taken from Montgomery, January 16, 1807. The next spring after they moved up, Nathan and his brother returned for another load of their belongings. At Dayton the river was very much swollen and the fording dangerous. After having gone that far they did not want to turn back, and drove the team into the river ; the lead horses turned around in the middle of the stream, upset the wagon and threw his brother into the water. He was clinging to the hind wheel of the wagon when last seen. Nathan hurriedly cut the hame-string of the saddle horse which he was riding to go to his brother's relief, but before he could reach him he had loosened his hold and was carried down the river. His body was afterward recovered. The return home with the dead body of his brother was the saddest mission of his life. It was the first funeral in the little colony. Nathan Hill was married to Frances Williams, a daughter of Michael Williams, on the 29th day of June, 1809. He, with the assistance of his father and father-in-law, built a hewed log house a little southeast of the family residence, and in the same yard, moved to it themselves, and there laid the foundation of their future prosperity. They also built a hewed log house for his brother John. This was the - 281 - 282 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY most spacious house in the west part of the county, and many people came to see it. It came into possession of my father, who sold it to Joseph Cox, and he removed it to his farm east of town, where it is still doing good service. Thomas Hill, the father, died in 1821, aged sixty-two years, leaving these two sons—Nathan and John —in comfortable homes, wherein to rear their fast-increasing families. The old homestead is still in the name of his heirs, having passed down by devise until the present time. Nathan Hill was a Whig in politics, but he was not aggressive; always willing to accord to others the same right of thinking that he claimed for himself. Before Newton or Pleasant Hill was organized the voting was done at his house, and the state militia met and drilled in the little field east of the house until the law was repealed. He was of a religious turn of mind, and on the 4th day of November, 1816, in an upstairs room in his dwelling house, he organized Hopewell Church. I have no data as to the number of families at the time, but presume it was quite small, but very determined. In 1820 they erected a church of hewed logs just across the road south of the cemetery on his farm. This building was used for several years. The congregation grew beyond the capacity of the church. I have seen it packed so full of people that their legs were sticking outside at the windows. This may need a little explanation. On such occasions, the windows, being long and narrow, were taken out and those coming late were glad to get their heads inside. I remember distinctly when the first meeting was held to consider the building of the new frame church, about 1848. It was well attended and they easily agreed to go ahead and put up the new structure. It was built the next summer, and the work never lagged for want of funds. It was a very large building, but I am not able to give the dimensions. It served the purpose of the congregation until about 1868, when it was blown down by a storm. The new brick church was then erected on the present site at Pleasant Hill. Mr. Hill was always present at the services, chopped the wood, made the fires and swept the house, and kept the grounds in order. He always took part in the praying, singing and exhorting. and in a great many other ways encouraged the attendance of the members and others. He was a charitable man and gave largely to the poor and needy, visited the sick and ministered to their wants. His influence went out and did good in many ways. I remember an incident that happened when I was in college at Cincinnati. My roommate was Thomas Coppock, a most excellent boy from near Ludlow Falls, long since deceased. One Sunday morning Mr. Coppock was counting his money; I had none to count. I saw a tear in his eye. and asked him what the trouble was, as he was usually of a jolly nature and cheerful disposition. He said : "My mind is up at old Hopewell Church, and I would give that five dollar bill to hear Grandfather Nathan Hill sing his old hymn, 'Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound.' " At that time there were two boys there with tears in their eyes. One winter the roads had been almost impassable and grocery supplies could not be had even in Dayton. He hitched a horse to a sled and went to Cincinnati for a barrel of salt. A very heavy snow fell and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 283 he was absent nearly two weeks. The weather was very severe, and an old Indian, by name Amokee, came to the house with his gun reversed on his shoulder to show that he meant no harm. He wanted something to eat. Grandmother told him the situation—that her husband was gone, and that they had nothing to eat in the way of meats, as there was no salt, and they had not butchered. She baked him a corn pone, and he ate heartily and left. In the evening he returned, dragging the hind part of a deer that his trusty rifle had slain, and said, it was bad that her little pappooses did not have any meat. He remained with them until in the spring and then departed as he came. The Amokee Lodge of Red Men, of Covington, was named after this Indian. Mr. Hill reared a family of ten children, and some orphan children made their home with him. All this large family are deceased, except Mary, the wife of Thomas Hill, who resides with one of her sons in Kansas City, Mo. He loved company, and on Sunday, especially, the first Sunday of each month, when the monthly services. were held, large crowds would go over to his house for dinner. I know it from experience, as I have had to wait and sit at the fifth table. I thought at that time that the procedure ought to be reversed, and the "kids" allowed to eat first. His wife was an excellent companion for him. She did not attend church as much as he did, but remained at home attending to her family cares, and made it possible for him to go. She never opened the oven to take out her bread without thanking the Lord for his bounties. She survived him about eight years, living with her youngest son Nathaniel, recently deceased. She died on the 10th day of November, 1870, aged eighty years, ten months, and twenty-one days. A fine stream of water, clear as crystal, crept out through a rift in the rock, and emptied into a large basin, almost at the back door of the house, and from there it wandered into the springhouse among myriads of milk crocks, which made a place not equalled by the best modern refrigerators, from there on through the wash house into the meadow, where it irrigated the soil and slaked the thirst of his stock. Myriads of song birds were flitting about the farm and among the branches of the large elm trees, which he allowed to grow and cast their shadows over his barn yard ; and I am informed that the old elm tree is still the roosting-place of the beautiful and noisy blackbirds, which have made that tree their home for the last hundred years or more. It was an ideal home for him in his old days, where his grand-children gathered around him and ministered to his wants. He was proud of it and spent most of his time there. He was good to his wife and children, raised a great deal of garden truck ; was an apiarist and had large quantities of bees that gathered in the honey from the wild flowers. His cattle waded in pastures knee-high, and his table literally flowed with milk and honey. I have seen him many times laboring in the fields. Even when he was an old man he would ride his family mare in the field with a sack of wheat on her shoulders, a handkerchief tied over her ears to keep the grain out of them, and go back and forth across the field sowing wheat, and his grandchildren harrowing it in. It was the custom in those days for the 284 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ladies to ride horseback. They would gather in and take the family mare in the pasture back of the barn and practice while he was at church. This went on for a long time before he found it out. It was about all the old mare could do during the week to recruit up for her Sunday task. When he learned of it his sympathy for the old mare was stronger than his desire to see the girls learn to ride, so he cut it out. He was a great horticulturist, and planted a large orchard of apple, peach, pear, and cherry trees. He also erected a large beam cider-press, that could be manipulated by a small boy so as to exert a pressure of several hundred tons, and cider was to be had from August to freezing-up time, free to all corners. His orchard produced an abundance of fruit and it was always free to the public. When apples could not be had in the orchard there were always plenty in the cellar. At one time two of his neighbors' boys went there for pears and, a little out of the ordinary, one of them went to the house and requested the privilege of picking a certain tree. Grandfather told the one that called at the house that he was saving that particular tree for his own use, that he might fill his sack from some other tree. The boy went off but soon returned and told him that his brother had the pears in the sack and was on the way home with them. Instead of being offended, he took it as a good joke and often related it. He had the finest sugar grove in the county—some of the trees are yet standing—and in the spring of the year he would have tapped several hundred trees and make sugar by the barrel and large quantities of molasses. The young folks would gather at night, boil water, stir off the syrup, and make wax, and sometimes boil eggs and even roast chickens, after he had gone to bed. He was always so good natured that the egg shells, nor even the chicken bones, would attract his attention the next morning. The Old Indian Trail, or Roadway, went through the east part of this section, a little west of the C., H. & D. Railroad, and just where it crossed the half-section line they erected a log school-house. Owing to their being good mechanics, this house was better than the average schoolhouse of those days. It was built of hewed logs, had slab benches, sawed writing-desks around the wall, and glass windows, and was heated with a stove. I started to school there in 1846, together with my friend, Jacob Reiber, and some others. Uncle Nathaniel Hill was teacher, and on bad days I would ride home on his back. One night the schoolhouse was robbed of all the books. On my way to school I found them all in a neat pile on about the fifth rail from the ground, with the balance of the fence resting upon them. They were too heavy for me to carry, so I reported the fact, and teacher and all the school repaired to the spot, and the books were restored and school went on. Whipping was required of every teacher in those days. Some teachers would call out a whole school and stand them in a row and with a long whip strike the whole bunch. If one should dodge forward to escape the lick, he was put in another line and whipped with a shorter stick, and so on until the teacher felt that he had done his duty; and that was when he was about exhausted. These improvements were not all made by the Hill Brothers. They were ably as- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 285 sisted by the Williams family, especially John and Henry. At my birth my mother named me John Calvin, perhaps thinking that if I could cultivate a taste for chickens, I might become a preacher. When I was about two years of age he said to her, "I want you to call that boy Nathan ; I want a grandson to bear my name, and you may not have another chance." After some deliberation as to whether or not it was bad luck to change a name after it was given, my mother consented, and my name was changed to Nathan. The name of John Calvin has been praised from one end of the country to the other, but with all that, there never was a more noble, upright, honest, charitable example to be followed than that of Nathan Hill. He was a large portly man, weighed about two hundred pounds, had a keen eye, dark brown hair, and in his declining years stooped a little forward, and walked with his hands clasped together on his back. His firm step, his elastic limbs, and his undimmed senses, were so many certificates of good conduct, or rather jewels or orders of nobility, with which nature had adorned him for fidelity to her laws. His fair complexion showed that his blood had never been corrupted ; his pure breath that he had never yielded his digestive apparatus to the vintage cess pool ; his exact language and keen apprehension, that his brain had never been poisoned by the distiller or tobacconist. Enjoying his appetite to the highest, he had preserved the power of enjoying it. Despite the moral of the schoolboy's story, he had eaten his cake and still kept it. As he drained the cup of life there were no lees at the bottom. His organs all reached their goal of existence together. Painless as the sun sinks below the western horizon, so did he expire on the 15th day of January, 1862, aged seventy-three years and ten months. NATHAN IDDINGS. FRANCIS GRAY, deceased, who was the founder of and principal owner in the F. Gray Company, for years one of the largest and most important industrial enterprises of Piqua, was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1821. His parents were William and Ellen Gray, and on the paternal side he is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. William Gray was a native of the Keystone state and a soldier of the War of 1812. The subject of this sketch, after he had attained his majority, engaged in the business of rafting lumber down the river to Pittsburg and Cincinnati. He also carried on a store in Pittsfield. He was doing very well in a business way when Fortune suddenly frowned upon him—a sudden and violent flood, in the spring of 1850, carrying off his logs and lumber and causing him a severe loss. Finding it necessary-to make an assignment, he made one of his creditors the assignee. This man, however, proved dishonest ; turning everything he could into money, he departed leaving the other creditors unpaid. Finding it necessary to seek employment elsewhere, Mr. Gray put his family on a raft and started down the river to Covington, Ky., where he arrived in September, 1851, with about $150 as his sole cash capital. Being acquainted in the lumber trade, he succeeded in finding work in measuring lumber on the wharves. He also received a commission of fifty cents per thousand for selling shingles and gradu- 286 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ally built up for himself a small trade in this line. He was, however, for some time in very reduced circumstances. One day, having earned a larger commission than usual, he found himself in possession of two hundred dollars, a larger sum than he had been able to accumulate since his misfortune. He carefully invested this money so that it brought a profitable return, and with this for a new beginning he subsequently carried on various trading transactions until he found his capital increased to one thousand dollars. He now embarked once more in business for himself, having in the meanwhile added to his business knowledge by taking a course in a commercial institution. Finding a partner with equal capital, he again entered into the lumber business, having a yard in Covington. The value of a good reputation here came to his aid, for an extensive lumber dealer who knew his history offered him as much lumber on credit as he might require, and with brightening prospects he now looked forward to the time when he should be able to pay off all his old debts. He returned East and arranged with his former creditors to make payment, giving them notes with approved security. In 1859 Mr. Gray enlarged his business interests by becoming half owner in a flouring mill with J. D. Patch of Cynthiana, Ky. This line of business giving promise of greater returns than that in which he was engaged, he sold out his lumber interests and went to Cynthiana. He had now paid off some of his indebtedness and had but two thousand dollars with which to embark in the new venture, and this small capital was counter-balanced by two thousand dollars of old debts that he still owed. Mr. Gray enjoyed six prosperous years in Cynthiana, his returns from the flouring mill enabling him to pay off all his old debts, to purchase a half interest in the mill, and to establish a woolen mill. In the spring of 1865 he wound up his business affairs in Cynthiana and returned to Covington, having a bank account of $28,000. Here he engaged in the woolen business, leasing a large building, which he fitted up with improved machinery. This mill he operated until 1869, when, the water supply proving inadequate, he looked about for another location and found it in the beautiful Miami valley at Piqua. His first business operations here were conducted in partnership with Dr. O'Farrell and Thomas L. Daniels, the firm conducting a prosperous business until the financial panic of 1873, which put a stop to the profitable manufacture of woolen goods for the time being. Not proposing to remain idle, however, longer than was absolutely necessary, Mr. Gray planned another enterprise, which subsequently developed into one of the most flourishing industrial enterprises of Piqua. He had some time previously become interested in the subject of felt paper manufacture, having succeeded in obtaining the rudiments for manufactures of various kinds from an old Englishman, who had worked at the business in England, and as the result of his investigations he believed there was room for a good mill of that kind in this section of the country. His partner, Dr. O'Farrell, however, was distrustful of the new project, and not wishing to embark in it, Mr. Gray, with the aid of some friends in the East bought out his interest in the former mill and proceeded to establish the new in- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 287 dustry. At first there were many discouragements and some loss. Some processes had to be perfected through experiment, but headway was gradually made until, through perseverance and energy Mr. Gray succeeded in making felts that were able to compete with those manufactured by the great concerns that had had for a long time a monopoly of the business. In 1881 the F. Gray Company was incorporated, the leading stockholders and owners being Francis Gray, H. C. Nellis, and William C. Gray. In the following year the old plant was destroyed by fire and a new one erected, the buildings composing the plant being comparatively modern in structure. They were built substantially of brick and fitted up with the most up-to-date machinery known to the trade. The product of the company consisted of paper-makers' felts and jackets, flannels and yarns, the orders, especially for felts, coming from all parts of the United States and Canada and even from across the ocean. Their cylinder felt jackets earned the reputation among paper mill men of being the best in the world. Their product also included laundry machine clothing, mangled cloths, scarlet flannels for underwear, and sleeping car blankets. The utmost care was taken in every department of this large concern, the best grades of wool only being selected and every step in the process of manufacture was watched over by thoroughly competent foremen and superintendents, the most skillful workmen being employed. The pay-roll of the works numbered one hundred and fifty hands. The paper makers' felts and laundry machine clothing were made specially to order to suit the requirements of the different manufactures, the product going directly to the trade throughout the country. Mr. Gray's success was the result primarily of his own efforts and he reaped the reward in large measure of his foresight and perseverance. Everything about his vast business was given his personal attention, no detail being so small as to be overlooked by the eye of the master. He was both just and liberal to his employees, paying them good wages, and his business dealings with others were marked by a strict regard for honesty and fair dealing. He was quick to record faithful service, and every one of his employees knew that so long as the wheels of the factory might turn he could keep his position if he were faithful and attended to his work with diligence and sobriety. Mr. Gray's death took place March 30, 1901, after an illness of several months, the news being received with a feeling of deepest regret by the citizens of Piqua generally. The local journals and those throughout the county paid sincere and graceful tributes to his memory, all realizing that the county had lost one of its foremost citizens and benefactors. Mr. Gray was married in 1844 to Miss Rebekah Arthur, who died in 1855, leaving a son, W. C. Gray, who was associated with his father in the business. In 1857 Mr. Gray married for his second wife Mrs. Jane E. Penney, of Covington, Ky. She died June 16, 1875, leaving a son, Walter E. Penney, of her former marriage, who was born in 1852. The latter is now engaged in the oil business in Lima, Ohio. Mr. Gray was a third time married to Mrs. Sarah Ann Kendall, widow of Dr. F. S. Kendall, of Lima, Ohio, who 288 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY now survives him and who resides at No. 621 Broadway, Piqua. In his early manhood Mr. Gray was a member of the Whig party, but on its dissolution joined the ranks of the Republicans and was afterwards a stanch supporter of Republican principles. He was made a Mason in Covington, Ky., in 1832, joining Colonel Clay Lodge, No. 159, F. & A. M., and was an esteemed member of the brotherhood. As a useful and public spirited citizen of Piqua few, if any, held a higher place than he. JOHN EDWARD NOLAN was born on his father's farm in Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio, February 13, 1864, and is a son of Michael and Phebe Catherine Nolan. The Nolan family is of Irish extraction, and the grandfather, Isreal Nolan, was born in New Jersey. He was married to Fanny Corrington. They emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, at an early date; where he worked as a weaver, but prior to the birth of their son Michael, in 1818, they settled on a farm in Miami County, three miles east of the present Nolan farm. Eight children were born to them—John, James, Daniel, Michael, Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah and Mary—all of whom are deceased. Michael Nolan followed an agricultural life until he went to California in 1833, in the days of the gold excitement there, and during the three years that he remained there made enough by mining to give him a fair start in life, buying property situated east of the present Nolan farm, which was then owned by Daniel Nolan. In 1860 he married Mrs. Phebe Catherine (Conrad) Kaw, she having one daughter, Caroline Raw. Phebe Catherine Conrad was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America at the age of nineteen years. To this union six children were born, namely : Emma J.; John Edward ; Elizabeth A., Cory II.; Hattie M. and Nora B. On the death of Daniel Nolan, Michael bought the farm, and with his family moved on it, and here he passed away June 6, 1889, at the age of 66 years, 9 months and 5 days. John Edward Nolan was educated in the district schools and at Ada College, Ohio, where he graduated in the commercial department. in 1888. His life has been mainly devoted to agricultural activities, although he learned and for several years worked at the carpenter trade. He carries on general farming and gives his estate the careful attention which brings him bountiful harvests as a result. He is one of the township's intelligent, practical men, takes a good citizen's interest in public matters, particularly those pertaining to his own township. He votes with the Republican party. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. and is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Masonic lodge at Troy, Ohio. SAMUEL RAPER FERGUS represents important business interests of Miami County. He was born October 27, 1848, in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of John Shannon and Susan (Black) Fergus. The paternal grandfather. Gen. James Fergus. was a native of Virginia and gained his military title on account of his activity in the militia. He came to Bethel Township, Miami County, in 1807, and was AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 289 one of the most prominent citizens of Miami County in his day. He served in many offices and responsible positions, was both county surveyor and county commissioner, and he also served acceptably as a member of the General Assembly. Almost all of his mature life was passed in Bethel Township and his death took place at the home of a daughter, in Tippecanoe City. His children bore the following names : James, Samuel, Alexander, John Shannon, Jane, Evaline, Mary, Elizabeth and Amanda. Of the above family, John Shannon was the only one who lived and died in Miami County. The others scattered far apart, one dying in California, one in Missouri, two in Nebraska, one in Illinois, two in Indiana, and one in Cincinnati. John Shannon Fergus followed an agricultural life. He married Susan Black, who was a daughter of John and Elizabeth Black, farming people who lived and died in Clark County, Ohio. John S. Fergus died in 1888, at the age of sixty-nine years and was survived until 1892 by his widow, when her age was about the same, Three sons were born to them, namely : James Corwin, Samuel Raper and John Franklin. James Corwin Fergus settled in Nebraska soon after the Civil War, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising until his death. .John Franklin Fergus has made a name for himself in the law. He graduated from the Ohio State University and has been a successful practitioner at Columbus, for a number of years. Samuel Raper Fergus was educated in the common schools and the university at Lebanon, Ohio, after which he taught school, and assisted in the home farming. He also was interested in the nursery business and from 1880 until 1902 conducted this business in Bethel Township, and since 1902 the organization of which he is president, has maintained the business in Tippecanoe City, but from September 1, 1908, the offices have been at Troy. The Farmers' Nursery Company, of which Mr. Fergus is president, is one of the largest concerns of the kind in the State and it has a capital of stock of $200,000, $50,000 of which is preferred. Everything in the line of hardy nursery stock is carried, and the business territory extends all over the United States and into Canada and Mexico, a particularly good field being in Ontario. Mr. Fergus was one of the founders and president of the Citizens' National Bank of Tippecanoe City, which was organized in January, 1908. Mr. Fergus was married to Miss Priscilla Freeman, a daughter of Robert and Mary Freeman, of Bethel Township, on December 29, 1873, and they have had six children, namely : Guy C., who is an electrician, married Miss May E. Dodd and resides at Zanesville they have one daughter, Hortense Clyde Shannon, who is engaged in stock and sheep raising in Texas, practiced dentistry in Van Wert, Ohio, and married Bernice McMillan. The others—Fern, Jean, Maud E. and Mary Ruth—all reside at home except Jean, who died when in her fourteenth year. Mrs. Fergus was reared in the German Reformed Church and her daughters are Lutherans. The family home, a beautiful one, Mr. Fergus built at Tippecanoe City. W. W. V. BUCHANAN, a venerable and highly respected citizen of Piqua. Ohio, now living in retirement, was for many years prominently identified with the af- 290 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY fairs of this vicinity. He was at one time mayor of the city, and was magistrate in Washington Township for more than a quarter of a century. He was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, September 15, 1826, and was about six months old when his parents moved to Newberry Township, Miami County. Mr. Buchanan was reared in Newberry Township, and after the district schools attended Lebanon Normal School when it was organized in 1856. He was then engaged for seven years in teaching and in 1849 moved to Piqua, where he taught in the public schools continuously until 1872. In that year he embarked in the insurance business, in which he attained high success. He was elected mayor of Piqua in 1875 and served as such one term, and in the meanwhile was made magistrate of Washington Township. A scholarly and capable business man, imbued with the proper public spirit, he has always been a leader in the matter of public improvements and a supporter of enterprises and measures tending to add to the material prosperity of the community. In 1849 Mr. Buchanan was joined in marriage with Miss Phoebe Dye, a daughter of Andrew Dye, and they have five children living. The eldest of them, A. C. Buchanan, is a well known lawyer of Piqua. He was born October 9, 1850, and was reared to maturity in Piqua. He is a graduate of the Piqua High School and of the Normal school at Lebanon. After leaving the latter institution he engaged in teaching in the Troy schools, and in the meanwhile prosecuted the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1877, and has since been engaged in practice with unqualified success- During his school days he studied civil engineering with a view to making that his life work and he has followed that profession more or less since. He was married in 1874 to Miss Anna Belle Shoemaker, a daughter of David Shoemaker, now deceased. Mrs. Buchanan also is a graduate of the high school at Piqua. Mr. Buchanan was the organizer and first president of the Piqua Memorial Association organized for the purpose of perpetuating Memorial Day. MRS. FERN BENSON, whose home is the old Mitchell farm in Section 3, Elizabeth Township, Miami County, Ohio, on which she was born, resides on land which has been in the possession of the Mitchell family for ninety-seven consecutive years. This farm was entered from the Government December 24, 1811, by William Mitchell, the great grandfather of Mrs. Benson. William Mitchell was born in Virginia in 1785. His father, Samuel Mitchell, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and a prominent Mason. William served in the War of 1812, after securing his land in Ohio, and after the close of his military service he engaged in clearing and cultivating the wilderness to which he had come. He married Catherine Stafford, who was born in Ireland in 1878, and died on his farm in 1867. They had eleven children. William S. Mitchell received from his father a portion of his land, an acre having been deeded by the latter to the church, and which is now occupied by McKendree Church and Cemetery. In its shadow rest William Mitchell and many of his descendants. He had 160 acres of land and his entire life was given to agricultural AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 291 pursuits. He died in 1884, aged sixty-three years. In 1843 he married Mary Robinson, a daughter of Adin and Jane Robinson. She was born in 1821 and died in 1902. They had two children—Elizabeth and Milton G. Elizabeth was born March 15, 1844, and was married November 7, 1872, to George Brier, no issue resulting. He was a soldier in the Civil War and participated in the battles of Champion Hill, Vicksburg. and Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh. Milton G. Mitchell, father of Mrs. Benson, was born August 30, 1845, and died September 17, 1901; he was buried at New Carlisle. He was a soldier in the Sixteenth Ohio Battery during the Civil War. In politics he was a Republican but took no active part in public affairs. In Free Masonry he had reached the Knight Templar degree. He was a consistent member of McKendree Church. He married Celestia Iliff, a daughter of James and Mary (Umble) Iliff, and they had four children—Fern, Quinn B., Mildred, and an infant, deceased. Quinn B. graduated from the Bethel High School and also attended the Ohio State University for one year. He married Angeline Wright, a daughter of Dr. T. M. Wright, and they have a daughter, Priscilla. Quinn B. represents the fifth generation to reside on and cultivate the Mitchell farm. All the Mitchell family have been members of McKendree Church. Mildred is a graduate of the Bethel High School and also spent one year at the Springfield High School and one year at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. She is now residing at home. Mrs. Mitchell, the mother of these children, taught school for nine years. Fern Mitchell grew to young womanhood in the parental home. She was graduated from the New Carlisle High School, after which she spent one year at the Ohio Normal University at Ada and a similar length of time at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. She married Austin Benson and they have two children—Raymond Mitchell and Mary Virginia. Austin Benson is a son of James C. and Anna (Dunkelbarger) Benson, and a grandson of Abraham and Mary (Runkle) Benson. The children of the grandparents were Barbara, Sarah, Mary, John, Abraham, Daniel, James C., Jesse, and Simeon. Abraham Benson was born in Pennsylvania and after coming to Ohio lived in Clark County. James C. Benson, now living, was born March 2, 1851, and married Anna Dunklebarger, born February 6, 1851, a daughter of Samuel Dunklebarger they had two children—Austin and Charles. Austin Benson is well known throughout Miami County as a composer and music publisher. Charles, who married Daisy Hall, daughter of John Hall, is a physician at Tippecanoe City. GEORGE W. SCOTT, president of the Star Storm Front Company, with plant on the corner of East Main and Clay Streets, Troy, has been a resident of this city for the past thirty-five years. He was born in 1849, in Elizabeth Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of the late John Scott. John Scott came to Miami County from Pennsylvania, very early and as he was a millwright, he built many of the pioneer mills here. The later years of his life were passed on a farm in this county. He was a man of sterling character and deep 292 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY convictions and was one of the first two men who had the courage to vote the Abolitionist ticket in Miami County. George W. Scott was reared in his native county and attended the country and Troy schools. His first work was done in connection with a nursery and he re- mained interested in that for some ten years or more, when he was appointed deputy-treasurer of Miami County. After the close of his official term he engaged in the buggy manufacturing business, founding the Troy Buggy Works in 1880, with which concern he continued until 1903, when he sold his interest, having been both president and general mananger of the enterprise from its incorporation. Mr. Scott then engaged in the manufacture of buck-boards until the fall of 1895, when he patented the storm front, in the manufacture of which he has been concerned ever since. In 1906 the business was incorporated as The Star Storm Front Company, of which he has since been president. The business includes the manufacture- of five different styles of storm fronts, all of which Mr. Scott invented. It is due to Mr. Scott's ability, energy and talent that many of the largest manufacturing plants now located in Troy have been developed. He is an active citizen so far as encouraging public-spirited efforts go and never shirks responsibility for himself. In 1873 Mr. Scott was married to Miss Emma M. Knoop, who is a daughter of William Knoop, who was a pioneer of the county. They have five children, namely Eugene, who is superintendent of the Troy factory; Guy, who represents the business in Indiana; Beatrice, who is a talented vocalist and soloist in the Congregational Church choir, at Toledo ; and Ruby and Marguerite, who reside at home. Mr. Scott is a charter member of the order of Knights of Pythias. JOHN H. CLARK, who holds a foremost place among the enterprising business men of Piqua, is a native of this city, his birth having taken place here on October 16, 1852. He is a son of Harvey Clark, who was born in Essex County, New Jersey, in 1823, and who, coming to Piqua in 1845, was long numbered subsequently among the enterprising and successful business men of the city. Harvey Clark was for fifteen years a member of the grocery firm of Clark & Zollinger, and later became a member of the firm of Rouzer, Evans & Clark, founders and machinists. In 1873 he sold his interest in the latter concern and engaged in the quarrying of stone as a member of the firm of H. Clark & Son, they being owners of one of the valuable stone quarries south of Piqua. He also became one of the stockholders and directors of the Piqua Strawboard & Paper Company, and superintended the building of one of their large plants in this city. After having thus contributed for a number of years by his active enterprise to the prosperity and upbuilding of Piqua, he retired in 1890 from active business life. His retirement was followed at no great interval of time by his death, which took place March 30, 1902, and which was sincerely regretted by his numerous friends and his old business associates. He was prominent in the local councils of the Republican party, and was elected and served for a while as mayor of the city, which position, however, he was forced to resign, on account of the press- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 293 ing nature of his business interests. In his latter years he had a winter home at Redlands, California, where he spent a portion of his time. He also owned valuable property in that State, including a fine, ten-acre orchard, besides quite an amount of city property in Piqua. In religion a Methodist, he belonged to the church of that denomination on Green Street, of which he was a liberal supporter. His activity was exercised along various lines in the improvement of local conditions and exerted a marked influence in business circles. In 1849 he was married to Mary J. Kitchen, a daughter of Henry Kitchen, and he and his wife were the parents of seven children, all worthy and useful members of the community in which they reside. John H. Clark, or Harry Clark, as he is familiarly called, passed his boyhood days in the city of his birth, receiving a liberal education, including a high school and commercial course. He was still quite young when he became his father's partner in the operation of the stone quarry before alluded to, and he continued in that enterprise until 1889, when the firm sold out. Some nine years later, however, they repurchased the quarries, which they afterwards leased. In the spring of 1390 Mr. Clark became connected with the Piqua Lumber Company, and continued as one of the officers of the concern until it was merged into the Piqua School Furniture Company, when he sold out his interest therein. Previously he became interested in the Piqua Hosiery Company, which he had assisted to organize in 1886, and which has an authorized stock of $16,000. The company manufactures all kinds of knit underwear, their trade amounting to over $75,000 annually and the output being shipped to many of the most prominent markets. The business, which is now established on a very solid foundation, is still growing and its outlook is very promising. Besides being manager of the company Mr. Clark holds the office of vice-president therein. He was a director of the Third National Bank until it liquidated, which office his father held for many years formerly; also a director in the Piqua National Bank. He is besides a stockholder in the Trench Oil Mill Machinery Company and in the Ohio Marble Company, and is a member of the firm of Clark & Zeigenfelder, engaged in real estate operations and engineering. Mr. Clark is both a good general business man and an excellent financier. He is quick to see and take advantage of a good business opportunity, but never loses his judgment and is conservative whenever conservatism is the price of safety. As his father was, he is a staunch Republican in politics. He is now serving as one of the members of the Republican County Central Committee and lends active aid in promoting the success of his party. He is also president of the City Council. He is a member and trustee of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church. His character is one that commands the respect of the community at large and the warm esteem of a wide circle of personal friends. Mr. Clark belongs to Warren Lodge, F. & A. M., of Piqua, and is a thirty-second degree Mason. ALBA LLOYD HARSHBARGER, secretary of the Tipp Whip Company, manufacturers of buggy whips, has been a continuous resident of Tippecanoe City 294 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY throughout the entire course of his business life, with the exception of two years. He was born November 21, 1839, in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Isaac D. and Hannah R. (Kahle) Harshbarger. The grandparents of Mr. Harshbarger on both sides, were natives of Virginia. Henry Harshbarger was an early settler in Miami County and died in Monroe Township. James Kahle settled first in Greene County, not far from Osborn and later moved to Bethel Township, Miami County and from there in 1867, to Illinois. He died while on a visit at Tippecanoe City. Isaac D. Harshbarger was born in Bethel Township, Miami County, later resided at New Carlisle and still later at Tippecanoe City, where he died in 1874, aged thirty-seven years. His widow survives and has passed her seventy-first birthday. They were the parents of the following children: Harry J., who is a member of the Tipp Whip Company, and married Mary Hogendobler, of this city; Mrs. F. G. Davis, who resides at Tippecanoe City ; Mrs. H. S. Hutchins, who resides at Toledo, where her husband is principal of one of the public schools; Mrs. H. J. Collins, who is the wife of a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who is stationed at New Milford, Illinois; and Alba Lloyd. Alba Lloyd Harshbarger attended school at New Carlisle and the common and high schools of Tippecanoe City, after which he took a commercial course at Dayton. His first business situation was that of a bookkeeper for a business firm at Hamilton, Ohio, in which he remained for two years and then returned to Tippecanoe City and here entered into the drug business, with which he continued to be identified for eight years. In 1889 he began to manufacture whips, organizing with others the Tipp Whip Company in that year. The industry is in a prosperous condition and employment is afforded thirty-five workmen. In 1895 Mr. Harshbarger was married to Miss Kittie Staley. a daughter of Samuel C. Staley. Mr. and Mrs. Harshbarger are members of the Lutheran Church. Fraternally he is a charter member of the Modern Woodmen of Tippecanoe City, belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and is a member of Tippecanoe Lodge No. 174, F. & A. M., Franklin Chapter. No. 24, of Troy, and Reed Commandery No. 6, of Dayton. In politics he is identified with the Republican party and he has been an active and useful citizen and at present is serving as a member of the School Board. C. G. SNOOK, who is superintendent of the Troy Carriage Sunshade Company, one of Troy's important business enterprises, has been a resident of this city for a quarter of a century, but he was born in Knox County, Ohio. After completing his public school education, Mr. Snook learned the trade of carriage trimming, at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where he remained for four years, going from there to McKeesport. Penna., for a year and a half and subsequently to Henderson, Kentucky, for the same length of time. He then spent one year at his trade in Fort Wayne. Indiana, and one year again at Mt. Vernon, after which he came to Troy and for fifteen years thereafter was connected with the Troy Buggy Works Company, during a large part of this time being foreman of the trimming department. In 1900 he be- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 293 came identified with the Troy Carriage Sunshade Company, accepting the superintendency of the plant and acquiring stock in the concern. In 1893 Mr. Snook was married to Miss Anna Counts, of Troy, and they have two children, Adelaide Elizabeth and John Lloyd. Mr. Snook and family belong to the Episcopal Church, of which he is junior warden. In politics a stanch Republican, Mr. Snook takes considerable interest in local matters of a public nature and is serving as a member at large of the City Council of Troy. Fraternally, he is a Knight of Pythias and socially is a member of the Troy Club, of which he is a director. SAMUEL HOEFLICH, one of Covington's most substantial citizens and for a number of years a leading business man, has been engaged in the tobacco business here for the past seven years, his large warehouse standing on the corner of Bridge Street and the C. H. & D. railroad. He was born at Dayton, Ohio, December 31, 1857, and is a son of Charles and Catherine (Ramph) Hoeflich. The parents of Mr. Hoeflich moved from Dayton to Piqua in 1858, and from there, about 1862, to a farm near Covington, on the Gettysburg Turnpike, where the father died. He operated a small distillery. In March, 1864, the mother of Mr. Hoeflich moved with her children to Covington and conducted a boarding house here. She was married (first) to John Andrew Kraus and had two children, John and C. G. Of her second marriage, to Charles Hoeflich, was born one son, Samuel. Samuel Hoeflich was educated in the Covington schools. For a number of years of business life he dealt in wines and liquors, but later turned his attention to the tobacco business, in which he is largely interested. He erected his large warehouse and gives continuous employment to five experienced men and several girls. In 1886 he erected his handsome brick residence. Mr. Hoeflich married Miss Lizzie Popp and they have three children, Carl, Lafayette, and Cleo Catharine. He is a man of pleasant, social qualities and belongs to the Red Men and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Hoeflich is notably charitable and has done a great deal in the way of benevolence in this section. He has also generously contributed to various public-spirited enterprises which have greatly furthered the prosperity of Covington. CHARLES LEONARD WOOD, proprietor of the Piqua Planing Mill and Lumber Company, of Piqua, is one of the city's old and reliable business men, one whose activities have been almost altogether in the line of Manufacturing. He was born June 28, 1841, in New Hampshire, and is a son of Charles A. Wood. The late Charles A. Wood came with his family to Piqua, in 1843, and for about ten years conducted a cooperage business. He then resided on a farm for some years but later embarked in the manufacture of staves and heads, at Dunkirk, Indiana, where he lived for seven years. Upon his return to Miami County he engaged in the lumber business at Piqua, in which he continued until he retired. His death occurred March 17, 1906. Charles Leonard Wood was two years old when his parents came to Piqua, in which city he was educated both in literature and the law, and after studying under 296 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Attorney McKinney, he was admitted to the bar in 1863 and entered into practice with AV. N. Foster, under the style of Foster & Wood. After one year of law practice, Mr. Wood turned his attention to manufacturing and has been concerned in manufacturing plants ever since. For seven years he was so connected at Dunkirk, Indiana, and for thirty years he has been in the lumber business at Piqua, operating a planing mill and manufacturing doors, sash, blinds and all house woodwork. For twenty years he has been interested in the operation of a large paper mill at Kokomo, Indiana. While Mr. Wood's natural inclinations led him to adopt an industrial rather than a professional life, he has never regretted his early training, realizing that all kinds of knowledge are useful to those who are at the head of enterprises which affect the interests of many employes. In 1870 Mr. Wood married Miss Julia A. Miller, daughter of William Miller, and they have three children, namely: Martha ; Mrs. George H. Taylor, of Hartwell, Ohio ; and William W., of Kokomo, Indiana. Mr. Wood and family are members of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church, of the board of trustees of which he has been a member for twenty years, and for eleven years he was superintendent of the Sunday school. He has been identified with many charitable and benevolent movements; at present he is one of the board of trustees of the Ball Memorial Hospital, and for twelve years he served on the board of directors of the Y. M. C. A. His interest in educational matters has always been marked and for fifteen years he served on the School Board and for ten years was president of that body. Coming of Revolutionary stock, he is a member of the board of managers of the Ohio Society of the Sons of the Revolution. For many years he has been a Mason and belongs to Blue Lodge and Chapter at Dunkirk, Indiana. DANIEL LONGENDELPHER, whose fine farm of 168 acres lies in Concord Township, on both sides of the Covington Turnpike Road, about two and one-half miles northwest of Troy, carries on general farming and for many years has also engaged very successfully in the horse business. He was born July 23, 1866 on the first farm on which his father settled, in Concord Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Casper and Elizabeth (Favorite) Longendelpher. Casper Longendelpher was born in Germany and was five years old when his widowed mother brought him to America. She came immediately to Miami County, where she later married a Mr. Rose but no children were born to that union. Casper was frequently called by his stepfather's name. He remained at home until his marriage and then purchased a farm of forty acres, the same being now a part of the Robert McCurdy farm, which he later sold and bought 120 acres from Samuel Oaks. This second farm was situated about five miles from Troy and there Mr. Longendelpher lived for a number of years. He subsequently acquired other farms and now owns 100 acres adjoining his old home farm, and also the old Scott farm of 143 acres and a comfortable home in Troy, where he now resides, at the age of sixty-nine years. He married Elizabeth Favorite, who died in June, 1905. She was a daughter of Daniel Favorite, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 297 one of the pioneer settlers of Concord Township. They had seven children born to them, as follows : Daniel ; Sallie ; Ida, who married Joseph Sigel ; Elizabeth, who married Elmer Fish ; Ella, who married John McCurdy ; Lillian, who married Lee Thompson; and William, who married Mary Wilhelm. Daniel Longendelpher was two years old when his parents moved to the farm on which they resided until they retired to Troy. As he was the eldest son much of the hard work of the farm fell to his lot, his only brother being the youngest of the family. During the winter seasons through boyhood, he attended the district schools but when he was fourteen years of age he did the work of a man. He remained at home and helped his father until he was twenty-one years of age and when he started out for himself it was entirely without capital. He went to work with a will and as he had been trained by a strict father, he knew everything necessary pertaining to the management and development of a farm and also, knowing the value of money, he was able to be careful in its expenditure, investing only when he foresaw adequate returns. This, in a measure, explains why Mr. Longendelpher, although only a middle aged man, has been able to build up a comfortable fortune for himself, with not one dollar of initial help. He has given a great deal of attention to raising fine stock, particularly horses, and he has the right idea, that only the best is worth all the trouble, time and expense that has to be expended. He owns eighteen head of horses on his place and owns five registered mares and two imported mares. Two of his registered stallions are known all through this section. One is "Bud," a four-year-old Percheron Gray, and the other is "Billie Taft," sold for $800 on May 14, to Andrew Dewese, also a Percheron Gray two-year-old, the former weighing 1,600 pounds and the latter 1,400. They are magnificent animals. Mr. Longendelpher bought his present farm in 1900, from Freeman Skinner, and moved on it two years later. In 1901 his buildings burned and he replaced them with the present substantial structures, his comfortable residence being an eight-room house of large size. In 1896 Mr. Longendelpher was married to Miss Emma F. Rosenberger, who was born in Virginia, a daughter of Abraham Rosenberger. Their family contains four children, all sons—George, Joseph, Daniel, and Raymond. In politics, Mr. Longendelpher is a Republican and he has frequently been called upon to serve in township offices. At present he is a member of the Concord School Board. During the time he was in the office of road supervisor, the township highways were very carefully attended to. Whatever Mr. Longendelpher does at all he does well, and his thorough-going methods have contributed largely to his own material prosperity. ALEXANDER M. HEYWOOD, residing in his pleasant home at No. 301 East Franklin Street, Troy, now retired from active participation in business, is one of the honored surviving veterans of the great Civil War. He was born October 17, 1840, in Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Nathaniel Heywood, who was a pioneer settler and farmer in Miami County, and died when his son was two months old. 298 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY In 1853, when thirteen years of age, Mr. Heywood came to Troy and here attended school almost up to the time of entering the military service of his country, in 1861. He enlisted in Company H, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three months, being the first youth to enlist from Troy. He passed safely through his first enlistment and returned home only to re-enlist in Company B, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and he participated in the following engagements : Tate's Ford, Ky. Perryville, Ky. Stone River and Tullahoma, Tenn. Dug Gap, Chickamauga, Ga.; Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, Tenn.; Ringold, Dalton, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain and Marietta, Ga.; Chattahooche River; Peach Tree Creek; Atlanta ; Siege of Atlanta ; Jonesboro ; Siege of Savannah ; Bentonville; the Raleigh campaign; Johnson's surrender and then followed the Grand Review at Washington City. Mr. Heywood went into the service with the rank of sergeant and was promoted to be second lieutenant, first lieutenant and acting adjutant for one year, and in January, 1865, was commissioned captain. After he had reached home he was still further honored by being brevetted major. During his long, arduous and dangerous service he was never seriously injured, although his place was many times where the battle raged thickest. For about one year following his return from the army, Major Heywood engaged in a grocery business and then retired to his farm, on which he lived for the next twelve years. Upon his return to Troy he conducted an agricultural implement business for six years and was then elected sheriff of Miami County and was reelected to a second term. He retains business interests but does not devote much personal attention to them. He is a director of the Troy National Bank. On October 17, 1863, Mr. Heywood was married to Miss Adelaide Harker, who was born and reared at Troy. They are members of the First Presbyterian Church, Mr. Heywood being one of the trustees. He is identified with the Grand Army of the Republic. HON. THEODORE SULLIVAN, son of Samuel and Maria (Crook) Sullivan, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in March, 1843. His grandfather, James Sullivan, emigrated from the South at an early day and settled in Clark County, this state, where the father of our subject was born. Samuel and Maria Sullivan were blessed with eleven children, of whom Theodore was the third. He attended the common schools of Montgomery County until sixteen years of age, after which he entered Linden Hill Academy, and later Antioch College, from which institution, however, he did not graduate. Deciding to adopt the law as a profession, he studied for the bar at Dayton, in 1864, where he Practiced for a long time. In 1867 he moved to Miami County and took up his residence in Troy in 1871, in which year he was nominated and elected county treasurer on the Republican ticket. From 1876 to 1891 he practiced law continuously and exclusively at Troy, where he was connected with some of the most important eases that came before the bar during this period. In 1891 he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Miami County, which position he ably