PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 425 SAMUEL C. RICHIE. To obtain worthy citizenship is no light and unimportant aim in life. It. is no easy task to resist the many temptations of youth and early manhood. and to establish a character in the minds and hearts of one's associates that. will remain unstained for all time. One may take his place in public life: through some vigorous stroke of public policy, and even retain the affections. of his friends and neighbors, but to obtain this position by honorable and wholesome living, without craving for exultation or selfish objects, is worthy of the highest praise and commendation. A man who has gained the respect of his associates and who will retain, as long as he lives and even after he is gone, the admiration of his fellow citizens, is Samuel C. Richie, the president of the Farmers' Banking Company, of New Paris, Ohio. Mr. Richie is a. man who has discharged his public and private duties in the spirit of utmost candor and concern for the common welfare. He always has been willing to assist in public movements and most certainly deserves the esteem which he holds in the hearts of the people of Preble county, whom he has served in' other capacities than that of a hanker. He is a former commissioner of this. county and made a splendid record in that office. Samuel C. Richie was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 20,. 1856, the son of Samuel S. and Anna (Shoemaker) Richie. Samuel S. Richie was born in Belmont county, Ohio, the son of Robert Richie, a native. of Philadelphia. Anna Shoemaker was born and reared near Philadelphia. She was married to Samuel. S. Richie, near Philadelphia, and in May, 1858, they came to Preble county, Ohio, locating one mile north of New Paris, where they spent the remainder of their lives, she, dying in 1886 and he in 1888. They were quiet, unassuming people and prominent in the community where they lived. Samuel S. Richie was a member of the Masonic fraternity and he and iris wife were members of the Friends church. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living: John S., of Marion county, Oregon ; Sarah, who is unmarried ; Grace L., also unmarried ; Anna M., the-wife of A. H. Coffman, of Denison, Texas, and Samuel C., the subject of this: sketch. Samuel C. Richie was a little more than one year old when he was: brought to Preble county with his parents. He was reared on a farm, edu cated in the public schools of Jefferson township, and, in October, 1880, was married to Mary Hinkley, a native of Zanesville, Ohio, but who was educated in the public schools of New Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Richie have one son, Frank 426 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. E., born in 1888, who was graduated from the New Paris high school, and is now living in Dayton, Ohio. The Farmers Banking Company, of which Mr. Richie is president, was organized in 1906, Mr. Richie being one of its organizers. The original officers of this bank were Samuel C. Richie, president; W. R. Hageman, vice-president; E. C. Meksell, cashier. The board of directors included Ella L. Bloom, W. R. Hageman, E. A. Murray, William Max and Samuel C. Richie. The capital stock is ten thousand dollars. This company maintains a modern bank at New Madison, Ohio, with the same officers, except cashier, John D. King filling that position in the New Madison bank. Its capital is fifteen thousand dollars. Mr. Richie also is a director in the New Paris Building and Loan Association. Mr. Richie is a Republican and has been throughout his life more or less active in township politics. He has held many minor offices and also served six years as commissioner of Preble county, Ohio, a position which he filled with credit to himself and to the people who elected him. Fraternally, Mr. Richie is a member of the Knights of Pythias and a past chancellor of that lodge. He is also a member of the grand lodge of this fraternity. Mr. and Mrs. Richie are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Richie is the treasurer of the congregation to which he is attached. The reputation of Samuel C. Richie as a financier and public-spirited citizen extends .beyond the boundaries of Jefferson township, where he lives. Mr. Richie is well known throughout eastern Ohio and has won and held a host of friends during his honorable and busy life. EDMOND S. DYE. Ohio always has been distinguished for the high rank of her bench and bar. Perhaps none of the states in the middle West can boast of more capable jurists or abler attorneys. Many of them have been men of national fame, but there is scarcely a town or city in the state that cannot boast of from one to half a dozen lawyers capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with any of the distinguished legal lights of the country. While the growth and development of the state during the last half century has been marvelous indeed, viewed from any standpoint, yet Ohio has no class of citizens of whom she can be more proud than of her judges and attorneys. In Edmond S. Dye are to be found many of those rare qualities which go PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 427 to make the successful lawyer. He possesses those solid and substantial qualities which shine with constant luster. Since the beginning of his practice at Eaton, Ohio, Mr. Dye has enjoyed a wonderful law practice, especially in probate work, and it is doubtful if he has a peer in western Ohio who is more thoroughly equipped or more readily conversant with this branch of the law. Edmond S. Dye is a native of Preble county. He was born at Euphemia, in Harrison township, February 14, 1858, the son of Abraham S. and Susannah (Kumler) Dye. Abraham S. is the son of Seth and Margaret (Simpson) Dye. Both Seth Dye and his wife were natives of Trenton, New Jersey. They grew up in that place and there married. After their marriage, they came to Butler county, Ohio, locating near Middletown, where they lived until after the canal was built. They then moved into the beech in the eastern part of Preble county, and there they lived the remainder of their lives. Abraham S. Dye was reared in Preble county. He was born in Butler county in 1817 and died March 17, 1896. He was educated in the common schools and was a wagon maker by trade. Later he became a farmer. Throughout his life he was active in church work and his home was the stopping place for preachers of the United Brethren and Methodist churches. His wife, Susannah Kumler, was the daughter of Bishop Henry Kumler, who was one of the heads of the United Brethren church in the United States, a great minister and organizer and opposed to secret societies of all kinds. His voice was heard in all parts of the country on this question. Mrs. Dye died in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Dye were the parents of six sons, William T. who is a retired merchant in Dayton, Ohio; C. B., who is marshal of West Alexandria, Ohio; Charles, who lives in the state of Washington; Edmond S., the subject of this sketch; Carl D. and Joseph E., both of Alberta, Canada. Edmond S. Dye was reared on a farm in Preble county, Ohio, and received his early education in the district schools. He attended the high school at Lewisburg and attended two years at Otterbein University, and was graduated from the law school of the University of Cincinnati in the class of 1882, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Immediately after his graduation, Mr. Dye associated himself with Judge John, V. Campbell, with whom he previously had read law. This partnership continued until the death of Judge Campbell on July 2, 1888. Mr. Dye then practiced alone in the same office until the spring of 1910, when his two sons became associated with him. 428 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. On February 9, 1882, Edmond S. Dye was married to Birdie G. Campbell, a daughter of Judge Campbell. She was educated in the public schools of Eaton, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Dye have three sons, Robert Campbell, John Van Ausdal and Edmond Kumler. Robert C. was graduated from the Eaton high school and from the law school of the University of Cincinnati. He is now assistant city solicitor of Long Beach, California. John V. was graduated from the high school and the same law school as his brother. He is now associated with his father in the practice of law. Edmond K. was graduated from the Eaton high school with the class of 1915. Robert C. married Vinnie Royer, of Eaton, Ohio. John V. married Myrtle White, of Lewisburg, Ohio. Mr. Dye is a member of the Presbyterian church at Eaton, and has served as superintendent of the Sunday school for the past twenty-five years. He also has been an elder and deacon of the church. He is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which order he is a past grand. Mr. Dye is the present representative of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Eaton. Aside from Mr. Dye's success as a lawyer, he is what might be called a successful citizen, because he has efficiently and capably discharged his duties as a citizen as well as his responsibilities as a father and husband. He is a representative lawyer of western Ohio, it is true, but he also is a representative citizen of Preble county. WALDO C. MOORE. In brief sketch of any living citizen, it is difficult to do him exact and impartial justice. Not so much for a lack of space or words to set forth the familiar and passing events of his history, as for want of the perfect and rounded conception of his whole life which grows, develops and ripens like fruit, disclosing its truest and best flavor only when it is mellowed by time. Daily contact with a man so familiarizes us with his virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and commonly underestimate their progress. It is not ofen that true honor, public and private, which is the tribute of cordial respect and esteem--comes to a- man without basis of character and deeds. The world may be deceived by fortune, or by ornamental or showy qualities without substantial merit and may render to the undeserving a PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 429 short-lived admiration, but the honor that wise and good men value and that lives beyond the grave must have its foundation in real worth, for, "work maketh the man." Not a few men live unheralded or unknown on the narrow limits of the community or city wherein their lots are cast. Waldo C. Moore, however, is a man well known not only in the state of Ohio, but because of his peculiar interests throughout the whole country as well. During his life of forty years in Preble county, the people have had an opportunity to know what type of man ,Mr. Moore is. The testimony is ample that he is a good citizen in the fullest sense of the term and is proven by the public trust which has been bestowed upon him. That he has performed worthily every trust imposed upon him is an honor worthy of being coveted by any man. Waldo C. Moore was born in the little village of West Baltimore, now Verona, Preble county, Ohio, July 23, 1874, the eldest son of John W. and Mary E. (Snorf) Moore, and has been a resident of Preble county since his birth. His paternal ancestors were of English-Dutch descent and his maternal ancestors were German. Mr. Moore always has appreciated the fact that he is American born and he is proud to claim Ohio as his native state. Both his father and his grandfather, John Moore, were house wreckers and house builders y occupation. His great-grandfather, Hamilton Moore, came from England. His great-grandfather Wetzel was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his grandfather, Isaac N. Snorf, who was a blacksmith by trade, was a Union. soldier and died on the field of battle at Missionary Ridge. John W. Moore, the father of Waldo C. Moore, was born in Maryland in the year 1851 and came to Preble county, Ohio, with his parents when seven years of age. After he learned the carpenter and painter trades he became a contractor and built very extensively throughout Preble county. At one time he employed seventeen men. He worked at his trade until his death, which occurred in 1897. He was married to Mary E. Snorf in 1872, and to this union six children were born, Waldo C., Mrs. Bertha Conklin, of Chicago, Illinois; Edward, a carpenter and painter of Verona, Ohio; Chester, deceased ; Arlie, deceased, and E. Vernon, a music instructor in the Lewisburg schools. In early life, Mr. Moore labored on the farm in the summer and attended the district schools in the winter. He received a common-school education in the Harrison township schools and had the privilege of attending the Harrison township high school during the winter of 1894 and 1895. While attending the Harrison township high school he had the good fortune 430 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. to meet Imogene Horn, of Lewisburg, who was an occasional visitor at school, and who became Mrs. Moore August 19, 1896. Mrs. Moore was born February 22, 1873, in Lewisburg, this county, the daughter of Allen T. and Frances (Sloan) Horn, natives of Virginia, both of whom are deceased. Henry Horn, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Waldo C. Moore, came from Germany in 1768. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and some years after the close of the war for independence came to this part of the state, and, in the year 1818, laid out the town of Lewisburg, where he followed his trade of blacksmith. Michael Horn, who was Mrs. Moore's grandfather, was a tanner by trade and resided on Horn's Hill. Allen T. Horn, Mrs. Moore's father, was a druggist and during the Civil War was a Union soldier. Henry Horn died in 1839, Michael in 1891 and Allen T. in 1906. In his school days, Waldo C. Moore passed the Boxwell examination with honors, ranking second in the county class. Before he was eighteen years old he held a certificate to teach in his native county and also certificates from Darke and Montgomery counties. Mr. Moore was graduated from the Dayton Normal School and from the Miami Commercial College at Dayton, Ohio, and spent the summer of 1894 at Lebanon, Ohio, taking a special course in the National Normal University. At an early age, Mr. Moore began teaching. He was a successful instructor and followed this line of activity for six years. In the summer of 1899 he resigned the principalship of the Ithaca, Ohio, schools and became identified with the Peoples Banking Company of Lewisburg, this county, and is now the cashier and a director of this bank. In the spring of 1910, a series of United States civil service examinations were held in various cities in Ohio. Mr. Moore took advantage of these examinations and passed the test as an expert bookkeeper, ranking sixth in the state in a large class. Waldo C. Moore is an ardent numismatist and philatelist, and is a collector of national repute. Noted collectors of rare issues of coins, currency or stamps acknowledge that Mr. Moore's private collection is one of the largest and finest extant. He is especially interested in Ohio Civil War store cards, Ohio Broken-bank bills, Ohio private "shinplasters," Ohio script issues, Ohio "hard times" tokens, Ohio business coin cards, Ohio Masonic mark pennies, Ohio uncurrent bills, Ohio sutler's checks, stamps and other specimens. It is Mr. Moore's intention to place his entire collection on permanent exhibition at some future date in the museum of the Ohio State Archaelogical and Historical Society, at the Ohio State University at PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 431 Columbus. Mr. Moore is considered an authority on numismatics and is an occasional contributor to The Numismatist, a magazine published in New York City in the interest of medallic art. He is- the author of brochures on the following subjects : "Numismatic Opinions," "Rare Ohio War Cards," "Rochester Numismatic," "Money Conditions, 1849-1870," "Vagaries of Collectors," "Specialization," "Colonial Numismatic Ships," "Amateurs in Numismatics," "Looking Backward—an 1812 Panorama," "The Making of a Collection," "The Libertas Americana Medal," "A. Loomis and His Store Cards," "Ohio's Private Shinplasters," "A Missouri County Warrant," "The Currency of the Red Man," "The Burnet House," "A Numismatic Portrait Gallery," "New Salem, Ohio, in Numismatics," "The Goddess Minerva in Art Imperial," "Ohio Blasts in Numismatics," "The Kirtland Bank Bills," "The Pony House Checks," "The National Revulsion," and "The Rickey Card." Mr. Moore owns one of the finest stock farms in Preble county, "Clifmore," a two-hundred-acre tract about two miles north of Lewisburg. "The Clifmore," his modern bungalow residence on North Greenville street in Lewisburg, would be a credit to any city. The Methodist. Episcopal church of Lewisburg counts Mr. Moore as one of its trustees. He was honored with the presidency of the young men's class, better known as the "Friendly Class" of the Methodist Sunday school, the first two years after the organization of this class. For several years he has been the teacher of the class known as "The Boys." He is one of the Sunday school superintendents .and is assistant chorister. He is also president of the literary department of the Epworth League. Although a Republican, Mr. Moore has thrice been elected clerk of Harrison township, a Democratic stronghold. He has served a number of terms on the village council of Lewisburg and was chairman of the finance committee for some years. He has been lately chosen president of the council. Mr. Moore was appointed by President Taft as a member of the 1912 United States assay commission, an honor to which many aspire but few attain. Mr. Moore was elected to the directorate of the Lewisburg Commercial Club and has held this position for several terms. He is credited with platting that portion of Lewisburg kn0wn as the Moore addition. Mr. Moore is prominent in the local lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias and is a life member of the National Geographic Society, the Indian Rights Association and the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. He is the general secretary of the American Numismatic Association and a trus- 432 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. tee of the Ohio State Numismatic Society, and on April 3, 1915, was further honored by receiving from Governor Willis the appointment as trustee -of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. ISAAC A. TYLER. It is maintained superficially that the history of so called great men only is worthy of preservation and that little merit exists among the masses to call forth the praises of the historian or the appreciation of mankind. A greater mistake never was made, for no man is great in all things. By a lucky stroke many achieve lasting fame, who, before, had no reputation beyond the limits of their immediate neighborhood. It is not a history of the lucky stroke which benefits humanity most, but the long study and efforts that made the lucky stroke possible. It is the preliminary work, the methods, that serve as a guide for the success of others. Among those of Preble county, Ohio, who have achieved success by steady efforts is Isaac A. Tyler, a farmer and pioneer citizen of Jackson township, and the proprietor of "Fairview Farm," a well-ordered tract of one hundred and thirty acres, situated nine miles northwest of Eaton, Ohio, on a part of the northeast quarter of section 4. Isaac A. Tyler was born in Geauga county, Ohio, September 9, 1832, the son of Cutler and Sarah (Fischer) Tyler, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. Cutler Tyler came to Ohio, locating near the point where later he married Sarah Fischer. Both were well educated and made 'good records as teachers in the public schools. They lived and died near Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Tyler served three months in the War of 1812. His wife was a member of the Congregational church. Mr. Tyler was a public-spirited man and both he and his wife were useful people. They were the parents of six children, who grew to manhood and womanhood, and two of whom are now living. These children are Abel, Isaac A., Ruth, Reuben, John and Sarah Sophia. Ruth is the widow of John Waterton, who was born in England. Reuben served his country as a soldier in the Civil War and was an attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio. John also served in the Civil War and was an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. Sarah died in her twenty-seventh year just before she was to have been graduated from a medical college. Isaac A. Tyler was reared on a farm and received his elementary PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 433 education in the public schools, supplementing this with a course in Oberlin College, and from 1852 to 1867 taught in the public schools of Ohio, this service being rendered in the counties of Montgomery, Geauga, Warren and Butler. Mr. Tyler was married in March, 1859, to Catherine Hetzler, of German township, Montgomery county, Ohio, and in the year 1860 came to Preble county, locating in Jefferson township, where he bought a farm of eighty-eight and one-half acres, part of which was under improvement. There he lived until 1883, in which year he moved to his present farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Jackson township, where he has carried on a modern system of general farming with much success. To Isaac and Catherine (Hetzler) Tyler were born two sons, Samuel and John W., both of whom now are deceased. Samuel, whose death occurred in 1912, married Maude Riggs and two children were born to this union, Ruth, who is single, and Lyman, who is a student in the agricultural school at Columbus, Ohio. John W. married Olive Murry, of Jefferson township, and died December 4, 1907. The mother of these children died in 1877, and in 1879 Mr. Tyler married, secondly, Louise J. Downey, of Darke county, Ohio, who died in 1895 without issue. Mr. Tyler is a member of the Congregational church, is active in religious work and has been strictly temperate all his life. He is a Republican and cast his first , vote for John C. Fremont for President and has voted for every Republican candidate for President since Fremont was a candidate in 1856. Few men are better known in the community than Isaac A. Tyler, and no one is more highly esteemed than he. It is only fair to say that he well deserves this high regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens. CHARLES B. UNGER. Eaton has several successful newspapers, among which is the Eaton Herald, an independent newspaper published by Charles B. Unger. Charles B. Unger was born in Eaton, Ohio, November 12, 1868, the son of John and Ollitippa (Larsh) Unger, natives of Preble county, who were the parents of two children, the other child, a daughter, being Jessie, who is the wife of Frank A. Wisehart, of Middletown, Indiana. John Unger was reared in Preble county and was engaged in the drug (28)  434 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. and hardware business in Eaton during the Civil War. He was later engaged in the drug business in West Alexandria, Ohio. He then came back to Eaton and for a time operated a tin store and was later in the insurance business. About 1889 he moved to Middletown, Indiana, and engaged in the lumber business. In 1902 he returned to Eaton and looked after the business management of the Eaton Herald. He suffered a stroke of paralysis in 1910 and now resides with his daughter in Middletown, Indiana. His wife died March 21, 1910, at the age of sixty-three. She was a devoted member of the Universalist church. Mr. Unger was a member of the Eaton school board for a number of years. The paternal grandparents of Charles B. Unger were George B. Unger and wife, natives of Pennsylvania and Preble county, respectively. George B. Unger was a tailor, and lived to be eighty-six years old. His wife died while a young woman. John Unger was the only child born to that marriage who grew to maturity. George B. formerly had been married and _had a son, Aaron A., by his first marriage. The maternal grandparents of Charles B. Unger were Thomas Jefferson and Margaret (Manning) Larsh, natives of Ohio. Thomas J.. Larsh was a lawyer, and served as county surveyor for nineteen years, also counts auditor for two terms and deputy county auditor for several terms. He also was clerk in the state treasurer's office for one term. He lived to be seventy-two years of age while his wife died in middle age. They had three children, Bluejacket, who died in Andersonville prison during the. Civil War; Ollitippa and Margaret. Charles B. Unger was reared in Preble county, Ohio, attended the public schools of West Alexandria and was graduated from the Eaton high school in 1886. He then took a business course in Nelson's Business College at Cincinnati, and was with the James Wilde Clothing Company for a short. time, after which he worked at the printer's trade in Cincinnati. He then moved to Middletown, Indiana, and in 1892 came to Eaton and worked at his trade in the Register office one year. Following this he went back to Middletown, Indiana, and, in 1894, bought an interest in the Middletown News. In January, 1902, he bought the Eaton Herald, of which he has. been editor and publisher since that time. This paper was established in 1888 and is independent in politics. Mr. Unger also does general job printing. Charles B. Unger was married February 2, 1893, to Adda Nixon, the-daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cephas Nixon. One son, Nixon Larsh, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Unger, the latter of whom died in 1895, at the age of PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 435 twenty-seven years. She was a member of the Church of Christ at Middletown, Indiana. Politically, Mr. Unger is a Republican. He is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons; Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons; Reese Council No. 9, Royal and Select Masters, of Dayton, Ohio, and Reed Commandery No. 6, of Dayton, Ohio. He also is a member of Waverly Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias. EARL H. IRVIN. Earl H. Irvin, the well-known editor and publisher of the Eaton Democrat, enjoyed a thorough preparation for newspaper work. Mr. Irvin has made. an unusual success in journalism and has been honored politically on several occasions. Earl H. Irvin was born in New Paris, Ohio, May 9, 1877, the son of Harvey and Eleanor (Bowman) Irvin, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. They had three sons : Harry, of Campbellstown, Ohio; Albert, who died'in infancy, and Earl H. Harvey Irvin was born in Highland county, but was reared in Preble county. He was a bookkeeper and came to Preble county about 1844, and lived here the balance of his life. He died in New Paris in 1877, at the age of thirty-five. His wife died at Richmond, Indiana, in 188o, at the age of thirty-six. Both were active and devoted members of the Presbyterian church. The paternal grandparents of Earl H. Irvin were Thomas and Caroline (Young) Irvin, natives of Highland county, Ohio. Mr. Irvin was a farmer and died in Preble county at an advanced age. He had a small family, Harvey and Emma. The maternal grandparents of Earl H. Irvin were Robert and Margaret Bowman, who came from Indiana to Preble county and settled in New Paris. Robert Bowman was a school teacher, being one of the early teachers in Eaton. He also was a skilled mathematician and quite a noted teacher. Mr. Bowman served as a Union soldier in the Civil War. He had six children : Lydia, Lillian, Robert, Addie, Elizabeth and Eleanor. Later in life he moved to Kansas, near Minneapolis, where he and his wife died at advanced ages. Earl H. Irvin was reared in New Paris and attended the public schools there. He began learning the printer's trade in the office of the New Paris Mirror, and was with that paper from 1893 to 1896. He then went to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and worked in the Chattanooga Times office. In 1897 436 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. he came back to Ohio and bought the New Madison Herald, in Darke county, publishing that paper for a year, after which he returned to New Paris and worked with the Mirror until 1902. He then bought the Eaton Democrat, a weekly newspaper which was established in 1840, and which he has published since. Mr. Irvin, in addition to publishing the Eaton Democrat, also does a general job printing business. On April 27, 1899, while at New Paris, Earl H. Irvin was married to Jennie Boatman, of Seven Mile, Butler county, Ohio, the daughter of Reed B. and Martha (Samuels) Boatman. Seven children have been born to this union: Ruth, Martha, Anna, Marjorie, Lois, Earla and Earl, Jr. Mrs. Irvin's parents were natives of Butler county and are still living at Seven Mile. Of their children, three are now living, Ollie, Alonzo and Jennie. Mr. Irvin is an ardent Democrat, and while in New Paris was a member Of .the council and mayor of the town. He was a member of the seventy-seventh and seventy-ninth General Assemblies of Ohio, from 1906 to 1909 and from 1911 to 1913. At present Mr. Irvin is deputy collector of internal revenue for the first Ohio district, with headquarters at Cincinnati, but his residence is in Eaton. Mr. Irvin belongs to the Universalist church, while his wife is a member of the United Brethren church. He also is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons. Mr. Irvin is held in universal esteem throughout Preble county, is a man of great strength of character and genial disposition, and is popular among a large circle of friends. WILLIAM I. CHRISTIAN, M. D. It is not always easy to discover and define the hidden forces that have made up a life of ceaseless activity and large professional success. Little more can be done than to note their manifestations in such a career as that of Dr. William I. Christian, whose career is a striking example of well-defined purpose, with the disposition to make that purpose subserve not only his own interests, but the good of his fellow men as well. Doctor Christian long has been regarded as a physician of pre-eminent qualities, a man of sound mentality and fine intellectual discipline. He has achieved a notable success, a success which has been fully recognized and appreciated throughout this section of 'Ohio. In addition to his long and creditable career as PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 437 a physician and surgeon, he has proved an honorable and helpful member of the body politic in every relation of, life. He has never fallen below the dignity of true manhood, or in any way resorted to methods that invite censure. Dr. William I. Christian was born November 22, 1865, in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, the son of Samuel B. and Talitha (Heckman) Christian, to whom five children were born : Dr. W. I., with whom this narrative deals, is the eldest ; David E., a farmer living in Miami county, Ohio; Theodore H., a blacksmith of Miami county; Mrs. Louetta J. Slough, a resident of Montgomery county, Ohio, and Mrs. Mary A. Fisher, of Darke county, Ohio. Samuel B. Christian was born in Union township, Miami county, Ohio, and died February 7, 1912. He was a son of David and Mary (Brumbaugh) Christian, who were natives of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, who, in an early day, moved to Montgomery county, Ohio, where they farmed the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Samuel B. Christian was born February 11, 1843, in Montgomery county, Ohio, and died February 25, 1912, there being only eighteen days difference between the death of father and mother. The parents of Mrs. Samuel B. Christian were William and Mary (Brandenburg) Heckman, natives of Virginia, and early settlers in Montgomery county. Dr. William I. Christian attended the district schools of Montgomery county, was reared on a farm and farmed a portion of his father's land until 1889. In that year he entered the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was graduated March 5, 1891. Upon receiving his diploma Doctor Christian went to Pittsburg, Darke county, Ohio, and began the active practice of his profession. He remained at that place until October 12, 1893, when he came to Preble county and took up the practice at Verona. He enjoys a large practice in Preble, Montgomery and Darke counties. Since locating in Verona, he has built a beautiful all-modern home at a cost of about twenty-five hundred dollars. The design of this house, which is different from most houses in this locality, was conceived by Doctor Christian himself. Doctor Christian was married on December 31, 1885, to Minetta Taylor, who was born October 3, 1866, in Montgomery county, Ohio, a daughter of Alfred and Martha (Thomas) Taylor, natives of England and Montgomery county, Ohio, respectively. Her father operated a saw-mill in Indiana for many years, and also was a farmer. Later he became a butcher, then a merchant, and continued in this latter capacity until his death. Mrs. 438 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Christian's mother is now living at Phillipsburg, Montgomery county. Both her father and mother were devoted and earnest members of the Christian church. To Doctor and Mrs. W. I. Christian two children have been born: Earl T., born November 12, 1887, and died November 13, 1887; John W., born January 18, 1908. Doctor Christian is an independent voter, and does not affiliate with any political party. He and his wife attend church, but they are not members of any church. Fraternally, Doctor Christian is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and the Loyal Order of Moose. He is prominent in the affairs of these fraternities and a leader in their various activities. Doctor Christian is not only entitled to rank as one of the leading physicians of Preble county, but he is likewise entitled to rank as one of its leading citizens, a man who is in every way worthy of the confidence which has been placed in him by his fellow citizens, and of the esteem with which they regard him. ROBERT A. HIESTAND. The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this review belongs to that class of men who win in life's battles by sheer force of personality and determination, coupled with soundness of judgment and keen discrimination, and in whatever he has undertaken he has shown himself to be a man of ability and honor, always ready to lend his aid in defending principles affecting the public good. In every phase of civic life he has so conducted himself as to earn the unqualified indorsement and support of the citizens of the city and county where he lives. Robert A. Hiestand, of the firm of Hiestand & Company, which operates a saw-mill and planing-mill and deals in building material, was born April 9, 1870, in Eaton, Ohio, the son of Henry C. and Nancy M. (Acton) Hiestand, natives Of Ohio, who were the parents of five children, the others being : Harvey H., an architect of New York City; Andrew J., of Eaton, cashier of that institution until the organization of the old Preble County National. Bank; Berthenia, the wife of Lloyd Pennick, of Chariton, Iowa, and Henry C., of Eaton, cashier of the Preble County National Bank. Henry C. Hiestand was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and grew to manhood in Dayton. He came to Eaton in the sixties as cashier of the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 439 Preble county branch of the State Bank of Ohio, and organized and was cashier of that institution until the organization of the old Preble County Bank, which he also organized, and of which he was president until his death in July, 1884, at the age of fifty-three years. His widow still survives. Both were members of the Presbyterian church and Mrs. Hiestand is still devoted to this faith, taking an active part in the work of the congregation of which she is a member. John Hiestand, the paternal grandfather of Robert A., was a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Montgomery county, Ohio, where he was a farmer, and where he and his wife lived to advanced ages. They were the parents of the following children, Jacob, Elizabeth, Mary, Erin, Andrew, Julia and Henry C. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Hiestand were John P. and Berthenia (Stephens) Acton, natives of Virginia and early settlers of Preble county, Ohio, who were the parents of five children, Nancy M., Joseph W., Mary B., Harvey and Thomas. Robert A. Hiestand was reared in Eaton, where he attended the public schools. After finishing the high-school course in the city schools, he became a student of Miami University, from which institution he was graduated in 1892, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then went to Chicago and worked in the construction department of the General Electric Company, with which firm he remained for two years, at the end of which time he came to Eaton and took charge of the electric light and ice plant, afterwards engaging in the saw-mill and lumber business, which he continued in partnership with his brother, A. J. Hiestand. He is also a director in the Preble County National Bank, of Eaton, and is president of the board of waterworks trustees. Mr. Hiestand was married October 25, 1905, to Melissa Gibbons, the daughter of John H. Gibbons, who was one of three children born to her parents, the others being Mary, the wife of C. W. Eidson, and Ada., the wife of L. C. Reynolds. Mr. and Mrs. Hiestand are members of the Presyterian church and Mr. Hiestand is a trustee of the church in Eaton. Fraternally, Mr. Hiestand belongs to Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons. Politically, Mr. Hiestand is a Republican, but his extensive business interests have prevented him from taking a very active part in political affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Hiestand are deservedly popular in the city where they live and where Mr. Hiestand is regarded as one of the most representative citizens and business men. 440 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. ORANGE V. FRITZ. There is no positive rule for achieving success, and yet in the life of the successful man, there are always lessons which might well be followed. The man who gains prosperity is he who sees and utilizes the opportunity which falls in his way. The essential conditions of human life are ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differing but slightly. When one passes another on the highway of life to reach the goal of prosperity before others, who, perhaps, started out before him, it is because he has the power to utilize advantages which properly are available to all. Today among the prominent citizens of West Alexandria, Ohio, is Orange V. Fritz, postmaster of the village. Keen discrimination, sound judgment and executive ability, as well as a genial disposition, have entered very largely into his make-up, and have been contributing factors to the success, political and otherwise, which has come to him.' Orange V. Fritz, the son of Michael and Amanda ( Jordan) Fritz, was born April 11, 1874, in Twin township, Preble county, Ohio. Michael Fritz was born July 17, 1850, on the same farm and in the same ,house as his son, Orange V., and died July 27, 1876. The paternal grandparents of Orange V. Fritz were John and Elizabeth (Siler) Fritz, also natives of Preble county, Ohio. Mrs. Fritz, who was Amanda Jordan before her marriage, was born August 10, 1852, near where her husband was born. She died in 1911. Her parents were John and Rebecca (Stiver) Jordan, natives of Maryland. After her first husband's death she married Simon P. Guting, The remote ancestors of Orange V. Fritz came from Germany. Orange V. Fritz was reared on his father's farm and attended the district schools in his early boyhood, later becoming a student in the high school at West Alexandria, Ohio. He remained with his mother until he was twenty-two years old, and then rented land from his stepfather, Simon P. Guting, on which he remained until 1911. During this period Mr. Fritz was a breeder of Red-Polled cattle and Poland-China hogs, and made many exhibits at the Eaton fair and had many public sales of this stock. He has shipped hogs to different parts of the United States for breeding purposes. Mr. Fritz also is a breeder of the Nugget strain of Buff Plymouth Rock and Buff Leghorn chickens. He prizes these breeds very highly, and has made exhibits of them in both Indiana and Ohio. Mr. Fritz has been a member of the county fair board of. Preble county for the past four years. On February I, 1912, he moved to West Alexandria, Ohio, and was ap- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 441 pointed postmaster of that village in August, 1913, and there he has lived since that time, discharging the duties of his office faithfully and well. On the morning of January 8, 1915, the postoffice at West Alexandria was gutted by fire. At six o'clock in the morning most of it was down in the basement, flooded with water, but, despite this fact, Mr. Fritz took charge as usual and every mail went out on time, most of the letters having been saved. By eight o'clock on the morning of the fire the postoffice force was receiving and sending mail, and y three in the afternoon a new post-office had been fitted up and patrons of the office were receiving their mail as usual. It is hardly necessary to add that this exhibition of efficiency and regard for the patrons of the office was much appreciated by the latter and that Postmaster Fritz was heartily complimented upon his prompt re-establishment of the local mail service. Orange V. Fritz was married in 1897 to Floa Keplinger, who was born November 22, 1876, in Twin township, Preble county, Ohio, a daughter of William and Martha (Ware) Keplinger, also natives of Preble county, and the only child born to her parents. Her grandparents came from Maryland. One child, Carl W., who is living at home, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fritz. Politically, Mr. Fritz is a Democrat. Aside from his position as postmaster he served as township assessor for two years, as justice of the peace for four years and was a member of the Preble county fair board for four years. Although Mr. Fritz does not belong to any church, he is a man who has a kindly feeling for all religious endeavor. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. CHARLES EPPLY ALBRIGHT. No man occupies a position of greater prominence in a community than the newspaper editor. In almost every case the editor is not only a man of wide learning but his profession brings him into touch with all classes of people. The Eaton Register is a very old newspaper and has been conducted for a long time by the Albright family. The present editor is Charles Epply Albright. Charles Epply Albright was born August 7, 1860, the son of William F. and Virginia (Stroud) Albright, natives of Ohio. There were three children born to this union : Harriet, the wife of Homer L. Larsh, of Topeka, Kansas ; Edmond J., deceased, and Charles E., of Eaton. 442 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. William F. Albright was reared in Eaton and when a boy learned the printer's trade, which he followed the remainder of his life. He was born in Eaton, March 20, 1823, and lived in or near the town all of his life. He learned the trade in the Register office and was its proprietor for many years, being connected with that paper for nearly sixty years. He was twice married, first, in 1844, to Elizabeth Riner, who died January 14, 1855, and to which union four children were born, Mary Fouts, Emma, Mrs. Ida Holihan and John Riner. Mr. Albright married, secondly, Virginia Stroud, who died in 1862. Mr. Albright belonged to the "squirrel hunters" during the Civil War. In politics he was a Republican and was postmaster for two years, having been appointed by President Harrison. He took an active interest in politics and was prominent in the councils of his party. He died June 18, 1898, at the age of seventy-five. Mr. and Mrs. Albright were active members of the Methodist church. The paternal grandparents of Charles E. Albright were Jonas and Margaret Albright, pioneers of Preble county, Ohio. Jonas Albright was a plasterer and was the first superintendent of the Preble county infirmary. He moved to Goshen, Indiana, and lived there a number of years, but returned to Eaton and died at the home of his son, William, at the age of eighty. His wife died some years before in Goshen. They had seven children, among whom were Eli, William, Mrs. William Marony and Ezra. The maternal grandparents of Charles E. Albright were the Rev. Asa B. and Mary Stroud, natives of Virginia, who came to Eaton in pioneer times, he as a pioneer Methodist minister who traveled a circuit for some time. His wife survived him a number of years. They had five children, of whom Virginia and Sarah married, the others dying unmarried. Charles E. Albright was born and reared in Eaton and attended the public schools of that place. He then took a business course at the Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, after which he returned to Eaton and entered his father's newspaper office. At the time of his father's death he and his brother, Edmond J., succeeded to the ownership of the Register. Edmond J. died April 16, 1912, at which time Charles E. took over the business and has conducted it alone since that time. The Register is a Republican paper and was established in 1820. Mr. Albright's wife was Ossie Orr, the daughter of Rev. William and Rebecca (Tedrick) Orr, of Lebanon, Ohio. Mrs. Albright's father is deceased, but her mother is still living. They had three children, Ossie M., Charles and Frank. Charles E. Albright was postmaster four years under President Roose- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 443 velt and two years under President Taft. He resigned as postmaster at the time of the death of his brother. Mr. Albright is an ardent Republican and has been a leader in his party's councils in Preble county for many years. He is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, and Waverly Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias. Mr. and Mrs. Albright are active and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church and contribute liberally to its support. It is a source of personal pride to conduct a newspaper with a long and honorable history, and especially one that has been conducted by one's father. That is the position occupied by Charles E. Albright, who is himself a highly honored citizen of Preble county, and well equipped to carry on the splendid work begun y his father. RAY R. SIMPSON. What historian ever will be able properly to estimate the influence of "the fourth estate" upon the development of the remarkable era in which we now are living? In the attempts being made by the compilers of this volume to present a fair epitome of the times for the instruction of the present generations all factors of the common life of Preble county are taken into account, each being given due place and weight in making up the balance which shall stand as a proper reflection of the manners and customs of the people, with due attention to the individual performances of certain of the more influential residents of the county, in order that those of the succeeding generations who are to take up the work of their day may know something of the manner of the laying of the substantial cornerstone of the superb structure of civilization which they, finding still incomplete, shall be called upon to carry on to a point more near to completion. In considering these various factors of modern life it were perhaps invidious to single out any one as being the most important in the work of erecting civilization's great superstructure, yet the historian hardly can avoid giving to "the fourth estate," the honorable and distinguished profession of journalism, a distinctive position among those beneficent factors which have gone so far in the labor of bringing mankind to its present exalted position in the cosmos. The press of Preble county ever has been alert to the needs of the people which it ,so ably serves, and must, in times to come, be given due credit for much of the present state of advancement which this favored section enjoys. Among the newspapers of the county there are few that 444 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. have created a more distinct impress upon the several communities they serve than has been created by the Preble County News, now owned and edited by Ray R. Simpson, and a history of the times, such as this volume seeks to present, would not be complete without a brief biographical sketch of the young editor, a sketch which it is a pleasure for the biographer here to present. Ray R. Simpson was born in Richmond, Indiana, July 10, 1881, the son of Edward and Elma (Stambach) Simpson, the former of whom was born in New York City and the latter in Preble county, Ohio, their marriage taking place in Richmond, Indiana, where their one son and only child, Ray R., the subject of this biographical sketch, was born. Edward H. Simpson was a bookkeeper who worked for the I. R. Howard Grocery Company, a wholesale concern at Richmond, and whose death occurred in 1883. About two years following the death of her husband, Mrs. Simpson moved to Stevens county, Kansas, taking with her her young son, Ray. After a residence of about four years in Kansas they returned to Richmond, where Ray received his education and was graduated from the Richmond high school. His attention then being attracted to the printing trade, he determined to become a printer. He remained in Richmond until he had completed his apprenticeship to the printing trade, when, at the age of twenty-one, he started out as a journeyman printer. His first regular work "at the case" was done in Camden, Ohio, where he worked about a year, after which he followed his trade in several other cities in Ohio, including Dayton and Cincinnati. He then went to Oklahoma, in which state he plied his trade, "the art preservative of all arts," in Lawton, later returning to Franklin, Pennsylvania, where he resided until 1909, when he returned to Camden, Ohio, where he took charge of the Preble County News and edited the paper for five years for Mr. Irvin, from whom, in 1914, he bought the paper outright, since which time he has been sole proprietor and editor. In addition to his editorial duties, Mr. Simpson is also performing another important service for the public, acting as township clerk, in which position he is giving excellent satisfaction. Mr. Simpson was united in marriage June 15, 1904, with Glenna May, daughter of William S. and Mary A. (Geeting) May, both of whom were natives of Preble county, Ohio, where Mrs. Simpson also was born. William S. May was born February 2, 1843, the son of John L. and Margaret (McGriff) May, who also were natives of Preble county, Mrs. Simpson thus being a representative of the fourth generation of the May family in this county. Mrs. Simpson's mother was born in Preble county March 28, PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 445 1850, a daughter of Simon and Margaret (Slyder) Geeting, both of whom were natives of Carroll county, Maryland, who came to Montgomery county, Ohio, first settling on a farm near Germantown, which they later sold, after which they bought property in Preble county, on which they located and where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Geeting dying in 1876, his wife surviving until 1898. To William S. and Mary A. (Geeting) May, who were married February 3, 1870, eight children were born, seven of whom still are living, as follows : Lora B., born November 12, 1870, married Murray L. Peters, by whom she had two children, Homer D. and Edna B. Mr. Peters died in June, 1910, and Mrs. Peters later married George Free and lives in Oxford, Ohio; William, born October 13, 1872, lives in Camden, Ohio; Lucretia Ellen, born March 15, 1874, married Henry G. Boesenburg, to whom seven children were born, four of whom are still living, May L., George, Paul and Hilda. Mrs. Boesenburg died September 8, 1908 ; Howard, born April 29, 1876, resides in Camden; Harry W., born November 26, 1877, also resides in Camden; Jessie, born October 24, 1882, married Charles Benson and to them five children were born, all of whom are living, James Robert, Irene, Pauline, Charles R. and Jessie M.; Glenna M., born November 18, 1886, wife of the subject of this biographical narrative, and Margaret C., born April 15, 1890, who also resides in Camden. Phillip May, the paternal great-grandfather of Mrs. Simpson, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and came to Preble county at a very early date in the settlement of this section of the state. He was a skilled blacksmith and followed this vocation with success up to the time of his death. His son, John L. May, grandfather of Mrs. Simpson, was a farmer of prominence in this county, whose death occurred December 29, 1906. He was born near Eaton November I, 1822, and on April 18, 1842, was married to Margaret McGriff, who survived him about one year, her death occurring in 1907. William S. May, Mrs. Simpson's father, was an honored soldier in the Civil War, who is now living a retired life in Camden, enjoying the fruits of his many years of industrious activity. On November 27, 1863, he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which regiment he did service for the cause of the Union until the fall of 1864, when he was transferred to Company C, Eighteenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war and was discharged from the service on May 16, 1865, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. After the war Mr. May returned to his home in Preble county and resumed 446 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. farming, which vocation he followed till the year 1870, when he went into the harness business, opening an establishment in Camden. He was in business three years at Camden and then moved to Lewisburg, this county, where he continued four years. He next removed to Fairhaven, where he was in business eleven years. He then moved back to Camden, where he continued in business until 1911, when he retired. To Ray R. and Glenna (May) Simpson two children have been born, Miriam Louise, born March 14, 1906, and Harry Malcolm, born January 7, 1911, who are a continual source of sunshine in the happy home of the young editor and his wife. Ray R. Simpson, in addition to his editorial and public duties, finds time for a proper indulgence in the social and fraternal activities of the town in which his paper takes so prominent a part in the molding of public opinion, and is found in the forefront of all movements having to do with the extension of the public welfare. He is prominent in the activities of the Masonic order, being a member of the local lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons, as well as a member of the lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the lodge of the Knights of Pythias in Camden, and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Hamilton. Ohio. Mr. Simpson's paper is regarded as a fair reflector of the current life of the community which it so ably serves, and under the present management of the young editor is constantly growing in favor with the people of Preble county. CHARLES H. MARSHALL. Dependent very largely upon his own resources from his early youth, Charles H. Marshall has attained no insignificant success and though he may have, like most men of affairs, encountered obstacles and met with reverses, he has pressed steadily onward and upward, ever willing to work for the end in view. 'His tenacity and fortitude are due, no doubt in a large measure, to the worthy traits inherited from sterling ancestors, whose high ideals and correct principles he has ever sought to perpetuate in all of his personal and business relations of life. Charles H. Marshall, the present efficient and genial postmaster of New Paris, Ohio, was born February 10, 1874, in Jefferson township,. Preble county, the son of Alexander and Lydia (Bowman) Marshall, the former also a native of Jefferson township, the son of Hugh Marshall, a PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 447 native of Virginia, who came west early in life, located in Preble county and lived here the remainder of his days. Lydia Bowman, Mr. -Marshall's mother, was the daughter of Robert Bowman, a native of Maryland, who. migrated to Ohio and finally to Kansas, where he died. Alexander and Lydia (Bowman) Marshall were the parents of four children, H., a farmer of Jefferson township; Charles H., the subject of this sketch; Leonard, deceased; and Edith, who was the wife of Albert R. Cotterell. The greater part of Charles H. Marshall's early life was spent in New Paris, Ohio, and he was graduated from the New Paris high school with the class of 1891. After his graduation he was employed in a lawn-mower factory at Richmond, Indiana, and served as foreman of the factory for fourteen years. In 1906 Mr. Marshall engaged in the cement burial-vault business at Richmond, Cambridge City and Connersville, Indiana, and is now proprietor of branch plants in all of these towns. At Richmond Mr. Marshall is also engaged in the general cement business and there he owns a large and profitable gravel pit. Every bit of property which Mr. Marshall owns he has acquired by his own labor and his own management. He now owns the building in which the New Paris postoffice is situated and also owns his own home in New Paris. Charles H. Marshall was united in marriage with Myrtle M. Whiter a native of Pennsylvania, who was graduated from the schools at Cora, Pennsylvania. To this union has been born one son, Leonard, born April 30, 1908. Mr. Marshall is a Democrat and he has been active in county and state politics. He is the present secretary of the Preble county Democratic central committee and was appointed postmaster of New Paris, August 15, 1913. He still holds this office and is discharging the duties to the entire satisfaction of the people of the community which he serves. Mr. and. Mrs. Marshall -are active members. of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally,. Mr. Marshall is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and of the Druids, his membership in both orders being held in the lodges at Rich mond, Indiana. Mr. Marshall is an honorable citizen of the city and county where he lives and his reputation as a successful business man is builded upon worthy principles of justice and fair dealings. Aside from the cares of his heavy business connection, Mr. Marshall is a public-spirited citizen and devotes both his time and his money to worthy public enterprises. He is one of the most popular residents of Preble county and one of the best known. 448 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. JOSEPH MARSHALL. The fourth generation of the Marshall family is included among the representative citizens of Preble county, that is, the fourth generation in descent from the ancestor from whom descended the family of the subject of this biographical sketch, all of whom, in their day and generation have reflected credit upon the family name and have added no little to the substantial worth of the county in which the first of the family settled one hundred years ago. This is a fact of which any American family might well be proud. A centennial of continuous residence in one community is a matter of which not many families in this comparatively newly settled section of the country can boast and it is a pleasure for the biographer here to set out for the consideration of future generations something of the beginnings of the Marshall family in this part of Ohio, and of the lives and works of the successive descendants of that family in the neighborhood in which they for so many years have played a prominent part, and where they are regarded as among the most substantial and respected residents of the county. James Marshall, the first of the name to settle in this county, was a native of Ireland, having been born in the Emerald Isle about the year 1785. Like so many of the most aggressive and forceful of his compatriots he came to America upon reaching manhood's estate, bent upon finding in the glorious new country which had just shaken off the galling yoke of the hated oppressor, the freedom which so long had been denied his people in their own loved land. He first tried his fortune in the state of Georgia, where he married Elizabeth Wilson, also a native of Ireland, but finding conditions there not what he had expected them to be, moved to Ohio in the year 1817 and settled in section 5 of Israel township, Preble county, pre-empting from the government a farm which still is in the possession of the Marshall family. On this farm he wrought well, doing with conscientious care those things which his hand found to do and he and his good helpmate effectually "blazed the ways" for their descendants, the fourth generation of whom today find conditions immeasurably better by reason of the labors of this faithful pair, the memory of whom is held in high veneration by those who have followed them in this community. To the union of James and Elizabeth (Wilson) Marshall were born nine children. John Marshall, one of these nine, who was born in 1815, was reared on the home farm, where he remained until his marriage in 1839 to Lydia Stephenson, who was born in 1816 and who died in 1879. To John and Lydia (Stephenson) Marshall nine children were born. They PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 449 first took a farm in Israel township, near the parental home, west of Fair Haven. Later they bought the farm east of Fair Haven, where the subject of this sketch was born, and here they reared their family in habits of industry and in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, all being devout members of the United Presbyterian church at Fair Haven, a religious organization whole influence for good in the community, where it so long has stood faithfully for all things of good report is beyond calculation. John Marshall followed farming all his life. He was regarded as one of the most substantial fafarmersf his neighborhood, a veritable pillar in the upbuilding of the community life of Israel township, he and his devoted wife ever being active in all local good works, their memories being held in the most grateful remembrance throughout that whole section. Politically, John Marshall was a stanch Republican and though never an office seeker his counsels always were held of value in the deliberations of the party managers in Preble county. He died in the year i886, his wife having preceded him to the grave several years, her death having occurred in 1879. Of the nine children born to John and Lydia (Stephenson) Marshall, five are still living, they and their children doing all that in them lies to hand down to succeeding generations the excellent heritage of a good name which descended to them from their sterling forbears. Elizabeth Marshall, now deceased, the first of the nine children above mentioned, was the wife of William R. Hays; James W. lives in Dayton, Ohio; Mary L. lives in Dayton with her brother; Joseph, the immediate subject of this genealogical sketch, is one of the best-known residents of Israel township; Alexander F. lives at Dayton; Margaret, the wife of William Reed, died in 1902; John H. was accidentally killed by the caving in of a well in the year 1888; William S., former treasurer of the township, and one of the most substantial citizens of Preble county, died May 18, 1908. The fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. John Marshall died in infancy. William S. Marshall was born August 3, 1858, and received his early education in the schools of his native township, which course of instruction he supplemented with a course in the public schools of Oxford, Ohio. On December 27, 1881, he married Clara C. Fisher, a daughter of Daniel and Mary Smith Fisher, and to this union four children were born, all of whom are still living, as follow: Fred C., born May 26, 1883, lives on a farm on the west edge of Dixon township; Bertha F., born May 19, 1886, married Ralph Ross and lives on their farm southwest of Oxford, Ohio; Harry C., born September 17, 1889, lives with his mother at Fair Haven; Flora G., born March 26, 1893, also lives with her mother at Fair Haven.