AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 577 of tile and erected all the substantial buildings. With the exception of eight acres of timber, he has all his land under good cultivation. On August 8, 1865, Mr. Hawn was married to Miss Melissa Booker, a daughter of Solomon Booker, and they have had the following children born to them, namely : Elizabeth, who is the wife of John Staub ; Minnie, who married Frank Brooks ; Margaret, who married Irvin Cavanaugh; Mary, who married Jacob Heffner ; Jessie, who married Walter Hartman ; Ora and Dora, twins, who live at home ; Charles, who married Dolly Dill ; Samuel, who married Augusta Brooks ; and Earl, Clara and John. Of these Margaret, Clara and John are deceased. Mr. Hawn and family are members of the Lutheran Church at Brandt. In politics Mr. Hawn is an active Democrat and has frequently been chosen by his party for offices of responsibility in the township. For thirty years he has been constable of Bethel Township, for years has been a trustee, during two terms served on the School Board and has held other positions of a public nature. Formerly he was identified with the Odd Fellows at Osborn. If all men were like Mr. Hawn, the doctors in this section would have a hard time making their living, for, with his robust constitution and perpetual good health, he never has cause to consult them. In all his life, he asserts, he has never spent even fifty cents for a physician's prescription for himself. There are millionaires who would be glad to be able to make the same assertion. J. A. SHADE, secretary and treasurer of The Wright-Kuntz Lumber Company. of Piqua, has been a resident of this city for the past twenty years, coming here in 1889. He was born at Dayton, Ohio, June 30, 1855, where he was reared and educated. Mr. Shade remained a resident of Dayton until February, 1872, when he moved to Darke County for a few years. From there he went to Noblesville, Indiana, for a short time, and then spent one year engaged in farming near Springfield, Missouri. After he returned to Ohio he went into the lumber business at Greenville, in which he continued until 1889, when he came to Piqua, engaging in the lumber business with the Wright-Kuntz Company. In 1896 the plant was burned and when the business was reorganized it was incorporated as The Wright-Kuntz Lumber Company, with a capital stock of $10,000. The present offrcers are : Peter Kuntz, of Dayton, president ; J. A. Payne, vice-president ; and J. A. Shade, secretary and treasurer. The company deals in all kinds of lumber, both wholesale and retail. Mr. Shade is also president of Acme Remedy Company of Piqua and is numbered with the city's able and active business men. In 1881, Mr. Shade was married to Miss Kate L. Evans, and they have one child living, Ruth M., and three deceased—two boys and one girl. Ruth is the wife of L. F. Koester, who is connected with the lumber company above mentioned. Mr. Shade's interest in politics extends no further than to do his full duty as a private citizen. W. O. COFIELD, a representative of the lime interests of Piqua and a dealer in stone, coal, and cement, with quarters 578 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY at No. 817 South Main Street, has been a resident of this city for more than twenty years and has been very active in its business affairs. He was born at Casstown, Miami County, Ohio, in 1859, and is a son of Levi Cofield. The father of Mr. Cofield was a lime manufacturer, and during the first six years of the latter's life the family home was near Sulphur Grove, Montgomery County, and after that in Kirkwood, Shelby County. Mr. Cofield thus grew up in the business, and after coming to Piqua, in 1887, he continued in this line and shortly afterward began the manufacture of marble dust, being the pioneer in this industry in this section. Subsequently he sold his plant to the Ohio Marble Company, but he has continued the manufacture of lime and does a large business also in handling lime, cement and all kinds of contractors' supplies. Ground is now being broken for the erection of a plant for the manufacture of all stone products, from flues for steel furnaces to the finest marble floor, the company to be known as The Stone Product Company, and the works to be under the management of Mr. Cofield. The new company is incorporated for $50,000, the principal stockholders being prominent business men of Findlay and Piqua. The company will control at least three modern crushers for the crushing plant, and for their marble flour department will establish enough machines to give them possibly the largest capacity of any like plant in the country. Several thousand dollars' worth of railroad switch work will be put in and accommodations provided for about forty cars. The main building for the manufacture of marble flour will be 50x200 feet ; that of the crushing plant, 55x75 feet. The buildings will be frame, with the exception of the engine-room, which will be of concrete. The quarries cover sixty-five acres and the material is available for many uses. The new concern will be one of the big manufacturing enterprises of Piqua. As a good citizen Mr. Cofield has never ignored the calls made on his time or purse and has willingly done his part to advance the general welfare. In 1882 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Davis, of Shelby County, Ohio, and they have three chil- dren : L. M.; Rowena Elmira. who is the wife of W. R. Snyder, of Troy ; and Bonnie Ethel, who resides at home. Mr. Co-field and family are members of the Church of Christ. GEORGE McCULLOUGH. deceased. In depicting the career of him who is the subject of this sketch, one has not to deal with a life spent in vain strivings after riches or fame—the two principal goals of the ambitious—but rather with a life that was a negation of self, a daily sacrifice to the Lord, and a benediction to all others that came into contact with it, even though but casually. The late George McCullough came of a hardy family. His paternal grandfather was born in Ireland and learned the trade of tanner in the city of Cork, after which, when still a young man, he came to this country, making his home in a little town just in sight of Philadelphia. This town was destroyed in the Revolutionary War, by the British troops, Grandfather McCullough losing all his property. He had early enlisted on the American side, taking part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 579 under Ethan Allen; then reaching Bunker Hill, near Boston, in time to take part in the memorable battle there; and afterwards serving with Washington when he crossed the Delaware, and in the engagements at Trenton and Princeton, and in the closing operations of the war at Yorktown, where he witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He lived many years after the war, and died at the age of eighty-eight, having never been sick a day in his life until then. He was a Free Mason and his funeral services were conducted by members of the order. He married a Miss Mary Elliott, who was of Welsh origin, and their family numbered nine children. William McCullough, son of the foregoing and father of the subject of this sketch, was the third son of his parents, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1793. He was reared amid pioneer surroundings and, like most of his contemporaries in this section, sought his living in the subduing of the forest and the conquest of the soil. About the year 1813 he married Susan Shidler, a sister of the Hon. Tom Shidler, who represented Miami County in the legislature in 1839. In October, 1823, when George McCullough was six years old, the family came to Ohio, crossing the mountains in wagons, the journey taking several weeks. Reaching Miami County, they settled on a tract of land in Lost Creek Township that has since been known as the McCullough farm. But little of the land was then cleared in this vicinity, wild game of all kind abounded, and panthers and bears were still occasionelly seen. The first residence of the family was a little log cabin, 20x24 feet, and they also erected a small stable, where their little dun mare found shelter. Their food was plain, consisting principally of mush and milk, corn bread, pumpkins and game. The milk was strongly flavored most of the time with the wild onion, upon which the cattle fed. Once a week, on Sundays, the family had coffee, and that was a day that all looked forward to with joyous anticipations. It was in this stern school of life that George McCullough received his early training, but it was conducive to the up-building of a strong and vigorous manhood. The district school which he attended in his boyhood days was taught by Mr. John Hutton and was in a log cabin. Here he was taught reading, writing and arithmetic to the single rule of three. In 1825 the first meetinghouse was built in Lost Creek Township. It was built of logs and was put together at a cost of just $6, which was spent for nails, glass, and sashes for three small windows, the labor being voluntarily contributed by the neighbors. At first a large quilt was used for a door, and the floor consisted entirely of “Mother Earth." The dimensions of this primitive place of worship were 26x30 feet. The first Sunday School in Miami County was organized and taught in this log building soon after its erection, by Thomas Long, the enterprise, however, not being regarded favorably by everybody, as it was not thought the right way to teach the Bible. Mr. McCullough grew up in this neighborhood and saw it grow into beauty. The log structures that we have herein described he saw change into a commodious brick school house and a handsome country church. When still a lad he helped with his team to build the canal, and came to Troy on horseback to see General Har- 580 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY rison when the latter came with great pomp and show on a canal boat to that little city. In 1851 he went into the general dry goods business with C. R. Quick, at Addison, and so continued until 1860. He was afterwards engaged in the grocery business until he retired from active life. Mr. McCullough was converted in 1843, under the labors of Mark D. Briney, in the old log meeting-house near the present beautiful brick structure of the Lost Creek Church. His conversion was thorough, comprehending soul and body, time and talents. It has been said of him by one who was ten years his pastor : From the time of his Spirit-birth he was Spirit-filled, and till death he carried with him that often overflowing measure. Endowed by nature with mind, thought, song, a musical voice, a winning face, fluent, fitting speech and forceful personality. his consecration of these, intensified by a glowing Christian experience, meant much for the church, for the community, for all reforms, for the souls of men, and for his long and grand career as the Lord's servant. No excuse of the sinner or subterfuge of the skeptic could stand before his array of Holy Writ, his burning love for the doubter, and his unique forms of unanswerable arguments. Meeting by accident or introduction with a stranger, he left him not till learning of him whether or not he loved Christ. Nor was this information gained offensively, but in a happy, tactful, winning way. From the time of his conversion he was an active worker for Christ, praying, speaking and exhorting in public, and this with peculiar impressiveness, edification and power." The same writer further says : "When in his usual health he attended and actively participated in the sessions of the Ohio Miami Conference. On committes he was a wise counsellor on the floor his speeches were short, terse, and telling in the flavor of sincerity and the flash of earnestness. In exhortation but few preachers were his equal. In prayer he seemed to come very close into the divine presence, pleading with a Jacob-like importunity, and seizing promises with the uncorrupted confidence of a child. It was his delight to pray with the sick, and his more than half a century of praying life built Betliels and altars by most of the sick beds and in most of the woods and fields in the vicinity of his home. Riding to church alone or in company, often did he pause at some suitable place by the wayside to wrestle with God in behalf of the service and the saving of souls. Perhaps I have never known a man who seemed so constantly to dwell in the secret of his presence and in his very pavilion. He carried everywhere the joy of his Christian experience, but never was he happier than in protracted meetings and when souls were being born into the kingdom. He was a persistent Bible student. He drew his theology from the Word, and had a fund of doctrinal and practical quotations at his tongue's end. He was friendly to ministerial education and culture, and believed that these were helpful to the spiritual power, without which all preaching is in vain." He was an earnest friend of the young minister, whom he aided with his advice. A good student of human nature, he did not often err in forecasting the success or failure of the youthful Timothy. Many thought he himself called to the ministry, but on this subject he once said to his AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 581 pastor—the same from whom we have already quoted: "Brother Rush, I feel it is mainly my mission to lighten and broaden our people's ideas of lay relations." Mr. McCullough was an ardent reader of religious literature, especially that published by the Christian denomination, to which he belonged, and of which he accumulated a large collection. His brother Peter, of Dayton, was a minister of the denomination—earnest and successful in bringing souls to Christ—and it was Mr. McCullough's belief that his brother sufficiently represented the family in that department of Christian effort, his own ambitions lying solely in the direction of lay usefulness. Much could be said of his brotherly kindness and helpfulness to his fellow men. Especially was he the friend of the poor. His wagons, his farming utensils or garden tools were freely at the command of his neighbors, especially those who were unable to purchase for themselves, and it was wonderful what amount of wear they were subjected to in the universal service. Everybody's friend, evervbody's helper was he. The life of this good man was prolonged far beyond the scriptural three score years and ten, for he passed triumphantly to the Eternal Mansions on Monday, June 30, 190:2, at the age of eighty-five years and twenty-five days. Well it might be said of him, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." His home life was true and beautiful. He was married November 18, 1849, to Amanda S. Warner, of Addison, Champaign County, Ohio, and for more than fifty-two years they pursued life's journey happily together. Until the father's death the family circle remained unbroken. Of its members we may briefly say that Derostus M. McCullough, the eldest son, is now one of the leading citizens and business men of Troy, Ohio, a prominent merchant, vice-president of the Troy National Bank, and an active lay worker in the Christian Church. George McCullough, the younger son and his father's namesake, is a respected resident of Dayton, Ohio. Of the two daughters, Emma is the wife of Dr. H. E. Smith, of Kansas City, Missouri ; the other daughter is Mrs. John M. Thomas, whose husband is a successful business man in Columbus, Ohio. For some years before his death Mr. McCullough was unable to attend church, but his son, D. M. McCullough, put a telephone in his father's house in Addison, the wires reaching to the pulpit and choir seats of the Christian Church in Troy, and being skilfully aranged to catch every sound. Thus, through his son's love, the aged Christian, in his declining years, had the sweet consolation of the services of the sanctuary brought to his very bedside or to his invalid chair, and his hours of weariness and pain were lightened thereby, and his heart made glad by the songs of Zion and the words of gospel cheer, every Sabbath, though the songs were sung and the Word preached ten miles away. Mr. McCullough was survived by his wife, in addition to the children above mentioned. She was ever his faithful and well suited help-mate, sharing his joys and sorrows with a kind womanly sympathy and love. She, too, commanded the love of her children and of a wide circle of friends. Mrs. McCullough died May 24, 1905, aged seventy-five years. 582 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY CHARLES M. EINFROCK, president of the Stillwater Valley Bank Company of Covington, Ohio, was one of the founders of that institution and has been closely identified with other interests of the city during his residence of a quarter of a century or more there. He has been agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad and of the Adams Express Company at Covington since May 1, 1883, and has been in the employ of the former company since 1872. Mr. Finfrock was born in Piqua, Ohio, May 24, 1850, and is a son of William and Mary Ann (Routson) Finfrock. His father, who died in 1882, was for a time proprietor of the Miami House at Piqua and later conducted a mercantile establishment in that city. Charles M. Finfrock was six years of age when his mother died. Two years later he became an inmate of the home of an uncle, Jacob Reesor, at Versailles, Ohio, by whom he was reared until fourteen years old. He then went to work on a farm for Samuel Fetters in Newberry Township, Miami County, with whom he continued for five years. He next worked at carpentering, following that trade several years in Newberry Township and in Piqua. In that city he worked for O'Ferrell & Daniels, manufacturers of threshing machines, and later for Hardesty & Speelman at house carpentering. During this time he also worked in the Western Union Telegraph office at night, under C. E. Macher, who still is in Piqua, and from there went to Richmond, Indiana, as messenger in the train dispatcher's office; that was in 1872 and it was his first position with the company. In February, 1873, he became night operator for the Pennsylvania Company at Greenfield, In diana, and from there went to Knights town, Indiana, where he was operator an agent's clerk. In 1874 he was made op orator and agent's clerk at Piqua, where he continued two or three years, then went to New Paris, Preble County, Ohio, as agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In May, 1883, he became agent of the Pennsylvania Company and the Adams Express Company, at Covington, in which capacity he has since continued. A man of exemplary habits and a conscientious employee, his advancement in the business world was steady and he now takes rank among the substantial men of the place. When the Stillwater Valley Bank was incorporated in 1900, he was one of the prime movers and became a stockholder and director. In January, 1909, he was advanced to the presidency of that institution. Charles M. Finfrock was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Cable, daughter of the late John Cable, of Newberry Township. and they have one son, Clarence M. The last named is a lawyer by professional training and an instructor in Western Reserve Law School, of Cleveland, of which institution he is a graduate. He also is a graduate of Covington High School and Ohio Wesleyan University. at Delaware. Religiously the subject of this record is a member of the Christian Church, of which he is one of the deacons. HENRY FREE, one of Staunton Township's representative citizens and substantial farmers, resides on his well improved estate of eighty acres, which he owns jointly with his wife. Mr. Free was born on the old Knoop farm in Staunton Township, Miami County, on which his parents first settled after coming to Ohio, August AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 583 26, 1844, and is a son of Philip and Sarah (Helsel) Free. The father of Mr. Free was born in France and was twenty years of age when he accompanied his parents to America, settling in Pennsylvania. There he married Sarah Helsel and there were ten children born to them, namely : George, who is deceased; Jacob, who lives in California; Barbara, now deceased, who was the wife of G. Struble ; Daniel, who is deceased; Caroline, who is the wife of Henry McDowell, of Casstown ; Elizabeth, who is the wife of S. Ferr, of Indiana ; Philip, who died young; Lavina, now deceased, who was the wife of M. Small, also deceased; John, who died while serving his country in the Civil War ; and Henry. With his wife and four children, Philip Free came to Ohio, and both he and wife passed the rest of their days in this State. Their first home was on the Knoop farm, on Lost Creek, which Philip Free rented for a number of years. Later he purchased a farm of 100 acres not far from the farm now owned by his youngest son, and there he died in 1877, when aged seventy-eight years. On that farm his first wife died, and he married Nancy Konkel, who survived him but a few years. Although he encountered much misfortune and had a great deal of sickness in his family, which entailed much expense, he had good children, and with the help of his sons cleared up his farm, acquired other property, and at the time of the Civil War not only gave one son, but contributed some $500 in money to aid in its prosecution. Henry Free was the youngest of the family and was an infant when his parents moved to the farm near his own. He has been a continuous resident of Staunton Township, with the exception of eleven months, when he lived in Brown Township, and during the periods covered by several trips to Galifornia, Oregon and Washington. He had but meager educational opportunities in his youth, but travel, reading and association with many people have all contributed to making him one of the best informed men of his section. He lived at home until his marriage, after which he engaged in farming for his father-in-law for thirty-six years. In 1905 he bought his present farm from Mrs. John Cavault, a sister of his wife, residing in Mercer County, Ohio. It is a productive tract of land and lies in Staunton Township, where the Troy, the Spring Creek and Peterson Turnpikes corner. On September 6, 1866, Mr. Free was married to Miss Margaret Ann Smalley, who is a daughter of John and Sarah (Cullen) Smalley, the former of whom was born in Butler County, Ohio, and the latter in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Free had two sisters : Mary Ellen, who married John Cavault. and Eliza Jane, who died young. \1r. and Mrs. Free have had four children, namely : John, who married Martha Marr, has three children—Murray, Bertha, and Everett—and is a farmer in Spring Creek Township ;Flora, who married Bert Cavault, of Piqua, and has four children —Blanche. Iva, Ralph and Margaret ; Charles, who married May Denman, now deceased, and had three children—Elden, Arthur and Opal, the youngest deceased and the other two living with their grandparents ; and Harry Allen, who died aged six years. Mr. and Mrs. Free are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is an official. He is a Repub- 584 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY lican and has served as township supervisor for many years. MARTIN A. CURTIS, residing on Boone Hill, two and one-half miles south of Troy, in Concord Township, along the interurban electric railway, is the owner of a fine farm of ninety acres and follows general farming. He was born on the home farm in that vicinity, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1856, and is a son of William and Anna A. (Fiese) Curtis, and grandson of Hira: a Curtis. The grandfather came from the east and settled near Fredericktown. Miami County, when the country was in a wild and undeveloped state. He lived there until his death. William Curtis was among the younger of a large family of children, and was born near Fredericktown. He helped clear the place, and while still a young man started out for himself ; he started without means or assistance, but was always a hard worker and his success was beyond the average. After his marriage he farmed for a few years on shares, and then bought what at present is the Mrs. DeWeese farm, in Concord Township. He lived on this place until his death, in 1904. at the age of eighty years, he surviving his wife some years. His marriage to Anna Fiese, who also was born near Fredericktown, resulted in the following issue : Sarah, deceased; Mary Jane ; Francis; Davis W., deceased; Martin A.; Ellwood; Peter, deceased ; Lydia ; Belle; Minnie; Burnet ; and Charles. Martin A. Curtis attended school in District No. 2, Concord Township, but his schooling was very limited, as there was a big family of them and a farm to pay for, all of the boys being required to work on the place. He began work very young, and frequently after working hard in the field all day would accompany his father to the old stillhouse with a load of cord wood. He cut wood and split rails on the place he now owns for Isaac Boone, who afterward became his father-in-law. After his marriage in 1877 he farmed the Thomas Sheets place, on the opposite side of the road from his present place, on the shares, and continued there for a period of nineteen years. He then bought his farm of ninety acres from the Boone heirs and has since lived upon it. January 4, 1877. Mr. Curtis was united in marriage with Miss Melinda E. Boone, a daughter of Isaac and Mary Ann (Holderman) Boone. and they are parents of two children : John. who lives near his parents and farms the home place; and William E.. who lives at home. John Curtis married Gussie Robbins, and they have two children. Mary and Edgar. Fraternally Martin A. Curtis is a member of Troy Lodge, No. 43, K. of G. E.; and Troy Lodge, No. 222. I. 0. R. M. MARTIN L. GANTZ, who resides on his farm of eighty-eight acres, situated in Section 2. Bethel Township, was born January 8, 1855, in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Martin and Lydia Ann (Heffner) Gantz. The parents of Mr. Gantz had a family of ten children, named, respectively : Harriet, Margaret. Perry, Martin, Thomas, Eliza, Minnie. Ezra, George and Laura. Martin Gantz was a blacksmith and he learned his trade at Brandt and worked there all his active life. He was a Democrat in politics, but took no active part in public matters. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 585 Martin L. Gantz attended school at Brandt and then learned the blacksmith's trade under his father and worked at it until his first marriage. in 1877, after which he resided one and a quarter miles west of Brandt, where he was engaged in the business of raising trees for the Alabaugh Nursery Company. In March, 1907. he came to his present farm, which he purchased of the Black heirs. He found sufficient and substantial buildings on the place. with the exception of a. barn, which he immediately put up, and he has done other improving. Mr. Gantz has proved himself as good a farmer as he was long known to be blacksmith. and he has frequently found it to advantage to understand both industries. On December 5, 1877. Mr. Gantz was married to Miss Margaret Weaver, who died in March, 1900. She was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Wright) Weaver. To this union the following children were born : Vesta, who married Bessie, daughter of Thomas Forrest ; Richard, who married Ethel, daughter of Duke Beneham ; Della. who married Clinton Hendricks ; Clyde. who married Effie, daughter of Charles Harris ; Glenna. who resides at Dayton ; Hershel, who goes to school ; and Elmer, who died in infancy. On December 10. 1902, Mr. Gantz was married (second) to Miss Laura Belle Young, who is a daughter of John Young. Mr. Gantz and family attend the Lutheran Church. In politics he is a Democrat. FRANK A. CUSHWA, one of Bethel Township's substantial citizens and large farmers, owning 300 acres of valuable land in this section, was born in Washington County, Maryland, October 20, 1832, and is a son of Benjamin and Sophia (Angle) Cushwa. The parents of Mr. Cushwa were both natives of Washington County, Maryland, and when they came to Ohio they had four children. Benjamin Cushwa settled first on a farm of 160 acres on the Clifton Turnpike. near Springfield, in Clark County, where he built a house, but finding that the land would require a great amount of fertilizing to make farming profitable, he moved to Harshmansville for three years, and then came to Bethel Township, Miami County. where he first bought fifty acres and then added twenty-five more. Both he and wife spent the remainder of their days on that farm, he dying in 1871 and she when aged sixty-eight years; both were buried in Bethel Cemetery. They were worthy members of the German Reformed Church. In politics he was a strong Democrat. but no persuasion would have induced him to accept any public office. Of his family of eleven children, the following survive : Katherine, George W., Martin B.. Frank A., John, Mary Elizabeth. James, Anna and David. Frank A. Cushwa attended school in Bethel Township, mainly at West Charleston, and from boyhood assisted his father on the farm. Subsequently he bought the home place of seventy-five acres and purchased 225 adjoining acres, making his whole estate a large and valuable one. He has all his land cleared with the exception of eighty acres still in timber, has two dwelling houses on his property and helped to put up all the buildings. He cleared about ninety acres by himself, and has put down a large amount of tiling, making his land well drained and capable of producing almost any crop. Mr. Cushwa attends 586 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY the Brethren Church of Bethel Township. He is a Democrat in his political views. A pleasant country road runs from Tippecanoe City, some three and one-half miles south to Mr. Cushwa's property. OGDEN EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards Brothers, dealers in grain, seed, flour and feed, at No. 301 East Main Street, Troy, has been identified with Troy interests since 1890 and is numbered with the representative citizens. He was born in 1860, at Youngstown, Ohio, where he was educated. Prior to coming to Troy, Mr. Edwards was engaged in farming and stock raising in Mahoning County. In partnership with his brother, Allen Edwards, he established the grain firm of Edwards Brothers, at Troy, in 1890, and in the spring of 1891 started making flour. In the spring of 1893 they purchased their present location. They own an onion farm at McGuffy, Ohio, where, in 1908, they raised 100,000 bushels of onions, in addition to potatoes, corn and other vegetable. The firm does a large and constantly increasing business. Mr. Edwards owns stock in a number of other successful enterprises. In 1893 Mr. Edwards was married to Miss Kate King, of Warren, Ohio, and they have three sons: Jonathan O. E., King and Frederick A. Mr. Edwards takes a hearty interest in all that pertains to the general welfare of the city, but he has never sought political honors. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and he belongs to the Troy Club. ADAM DENNISON WEAVER, M. D., who for fifty-seven years was actively en gaged in the practice of medicine and for many years was senior partner of the drug firm of Weaver & Kendell, at Covington, at the time of his death, on January 10, 1908, was the oldest practicing physican in Miami County. Dr. Weaver was born October 31, 1822, in Augusta County, Virginia, and was a son of George and Jan (Doff et) Weaver. The parents of Dr. Weaver came to Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1823, and on that pioneer farm, ten miles west of Dayton, and situated on the banks of Wolf Creek, the ambitious boy grew to manhood. His educational opportunities up to that time had been more or less limited, but from childhood he had cherished the desire to become a physician. He then made his way to Canton, Illinois, where he read medicine under Dr. H. Martin, with whom he remained until 1847, having many hardships to overcome in pursuing his medical studies. He completed his reading under Dr. C. Gish, at Salem, Ohio. and in 1849 managed to accumulate enough capital to enable him to attend medical lectures at Cleveland. Thus fortified, in the spring of 1850 he began practice with Dr. Gish and continued with the older physician for two years. He then came to Miami County, in 1852, locating at North Clayton, where he practiced until 1863, when he settled permanently at Covington. For ten years he was associated in practice with Dr. R. E. Cable, after which he was alone. Few medical men had more trying experiences than had the late Dr. Weaver and few retained their mental capacity, professional skill and physical health into advanced age as did Dr. Weaver. In encouraging younger physicians he very often told them of the hardships he had AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 587 faced in the days of his early practice, when the only possible way to get over the country was on horseback, a large portion of the land being yet uncleared, and many of the streams unbridged. On many occasions he had been obliged to swim with his sturdy little pony through seven streams in order to reach his patients ; on others he had been compelled to tie his horse and take his saddle bags containing medicine and surgical intruments under his arm and push his way through mud and ice on foot ; and there were times when, lost in the woods, he had to await daylight in order to go on his way. Naturally, Dr. Weaver thought lightly of the situations which some of his younger contemporaries believed serious obstacles. Dr. Weaver was eighty-five years of age when, after a call upon a patient and his return to his office, apparently in his usual health, he was found reclining lifeless in his armchair. This was just as he would have desired, a quiet passing after a life of intense usefulness, with all his powers undimmed. His loss was deeply felt, for he had been physician, friend and counsellor to so many for so long a period. Dr. Weaver is survived by his widow and other relatives. He was married July 30, 1856, to Miss Barbara Whitmer, who was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was three years of age when brought to Miami County, Ohio, by her parents. who were Samuel and Barbara (Brubaker) Whitmer. To Dr. and Mrs. Weaver were born two children, a son and a daughter, namely : Isaac Newton, who died a victim of diphtheria when aged four years ; and Amrina Jane, who is the wife of TT. W. B. Routson, of Covington. Mr. and Mrs. Routson have three children—Paul Weaver, Ruth and Martha Belle. The eldest grandchild of Mrs. Weaver, Paul Weaver Routson, married Miss Hettie Bachman, who was born at Piqua, Ohio, and they have one son, who bears the name of his grandfather, Henry Ward Beecher Routson. Ruth resides at home. Martha Belle is the wife of Lester Lee Falknor, a farmer, of Newberry Township. In 1866 the late Dr. Weaver united with the Christian Church and up to the time of his demise was active in its work and liberal in its support. On many occasions both professional and political offices were tendered Dr. Weaver, but none of these ever appealed to him, the good he could do in his private practice and its reasonable emoluments satisfying his ambition. He will long be remembered. JACOB HENNE, a prominent citizen and business man of Troy, Ohio, is proprietor of the Troy brewery, which for many years has been conducted under the firm name of Joseph Henne & Son, and is also manager of the Troy Ice Company. He has all his life lived in Troy and was born in this city July 10, 1861, son of Joseph and Mary (Long) Henne. Joseph Henne, father of Jacob, was born in Germany, and when about eighteen years of age crossed the Atlantic to the United States. He took up his residence in Troy, Ohio, where he was engaged in the retail shoe business until 1874. He then purchased of Titus Schwind an interest in the Troy brewery, and in partnership with a Mr. Mayer, under the firm name of Henne & Mayer, carried on the business for a number of years. He then 588 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY purchased the interest of his partner and continued to operate the plant alone until 1884, in which year he deeded a half-interest in the establishment to his son Jacob. The firm name was changed to Joseph Henne & Son, and although Jacob Henne became sole owner and proprietor in 1895, the business is still carried on under the old title. Joseph Henne departed this life December 28, 1890. He was an able and public spirited man and his death was mourned as a distinct loss to the community. Jacob Henne was reared in Troy and received his educational training in the public schools. At an early age he entered the brewery and soon mastered all the details of the business. He has made many improvements in the property, not only increasing the capacity of the plant, but raising the standard of excellence in the product as well. The brewery enjoys an extensive patronage throughout this section of the State and is kept running at its full capacity of 5,000 barrels per annum. Mr. Henne has been a director of the Troy National Bank since 1890 and, as already stated, is also manager of the Troy Ice Company, which has a large and thriving business. Mr. Henne has always been an enthusiastic Democrat, and in April, 1891, was elected on the ticket of that party as councilman from the Fourth Ward, serving two years in that capacity. In April, 1899, he was elected waterworks trustee for a term of three years. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Elks, and Eagles. He is one of the substantial business men of Troy, and enjoys great popularity among his fellow citizens. ENO WILHELM, who comes of an old Miami County family, is a resident of Concord Township and is the owner of 100 acres of land, sixty of which are embraced in the farm on which he lives, located on the North Township Pike, six miles northwest of Troy. The other forty acres is located in Washington Township and is the tract on which his grandfather located upon his arrival from Pennsylvania. Mr. Wilhelm was born in the old log house which stood on the home place in Washington Township, July 31, 1859, and is a son of Percival and Nancy (Stewart) Wilhelm. Percival Wilhelm was born in Pennsylvania and was of German parentage. He was very young when he accompanied his family to Miami County, Ohio, and settled on the farm in Washington Township. He lived on that place many years, then purchased 120 acres where his son Eno now lives, and lived there until his death, in 1883, at the age of fifty-six years. He married Nancy Stewart, whom he survived some years, and the following were their children : Eno; Mina, deceased; Henry and Emeline, wife of Harvey Winrick. Eno Wilhelm was just a boy when his family moved from the old home in Washington Township to the place he now lives. He received a meagre educational training, as he was the eldest of the children and his services were needed on the farm as soon as he was able to work. He helped clear the farm, which was heavily timbered, and as the fields were full of stumps for many years, the work of plowing and cultivating was more difficult than it has been in recent times. He has always farmed in a general way and takes AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 589 rank among the successful men of the community. His home farm was obtained from his father's estate, and the other forty acres was purchased by him from Julian Whittiker. January 24, 1884, Mr. Wilhelm was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Bard, a daughter of Rockwell Bard, and they have the following children : Mary, who married William Longendelpher and has two children, Nora E. and Lester ; Nora, who married Burt Favorite and has one son, Leonard ; Edith ; Carl ; and Orrie. The family belong to the Christian Church. Mr. Wilhelm is a Democrat in his political views. LOUIS SHERMAN, a well known resident of Concord Township, Miami County. Ohio, is the owner of a farm of fifty acres located about three-fourths of a mile northwest of Troy, on the Piqua Pike. He He was born in McClain Township, Shelby County, Ohio, May 25, 1851, and is a son of Henry and Catherine (Ernst) Sherman. Joseph Sherman, grandfather of the subject of this record, was a native of Germany, in which country he lived many years after his marriage. He came with his family to the United States in 1835, and made the trip from Baltimore, Maryland, to Shelby County, Ohio, in wagons. He settled in the woods near Loramie, that being before the town of Berlin was started. With the assistance of his sons he cleared the farm and continued farming there until his death. He had three sons to grow to maturity, all now deceased, namely : Joseph, Henry and William. Henry Sherman was born and reared in Germany, and was a lad of seventeen years when he came with his parents to the United States. The most of the work of clearing the home farm in Shelby County fell upon his shoulders, and it continued to be his home until his death, in 1904, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. He engaged in teaching school for twenty-five years and saw that his sons were all provided with good educational training. In the early days he helped to build the canal through this section of the State. He married Catherine Ernst, who was born in Germany and who died in January, 1908, at the age of eighty years. They became parents of three children : John J., who is one of the commissioners of Shelby County ; Louis ; and Adolph, who is serving as justice of the peace in Shelby County, an office his father filled before him for a period of eighteen years. Louis Sherman was born in the old one-room log house which stood on the old homestead in Shelby County, and there grew to manhood. He attended the old log schoolhouse in that district and lived at home until his marriage. He then located upon a farm of eighty acres in Shelby County, which he received from his father, and lived upon it until 1895, when he moved to Troy. In his younger days he operated a threshing outfit, and after moving to Troy he held a position as stationary engineer with the Hobart Electric Manufacturing Company for six years. He then conducted a coal yard on Walnut Street, on the Big Four Railroad, for three years, at the end of which time he sold out to Burt Nicol. In a short time he bought his present farm of fifty acres from Dr. Sterrett and has since followed general farming. He has a fine and large brick home of nine rooms, in keeping with which are the other improvements on the place. 590 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Mr. Sherman started a postoffice at St. Patrick, in Shelby County, under appointment of President Cleveland, but after nine months resigned the office owing to his removal to Troy. He is a stanch Democrat in politics, and an enthusiastic worker for party success. In Shelby County he filled various township offices in a very efficient manner. In April, 1877, Mr. Sherman was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Gudenkuff, of Auglaize County, Ohio ; she died five years later, without issue. He formed a second marital union in April, 1883, with Miss Lucy Kirch, a daughter of John Kirch, who was a pioneer of Miami County and later of Shelby County. The following offspring were born to them : Emma, who married William Depweg, of Dayton, and has a son, Irving; Adolph; Albert ; Christopher ; Matilda ; and Lena, who died at the age of sixteen years. Religiously the family is Catholic and belongs to St. Patrick's Church at Troy. H. F. DOUGLASS, who has been a resident of Troy, Ohio, since 1882, is president of the Troy Carriage Sunshade Company and was one of the founders of the plant. He was born in New York State, where he lived until his removal to Ohio. Mr. Douglass first engaged in the coal business in this city and continued until 1889, when, with Mr. A. G. Stouder, he founded the manufacturing plant of which he is now the head. They began business in a small way, occupying a little room over a cigar factory on South Market Street ; but with faith in their enterprise and a close application to business, they made steady progress. They moved from their original quarters to the northeast corner of the public square, and in 1892 began the erection of their first factory building. The main plant now consists of two four-story brick buildings, 50x100 feet, and in another part of the city the company has a third building of equal size. It is one of the important industrial concerns of the city, and has about 150 employees on its pay roll. Mr. Douglass is a man of unusual ability and takes high rank among the business men of Troy. J. FRANK ANDERSON, one of Piqua's representative citizens and longtime residents, is superintendent of the American Strawboard plant, with which industry he has been identified for about twenty-eight years. He was born at Piqua, Ohio, in 1851, and is a son of Robert Anderson. The late Robert Anderson was a well known citizen of Miami County. He was born in Kentucky and came to this section of Ohio in 1848, where he continued to live until his death, which occurred in 1905. He followed an agricultural life, took an active interest in politics and public matters, particularly those concerning his county, and for a long time held the office of superintendent of turnpikes. J. Frank Anderson spent all the earlier part of his life on the home farm, but when the American Strawboard plant was established at Piqua, in 1881, he became an employe, and through faithful service, fidelity and natural adaptation, was advanced until, in 1899, he was made superintendent, a position he has effectively filled until the present time. In 1883 Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Ange L. Blood, who was born in Miami County, and is a daughter of Jerre AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 593 Blood. Mrs. Anderson is a member of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Anderson takes no very active interest in politics, but for a number of years he has been identified with the Odd Fellows. JAMES M. CAVEN, deceased. The death of James M. Caven, which occurred July 28, 1908, removed from Brown Township one of its most esteemed citizens and substantial men. He was a member of a prominent pioneer family of Miami County, Ohio, and was born on the old Caven homestead, situated one and one-quarter miles northwest of Fletcher. Until he was eighteen years of age, James M. Caven remained on the home farm and obtained his knowledge of books in the Brown Township schools. He then went to Illinois and from there, in 1864, to Idaho, where he remained for four years and then came back to the homestead. He cared for his aged mother until her death, after which he sold his share of the old farm to a brother, subsequently acquiring the large amount of valuable property which made him one of the men of capital in this section of the state. At the time of his death his 500 acres of land were distributed in Orange Township, Shelby County; in Green Township, Shelby County, and in Brown Township, Miami County. His business had always been farming and stockraising and his good judgment and practical methods had made him success. ful in all his ventures. James M. Caven married Annettie Sayers, who is a daughter of Samuel and Jane Sayers, the former of whom was horn in Brown Township, Miami County, of which his father was also a native, and the latter of Virginia. To Mr. and Mrs. Caven five children were born, namely William, who married Margaret Cavault, has three sons —Foster Irwin, Franklin Clay and William Garner; James S., who married Viola Sims, has two children, Marvel Floss and Grace Annis, but lost his young wife on December 21, 1908; Harley Ward, who married Lottie Fergus, has two children, Francis Sayers and Vertis Valentine; Bertha, who married Charles Wyatt ; and Samuel, who died when aged fourteen years. Mr. Caven was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, to which his widow also belongs. She maintains her home in Fletcher, residing on Main Street, having rented her farms to her sons. In his political sentiments, Mr. Caven was identified with the Democratic party. He was a man of enlightened views and was in every way qualified for public office but his tastes did not he in that direction. He was a most worthy citizen and through his long and useful life his influence was always directed to the encouragement of law, order and right living. HENRY ZOLLINGER, a prominent retired farmer of Miami County, residing at Covington, still retains his two valuable farms. one containing 125 acres, which is situated in Newton Township, and the other of 116 acres, lying in Newberry Township, and has both of them operated by capable tenants. Mr. Zollinger was born in Perry County, Ohio, October 25, 1847, and is a. son of Jacob and Margaret ( Lindville) Zollinger. Jacob Zollinger came of German parentage, but he was born in Perry County, Ohio, to which section his father, Lewis Zollinger, had come from Pennsylvania, at an early day. Jacob 594 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Zollinger and family moved from Perry to Fairfield County, Ohio, when Henry was small, and that continued to be the family homestead. Henry Zollinger grew to manhood in Fairfield County, attending the district schools and assisting his father on the farm. In 1875 he was married to Miss Amanda Zartman, who was born and reared in Perry County, a daughter of Simon and Martha (Meekling) Zartman. Immediately after marriage they came to Miami County and settled on the farm of 125 acres which Mr. Zollinger bought in Newton Township, the purchase of the second farm taking place at a later date. There Mr. Zollinger engaged in general farming and stock raising until January 1, 1908, when he retired to Covington. Both farms are well improved, Mr. Zollinger having excellent buildings on each and living in great comfort on the Newton Township place for more than thirty years. Mr. and Mrs. Zollinger have four children, namely: Harry, who is an engineer on the Pan Handle Railroad, married Flora Awker, and they have two children —Claude and Ruth Mattie, the wife of Roy McCoole, who resides on Mr. Zollinger's Newton Township farm, and has one child, Herbert Mary, who is the wife of Robert Holbrook, a chemist, of Chicago Heights, Illinois and Emma, who lives with her parents. Mr. Zollinger and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of the directors of the Stillwater Valley Banking Company. S. D. HARTMAN, M. D., who has been successfully engaged in the practice of medicine at Tippecanoe City for the past thirty-six years, occupies a very prominent position in his profession in Miami County. He was born in this city August 14, 1846, and is a son of Dr. A. B. and Delilah (Campbell) Hartman. Dr. Hartman's father was a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and of German parentage. He was twice married, one child surviving his first wife. He married (second) Delilah Campbell, a most capable woman, and her eight children inherited many of her natural gifts. Dr. and Mrs. A. B. Hartman came to Ohio and located at Tippecanoe City, then a mere village, in 1837. S. D. Hartman obtained his education in the schools of his native place. It is probable that from boyhood he cherished the hope of a medical career, but before doing more than desultory reading along the lines of his future profession, he had acquired a practical knowledge of milling and later of telegraphy. During a period of twenty months, when he was employed as operator in the telegraph office at Troy, he earned sufficient funds to enable him to take the winter course of medical lectures at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1869-'70. Upon his return he continued his studies under his father, to whom he rendered office assistance, and in September, 1871, he returned to Ann Arbor and completed his course. From March to September, 1865, Dr. Hartman served in the Federal army during the Civil War as a member of the One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Regiment, O. V. I. Dr. Hartman is widely known and his record has been such as to give his fellow citizens confidence in his skill as a physician and in his character as a man. He is a member of all the local medical organi- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 595 zations, keeps in close touch with the progress of his profession, and makes use of all advanced methods of treatment that have stood practical tests. In 1875 he was married to Miss Laura Byrkett. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and belongs fraternally to the Masons and Odd Fellows. CHARLES H. McCULLOUGH, who resides upon a farm of sixty-four acres in the outskirts of Troy, in Concord Township, established a dairy business on February 8, 1869, and during the more than forty years which have since elapsed his wagon has not missed a single day in covering the route. He and his five sons have successively run the wagon, and the business is now in charge of H. A. McCullough. Charles H. McCullough was born on what is known as the old Cosley place, in Troy, August 2, 1835, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Ayers) McCullough. His grandfather, Alexander McCullough, came to Miami County from Kentucky at a very early date and became an extensive land owner. He entered land upon a part of which Troy is located, and in Concord Township, obtaining title from the Government. He survived his wife some years and died at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. They had the following children grow to maturity : John, Margaret, Nancy, Polly, Isabella, and Lucilla. John McCullough, father of the subject of this record, spent most of his life in Miami County. He lived at home and farmed until his marriage, and thereafter engaged in the brick and stone business. Some time after the death of his wife at Troy, he moved to Logansport, Indiana, where the declining years of his life were spent. He died there at the age of seventy years. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Ayers, and she was a native of Maryland. They had the following children : Charles Henry ; Augusta, deceased; Elizabeth, of Logansport, Indiana; Julia; John, deceased ; Emma, who died young; and Mary, who also died young. Charles Henry McCullough spent his boyhood days in Troy and attended the primitive school of that period. He has witnessed a wonderful change in conditions in that city, and recalls interestingly the advent of the railroad and the first use of telegraphy there. He knew the first man buried in each of the cemeteries, one of them, Elisha Harker, being a neighbor. In his early manhood he worked for five years at the tinner's trade, but after his marriage, he and his brother-in-law, Murray Telford, went and worked the farm of his father-in-law, James Telford, in Concord Township, the latter being then deceased. He later bought the farm on which he now lives from James Ward, it formerly being known as the John G. Telford farm. As above related, he embarked in the dairy business in 1869, and later took his sons into the partnership. He has always been an energetic and industrious worker and has met with unvarying success. October 10, 1861, Mr. McCullough was married to Nancy Telford, a daughter of James Telford, now deceased. Her father was born in Kentucky and was fourteen years old when he came to Miami County, Ohio, with his father, Alexander Telford (deceased), and the other members of the family. After locating a short time in Dayton, Alexander entered a large tract of land in Concord Township and 596 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY lived there the remainedr of his life. He and his wife had the following children: John, Andrew, James, Finley, Mary, Nancy, and Jane. James Telford, father of Mrs. McCullough, helped to clear the home farm in Concord Township, and later came into possession of a part of the estate. He died on that place at the age of fifty-five years, and the house he occupied so many years is still standing. He married Mary Murray, who died at the age of forty-eight years, and they had seven children : Alexander, Murray, Elizabeth, Howe, Mary Ann, Nancy, who was born on the home farm, July 23, 1837, and is the only member of the family now living, and Hugh. Charles H. and Nancy Telford McCullough became the parents of five sons, as follows: Eugene T., deceased; Heber A., of Troy ; Walter G., a graduate of the University of Michigan and at the present time engaged in the capacity of a private secretary at Washington, D. C.; George McCullough, M. D., who graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College and is in practice at Troy ; and Frank McCullough, D. D. S., who practices dentistry in association with Dr. Jones, of Troy. The last named was married to Miss Bessie McKnight. Dr. George McCullough married Miss Jessie Vonbeseler. In 1864 Charles H. McCullough enlisted as a member of Company H, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, O. V. I., under Captain Kelley, for one hundred days' service and was stationed at Fort Marcy, near Washington. At the close of the war he returned to Miami County. He is a member of Coleman Post, G. A. R., at Troy. He is a Republican in politics. Religiously he and his wife are devout members of the First Presbyterian Church at Troy, of which he is a deacon. A. B. FRAME, M. D., one of Piqua's skilled physicians and surgeons. who has been in active practice here since 1887, is also on honored veteran of the Civil War. He was born in 1840, in Athens County, Ohio, and he was primarily educated there and subsequently took a course at Marietta College. In 1862 Dr. Frame went into the army, having been mainly instrumental in raising Company I, 116th 0. Vol. Inf., of which he was made second lieutenant, five months later becoming first lieutenant. Eighteen months after that he was commissioned captain and served in that capacity until the close of the war, participating in the whole Shenandoah Valley campaign. He was honorably discharged in the fall of 1865. After his military service was over he entered upon the study of medicine, and in 1868 was graduated with his degree from the Medical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati. He located at Athens, Athens County, and continued to practice there until he came to Piqua in 1887, where, in addition to attending to a large general practice, he is retained as surgeon of the C., H. & D. Railroad. He is affiliated with the Miami County and Ohio State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association. In December, 1868, Dr. Frame was married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Morris, of Athens, Ohio, and they have one daughter, Mary, who is the wife of J. D. Kennedy, a well known attorney, of Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Frame is identified with the Masonic fraternity and belongs to the Loyal Legion and the Grand Army of the Republic and to the Piqua. Club. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 597 DORSEY WARD JAY, a leading citizen of Monroe Township, a member of the School Board for a number of years and at present also serving as township assesor, resides on his valuable farm of sixty acres, which lies on the Frederick and Gingham Turnpike Road and adjoins Frederick. He was born on this farm, September 6, 1861, and is a son of William and Esther (Furnas) Jay. The Jay family was established in Miami County by the grandfather, Denny Jay, who came to this neighborhood from South Carolina. He was one of the early settlers and lived here until over seventy years of age, dying in 1867. He lived to see many changes and often told his children of the hardships and disadvantages of the early days in this section. He frequently hauled his produce as far as Cincinnati in order to find a market. The Jay family originally were Quakers but later became united with the Christian Church and now almost all of the name are members of this religious body. The six children of Denny Jay were : Isaac, deceased ; Thomas, deceased, who was a Quaker preacher ; Mary, now deceased; William, father of Dorsey W.; Eli, who is an educator at Richmond, Indiana ; and Levi, who is now deceased. William Jay was born in Miami County, Ohio, in 1823. His early life was spent in assisting his father clear up the pioneer farm, but his educational necessities were not neglected and he was sent to Antioch College and also to Oberlin University. He then engaged in teaching school and subsequently served as superintendent of the Milton public schools for three years. In association with his brother Eli, he built the first school building at Frederick. He became a minister in the Christian Church and served as such for many years and was instrumental in raising enough money to build the church at Frederick, in 1878. His death occurred on his farm when he was aged fifty-eight years, in 1881. He married Esther Furnas, a daughter of John Furnas, also a pioneer settler in this section, from South Carolina. She died in January, 1899, when aged seventy-five years. They had four children, namely : Emma, who married James Leopard, of Frederick ; Horace; Estella, who died in infancy; and Dorsey Ward. Following the death of his mother, Dorsey Ward Jay purchased the homestead farm, on which, with the exception of three years and during his absences while attending school, he has passed all his life. In boyhood he was entered as a pupil in a select school and later attended the public schools of Milton, going from there to the Covington High School and then spent some time at Earlham College, at Richmond, Indiana. In 1882 he embarked in a general store business at Frederick, which he continued until 1888, and then returned to the farm. He carries on a general farming line and devotes eight acres to tobacco growing. During his period of residence at Frederick, Mr. Jay was married to Miss Belle Shearer, who is a daughter of Henry and Lina (Hurley) Shearer. Henry Shearer died in 1897, aged seventy-two years. His widow died May, 1909, in her seventy-eighth year. They had five children : Theodore H., Mary C. , Ira, Elizabeth and Belle. Mr. and Mrs. Jay have one son, Harry, who married Hazel Barnes. In politics, Mr. Jay is a stanch Republican. He has served as township assessor for the 598 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY past six years and has long been a member of the School Board, a part of the time being its clerk. He is a Knight of Pythias, belonging to lodge No. 238, at West Milton. PETER F. EAGLE, M. D., one of the leading medical practitioners of the city of Troy, was born near the city of Dayton, Ohio, May 2, 1850, son of David and Eliza (Reedy) Eagle. His father was for many years a prosperous farmer of Montgomery County, where he died in 1894, being followed to the grave by his wife a year later. The subject of this sketch was reared on the parental homestead and laid the foundation of his education in the district schools, where he proved himself a bright pupil. In 1873 he became a student at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, where he remained for a year, afterwards taking up the study of medicine in the St. Louis Medical College, where he matriculated January 1, 1874. He was graduated from that institution in March, 1878, and on June 3d of that year he opened on office for the practice of his profession in Troy. He has since remained a resident of this city and is numbered among its ablest professional men, having built up a large and lucrative practice. In politics he is a Democrat and takes an intelligent interest in all public questions. Though devoting his chief attention to his profession, his aid and influence are not withheld whenever any public-spirited movement is set on foot for the moral or material improvement of the community. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Foresters, the Ancient Essenic Order, and the Elks. He also belongs to the Miami County Medical Association. He was married Janu ary 22, 1879, to Miss Mary Kline, of Troy, Ohio. He and his wife are the parents of two children—Mayme and Harry. JAMES KERR, deceased, was in his day one of the most prominent and successful men of affairs of Monroe Township, Miami County, Ohio, where the family has been established ever since the very earliest pioneer days. He was born on the farm adjoining the one on which his widow and sons now live, the date being November 6, 1834, and was a son of James, Sr., and Sally (Thompson) Kerr, and a grandson of George Kerr. George Kerr, the grandfather, was born in Marietta, Ohio, whither his parents had located upon coming to this country from Ireland. They originally came from Scotland. George Kerr was a young man when he came west to Miami County, Ohio, and took up his residence in the woods of Monroe Township, becoming an extensive land owner. He was married here and reared a large family, mostly sons. James Kerr, Sr., was born and reared in Monroe Township, Miami County, Ohio, where he always lived and farmed. He was married to Sally Thompson, who was lost from her parents in Canada and brought to Ohio by soldiers who were fighting Indians. She had the reputation of being a very beautiful woman and lived to the age of eighty-four years, surviving her husband many years. He died in 1863, at the age of sixty-five years. They were parents of the following children : Hamilton ; Hanford ; George ; Margaret (Sins-man) ; Thompson ; William ; Rebecca Ann, wife of Harvey Houston ; James ; John; Perry ; and Sally Ann, who died at six years. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 599 James Kerr, subject of this record, never resided over a half mile from the place of his birth. He began when quite young and did most of the clearing on the home place ; he was a hard worker and always followed general farming and stock raising, making a specialty of shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He prospered beyond the average and at his death owned a farm of 188 acres. He died July 7, 1884, and his many friends and acquaintances mourned his death as an irreparable loss to the community. He was much interested in Masonry, and was an active member of the lodge at Troy. March 19, 1858, Mr. Kerr was united in marriage with Miss Mary Elizabeth McPherson, who was reared in Miami County, Ohio, she being a daughter of Adam D. and Rachael (Morris) McPherson. Her father was born in Clark County, Ohio, and her mother in Miami County. Mrs. Kerr was born at Logansport, Indiana, March 1, 1838, and is at present living with her sons on the old home place in Monroe Township. By her marriage she had four children, as follows : James M., who was born in Concord Township. January 15, 1859; William of Oklahoma. who married Della Westlake and has two children, Elsie and Irving ; Sherman, who was horn on the present farm, November 13, 1366 ; and Albert, who was born on this farm December 31, 186S. James Sherman and Albert Kerr live with their mother on the home farm and carry on operations under the firm name of Kerr Brothers. They have 355 acres in Monroe and Concord Townships and follow general farming and stock raising on a large scale, buying largely in the Chicago markets. They also make a business of loaning money at interest. The Kerr brothers were reared on the farm and attended the district schools. They were reared to hard work, and having the entire confidence of their father, were taken into his business deals at an early age. They have traveled extensively over the United States, and are broad and liberal-minded men. Sherman and Albert Kerr are members of Troy Lodge, No. 110, Knights of Pythias ; and West Milton Lodge, No. 577, F. & A. M. Religiously, they are members of the Christian Church. MICHAEL MATER, one of Covington's esteemed citizens, now living retired, for almost a half century was actively engaged in business here, conducting a carriage and repair shop for forty-eight years, and has watched the city develop from a small place. Mr. Maier was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 2, 1835, and is a son of Michael and Katrina (Miller) Maier. The parents of Mr. Maier passed their whole lives in Germany. The father held a responsible office under the Government, being what was termed a forest watchman, a position given only to men of intelligence and good character. Mr. Maier remembers his parents with feelings of great respect and affection, never seeing them after he was eighteen years old, when he came to America. In his own land, Michael Maier learned the trade of wagon-making and when he reached the United States, in 1853, he easily secured work at this industry in Hartford, Connecticut, where he remained four years. From Hartford lre came to Covington, in 1857, buying out a small shop which was doing business on the Troy Turnpike. Later, during the Civil War,