USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 57
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 57
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H. E. Scott attended the common schools and the High School at Troy, later took a university course at Lebanon, after which he was connected with the Troy Buggy Works for some years. During the admin- istration of the late Governor Nash, he served as recording clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives. In 1902 he he- came connected with the Troy National Bank. On March 3, 1897. Mr. Scott was married to Miss Alberta Stubbs, of Leban- on, Ohio. They are members of the Pres- byterian Church. He is a Knight Tom- plar Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of the Troy ('lub.
JOHN WILLIAM ZOLLINGER, in whose death the city of Piqua lost one of its stalwart citizens and business men, was a member of the wholesale grocery firm of
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Zollinger and Company. He was a man of very wide acquaintance in this vicinity, and had the confidence and good will of the people to a remarkable degree.
Mr. Zollinger was born in the house in which he died, at the corner of Broadway and Ash streets, February 13, 1859, and was a son of the late John Zollinger, an early merchant of Piqua. After the com- pletion of his schooling, he began work in his father's store and later acquired a one- fourth interest in the business. At the death of his father, he and his brother, Samuel Zollinger, became equal owners of the store, which was conducted by them under the firm name of Zollinger & Com- pany. He was taken away in the prime of life, and although suffering with an affee- tion of the heart for a little more than a month, his death was sudden and unex- pected. He died April 4, 1905, aged forty- six years, one month and twenty-one days.
J. W. Zollinger, familiarly known as Will, was married November 13, 1883, to Miss Bessie Cottingham, who was born and reared in Troy, Ohio, where her fam- ily has long been prominent. She is a daughter of William A. and Henrietta (Jones) Cottingham.
W. A. Cottingham was born in Troy, July 20, 1829, on the present site of the Hotel Troy. There he grew to manhood, but at an early age located at Piqua to enter the drug business with his uncle, Judge M. G. Mitchell, now deceased. He was married in Piqua, December 8, 1858, to Miss Henrietta Jones, who departed this life, April 17, 1894. They were parents of three children, two of whom are living: Anna (Mrs. Dr. Faulkner of Montra, Ohio) ; and Bessie, widow of J. W. Zol- linger. A son, James, died March 5, 1879.
Mr. Cottingham became affiliated with Center Lodge, I. O. O. F., at Troy in 1861, and was active in fraternal work up to the time of his death, serving as treasurer for more than twenty years. He joined with the Mulberry Street Methodist Church, July 30, 1871, and was thereafter a con- sistent attendant and liberal in its support. He passed into the Great Beyond, Septem- ber 15, 1896.
Mr. and Mrs. Zollinger reared one son, John Cottingham Zollinger, who is con- nected with the wholesale grocery busi- ness, in which his father was a partner. Religiously, Mrs. Zollinger is a devout member of Green Street Methodist Epis- eopal Church.
WILLIAM P. MARTIN, who was born in Lost Creek Township, Miami County, Ohio, October 15, 1830, and with his brother, Abijah Martin, resides on and owns an undivided farm of 204 acres in Sections 26 and 27, Elizabeth Township, is one of the prominent and substantial cit- izens of Miami County. He is a son of Joseph and Mary (Clyne) Martin.
Levi Martin, the grandfather, was a soldier in the War of 1812, from Pennsyl- vania, and in passing through Ohio, was so pleased with the appearance of Miami County, that he subsequently brought his family and established himself in what is now Staunton Township, where the pres- ent Mark Knoop farm is located. He owned 320 acres but sold 160, cleared the greater part of the rest and lived there until his death at the age of eighty years, when it went to his oldest son. He mar- ried Delilah Corbly and they had nine chil- dren: Corbly, William, Levi, Joseph, An- drew, Asa, John, Nancy and Elizabeth.
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Joseph Martin resided on his farm of sixty acres, which was situated two and one-half miles north of Casstown. He mar- ried Mary Clyne, a daughter of Isaac and Olive (Ingram) Clyne, and they had three children, Abijah, William P and Hannah. Joseph Martin and wife died on the same day from the scourge of cholera, October, 1833.
When the Martin children were made or- phans, their uncle Corbly was appointed guardian and William P. later went to live with an aunt, Minerva Ilart. He re- sided while he went to school two and one- half miles north of Troy. The uncle, Levi Hart, had a cooper shop and there the boy learned the trade. When he reached his majority he bought a farm which he con- ducted in the summers and then worked at his trade in the winters. Wishing to see something of the country, he made trips to New Orleans at different times and also to Texas, where he bought stock and drove it north and shipped it to the great Chicago market. He then with his brother invested in another farm, one of 160 acres, in the vicinity of Alcony, which he operated for about five years and then sold it to George Crawmer and made another trip to Texas as a stock buyer. Later he worked for a time at the cooper trade at Casstown, Ohio, and then, with his brother, went into the real estate business, dealing in farm lands. Their present fine property com- ing into the market in this way, it former- ly being the property of Levi Hart, the brothers secured it and have occupied it ever since, being partners in everything. Mr. Martin was one of the charter stock- holders of the Troy National Bank and is a director of the same.
In polities Mr. Martin has always been
identified with the Democratic party and on that ticket has frequently been elected to township office. For fifteen years he served continuously as township trustee, and has served with the utmost satisfac- tion to all concerned as a member of the School Board and as township treasurer several terms. Mr. Martin has never married.
ROBERT LEE KUNKLE, M. D., phy- sieian and surgeon at Piqua, with a very satisfactory practice and a wide circle of personal friends, is a native of Crawford County, Ohio, and was born at Galion, March 10, 1876.
AAfter graduating most creditably from the Galion High School, Dr. Kunkle en- tered Otterbein University, where he was a student for three years, after which he turned his attention to the study of medi- eine, and in 1902 he graduated from the Ohio Medical University at Columbus, Ohio. He at once located in Piqua and during his practice of seven years has gained the confidence of his fellow citizens and has proved his medical and surgical skill. He is a member of the Miami County and Ohio State Medical Societies and is secretary of the former. He was reared in the English Lutheran Church. Frater- ually he is a Mason and belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Piqna. Social- ly he is a member of the Cosmopolitan Club of this city.
C. ED. SNYDER. bookkeeper .of the First National Bank of Troy. Ohio, with which institution he has been identified since the fall of 1874, was born in Somer- set County, Pennsylvania, in October, 1857.
The parents of Mr. Snyder came to Ohio
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in 1865 and settled first in Auglaize Coun- ty and came to Troy from there in 1872. Mr. Snyder was then a youth of fifteen years and he soon sought and found em- ployment in the shops of the Troy Spring Wagon and Wheel Works, where he con- tinned until October, 1874, when he entered the employ of the First National Bank and has been associated with it over since. Apart from his duties here, Mr. Snyder has other interests of more or less finan- cial importance. Ile is an active citizen and for some years served as clerk of the Troy Board of Education.
In May, 1884, Mr. Snyder was married to Miss Mary B. Templeton, whose father, Rev. Milo Templeton, died after having long been pastor of the Old School Pres- byterian Church of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have three children, namely : Emma E .; Ruth T., who is in her fourth year in Western College, at Oxford; and Charles E., who is in the office of the Eclipse Folding Machine Company, of Sidney, Ohio. Mr. Snyder is one of the leading members of the First Presby- terian Church at Troy and was treasurer of the same for twenty years, but resigned when he became a member of the Session. He has also been superintendent of the Sunday-school.
FRANK H. PHILLIPPI, head of the firm of Frank H. Phillippi & Son, mann- facturers of harness and dealers in har- ness, trunks and traveling bags of all kinds, has always been a resident of Piqna, where he is well and favorably known. He was born in that city in 1858 and is a son of Philip Phillippi, who came to the United States in the early fifties and took up his residence in Piqna, Ohio.
Frank H. Phillippi was reared and edu- cated in his natal city, and early in life worked for a time at stripping tobacco in a cigar factory. He then served three years' apprenticeship at the harness-mak- ing trade, at which he has worked ever since. In 1883, he engaged in business for himself as a member of the firm of Fisher & Phillippi, a business association which continned withont interruption until the death of Mr. Fisher in 1908. Since that date the enterprise has been carried on under the firm name of Frank H. Phillippi & Son, and the same success has attended its operations.
Mr. Phillippi was married in 1881 to Miss Mary Schnell and they have the fol- lowing children: Jerome, who is a travel- ing salesman and associated with his father in business; Marie, wife of J. A. Hefele of Kansas City; Gertrude; and George. Religiously Mr. Phillippi is a member of St. Paul's church, while his family are members of St. Boniface Cath- olie Chureh. Mr. Phillippi is a member of the Piqua Retail Businessmen's Associa- tion.
JACOB G. WAGNER, proprietor of the J. G. Wagner Tile Works at Covington, has been identified with the tile and brick industry for many years, having operated the first brick machines ever in use in Miami County. Mr. Wagner was born on a farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1843, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Gerhart) Wagner. The parents of Mr. Wagner spent their lives in Berks County. His mother was a mem- ber of one of the first families to settle there and both the Gerharts and Wagners
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1
were and are still old and honored families there.
Jacob G. Wagner was reared in Berks County and attended the country schools. From that county he entered into military service, being first attached to the quar- termaster's department of the regular army, and later serving nine months as a member of the 167th Pennsylvania Vohm- teer Infantry. He has been very active in Grand Army affairs and for a number of years was commander of Langston Post No. 299, of Covington. In 1877 he came to Covington and purchased the old tile fac- tory which was first started in 1863, on the Henry Mohler farm, this being the oldest industry of its kind in Miami County. It was operated on the Mohler farm for one year and then was moved to its present location on Piqua Avenne, being situated on the eastern line of the corporation. Mr. Wagner has done a large business, in one year having manufactured over 3,000,000 brick, and his produet has entered into the construction of a number of the sub- stantial buildings of the county, including the Brown Block and the Kyle school- honse at Troy. Mr. Wagner owns thirty- one acres of land in Newberry Township, one-third of which lies within the limits of Covington and is very valuable real estate.
Mr. Wagner married Miss Harriet Pearson, who was born and reared on a farm in Newton Township on which her grandfather settled when he came to Ohio from South Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Wag- ner have two daughters-Sarah, who is the wife of Conrad Drees, and Mary, who is the wife of J. L. Reck and has one son, Lloyd. During his residence of almost forty years at Covington. Mr. Wagner has been indeed an active citizen, for
twenty-one years serving as a member of the City Council and performing readily every duty demanded of those who have had the best interests of this section at heart.
JONATHAN TOBLAS, a prominent farmer of Staunton Township, Miami County, is the owner of and resides upon a farm of 109 aeres in that township, and is the owner of a farm of seventy-eight acres in Lost Creek Township. He was born on a farm in Montgomery County, Ohio. March 17, 1848, and is a son of Dan- iel and Elizabeth ( Whip) Tobias. Daniel Tobias, father of the subject of this rec- ord. was born in Greene County, Ohio, whither his parents had moved from Pen- sylvania. He was united in marriage with Elizabeth Whip, who was born and reared in the State of Maryland.
Jonathan Tobias spent his youthful days on the farm in Montgomery County. and there attended the district schools. After marriage he rented a farm in that county for about seven years, and in 1881 moved to his present farm in Miami Conn- ty. He has always followed general farm- ing, and being an industrious and far- sighted business man, has prospered be- yond the average. He has made many improvements on the home place, among other things erecting a large and substan- tial barn.
Jonathan Tobias was united in mar- riage with Mary Jane Smith, a daughter of Alexander and Isabella (Waymeyer) Smith, and they became parents of the fol- lowing children : Minnie Bell, wife of Al- vin Welbaum, a farmer of Lost Creek Township, by whom she has two children, Harry and Ralph; Nora, who was the wife
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of Joseph Zile, and died at the age of twenty years; Harry, a farmer of Lost Creek Township, who married Lena Shaf- fer and has two children, Ohmer and Helen; and Mande, who died at the age of eight years. Mr. Tobias is a man well known to the citizens of his community, and enjoys their highest esteem and confi- dence.
DANIEL MORROW, a most highly es- teemed citizen of Piqua, who now enjoys a period of comfortable retirement after many years of agricultural life, resides in his pleasant home at No. 645 West Ash Street. He was born December 16, 1843, at Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, where he attended school through his boy- hood and remained until he was seventeen years of age. In 1861 Mr. Morrow came to Miami County and located on a farm on the Clayton Turnpike, two miles west of Piqua, remaining there until 1864, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War. He was a member of Company E, 147th Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was stationed at Fort Ethan Allen, near Wash- ington, remaining in the army for 110 days. He is a valued member of Alexander Post, G. A. R., at Piqua.
In 1866 Mr. Morrow went to Illinois and remained in that state for about ten years, during the greater part of this time operat- ing hotels at Canton, Pekin and Decatur. When he retired from hotel-keeping, he resumed farming in Miami County, which he continued until 1907, when he retired to Piqua. He retains two valuable farms, one of seventy and the other of sixty-five acres, both of them being sitnated in Wash- ington Township.
In 1873 Mr. Morrow was married to
Miss Emily Hawkins, who was then a resi- dent of Logan County, Illinois, but was born at Providence, Rhode Island. They have three children: J. Henry, who is a farmer in Miami County; and Lester and Wilbur, both of whom reside at Piqua. Mr. Morrow and family are members of St. James Episcopal Church. Very re- cently Mr. Morrow has retired from the vestry of this church, having served on the board for many years. Within the bounds of quiet. good citizenship, Mr. Mor- row has always taken an interest in pub- lic matters, has served as township trus- tee and is vet serving as deputy super- visor of elections.
JOHN NEWTON SHOOK, one of Lost Creek Township's reliable citizens, resides on his well cultivated farm of sixty-five acres, which he devotes to grain and to- bacco growing. Mr. Shook was born on this farm in Miami County, Ohio, Febru- ary 18, 1860, and is a son of Isaac and Susan (Hufford) Shook.
Isaac Shook was born in 1822, in West Virginia, not far from Wheeling, and when he was about seven years of age accom- panied his father to Montgomery County, Ohio, where the latter died soon after- ward. Isaac Shook remained in Mont- gomery County for twenty years, during this time marrying Susan Hufford, who was born in Maryland in 1819. In April, 1859, they moved to Miami County, and Isaac Shook bought the present farm of John Newton, from James L. Long, and here both he and wife died, his death oc- curring in April, 1900, and her death six years later. They had the following chil- dren: Elizabeth, who is the wife of Alex- ander Mumford, of Clark County, Ohio;
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Samuel, who lives in Troy; Sarah and Jane, twins; Mary Ann, who died in in- fancy; Thomas, who lives at Springfield ; and George and John Newton, both of whom reside in Lost Creek Township.
John Newton Shook had but few school advantages in his youth, and when he was growing up hard work on the farm mainly ocenpied his time. After his marriage he continued to farm the old place, but lived at Casstown for one year and then went back to the country and remained with his mother after the death of his father, but at her death he bought the property. She was twice married, her first husband being Peter Syphord, and they had two children, Margaret and Peter, both de- ceased. The buildings standing on Mr. Shook's farm were put up during the life of his father, but he has made other im- provements, and each year the place be- comes more valuable. He carries on a general line of farming, and finds tobacco growing profitable.
On March 1, 1883, Mr. Shook was mar- ried to Miss Matilda Ranzow, a daughter of Frederick and Catherine (Vanderhide) Ranzow, both of whom were born in Ger- many, from which country Mr. Shook's ancestors also came to America. The Ranzow family also contained six chil- dren, namely: Augusta, Matilda, Fred- erick, Henry, Charles, and Emma. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shook: Clarence, who died young; Della and Henry, both of whom also died young; Charles, who is a mem- ber of the graduating class of 1910 of the Troy High School; and William, Bertha and Frederick. It is Mr. Shook's inten- tion to give his children every educational advantage in his power and thus prepare
them for lives of usefulness, cither on the farm or in some other line that they may seem best fitted for. In politics Mr. Shook is a Democrat. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Christianburg.
J. A. GERSTMEYER, senior member of the plumbing firm of Gerstmeyer & MeKale, is one of the leading business men of the City of Piqua, and has various business interests. He was born in Pi- qua in 1875, and is a son of John Gerst- meyer, who was born in Bavaria, Ger- many. The latter, who is now living in re- tirement in Piqua, came to this country in 1873, and for many years had brewery interests in Miami County, Ohio.
J. A. Gerstmeyer was reared and edu- cated in his native city, and after leaving school was employed in a printing house for one year. In 1891 he entered the plumbing business with Mr. J. A. Kloeb, with whom he continued two years. He was then for six years identified with the plumbing firm of Dailey & Bullock, and for three years with Dailey & Stephens. He was next with the Burr Hardware Com- pany three years, and in 1903 engaged in the plumbing business as a member of the firm of Frederick & Gerstmeyer. They continued successfully until March, 1907, when the present firm of Gerstmeyer & MeKale was formed. They do a general plumbing, heating and ventilating busi- ness, and have had contracts for the equipment of many of the late buildings of Piqua and vicinity. Mr. Gerstmeyer also has various other interests in the city.
In 1902 Mr. Gerstmeyer was united in marriage with Miss Ida Hemmert, and they have two children, Mary and Martha
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Religiously they are faithful members of St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
JOSEPH E. MENDENHALL, of the firm of Mendenhall & Wilkinson, the lead- ing one in the general insurance line at Piqua, has maintained his home in this city since 1859. He was born in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio, November 5, 1838, and is a son of Isaac and Eliza- beth (Stafford) Mendenhall.
Isaac Mendenhall was born May 6, 1804, at Todd's Fork, north of Cincinnati, and died in 1892, aged eighty-eight years. He was brought in infancy to Miami County by his father, William Mendenhall, who settled in the woods at a point about two miles east of Tippecanoe City. In his early manhood Isaac Mendenhall pur- chased a farm located about one and one- half miles east of the old homestead and resided there until 1859, when he came to Piqua, and during the balance of his active life was engaged in a contracting busi- mess. He married Elizabeth Stafford, who was born about 1806, in Bethel Township, Miami County, and died at Piqna, in 1873. She was a daughter of Joseph Stafford, who was born in Ireland and came to Mi- ami County at a very early day. The name of his wife was Saylor, and she had been brought from Ireland in childhood.
Joseph E. Mendenhall was about twen- ty-two years of age when his parents moved to Piqua, and prior to that he had attended the country schools more or less continuonsly. He soon became a travel- ing salesman, and for twenty years was on the road with a wagon, for four years selling notions through Ohio and Indiana
and during the rest of the time carrying only dry goods. For two years his head- quarters were at Dayton, for one year at Cincinnati, and for thirteen years at New York. In 1880 Mr. Mendenhall started into the general insurance business in part- nership with a Mr. Graffin, which con- tinued until 1895, when he bought out his partner's interest, and with J. B. Wilkin- son. organized his present firm. This firm as representing all the leading insurance companies of the country, does a very large amount of business, and on account of its careful and conservative methods, enjoys general confidence. They place risks with twenty-two of the most respon- sible fire insurance companies of the world.
On February 18, 1873, Mr. Mendenhall was married to Miss Hattie E. Clark, who was born and reared in Miami County, and they have two daughters, Mary E. and Anna. The former is the wife of C. C. Jelliff, who is purchasing agent for the Favorite Stove and Range Company, of Piqua. The latter is the wife of Capt. Leon Roach, who is an officer in the regu- lar army of the United States, belonging to the Fifteenth Regiment, which at pres- ent is stationed at Columbus barracks. Formerly Mr. Mendenhall took much in- terest in politics and he has never failed in any duty of good citizenship. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and for a number of years was a trustee and its treasurer, but when re-elected to the financial office, declined to again assume the responsibility. Mr. Mendenhall is one of Piqua's representative men.
SOLOMON B. FRESHOUR, vice-presi- dent of the Citizens' National Bank of Covington, Ohio, has spent all but five
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years of a long and useful life in Miami County, but his birth took place in Shelby County, Ohio, September 27, 1834. His parents were George and Mary (Byrkett) Freshour.
From the pioneer farm in the then un- cleared wilderness of Shelby County, the parents of Mr. Freshour moved to Miami County, in 1839, settling four miles west of Pleasant Hill, on a farm which the father purchased at that time and which remained the family home. On that farm Solomon B. Freshour grew to manhood, helping his father and preparing for an agricultural life for himself. His edu- cation was obtained in the country schools. When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Fresh- our was one of the first to respond to the call for troops, in his neighborhood, enlist- ing in April, 1861, in Company E. Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three months, later serving for 100 days as a member of the 147th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. During this time he was taken sick and lay ill in the hospital at Fort Marey, on the Potomac River, for a long time. After the close of his army service he returned to his father's farm, and as soon as strength came back he re- sumed farming and continued to live there until 1866. In the meanwhile he had mar- ried, and moved then to the vicinity of Greenville Creek Falls, where he pur- chased a farm of eighty acres, which he still owns and continues to manage. He made the farm his place of residence nn- til 1906, when he retired to Covington, of which eity he is a respected and valued citizen. Mr. Freshour was one of the in- corporators of the Citizens' National Bank of Covington, of which he has been a di-
rector since its organization, and vice- president since January 1, 1909.
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