700 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ests to include other commodities, and admitted his son to partnership, and has a very large plant at present, and gives employment to a number of men. Since 1892 he has also been in partnership with Nathan Iddings in the grain business, and with Mr. Iddings organized the Bradford Bank, which they own. In 1865 Mr. Arnold was married to Miss Mary Ross, a daughter of Samuel Ross, and they have had seven children, the three survivors being: Armina, who married Charles Weaver and has two children, Myrtle and Gertrude, the former being her grandfather's bookkeeper; John T., junior member of the firm of D. Arnold & Son, who married Ida V. Brant and has one son, Lawson; and Mary Gertrude, who married R. D. Hoover, a resident of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. CHARLES F. PERKINS, one of the prominent young business men of Pleasant Hill, cashier of the Pleasant Hill Banking Company, of which he is one of the heaviest stockholders, was born July 5, 1882, in Owen County, Kentucky, and is a son of George and Martha Ellen (Payne) Perkins. The parents of Mr. Perkins were natives of Kentucky, and his mother still survives and resides at Covington. His father died April 20, 1891. He was a member of the Baptist Church. To George Perkins and wife three children were born : Walter, who died when aged eighteen months; Charles F.; and Elzie, who married Gertrude Smith, daughter of George Smith, of McHenry, Kentucky, and has one child, Iola. Charles F. Perkins was educated in Owen County and the State University at Lexington. Immediately after completing his college course he became .bookkeeper for a banking institution at Wheatley, Kentucky, where he remained for two years. From there he went into a bank at Ghent, Kentucky, and was assistant cashier for two years, and then came to Pleasant Hill, in March, 1907. Mr. Perkins came here a stranger, and opened up his bank when almost unknown, but he did not long remain so, for his square dealing and careful, conservative methods soon appealed to both capitalists and the people at large. and a hearty support soon placed this financial institution among the leading ones of Miami County. He invested in property, showing his intention to make this town of pleasant name and environment his permanent home, and now owns his own handsome residence, together with three town lots. He has shown a hearty interest in public affairs, and during the recent local option campaign against liquor gave three weeks of his valuable time to presenting this issue to the people. In politics he is a Democrat. Mr. Perkins was married November 27, 1907, to Miss Effie Roberts, a daughter of W. A. Roberts, of Ghent, Kentucky. They are members of the Baptist Church. Ile is a member of Pleasant Hill Lodge, F. & A. M., of Pleasant Hill. GEORGE E. KINNISON. a well known farmer and representative citizen of Newton Township, Miami County. Ohio, is the owner of sixty acres of land in Section 26, Range 4, of that township. Fe was born in Washington Township, Miami County, Ohio, April 5, 1864, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Halderman) Kinnison. George Kinnison was born in Virginia December 9, 1831. and was five years of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 701 age when he moved with his parents to Jackson County, Ohio. There he grew to maturity and lived until he was twenty-eight years of age, then moved to the vicinity of Covington, in Miami County, Ohio. He had a farm lying partly in Newberry and partly in Washington township, on which he lived until 1877, when he bought a sixty-acre tract in Newton Township. He continued on the latter until 1900, then moved to the place where his widow now lives, about one-half mile south of Covington. He died there on May 9, 1909, and was buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Religiously, he was a member of the Christian Church. He was a Democrat in politics, and took an earnest interest in public affairs, but never dabbled in politics. Mr. Kinnison was married in Jackson County, Ohio, to Miss Elizabeth Haldeman, and they were parents of the following children : Clara, Mary F., Laura, George E., Emma, Rosa, Wesley, Myrtle, Ella, and one who died unnamed. George E. Kinnison first attended what was known as White's schoolhouse, one mile east of Covington ; after six terms in that school, his parents having moved to Newton Township, he attended the Buckeye school in that township. He next engaged in farming, working out by the month, until his marriage in 1884. when he moved onto a twenty-acre farm in Newton Township. He moved from that place in 1893 to the sixty acres on which he now lives, in the same township. He first lived in the old log house, which was built on the place by John Sloan at an early date, but more recently has occupied a fine new frame house which he erected. He also put up the other buildings on the place, and has made many other important improvements, including the laying of 1,000 rods of tile for drainage. He is a Prohibitionist in politics, and served three years as township trustee, as well as member of the school board at different times. In February, 1884, George E. Kinnison was married to Mary J. Awker, a daughter of James and Malvina Awker, and they became parents of five children, namely : Elmer, who married Blanche Niswonger, daughter of David and Nellie Niswonger, and has a daughter named Ruth ; James ; Clyde F.; Wilbert D., and Stephen. Religiously, they are members of the Christian Church, and Mr. Kinnison serves as financial secretary of the church organization. M. D. MYERS, who has been identified with the business interests of Bradford, Ohio, for almost forty years, is proprietor of a prosperous boot and shoe house enterprise here. and has been connected with this line of industry ever since boyhood. He is one of the pioneer business men of the place. He was born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1838, and. is a son of Michael and Feronica (Deppler) Myers. When Mr. Myers was two years old his parents moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the father followed his trade of weaving. M. D. Myers did not adopt this trade, but before he was twelve years of age was learning the trade of shoemaking, and before he was eighteen years old ran a shop of his own. He then moved to Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio, in the spring of 1856, where he worked at first for a shoemaker and then opened a shop of his own. One year later his parents joined him, and it was in his home that his father died when aged ninety-four years. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Myers came to 702 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Bradford, and immediately started to erect the building in which he has carried on his business ever since. He has always been an active and public-spirited citizen, and ever ready to do his full share in advancing the interests of Bradford, serving faithfully through a number of terms in the Town Council, and also on the School Board. Mr. Myers first firmly established himself in business before returning to Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, to marry Miss Hannah L. Gingrich, a most estimable lady who had a wide circle of warm friends in Bradford. She died in February, 1908. There were seven children born to them, as follows : Ellen Catherine, who married Henry Miller, residing near Oakland, Darke County ; Matilda Alice, who married John R. Shaffer, residing at Olney, Illinois; Ulysses Grant, who resides in Iowa and is a shoemaker ; George, a cabinet maker who resides at Bradford ; Mary Olive, now deceased, who was the wife of Albert Klinger ; Nora May, who is deceased ; and Harry, who resides at Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Myers is an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and in this religious body he has reared his children and hopes to see his thirty-three grandchildren united in the same faith. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. JACOB WIDENER, deceased, formerly one of Covington's representative business men and highly esteemed citizens, was born at Covington, Ohio, September 22, 1845, and was a son of Jacob and Margaret (Fahnestock) Widener. Both the Widener and Fahnestock families came from Saxony, Germany, and a complete ancestral line, together with the old coat of arms, is in the possession of the widow of the late Jacob Widener. The first Jacob Widener, father of Jacob (2), was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1809, his father having come directly from Germany. In his earlier years, Jacob Widener worked as a tanner at Strasburg, Pennsylvania. In October, 1834, he was married at Landisburg, Pennsylvania, to Margaret Fahnestock, and in the spring of 1836, with their oldest child, William Fahnestock, they made the journey to Ohio by wagon, and in the fall of that year settled near Covington, Miami County. Jacob Widener started into business first with a tin shop and later, after a period of official life, he embarked in a hardware business in which he continued until succeeded by his son. He was one of the charter members of the Christian Church which was organized at Covington in 1837. A Democrat, he was elected by that party first a justice of the peace and was later appointed postmaster of Covington under the administration of President Polk. Upon retiring from that office he was elected county recorder, and during that time lived at Troy, and in 1850 moved from there to Versailles, where he was a dry goods merchant and also conducted a tannery. In 1866 he returned permanently to Covington, founding the hardware business at that time. His death occurred April 12, 1882, when aged seventy-three years. Jacob Widener, the second, was reared in Miami County and attended school at Troy, Versailles and Piqua. He succeeded his father in the hardware business and conducted it until 1899, when he sold out and lived more or less retired from that time until his death on May 21, 1905, at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 705 the City Hospital, at Dayton, Ohio. He was a worthy and valued member of the Christian Church, in which he was a member of the choir for many years and he served for a like period as treasurer of the Sunday-school. Personally he was a man of many admirable and amiable qualities and he had a wide circle of friends. He was identified with the order of Odd Fellows. On April 13, 1870. Mr. Widener was married to Miss Julia J. Birely, who was born at Lebanon, Ohio, and is a daughter of Joseph and Effie (Samson) Birely. To this marriage were born four children, namely : William B., born January 30, 1871, died in February, 1872 ; Manley B. and Stanley F., twins, born February 1, 1872, the latter living at Pomona, California, the former of whom lives at Chicago, Illinois ; and Edna Lulu, born September 24, 1879, who married William Conrad, a contracting and construction engineer. Mr.and Mrs. Conrad had one son, William Widener, who lived but six days. Manley B. Widener married Etoile Patterson. Stanley F. Widener married Minnie Webb and they have one daughter, Catherine Lavinia. ALBERT R. PATTY, junior member of the mercantile firm of Stahl & Patty, doing a large and satisfactory business at Bradford, was born on a farm in Adams Township, Darke County, Ohio. February 22, 1877, and is a son of Finley H. and Lucinda (Jay) Patty. The former died in 1884, but the latter survives. Albert R. Patty grew to manhood on the home farm, and attended the country schools. Later he spent several winters teaching school in Newton and Franklin Townships, the former in Miami and the latter in Darke County, and then embarked in the mercantile business at Bradford, in partnership with J. W. Stahl. The firm began in rather a small way, but have gradually expanded until their stock includes dry goods, groceries, clothing and men's furnishings, and carpets, and they occupy a large amount of floor space and give employment to a number of workers. Mr. Patty was married to Miss Essie Redinger, and they have one son, George Finley. Mr. and Mrs. Patty are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is a deacon. In politics he is a Republican, and at present is serving in the office of city treasurer. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity. W. A. MINTON, M. D., has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Bradford, Ohio, during the past twelve years, and lives on the Darke County side of the village. He is a son of Dr. W. H. H. Minton, who practiced medicine at this place for more than thirty-seven years. Dr. W. H. H. Minton was born in Dayton, Ohio, August 13, 1837, and was a son of William Minton. He attended the public schools of that city, after which he completed a course in Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. He studied medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Belleville at Dayton, and first engaged in practice at Laura, in Miami County, Ohio. After several years at that point he moved to Bradford, where he continued in active practice for thirty-seven years. He was a man of wide acquaintance and high standing, and his death, which occurred May 7, 1909, was mourned as an irreparable loss to the community. He was first married to Elizabeth Shellenberger, by whom he had three ail-. 706 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY dren : Ellis S., Kitty, deceased, and Harry. He formed a second union with Miss Margaret Faulkner, and they became parents of four, as follows : Dr. W. A. Minton; Myrtle May, deceased; Paul B. Minton, D. D. S., who is in practice at Bradford; and Ida Ruth, an instructor in the fourth grade of the Bradford schools. Dr. W. A. Minton was born in Bradford February 26, 1873, and was there reared to maturity. He attended the Bradford grade and high schools, graduating from the latter in 1891, then completed a preparatory course at Lebanon Normal School. He received his professional training in Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and Louisville Medical College, receiving the degree of M. D. from the last named on March 6, 1894. He embarked in practice at Union City, Indiana, where he remained but six months, then opened an office in Bradford. He enjoys great popularity among the people, and has a good practice. He is a member of the Miami County Medical Society. The Doctor was united in marriage with Miss Jessie Darner, and they have a comfortable home in the village. JOHN WORLEY, who owns and cultivates a very valuable farm of seventy-five acres, which is situated in Newberry Township, four and one-half miles northwest of Covington, was born July 9, 1857, in Newberry Township, Miami County, Ohio, on a farm three miles north of the one he owns. His parents were Aiken and Lydia (Fulker) Worley. Aiken Worley was born in Shelby County, Ohio, just across the line from Miami, where his father, John Worley, settled when he came very early to this section, from Pennsylvania. After he grew to manhood and married he moved across the line and settled on a farm about one-half mile from his old home, and cleared that farm and spent the remainder of his life on it. He acquired other land, and formerly owned the farm on which his son, John Worley, resides, but never lived on it. His death occurred in 1890. He married Lydia Fulker, who was born in Newberry Township, Miami County, and died here in 1903. John Worley remained at home until he reached manhood, during these years working for his father, and then went to work for others and engaged by the month, continuing to work in that way for about twelve years. He took possession of his present farm in January, 1885, and has carried on general farming here ever since. He found the place needed considerable improving, and in 1905 he erected his substantial barn and also remodeled the house, making it both attractive and comfortable. Mr. Worley was married (first) to Miss Catherine Fesler, who died in 1893. He was married (second) to Miss Mary Mowery, who was born in Illinois and was five years old when her parents moved to Newberry Township, Miami County. They were Martin and Elizabeth (Ullery) Mowery. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and her mother on a farm situated one-half mile east of Covington. They lived in Miami County for several years after coming from Illinois, the father engaging in farming in Newberry Township. He died in 1897 and was survived by his widow until April, 1902. Mrs. Worley is a member of the Progressive Brethren Church. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 707 ALLEN COPPOCK, a highly respected citizen of Pleasant Hill, where he now lives retired from active pursuits, still retains his Newton Township farm and is one of the stockholders of the Pleasant Hill Banking Company. He was born :March 14, 1838, in Newton Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph C. and a grandson of William Coppock. The Coppocks were among the earliest Quaker settlers in this section of Miami County, and they have always been numbered with the reliable and substantial people. William Coppock engaged in teaming and his wagons were operated between Cincinnati and the outlying settlements. His home was at Ludlow Falls. He married Eunice Cotchran, and they had three children : Joseph, Susan and May. William Coppock died about 1812 and his burial was one of the first in the East Union Cemetery, a Friends' burying ground. His widow survived for many years. Joseph C. Coppock was born in a log cabin which still stands near Ludlow Falls, Miami County, Ohio. He engaged in farming after his first marriage, later moved to the old mill property near Pleasant Hill, after his third marriage, but in the interim had resided for some years with his son Allen. He died in June, 1896, and was interred in the East Union Cemetery. For a number of years he was justice of the peace. Joseph C. Coppock was married (first) to Sarah Jay, daughter of William Jay. She died in 1841, the mother of three children: William, Allen and Henry. Mr. Coppock was married (second) to Sarah (Aldrich) Conway, a daughter of Varnum and Margaret Aldrich, and two children were born to this union: Amanda and Frank M. His third marriage was to Bianca Barrett, a daughter of Thomas Barrett. Allen Coppock attended school until he was about twenty years old, first near the Quaker meeting-house and later the district schools, and completed his education at a well known educational institution on College Hill, Cincinnati. He assisted in operating the home farm after his return, until 1864, when he enlisted in Company A, 147th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served four months as a soldier. He escaped all injury, and after his marriage, which took place in a short time, he settled down to farming one mile south of Pleasant Hill, in Newton Township, where he had 144 acres, which he operated until 1871. He then traded farms with his father, taking the old homestead, and there continued to live until 1898, when he retired to Pleasant Hill. Mr. Coppock is in the enjoyment of excellent health, and taking advantage of his leisure, has done some traveling in recent years. On December 18, 1908, he made a very interesting and enjoyable visit to California, and during this trip spent two months at Santiago, two months at Los Angeles and also saw the sights of San Francisco, the city rising from its ruins, and on the way back home stopped over in Colorado and Salt Lake City. Such a trip is not only interesting but educational. He reached home April 16, 1909. On June 21, 1865, Mr. Coppock was married to Miss Maria E. Furnas, a daughter of Joseph and Margaret Furnas, and they have had the following children: Sarah, Joseph, Margaret, Fred D., Jeddie Carlton, Mary Ethel, Allen B., Harry and Clarence C. Sarah married L. A. Kesler, 708 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY and has three children. Joseph married Ida Moler, a daughter of Ephraim Moler, and they have two children—Jay S. and Josie. Margaret married Omar Patty, and they have three children—Clarence, Joseph and William A. Fred D. married Maude Miles, a daughter of John and Susan Miles, and they have two children —Dorothy and Eugene. Jeddie Carlton married Zoe De Bra, a daughter of John and Mary Ann De Bra. She died October 29, 1905. He married (second) Bonnie Weaver, a daughter of John Weaver. Mary Ethel married Harry Brown, and they have one daughter, Margaret. Allen B. married Grace Dickey. Harry, born December 22, 1868, died August 10, 1870. Clarence C., born June 24, 1873, died March 15, 1879. Mr. Coppock joined the Masons in 1868 and has been identified with the Pleasant Hill lodge ever since. In political affiliation he is a Republican, but he takes no active part in campaign work. He is a member of Dan Williams Post, G. A. R., No. 369, Pleasant Hill. JOHN CLARK HARSHBARGER, who comes of an old and respected family of Newton Township, Miami County, Ohio, is engaged in general farming and lives upon and owns a farm of forty acres in Section 12. He will also be the owner of ninety-two acres at his mother's death, willed that way by his father. He pays his mother a dowry of one-third, which formed a part of the old homestead. He was born in this township, December 15, 1861, and is a son of George K. and Mary Ann (Sipes) Harshbarger. George K. Harshbarger was born in Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, where his father was among the pioneer settlers. He engaged in farming throughout his active life, and became the owner of a valuable property in Newton Township. He died at Atwood, Illinois, in 1902, and is survived by his widow, who resides at Pleasant Hill. They were parents of two children: Mina, and John Clark Harshbarger. John C. Harshbarger attended the public schools in Newton Township and assisted his father in the work on the farm, a part of which he helped to clear. After his marriage he set up housekeeping on the ninety-two acres of the home place his mother now owns and lived there for twenty-one years, at the end of which time he moved to his present farm. He is engaged in general farming and tobacco raising, having about three acres in the latter product. He is a Republican in politics, and served one year as road supervisor. February 5, 1887, Mr. Harshbarger was united in marriage with Effie Carey, a daughter of Stewart Carey, of Newton Township, and they have two sons, Ira and Alonzo. Religiously they are members of the Christian Church of Pleasant Hill. WILLIAM J. McKNIGHT, owner of eighty-six acres of valuable land in Miami County, Ohio, located about five miles northeast of Piqua, has been living on his present farm since 1872 and is well known in that. vicinity. He was born in Shelby County, Ohio, August 18, 1837, and is a son of Joseph and Mary (Wiley) McKnight, and a grandson of Samuel McKnight, who came from Ireland to the United States and settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was William Wiley, who was a native of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 709 County Firmanagh, Ireland, and came to Miami County, Ohio, from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where he had lived some years. Joseph McKnight moved from Shelby County, Ohio, to Miami County, in 1867. and settled on a farm in Spring Creek Township, where he lived until his death. William J. McKnight received his educational training in the public schools of Shelby County, and after leaving school helped in farming the home place. After a time he moved to Miami County, where he remained a couple of years, then returned to Shelby County, where he lived until 1872. He again returned to Miami County in that year and purchased his present farm of eighty-six acres in Spring Creek Township. He followed general farming until recent years, but is now living practically in retirement, renting his farm out by fields. Mr. McKnight was first married to Elizabeth N. Bull, who died in 1869, and they had three sons : Joseph T., who married Mattie Whitlock and lives in Chicago ; William R., who married Anna Hutchinson and lives in Columbus, Ohio ; and Edwin E.. who first married a Mrs. Bradford, and second Miss Anna Dover. William J. McKnight formed a second marital union with Miss Mary Morrow, a daughter of James Morrow, of Shelby County, and they became parents of three daughters : Leota, who lives at home; Minnie, wife of Ward Simmons ; and Mary Lilly, who also lives with her parents. Politically he is a Prohibitionist, and has served as road supervisor. He is a member of the United Presbyterian Church and formerly served as one of its trustees. He is a progressive citizen and is held in high esteem by his many acquaintances. S. G. McKNIGHT, a prosperous farmer, of Spring Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, owns and resides upon a splendid farm of eighty acres, and is also owner of another tract of 160 acres, lying about a fourth of a mile east of his home. He was born in Orange Township, Shelby County, Ohio, September 29, 1848, and is a son of Joseph and Mary (Wiley) McKnight, and a grandson of Samuel McKnight, who came to this country from County Down, Ireland. Joseph McKnight was reared and educated in Pennsylvania, and was young at the time of his father's death. After marriage he rented what is known as the Miller farm in Miami County, Ohio, and worked it one year and then went to Shelby County, Ohio, and settled on 160 acres which he secured from the Government. In October. 1867, he moved back to Miami County to take care of his brother John, who owned the eighty-acre farm which now belongs to the subject of this sketch in Spring Creek Township. At the time of his death, February 9, 1875, he still retained 120 acres of the farm in Shelby County which he had purchased from the Government. He married Mary Wiley, a daughter of William and Mary Wiley, who came to this country from County Firmanagh, Ireland, and settled in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where Mrs. McKnight was born. They later moved to near Piqua, Ohio. Seven children were the issue of this union, as follows : One who died in infancy ; Sarah Jane, who lives with her brother, S. G. McKnight, and is the widow of D. K. Gillespie; W. J., who lives four 710 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY miles southeast of the subject of this record ; Mary Ann, who died at the age of twelve years; Margaret B., deceased wife of Joseph Wead, of Shelby County, the year of her death being 1892; Maria L., who died in 1892; and S. G. S. G. McKnight attended the district schools in Shelby County, after which he enrolled at the State Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. Upon leaving school he taught one term and then assisted his father in the work on the home farm. Since coming to Miami County he has always resided in Spring Creek Township, where he is widely known. He bought his home farm of the Foreign Board of Missions of the Presbyterian Church, and the 160 acres included in the other farm he purchased from his uncle's estate. Politically Mr. McKnight is a Prohibitionist, and was at one time township supervisor. He is a member of the local Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. Religiously he is a member of the United Presbyterian Church. J. C. SUBER, who is engaged in the furniture and undertaking business at Fletcher, has been interested in this line for a longer period than any other dealer in Brown Township, and controls the larger part of the trade in this section of Miami County. Mr. Suber was born in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, on a farm six miles northeast of Fletcher, November 19, 1858, and is a son of William D. and Mary A. (Caven) Suber. William D. Suber was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was brought to Miami County when four years of age. He grew to manhood in Brown Township and acquired the farm which his widow still owns. He died on that place in February, 1889. He married Mary A. Caven, a daughter of J. and Arsinath Caven, residents of Spring Creek Township, and they had five children, namely : J. C., Ora, George, and two who died in infancy. J. C. Suber attended the Lena and Conover schools during six years of boyhood, and then took up hard work on the home farm and remained with his father until his marriage. In 1880 he rented a farm for himself and continued to reside in -Miami County until he came to Fletcher, with the exception of a period of eighteen months, when he lived in Champaign County. Mr. Suber began business here in a modest way, starting in one room, the dimensions of which were 13x45 feet. He very soon found it necessary to increase his facilities and gradually to still further increase them until he now occupies the largest concrete block building in the county. This modern building he erected in 1908, taking possession in August of that year. Its dimensions are 32 1/2,x50 feet, with cellar underneath and three stories in height. He also utilizes a frame two-story building with dimensions of 33x45 feet, with cellar. He carries a full line of household furniture and he gives special attention to undertaking, having every equipment for the business, including caskets, car and ambulance. Mr. Suber received his license as an embalmer from the Board of Embalmers of Toledo in 1905. In addition to his other lines, he has dealt also in coal and cement for some fifteen years. He is one of the representative business men of this section. In 1879 Mr. Suber was married to Miss Sarah P. Carmony, who died May 16, 1896. Two children were born, one of whom died AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 711 in infancy, a daughter, Bertha, surviving. Mr. Suber was married (second) October 25, 1898, to Miss Margaret Thompson, who died May 10, 1906, survived by one son, William. Mr. Suber's third marriage was on July 31, 1907, to Mrs. Ella Robison. Since he was fourteen years of age Mr. Suber has been a member of the Presbyterian Church and has lived consistently with his profession, since 1883 being one of the elders. In politics Mr. Suber is a Democrat and has served several years as clerk of Brown Township. In 1884 he identified himself with the Odd Fellows, and in 1887 with the Knights of Pythias; being a charter member of the latter lodge at Fletcher. GEORGE S. APPLE, owner of two fine farms in Newberry Township, Miami County, one of sixty-seven acres, on which he lives, and the other containing 105 acres, situated one-quarter mile west, both being in Section 11 and about four and one-half miles northwest of Covington, is one of the substantial and representative men of this township. He was born September 27, 1857, on a farm in Darke County, Ohio, and is a son of Solomon and Eve (Gephart) Apple. The Apple family was established in Montgomery County, Ohio, by the great-grandfather, Henry Apple, who came from Pennsylvania at a very early date. At that time the grandfather, also Henry Apple, was a child. He spent his life in Montgomery County, and there his son, Solomon Apple, was born and lived until after his marriage to Eve Gebhart. She was reared in the same vicinity. About one year after marriage they moved to Darke County, where they lived for twelve years, and then came to Newberry Township, Miami County, settling on the farm now jointly owned by the mother and youngest brother of George S. Apple, in March, 1865. Solomon Apple died March 28, 1900, aged seventy years. George S. Apple was about eight years old when his parents brought him to Newberry Township, and he has continued to live here ever since. His life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. Just after he married he settled on his farm of 105 acres, which he cultivated and lived on until July 31, 1907, when he moved to his smaller farm. In that summer he built his present fine frame residence and made many other substantial improvements. On September 25, 1881, Mr. Apple was married to Miss Amanda Johnson, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, a daughter of Wilson and Nancy (De Camp) Johnson. Her father was a farmer and died on his farm in Champaign County when she was young, her mother having died when she was only seven years of age. When twelve years old she came to Newberry Township and lived with her sister, Mrs. Hester Hartle, until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Apple have two children: Perry, who lives on his father's larger farm, married Maud 011inger; and Bertha, who remains at home with her parents. Mr. Apple and family belong to the Lutheran Church. JACOB REIBER, notary public and newspaper correspondent, residing at Pleasant -Hill, has acceptably filled a number of the public offices in this section, and is an honored veteran of the Civil War and a member of the Dan W. Williams Post No. 369, G. A. R., at Pleasant Hill. Mr. Reiber 712 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, September 1, 1836, and is a son of John and Mary (Fenical) Reiber. John Reiber was born May 26, 1811, in Perry County, Pennsylvania, and in April, 1837, came to Newton Township, Miami County, where he worked at the blacksmith trade until 1849, after which he engaged in farming until the time of his death, April 18, 1872. His place of burial was the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. He was married (first) to Mary Fenical, June 4, 1835, a daughter of John and Susan Fenical, and there were four sons and three daughters born to this union, namely : Jacob, the only survivor; and Peter, William F., Joseph, Susanna, Margaret I. and Sarah J. The mother of these children died February 23. 1865, and her burial was in the Sugar Grove Cemetery. John Reiber was married (second) to Sarah Katherine Cathron, a daughter of George and Julia Inman. She died in 1889, without issue. For thirty-five years John Reiber was a deacon in the Christian Church. Jacob Reiber went to school in boyhood in Newton Township and then worked on the home farm until his marriage, in 1857, after which he settled on another farm in the same township, which he operated until he entered the army for service in the terrible Civil War. Mr. Reiber enlisted in 1863 in Company G, 110th Regt., 0. Vol. Inf., in which he remained until he was honorably discharged in 1865. As evidence of the hard service he saw, Mr. Reiber has proofs on his own person. On May 5, 1864, when so many brave men fell at the battle of the Wilderness, five bullets left their cruel marks, four of these producing wounds which not only caused him months of intense suffering, but left him with a disabled foot. Honorable as these injuries may be, gained as they were in loyal defense of his country, they were no less hard to endure, and make a claim on the sympathy and gratitude of his fellow citizens which should never be forgotten. Upon his return home, Mr. Reiber was no longer physically able to engage in agricultural pursuits as formerly, and as his fellow citizens recognized this, they sought to find some mode of life for him in which, in his crippled condition, he could take his place in the world and in a measure enjoy the peace that he had fought and suffered to establish. He was appointed to fill out the latter part of the term of the first mayor of the town, a duty he efficiently performed, and then was twice elected township clerk, and in 1878 was made postmaster at Pleasant Bill. This office he filled acceptably for six years. For the past twenty-seven years he has been a notary public, and has also been the local correspondent for a number of newspapers. Although debarred from much that would have been pleasant and profitable to him, Mr. Reiber has led a most useful and exemplary life, and no one in Pleasant Hill is held in higher esteem. On August 27, 1857, Mr. Reiber was married to Miss Maria C. Williams, who died September 24, 1905, and was laid to rest in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The five children born to this marriage were : William, who died May 6, 1864; Rosella J., who lives with her father; Arthur L., who is deceased; J. Warren, who lives in North Carolina ; and Charles C., who resides at Marion, Indiana. He married Kittie E. Brandon, who is a daughter of Samuel H. Brandon, and they have one daughter, Treva Irene, Mr. Reiber's only grandchild. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 713 In his political sentiments he is a stanch Republican, following in the footsteps of his father, and has never swerved in his allegiance. When seventeen years of age he united with the Christian Church, and has remained a consistent member of this religious body. CLOYD SMITH, a well known citizen of Piqua and county clerk-elect of Miami County. was born in Shelby County, Ohio, in 1872, and is a son of the late Dr. S. D. Smith. Dr. S. D. Smith came to Piqua with his family in 1881, and was continuously engaged in the practice of medicine in this city until his death, in 1898. He had two sons, Ernest A. and Cloyd. The former is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University and a Ph. D. of Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore. He completed his studies at Oxford, England, and in Paris, and is an author of some note. He is a member of the faculty of Allegheny College, filling the chair of history and economies. Cloyd Smith was nine years old when his parents came to Piqua. and he was educated in the city schools. He first entered the local office of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he had four years of business training, after which he entered the employ of the Favorite Stove and Range Company, being first in the office and later on the road, terminating a business connection of ten years' duration in 1906. Mr. Smith has been an active citizen, and in November, 1908, his party elected him county clerk, giving him a fine majority. Mr. Smith has a wide acquaintance, and possesses all the qualifications that will enable him to give acceptable service in this position. In 1900 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Henrietta Brandriff, of Piqua, and they have two children, Augusta and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church, at Piqua. SAMUEL YERTY, who resides on his well improved farm of twenty-eight acres, situated in Newberry Township, on the Stillwater turnpike road, about four miles northwest of Covington, owns a second farm, also located in section 12, which lies about one-quarter mile north, and is bordered by the Range Line road. Mr. Yerty was born February 26, 1835, in Newberry Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Jacob and Polly (Ullery) Yerty. Jacob Yerty was born in Pennsylvania, and there attended school and was trained as a farmer, not coming to Miami County until after his marriage. He subsequently became the owner of a quarter section of land in Newberry Township. and lived here until his death. He was thrice married, his first wife being Polly Ullery, who died when her son Samuel was nine years of age. She was a half sister of Col. Ullery, formerly county commissioner of Miami County. To this marriage were born four sons and two daughters, and there are three surviving sons : Jacob and Daniel, twins, who were born October 12, 1825, of whom Jacob is deceased and Daniel resides with his brother Samuel ; and David and Samuel, who are twins. Jacob Yerty and his second wife, Esther, lived for many years in Newberry Township. Samuel Yerty went to school in the neighborhood of his home, in his boyhood, later learned the carpenter trade, and has worked at that and at farming all his life. 714 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY After his marriage, in 1859, he and wife went to housekeeping on a farm of 100 acres in Shelby County, Ohio, which they then owned, but sold, and in 1865 he bought his eighty-acre farm in Newberry Township, and put up substantial buildings there. He continued to live on that farm until 1890, when he came to his present place, where he has put all the buildings in fine shape, and has a valuable property and comfortable and attractive home. On April 3, 1859, Mr. Yerty was married to Miss Savilla Routson, a daughter of George Routson and a sister of Reuben Routson. To this marriage were born three children, namely : Miranda, who married William Keiser, who resides on and operates the eighty-acre farm, has two children—Otto and Leo ; Charles, who married Lydia Fink, resides south of Bradford and they have two children--Ruth and Mary ; and Dolly, who is the wife of George W. Koster, a resident of Marion, Indiana. JOHN F. CAVEN, whose magnificent farm of 456 acres lies just one mile northwest of Fletcher, in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, was born on a farm just across the highway from his own property, in 1855, and is a son of George B. and Catherine (Simmons) Caven. The grandfather, John A. Cavell, came to Brown Township as a pioneer, and he cleared off the land, eighty acres of which has never since been out of the possession of the family, and he built the log house which stood on the place for many years, and was the birthplace of his son, George B. The grandfather died on this farm. George B. Caven grew to manhood in Brown Township, inherited a large part of the family estate, and erected the present comfortable farm dwelling and other buildings, and at the time of his death he owned 430 acres of land. He lived on the farm until within a short time of his demise, which occurred after he had retired to Fletcher. He was a. Democrat in his political opinions, and acceptably served in numerous township offices, for twenty-one consecutive years, being a trustee of Brown Township. Ile lived into honored old age. dying February 9, 1909. within six weeks of his eighty-first birthday. He married Catherine Simmons, a daughter of Peter Simmons, and they had five children born to them, as follows : Alice A., who is the wife of Willis Hill ; John F.; Jane, deceased. who was the wife of R. C. Morrow; Mary E.. who is the wife of George W. Sanders, of Fletcher; and Ruth, who is now deceased. John F. Caven secured his education in the schools of Brown Township and of Piqua. after which he remained on the home farm for over a quarter of a century. In 1902 he came to his own property, where for several years he has done nothing more than oversee the large agricultural operations he has carried on, residing in a very fine modern residence which he erected, with other structures, about the time he came here. Mr. Caven is numbered with the township's representative and substantial men. He has taken a hearty interest in public matters ever since attaining his majority, and as his landed interests have been so large, his judgment has been very often consulted concerning township improvements and like affairs. Following his father's example, he has been a stanch Democrat, and on that ticket has been elected township trustee for the past eleven years, has served usefully on the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 717 School Board, and has filled other township offices. Mr. Caven was married (first) to Florence Berryhill, and they had two children: Maud, who is the wife of R. 0. Brown; and Carrie J., who married Charles Wiles, and lives in Shelby County. Mr. Caven was married (second) to Nellie B. Moore, who is a daughter of J. B. Moore, a retired farmer living at Piqua, and they have two children : Herbert Milton and Martha Blanche. Mr. and Mrs. Caven are members of the Presbyterian Church at Fletcher. He is identified with the Odd Fellows. I. C. KISER, M. D., who is engaged in the practice 'of medicine at Fletcher, and is a representative citizen of the place, is a member of one of the oldest settled families in Brown Township. Dr. Kiser was born in 1873, in Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Benjamin and a grandson of Isaac Kiser. Isaac Kiser was the first white child born in Brown Township, and the whole of his long and useful life was spent here; which was prolonged to eighty-seven years. He was a man of prominence in this section, a leader in all public movements, the owner of 600 acres of land, and one of the township's capitalists. For many years he was justice of the peace, dividing honors with the late Justice Duncan, and together they handled all the early litigation. Benjamin Kiser, father of Dr. Kiser, was reared on his father's farm in Brown Township, and the larger part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. During the Civil War he served honorably as a member of Company C, Seventy-first Regt., 0. Vol. Inf. He married Mary A. Hetzler, and they had four children, namely : Elmer, who is engaged in the meat business at Sidney, Ohio ; Minnie, who is married and resides in Miami County; I. C., of Fletcher; and Foster, who is a student of medicine. Dr. I. C. Kiser was reared on the old homestead in Brown Township, and from the country schools entered the Ohio Normal University at Ada, where he completed a literary course and also graduated In pharmacy, and then entered the Ohio Medical University of Columbus, where he received his degree in 1897. Dr. Kiser immediately located at Fletcher, fitting up a convenient office on Main Street, and has built up a very satisfactory practice. He keeps fully abreast of the times, and makes use of the scientific methods which modern investigation have made possible and advisable. Dr. Kiser was married to Miss Rose Saunders. In his political views he is a Democrat. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and for the past eight years has been treasurer of the latter organization at Fletcher. F. C. GOODRICH, who has been a resident of Troy for a period of twenty-five years, is engaged in the practice of law. He was born at Sharon, in Noble County, Ohio, July 25, 1874, and was nine years of age when his parents moved to Troy. His father, P. J. Goodrich, entered the real estate and insurance business in this city, and also was made grand master of records of the Knights of the Golden Eagle. F. C. Goodrich attended the common schools at Sharon and Troy, and afterward the Troy High School, of which he is a 718 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY graduate. He took the degree of A. M. at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, in 1898, after which he took up the study of law. He studied in the offices of Judge H. H. Williams and Robert J. Smith, at Troy, and was admitted to the bar in December, 1900. He spent six months on the Western Coast, after which, in February, 1902, he opened his office for practice in Troy. In May following, he was appointed by Mayor J. O. Davis as city solicitor, and was twice elected to that office, first in 1903, and again in 1905, discharging its duties with marked ability for six years. He practices in all the courts of the State and enjoys high standing in the profession. In June, 1903, Mr. Goodrich was married to Miss Eva M. Elder, who was born and reared in Troy, and for five years was deputy clerk of Miami County. They have two children, Stanley Webb and Lucy. Mr. Goodrich is a member of the First M. E. Church. Mrs. Goodrich and the rest of the family belong to the First Baptist. Mr. Goodrich is a member and past officer of the following orders: Troy Lodge, No. 43, I. O. O. F.; Concord Encampment, No. 23, I. O. O. F.; Troy Lodge, No. 833, B. P. O. E.; Trojan Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; Concord Castle, No. 43, K. G. E.; and Camp No. 5381, M .W. A.; and Troy Council No. 191, Jr. O. U. A. M. He is representative to the Grand Lodge, I. O. O. F. URIAH S. APPLE, one of Newberry Township's substantial and representative citizens, resides on a farm of 162 acres, which he owns in partnership with his mother, which is situated in Section 1, about four and one-half miles northwest of Covington, was born on this farm December 14, 1875, and is a son of Solomon and Eve (Gebhart) Apple. Solomon Apple was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, on the old Apple homestead, which is situated one mile north of Farmersville. That land was entered from the Government by Henry Apple when he came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. He was the great-grandfather of Uriah S., and when he settled there his son, also Henry Apple, the grandfather of Uriah S., was two years old. Both the older and younger Henry Apple lived and died on that farm, and there Solomon Apple grew to manhood. He married Eve Gebhart, a daughter of George and Margaret (Weaver) Gebhart. Mrs. Apple was born and reared on a farm two miles east of Farmersville, Montgomery County. After marriage they lived for a year and a half in Montgomery County, and then moved to a farm in Darke County, on which they resided for twelve years and then sold. They then/ came to the present farm in Newberry Township, Miami County, but at that time it did not present the fine appearance that it does now. Mr. Apple began improvements, and in 1873 put up the present fine residence. During all his active years he carried on agricultural pusuits and was a careful and successful farmer. He died here March 28, 1900, when aged seventy years. Ile was a valued member of the Lutheran Church. The children born to Solomon Apple and his wife were : Margaret, who is the wife of Thomas E. Routson ; George S., who is a farmer in Newberry Township ; Henry D., who is also a farmer in this township; Catherine and an infant are deceased, the former dying at the age of twelve years ; Sarah, who is the wife of David J. Routson ; Amanda, who AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 719 is the wife of Charles D. Rhoades and Uriah S. Uriah S. Apple has always lived on the home farm, and has never engaged in any line of business except farming. He was educated in the public schools, and is one of the township's intelligent and well informed men. He is a stockholder in the Stillwater Valley Bank. Mr. Apple married Miss Sevilla Routson, a daughter of Reuben Routson and a sister of George W. and D. J. Routson, representative citizens of this part of Miami County. Mr. and Mrs. Apple have had four children, the two survivors being Etoile and Neva. Leonard died when aged one year and one month, and the second born died 'in infancy. Mr. Apple and wife are members of the Lutheran Church. JOHN M. CAVEN, a representative of one of the oldest families of Miami County, resides on his valuable farm of 120 acres, which is situated about five miles east of Piqua. He was born on this farm in Spring Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, December 9, 1848, and is a son of John and Casenath (Ross) Caven. The founder of the Caven family in Miami County was the grandfather, George M. Caven, who came from Rockingham County, Virginia, and settled in Spring Creek Township, and the southern part of the tract that he secured over 100 years ago has never been out of the Caven name. This heritage has proven a rich one, and each successive Caven has increased the value of it. The present owner of all but forty acres of the original farm prizes very highly the early documents concerning it, and has in his possession the old land warrant and the tax receipts bear- ing the date of 1811. The name of George M. Caven appears in the early county records of this section, proving that he was a man of considerable importance in his day. His death occurred on this farm when he was in advanced age. Here his son, John Caven, was born and died. He married Casenath Ross, a daughter of one of the old settlers, and they had the following children born to them : G. Ross, Mary Ann, Sally, Margaret, John M. and Tensie, all of whom survive. John M. Caven obtained his education in the common schools near his home, and all his interests have been centered in this section. In addition to farming he has developed a maple sugar industry, having a maple camp of 150 trees, which produce sap abundantly. Mr. Caven manufactures his sugar in the old way, one that ensures its purity, and he finds ready sale for all he can produce. The location of his farm is a very favorable one, and his land would bring as high a price, if offered for sale, as any in this section of Miami County. He has never married. In his political attachment he is a Republican. He is numbered with the township's substantial and representative men. JACOB MUSSELMAN, township trustee of Newton Township, and a stockholder in the Pleasant Hill Banking Company and the Stillwater Bank of Covington, now lives retired on his excellent farm of eighty acres, which is situated in Section 22, Range 5, near the Troy and Pleasant Hill Turnpike Road. He was born in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, December 3, 1852, and is a son of John and Sarah (Smith) Mussel-man. 720 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY John Musselman was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and came from there to Ohio in early manhood. He settled nine miles south of Dayton, in Montgomery County, and from there came to Miami County in 1871, buying a farm of 142 acres on the Troy and Covington Turnpike, of the Williams heirs. He cleared a part of this farm and repaired the buildings and did a large amount of draining, putting his land in good condition, and with other products, grew about four acres of tobacco a year. He was a large, robust man, weighing about 250 pounds, and for years prior to his death had been more of less afflicted with heart trouble. His death occurred December 21, 1907, and his burial was in the Covington Cemetery. He was a member of the German Reformed Church. In Montgomery County he married Sarah Smith, a daughter of Philip Smith, and they had five children : Jacob, Eliza Ann, Ellen, Emma Idella, and John F. Of these, Ellen is deceased. The mother of these children still resides on the old homestead. Jacob Musselman attended school near Woodburn, in Montgomery County. He helped his father after coming to Miami County and remained at home for about seven years after his own marriage. He then came to his present farm, erecting a new house, a number of other buildings, including tobacco and cattle sheds, and repaired the barn, putting everything into fine condition. He cleared about six acres of the place, and now and then has done a little draining, but his land has required a very small amount of special attention. Mr. Musselman now lives retired, having turned the active operation of the farm over to his capable son-in-law. Mr. Musselman was married January 25, 1877, to Miss Missouri F. Whitman, a daughter of Edward and Mary Whitman, and they have one daughter, Emma Idella, who married Mack Hawn. Mr. and Mrs. Hawn have two sons, Ralph E. and Paul M. Although no longer actively working his farm, Mr. Musselman finds plenty of occupation. His fellow citizens have frequently elected him to township offices, and he gives close and careful attention to his official duties. Since 1908 he has been a. trustee of the township, and formerly served with the greatest efficiency as superintendent of the turnpike. A long life spent mainly in the open air, has given him health and vigor, and Mr. Musselman could easily pass for a man many years younger than the age he acknowledges. PROF. JESSE BEERY, whose skill and reputation as a horse breaker and trainer is recognized all over this and many other counties, and whose School of Correspondence in Horsemanship, together with a number of appliances of his own invention, have made his name familiar all over the United States, was born June 13, 1861, at Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio. His parents were Enoch and Mary (Hatfield) Beery, and his maternal grandparents were George and Mary (Kneighley) Hatfield. The father of Prof. Beery was a substantial farmer and resided on a farm east of Pleasant Hill, where he died in 1905, at the age of eighty-two years, and his burial was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. His wife had passed away in 1868, and she was laid to rest in the Sugar Grove Cemetery. They had six children : Min- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 721 nie, Lelene, Levi, Cassie, Jesse and Martha. Enoch Beery was a deacon in the German Baptist Church for fifty years. Jesse Beery attended school at Pleasant Hill and Covington. He assisted his father on the home farm, but from boyhood took a greater amount of interest in the horses on the place than in the work of cultivating the land, seeming to have a natural gift for controlling animals. This gift he recognized, and by exercising it, increased his power, and when little more than a boy, commenced to travel, exhibiting his powers as a trainer at fairs and expositions all over the country. For sixteen years he was on the road, visiting cities, towns and private grounds, and at all these places he found people who not only acknowledged and admired his remarkable powers, but were anxious to learn his methods, and it was about 1905 when he had more business than he could handle, wherever he went, that he decided to return to Pleasant Hill and found a school to teach others the art which came to him naturally. His course of instruction covers every point of this great subject, and he has satisfied students all over the country. In fact, Professor Beery is one of the few men who have presented the art and science of horse training to pupils in a practical manner, and this superiority has been recognized. Not only has Professor Beery given men and women the opportunity of learning how to train, rear and manage their own horses, but he has invented a number of appliances which he makes use of himself and offers to the public, at most reasonable rates, which are almost a necessity for perfect success in controlling the spirited animals and desirable to use with the most gentle. These appliances have cost Professor Beery much capital and years of experimenting, but they have reached perfection, and as they are protected by patents, they can only be procured from him. Among these may be mentioned: The surcingle, the knee pads, the foot straps, the safety rope, the throwing halter, the double backhand and crupper, the guy line and throwing strap, the free shaft carriers, the bellyband, the breeching and hip straps, all of these being arranged in groups numbered Nos. 1, 2 and 3, at prices most reasonable, while the whole set of appliances can be procured together for the very small sum of eighteen dollars. In addition to the appliances mentioned, several others have later been put on the market, which have met with ready sale, being .recognized as almost indispensable to those who desire perfect safety with horses and at the same time do not wish to cause discomfort to spirited animals. These are the Four-in-one Beery Bit and the Pulley Breaking Bridle. Should Prof. Beery preserve all the letters he receives in praise of his inventions and system of teaching, he would be compelled to erect a warehouse to contain them. He is president of the Jesse Beery Company, of Pleasant Hill, a co-operative organization, the other officers of which are : A. J. Lanver, of Detroit, Michigan, vice-president; Charles F. Perkins, treasurer ; C. Roy Coppock, secretary, and Prof. S. C. Morton. He is also president of the Dayton Agency Supply Company, of Dayton, in which he is a stockholder, and also owns stock in the Pleasant Hill Banking Company. On December 25, 1889, Prof. Beery was married to Miss Meda Coppock, daughter 722 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY of Hon. D. M. Coppock, mayor of Pleasant Hill, and they have four children, Ray, Ruth, Beecher and Lura. The two older children. are students in the Pleasant Hill High School, Miss Ruth also having her musical talent developed. Prof. Beery is a deacon in the Pleasant Hill Christian Church. In politics he is a Republican and he has served in the Town Council and on the School Board. CHARLES MORTON, who conducts a prosperous business at Fletcher in the farm implement line, owns a valuable farm of 108 acres, on which he resides, in Brown Township. He was born January 10, 1862, in Lost Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of Samuel and Hannah N. (Bowne) Morton. The late Samuel Morton, whose sudden death from heart trouble occurred in 1897, was one of Miami County's most respected citizens. He was born in New Jersey, and came to this part of the country in his youth and spent his entire life here. He married Hannah N. Bowne, and they had .three children—Ellen, William and Charles, the latter being the only survivor. Charles Morton was educated in the public schools of Lost Creek Township and was a very apt pupil, graduating when sixteen years of age. He then became his father's helper on the home farm and lived there until his own marriage, when he purchased his present farm and in addition to cultivating it, carries on an excellent business in all kinds of farm implements. In 1886 Mr. Morton was married to Miss Irene Boyd, a daughter of J. A. Boyd, and they have three children, Eva Jane, William Edson and Hannah M. Mr. Morton takes a good citizen's interest in public matters, but he has never consented to accept township office, although particularly well qualified for the same. He casts his vote with the Republican party. Fraternally he belongs to the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. THOMAS M. LOUGHMAN, a representative farmer of Spring Creek Township, residing on a well improved farm of thirty-nine acres, located about four and a half miles east of Piqua, was born January 28, 1836, on a farm in Brown Township, near Fletcher, Ohio, and is a son of Henry and Ruth (Martin) Loughman. Henry Loughman was a native of Virginia, where he was reared and educated, later moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged for a time in teaming, after which he moved to Miami County, and here purchased a tract of land one and a half miles south of Fletcher. Here he engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, due to accident, caused by a team of runaway horses. He married Ruth Martin, a native of Kentucky, and to them was born one son, Thomas M., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Loughman subsequently married a Mr. Byers, by whom she became the mother of six children. Thomas M. Loughman spent his boyhood days on his father's farm in Brown Township and attended the local schools, after which, when about fourteen years old, he began learning the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for a number of years, building the first house in Conover, and the first balloon frame in Fletcher. He later gave up carpentering, traded the home place for land in Iowa, and this he traded for his present farm of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 723 thirty-nine acres in Spring Creek Township. Here Mr. Loughman has since resided, and in 1865 entered the threshing business, which he followed for a period of thirty-eight years in connection with his farming interests. He is now living in retirement, in the enjoyment of a well-earned rest, after years of unceasing activity, the farm being under the management of his son. About 1895 Mr. Loughman suffered a considerable loss by fire, after which he erected all the present buildings on the farm, including the commodious frame residence. Mr. Loughman was first united in marriage with Elizabeth Hetzler, after whose death he married Elizabeth Baltzell, a daughter of Christopher and Mary Ann Baltzell, farmers, of Mercer County, Ohio. Eight children were born of this second union : Mina Belle, married John Manson, of Tippecanoe, Ohio ; Callie F., married John Brose, of Sidney, Ohio ; Daniel, a resident and smoke inspector of Dayton, Ohio, married Susan Ridenour ; Rose, married J. Meacham, of Piqua ; Jennie, resides at home ; Omer T., a resident of Fletcher, cultivates the home farm, and married Jennie Lane ; Lula, married John Hance, of Louisville, Kentucky ; and Bertha, who married M. Duer, lives three miles northeast of Fletcher. Mr. Loughman and family attend the First Presbyterian Church. He is politically identified with the Democratic party ; was for eight years township trustee and for the same period was a member of the Election Board. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows. JACOB CASSEL, a highly respected retired farmer, residing in a comfortable home at Bloomer, Miami County, was born in Concord Township, Miami County, Ohio, one and one-half miles west of Troy, November 18, 1840, and is a son of John and Lydia (Hittle) Cassel. John Cassel was born in Pennsylvania, but he married in Ohio. He was a farmer, and during the boyhood of his son Jacob moved to Illinois and bought a farm in Schuyler County. He died there three years later, and in 1850 his widow returned to Ohio with her children, settling near Greenville, in Darke County, where she passed the remainder of her life. A fatherless boy often has a youth filled with many hardships, and in this case Jacob Cassel was no exception. When thirteen years of age he was bound out to his half-brother, who was a farmer in Darke County, and Jacob worked there for seven years for the sum of $150. When his term of bondage was over he started out for himself and soon was independent, working for many different farmers all over the township and even in other counties. On March 5, 1861, he was married to Miss Hester Moist, who was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, where she lived until she was twelve years old. At that time her parents, Abram and Rachel (Ziegler) Moist, moved on a farm situated southwest of Covington, and later retired to Pleasant Hill, where his death took place some years later. Mr. and Mrs. Cassel have two children : Angeline and Charles. Angeline married Charles Hill, and they live in Washington Township, Miami County. They have two children : Edith and Sylvia. Charles is the overseer of 590 acres of farm land belonging to the Shaker settlement, east of Dayton. He married Martha Hile, now deceased, and 724 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY their one daughter, Mabel, lives with her grandparents. Formerly Mr. Cassel owned eighty acres of farm land on the separating line between Shelby and Miami Counties, on which he lived for twenty years. He sold that farm in February, 1898, and then retired to Bloomer, purchasing the place there formerly owned by his son-in-law. Subsequently Mr. Cassel bought thirty acres, located north of Bloomer, and this he retains. He and his wife are members of the Progressive Brethren Church, a branch of the Dunkard body. MORGAN LEONARD, a retired farmer living on his valuable farm of fifty acres, which is situated in Section 13, Range 4, Newton Township, is one of the representative citizens of this section, having served in the most important township offices and for the last eight years been a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also an honored veteran of the Civil War. He was born March 30, 1845, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Reuben and Elizabeth (Airgood) Leonard. The parents of Mr. Leonard spent their lives in Pennsylvania. They had ten children: Thomas, Milo, Morgan, Elizabeth, Scott, John, Samuel, Alva, Jersey and Jane. Reuben Leonard and wife attended the Dunkard Church. He was a strong Republican and his son remembers that he frequently sent his boys out on election day to remind voters of their duty to come to the polls. Morgan Leonard attended school at Oakland Mills, Juniata County, and then went into the railroad shops. He later went out on the road as a brakeman, became a fireman and later was an engineer and was serving in that capacity when he entered the army as a member of Company A, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. He was in the service for eighteen months, and during this time was wounded seriously three times and was so incapacitated that he was obliged to retire from the service. It was a long time before he regained his health, and for three years he worked as a silversmith, with his father-in-law at Covington, where he continued to live after his marriage until he came to his present farm. Of this he cleared forty acres and drained 850 rods, putting down tile. He also put up all the substantial buildings and made all other improvements and carried on a general line of agricultural work until he retired. He is a leading Republican in this section and has taken an active part in public matters. For eight years he served as supervisor of Newton Township and has been a trustee for the same length of time. At times he has served in other capacities, always with good judgment and a fit recognition of responsibility. On one occasion he was kept away from home for six weeks while serving on a United States jury, at Cincinnati, and on several other times has served on the grand jury at Troy. Mr. Leonard was married March 4, 1864, to Miss Matilda Varner, a daughter of Daniel G. and Mary Varner, and they have had eight children, namely : Daniel G., deceased; Reuben, who resides at home; Elizabeth, deceased; Alva, who married Jessie Hoffman; Belle, who married John Marshall, of Darke County, and has two children—Ray and Ira Annie, who married Irwin Shell, and has one son, Harley Irwin, who lives at home; and