250 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY all other areas in the country in volume of manufactured goods, but in diversity of manufacturing as well. So, it is quite natural to inquire as to the great personal forces that have made this tremendous manufacturing life of the Miami valley possible. In Troy, as elsewhere, we not only find this diversity of manufactured products, but well ordered industrial system that insures the utmost volume of its products. In this instance we will divert to one who has contributed in the greatest possible measure to the life of Troy, and few others, if any, have done more to develop and maintain the reputation of Troy as one of the best manufacturing cities in the Miami valley. Pre-eminently, a self-made man, Augustus G. Stouder came through the school of hard knocks and like many of the great industrial leaders of the country, he has achieved without ostentation, content with building a solid and substantial memorial as is best expressed in the industries with which he has identified himself. Augustus Stouder was launched into actual life at an early age and soon learned the value, as well as the necessity, of self-reliance. He attended school in various places, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio, and during young manhood engaged in various occupations and business enterprises. At Vandalia, Ohio, he met the person who. had secured the patents on the products which formed the original products of the Troy Carriage Sunshade Co. The patentee was a minister who was desirous of disposing of his invention, and Stouder possessed of but a small amount of capital agreed to buy the rights on this invention. He removed the industry to Troy and established the Troy Carriage Sunshade Co., Mr. H. F. Douglass and Mr. E. E. Edgar later becoming associated with him in this enterprise. The expansion of this concern from that time has been indeed wonderful. It gradually developed into one of the foremost manufacturing concerns in this part of the country, and no little credit is due Mr. Stouder for its splendid success. (For a full account of the history of this concern, the reader is referred to the General History section of this work, entitled Troy Industries.) Mr. Stouder is a stockholder and director in the sunshade company, and with Mr. E. E. Edgar and others, he purchased the Hobart Manufacturing Company, a concern that was then occupying very modest quarters in the neighborhood of the sunshade company. This concern was founded by C. C. Hobart and was largely devoted to the manufacture of motors and dynamos. Under the direction of Mr. Stouder, Mr. Edgar and others the success of this concern has been wonderful indeed. New lines were added including electrically driven food choppers, coffee mills and other devices of a similar nature. The demand for these products has been world wide and today the Hobart Company is considered the leader in these lines. All battleships of the United States navy and other navies are equipped with Hobart devices and to meet this demand, new additions have been erected from year to year until it has reached very great physical proportions. (We refer the reader to the industrial section of this work, entitled Troy Industries, for a more detailed account of the Hobart Manufactur- MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 251 ing Company.) The above two concerns are certainly a wonderful testimonial to the men who have made them possible. It might be said that these two concerns are the keystones of the business life of Troy, employing as they do, hundreds of highly .paid workmen. Mr. Stouder has found time, of more recent years, to relax somewhat from the exacting ardor of manufacturing life. He spends some time in travel and is very much interested in a farming project of some 7,000 acres in Alberta, Can. This tract of land was purchased by Mr. Stouder and his associates and is cultivated in wheat. Mr. Stouder is also a director of the Troy National Bank and active in the general business life of Troy. It is needless to say, perhaps, that Mr. Stouder was responsive to all local war movements and has found time to assist many philanthropies, and is at all times devoted to the best interests of this section of Miami valley. Glenn C. Strock. The contribution of Glenn C. Strock to the business prestige of Troy is a well-conducted men's furnishing store, which he operates with his partner under the firm style of Strock & Landrey. Mr. Strock, who is one of the enterprising business men of his city, was born in Clark county, Ohio, May 9, 1881, a son of Addison M. and Rosetta (Wrigley) Strock. He was the third of five children, the others being : Lillian, Minnie, Nellie and Anna. Educated at Troy, after leaving school he centered his attention and activities in the clothing business, with which he was identified until February 1, 1907, when he formed a partnership with John W. Landrey in founding the firm of Strock & ,Landrey. Since that time they have conducted a men's furnishing goods store which has won its way to public favor and patronage and which now does a large annual volume of business. Mr. Strock married Elizabeth, daughter of C. B. Rice, of Troy, and to this union there have been born three children : Robert LeRoy, and two who died in infancy. Mr. Strock is a popular member of the Knights of Pythias and the Rotary and Troy clubs. He was very active in the Liberty. Loan, war chest and Red Cross movements during the period of the great war. Charles A. Studebaker, who is numbered among the progressive and substantial agriculturists of Miami county, is the owner of a valuable and highly-improved property lying in Bethel township. Mr. Studebaker was born in this township, November 29, 1872, a son of Henry and Katherine (Senseman) Studebaker, and on both sides belongs to families which have been favorably known in Miami county for many years. He is one of a family of six children born to his parents, of whom five children are living. Mr. Studebaker received his education in the Bethel township district school and was reared on the home farm. He had no inclination for any other vocation than that of farming, which he has followed throughout his career, and at this time is the operator of a tract of 211 acres, on which are located modern buildings, including a comfortable and commodious home, the other improvements being proportionately up-to-date. The management and operation of a farm of this size naturally entails a great deal of work and attention, 252 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY but Mr. Studebaker has found time to take an active and helpful part in civic affairs. A stanch friend of education, he was president of the board of education for two years and was one of the pioneers in the fight for a centralized school building in Bethel township. With other intelligent and public-spirited men he succeeded in gaining this object, and the centralized school building in Bethel township is now considered one of the best schools in Miami county. Mr. Studebaker also served efficiently as assessor for one and one-half years. During the war period he was particularly active, serving on committees in the West Charlestown school district and contributing liberally to the various movements. Mr. Studebaker married, December 25, 1899, Louisa, daughter of George and Sarah Alice (Boor) Hershberger, of Loysburg, Pa., and to this union there have been born six children : Meriam Faith, Clara Naomi, David Emmert, 'Josephine Helen, Robert Henry and Geneva Rose.: Eugene Clifford Stratton, manager of the Troy Milk & Butter Company, was born in Lost Creek township, Miami county, Ohio, December 25, 1873, a son of John Riley and Jane Ann (Walker) Stratton. John R. Stratton was a progressive agriculturist of Miami county, and to him and his wife were born : Eugene Clifford, the subject of this review; Curtis Walker, operating- a large ranch in western Montana ; Susan Viola, a telephone operator. Eugene C. Stratton received his preliminary education in the country schools of this locality, but desiring a higher education, took two courses of instruction at the normal university at Ada, Ohio.. After leaving school, he worked on his father's farm until he became of age, and then, having a preference for the school room, he taught school in Staunton township for two years. At that time he took up the management of the twenty-eight farms of the Hainer estate, in which position he continued for twenty-one years during which time he became known as one of the most progressive and far-seeing men of the county. In June, 1919, he resigned from this position to enter business for himself, and is now manager and majority stock holder of the Troy Milk & Butter Company, one of the substantial enterprises of the community. In addition to his interests in this concern, Mr. Stratton operates four fine farms, and serves as a director in the First National Bank, of Troy, the Troy Grain & Supply Company, the Troy Masonic Temple Company, the Ohio Association of Creamery Managers and Owners, the Miami County Farm Bureau, in all of which his advice is eagerly sought by his associates. Mr. Stratton's first wife was Alma Pearl, daughter of William Guen, of Miami county, and to this union were born: Eugene, deceased ; Riley and Ruth, attending high school ; Roy, deceased ; Harvey, at school ; and Robert, an infant. For his second wife Mr. Stratton married Nina, daughter of Thomas Dalzell, a resident of Troy. Fraternally Mr. Stratton belongs to the Masonic order, and in the recent war was a generous contributor to all Government war drives. He is a Republican and served two years as infirmary director. He is a member of the Christian church. MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 253 J. F. Studer, a leading merchant tailor and dealer in men's furnishings at Tippecanoe City, has been engaged in business here only since 1915, but during- this comparatively short period has firmly established himself in public confidence and esteem. He was born at New Lexington, Perry county, Ohio, February 28, 1875, a son of Joseph and Martha (Snyder) Studer, his father having been a life-long contractor and builder and a man highly thought of in the several communities in which he resided and carried on business. There were ten children in the family, of whom six are living. J.. F. Studer was educated in the public schools of Perry county, and as a youth followed the old-fashioned and practical custom of apprenticing himself to a master workman in order to learn a trade, that of tailor. He served as an apprentice for about eighteen months, following which he became a journeyman and worked for five years as a coat-maker. Feeling ready to embark in business on his own account, he opened an establishment at Forest, Ohio, where he sold ready-made clothing and also was engaged as a merchant tailor for about ten years. During this time he became highly esteemed in his locality and served as mayor of Forest for about six years. In 1912 Mr. Studer's health failed and he went to Florida, where he remained three years. January I, 1915, he returned to Ohio and located at Tippecanoe City, where he embarked in business as a merchant tailor and dealer in men's furnishings. He has since continued in these lines, and through good workmanship, sound business ability and unfailing courtesy, has won his way to a place among the substantial men of his city. He carries a well-chosen line of suitings, in addition to which he has a full stock of modern haberdashery which is kept fully abreast of the fashions. His patrons include some of the best-dressed men of Tippecanoe City, who have learned to have faith in Mr. Studer's good judgment and have found his goods correct, in good taste and reliable. Mr. Studer married Lizzie, daughter of Dr. W. A. Swimley, a well-known practicing physician and surgeon of Forest, Ohio, and to this union there has been born one daughter, Ruth, who is now living at the home of her grandparents at Winchester, Va. Mr. Studer belongs to the Knights of Pythias, at Forest ; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at .Kenton, Ohio, and the Triangle Club, of Tippecanoe City. Worthy civic measures have always found in him a strong supporter, and during the war period the war movements benefited materially by his liberal contributions. Frank W. Suerdieck. One of the recent acquisitions of the commercial life of Tippecanoe City is Frank W. Suerdieck, junior member of the grocery firm of Hand & Suerdieck. While a great part of the career of this successful young business man has been passed elsewhere, his success has been gained at his native place, for he was born at Tippecanoe City, March 3, 1892, a son of William J. and Katherine (Bowmester) Suerdieck. His father, who was a harness maker by trade, followed that vocation for many years, and in the evening of life, having accumulated a competence, 254 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY went into comfortable and honorable retirement. There were five children in the family : Alma, deceased ; Agnes, Katherine, Frank W. and Carl. Frank W. Suerdieck was educated in the public schools of Tippecanoe City, following which he pursued a course at Jacobs Business College, Dayton. His first employment was with the Dayton & Troy Electric Railway Company, in the capacity of cashier of the freight department, a position which he held for four and one-half years. Following this, he took over the agency at Troy for three years, and for a like period served as bookkeeper for the Troy Ice Company. April 15, 1920, Mr. Suerdieck returned to his native Tippecanoe City and bought a half interest in the grocery business which had been established some years before by P. J. Band, the concern at that time adopting the present business style of Hand & Suerdieck. This business has grown steadily and bids fair to develop into prominent proportions under the partners' capable management. Mr. Suerdieck, while a newcomer in the business, has had varied experiences and is thorough and practical in his methods, aims and ambitions. He is likewise energetic and enterprising and possessed of unique ideas, and is putting the whole of his likeable personality and indefatigable industry into the advancement of the firm's interests. He is a member of the council of the Knights of Columbus, in which he has numerous friends, as he has also in business circles. His interest in civic affairs thus far has been that only of a good citizen, but he has supported worthy movements and during the war period contributed generously of his means to the furtherance of the enterprises made necessary by war's insatiable demands. Mr. Suerdieck was united in marriage with Emma M., daughter of John and Katherine Studer, of Dayton, Ohio, and to this union there have come two children : Loraine, who was born in 1915; and Vera, born in 1918. H. K. Wood, president of the Wood Shovel & Tool Company and one of the leading factories in business and civic affairs of Piqua, was born in 1847, in Miami county, a son of William W. Wood. His father was born at Hollis, N. H., and was a representative of a family that came to New England from Amesbury England, in 1638. William W. Wood became one of the pioneer manufacturers of Miami county and as such brought the first car of coal to Piqua. He was prominent in all of the early public affairs of the county and was the first president of the board of education. He took upon himself many of the early responsibilities which brought subsequent good to his fellow-citizens. In 1850 he made the overland trip to California by ox-team, returning in 1852 by way of Nicaragua, and for a long period thereafter controlled the cooperage business in this section. For thirty-one years, with his son, he was engaged in the linseed oil business. Mr. Wood married Caroline Kirk, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of William Kirk, and they had four children, of whom two lived to maturity : H. K., and William Albert, the latter of whom was engaged for many years in the wholesale tobacco business at St. Louis MIAMI COUNTY - BIOGRAPHICAL - 255 and died in California, in September, 1881. The death of William W. Wood occurred in 1905 at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, his birth having occurred in 1817. On both sides he had come from Revolutionary ancestry. H. K. Wood received practical educational opportunities in his youth and September 6, 1873, was united in marriage with Frances Adelaide, daughter of Judge William Martin Wilson, a very prominent man. Her mother was a daughter of Major James Maxwell Dorsey, the first treasurer of Miami University. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have one son, W. W. Wood III, who is vice-president and treasurer of the Wood Shovel & Tool Company. H. K. Wood is a member of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church in which he has served as steward. In the early history of the Young Men's Christian Association he was its president, and later was chairman of the building committee when the present structure was erected. For eighteen years he was president and general manager of the Piqua Electric Company and at this time is president and a member of the board of directors of the Piqua National Bank. He has served on numerous civic boards and has belonged to numerous commissions for the general welfare. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Piqua Club and the Sons of the American Revolution. He is director in the Third Savings & Loan Company, and belongs to the Dayton City Club. Sherman D. Syler. Among the enterprising and progressive business men of Piqua, one who is widely known in realty circles is Sherman D. Syler. Mr. Syler is a product of the agricultural regions of Miami county, having been born on a farm in Concord township, a son of Samuel and Harriet (Stahl) Syler. He attended the public schools of Troy, and on coming to Piqua entered the employment of the Orr Felt & Blanket Com&ny. While working with this concern, he became interested in the real estate business, and by 1904 his connection therewith had attained such importance that he decided to give his entire attention thereto. He accordingly founded the Syler Realty Company, which has since developed into one of the leading concerns of its kind in the city. In addition, Mr. Syler is deputy tax collector for Piqua, Spring Creek township and Washington township. He married Bessie, daughter of J. H. Knouff, a well-known physician of Piqua, and they have one daughter, Mary, who graduated from Piqua High School, 1920. Mr. Syler is an active worker and member of the Young Men's Christian Association, and is affiliated with the local lodge of the Masonic order. The family belong to the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church. George Allenbaugh. The entire career of George Allenbaugh, one of the progressive and public-spirited residents of Washington township, has been devoted to farming, a field of effort in which he has met with well-deserved success. Mr. Allenbaugh was born in Shelby county, Ohio, in July, 1864, a son of George and Katherine Allenbaugh. His parents were farming people who passed the greater part of their lives in Shelby county, where they owned 256 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY valuable land and were held in high esteem because of their many sterling qualities of character. George Allenbaugh the younger passed his school days in his native county, where he acquired a district school education, and was reared on the home farm. His entire training having been along the line of agriculture, it was but natural that he should adopt this vocation upon, acquiring years of maturity, and to the tilling of the soil he has subsequently devoted himself. In the fall of 1915, after gradually working his way up the ladder of agricultural attainment, he purchased his present farm from M. Hennessey, of Piqua. This is a property consisting of 110 acres, on which Mr. Allenbaugh has made numerous improvements, including an attractive and commodious home, farm structures of substantial and good appearance and the latest inventions in the way of equipment and machinery. He is progressive in his ideas and practical in his aims and a proper combination of conservatism and forceful initiative has assisted him to attain a position of independence and recognized importance in his community. Mr. Allenbaugh married Miss Emma Regula, of Shelby county, and to this union, there has come one son, Raymond, who is assisting his father in the work of the farm. During times of peace, Mr. Allenbaugh has supported worthy civic movements and in the days of the 'World war he was a liberal contributor to the movements made necessary by the exigencies of the situation. Industrious, capable, sober and reliable, he merits the confidence in which he is held by his fellow-citizens. Raymond L. Anewald. A representative of the young and energetic class of agriculturists recruited from other occupations in Miami county, Raymond L. Anewald is making a success of his farming enterprises in Newton township, and at present is the renter of one hundred acres of productive and well-improved land. Mr. Anewald was born at Dayton, Ohio, June 20, 1885, a son of Thomas Monroe and Ella (Lauver) Anewald. His father, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio in young manhood and during his active career followed the vocation of veterinary surgeon, in which he became widely known. For some years he pursued his calling at Dayton, where he maintained an office and hospital. In his later years he retired. He and his wife were the parents of three children : Raymond L.; Clarence, superintendent of the Willard Storage Battery Company, Dayton ; and Wilbur, who conducts a Willard Service Station, at Troy. Raymond L. ,Anewald was educated in the public schools, and in his youth followed various vocations. For eight or nine years he furnished Bradford with its ice and coal supply, a business in which he was successful and prosperous, but in 1909 disposed of his holdings and turned his attention to farming, a vocation in which he has since been engaged. Since starting the cultivation of the soil, Mr. Anewald has rented one hundred acres of highly productive farming land, on which there is a set of good buildings and improvements of a modern character. He is a student of his vocation, to which he has also brought enthusiasm and industry that are bound to bring him success. The prop- MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 257 erty is attractive and its improvements are in good repair, evidences of good management. Mr. Anewald was united in marriage with Minnie, daughter of Clinton Whitmer, of Covington, and to this union there have been born two children : Marie and Carl, who are attending school. The comfortable family home is near Pleasant Hill, a community in which Mr. and Mrs. Anewald have numerous friends and well-wishers. James Newton Arendall. The thriving little community of Sugar Grove, in the northwestern part of Miami county, has as one of its chief business industries a flour mill and grain elevator, conducted by the firm of Arendall & Kindell. James Newton Arendall, of this firm, has been a miller practically all of his life and his active connection with the business dates back to the time of his boyhood. He was born in Halifax county, Virginia, July 11, 1877, a son of John A. and Alice M. (Cole) Arendall. John A. Arendall was a practical miller, who followed his business in the east for-many years, and under his tutelage the son familiarized himself with every detail of the business, in the meantime acquiring his literary training in the public schools. He remained a resident of Virginia, where the rest of his parents' eight children still reside, until 1901, in which year he came to Ohio. After being variously employed for two years, in 1903 he located permanently at Sugar Grove, where he formed a partnership with Mr. Kindell, as a miller and dealer in grain, and they now have a prosperous mill and elevator in Miami county and have built up a large and flourishing business. Mr. Arendall's standing in business circles is that of a man of integrity and high principles and as a citizen he has been public-spirited. During the war period he contributed cheerfully to every fund for worthy movements. Mr. Arendall married Nora, daughter of John Helmick, of Pleasant Hill, and to this union there have been born two sons: James Emerson, who met his death in a railroad accident at Sugar Grove in 1917, and John Raymond, who is attending school and is in the eighth grade. John W. Bartel, one of the dependable citizens and successful agriculturists of Washington township, was born near Salina, Auglaize county, Ohio, in 1865; a son of Joseph Bartel. His father was a shoe merchant of Piqua for a number of years, but also carried on farming in Auglaize county, where John W. Bartel acquired his educational training in the public schools. He was reared to habits of industry and honesty and as a young man adopted for his life work the vocation of farming, to which he has applied his activities uninterruptedly throughout his career. From a small beginning he has worked his way to the possession of a fine farm of one hundred and fifteen acres, located in Washington township, Miami county, on which he has made his home for many years. He has placed this property under a high state of cultivation and has improved it by the erection of a splendid set of substantial buildings, as well as the installment of a number of up-to-date machines and implements, and in every way is looked upon as one of the progressive members of his calling in his locality. As .a citizen he III-17 258 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY has answered every worthy call, and during the World war period contributed liberally to the movements formulated to insure -the success of the American Army. He has several connections of a civic and social nature, but does not seek preferment and is not a politician. Mr. Bartel was united in marriage with Miss Mary B. Morrin, whose sad death in May, 1918, was mourned by a wide circle of friends. Five children were born to this union, namely : Ruth E., Paul E., Grace R., Mary B., and Bertha Olive. Mr. Bartel is a Baptist while his children attend the Christian church. Beckert Brothers. Among the substantial and reliable business houses of Piqua, one which has gained and held public confidence because of its straightforward business policy, is the firm of Beckert Brothers, dealers in coal and building supplies. This concern was started in 1912 in the same neighborhood as that in which it is now located, at Young street, South avenue and the railroad tracks, and its product includes coal, cement, lime, plaster, sewer pipe, building material, fire brick and clay. The senior member of the firm, Ferd A. Beckert, was born at Piqua, Ohio, June 9, 1881, a son of Philip and Appolina (Schneider) Beckert. The father was a shoemaker and he and his worthy wife were well respected people of their community, being residents of Piqua for many years. They had seven sons and four daughters : Ferd A., Edward F., Joseph, Reinhardt, Henry W., L. P., August J., supervisor of the Ohio School for the Deaf ; Julia S., Anna S., Rose and Alma. Ferd A. Beckert was educated at St. Boniface Parochial School and the Piqua High School, following which he pursued a course in the Piqua Commercial College. He began his career as a newsboy and subsequently rose to the dignity of conducting a news agency, his initial experience in the coal industry coming as a clerk in the employ of the Border City Coal Company. Later he bought a half interest in the business of J. H. Corbley, who later sold his interest to John Gertner, who, in turn, was succeeded by Edward F. Beckert, the firm since having been known as Beckert Brothers. Ferd A. Beckert married Clara M., daughter of John and Elizabeth Humpert, and they are members of St. Boniface Catholic Church. Mr. Beckert is a director of the Piqua Chamber of Corn merce, and is fraternally identified with the Knights of Columbus, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Knights of St. John. Edward F. Beckert was born at Piqua, March 26, 1887, and attended St. Boniface Parochial School, the Piqua High School and a commercial college. Like his brother, he sold, newspapers on the streets as a boy, but after leaving school secured a position as bookkeeper for the Val Decker Packing Company. Later he became a partner with his brother in the coal business when he bought the interest of John Gertner. Mr. Beckert married Martha, daughter of Louis Herbert, and they have one child, Herbert, and are members of St. Boniface Catholic Church. Mr. Beckert is a member of the Piqua Chamber of Commerce and is fraternally affiliated with the Knights of St. John, the Knights of Columbus and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. During the war period the Beckert MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 259 brothers were active in all movements and assisted materially in raising funds for the Knights of Columbus for that order's overseas work. During the war period, also, the firm of Beckert Brothers furnished most of the coal for Piqua's industries, as well as the surrounding country, in addition to taking care of the local trade, and in view of the severe coal shortage at that time it was a very creditable achievement of the firm that Piqua and the community did not suffer from a coal shortage. Levi Bowman. That kind of material which will be counted upon to maintain Miami county's agricultural prestige in the future, is represented in the person of Levi Bowman, who is now carrying on extensive farming and stockraising operations in Washington township. Mr. Bowman was born on a farm in Franklin county, Virginia, March 27, 1893, a son of Peter and Nancy C. (Fisher) Bowman. His father, a native of the Old Dominion state, was engaged in farming there until 1898, in which year he came to Ohio, bringing with him his family, and since then has been a resident of Miami county. He and his worthy wife are very highly esteemed in their community, and have been the parents of ten children, of whom nine survive : Rutherford Ira, David Lee, Levi, Willie, Esther May, Clara, Effie, Reva and Dorothy. Levi Bowman was but five years of age when he accompanied his parents to Miami county, and here his educational training was acquired in the public schools of Washington township. Reared as an agriculturist's son, he early decided to make the soil the medium through which to work out his personal success, and on the attainment of his majority started on a career of his own. Mr. Bowman married, Elizabeth, a daughter of Martin Holfinger, a farmer of Miami county, and to this union there have been born two children : Wilma Edith, born July 31, 1917, and Raymond Eugene, born February 15, 192o. Following his marriage, Mr. Bowman rented the farm of his father-in-law, a tract of eighty acres, on which he is making .a success of his work. He is alert, enterprising, intelligent and energetic, and the manner in which he is making the most of his opportunities augurs well for a promising future. While his farming operations have demanded the bulk of his attention, allowing him no time for participation in public affairs, he takes a public-spirited interest therein and always supports worthy movements. This was particularly true during the World war, when he was a liberal contributor to the various movements made necessary by the maintenance of that struggle. Lewis Brinkman, who is included among the substantial and enterprising farmers and stock raisers of Newton township, where he has resided on his present farm for fourteen years, was born in this township in 1882, a son of William and Mary (Boehringer) Brinkman. The Brinkman family has long been an agricultural one in Miami county and Mr. Brinkman's parents spent their active lives here in the cultivation of the soil. Reared amid agricultural surroundings, Lewis Brinkman has devoted practically his entire 260 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY life to farming ventures. He secured his education in the rural schools and commenced farming in young manhood, and since 1906 has resided on a well-cultivated farm, upon which he has modern improvements and attractive buildings. Mr. Brinkman belongs to the progressive class of agriculturists and is ready to adopt new methods when they have been proven practicable. In local affairs he has always supported beneficial movements and during the war did a good citizen's part in helping the various drives. Mr. Brinkman married Verna, daughter of Emanuel Kindig, of Newberry township, and four children have been born to this union : Ralph, Glenna May, Milford and Arthur. Bert Favorite, the progressive and enterprising proprietor of Willowbrook Farm, in Concord township, was born on the property on which he now carries on operations, and is a son of George and Sarah (Graham) Favorite. George Favorite was for many years a leading farmer of Miami county, his stock farm being recognized as one of the best in the state. He was accurately adjudged as being an authority on live stock, and his interest in and knowledge of this branch of farming did much to awaken the stock farmers of this vicinity to the importance of raising pure-blooded stock. Bert Favorite received his education in the public schools of Concord township, and under the tutelage of his father became an expert in the line of stock breeding. This he carried on upon an extensive scale at his country place, known as Willowbrook Farm, a large body of land, beautifully and conveniently situated, which he has made more valuable by the addition of numerous modern improvements. He married Nora, daughter of Enos Wilhelm, of Miami county, and they are the parents of one daughter, Thelma, and two sons : Leonard and Leo. During the World war, Mr. Favorite was especially active in all patriotic movements, giving generously of his means to the different drives and acting as a member of the five Liberty loan committees, the war chest committee, the Young. Men's Christian Association committee and the Red Cross committee. While his principal attention has been given to his farming and stock raising interests, he has not neglected the duties of citizenship; and all worthy civic movements have his unqualified and valuable support. He is secretary and treasurer of the Miami County Farm Bureau. W. F. Deeter, who is widely known in educational circles of Miami county, has been superintendent of rural schools in his locality for sixteen years, and at this time has charge of the district which includes Newton, Newberry and Washington townships. Mr. Deeter was born at Pleasant Hill, Miami county, January 30, 1863, a son of Samuel R. and Susan (Freshour) Deeter. He belongs to a family which has been prominently known in this county for many years and whose members have been engaged largely in agricultural pursuits, although they have also contributed to the ranks of professional and business men. The parents of Mr. Deeter have been identified with agricultural affairs and are known as people of sound worth and sterling character. They had ten MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 261 children, of whom seven are still living. W. F. Deeter received a good, practical education in his youth, and as a young man was engaged for a time in teaching, although he subsequently turned his attention to agricultural matters. In 1904 he was made superintendent of schools in this locality, a position which he has held continuously ever since, and his district now includes the rural schools in Washington, Newberry and Newton townships. During his incumbency of this office he has been instrumental in bringing about many desirable changes and innovations and in raising the educational standard in his district to a high plane. He is a general favorite with teachers, pupils and parents and has worked faithfully and conscientiously toward the end of making the public schools efficient, practical and systematic. Mr. Deeter is a resident of the Bradford community of Newton township, where he is the owner and operator of eighty acres of valuable land, on which he carries on extensive operations as a general farmer, in addition to raising a good grade of cattle and hogs. His good citizenship has been evidenced in a number of ways, and during the World war period he was placed in charge of a number of workers in behalf of the various movements, in none of which did his district fail to make its full quota. Mr. Deeter married Emma, daughter of John and Hannah Fox, of Covington, Ohio, and to this union there have been born four children, of whom one died in infancy, the survivors being: Calla Lily, the wife of Warren Driver, a prosperous young agriculturist of Newberry township ; Pearl, the wife of Willis Earl Branson, a successful farmer of the same township,. and Clarence, who is office manager of the Young Men's Christian. Association, at Cleveland. Eli Flory. The life of Eli Flory has been identified with the agricultural interests of Miami county for many years. Brought to this county when still an infant, he grew up amid agricultural surroundings, imbibed the spirit of the true son of the soil, and in a long and honorable career has found contentment and success in the pursuits of the landsman. Mr. Flory, who is one of the substantial and progressive farmers of Newton township, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, September 4, 186o, a son of Joseph, and Elizabeth (Broomball) Flory. His parents, originally farming people of Montgomery county, came to Miami county in 1862, and here rounded out their lives as farmers, impressing their neighbors with their good qualities, living within the laws of their community and rearing their six children to lives of industry and honesty. Eli Flory acquired his education by attendance at the district school in the vicinity of his father's farm in Newton township and as a young man began farming on his own account. As the years have passed his circumstances have bettered and he is now the owner of 110 acres of finely-improved land, located in Newton township, where his pleasant country home is situated near Ludlow Falls. He has good improvements and operates his land according to the most generally approved methods, his intelligence, good management and industry having combined to 262 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY bring him success and place him in a recognized position as one of the skilled agriculturists of his locality. During the World war period Mr. Flory was a generous contributor to all worthy causes, this being in line with his citizenship during times of peace. He has served his community efficiently as road supervisor for three years, .and he and the members of his family belong to the Dunkard church. Mr. Flory married Maggie, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Stichter) Stichter, of Newton township, well-known and esteemed farming people. She died May 26, 1908. Her brother, W. K. Stichter, was a soldier of the Union during the Civil war, having been in the hundred-day service. To Mr. and Mrs. Flory there were born the following children : Frank E., who died February 25, 1918, leaving a widow and children who now live with Eli Flory on the home farm ; Joseph Earl, who is engaged in agricultural operations on a property situated east of Pleasant Hill ; Trude, who married I. W. Wackard, a farmer of Miami county, and Louise, who married Chester Zimmerman, a farmer of Newton township. Hugh Giffin. Many of the leading agriculturists of Miami county are to be found residing on the farms on which their birth took place, their entire lives having been passed in the cultivation of the soil of these properties. In this class is found Hugh Giffin, a substantial and well-to-do farmer and stock raiser of Spring Creek township, Who was born on his present farm in 1869, a son of Robert and Mary (Patterson) Giffin. Mr. Giffin's parents were farming people of this township, where they passed useful and honorable lives and were held in the highest esteem by those who knew them. The were the parents of three children : Hugh, Florence and Mrs. Mattie Himmelright. The education of Hugh Giffin was secured through attendance at the district schools of Spring Creek township, and as a youth he worked faithfully on the home farm. As the only son of his parents, at their death he received a goodly inheritance of the home property, and here he has continued to make his home. He has 120 acres under cultivation, raising the standard crops and breeding a good grade of cattle, and is respected for his integrity, industry and good citizenship, the latter being particularly expressed during the recent World war. Mr. Giffin has never married, but lives on the farm with his sister, Flo. Frank B. Hamilton, ex-mayor of Piqua and one of that city's most distinguished and 'prominent citizens, was born at Urbana, Ohio, March I, 1872, a son of Alanson and Nannie (Brown) Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton's boyhood environment was that of the farm, his education being acquired in the country schools, and much of his youth was passed in agricultural work. He also applied himself to work in factories and as a salesman, and after taking up his residence at Piqua clerked in a store. The Hamilton family has always been interested in public affairs, from the time that Israel Hamilton, a direct descendant of Revolutionary ancestors, and the grandfather of Frank B. Hamilton came to Ohio. Israel Hamilton Was elected attorney general of the state of Ohio in 1856, and MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 263 secured a colonel's commission at the outbreak of the war between the states. While reviewing troops, he contracted an illness which eventuated in his death. Perhaps with such notable forbears, it was not unusual that Frank B. Hamilton should take more than an ordinary interest in public matters. After having participated in local politics for some years, in November, 1917, he was elected mayor of Piqua, the first man of his party to have achieved this distinction. He gave the city an excellent administration and retired from office with an excellent record. Mr. Hamilton married Pearl, daughter of Abraham and Susan Good, of Piqua, and they have one son, Stanley H., at this time assistant secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association at Treantum, Pa. Stanley H. Hamilton is a veteran of the great World war, having seen service on the front in France with an engineering corps. H. W. Hoops. As the son of one of Miami county's early settlers and stanch upbuilders, H. W. Hoops has maintained the excellent reputation established by his father, as a representative of the best farming element of Newberry township. Mr. Hoops was born in this township, in 1882, a son of George and Anna (Hay) Hoops, who passed their active careers as farming people of this locality, where they had the respect and good will of all who knew them. There were three children in the family : H. W., Roy and Merle. H. W. Hoops attended the public schools of his native township and was reared on the home farm, and in his boyhood and youth wisely availed himself of the opportunities which came to him, a fact which has been borne out in his practical education and advanced views on agriculture. Applying the knowledge and experience which he had gained in his younger years upon starting out for himself, Mr. Hoops took up farming scientifically, and by the exercise of care and sound judgement in his undertakings has developed one of the valuable and attractive farms of Newberry township. While he has been principally concerned in his home and his farm, he has at all times, in both peace and war, discharged the duties of good citizenship, and has been a liberal supporter of all beneficial measures. Mr. Hoops married Dellmer, daughter of Henry and Emma (Fritz) Fulker, farming people of Miami county. Two brothers of Mrs. Hoops, Otto and Hobart Fulker, fought as soldiers of the United States Army during the recent World war. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoops : Eileen, Imo, Vera and George Henry. J. W. Hawn. Among the properties .which have remained in the possession of the same families since the early records of white occupation in Concord township, one which belongs to one of the well-known and respected families of this locality is the Hawn farm, situated on Covington R. F. D. No. 3. The present owner of this land, J. W. Hawn, was born on this farm, April 8, 1866, a son of Elias G. and Cynthia A. (Nutter) Hawn. At an early date in the history of Miami county, the grandfather of J. W. Hawn made his way overland from a community farther to the east, and took up his residence in the wilderness of what is now Concord 264 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY township. His little log cabin home was built in a country in which the Indians were still to be found in great numbers, while wild animals were in abundance and their meat formed an important part of the daily fare. This sturdy pioneer passed through his period of privation, eventually cleared his property, developed a good farm, and died, highly respected and esteemed. Following him as owner of the land came his son, Elias G. Hawn, who devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits, and who, like his father, was a man of industry and held the confidence and respect of his fellow-townsmen. He and his worthy wife were the parents of eight children, of whom five are still living. J. W. Hawn was educated in the public schools and has always resided on the home farm, where he is now the owner of a finely cultivated tract of 143 acres. This land he devotes. to general farming and the raising of a good grade of stock, and in both departments has met with unqualified success, due to his industry, intelligence and good management. He has good improvements and an attractive home, and in every way is justly deserving of being accounted one of the representative men of his community, as a farmer, a man and a public-spirited citizen. In politics he is a Democrat, although he has not been an office seeker. Mr. Hawn's first wife was Sarah, daughter of Alfred A. Iddings, of Miami county. After her death he was united with Clara, daughter of Stephen Genslinger, also of Miami county. Mr. Hawn has been the father of the following children : Joseph Robert, who died in infancy ; Dorothy, born in 1905; Ruth, born in 1907; Lewis, born in 1910, and Woodrow in 1913. Reuben Moore, who well merits the title of prominent citizen and leading agriculturist of Staunton township, was born in this township, July 8, 1852, a son of Rufus E. and Lydia (Bennett) Moore. The Moore family was founded in America by Gresham Moore, the great-grandfather of Reuben Moore, who was born in Wales in 1752, his wife, Anna, being born in that country in 1758. Not long after their marriage they emigrated to this country and settled in New Jersey, where they spent the rest of their lives. In that state was born Lewis Moore, the grandfather of Reuben Moore, August 16, 1778, his Wife, Susan, being born there in July, 1786. Lewis Moore and his two brothers served as soldiers during the War of 1812, while residents of Ohio. Rufus E. Moore, father of Reuben Moore, was born in Butler county, Ohio, March 13, 1807, and after his marriage went to Shelby county, where he made his home and farmed until 1840. In that year he came to Miami county, securing a buckskin deed for government land in Staunton township, a property which he cleared and improved and on which he spent the rest of his long and honorable career, his death occurring. March 9, 1876. Mr. Moore married Lydia Bennett, who was born in November, 1815, and whose great-great-grandfather came to America with William Penn and opened copper mines on an island in the Susquehanna river. She died in April, 1885. Reuben Moore was educated in the public schools of Staunton township MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 265 and was a farmer from young manhood. His farm of eighty acres is a well-improved property which is devoted to general farming, although it is also noted for its splendid orchards. March 23, 1876, Mr. Moore was united in marriage with Florence E., daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Yeaste) Brandenburg, natives of Maryland, and to this union there were born the following children : Nettie and Mamie, who died in infancy ; Cornelius Allen, born in 1880, who is identified with the Piqua Milling Company, of Piqua ; Lewis E. born in 1882, a telegrapher residing in Indiana, who ,has four children ; Frank, born in 1884, a machinest of Dayton, who has one daughter, Venus, born in 1908 ; and Charles H., born in 1886, engaged in farming with his father, who has three children, Elwood, born in 1910, Bonnie, born in 1914, and Thelma, born in 1920. Reuben Moore was long considered one of the ablest farmers and best-informed men on agricultural subjects in the county. He was president of the Miami Horticultural Society, and belonged to the Miami Grange. During the last two years of his life he rendered efficient service to his fellow-citizens and his community in the capacity of president of the board of education, and did much to maintain a high standard in the public schools. Fraternally, he affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, which he joined in 1895, and Mrs. Moore belongs to the Pythian Sisterhood. Mrs. Moore is assistant secretary of the Horticultural Society. Mr. Moore died September 17, 1920. Ira John Holfinger. One of the old and honored families of Miami county is that which bears the name of Holfinger, the members of which have been identified with agricultural pursuits here for several generations. In Concord township a worthy representative of this family is found in the person of Ira John Holfinger. who is carrying on extensive and successful operations as a farmer and grower of live stock. Mr. Holfinger was born in Miami county, March 7, 1882, a son of John and Eliza (Musselman) Holfinger. His father was born October 23, 1853, in Washington township, this county, and passed his life as a tiller of the soil. When still a lad he assisted. his father in clearing the timber from the home place, and later shared in the work of development and became one of the substantial men of his community, where he was held in high esteem and had many friends. He and his worthy wife were the parents of two children Ira John, and Lulu, who married Henry Schlegel, a farmer of Miami county. Ira J. Holfinger secured his education in the public schools of Miami county and grew to manhood in Washington and Concord townships. When he reached years of maturity he embarked upon agricultural operations of his own, and at this time is the owner of a farm of 101 acres, which he has brought do a high state of development and upon which he has erected numerous substantial buildings, including his commodious, modern home, a large barn for his horses and other live stock and structures for the housing of his grain, vehicles, machinery and equipment. He is progressive in his methods and modern in his ideas, and his good management has 266 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY been combined with straightforward dealing in a way that has won the confidence of his associates. Mr. Holfinger is a citizen of loyalty and public spirit, and, as he has supported good civic movements, so he also gave his aid to war enterprises. Mr. Holfinger married Effie, daughter of R. F. and Rosanna (Brown) Wilson of Miami county, and to this union there have been born two sons: John, born in 1906, who is already engaged in helping his father on the home farm, and Richard, who was born in 1918. Blaine Holopeter. A continuous resident of Miami county throughout his life, Blaine Holopeter is one of the substantial farmers who have given Newberry township such a high agricultural standing during recent years. Mr. Holopeter was born on the farm which he now owns and operates in Newberry township, and is a son of Charles and Anna (Reish) Holopeter, natives of this county. The parents of Mr. Holopeter passed their entire lives in this county, where they were known as reliable, honorable and God-fearing people, supporters of education and religion and eminently worthy members of their community. They were the parents of four children, who were given educational and other advantages and reared to lives of usefulness and honesty, the children being: Ollie, who became the wife of Ray Hawn, an agriculturist of Concord township, Miami county ; Mary, the wife of Mr. Perkins, a resident of Miamisburg; Sarah, who is unmarried, and Blaine. The only son of his parents, Blaine Holopeter attended the district schools of his native locality and grew up on the home farm, where he assisted his father in the work of cultivation. He has always resided on this property, which now consists of 150 acres, and which under his careful management and industrious cultivation is producing handsome returns for the labor expended upon it. Mr. Holopeter has good buildings and modern improvements, and conducts himself in every way like a thorough, practical, skilled and scientific agriculturist. He does not allow outside matters to divert his mind from his agricultural work, save where the duties of good citizenship demand his co-operation and support, when he is ready to give of his time or his means or labor to assist some good movement. This was particularly true during the great World war, when he was a liberal supporter of all -mar activities. Mr. Holopeter married Hazel, daughter of Roland Shellabarger, a member of a well-known agricultural family of Miami county. Mrs. Holopeter's sad death occurred in February, 1919, at which time she left two small sons, Charles William, who was born in 1916 ; and James Roland, born in 1918. Rollin C. Jay, a progressive agriculturist of Newton township and a member of the board of township trustees, was born in this township, in 1864, a son of Jonathan and Mary Ann (Rigle) Jay. He belongs to an agricultural family and his parents followed farming throughout their lives in Miami county, where they were held in high esteem. After securing a district school education, Rollin C. Jay started assisting his father on the home place and on reaching manhood began operations on his own account. He is MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 267 now the possessor of a well-cultivated and productive property, on which he has installed modern improvements and commodious buildings, including an attractive home in the Pleasant Hill community. He is intelligent and practical in his work and has contributed his share toward maintaining high agricultural standards in this locality. During the war period Mr. Jay was active in the Red Cross movement, taking part in the organization of the workers in his township and later canvassing for funds as chairman for Newton township. For several years he has been a member of the Newton township board of trustees, a position in which he has rendered efficient and conscientious service to his fellow-citizens. Mr. Jay married Maggie, daughter of Charles and Sophia (Trost) Zimmerman, whose brother, Charles Zimmerman, had a son, Clarence, who saw training service during the World war and was sent to France. Mr. and Mrs. Jay had four children : Forest, who is engaged in farming in Miami county ; Opal, who became the wife of Dan Bashore ; Lova, who became the wife of H. Lowry, and Statia; who became the wife of Forest Noel. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Jay married Rosa, daughter of Isaiah Pemberton, a farmer of Union township, Miami county, and they have one child, Frieda. Dr. Walter Hayworth, who was with the United States Army during the troubles on the Mexican border, is a nephew of the present Mrs. Jay. Cory Elbert Leapley. Although among the younger generation of agriculturists in Miami county, Cory Elbert Leapley has already demonstrated the possession of qualities which have taken him .an appreciable distance along the road to success. This energetic and determined farmer of Elizabeth township was born in Lost Creek township, Miami county, October 26, 1894, a son of Walter and Edna (Smith) Leapley. His parents, farming people, have been life-long residents of Miami county, where their wholesome lives and good citizenship have served to place them high in the esteem and respect of their acquaintances. Mr. Leapley secured his education in the district school in Lost Creek township and the graded school at Troy, and after leaving the latter began farming with his father. In March, 1918, he came to Elizabeth township and settled on the farm which he now occupies and here he has made a number of improvements and has put his land under a high state of cultivation. A very progressive young man, understanding the principles of husbandry, he is combining determination with intelligence, and should succeed in his chosen vocation. During the war period he served as a member of the war saving stamps committee in his township and otherwise acquitted himself like a good citizen. Mr. Leapley was united in marriage with Flossie, daughter of Benjamin and Eva (Shipley) Baker, farming people of Miami county. Mr. and Mrs. Leapley have a daughter, Mildred Eileen, born December 16, 1920. Harley F. Kennedy. Compared with the majority of others whose careers are sketched in this work, Harley F. Kennedy is a newcomer into the agricultural life of Miami county, but what he 268 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY has accomplished thus far in his career makes it evident that he is worthy of enumeration among those who are engaged in the agricultural development of this section. Mr. Kennedy has been a life-long resident of the county, and was born on his present farm in Elizabeth township, July 21, 1898, a son of McLain and Sarah (Davis) Kennedy. His parents passed the active portion of their careers as farming people here and are held in the highest esteem by those who know them. They have had four children : Harley F., Arthur, who is engaged in farming in Lost Creek township, Miami county ; Lilly, who married Edward Cavenaugh, of Elizabeth township, and Iva, who married Dick Freeman, of Elizabeth township. Harley F. Kennedy was educated in the district school in the vicinity of his father's farm, and after some further preparation engaged in farming. At the age of twenty-two years he finds himself renting his father's farm of 123 acres, equipped with modern buildings and machinery, and stocked with a good grade of live stock. Mr. Kennedy is physically and morally a fine type of American manhood and his ambition and ability should carry him far on the road to success. He is public-spirited to a high degree, and during the recent war period was a liberal contributor to all movements. Mr. Kennedy married Ellen, daughter of Frank Vanderveer, a substantial agriculturist of Elizabeth township. William J. Lewis. One of the important industries of Covington is that represented by the Covington Woolen Mills, the proprietor of which, William J. Lewis, is one of the leading and progressive business men of his city. Mr. Lewis was born at Covington, February 3, 1872, a son of Alfred J. and Barbara (Ruppert) Lewis. Alfred J. Lewis came to Covington from Richmond, Ind., in 1865 and at that time bought the woolen mills from Henry Finfrock. He made a success of his venture and built up a firmly-established and growing business, but at that time died, when still in the prime of life, in 1889, leaving the business to his sons, William J., and Charles Edward.. The latter is now a resident of Dayton, where he is engaged in business. William J. Lewis was granted the advantages of a public school education, and was only seventeen years of age when his father died, his younger brother being fifteen. Upon the youthful and inexperienced shoulders of William J. Lewis was placed the burden of responsibility for the continuation of the milling business. While the youth had little training, he was possessed of ambition, determination and a goodly share of common sense and natural ability, and these he used to the fullest extent in carrying on the business. That he has succeeded is shown in the fact that today this is the leading business industry of Covington, made so by the able judgment and sterling management of its proprietor. A complete history of this enterprise will be found in the industrial section of this work, but it may be noted here that during the World war period the business was conducted one hundred per cent. on government work, making blankets for the United States Army. Mr. Lewis has a number of civic and social connections, as well as those of a business character, and is MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 269 highly esteemed and respected in business circles, while his public spirit as a citizen has never been questioned. He married Susan, daughter of Joseph Grove, of Covington, and they are the parents of three children : Alfred J. and Ruth Marcel, who are attending the Covington High School, and James W., a student in the graded school. Jesse T. Landis. Of the men who have contributed to the advancement and development of Miami county through participation in agricultural activities and their connection with public affairs, few are more favorably known than is Jesse T. Landis, a substantial farmer of Newton township and a member of the township board of trustees. Mr. Landis has been a resident of this community all his life, having been born on his father's farm in Newton township, April 1, 1885, a son of John and Lydia (Wilbaum) Landis. He is one of .a family of twelve children, of whom two died in infancy, the other ten growing to maturity. The parents were farming people throughout their lives and were well-known and highly esteemed in their locality. Jesse T. Landis obtained his education in the country schools and from young manhood has been engaged in agricultural operations, at this time having sixty acres of valuable land in Newton township, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. He is one of the influential Democrats of his locality, having been for three years treasurer of the party in Miami county, for two years deputy state supervisor of elections and formerly for ten years central state committeeman. He is at present a member of the board of trusteesof Newton township, a position which he has held for four years, and in which he has rendered faithful and efficient service to his fellow-citizens. During the period of the World war he was placed in charge of a certain territory in all the loan drives, Red Cross, war chest, etc., and in each case was successful in putting his district "over the top." Mr. Landis married Alice, daughter of Fred Reed, of Newton township, and to this union there have been born five children : Herman LeRoy, Glenna- Irene, Helen Grace, Lydia Ellen, and Orpha May, all residing at home. Morrison Boal Orr, a director of the Orr Felt & BlanketCompany at Piqua, and one of that city's energetic and progressive business men, was born at Piqua, March 11, 1894, a son of Aaron Morrison and Eliza VanBibber (Boal) Orr. The late A. Morrison Orr was one of Piqua's most successful business men. He was born September 7, 1856, in Darke county, Ohio, a son of Gen. W. P. Orr, and was educated there and at Piqua. His first business venture was in the grain and linseed oil line in partnership with a Mr. Leonard, but the name of the firm was later changed to the W. P. Orr Linseed Oil Company. This concern subsequently sold out to the American Linseed Oil Company, and when this change was effected Mr. Orr remained with the new concern as manager of the sales department, at Cincinnati. He severed his connection with that business in February, 1897, at which time he became interested in a paper mill and stove works, and in 1900 bought out 270 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY the F. Gray Felt & Blanket Company and founded the Orr Felt & Blanket Company, which has become one of Miami county's largest manufacturing concerns and a history of which will be found in the industrial part of this work. Mr. Orr was a devout member of the Presbyterian church, an Elk and a member of the Piqua Business Men's Club. In his death his community lost a capable, greatly respected and public-spirited man. Mr. Orr married Eliza Van Bibber Boal, a native of Kentucky, and they became the parents, of two children : Martha Louise, the wife of W. R. Casparis of Columbus, and Morrison Boal. Morrison Boal Orr was educated in the Piqua public schools and after his graduation from high school, in 1912, pursued a course at Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, N. H: Graduated in 1914, he entered Yale University, as a student of Sheffield Scientific School, and was attending his studies there when the United States entered the World war. He enlisted in the navy at Newport, R. I., in April, 1917, and in June of the same year received his commission as ensign: Subsequently he served on board the United States Ship Chattanooga from June until December, when he was transferred to the United States Destroyer McDonough, serving thereon until August, 1918, and being then transferred to the United States Naval Railway Battery. He received his honorable discharge March I, 1919, and returned to Piqua, where he became a director of the Orr Felt & Blanket Company. Mr. Orr is well thought of in business circles and is highly popular with all who know him. He holds membership in the Masons and Elks and has a number of civic and social connections of importance. J. H. McCool, who is numbered among the practical energetic and progressive agriculturists of Newton township, is the renter of a valuable property in the vicinity of Covington, on which he is working out a worth while and definitely outlined success. He belongs to a family which has resided in this county for many years, and was born in Newberry township, December 30, 1883, a son of D. O., and Hannah (Lyvergia) McCool. His parents were farming. people who worked industriously and lived honorably and thus won the confidence and respect of their associates. There were four children in the family. J. H. McCool received his education in the public school in the vicinity of the home farm in Newberry township, also attended at Covington, where he graduated, after which he became associated with his father. He remained with the elder man until after he had reached his majority, when he began farming on his own account and has been so engaged to the present. Several years ago Mr McCool came to Newton township and located on the property he now rents and operates, a tract of eighty acres. Here he has a good set of substantial buildings, modern improvements of all kinds and a good grade of cattle, and is carrying on general farming and stock raising operations. He has an excellent reputation in business circles, and his standing as a citizen rests upon his loyal and public-spirited support of worthy movements both in times of war and peace. He has several social MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 271 connections and is the center of an admiring circle of friends. Mr. McCool married Pearl, daughter of John Sease, of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, and six children have been born to this union, five living with their parents : John, Charles, Miriam, Everett, George, and Carolyn,- who died when one day old. Samuel McCurdy, one of the prosperous agriculturists of Concord township, and one who belongs to the self-made class of successful men, was born in Ireland, and is a son of Samuel and Eliza (Barr) McCurdy. He was about one year old when brought to the United States, his parents first settling at Allentown, Pa., and three years later removing to Troy, Ohio, the trip from Cincinnati to the latter point being made by canal boat. In the vicinity of Troy the parents purchased a farm of eighty acres, in Concord township, and there the parents passed the rest of their lives, the father dying in 1894, at the age of eighty-eight years, while the mother passed away when eighty years of age. There were ten children in the family, of whom eight are still living. Samuel McCurdy the younger acquired his education in the district schools of Concord township, and was reared to the pursuits of agriculture, in which he has always been engaged. Through industry and intelligent management of his affairs he has become one of the prosperous farmers of his township, where he is the owner of -a highly-improved and very productive tract of 272 1-2 acres. On this property are to be found substantial buildings, notably several commodious barns, built by Mr. McCurdy himself. Mr. McCurdy married Susan, daughter of Robert Correy, she being a native of Concord township, born and reared on the present McCurdy farm. To this union there were born ten children : Charles, who died at the age of twenty-two years ; Samuel, who is his father's associate in cultivating the home farm ; Joseph H., also working with his father ; Mary, who is unmarried and lives with her parents ; Jennie, the wife of Bert Billingsly, a farmer of Miami county ; Rosa, the wife of Fred Williams, also a farmer of this county ; Bessie, unmarried, residing with her parents ; William Roy, an engineer of Dayton ; Walter T., who is employed at Chicago, and John, who met death at a railroad crossing when twenty-seven years of age. Two of these sons have seen service overseas during the great World war. William Roy McCurdy joined the United States Navy and served about two years. Walter T. McCurdy joined the aviation corps, was under fire in France, and after the signing of the armistice was sent to Coblenz, Germany. In the meantime, at home Joseph McCurdy was serving on various war committees, Samuel McCurdy and his son, Samuel, Jr., were also assisting through contributions and co-operation, and Mrs. McCurdy and her daughters were working loyally in behalf of the Red Cross. John Patterson. Among the agriculturists of Miami county who have attained success through intelligent application of industry and modern methods, there are many who have passed their entire lives on the properties which they now occupy. In this class is found John Patterson, who was born on his present farm in 272 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY Washington township, a son of William and Mary (Crozier) Patterson. Mr. Patterson is one of the three living children of his parents, and received his education in the public schools. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and as a young man adopted the vocation of farming, which he has always followed as a resident and operator of the home farm. Mr. Patterson has good improvements, including a set of substantial buildings, and in his management of his property evidences the possession of marked ability and judgement. A well read man, he is fond of good literature and has a large and well-chosen library. During the war period he did a good citizen's part in supporting the various movements of the Government, and his public spirit has been evident in local civic affairs. He is unmarried. Charles F. Perkins, cashier of the Pleasant Hill Bank, located in the thriving little community of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, is one of the progressive young citizens of this community. He was born at Ghent, Ky., a son of G. W. and Martha Perkins, and received his education in the public schools of his native place, where he likewise obtained his introduction to the banking business. In 1907 Mr. Perkins came to Pleasant Hill, Ohio, at which time he was made cashier of the bank of Pleasant Hill, a position which he has since retained and in which he has contributed substantially to the success of his institution. Mr. Perkins has built up an excellent reputation as a man of ability, sound judgement and practical conservatism, and has the unqualified confidence of his associates and the patrons of the bank, the latter of whom frequently consult him as to matters of business importance. During the period of the World war, he was commendably active in the work of answering the call of the various war loans. A comparison of the figures showing the bank's quota, and what it subscribed, will give an idea of the services which he rendered at that time. In the first loan, the bank was given no quota, but subscribed $5,500. In the second loan, the bank's quota was $18,300, and subscribed $28,400. In the third loan, the bank's quota was $17,250, and the institution subscribed $54,300. In the fourth loan, with a quota of $43,200, it subscribed $71,550; and in the fifth (Victory) loan, with a quota of $32,450, it subscribed $62,400. Mr. Perkins married Effie Roberts, of Ghent, Ky., and to this union there have come four children : Aileen, born in 1912 ; Charles A., born in 1915 ; Jack, born in 1918, and Richard Lee, horn in 1920. Mr. Perkins' brother, R. L. Perkins, saw active service in France during the World war as a member of the United States Signal Corps. Frank Pickanue. Among the progressive agriculturists of Miami county there are a number who are carrying on operations on the properties upon which they were born and where their entire lives have been passed. In this class is Frank Pickanue, of Newton township, who was born in the Pleasant Hill community, in 1882, a son of Jule and Christina (Bashore) Pickanue. His father followed farming for many years on this property and was a man highly respected for his industry and good citizenship, his death MIAMI COUNTY—BIOGRAPHICAL - 273 causing his community the loss of a man who in various ways had contributed to its welfare and advancement. Mrs. Pickanue survives her husband and resides on the farm. Among their children, one son, James, was in the United States Army during the World war. He trained at Camp Sherman and saw service in France, taking part in several important engagements at the front. He returned home safely and is now engaged in railroading in Miami county. Frank Pickanue was educated in the rural schools and has always carried on farming. He is now carrying on operations on the home place for his mother and is accounted one of the agriculturists of modern tendencies and practical ideas. He has put the seventy-five acres under a good state of cultivation and his industry is being rewarded by satisfying success. Jacob Reichman, whose farming operations in Newberry township are among the most successful carried on in that portion of the county, and who is a member of a family long and favorably known there, was born in Miami county, May 11, 1858, a son of John C. and Katherine (Gensley) Reichman. The parents of Mr. Reichman were well-known and highly respected farming people of Miami county, where they passed their entire lives. John C. Reichman enlisted for service in the Union army early in the war between the North and the South, being a private in the One Hundred and Tenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a hard-fighting organization which saw much active service, and with which Mr. Reichman was connected for four years. At the close of his military service he resumed his farming operations, and was engaged therein until his death in 1890. By his marriage with Katherine Gensley, he was the father of four children : Con, who is a retired agriculturist living at Covington, Ohio ; Barney, who is also retired after a career spent in agriculture and likewise lives at Covington ; Julie, the wife of Samuel Bitner, a farmer of Newberry township, and Jacob. By a subsequent marriage, Mr. Reichman had one daughter, Mary, the widow of Henry Wilke, living at Covington. Jacob Reichman received his education in the public schools of Miami county, and as a youth assisted his father and brothers in the work of cultivating the home farm. He remained under the parental roof until ready to enter upon his independent career, and since then has accumulated 160 acres of good land in Newberry township, his comfortable home being located on Covington R. F. D. No. 4. He has other good buildings and modern improvements and is justly adjudged one of the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of his community. Mr. Reichman was united in marriage with Sarah J., daughter of Jacob Reesor, a farmer of Miami county, and to this union there have been born two children : Roscoe, who assists his father on the home farm, and Pearl C., the wife of Lewis Sarver, a farmer of this county. Mr. Reichman is one of the public-spirited men of his community, where he bears an excellent reputation for integrity and fair dealing, and during the war period he and his son were generous contributors to all war activities. 274 - MEMOIRS OF THE MIAMI VALLEY Frank M. Sterrett. Frank M. Sterrett, whose useful and prominent life has been spent in its entirety in the furtherance of the public good, was born in Pike township, Clark county, Ohio. Here he grew to manhood on the home farm, and was educated in the district schools, the Troy grammar school, and the Ohio Wesleyan University. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Independent Batallion of Ohio Infantry, Company D, and was mustered out of. Company I, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 30, 1864, after a year of service, during which time he had served as commissary sergeant, of the cavalry service, and was detailed to the heavy artillery in front of Washington, and then the engineer corps, and assisted in laying out Arlington Heights, Va. On account of disease contracted while in the service, under the advice of physicians, he traveled through England and Ireland during the year 1865. Upon his return to the United States, he taught school in Ohio and Indiana for three years, then read law for two years, following which he was a commercial traveler for eight years. Throughout his life, Mr. Sterrett was a loyal supporter of Republican policies, and served as chairman of the county senatorial and congressional committees, and was a member of the State Central Republican Committee from 1877 to 1883. He was appointed postmaster of Troy by Presidents Hayes and Arthur. He held the interests of Troy always at heart, and served as president of the Troy Water Works ; was chairman of the committee securing the east and west railroad through the city in 1881 ; and was prominently connected with the building of the model county seat courthouse of Ohio, at Troy in 1882. In 1885, he resigned as postmaster, and moved to St. Louis, Mo. Here also, he was prominent in politics, and was candidate for congressman from the eleventh St. Louis district, In 1890, and the twelfth district in 1894. He was president of the Missouri Commission to the Omaha International Exposition, and Missouri won more diplomas and medals than any other three states combined. From 1894 to 1904, he engaged in the real estate business in St. Louis, and was secretary of the finance committee of the St. Louis World's Fair, from March, 1901, to July, 1901. He returned to Troy, Miami county, in 1904. Mr. Sterrett holds an exceptional GrandArmy record, having been post commander of various posts at different times, and was executive director of the Forty-first National Encampment held at Saratoga Springs, New York, 1906-7, and served in the same capacity at the Forty-third and Forty-fourth encampments held at Salt Lake City, and Atlantic City, respectively. He was adjutant general, 1900-1, under. Rassieur, and was commander of the department of Missouri, 1903-4. He was a member of the executive committee of the National Council of Administration from 1895 to 1914, and is the present chairman of that committee. Mr. Sterrett's usefulness has entered many fields, and his career is one of which he may justly be proud. He was married September 19, 1872, to Miss Mabel Binkley, of Troy, Ohio.