USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 56
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 56
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C. W. NETTLESHIP, a substantial business man and representative citizen of Piqua, Olio, conducts a grocery at No. 827 West North Street, and has been engaged in business in this city since May 1, 1902. Mr. Nettleship was born in Shelby County, Ohio, in 1865, and was there reared to ma- turity and received his training in the gro- cery business, with which he has always been identified. He remained in his native county until 1894, then moved to Dayton, where he successfully conducted a store until 1902. On May 1st of that year, he moved to Piqua and established the store which he has since conducted. He is a man of tireless energy and good business judg- ment and his progress in the business world has been steady. He erected the store building occupied by his grocery on West North Street, and is also the owner of two other good buildings which he erected.
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Mr. Nettleship was married May 1, 1902, to Miss Bertha Schemmell, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, and came west to Piqua with her parents when quite young. Religiously, she is a member of St. Paul's church. Mr. Nettleship is a man of wide acquaintance and is most highly esteemed by his fellow citizens.
JOHN W. LYLE, one of the representa- tive business men of Covington, who has been engaged in the grocery line here for over twenty-two years, was born in Mus-
kingum County, Ohio, October 21, 1857, and is a son of Robert and Hester (Ford) Lyle.
Mr. Lyle was reared on his father's farm and was educated in the country schools. When he was eighteen years of age, his parents moved to Logan County and he accompanied them and shortly afterward accepted a position as clerk in a general store at Belle Center, where he remained for five years. In 1885, deciding to invest his capital of $400, in business for himself, he came to Covington and purchased a small store, and from that time until the present, with the exception of eight months, he has been engaged in business here. He bought a farm of 120 acres near Troy, in Concord Township, and occupied it for eight months and then returned to Covington and bought back his old store. February 6, 1902, Mr. Lyle bought Mr. Ratcliff's interest in the firm of Kreigh- baum & Ratcliff, the firm becoming J. W. Lyle & Co. The following June this firm sold out to Everleigh & Utter. On Sep- tember 2d of the same year Mr. Z. L. Ram- sey and Mr. Lyle purchased the business of Everleigh & Utter, the firm being known as Lyle & Ramsey. This firm continued until January 1, 1905, when Mr. Lyle be- came sole owner and he now conducts the business under the name of J. W. Lyle. He is doing a highly satisfactory business, Iris long experience in this line enabling him to note the details which are necessary for success. He carries a large and com- plete stock of staple and fancy groceries and among his customers may be found those who have been such for years.
Mr. Lyle was married at Belle Center, Logan County, to Miss Emma Pearson, a daughter of William Pearson, and they
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have one son, W. Boyd, who assists his father in the store. Ile married Miss Cora Whitmer. Mr. Lyle is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is not active as a politician, but he is a good citizen and takes an interest in the publie matters which concern the welfare of Covington. Although he does not occupy his farm, he still retains possession of it.
W. H. FRANCIS, one of Troy's repre- sentative business men and president of the Francis & Clemm Company, dealers in lumber, has here been identified with this line of trade for the past nineteen years. He was born in 1848, in Butler County, Ohio.
The early life of Mr. Francis was passed on a farm and his education was obtained in Butler County, with two years at the National Normal, where he taught school at Lebanon, Ohio, for some five years. In 1876 he embarked in a lumber business at Arcanum, in Darke County, where he con- tinned until 1889, when he came to Troy. He started into business in this city under the style of W. H. Francis & Co., which later became Francis & Clemm, and the latter firm was succeeded by The Francis & Clemm Company, with location on South Walnut Street, on the corner of Race. The range of his activities is not confined to the business over which he presides here, he being interested also in lumber enter- prises in other places and he is also one of the board of directors of the Troy Na- tional Bank.
In 1876 Mr. Francis was married to Miss Ella Gifford, of Preble County, Ohio, and they have two children; Jesse B .. who is engaged in the practice of medicine in Chicago ; and Opal C., who is a member of
the graduating class of 1909. at Oberlin College. Mr. and Mrs. Francis are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he belonging to its official board.
ADAM M. STROCK, V. S., who is rec- ognized as one of the leading veterinary surgeons in Western Ohio, has been a resi- dent of Troy for the past sixteen years, but was born in Clark County. Ohio, in 1850.
Dr. Strock was reared on the home farm near Christiansburg and obtained his edu- cation in the common schools, at Lincoln Hill Academy, and at New Carlisle, and later received his diploma from the Ohio State University at Columbus, when thirty years of age. He then purchased the farm of James Kincade, situated one mile east of Casstown, in Miami County, and re- sided there until the spring of 1893. when he gave up farming and came to Troy to engage in the practice of his profession. Ile still owns his farming land and keeps things moving there, but for the past twenty years his greatest interest has been in the line of professional work. In this connection he is known all through the western part of the state.
Dr. Storek was married (first) to Miss Rosetta Wrigley, of Elizabeth Township, and six children were born to this union, namely: Clara; Lillie, who is the wife of John Bates, of Dayton, Ohio: Minnie, who is the wife of James Kingham, of Cass- town, now a resident of Indianapolis, In- diana: Nellie, who is the wife of Edward Lamber, of Troy; Glenn, who is engaged in business at Troy; and AAnna, who re- sides at home. Dr. Strock was married (second) to Mrs. Nellie Beedle, of Green- ville. Darke County, Ohio. For forty years
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Dr. Strock has been a member of the Chris- tian Church. le is an Odd Fellow and has membership in the lodge at Christians- burg, Champaign County, Ohio.
LOUIS O. SHILLING, secretary of The People's Building and Savings Association Company at Troy, Ohio, is a native of this city and son of the late David Shilling, one of Troy's leading citizens for many years.
David Shilling was born September 16, 1814, in Frederick County, Maryland, and when fourteen years of age went from there to Columbus, Ohio, where he lived until his marriage to Miss Mary Waite in 1836. Shortly after his marriage he moved to Troy, and formed a partnership in the foundry and plow business near the canal on West Main Street with the Rev. Rich- ard Brandriff, a Wesleyan Methodist min- ister. Afterwards the foundry was moved to the extreme end of the then West Main Street, and a partnership formed under the name of Shilling Brothers, and later in life David Shilling succeeded to the en- tire interest of the business. He was senior deacon of the First Baptist Church of Troy, Ohio, for over forty years, and up to the time of his death, which occurred August 14, 1888. He was an active citizen and served a number of terms as a mem- ber of the City Council, his public spirit at all times being shown in the efforts to increase the city's utilities. It was during this period the mill-race was walled and . placed in a sanitary condition to afford a healthy drainage through the town.
Louis O. Shilling was born October 25, 1857. In early youth he attended the coun- try school, then known as District No. 4, in the McClung neighborhood. At the age of fourteen he entered the grammar grades
in the Troy schools, and about the same time united with the First Baptist Church under the ministry of Rev. M. H. Worrell. While attending school he was employed at odd times in his father's foundry and machine shop. On leaving the high school he entered the law office of J. A. Davy, where he read law and engaged in the busi- ness of abstracting of land titles. He after- wards became associated in business with the law firm of Williams & Gantz, and with Hon. M. K. Gantz when the latter was elected Mayor of Troy, and afterward to the United States Congress.
During this time Mr. Shilling was en- gaged in literary pursuits, and acted as reporter and writer for several papers in other cities. In the year 1891 Mr. Shilling started a free circulating library at his home in the interest of his Sabbath-school elass, which enterprise rapidly developed until many other boys of the town (some now grown to mature manhood) became welcomed beneficiaries to his library, which, at the present writing consists of over 3,000 volumes, and where the boys of the city are still welcome to go each Sun- day afternoons and enjoy the treasures there freely given in reading and study. In the year 1892 Mr. Shilling entered the law office in business with Hon. George S. Long, who, at that time was the attorney for The People's Building and Savings As- sociation Company of Troy, and in 1893 Mr. Shilling was elected the secretary of that institution, which at that time, had assets amounting to $66,000, with two hun- dred or three hundred members. This has expanded into the present capital of over $396,800 and the membership increased to over fifteen hundred people, while there is surplus of over $20,000. Mr. Shilling
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with the efficient members of the Board of Directors, has been untiring in his efforts to make this organization a model one as well as the largest fiduciary institution of its kind in the county.
WILLIAM J. MEREDITII, who has had a wide and varied experience in husi- ness affairs, is a well known resident of Staunton Township and has been a resi- dent of Miami County, Ohio, since 1872. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana, in Oc- tober, 1843, and is a son of John L. Mere- dith, a well remembered business man and banker of Troy.
Jolin L. Meredith was born in Warren County, Ohio, and passed his early boy- hood there. When sixteen years old he went to the northern part of Indiana to take charge of an Indian station, and in 1840 located in Lafayette, Indiana. He later engaged in the banking business there and became the head of the banking establishment of Barbee, Brown & Com- pany. About the year 1863, he moved to Troy, Ohio, and was instrumental in the re- organization of the old State Bank into the First National Bank of Troy. He was made cashier and served capably in that capacity until his death in 1880, at the age of sixty-one years. He was married in Indiana to a Miss Margaret Carr, who died one year afterward.
William J. Meredith was reared in his native city and attended Hanover College until his junior year, when he left that in- stitution to enter the army. In 1863 he was appointed on the general staff of the commissary department, and served with credit until May, 1865. At the close of the war he engaged in lumbering on the Chip- pewa River in northern Wisconsin, and
later lost everything by fire. Then he en- gaged in the retail boot and shoe business at Milwaukee, and after a time acted as treasurer for a company for the construc- tion of a railroad in Kentucky. He moved west to Lincoln, Nebraska. and became as- sistant cashier of the First National Bank, a position he resigned to become secretary of the old Troy Wagon and Spring Works at Troy, Ohio. He was identified with that company a period of twenty-five years, and was one of its largest stockholders. After the death of his father he bought the in- terests of the other three heirs in the farm in Staunton Township, and for a time had it farmed, but has disposed of most of it to good advantage.
In January, 1873, Mr. Meredith was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Coles, who died in 1905. One son was born to them, namely, John C., who conducts one of the largest music stores in Dayton. Po- litically, Mr. Meredith is a Republican, and takes a deep interest in the success of the principles of that party.
MELVILLE W. ALEXANDER, resid- ing at No. 216 Chestumut Street, has been a resident of Piqua, Ohio, continuously since March, 1869, and is now living in ro- tirement after many years of business ac- tivity. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1845, and is a son of Henry and Catherine (Wise) Alexander.
Henry Alexander was a carpenter by trade and in early life worked at lock building on the canal. After coming to Miami County, he worked at his trade and followed farming until his death, which occurred in the middle eighties. He was a stanch Republican in politics, whilst re- ligiously he was a devont Methodist. His
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wife was born near Newport, Ohio, and is now living with the subject of this sketch at the ripe old age of eighty-six years.
Mellville W. Alexander was a baby in arms at the time of his parents' removal from Dayton to Miami County in 1845, and here he was reared to maturity. He at- tended the distriet schools and worked on a farm until Angust, 1862, when he en- listed as a member of Company A, 110th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in much hard fighting and was captured at Winchester, Virginia, June 15, 1863. He was then imprisoned at Belle Isle, Richmond, Virginia, until paroled on July 10, 1864. He was honor- ably discharged in August, 1864, for dis- ability as a result of gunshot wounds re- ceived in the battle of Mine Run. He was a very efficient soldier and took part in all of the engagements of his company while in the service, except during the period of his incarceration and disability. His com- pany was accorded the post of honor in the Grand Review at Washington. Upon leaving the army he resumed farming op- erations and continued for two years after his marriage. Then in the spring of 1869, he moved to Piqua, where for a period of twenty-five years he engaged in the trans- fer business. At the end of that time he embarked in the grocery business in part- nership with his youngest son and con- tinned several years, since which time he has lived a retired life. His three sons have continued the grocery with good re- sults.
December 6, 1866, Mr. Alexander was married to Miss Frances E. Aspinall, who was born at New Lisbon, Ohio, and is a daughter of William and Elizabeth
(Brown) Aspinall, natives of England. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have three sons and one daughter, namely: Elmer E .; Mattie B., wife of C. D. McCoy of Piqua; Walter W .; and John W. Religionsly, they are members of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a mem- ber of the official board. He is an active member of the Mitchell Post, G. A. R., of Piqua.
ISAAC KNICK, a veteran of the Civil War, and a well known retired farmer, owns and resides upon a farm of seventy- seven acres in Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio, on the eastern line of the township. He was born in Lost Creek Township, Miami County, October 18, 1829, and is a son of William and Rachel (Armstrong) Knick.
William Knick was born at Rock Bridge, Virginia, and after his marriage moved to Miami County, Ohio. His first purchase of land was forty-seven acres in Lost Creek Township, and to this he later added. The property was well improved at the time of its purchase and he con- tinned to reside upon it until his death, although he was practically retired for some years. He was survived by his wife for a number of years. They were parents of the following children: John, William, James, George, Harrison, Thomas, Re- becca, deceased wife of Samuel Cavender; and Isaac. All are now deceased except Thomas and the subject of this record.
Isaac Knick spent his boyhood days on the farm in Lost Creek Township and re- ceived his education in the district schools. He was in the state service for a time be- fore going to the front, and in May, 1864,
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enlisted as a member of Company I, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Glass. He served until the close of the war without injury or sickness. Upon his return from the front he resumed farming operations, at which he has since con- tinued, although he is practically retired at the present time, the farm being con- ducted by his son-in-law, Walter Gray. He purchased his farm from the other heirs of his father's estate, and has a well improved property. He receives a pension of $20 per month from the United States Government.
September 23, 1871, Mr. Knick was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Ro- selle Kreglow, who was a daughter of George Kreglow. She died in October, 1908, at the age of fifty-nine years. They became parents of the following: George, of Casstown, who married Julia Biser and has a son, Leonard; Glen, of Casstown, who married Lillian Mott; Daisy Dean, wife of John Herbert Colebaugh, of Cass- town, by whom she has two children, Har- old and Helen; Alice May, wife of Irwin Knick, who lives east of Casstown; Emma. wife of Walter Gray; and Flossie Fern, who died in infancy. Politically, Mr. Knick is a Democrat. He is a member of Coleman Post, G. A. R. of Troy.
GEORGE FAVORITE, the late pro- prietor of the George Favorite stock farm, which consists of 50512 acres of land in Miami County, 180 acres on which Mr. Favorite lived being situated three and one-half miles northwest of Troy, in Con- cord Township, 133 acres in Brown Town- ship and the remainder in Concord Town-
ship, was one of the most substantial men and progressive farmers and stockraisers of this section of Ohio. Mr. Favorite had the distinction of being the oldest man in Concord Township in point of continued residence, never having lived farther than one mile from his home. He was born in Concord Township, Miami County, Ohio, June 20, 1857, a son of Daniel and Sarah (Eppert) Favorite, and died May 24, 1909, when nearly fifty-two years of age.
Daniel Favorite was born on the site of Tippecanoe City, where his father was an early settler and reared a large family, Daniel being one of the older members. Daniel Favorite married Sarah Eppert, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in 1889, aged sixty-seven years, surviving her hus- band for twelve years. They had eight children : William, Jonathan and John, all deceased; Henry, Elizabeth, now deceased, who was the wife of Casper Longendel- pher; Daniel; George; and Albert, de- ceased. Daniel Favorite was a self-made man, a hard worker all through his active life. Before moving from Tippecanoe City he owned 100 acres of land and when he died he left 344 acres, which he had already divided with his children. Ilis death was somewhat sudden, occurring at the office of his physician, Dr. Harrison. of Covington. July 9, 1877, at the age of sixty-one years. Hle was a kind, good man and was respected and esteemed by his family and neighbors.
George Favorite took so much interest in helping his father on the farm that the latter gave him a share in its products from the time he was twelve years old. The father desired the son to go to school but the latter knew he was needed on the
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farm and took little advantage of his edu- cational opportunities. His first purchase of land was made when he was seventeen years old, when he paid his brother John the sum of $5,500 for eighty acres of the farm on which he afterwards resided, add- ing more land as he had capital for invest- ment. The George Favorite stock farm is one of the best located and best kept in all this section. Mr. Favorite never had a school education but he was a remarkably well informed man and possessed great business qualities. He traveled over the country when he wanted stock, purchasing at Chicago and other cattle marts. He made his own improvements on his lands, including tiling, fencing and buildings. When he took charge of his home farm he found the land poor and requiring much attention, producing as its best erop forty bushels of corn to the aere, which yield he increased to about ninety bushels. He carried on all his business dealings in a practical way, making use of the best ma- chinery, and adopting many modern meth- ods, the result being that he was more than usually successful.
In December, 1870, Mr. Favorite was married to Miss Sarah Graham, a daugh- ter of James Graham, and they became the parents of three children : Bert, who mar- ried Nora Wilhelm, and has one son, Leon- ard; Emory, who resides at home and op- erates the farm; and Laura. Mr. Favor- ite has given his children many advan- tages and they are all representative young people of the neighborhood. Mr. Favorite voted with the Republican party but never took any great interest in poli- ties. His death, above recorded, deprived the township of one of its most industri- ous and worthy citizens.
O. L. HARTLE, manager of the Cov- ington Lumber Company of Covington, Ohio, an important business combination dealing in lumber, coal, oils, paints and cement. is one of the progressive and en- terprising citizens of this place. He was born on a farm in Newberry Township, Miami County, Ohio, in 1872, and is a son of James and Catherine (Lehman) Hartle.
Owing to the death of his father. when the subject of this sketch was but twelve years of age, the latter was very early left to provide for his own necessities and to make his own choice of a business career and his preparation for it. To secure a comprehensive education was his first am- bition and in 1893 he graduated from the Covington High School and then entered Juniate College at Huntington, Pennsyl- vania, where he was graduated in 1895. In the meanwhile he had taught school and also engaged for a time in a dry goods and grocery business at Bradford. Mr. Hartle came to Covington to engage in the hunber business in connection with Joseph Mur- phy, February 17, 1901, the yards being at the location on Piqua Avenue now utilized by the Covington Lumber Company, or- ganized on April 1, 1906. Mr. Hartle is a stockholder in this coneern and is both manager and treasurer. A large business is done and a considerable force of men kept at work.
Mr. Hartle married Miss Margaret Mikesell, a daughter of Jacob Mikesell, of Covington, and they have had two chil- dren : Mellie, who died when aged eighteen months ; and James Lowell. Mr. and Mrs. Hartle are members of the Brethren Church. Mr. Hartle is known as an honor- able, upright business man and good citizen.
FRANCIS M. BERRYHILL
MRS. MARY H. BERRYHILL
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FRANCIS M. BERRYHILL, deceased, was one of Brown Township's prominent and substantial citizens, for over thirty years being identified with its best inter- ests. He was born June 17. 1838, in Greene County, Ohio, a son of Archibald Berryhill. Through some of his progeni- tors he was connected with Hon. Charles Thompson, who was one of the early men of public affairs at Washington, D. C.
Mr. Berryhill remained in Greene Coun- ty until 1864, coming then to Miami County and locating on a farm north of Conover, on which he resided until 1883 and which belongs to his widow, and then came to the present place, on which he erected a commodious residence, which is one of the largest and most comfortable in this sec- tion, all the Inmber used in its construc- tion having been taken off his farm. Here his death occurred November 13, 1898. He was engaged throughout the whole of his active life in farming and livestock deal- ing, and being a man of excellent business abilities, acquired an ample fortune.
February 27, 1879, Mr. Berryhill mar- ried Miss Mary J. Hill, a danghter of Samuel T. and Eliza J. Hill, of Spring Creek Township, and they had two chil- dren, Cecil Laverne and Ethel Erma. The former was born February 29, 1880, and has made himself felt in township polities. at present serving in the office of township clerk. He resides at home and teaches school in Brown Township. Ethel Erma married Harley Bowne, November 26. 1903, and they have one child, Francis Thomas, a bright little lad of three and one-half years. The late Mr. Berryhill was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Fletcher. In polities he was a Demo- crat and for a number of years he served
in the office of township trustee. He will long he remembered for his many per- sonal traits, his kindness to his family, his friendly assistance given to his neighbors, and also for his honesty and integrity as a citizen. He was one of the men whose word was always as good as his bond.
H. E. SCOTT. a representative citizen of Troy, who, since 1902 has been con- nected with the Troy National Bank, was born in Elizabeth Township, Miami Con- ty, and is a son of the late Thomas S. Scott. The father of Mr. Scott was born in 1844. on the same farm in Elizabeth Township on which his son was born, and spent some years as a farmer there. Later he settled at Troy and engaged in a hard- ware business for a few years, but subse- quently purchased another farm and on that lived until the time of his death, in 1905.
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