DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 325 of that day, by direction of Major Taylor, General Sherman's chief of artillery, we took a very advanced position where we were subjected to a very severe cross-fire from the infantry constituting the enemy's reserve under General Breckenridge. When Major Taylor observed the error he had made in placing us in that position he ordered us to withdraw, but our losses in men and horses had been so severe that we were compelled to leave one gun behind, but not the one that Cowden had charge of. Having reached a more secure position I called for volunteers to go and bring off the abandoned gun. Sergeant Cowden was the first to respond to the call, and by a heroic effort succeeded in recovering the gun and bringing it off by hand over newly cultivated stumpy ground, made almost impassable by recent heavy rain. One of his men, Stephen Rexer, lifted so hard at the wheel of the gun that he ruptured himself severely and had to be discharged. In commending Sergeant Cowden to Governor Yates of Illinois for promotion to a lieutenancy in the battery I mentioned the Shiloh incident, and when his commission came there was boldly written across its face, Tor Merit at Pittsburg Landing.' At the desperate and bloody battle of Guntown, Mississippi, on June 10, 1864, where for a time we contended against nearly ten times our own numbers and lost half our men, Colonel Cowden handled his regiment with great skill, bravery and good judgment. Although engaged in hard, rough service, and separated from all restraining social-and home influences, Colonel Cowden was a man of so gentle and refined a nature that in all the years that we were associated together I never heard him utter a single vulgar or profane word." Almost continuously since his return from the war Colonel Cowden has been actively associated with Sunday school work, with which he has been continuously connected in an official capacity for a longer period than any other man now living. On the 16th of December, 1866, he was chosen president of the Sunday School Association of Jefferson township, Crawford county, Ohio, and six months later was elected secretary of the county association, in which capacity he served continuously for fifteen years. From June, 1871, until June, 1877, he was general secretary of the Ohio Sunday School Association, and in the latter year was made a member of the executive committee of the state association, with which he has ever since been associated in the' same capacity. In 1894 he was chosen secretary of the teachers' training department of the Ohio association, remaining in that position for eleven years, or until 1905. No practical movement or plan for the benefit of the Sunday school or the extension and promotion of its work has failed to receive his attention and endorsement. From 1875 until 1890 he was the representative from the Ohio association on the international executive committee and for thirty-two years has been the general secretary of the Sunday school board of the United Brethren in Christ. He was a member of the international Sunday school convention of 1872, which adopted the plan of international lessons, and he has since attended all of the international conventions and all of the world's conventions with two exceptions. One well acquainted with him says : "Among the many great men whom the state of Ohio has produced, none stand higher as a Sunday school worker than Colonel Robert Cowden, of the church of the United Brethren in Christ. In fact it is a question if any stand so high in this regard. As a conductor of 326 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY institutes, a lecturer on his favorite themes before great conventions, as an apt expounder of the Scriptures and as an instructor of Sunday-sch0ol officers, teachers and classes, he has few equals and perhaps no superiors. Colonel Cowden has devoted his entire time to this work for many years, being all that time the general Sunday-school secretary of his church, and for forty-two years a prominent member of the Ohio state Sunday School Association ; and to his tireless efforts and enthusiasm, traveling, lecturing, conducting institutes and addressing conferences of his church, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the gulf away up into Canada, is chiefly due the vigorous life of the Sunday school work of today in the United Brethren denomination, its thorough organization and the effective work that it is doing. By his rare ability, intelligent generalship and tireless effort, he has made a record that is imperishable and set at work forces that will bless coming generations for untold years." While the Sunday school work has largely occupied the time and efforts of Colonel Cowden, in his earlier years he largely depended upon his labors in other directions for his support. At the age of sixteen years he was apprenticed to a carpenter and from that time until he reached the age of forty years he was connected with building operations through the summer months and in the winter seasons engaged in teaching school. His life has always been characterized by unfaltering industry, unwearied energy and unswerving purpose, but as these have been directed in the line of attainment of great good for the young people of the land, his life work has been of inestimable value, not only to the church but also in a broader sense to the country, in promoting such characteristics of manhood as constitute good citizenship. Colonel Cowden has been married twice. He first wedded Miss Lydia Tabitha Miller and unto them were born five children : Daniel Webster, John C. Milton, Aretas P. Eugene, Jacob K. and Zoe Estelle May. The third son died in infancy. The eldest married Miss Rosa E. Ruhl and is now vice president and general manager of the H. D. Lee Mercantile Company in Salina, Kansas, with which business enterprise his sons, George Robert and Jay Rule, are also connected. J. C. Milton Cowden married Miss Alice B. Wood, of Cleveland, Ohio, and is a resident of Dayton. Jacob is connected with ranch interests near Newcastle, Colorado, and the only daughter of the family became the wife of Frank L. Chipperfield, of Nebraska, and died February 27, 1905. Having lost by death his first wife Colonel Cowden afterward married Mrs. Joanna McGinnis. In his political views Colonel Cowden has always been a republican and from 1878 until 1882 was postmaster at Galion, Ohio. He has, however, never participated to any great extent in political affairs, yet regards it his duty as well as the privilege of citizenship to support the men and measures whereby the best good to the community, state and nation will be advanced. On the 1st of June, 1892, he was elected a member of Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion and is also a member of Old Guard Post, No. 23, G. A. R., of Dayton. Centuries ago a Psalmist said : "Train a child up in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it." The wisdom thus uttered has been recognized to some extent through all the intervening ages but there has been no period in the world's history when the people are so thoroughly aroused to DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 327 the need and value of religious instruction through the medium of the Sunday school as at the present time ; no era in which the work has been so completely organized and the teachers so thoroughly trained. Colonel Cowden has been most active in this movement toward the development of a Christian citizenship, wherein lies the hope of the stability of the nation. He entered simultaneously on the seventy-seventh year of his life and the thirty-third year of ministry as general secretary of the Sunday school board of his denomination on the 24th of May, 1909. THOMAS BENTON MINNICH. Thomas Benton Minnich is now living retired in Dayton after active connection with official and business interests wherein his well directed efforts brought hiM substantial success. His birth occurred on a farm in Clark county, Ohio, near Springfield, in 1843, and there he was reared to the age of fifteen years. He represents an old American family. His paternal grandfather, Peter Minnich, was born in Virginia in 1793 and came to Ohio in early manhood, settling in Clark county, where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1842. He was a farmer by occupation, following that pursuit at a time when tilling the soil in Ohio was a most arduous task. The only interruption to his business activity came at the time of the war of 1812, when he enlisted in defense of American interests. His son, Arthur Minnich, the father of Thomas B. Minnich, was born in Clark county in 1819 and was there reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life. He, too, followed the occupation of farming and was married in Clark county, Ohio, in 1841, to Miss Sarah Flick, Two children were born unto them: Mary, who died at the age of fifteen years ; and Thomas B. The latter was in his infancy when his father died in 1843 and he was reared by his maternal grandfather, William Flick, spending his youth on a farm in Clark county, Ohio, where he early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His early education was acquired in the old Black Horse school in Pike township, Clark county, and later he had the benefit of a year's instruction in Linden Hill Academy at New Carlisle, Ohio. Subsequently he engaged in teaching for a year or two and then continued his own education in the Southwestern Normal at Lebanon, Ohio. Later he again took up the profession of teaching, which he followed in Montgomery, Clark and Miami counties, being thus connected with educational work until 1884, his last term being in the Shearer school in Wayne township, Montgomery county. In that year he came to Dayton and entered the office of the treasurer of Montgomery county in the capacity of cashier, serving under two treasurers, or from 1884 until 1892. In the latter year he succeeded Frank T. Huffman in the capacity of county treasurer and filled this office until September, 1894. In that year he took up his abode at his country home at Sulphur Grove, Montgomery county, where he resided until 1898, when he again entered the county treasurer's office as cashier, serving as such for four years or until 1902. He then returned to his 328 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY home at Sulphur Grove, where he was identified with farming pursuits until 1907, since which time he has lived retired in Dayton, deriving from his property and investments a substantial income. Mr. Minnich was married in Clark county, Ohio, in 1876, to Miss Clara S. Croft, who died in 1897. He belongs to the Masonic lodge, with which he has been identified since 1868, and gives his political allegiance to the democracy. He has had considerable influence in local political circles and has ever been known as a reliable citizen and trustworthy official, while in every relation of life his substantial qualities are such as have won for him the confidence and regard of those with whom he has been associated. HENRY KLEY. Henry Kley, of Mad River township, is known as one of the largest gardeners in the vicinity of Dayton, Ohio, for his twenty-six acre farm of fine land is used exclusively for growing truck produce. All the fruit of his labors is sold in this city and much of it at No. 4 Central Market, where Mr. Kley has his stand. His father, also named Henry Kley, was the oldest gardener in this part of the county and one of the best known. He and his father, Antonio Kley, came to this country together from Saxony, and located in this county when it was still in the early stages of its development, for they had to clear all their own land. The elder Henry Kley had learned the mechanic's trade, but after his arrival in this part of the state he forsook it to go into gardening. To this latter pursuit he devoted all his time, and with admirable success, for the produce from his fields was widely known for its excellence. He was married twice—the first time to Miss Mary Swartz, the second to Miss Rebecca Gilbert, who was the mother of the Henry Kley of this sketch. There were seven children born of these marriages : Mary, George, John, William, Elizabeth, Henry and Katie. Henry Kley, Jr., was born on the farm on the 21st of March, 1869, and has always lived in this county. From the public schools here he received all that they had to give him in the way of education, but during all his period of training he helped his father on the farm, as do many boys who are reared close to the soil. After a time he assumed full charge of his father's work, for he has eyer been the head of the Kley family The guidance of the older man was a valuable thing and assisted him in reaching that position he holds among the gardeners of this locality. On the 3d of May, 1894, Mr. Kley was united in marriage to Miss Mary Bradmeyer, daughter of August and Minnie (Zimmerneicht) Bradmeyer. August Bradmeyer was a farmer and like his wife was a native of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Kley's union has been blessed by three children : Ermy, Harry and Florence, who are all of school age. The family belongs to the Third Street Lutheran church and is known among the congregation as one that takes an active interest. in all church work. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 331 That same ability and power that made Henry Kley the head of his family—his industry, his perseverance and his good management and grasp of the importance of details has made it possible not only to win such excellent returns from the soil but also to conduct his business so that he is amply repaid for his labor. His good fortune has been obtained through his own efforts and so brings with it no bitterness that another has suffered for his prosperity. Mr. Kley is a highly respected citizen and has the good will of all his neighbors. JEROME J. STOUT, M. D. Dr. Jerome J. Stout, with broad understanding of the scientific principles that underlie the practice of medicine, has in his professional career made steady progress and although one of the younger representatives of the medical fraternity in Dayton, is accorded a practice which many an older physician might well envy. A native of Ohio, he was born on a farm in Athens county, January 13, 1877, and represents one of the old families of the state, established here in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. His grandfather, George Stout, was a native of Pennsylvania, while the father, Cyrenus Stout, was born in Athens county, Ohio, in the year 1821. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and made the occupation of farming his life work, owning and cultivating a good tract of land in the county of his nativity. His life record covered seventy-seven years, his death occurring in 1898. As a farm boy Dr. Stout was reared, attending the country schools in his early youth, while the work of plowing, planting and harvesting largely engaged his attention through the spring and summer months. Ambitious to enjoy more advanced educational opportunities, he entered the Ohio Normal at Ada, Ohio, where he pursued his more specifically literary education, and then with broad general knowledge to serve as the foundation for the superstructure of professional learning, he entered the Ohio Medical University at Columbus, now known as the Starling Ohio Medical College. There he pursued his full course until 1902, when he was graduated and immediately afterward located for practice in Athens county, Ohio, where he remained for three years. He then sought the broader opportunities of the city and in 1905 came to Dayton, where he has practiced continuously since. His ability has won recognition not only from the public but also from the profession and in addition to a gratifying private practice he is now acting as medical inspector of the Patterson and Rubicon public schools. His office and residence are at 921 South Brown street. In 1905 Dr. Stout was married in Athens county, Ohio, to Miss Josephine Caldwell and they have two children, Alfred Evan and Winifred. While Dr. Stout does not take an active part in campaign work or labor for the success of the candidates of the party, he gives his support at the polls to the republican organization. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, to the Junior Order of American Mechanics, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Independent Order of Redmen, and he attends the United Presbyterian church. His connection in professional lines is with the Montgomery County Medical Society, the 332 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He thus keeps abreast with what the profession is doing in lines of progress and is regarded in Dayton as a capable physician, conscientious and faithful in the discharge of his professional duties. SAMUEL WELLER. Samuel Weller, widely known in business circles of Dayton as the senior partner of the firm of Weller & McClure, real-estate dealers with offices in the Davies building, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, December 27, 1849. The family has long been established in America. The paternal grandfather, John Weller, was a native of New Jersey and a farmer by occupation. He became one of the early settlers of Montgomery county, Ohio, traveling westward by wagon before the era of railroad transportation. He died near Centerville, Ohio, at an advanced age while his wife also reached an old age. They had a large family including William Weller who was born in Ohio, was reared to the occupation of farming and always carried on general agricultural pursuits near Centerville, continuing in that business until his life's labors were ended in death. He owned a farm of one hundred and forty acres which he improved and he also owned considerable other land. He married Miss Martha Young, also a native of Ohio, her parents having been early settlers of the southern part of Montgomery county. A number of the younger brothers settled there, accumulated considerable land and did much toward the development of the county. Unto William and Martha (Young) Weller were born four children : Sarah, now the wife of L. D. Vincent ; Mary A., the wife of Samuel Walton ; Samuel of this review ; and Carrie E., the wife of Swayne T. Barrett. The father died on the old homestead farm at the age of sixty-six years and the mother still survives. He was a member of the Baptist church and Mrs. Weller also belonged to the same church and has lived an earnest, consistent Christian life. Samuel Weller was reared as a farmer boy, remaining on the old homestead until fourteen years of age, during which time he began his education as a pupil in the district schools. He afterward attended the Southwestern Normal School at Lebanon and later pursued a course in the A. D. Wilt Commercial College. Having thus qualified for the demands made upon one in the business world, he accepted a position as clerk in a dry-goods store where he was employed for several years. He thoroughly acquainted himself with the trade and, prompted by laudable ambition, he carefully saved his earnings until his capital was sufficient to enable him to own an interest in a dry-goods store. He then formed a partnership with W. H. Layton under the firm name of Weller & Layton, which association was continued with mutual pleasure and profit for seven years. On the expiration of that period the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Weller selling out to Mr. Layton, after which he opened a new dry-goods store in partnership with H. S. Doxsey under the firm name of Weller & Doxsey. They were together for ten years, at the end of which time Mr. Weller sold his interest to Mr. Doxsey. He then entered the real estate field in connection with J. A. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 333 McClure, his present partner, and they have offices in the Davies building. Mr. Weller has made it his purpose to thoroughly acquaint himself with the realty market and valuations and since taking up his present line of business has handled much important property and negotiated many notable real estate transfers. Personally he owns an interest in the old homestead together with other farm lands and city property. On the 7th of October, 1879, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Weller and Miss Nellie Schaeffer, a daughter of Valentine and Mary (Auchey) Schaeffer. They reside at No. 141 Salem avenue where Mr. Weller owns a fine home. They are both faithful members of the Methodist church and in his political views Mr. Weller is a republican. Keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the clay he is able to support his position by intelligent arguments and yet he does not seek political preferment. His interests center in his business and in his home and in the former he is making steady progress along the lines leading to gratifying and substantial success. OLIVER I. GUNCKEL. Oliver I. Gunckel has since 1881 been secretary of the Columbia Insurance Company of Dayton and throughout his entire business career has been a representatiye of fire insurance interests, in which connection he has made continuous progress until his substantial success places him with the men of affluence in Dayton. He was born in Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1846 and represents one of the old pioneer families of this section of the state, his great-grandfather, Judge Philip Gunckel, having located in Germantown on his removal from Pennsylvania in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was one of the first associate judges of Montgomery county and was closely connected with the pioneer development and early progress of this part of the state. His son, Colonel Michael S. Gunckel, the grandfather, was reared in Germantown and was also a factor in public affairs as well as in business activity. He served as a colonel in the war of 1812, commanding a regiment of American troops that did valiant service for the interests of the country. He was also at one time a member of the Ohio legislature. George W. Gunckel, the father of Oliver I. Gunckel, was born in Germantown, Ohio, in 1821 and still resides there at the venerable age of eighty-seven years. He was in the banking and tobacco business there for a long period, his enterprise, activity and industry being salient factors in the development and growth of the town. He married Miss Julia Ann Ayers, of Germantown, who died in 1903 at the age of eighty-two years. They had a family of six children, of whom five are living: Oliver I. ; Maria G., wife of George B. Tebbs, of Harrison, Ohio ; Ella G., the wife of Cornelius S. Grimes, of Germantown ; Elizabeth G., the wife of Rev. W. A. Deaton, a Methodist minister ; and Donna G., wife of Albert Scherzer, of Chicago, Illinois. The second son, Charles W., is deceased. For seventeen years Oliver I. Gunckel remained a resident of his native town and there attended the public schools. He then responded to the country's call 334 - DAYTON AN I) MONTGOMERY COUNTY for troops, enlisting in 1864 as a member of, the Signal Corps of the United States army. He served to the close of the war, being mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1865. He was with Sherman from Chattanooga to Atlanta and on to the sea and afterward participated in the campaign through the Car0linas to Richmond and on to Washington, D. C., where he took part in the grand review, the most celebrated military pageant ever seen on the western hemisphere. He was slightly wounded in the right knee on the second day's march from Atlanta and was under fire many times but never faltered .in the performance of his military duty. When the war was over Mr. Gunckel returned to Dayton and took up the fire. insurance business, in which he has since been engaged, his executive ability and undaunted courage being the cause of his continuous progress in this direction. In 1881 the Columbia Insurance Company was organized with Mr. Gunckel as secretary and in this position he has continued to the present time. He has carefully systematized the work of his office, has continually wrought along lines for the growth and expansion of the business and through his indefatigable energy has contributed in large measure to its success. He is the vice president of 'the Dayton Gas Light & Coke Company and is regarded as a progressive and representative business man, possessing the qualities essential for success in commercial lines. On the l0th of October, 1872, in Middletown, Ohio, Mr. Gunckel was married to Miss Hattie Sutphin and they are now parents of two sons and a daughter : Dr. Joseph S. Gunckel, of Cincinnati, Ohio ; Dr. George I. Gunckel, a dental surgeon of the United States army ; and Julia O. Mr. Gunckel attends the Presbyterian church and is a member of the Old Guard Post, G. A. R., of Dayton, thus maintaining pleasant relations with his old army comrades. In Masonry he has attained the degrees of the commandery and of the consistory and in his life exemplifies-the beneficent spirit of the craft. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he was an alternate at large to the Chicago convention which nominated W. H. Taft in 1908. He conies of a family long considered a representative one in Montgomery county and his life has been in harmony with the untarnished family record, for at all times he has been loyal to the best interests of the community, while in his private business affairs he has manifested qualities that ever command respect and inspire confidence. JOHN CALVIN BRIGHT. Among the native sons of Montgomery county who throughout life have been identified with its agricultural interests is John C. Bright, of Madison township, who owns and cultivates fifty-six acres of fine farm land on the township road about five miles from Trotwood. He has also given much of his life to the work of the church and is now a minister of the church of the Brethren in his township. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 335 He was born October 26, 1851, and is a son of Isaac and Sarah (Rife) Bright. The paternal grandparents were Peter L. and Magdaline (Bowman) Bright. The ancestral history is traced back through various generations to Michael Bright, who came from Germany and was the founder of the family in the United States. He was born in 1706 and died in 1794. Some of his children were soldiers of the American army and in the Revolutionary war, one of his sons attaining the rank of general. Another of his sons furnished supplies to Washington's army at Valley Forge. The line of descent from Michael Bright is traced down through Jacob Bright, who was the great-great-grandfather of our subject. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1729, made his home during the greater part of his life in Lancaster county, that state, and passed away in 1802. George Bright, the next in line of direct descent, spent his entire life in Virginia. He was the father of Peter L. Bright, whose youthful days were passed in the Shenandoah valley and who arrived in Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1828. Here he took up a tract of land and began the development of a farm, devoting his remaining days to general agricultural pursuits. He married Magdaline Bowman and among their children was Isaac Bright, who in the year 1828 was brought to Montgomery county from Virginia, his natiye state, the family settling on what was known as the old Ben Metzger farm. Isaac was reared to the work of tilling the soil, which he followed to a greater or less extent throughout his entire life. He also became a minister of the. conservative branch of the Dunker church and for forty years was connected with the ministry. He was a very prominent and influential resident of this part of the county, leaving the impress of his individuality for good upon its development and upbuilding. He died in 1889 and his grave was made in the Bear Creek cemetery. John Calvin Bright, a son of Isaac and Sarah (Rife) Bright, spent his youthful clays under the parental roof and after acquiring his early education in the Madison township schools he engaged in teaching school for about twenty-two years. He was also one of the ministers of the church of the Brethren of this section of the county, his life being devoted to the task of making the world better as well as of attaining success in a material way. On the 28th of November, 1875, Mr. Bright was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Garber, a daughter of Elder Samuel and Lydia (Fleeter) Garber. Her death occurred July I, 1878. There was but one child of that marriage, Florence, now deceased. After losing his first wife Mr. Bright wedded Miss Elizabeth Heistand, a daughter of Henry and Catharine (Kreitzer) Heistand. In 1909 Mr. Bright was again called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who passed away on the 24th of February. She held membership in the church of the Brethren and was beloved by all who knew her for she was a lady of many Christian graces and of kindly and benevolent spirit. She was the mother of eight children, six of whom are yet living. Jacob H., who at present is attending school in Chicago, has taught school in Montgomery county and is a graduate of Juniata College, Pennsylvania. He is also a minister of the church of the Brethren and he married Minnie Flory, by whom he has one child, Esther. Isaac Benter, who is a graduate of 'the Trotwood high school and of Welts college at Dayton, is also engaged in teaching school at the present time. He wed- 336 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY ded Alice Lentz and they have one son, John Russell. Ida Catharine, the next of the family, is a graduate of the Trotwood high school and lives at home, having taken charge of the household affairs since the death of the mother. Mary A. is a student in the Steele high school. John D. and Lydia E., twins, are still in school. Jesse M. and Martha Cassandra are both deceased. Mr. Bright carries on general farming and in addition to cultivating the fields also raises some stock. He has given much of his time, however, to the work of the church and has been moderator and secretary of the district conferences of southern Ohio on various occasions from 1893 to the present time. He has also been a delegate on the general committee to the general conference from 1898 until 1908 and is now acting as minister of the church of the Brethren of Madison and Perry townships. He stands for high ideals in all those things which make up the sum total of human existence and his energy and influence in the work of the church have made his efforts a most potent factor for the moral progress of the community. OSCAR F. DAVISSON. There is usually nothing spectacular in the career of the lawyer for advancement at the bar depends upon patient, persevering effort, the attainment of comprehensive knowledge of legal principles and of unwearied devotion to the interests of the client. Investigation into the life work of Mr. Davisson shows that he is richly endowed with all of these qualities and thus he has won for himself an enviable position among the practitioners of law in Montgomery county. His birth occurred June 12, 1851, in Preble county, Ohio, his parents being Josiah and Hannah (Foos) Davisson. In the paternal line he is descended from an old Virginian family, while in the maternal line he comes of Pennsylvanian ancestry. Josiah Davisson, his grandfather, after liberating a large number of slaves which he owned in Virginia, came to Ohio in 1812 and cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of Preble county. When the colonists attempted to throw off the yoke of British oppression he joined the American army and the valor which he displayed upon the field of battle led to his later appointment as sheriff of Rockingham county, Virginia, which then comprised of all what is now the state of West Virginia, his appointment coming to him from Patrick Henry, who was then governor of the Old Dominion. He became a forceful and influential factor in the early development and progress of Preble county, where he remained until his death September 9, 1825, in his eighty-first year. The Foos family was also established in Preble county during the early part of the nineteenth century. Jacob Foos, the grandfather of Oscar F. Davisson, was born in Pennsylvania and at one time owned a farm near what is now beautiful Fairmount park in Philadelphia. He, too, fought for liberty, serving as an artilleryman in the Revolutionary war. In the second decade of the nineteenth century he sought a home in Ohio and after living for some years in Warren county removed to Preble county in 1822, there passing away August 7, 1842, in his sixty-first year. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 339 Josiah Davisson, father of Oscar F. Davisson, was a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and accompanied his parents upon their removal to Ohio in 1812. He was identified with the early development of the county as the white settlers reclaimed it from the domain of the savages, and as the years passed he continued an influential factor in public affairs, serving as justice of the peace for more than thirty years, while in other ways he contributed to the legal status and general upbuilding of the community. In early manhood he wedded Hannah Foos, who was born near Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio, February 13, 1819, and was in her third year when her parents removed to Preble county. The marriage was celebrated May 12, 1846, and was blessed with three sons . and two daughters : Francis M., Amelia E. and Sarah A., who are residents of Preble county ; Oscar F. and Dr. E. C. Davisson, of Dayton. The father died in 1863 and the mother, surviving him for almost a third of a century, passed away July 15, 1896, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. She was a lady of strong character, particularly active in the support of needed reforms and improvements for the benefit of mankind. She possessed marked executive ability, was a wise counselor and a generous and helpful friend to the poor. Her ability and kindly spirit made her one of the best known women in Preble county and she was loved by all with whom she came in contact. No event of especial importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Oscar F. Davisson in his boyhood and youth. His time was divided between the work of the fields and the duties of the schoolroom and he supplemented his early educational advantages by study in the National Normal at Lebanon, Ohio, which he entered in 1870, completing a course by graduation in 1874. Upon the foundation of a broad literary knowledge he erected the superstructure of professional learning by devoting the following year to the study of law in the University of Michigan. In 1875 he came to Dayton and was a law student in the office of Gunckel & Rowe until his admission to the bar January 2, 1877. He received further practical training as assistant in that law office until the June following his admission when he opened an office and entered upon an independent professional career. His work is characterized by a thorough understanding of intricate legal problems and he prepares so thoroughly for the work of the courts that every point is guarded from the possible attack of his opponent and at the same time he studies closely to find the most vulnerable point in the armor of his adversary. From the beginning his practice has increased in volume and importance and in the great majority of the cases he has tried he has met with success, winning favorable verdicts for his clients. For many years he has devoted his time principally to corporation law, the bulk of his practice being along this line, and his clients are among the largest corporations in Ohio. On the 18th of June, 1889, in Dayton, Mr. Davisson WAS united in marriage to Miss Jessie M. Leach, a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Richard T. and Mary Ann Leach. Mr. and Mrs. Davisson now have two sons and one daughter : Richard, who graduated from Hotchkiss Preparatory School and entered Yale in 1909 ; Marian, and Oscar Fulton, Jr., both at home. Mr. Davisson, while without political ambition for himself, keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day and is a republican. He is in thorough sympathy with the beneficent spirit of Masonry and has attained the 340 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY Knight Templar degree of the York Rite and the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. Any movement for the improvement and benefit of the community receives his endorsement and cooperation and he is ranked as a valued public-spirited citizen as well as an able lawyer. WILLIAM H. MANNING, M. D. Dr. Manning, who rendered important professional aid to the Union during the dark days of the Civil war and later became a prominent representative of industrial and commercial interests in Ohio and Indiana, is now living retired in Dayton, his previous success making possible his rest from further labor. He was born in Uniontown, Muskingum county, Ohio, July 27, 1841, and there resided until 1856, when he went to Van Buren county, Iowa, and taught school for three years. Subsequently he returned to Jefferson county, Ohio, where he continued his education, and while pursuing his literary studies he also took up the study of medicine. Dr. Manning was not yet twenty-one years of age when, in May, 1862, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company F, Twenty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with his regiment until August of that year, when he became ill with typhoid fever in Virginia and was sent to a hospital in Washington, D. C., where he remained for three months. It being discovered that he knew something of medicine, he was detailed for duty as a druggist in the Union Hotel Hospital, where he had been a patient. In December, 1862, he was mustered out of the volunteer service and enlisted in the regular army as a hospital steward, being assigned to duty in the Patent Office Hospital in Washington, D. C., where he was placed in charge of the dispensary. When that hospital was closed in March, 1863, he was sent to Hampton, Virginia, and given charge of the dispensary at the United States General Hospital, which at one time took care of over sixty-five hundred seriously wounded soldiers. Dr. Manning was highly complimented on his efficiency by the military historian, J. C. C. Abbott, in Harper's Weekly in the summer of 1864. He remained in charge of the dispensary of the United States Hospital of Hampton, Virginia, until August, 1865, when, the war having ended, he resigned and entered the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, being graduated from the medical department with the class of 1867. In that year Dr. Manning located at Miamisburg, Ohio, where he entered upon the active practice of medicine, but after a few years became identified with industrial interests, recognizing and utilizing the opportunity for successful activity in that line. In 1871 he organized and assisted in building the Miami Valley paper mills in Miamisburg and was manager for twelve years, during which time the enterprise was conducted along profitable and constantly expanding lines. Disposing of his interest in Miamisburg, Dr. Manning became general manager of the car works at Lima, Ohio, and so continued for five years in that position. Later he erected the Knife & Bar Works at Anderson, Indiana, DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 341 and operated the plant from 1888 until 1893, the enterprise having a large output, so that his financial resources were continuously augmented. In Miamisburg, on the 2d of January, 1868, Dr. Manning was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Shultz, a daughter of Hon. Emanuel E. Shultz, and to them were born two children : Guy E., who is a first lieutenant in the United States Army, now stationed in the Philippines ; and Dorothy M., the wife of George E. Matthews, an architect of New York city. The Doctor and his wife enjoy good health and take much pleasure in their beautiful home at 332 West First street, Dayton. Dr. Manning has always taken an active interest in civic affairs and has served the public in various capacities in which his capability has been supplemented by the utmost fidelity. He has acted as a trustee of the State Insane Hospital at Dayton and in 1900 he was chosen a presidential elector on the republican ticket. He is a long-time member of the Masonic fraternity and has been a Knight Templar since 1869. Prominent in military organizations, he belongs to Old Guard Post, No. 23, G. A. R., of Dayton, and to the Union Veteran Legion. In 1903 he was elected national commander of the Union Veteran Legion and was reelected in 1904, being the second person so honored in the history of the organization. He is an intellectual, entertaining gentleman, with a kind heart and a hand ever ready to assist those in need. He has a host of warm friends, not only in Dayton but wherever he is known, his substantial qualities having gained him the honor and respect of all with whom he has been brought in contact. JOHN C. EBERHARDT. John C. Eberhardt, an optometrist, whose standing in his profession is indicated by the fact that in 1903 he was honored with the presidency of the American Federation of Optical Societies, was born in Thuringia, Prussia, May 1, 1857. His grandfather was Heinrich Eberhardt, also a native of Thuringia, Prussia. His father, Gottlieb W. Eberhardt, was born in that country in 1820 and became a mechanical engineer. In 1851 he was married at his old home to Miss Johanna Herbschleb, who was born in 1833. They came to the United States in 1866, locating in Dayton, where Mr. Eberhardt spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1895. He was a close friend and classmate of John G. Roebling, the renowned bridge builder. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gottlieb W. Eberhardt were born six children : Amalia, the wife of Christopher Hauschild ; Emma, the wife of Jacob Schaeffer ; Elizabeth, who married Franz Recke ; Charles F.; John C. ; and Gottfried W. The mother died September 15, 1891. The youthful days of John C. Eberhardt were passed in his native land until 1866, when he was brought by his parents to America, the family home being established in Dayton. Here he attended school, continuing his studies until he reached the age of fifteen years, when he entered the manufacturing jewelry establishment of E. A. Mudge, now deceased. There he continued for four years learning the business, after which he took up the study of civil engineering and 342 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY when qualified for work of this character engaged in the government land and railway surveys in Colorado and New Mexico from 1878 until 1881. In the following year he was assistant city engineer of Pueblo, Colorado, but in the fall of 1882 returned to Dayton and entered the employ of Best & Son, jewelers of this city, with whom he continued until 1888. In that year he became associated with J. W. Anderton, a jeweler, under the firm style of Anderton & Eberhardt, with whom he continued until 1900, when he withdrew from the firm to devote his entire time to optical practice, to which he now gives his attention exclusively. He is a man of pronounced ability in this direction and justly merited the honor that was conferred upon him when, in 1903, he was elected to the presidency of the American Federation of Optical Societies, which has a membership of four thousand. In 1902 he also served as president of the scientific section of this association. On the 9th of July, 1885, Mr. Eberhardt was married in Dayton, to Miss Louise Frick and unto them have been born two children, Alma Louise and James Horace. In his fraternal relations Mr. Eberhardt is a Mason and has attained high rank in the order, having taken the York and the Scottish Rite degrees. He is a past commander of Reed Commandery, No. 6, K. T. ; past deputy grand master of the Scottish Rite ; and is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Comus Club and to Christ Episcopal church, while his political allegiance is unfalteringly given to the republican party and since 1905 he has served as a member of the Dayton board of education, being elected to its presidency in 1906. He has always been greatly interested in everything pertaining to the welfare of his adopted land and has been most helpful in advancing municipal interests. In his business career he has made consecutive progress and with comprehensive knowledge of the scientific principles underlying his chosen profession he has gained high rank in his chosen field of labor. ELWYN Z. HOFFMAN. Elwyn Z. Hoffman, successfully carrying on general agricultural pursuits on his farm on section 17, Jefferson township, is also extensively engaged in stock-raising. It was in that township that his birth occurred on the 3d of September, 1869, his parents being Samuel and Eleanor (Getter) Hoffman. Jacob Hoffman, the paternal grandfather of our subject, came to this state from Pennsylvania. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hoffman were born three sons, as follows : Stanley, John and Elwyn. The last named was reared amid the scenes and environments of rural life and has always made his home on a farm, devoting his time and energies to the work of the fields: He now operates a well improved and productive tract of land on section 17, Jefferson township, and in connection with the tilling of the soil and the raising of crops he is engaged in stock raising on quite an extensive scale, being a breeder of Duroc Jersey hogs. In all of his business affairs he is alert and enterprising, meeting with the measure of success which always rewards earnest, persistent and well directed labor. DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 343 On the 13th of August, 1896, Mr. Hoffman was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Kreitzer, a daughter of Manuel and Susan (Shroyer) Kreitzer. There is one child of this marriage, Everett H., born in June, 1899. The parents are devoted and faithful members of the Lutheran church, in the work of which they are actively interested. Having spent his entire life in this county, Mr. Hoffman is well known and that he has ever merited the esteem and good will of his fellow-townsmen is indicated by his popularity, for he has a large circle of warm friends. TRUMAN B. MILLS. Among Montgomery county's native sons whose records have at all times been creditable to the community, is numbered Truman B. Mills of Brookville, who has at different times been identified with agricultural and banking interests but is now living retired. He has accomplished much by reason of well directed thrift and enterprise, by sound judgment and indefatigable energy and his history proves that success is ambition's answer. He was born in Dayton, June 27, 1847, his parents being John and Sallie (Gest) Mills, who came to Montgomery county from New Jersey. The father devoted a number of years to the profession of school teaching and afterward turned his attention to the hardware business, also dealing in bar iron, etc. He was very prominent and influential in community affairs and has left the impress of his individuality upon the progress and upbuilding of the community. In 1840 he was elected to the office of county auditor and was reelected for each succeeding term until he had filled the position for six terms, or until 1852. The following year he took up his abode in Perry township and purchased a large farm near Brookville, successfully conducting it for a number of years. Later he was made cashier of the •Beckel Bank and for two years remained in that position, after which he returned to the farm. In 1858 he was again called to public life in his election to the office of county sheriff, in which he served for one term. Subsequently he was made provost marshal for the third congressional district, which then included the territory now embraced within four counties, and filled this office until the close of the war. He then retired from active life and remained a resident of Dayton from 1858 until his death, which occurred in January, 1883. He was always loyal in his citizenship, progressive in his work and a stanch champion of any movement that promoted the public good. He survived his wife for only a brief period, her death occurring in August, 1882. Truman P. Mills, whose name introduces this record, was educated in the public schools of Dayton, passing through consecutive grades until he became a high school student. In May, 1864, he responded to the country's call for troops, although not yet seventeen years of age, enlisting as a member of Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-first Ohio National Guards. He was with that command in the ninety days' service, being assigned to garrison duty at Baltimore, Maryland. Following his return home he pursued a commercial course in the Miami Commercial College in 1865-66 and was then made deputy clerk of the 344 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY county, but after filling that position for a short time he resigned to look after his father's farming interests and has since been a factor in active business life. In 1873 Mr. Mills was united in marriage to Miss Eliza J. Lewis, a daughter of Hiram and Jane Lewis and a native of Ohio. Her father was born in New York, while her mother was a native of Montgomery county. He was a nurseryman and resided in Dayton. Later he was connected with the Cooper Insurance Company of Dayton, where he made his home until called to his final rest in 1897. As previously stated, Mr. Mills began farming in 1873 and was continuously connected with general agricultural pursuits until April, 1898, when he came to Brookville and organized the People's Bank, of which he was president for four years. When that institution was merged with the Farmers & Merchants' Bank he became president of the new institution for two years, so continuing until January, 1907, since which time he has lived retired. He is, however, the secretary and treasurer of the United Home Phone Company ; the treasurer of the Brookville Bridge Works ; director of the C. A. Worshing Improvement Company ; and is connected with the Dayton View Improvement Company. While financially interested in these different concerns he does not take active part in their management but leaves that work to others while spending his days in the enjoyment of well earned and well merited rest. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mills have been born five children, namely : Olive Bell, the wife of Charles R. Spitler, a resident merchant of Brookville ; Nellie G., who is yet at home ; Jennie W., who wedded Martin Riley, a farmer, and resides in Perry township : Ethel L., the wife of William H. Riley, a merchant of Lewisburg, Ohio ; and Susie W., the wife of William Simmons, of Brookville, who is an agent for the Ohio Electric Railway Company. The parents are consistent members of the Brookville Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Mills has been a trustee for ten years. He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his entire life has been actuated by high and honorable principles, being the exposition of his belief of what is right and just between man and his fellowmen. He was president of the school board in Perry township for many years. ANNA BELLE SHOUP. The name of Shoup has long been identified with the interests of Dayton and Ohio and in the paternal line the subject of this review is also a representative of an old pioneer family of the state, being the granddaughter of Samuel Tate, Sr., who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, in 1816. He had just been married there and with his bride started for the "far west." They started from a point near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, made their way down the Ohio river to Cincinnati and on horseback to Dayton. Here the young husband soon established a still on what is known as Tate Hill, which later became one of the leading distilleries of Ohio, its manufactured product being widely sold. Mr. Tate remained a resident of Dayton throughout the residue of his days, passing away at the vener- DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 347 able age of eighty-three years. He had married Miss McCurty and unto them were born three sons and two daughters. Joel O. Shoup, the father of Anna Belle, was born in Fredericksburg, Maryland, and in early life came to Dayton. He was identified with commercial interests in this city as proprietor of a general store for a number of years but eventually sold out in that line and entered the banking business, organizing the firm of J. O. Shoup & Company, for the conduct of a private bank.. In this undertaking he met with success and was recognized as one of the leading representatives of financial interest here. Subsequently he went to Davenport where he handled farm machinery, and his death occurred during his temporary residence in that state. In early manhood he had married Miss Isabel Tate and unto them were born six children, of whom four are living : Ida, now the wife. of William White, a manufacturer of Chicago ; Anna Belle, who is residing in Dayton ; Clara, the wife of R. N. Connable of Baltimore ; and Joel O. The father died in 1865 and was long survived by his wife, who passed away in 1890. The entire family have been life-long members of the Episcopal church and both Miss Anna Belle and Joel 0. Shoup are communicants of Christ Episcopal church. The former is conducting a large catering business here and is numbered among the enterprising business women of this city, having an extensive patronage in the line which she has chosen as a life work. CHARLES ALFRED HULL, M. D. Dr. Charles Alfred Hull, a capable and conscientious representative of the medical fraternity, practicing in Liberty; is one of Montgomery county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Clayton on the 2d of March, 1876. He is a son of Hezekiah and Elizabeth (Kreitzer) Hull, the latter a representative of one of the pioneer families of Montgomery county. The father came from Maryland to Ohio in 1865 and conducted a tannery and later a blacksmith and wagon-making shop. He was thus identified with the industrial interests of the county for ten years and in 1875 he purchased a tract of land and turned his attention to farming, which he followed continuously until his death, which occurred in 1904. He had long survived his wife, who passed away in 1877. Dr. Hull was reared to the occupation of farming, early becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His literary education was acquired in the public schools and when twenty years of age he began teaching, which profession he followed for four years. In the meantime he devoted much of his leisure to the study of medicine, having determined to enter upon its active practice, and in the spring of 1904 he began a course in the Illinois Medical. College at Chicago. Later he continued his studies in the Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, where he was graduated in May, 1904. He then located at Liberty, where he has since engaged in general practice, and his ability has brought him a liberal patronage. He did not consider his medical education completed when he left college, but has continued to read and study along the line of his professional duties and he has also learned 348 - DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY many valuable lessons in the school of experience. That he is widely conversant with the principles of the medical science is evidenced in the success which has attended his labors, making him one of the leading physicians of this part of the county. Dr. Hull was united in marriage to Miss Della Campbell, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, and afterward a resident of Montgomery county. The wedding was celebrated on the 7th of September, 1901, and they have one child, Edison Lowell. The parents are members of the United Brethren church and Dr. Hull is a member of the Modern Woodmen Camp and of the Protective Home Circle. His life record is in contradistinction to the old adage that "a prophet is never without honor save in his own country," for in the county where he has spent his entire life he has made steady progress in his professional career and the general public acknowledges his ability and worth. OSCAR GREENLEE. Oscar Greenlee, an enterprising and progressive agriculturist of Harrison township, is the owner of an excellent farming property of thirty-five acres on the Philadelphia road, about three miles north of Dayton. His birth occurred on the 21st of August, 1854, in Miami county, Ohio, on the old Greenlee farm east of Pleasant Hill and a half mile south of the old Troy pike. His paternal grandfather, who came to this state from Virginia, was the first representative of the name in Miami county. The parents of our subject were David and Mary (Langston) Greenlee, whose family numbered seven children, namely : David and William, who are deceased ; Robert ; Allen, who has also passed away ; Malinda; Edith ; and Oscar, of this review. The father, who successfully carried on general farming throughout his active business career, lost his eyesight about the time of his retirement. Oscar Greenlee obtained his education in the schools of his native county and subsequently took up his abode in Montgomery county. Since starting out in business •fe for himself he has devoted his time and energies to general agricultural purs ts and, as stated above, is now the owner of a rich and productive tract of lan of thirty-five acres in Harrison township. The buildings on the place include a new and up-to-date residence and a substantial and commodious barn and in fac the property is lacking in none of the equipments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. Diligent, persevering and industrious, the success which has attended his labors is richly merited and he is now numbered among the substantial and representative citizens of the community. On the 14th of April, 1878, Mr. Greenlee was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth McCleary, a daughter of Horace and Margaret (Woodard) McCleary. Her father spent his entire life on the farm where he was born and became widely recognized as a prominent agriculturist. He was elected to various positions of public trust and responsibility and in the offices of township treasurer, pike director and township supervisor discharged his duties with marked promptness and capability. He was likewise a valued member of the Shiloh Christian DAYTON AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY - 349 church, doing all in his power to promote its growth and extend its influence. In his family were seven children, as follows : Mary J. and Belle, both of whom are deceased: Susan ; William ; George ; Mrs. Greenlee ; and Davis. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Greenlee have been born the following children : Daisy, who has passed away ; Carl, Jesse and Grover, all of whom reside in the west ; Ethel, who has completed her education and now lives at home with her parents ; Shirley, a high school student ; and Chester, who is also attending school. For the past twenty years Mr. Greenlee has acted as treasurer and trustee of the Shiloh church and is deeply interested in the work for the moral progress and uplifting of the community. Both he and his wife are highly esteemed throughout the locality where they reside and no man is more worthy the respect of his associates than he whose name introduces this record. EDWIN J. BROWN. Edwin J. Brown, superintendent of instruction in Dayton, his position being indicative of the high rank which he holds in educational circles, was born in this city, February 1, 1871, and his life record seems in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own country. His paternal grandfather, who was a native of Pennsylvania, spent his last clays in Iowa. The family were connected with the Society of Friends or Quakers. David G. Brown, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania in 1827 and came to Dayton in 1868. For years he was engaged in the wholesale grocery business and later went upon the road as a commercial traveler. He served for a time as a member of the board of education and was also one of the workhouse trustees of Dayton, being recognized as a prominent and influential citizen during the period of his residence here. He died in Buffalo, New York, in 1887. His wife, Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Brown, was a daughter of Dr. John D. Mills. She was a woman of real culture, of the happiest disposition and the highest nobility of character, and was in every sense "a mother to her boys." Professor E. J. Brown attended the first pay kindergarten in Dayton and also spent one term in a country school near town. At the usual age he entered the public schools, passing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the Central high school with special honors with the class of 1890. He afterward attended the Dayton Normal School and was the first male graduate of that institution, completing the course there in 1891. While a student and later, for ten years in all, he did correspondent work on the Dayton News. He also spent several summers at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Entering upon the profession of teaching, Mr. Brown was assigned to a position in the Patterson school of Dayton in September, 1891, and there taught for a year. He was then transferred to the Willard school, while two and a half years later he was made assistant principal of the Irving school. Further advancement came to him when he was appointed principal of the Weaver school, which under his management became a model district school. He continued his work there until January 6, 1908, when he became a member of the board of educa-