USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
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JHL . SOC
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1846 OF WISC
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HISTORY
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ALLEN COUNTY, OHIO
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EDITED AND COMPILED BY CHARLES C. MILLER, Ph. D. ASSISTED BY DR. SAMUEL A. BAXTER LIMA, OHIO
"History is Philosophy Teaching by Example."
PUBLISHED BY RICHMOND & ARNOLD GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD CHICAGO, ILL. 1906
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HON. JOHN E. RICHIE
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ON. JOHN E. RICHIE, formerly judge of the Court of Common Pleas and now the senior member of the well-known law firm of Richie & Le- land, of Lima, was born in Crawford County, Ohio, March 28, 1838, and is a son of Mirabeau F. and Sarah (Eaton) Richie.
Mirabeau F. Richie was born in Pennsyl- vania but came to Ohio when he was but 12 years of age, and settled in Columbiana County, removing in 1839 to Van Wert County. His family consisted of 10 children, seven of whom still survive.
John E. Richie was a babe of one year when his parents settled in Van Wert County. He was a student in the first schoolhouse ever built in Harrison township and in youth at- tended school when not engaged in work upon the farm. He completed the school course be- fore he was 18 years old, and thereafter, until he reached manhood, he continued to assist his father on the home farm in the summer season, while in the winter he taught school. Arriving at manhood's estate, he began the study of the law, his reading being done under the super- vision of Edward A. Ballard, now of Denver, Colorado, a well-known former attorney of Allen County. He was admitted to the bar in 1867 and prior to coming to Lima practiced law for six months at Bluffton.
Since locating in Lima, the subject of this sketch has become one of the leading practi- tioners before all the courts and has filled offices of responsibility. For three years he served as justice of the peace, and was elected city solici- tor when the village was given its city charter. In the fall of 1888 he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas and served in that po- sition from February, 1889, to February, 1899. Since retiring from the bench, Judge Richie has given his attention to a large and important practice in partnership with F. F. Leland.
In 1861 our subject was married to Mar- garet J. McCoy, a native of Van Wert County, Ohio. To this union were born five children, as follows : Idumea, wife of F. F. Leland, his pres- ent law partner ; Willis A., a prominent archi- tect of Spokane, Washington, who was archi- tect of the State Capitol of Washington and all the court houses around Puget Sound; Walter
J., junior member of the firm of Richie & Richie; Bertha, wife of Hugh L. Harrod, a traveling salesman, with home in Lima; and Frank, deceased at the age of two years.
The second marriage of Judge Richie was contracted with Mrs. S. Louise (Van Arsdale) Wyker, who by her first husband had one daughter, Lilian. Judge Richie with his fam- ily attends the Presbyterian Church. The beau- tiful family residence is situated at No. 541 West Wayne street, while Judge Richie's of- fices are in the Holland Block.
Politically, Judge Richie is identified with the Democratic party. Fraternally he is asso- ciated with the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows. He has long been looked upon as one of the city's most public-spirited men; one proof of this attitude was his gift in 1892 of a tract of 10 acres for the use of Lima College. His portrait accompanies this sketch.
C. RILEY, one of Lima's prominent business men, an extensive oil produ- J cer, and organizer of the "International Fire Alarm System" in Ohio, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1865, and is a son of the late Michael Riley, who for many years was interested in the large contracting firm of Smith & Williamson, of Cincinnati. Mr. Riley is a nephew of John Charles Riley, a very prominent politician of that city, ex-post- master and a member of the wholesale firm of McHenry & Company.
Our subject was reared and educated at Cincinnati and there began his business career with the wholesale men's furnishing goods house of Liebunan & Schloss. After four years with this well-known house, he entered the traffic department of the old Cincinnati Southern Railroad for a period of five years. Following this preparation, his promotion to the positions of chief clerk and later to general superintendent of the traffic and transportation departments of the C., H. & D. Railway was rapid. For 12 years, he had entire charge of the loss and damage claim department. Early in April, 1889, he came to Lima to take charge of the Lima terminals, having the title of gen-
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eral agent, and he continued with this railroad until June 1, 1893.
At the above date Mr. Riley became traffic manager for the Manhattan Oil Company. and continued with them until their sale to the Standard Oil Company, in 1900. Since then he has been engaged almost exclusively in the oil- producing business. He is associated with J. R. Keenan, of Marion, Indiana, and they have 45 oil-wells in operation in Grant County, Indiana. He has been much interested in the new mag- netic system of fire alarms, has acquired the patents of an automatic system and has just or- ganized a company for its introduction. He is a man of great business enterprise and pos- sesses a vast amount of American push and energy.
Mr. Riley was married on June 27, 1898, to Mrs. Peter Smith, who is a daughter of John E. McMaher, one of the early contractors of Chicago, who built one of the first tunnels un- der Lake Michigan to the cribs and had the contract for almost all of the early brick paving done in that city. Mr. Riley is a member of the Elks and of the Knights of Columbus.
ALVIN HEATH is well and favor- ably known, not only in Elida, where he conducts one of the finest meat markets in this part of Ohio, but throughout the entire county of Allen, having been engaged in extensive busi- ness transactions here during the past seven years. Mr. Heath was born August 15, 1857, in Cumberland County, Illinois, and is a son of Joseph Heath, now many years deceased, who was at one time successfully engaged in the butcher. business.
When Calvin Heath was nine years of age, the family moved to the State of Missouri, re- maining there but one year when they returned east, locating in Champaign County, Ohio. That was before the day of the lightning ex- press and the journey was made by them in covered wagons. Mr. Heath was educated in Champaign County and there grew to man- hood. As soon as he was large enough, he worked by the month as a farm hand for several
years and later engaged in farming on his own behalf. In 1898 he engaged in the butcher business at Elida and also bought and sold stock quite extensively, meeting with success in both lines of work. In addition to running one of the best markets in the county, he ships cattle, hogs and sheep to supply the Pitts- burg market and has made Elida widely known as a shipping point of importance.
In 1881 Mr. Heath was married to Phoebe Molenhour and four children have been born to them, namely: Hazel; Oliver, who is asso- ciated in business with his father, Minnie and Ira. Mrs. Heath had three brothers in the Civil War. Her father, Henry Molenhour, was a locksmith and followed that occupation for more than 50 years, being so employed at the time of his death seven years ago. Mr. Heath has been a member of the Elida Town Council for the past five years. He has been an honored member of the United Brethren Church for 18 years and for a number of those years has served on the Board of Trustees. When it was decided to erect a new church in Elida, B. F. Sherrick, Rev. Sords, the pastor, and Calvin Heath were appointed as the build- ing committee and have carefully superintend- ed the work which is now in process of erec- tion, and will soon be ready for dedication, at which time Elida will have a church that will be a credit and an ornament to the entire com- munity.
J HILL, master mechanic of the Lake Erie & Western, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville and Northern Ohio railroad shops at Lima, has been a resident of this city only a short time, coming here September 1, 1904. He was born in Scotland in 1865, and is a son of John Hill, deceased, who was at one time master mechanic in charge of the roundhouse of the Wisconsin Central Railway at Stevens Point.
When our subject was five years old, his parents came to the United States and located for a short time in Milwaukee. Later they moved to Stevens Point, Portage County, Wis- consin, where young Hill acquired his educa- tion. As soon as he was old enough to begin
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learning a trade, he was apprenticed in the Wis- consin Central shops, where he served four years to master the machinists' trade. After working in the shops by the day for six or eight years, he was promoted to the position of foreman of the Waukesha railroad shops. His fidelity and ability were rewarded one year later when he was transferred to the St. Paul Division of the Wisconsin Central as division foreman, having jurisdiction over both the St. Paul and Minneapolis roundhouses. He has risen steadily from one post of trust to another by the loyal and faithful discharge of his duties and when, one year, later, he accepted the posi- tion of foreman of the Chicago & Calumet Ter- minal Railroad repair shops in East Chicago, he was advancing a step higher in the con- fidence and regard of his employers. Three years later, in 1896, this company was merged into the Chicago Terminal Transfer Company, and Mr. Hill was placed in charge of the loco- motives and cars of the company as master me- chanic. Six years later, he resigned this posi- tion to become foreman of the shops of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway at Elkhart, Indiana, where he remained 18 months, going then to Kankakee, Illinois, as general foreman of the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad. A year and a half later he accepted his present post and moved to Lima, where he has ably filled the duties of his position.
Mr. Hill was married November 4. 1896, to Mary Edgar, daughter of the late Thomas Ed- gar, of Leesburg, Indiana. They have one child, Eloise. Mr. Hill is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and is also a prominent Knight of Pythias.
e HARLES C. POST, of Amanda town- ship, one of the substantial men and representative agriculturists of this locality, resides upon his well-im- proved farm in sections 9 and 10, a fine location along the Auglaize River. Mr. Post is a worthy member of a fine old family of this portion of the State and one which has many representatives, and through marriage, is connected with a number of other substantial and prominent families of Allen and adjacent 28
counties. Charles C. Post was born in 1858, on his father's farm in section 9, Amanda town- ship, and is a son of Leonidas and Eliza J. (Stewart) Post, a grandson of Charles Post and a great-grandson of Jeremiah Post.
This great-grandfather was of German par- entage and inherited many of the sturdy char- acteristics of the Fatherland. He was born in New York, but moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania, during the Revolutionary War, and it is quite probable he participated in the struggle for freedom.
Charles Post, son of Jeremiah Post, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 27, 1800. In 1822 he came to Ohio, settling first in Knox County and later at Shelby, in Richland County, but removing later to Upper Sandusky, Wyandot County. There he con- structed a grist and sawmill, and also a council house for the Wyandot Indians. He had much commerce with this tribe, by whom he was held in high regard on account of his just dealings with them. In March, 1841, he removed to Al- len County, settling in Amanda township, and building the old Post mill on the Auglaize River. This he operated until 1849, when he took possession of his farm of 540 acres, lo- cated in sections 8 and 17, and removed about one and a quarter miles from his former loca- tion. Here Mr. Post resided until 1883, and then went to live with his daughter, Mrs. Cyrus Hover, where he died March 27, 1884, when within two months of being 84 years old. Charles Post was a man well fitted for his times, strong of will and firm of purpose, the soul of old-time integrity. As such he was se- lected by his fellow-citizens to represent them in the State Legislature. He married Eliza- beth Bryant, who was born March 13, 1801, and died February 22, 1886, aged 85 years. Of their nine children, but four survive, name- ly : Martha, widow of Cyrus Hover, of Lima ; Adam Clark, of Carthage, Missouri; Isaac B., and Charles G., of Missouri.
Leonidas H. Post, son of Charles Post and father of Charles C. Post, was one of the repre- sentative farmers, esteemed residents and sub- stantial citizens of Amanda township. He was born at Fredericktown, Ohio, August 9, 1832, and died October 3, 1904, in Amanda
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township. His father as a man in easy cir- cumstances, afforded him excellent educational advantages. He was sent to Oberlin College, while in his home, from childhood to young manhood, he came in contact with gentle in- fluences and with men of intelligence who were his father's friends. He also broadened his mind by travel. In 1852 he removed to New York and there took passage for California, where he remained two years, and then return- ed by way of New Orleans, On this and other trips he gained a very fair idea of many sec- tions of the country.
After his return to Ohio, Mr. Post was mar- ried, after which, until the close of his quiet, peaceful, busy and useful life, his home con- tinued to be in Amanda township. Among other agricultural interests he devoted much time and attention to the careful breeding of draft horses and probably to his interest and work in this direction is due the excellence of this stock in Amanda township. He took an immense pride in his fine Shorthorn cattle, and is credited with introducing this breed into the township. His farm of 200 acres in section 9, Amanda township, is probably the most fertile as to soil, and certainly one of the best improved and most scientifically cultivated in the town- ship.
On August 2, 1854, Leonidas H. Post was married by Elder, Thomas J. Price to Eliza J. Stewart, the estimable lady who survives him and who still resides on the home farm, a prop- erty which her father, Samuel Stewart, had en- tered from the government in 1824. Mrs. Post was born October 13, 1830, in Allen County, Ohio, but was reared and married in Cham- paign County. Her parents were Samuel and Mary (Thomas) Stewart, and her, grandpar- ents, Matthew and Elizabeth Stewart. Samuel Stewart was born January 31, 1796, and died April 26, 1873. Mary Thomas was a daughter of Capt. Arthur Thomas, who was killed by the Indians in Logan County. They cut his body into pieces, put it in sacks and carried it on horseback to Urbana. The children of Sam- uel Stewart were: Thomas, Elizabeth, Eliza J. and Matthew. Mr. Stewart is recalled as a man of exemplary life and noble character, generous and charitable, and possessed of those
admirable attributes which make his name ven- erated by those who still survive. In this con- nection special mention must be made concern- ing his benefactions to the Amanda Baptist Church. In 1865 he gave five acres of land for the church, parsonage and cemetery, and in 1870 contributed the sum of $500, to be used in erecting a parsonage. He was not a member of the church, but believed in its influence and contributed to its work, on account of his wife's devoted membership and interest in it.
Both Leonidas H. Post and his wife were also very active in all that concerned Amanda Baptist Church. Mrs. Post was baptized No- vember 15, 1849, at King's Creek. Mr. Post was converted and was baptized November 21, 1869, by Rev. D. D. Spencer, and united with the Amanda Baptist Church, but before becom- ing a member, was one of the prime movers in erecting the building, not only contributing very largely, but superintending the erection of the structure. Mrs. Post has been a trustee of this church since its organization. Through his whole life Mr. Post kept the needs of this church in timely remembrance. In his poli- tical opinions, he was a Republican, and, on ac- count of the known integrity of his character, was chosen on many occasions to assume the duties of office. As long as his health permit- ted he took an active interest in both local and outside affairs. He was the father of seven children, namely : William Stewart, Samuel A., Charles C., Edward G., Mary and Jennie (both deceased), and Leonidas H., Jr. Sam- uel A., deceased, left five children. Edward G. is a farmer in Champaign County, Ohio. He was married in 1886 to Jennie Florence Whetstone, and their surviving children are: Edna, Ada, Ruth and Naomi. Leonidas H. Post, Jr., farms with his brother, Charles C. He married Altha Moorman, and they have two children-Martha and an infant.
Charles C. Post, our immediate subject, was educated in the public schools of Amanda town- ship, which has always been his home. He car- ries on extensive farming and stock-raising, follows modern methods of agriculture, and be- lieves and proves that no man is so independent and well-placed as the prosperous agriculturist. His herds dot many meadows, his grain ripens
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in many fields, and his barns and other, build- ings provide storage for his abundant crops and shelter stock worth many thousands of dollars. His home is one of modern luxury.
Mr. Post was married (first) to Ida Crites, who was a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Crites. She was born February 22, 1862, and died March 24, 1889, leaving two children : Clarence B., who is now in California; and Ida G., who is attending Lima College.
In the spring of 1905, Mr. Post married (second) Martha Post. She was born in Pennsylvania and possibly belonged to the Post family established by Jeremiah Post, which had many branches. Mr. Post takes only a mod- erate interest in politics, voting independently.
There is an old landmark on Mr. Post's farm that has an interesting history. It is an old buckeye tree, under which our subject's ma- ternal grandfather, Samuel Stewart, trapped a ribbit which provided the first meal the pioneer family enjoyed when they settled, forlorn and hungry, on the banks of the Auglaize River, in 1824.
J AMES C. KELLEY, one of Lima's most successful and enterprising merchants, came to Allen County in 1897, and opened his grocery store at No. 790 St. John's avenue, Lima, where he is still located and enjoying a prosperous trade. He was born in Highland County, Ohio, in 1863 and is a son of James Kelley, deceased, who was a farmer and in addition to that occu- pation also worked at coopering.
Our subject was born, reared and educated in the country, and engaged in farm work until 1893, when he located in Mowrytown, where for three or four years he conducted a furni- ture store. Leaving that town, he came to Lima and established his present business. He has secured not only an excellent patronage, but the warm friendship and esteem of those with whom he has been associated, both in business and social circles.
Mr. Kelley was married in 1885 to Frances E. Fenwick, by whom he has three children, namely : Bert L., a student in Lima College; Hattie and Marie. Mr. Kelley is a member
and an elder of the Main Street Presbyterian Church. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees.
A B. KLAY, one of the leading business men of Lima, is superintendent of the National Roofing Tile Company, which is one of the important indus- trial plants of the city. He was born in 1858 in Switzerland, and his educational training was secured in his native land, where he lived until he was 26 years of age.
Mr. Klay learned the roofing tile business in Switzerland. In 1883 he came to America, locating first at Berne, Indiana, where many of his countrymen form a prosperous community. Not finding a good opening there in his special line of work, he remained but 18 months and then came to Ohio, locating at Bluffton, Allen County, where he engaged in a contracting bus- iness until 1891. He secured a farm and for some years carried on agricultural work during the summers and spent his winters in close study of matters pertaining to his special trade, dur- ing which period he perfected many designs for machinery to be used in the manufacture of roofing tile. In 1897 the accuracy of these plans he put to the test, erecting at Ottawa, Putnam County, the first roofing tile factory in this section of the State. He successfully operated the factory there until 1901. In the fall of that year, upon the organization of the National Roofing Tile Company, at Lima, he same to this city as its superintendent.
This company was incorporated with a cap- ital stock of $100,000, and its officers, all well- known capitalists, are as follows: J. R. Sin- clair, president ; J. F. Andrews, vice-president ; Davis J. Cable, secretary ; Charles Stolzenbach, treasurer, and A. B. Klay, superintendent. The board of directors is composed of the following men of stability : J. D. S. Neely, William H. Duffield, C. H. Cory, J. A. Bendure, A. B. Klay and John Kerr. The late T. J. Morris was one of the original directors.
Mr. Klay is also president of the A. B. Klay Company, which has just been organized and incorporated with a capital stock of $100,000.
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In this company he is also a member of the board of directors and one of the largest stock- holders. He is one of the practical tile men and these factories are operated with dry kilns and machinery of his invention. As this fac- tory is now in successful operation, Mr. Klay anticipates erecting more factories in the near future, to be operated under the A. B. Klay patents.
Mr. Klay was married in 1880, in Switzer- land, to Mary Knuss, and they have eight child- ren, all of whom are now living, as follows: Emil, for three years foreman of the National Roofing Tile Company, who married a daugh- ter of the late John Barr; Emma, who is the wife of Rudolph Moser, of Lima; Bertha, who is the wife of Herman Moser, of Lima; Jacob, formerly designer for the National Roofing Tile Company, who is still interested in the business; and Menno, Sarah, Albert and Will- iam, who are attending school.
Fraternally Mr. Klay is an Odd Fellow. He takes no very active interest in politics be- yond supporting those candidates who in his judgment will best work for good government. The attractive family home is located at No. 817 East Elm street, Lima.
C A. McLAUGHLIN, oil purchasing agent, representing Joseph Seep, and one of the thoroughly experienced oil men of the country, has been a resi- dent of Lima since 1886. He was born in 1840, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Mclaughlin was reared in Pittsburg and attended the schools of that city. Before he had acquired business experience, he enlist- ed in the service of his country, in August, 1861, entering Company I, 13th Reg. U. S. Vol. Inf., in which he served one year. The Governor of Pennsylvania then claimed the reg- iment as a part of the Pennsylvania contingent and consequently it was transformed into the 102nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol. Inf. His regiment participated in all the great battles of the Army of the Potomac and at the battle of Williamsburg, Mr. Mclaughlin had the exper-
ience of being struck by five bullets without be- ing seriously wounded. He was not always so fortunate, however, for at the battle of the Wilderness he was shot through the thigh. From the field hospital he was conveyed to the hospital at Fredericksburg and later to the one at Georgetown, and while still under treatment his term of enlistment expired. Entering the army as sergeant, his personal bravery rapidly won him promotion and at the time of his hon- orable discharge he was wearing a captain's epaulets.
After his return from the army, Captain Mclaughlin became first a clerk on a steamer on the Allegheny River, running between Oil City and Warren, Pennsylvania, for, a few months and then he embarked in a hotel busi- ness at Oil City. He soon became interested in oil himself, and after running his hotel for three years he engaged in the oil business as a broker with Owston & Sowers, and continued with that firm from 1867 until 1873. He next be- came agent for the Devoe Manufacturing Com- pany and later was buyer for J. A. Bostwick & Company from 1878 to 1882. From the latter year until 1886 Mr. Mclaughlin again was an oil broker at Oil City until 1886. Since then he has been oil purchasing agent at Lima for Joseph Seep.
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