USA > Ohio > Putnam County > A Portrait and biographical record of Allen and Putnam counties, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Ohio, pt 1 > Part 25
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mained one year, than located at Lima, Ohio, in the employ of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R. R., with which company he re- mained until November 21, 1892, when he accepted his present position, at Elida, Ohio, where he has since resided and became identified as one of the reliable and enterpris- ing citizens of that town, being now in the employ of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago, R. R., and one of their most trusted employees. He is a master of his profession and toys with electricity as with a genial play- fellow .. As an operator, Mr. Davis is popular with the different roads for which he has worked and stands in the front rank of his profession and during his career he has been employed by the Panhandle, the C. & A., Big Four, L. E. & W., C., H. & D. and P., F. W. & C. R. R.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of one child, named Von E., who was born De- cember 12, 1894. Mrs. Davis is a worthy member of the Christian church and a consist- ent communicant of that society, and socially one of the leaders in the society of hier town. " Frank," as he is familiarly called, is a demo- crat in politics and an all around hustler and a rare good fellow that every one likes; he is genial and pleasant to customers and the co ..... pany has no better of efficient employee than he
MAZIAH DAVISSON (deceased) was one of the oldest and most substan- tial farmers of Auglaize township. Allen county, Ohio, was of Scotch- hish descent, and was born in Harrison county, Va , September 21, 1822, and there passed his entire life in farming pursuits. This grandfather, Joseph Davisson, a farmer of much repute, lived and died in Harrison county, and Jobs Pavisson, son of Joseph and father of Amaziah, also a native of Harrison county
and born in 1778, there married Charity Critchfield, a lady of many accomplishments, who became the mother of the following chil- dren: Pattie, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, John, Arthur, Amaziah, all deceased, and David.
John Davisson, father of this family, left Harrison county, Va. (now West Virginia), in 1832, and came to Ohio and settled among the early pioneers of Champaign county. He had been an old line whig and had been elected sheriff of Harrison county; later he represented his county in the state legislature, after coming to Ohio, as a republican, al- though his county was strongly democratic- this fact showing that he was not only a very popular man but a very good politician, who well understood the issues of his day. He died in Champaign county, Ohio, in May, 1839, and soon afterward his widow, with her family, came to Allen county, where she died a year after her arrival.
Amzaiah Davisson was educated in a select school and was well prepared for the bosiness of life. April 8, 1852, he married, in Allen county, Miss Eliza J. Nye, daughter of George and Sarah (Pascal) Nye both natives of Pen- sylvania. Eliza J Nye was born in Farfield county, Ohio, May 25, 1829. Her parents, however, were married in Berkeley county, Va., and the father, who was a blacksmith by trade, later settled in Pickaway county, Ohio, fought in the war of 1812, and cuded his days in Pickaway county, a member of the Entheran church, April 20, 1835. His widow smvived until June, 1881, and died in the Presbyterian faith. The children of thes parents were born in the following order: Kate, Maggie, William, Elizabeth, Hetty, James. Mary, Phebe, Eliza J., Sallie and Bell, of whom the only daughters still surviving are Eliza J and Phebe. The children born to Amaziah Davis- son and wife are ramed in order of bath as follows: Monroe, a physician, of whom men-
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tion is made in full further on: John, Albert, Bell, wife of J. A. McCartney, postal clerk on , the C., H. & D. railroad line and resident of Lima, Ohio. Amaziah Davisson was a self- made man and was the owner of 200 acres of fine farming land. He was free in his financia! aid to religious denominations and a friend to educational progression; was a master Mason of lodge No. 105, at Lima, and was one of the old pioneers, well known and highly respected throughout the township. He died, much la- mented, November 24. 1895.
Monroe Davisson, M. D., son of Amaziah Davisson, was born in Auglaize township, Allen county, Ohio, December 12, 1855, and was reared on the home farm. He atttended the normal school at Ada, Ohio, several years and later taught twelve terms. Ile then read medicine with Dr. H. Thomas, at West New ton, Ohio, and when fully prepared entered the medical department of the university at Ann Arbor, Mich., studied one year, then en- tered the Eclectic Medical college at Cincin- nati, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1882; he also attended a regular course in 1891- being thus a graduate from diverse schools of medicine. The doctor has a fine library of medical works and also subscribes for the lead- ing medical periodicals of America and keeps well abreast of the progress made in the science of medicine. For the first two years after graduating, Dr. Davisson practiced in Uniopolis, Auglaize county, Ohio, where he at once established a solid reputation for pro- fessional skill; since leaving Uniopolis he has been in the active practice of his profession in his native village of West Newton-the crucial - -- test for all young practitioners being in their native town- and here his reputation, like his practice, has increased from day to day. "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country ", but here the doctor has won both ; children, as born and named, are John, Henry, honor and recompense.
The marriage of Dr. Davisson took place, in 1884, to Miss Evanna Blank, who was born in Union township, Auglaize county, Ohio, January 1, 1865, a daughter of George A. Blank, a retired farmer, now residing in Uniopolis-a democrat in politics, and, with his wife, a member of the Lutheran church. The doctor is a member of the Northwest Ohio Eclectic Medical association, standing very high with his professional brethren; is a mem- ber of Sager lodge, No. 513, F. & A. M., of LaFayette, Ohio, and is a non-affiliating Odd Fellow. His social standing is with the best people of the township and county, and as a physician he stands, as has been intimated, at the head of his profession.
ENRY ALLEN DELONG, an enter- prising and successful far er of Shaw- nee township, Allen county, Ohio, is a son of John and Esther (Mowery) DeLong. The great-grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch was a native of France; im- migrating to the United States in his young days, he settled in Pennsylvania, but some years after, while engaged in rafting lumber ' on the Schuylkill river, in steering the raft in one of its swift currents, it struck a rock, and he was thrown in front of the foriner and was drowned. He left a widow and five children -Jacob, Andrew, George, Lyda and Henry- to battle in this world, with the assistance of the elder boys and friends. In a few years after, they moved and settled near Chillicothe, Ohio. Henry, the youngest son, was married to Mary Mowery in the year 1816, and became the father of eight children, and in this mar- riage career they purchased and improved 160 : acres of land. They were pions parents and members of the German Reform church; their
Jacob, and Levi, Isaac, Elizabeth (Mrs. Hin-
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ton), Catherine (Mrs. Jacob Beeler) and Polly (Mrs. Georgia Beeler). John DeLong, the father of the subject, was born in Ross county in 1822, and in 1849 was married to Esther Mowery; he moved to the wilds of Allen county and purchased and settled on eighty acres of land in section No. 26, Shawnee town- ship, to which he added, by purchase, in sec- tions Nos. 23, 26, and 28, until he owned 579 acres; he owns, beside, seventy-eight acres in Anglaize county. In section No. 26, Shaw- nee township, Allen county, he cleared 160. acres for a home farm, upon which he lived until 1891, when he retired to, and is now liv- ing in, ( ridersville, Ohio, upon the income from his accumulations in the years of his active life. . Politically Mr. DeLong is a democrat and held several township offices; religiously he is a Lutheran. His children are as fol- lows: Mary, wife of Benjamin Bowsher; Sarah, wife of Ephraim Crider; Henry A., the subject; Jacob C., of Auglaize county; John F., of Shawnee township, Allen county; Amanda, wife of John Maher; Elmer, living. on the' homestead farm; Lyda A., wife of Ira Bittler, and two who died in infancy (George and Edward).
Henry A. DeLong was born September 14, 1856, on the home farm and was reared to a farmer's life; his education was obtained in a district school, and though not so complete as he could wish, yet his natural ability and the experience acquired by contact with the world, together with his scholastic education, enable him to perform all the private and public duties that he has so far been called upon to perform. In 1878, when twenty-two years of age, he settled on his present farm: containing 152 acres, which he now operates; beside, he owns de irable properties in Lima and Criders- ville, and his income is sufficient for all prac- tical purposes. Politically Mr. DeLong is a democrat : in 1886, he was by his party friends
elected justice of the peace, and he has per- formed the duty of his office with such unusual ability and satisfaction that he has been re- elected three times; he has also been an active member of the school board for a number of years. Mr. DeLong was married April 11, 1878, to Miss Sarah E. Beeler, daughter of Henry Beeler, and to his marriage have been born the following children: Ollie A., Grover E. and Floyd A. He is a member of the Lutheran church at Cridersville, of which he has been trustee for many years, besides being an industrious and enterprising citizen. Mr. DeLong is of such character and disposition that he is popular with most of the people, is a leading man in his calling, that of agricnl- ture, and is in every way a worthy American citizen.
IRAM T. DELONG is a member of a representative family of Allen county, Ohio, and was born in Hocking county Ohio, May 1, 1861. In connection with this brief biography of Mr. DeLong it is proper to note the fact that it is one of the lamentable incidents of our present day civili- zation that so many young men desert the farm for other avenues of industry. If the ablest and best young men, more of them now than now do, should remain upon the farm, argriculture would receive a tremendous im- petns upward and would achieve a prestige that it does not at the present time possess, and which would be more in accord with its ancient glory and wholly restore it to its right- ful place among the callings and professions of men. It is therefore peculiarly pleasant to write of a young man who apparently has de- cided to devote himself to this noblest of industries.
Hiram T. DeLong was born. May 1, 1861, and is therefore but little more than thirty
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
years of age. His parents were Abraham and Sarah C. (Mowery) DeLong, the former of whom died when the subject of this sketch . was but two years old. Abraham DeLong was a fariner by occupation, and left a family of eight children, three by his first marriage and five by his second. Mrs. DeLong, the mother of our subject, is still living, in Hock- ing county, Ohio. Mr. DeLong received his education in the public schools, and was inured to all kinds of farm labor in his youth. When eighteen years of age he removed to Allen county, and worked by the month for seven . years for his half-brother, Isaac. After leav- ing his half-brother he continued to perform farm labor for a few years, and in 1892 began farming on his own account. He was married February 16, 1889, to Miss Emma T. Allen daughter of J. D. Allen. She was born in German township, Allen county, and by her he has two children: Wilber R. and Zehna F. In March, 1895, Mr. DeLong moved to his present residence, in section No. 14, German township, where he is farming 109 acres of land. Politically Mr. DeLong is a prohi- bitionist, and both he and his wife are mem- bers of the United Brethren church, the radi- cal branch thereof, and they are among the most highly respected people of the county in which they live.
lege, and in 1875 began teaching, which occu- pation he followed for four years, since which time he has devoted hinself chiefly to farm- ing. The years 1880 and 1881, however, were spent in Winters, Yolo county, Cal., as clerk in the Parker House, the leading hotel of the city. In 1883 he began life in earnest for him- self in German township, but in the spring of 1887 moved to Amanda township, where, in December, 1891, he purchased forty acres of land, which he owned and operated for about a year, when he exchanged it for another tract. In November, 1893, he bought 193 acres in German township, but remained on his former farm, having rented it, but, in Au- gust of 1894, he made an exchange of his property in German township for a farm of 240 acres in section No. 11, Amanda town- ship, which he is now making one of the finest and most productive stock farms in this part of the state. Mr. Crites is a man who m his business operations is fully abreast of the times and occupies a back seat for no one. Progressive, enterprising, wide awake-that he is successful remains no mystery. Hereafter much of his time and attention will be given to the raising of choice breeds of cattle and hogs, and with his intelligent and up-to-date ideas the success of his operations is assured. It is such men that make the world, and, as a rule, with rightly directed impulse. Politically he is a democrat of the old school and retains his early faith that the old party can not be weli improved upon. He has been connected with the board of education, being especially qualified for such duties.
0 H. CRITES, of Amanda township, Allen county, Ohio, was born in Ger- man township, on the old Crites home- stead, April 30, 1857, and is a son of Jacob Crites, one of the pioneers and lead- On November 15, 1882, Mr. Crites was united in marriage to Miss Kate P. Hover, daughter of C. H. and Martha J. (Post) Hover. She was born in Delphos, Ohio. April 13, 1859, and spent her early life on the old Hover homestead, where she now lives, as ing farmers of German township. His boy- hood years were spent on the farm, where a ; substantial foundation for a future career was laid. As usual with country lads, he attended ! the public schools, and in the falls of 1876 and 1877 he took courses in the Ada Normal col- I her husband owns the homestead of her
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OF ALLEN COUNTY.
father, C. H. Hover, upon which she was reared to womanhood and where she has spent her entire life. Two children have come to bless this union, viz: Harold H., who was born August 7, 1883, and Carl C., born Janu- ary 27, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Crites are prom- inent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and rank in wealth and socially among the first in the county. Mr. Crites is benevo- lent to a fault, being at all times ready and willing to encourage public enterprises, and is liberal in behalf of all charitable bequests.
ILLIAM THOMAS DOLBEY, one of the well-known citizens and busi- ness men of Delphos, Ohio, is a native of the Buckeye state, having been born at Radner, Delaware county, on the ioth day of December, 1846. He is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Thomas) Dolbey, both of whom were natives of Wales. Robert Dolbey came to the United States in 1843. when he was twenty-four years of age, and first located at Utica, N. Y., where he re- mained a few years, and then located at Dela- ware, Ohio. It was at Delaware, in 1845, that he married Elizabeth Thomas, who was born in (829, and came with her parents to America when she was three years of age, the family first locating in Utica, N. Y., and later removing to Delaware county, Ohio. Robert Dolbey was a weaver by trade, which trade he followed in the old as well as in this country. From Delaware county he removed to Alpha, Greene county, Ohio, in 1853, and in August, 1856, he removed to Van Wert county. Upon arriving in Van Wert county he spent the win- ter at his brother-in-law's, on Jennings Prairie, and in the following spring purchased a farm southwest of where the town of Venedocia now stands, which farm was unimproved. He at once began clearing and improving his place
and remained on the farm, which was a small one, until 1868, and then, selling it, purchased a farm of 120 acres, about one and a half miles south of Middlepoint, and on that farm he spent the remainder of his life. His death occurred in October, 1891, his wife having died in 1890, Both were members of the Welsh Presbyterian church. To the parents eight children were born, six of whom are now living, as follows: William T., Robert, Mar- garet J., Ann E., John and Mary, all of whom reside in Van Wert county, except Margaret, who is a resident of Allen county. These chil- dren, as may well be inferred, were all reared as strict observers of the moral teachings of : the Welsh Presbyterian church.
William T. Dolbey was reared on the farm until he reached his seventeenth year. While on the farm he attended the country schools, receiving from two to three months schooling each winter. In the fall of 1869 he entered the National Normal school at Leba- non, Ohio, where he spent a year, adding very materially to his education. In August, 1863, he left the farm, and moved to Delphos, and entered the drug store of J. W. Hunt. with whom he remained until that gentleman sold out, in 1865, to Alexander Shenk and John Walsh, and with that firm our subject remained for about one year, or until they dissolved, at which time Mr. Hunt purchased Mr. Shenk's interest, the firm becoming that of Hunt & Walsh, with which firm our subject remained until August, 1869, when he entered school at Lebanon, as above mentioned. Returning from school in September, 1870, Mr. Dolbey again took a position with Hunt & Walsh, and continned with then until they dissolved partnership in 1876. During a portion of the time, from 1872 until 1876, Mr Dolbey had charge of the books of the Delphos foundry and machine shops, and from 1875 to 1878 he filled the position of secretary and treasurer of
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that enterprise, he having become also a large stockholder in the same. In 1878 he returned to the employ of Mr. Hunt, who was then engaged in building a railroad from Delphos to Shanes [ Crossing, and with that gentleman, in the capacity of acting express agent and having charge of the book and news business, he remained until September 1, 1879, at which time the death of Mr. Hunt occurred. He was then appointed agent of the Adams Ex- press company at Delphos, and he also pur- chased Mr. Hunt's interest in the book and news business, and to the. above he gave hi- undivided time and attention until August. 1885, at which time occurred the death of his father-in-law, P. W. Morton, of the firm of Miller & Morton, proprietors of the Delphos Roller mills, and our subject, being appointed executor of his estate, took charge of the mill business, at the same time continuing the express agency and book and news store. In November, 1887, Mr. Dolby purchased the interest of William T. Morton, one of P. W. Morton's heirs, and at that time became a member of the milling firm, which is still con- ducted under the old firm name of Miller & Morton, Mr. Dolbey being the general man- ager of the business, a position he has held since the death of Mr. Morton. Mr. Dolbey is also a director in the Commercial bank of Delphos, and is a member of the Citizens Savings & Loan association. Mr. Dolbey was married in September, 1873, to Miss Isadore M., daughter of the late P. W. Morton. Mrs. ! Dolbey was born in Delphos, January 27, 1850. To Mr. and Mrs. Dolbey three chil- dren have been born, two of whom died in
0 AVID W. DITTO, a substantial farmer of Marion township, Allen county, son of William W. and Ma- hala (Brown) Ditto, was born in Brown county, Ohio, November 16, 1846. Zebulon Ditto, his great-grandfather, was of Scotch- Irish descent, and was a farmer of North Car- `olina; Richard, son of Zebulon. was born in North Carolina September 7, 1799, came to Brown county, Ohio, when a boy, there mar- ried Rebecca Dunham, and reared a family of ten children; William W., son of Richard and father of our subject, was born in Brown county, Ohio, October 24, 1823, was reared to farming, and married, May 14, 1843, Miss Mahala Brown, who was born August 12, 1822, a daughter of William Brown, a hero of :312. To the marriage of Mr. and Mr Ditto were born four children, now living. viz: Melvina, July 16, 1845; David W., as above; Emily, September 18, 1856, and Samuel F., Febru- ary 16, 1658. In the spring of 1849, William WV. Ditto came with his wife and two children to Allen county, a distance of 140 miles, by means of horses and wagons, - here Mr. Ditto entered eigthy acres of la au the west bank of the Auglaize river, in Mar on township, and here the younger two of these children were born. He subsequently increased the number of his acres to 480, and was able to give all his children a start in ife. He died on his farm May 13, 1884, a number of the Methodist church, and his widow died De- cember 6, 1893.
David W. Ditto was reared among the pio- neers of Allen county, but favored with good educational advantages. After passing through high schools of Lima, he attended the Leba- . non Normal college, and after he had there completed his studies he tanghi five terms of school in Allen county, when be returned to. the farm. September 18, 1873, he was united.
infancy. The surviving one is John M., who , the common schools of his district and the was born Angust 3, 1877. He is a graduate : of the Delphos public schools and is at present clerking for his father. Mr. and Mrs. Dolbey and son are members of the Presbyterian church.
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DAVID W DITTO
MRS. FLORENCE B DITTO
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OF ALLEN COUNTY.
in wedlock with Miss Florence B. Harris, who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, January 7, 1849, a daughter of Calvin and Edith (Dunn) Harris. Calvin Harris was a native of Olean, N. Y., was born October 1, 1810, and was of English descent; the Dunns, of Lockland, Ohio, were of the same extraction. Calvin Harris was a son of Samuel and Sally (Reed) Harris, was a carriage-maker by trade, and married Edith Dunn, May 28, 1835. In the fall of 1850 he came to Allen county, Ohio, and settled on 120 acres of land in Amanda township. To Mr. and Mrs. Harris were born five children: Mary. A., Calvin W., Florence B., Rosen( B. and Clarence B.
After marriage Mr. Ditto settled on his present farm, which then consisted of forty acres, thirty of which were in the woods; but this farm has been increased to 165 acres and is now under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. and Mhs. Ditto have been born four chil- dren: Theodore Walter, Raymond Clyde, Edith Ethel, and one that died in infancy. In polities Mr. Ditto is a prohibitionist, and for the past fifteen years has been a member of the school board; for six years, also, he has been a member of the Allen County Agricul- tural society; with his wife he is a member of the Baptist church, and both are charter members of Marion grange, No. 302, Patrons of Husbandry, in which Mr. Ditto has held all the offices, including that of the county grange. He is also an unaffiliating member of Hope lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M., of Delphos. Mrs. Ditto has likewise been very active in grange matters, has held all the offices in the home grange, and is now lecturer; she has been secretary of the county grange for three years; she is deputy master for Allen county of the state grange -- the highest office in the county. She is a lady of intelligence and re- finement and is much interested in all educa- tional movements, and her children have all 6
been instructed in the best possible manner. For the past twenty years she has been a church member and her interest in church matters is not only unabated but intensified.
Mr. Ditto is an expert deer hunter, and for the past seven years has been a member of a party formed for deer hunting in northern Michigan and Wisconsin, and has made a fine record, having killed eight deer and crippled two in eight days.
J OHN DOLT, roadmaster of the North- ern Ohio R. R., and a well-known citi- zen of Van Wert county, is a native of Ohio, having been born at Canton, May 13, 1842. He is a son of Joseph and Mary (Lang) Dolt, both of whom were natives of the French provinces on the Rhine. They were married in the old country and came to America in 1840, and located at Canton, Ohio, where they remained seven years, and in 1848 came to Delphos, where they remained eight years, and then purchased 100 acres of land in section No. 26, Washington township. Van Wert county, and moving onto the same, re- mained there the balance of their lives. The father died in July, 1893, aged eighty-five years; the mother died in 186;, in her sixty- seventh year. They were both members of Saint John's Roman Catholic church of Del- phos. To the parents ten children were born, four of whom are now living. Of these chil- dren onr subject was the third. He was reared principally in Delphos and the neigh- borhood, and attended the pubhe schools, se- curing a fair English and German education. He remained with his father until he reached the age of twenty-two years, and then was en- gaged in handling grain in Delphos for twelve years. He then began railroading with the P., Ft. W. & C. R. R., purchasing ties and timber for that road between Lima, Ohio, and
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