USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 62
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 62
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Sherman D. Croft was reared on the farm and received his primary education in the district schools, supplemented by a course in Covington High School, from
which he graduated in 1886. He read law at home and in the office of Judge Johns- ton at Piqna, and while continuing his pro- fessional studies carried on a real estate business in Covington from 1897 until 1901, when he was admitted to the bar of Miami County. During the winter and spring of the latter year he pursued a review course in law in Ohio Northern University at Ada. Immediately after his admission, he began practice in Covington and in the meantime has continued the real estate business with uninterrupted success. He has bought and sold many farms, and has been very active in building new additions. He has always identified himself with the best interests of the place and takes high rank among his fellow citizens. Upon the organization of the Stillwater Valley Bank Company in 1909, he took an active part in the affairs of that institution, in which he is still finan- cially interested.
Mr. Croft was united in marriage with Miss Lillie Kauffman, a daughter of George Kanffman of Newton Township, and they have one son, named William Herbert. Fraternally, he is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, of which he is treasurer; and is also a member of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Gobblers.
W. H. COLES, one of the younger rep- resentative business men of Troy, identi- fied with large enterprises here and at other points, was born at Troy, Ohio, in 1875, and is a son of T. E. Coles, for many years the leading hardware merchant here and now a most highly esteemed retired citizen.
W. H. Coles graduated from the Troy High School in 1892 and then entered Am-
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herst College, where he was graduated in the class of 1897, with the degree of A. B. The following two years he devoted to learning business methods in his father's store and for eight subsequent years served as secretary of the Hobart Com- pany. In 1905 he organized the W. H. Coles Sales Company, for the manufacture and distribution of electrical machinery. He is also general manager and one-half owner of the Skinner Irrigation Company. He has succeeded as a business man both through natural ability and his energy, system and practical knowledge.
Mr. Coles was married in 1902, to Miss Fannie Thompson, who is a daughter of W. R. Thompson, of Troy, and they have one daughter, Charlotte Lonise. Mr. Coles is a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Troy and is superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is a Knight Tem- plar Mason and belongs to the Troy Club.
MRS. MARY A. GREER, one of Eliza- 'beth Township's most esteemed ladies, for fifty years a member of the Cove Spring Christian Church, is the widow of the late John M. Greer, who died on his valuable farm of fifty acres, situated in section 14, Elizabeth Township, Miami County, now owned by Mrs. Greer, on July 24, 1906. Mrs. Greer was born May 31, 1827, in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and is a danghter of William and Elizabethı (Crum) Baldwin.
William Baldwin, father of Mrs. Greer, moved from Adams County, Pennsylvania, to Holmes Connty, Ohio, where he engaged in farming for five years and then re- turned to Pennsylvania, where he subse- quently died. In addition to farming he operated a shingle mill for a number of
years. He was married (first) to Eliza- beth Crum, who was a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Crum, and they had six chil- dren born to them, namely: Mary A., Thomas, John, Samuel, Peter and Will- iam. For his second wife he married Katherine Crum, who was also a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Crum, and seven children were born to this union, namely : Joseph, Isabella, an infant, Ella, David, Jennie and Elizabeth. Three brothers and a half-brother of Mrs. Greer were soldiers in the Civil War and the latter was cap- tured by the enemy and died from starva- tion.
The late Jolm M. Greer was born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, June 3, 1820. He was the youngest son of James and Susanna (Essick) Greer. James Greer was born in Ireland and came to Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, in early manhood, married there and reared five children, namely: William, Nancy, Eliza- beth, Rachel and Jolm M.
John M. Greer grew to manhood on his father's farm and later became a woollen manufacturer. After his marriage and the birth of two children, he and his wife decided to move to Ohio. Their only means of transportation was by wagon and as Mr. Greer wished to take with him his household possessions, together with farm and mill machinery, the load made very heavy toiling over the mountains and Mrs. Greer remembers very distinctly how many weary miles she walked, carrying her little son William in her arms, to ease the load to the struggling horses. It re- quired eighteen days to make the journey. First settlement was made at New Car- lisle, in Clark County, where Mr. Greer entered into woolen manufacturing; he
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then moved for one year to Midway, and carried on a mill for two years at Lake Branch, moving then to Indiana for a year. He then retired from the milling business and turned all his attention to farming. renting a farm in Elizabeth Township for four years, and moving from there to Lost Creek Township, where he bought eighteen acres. After selling that farm he bought forty acres on Honey Creek, but one year later sold that place also and moved to Addison, buying four acres of ground there with a house and conducting a butch- ering business for about eighteen monthis. He then resumed farming, taking charge of the Carver farm for six years and then moved to the farm now owned by Mr. Esty, purchasing seventy-two acres. On that place Mr. and Mrs. Greer resided for eleven years, when Mr. Greer bought the farm of fifty acres. situated in Section 14, Elizabeth Township, on which he died. Mrs. Greer then moved to Troy for a time. renting her farm to a good tenant, but at present she is residing with her son Will- iam, in Elizabeth Township.
To Jolm M. Greer and wife were born four children. as follows: William, who married Elizabeth Gearhart, a daugliter of Nelson and Mary Gearhart, and has three children-Thomas Emory, William John and Mary Lizzie; Thomas, who died in in- fancy ; and Savannah and Miriam R., both of whom are now deceased. At the time of his death Mr. Greer was eighty-six years of age and he was laid to rest in the Cass- town Cemetery. He was a most worthy man in every relation of life, for years a deacon in the Christian Church and a lib- eral supporter of its various benevolent en- terprises. In his political views he was a Republican, later a Prohibitionist, and at
different times he served acceptably as justice of the peace, school director and township trustee.
William Greer, the only surviving child of .Jolin M. Greer and wife, was educated in the public schools and has devoted him- self mainly to farming. He was married March 27, 1873, and for four years after- ward continued to reside with his parents, later rented land and then moved on his present farm of fifty-seven acres, which is in Elizabeth Township. He resided in Troy for four years but returned to his farm on February 18, 1908. He owns an additional forty acres together with a honse and lot in Troy. He put up all the buildings on his farm, on which he engages in general agriculture, including the grow- ing of tobacco. The Greer family has long been one of the most highly respected in Elizabeth Township.
HON. JOHN CORNWELL GEYER, in whose death Piqna lost one of its foremost citizens, was a lawyer of much prominence and large practice. He had a wide acquaint- ance throughout this section of the state, and was frequently called upon to serve the public in official capacity. He was pro- bate judge of Miami County two terms of three years each, and in the able and con- scientious discharge of his duties added largely to his following in the county.
Judge Geyer was born in Piqua, June 12, 1860, and was a son of Frederick and Mar- tha (Manson) Geyer. His paternal grand- parents, Henry and Elizabeth (Bonner) Geyer, came to Ohio from Maryland in 1824; both died at Germantown, Ohio.
Frederick Geyer was born in Emmits- burg, Maryland, in 1814, and was about ten years of age when he accompanied his
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parents to Germantown, Ohio. Thence he moved to Piqua, Miami County, in 1838, and was there engaged in the hardware business for some years. He died in 1875 and was survived for more than a quarter of a century by his widow, who lived to an advanced age. She was in maiden life Martha Manson, and was a daughter of David Jr. and Sarah (Cornwall) Manson, and a granddaughter of David Manson Sr., who was a native of Belfast. Ireland. The last named emigrated to America in colo- nial days, and when the Revolutionary war broke out enlisted from Pennsylvania in the Continental army. In 1807 he emi- grated to Brown Township, Miami County, Ohio, and here passed the remainder of his days, dying in 1838. He married Miss Jean Johnston, who was a consin of Colonel John Johnston, the noted Indian agent of Ohio. David Manson, Jr., was a native of the state of Pennsylvania and accompanied his parents to Ohio in 1807. He was a soldier of the War of 1812. He married Sarah Cornwall of Virginia, and among their children was General Mahlon D. Manson, who attained distinction in public life. He enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War, and for gallant services was promoted to the rank of gen- eral. He was for several terms a member of the United States Congress from Indi- ana, and also served as auditor and lien- tenant governor of that state. His death took place at Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1893.
John C. Geyer, subject of this biog- raphy, was reared in Pigna, and after com- pleting the public school course, entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Dela- ware, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1882. He then pursued a course in law at
the Cincinnati Law School, and after his graduation from that institution in 1884, went west to Emporia, Kansas, where he was employed on the Emporia Daily Re- publican for some six months. In 1885 he returned to his native county and em- barked in the practice of law in Piqua, where he thereafter resided until his death, which occurred February 21, 1901. A man of unquestioned ability, he built up a lucra- tive practice and gained a high standing in the community. An enthusiastic Repub- lican, he was also an active politician and a hard worker for party success. In 1889 he was elected mayor of Piqua, being the first Republican elected to that office in a period of twenty-two years, a fact which is of itself sufficient evidence of his popu- larity. After holding that office for twenty months he resigned in order to enter upon the duties of probate judge, to which office he had been elected by a handsome major- ity in November, 1890. Re-elected probate judge in 1893, he served in all six years in a most capable and efficient manner. In 1896 he was prominently mentioned and received strong support for the nomina- tion for member of Congress, but was de- feated in the convention after a hard and honorable fight. After the expiration of his term of office he resumed his law prac- tice, which he conducted with great activ- ity and success, notwithstanding the facts that he was never physically strong or robust.
Judge Geyer was for many years prom- inent in fraternal work, especially so in. the order of the Knights of Pythias. He served as grand chancellor of that order in Ohio for the year ending in May, 1900, and for a number of years prior to his death he was a director of the Ohio Pyth-
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ian Home at Springfield, being for four years president of the board. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, taking the thirty-second degree at Cincinnati ; he also belonged to the Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
In 1888 Mr. Geyer was joined in mar- riage with Miss Binnie Page of Cincinnati, who was a native of Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio. Among her ancestors were near relatives of Daniel Webster and Jon- athan Fellows, and she is also connected with the Fairbanks family, manufacturers of the Fairbanks scales, which are in use the world over. This marriage resulted in the following issue : Frederick P., Martha A., John Cornwall, and Mahlon H. Mrs. Geyer still makes her residence in Piqua, where she is well known and most highly respected, being surrounded by friends of · long years' standing.
DANIEL C. KNOOP, proprietor of a grocery and bakery at Covington, Miami County, Ohio, has been a resident of this city since 1900 and has built up a large patronage. He was born in Casstown, Miami County, May 29, 1871, and is a son of Samuel and Martha (Brelsford) Knoop. He comes of a prominent family of that vicinity, and his father is a retired mer- chant of Casstown.
Daniel C. Knoop was reared and edu- cated in his native town, and when nine- teen years of age went to Troy, where for nine years and three months he was in the employ of Mccullough & Company. He then represented a grocery firm on the road for eighteen months, at the end of which time he established a grocery and bakery at Covington. He does his own baking and the trade he has built up is
such as to require the use of two delivery wagons, one for each department. He is an enterprising and progressive man, of no mean business ability, and he occupies a place high in the esteem of his fellow citizens. Mr. Knoop was united in mar- riage with Miss Ruth Rench, a daughter of George Rench of Covington, and they have three children-Ralph Edgar, Mary Mar- garet, and Irene. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic Order and has at- tained the thirty-second degree.
ABRAHAM R. GARVER, a leading business man of Tippecanoe City, carry- ing on a large manufacturing enterprise, is secretary, treasurer and general man- ager of the Tipp Furniture Company. He was born on a farm nine miles west of Springfield, Ohio, and is a son of Benja- min C. and Ruth Garver.
Abraham Garver, the paternal grand- father, came to Clark County, Ohio, from Maryland, in 1831. By trade he was a farmer. At that time his son, Benjamin C., was a child of two years. He was reared in Clark County and continued to reside there until 1885, when he moved to Harper County, Kansas, which continues to be his home.
To Benjamin C. Garver and wife were born eight sons and three daughters, and of this family but two are deceased, Eliza- beth and Ruth. The survivors are: John N., residing at Springfield, Ohio, where he is engaged in the real estate business; Abraham R., of Tippecanoe City; Frank R., who is an electrical engineer with the Westinghouse company at Pittsburg; James L., who carries on an insurance business at Richmond, Indiana ; Walter D., residing also at Richmond, engaged in the
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flour and feed business; Edward L., who is interested in Inmber in Minnesota; George G., who is a farmer and stock dealer in Harper County, Kansas; Clara E., who is the wife of Ora J. McDowell, of Shattuck, Oklahoma; and Arthur C., who is a farmer residing near Shattuck.
Abraham R. Garver obtained his educa- tion in the public schools, Wittenburg Col- lege and Nelson's Business College, after one year of commercial training, in 1883, accepting a position as traveling salesman for the U. S. Wind Engine & Pump Com- pany. He left the road in 1888 in order to enter into the manufacturing business at Troy, Ohio, and from there came to Tippecanoe City in 1889, since when he has been officially identified with the Tipp Furniture Company. This coneern is a stock company, having a capital of $20,000, and is one of the most prosperous and im- portant business enterprises of Tippecanoe City. The well equipped manufacturing plant utilizes a large briek structure and oceupies 25,000 square feet of floor space and gives constant employment to a skilled force of some forty-five men. The output is bed room suits, dressers, chiffoniers and wash-stands. Mr. Garver has been a very active business citizen for the past twenty years and is financially interested in other enterprises than the one mentioned, and is a director in the Citizens' National Bank of Tippecanoe City.
In 1887 Mr. Garver was married to Miss Ida Rohrer, who is a daughter of Jacob Rohrer, of this city, and they have three children-Ruth E., Karl R. and Jacob C. He belongs with his family, to the English Lutheran Church and is a member of the church council. In his political views he is a Republican but has never been willing to
assume the duties of public office. He is prominent in Masonry, belonging to Tip- pecanoe Lodge No. 174, F. & A. M .; Reed Commandery No. 6; Franklin Chapter No. 24; and Antiochi Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Dayton.
EDWIN N. RUSK is a well known agri- culturist of Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is the owner of a fine farm of eighty-seven acres. He was born on his father's farm in Spring Creek Township, Miami County, September 13, 1859, and is a son of William and Mary Jane (Anderson) Rusk, and a grandson of James and Sarah (French) Rusk. James Rusk, the grandfather, was of Scoteh- Irish parentage, and came from the North of Ireland to Warren County, Ohio, locat- ing near Franklin, where he was married and lived the remainder of his life.
William Rusk was one of the oldest of ten children born to his parents and was born in Warren County, Ohio, July 27, 1820. He helped to clear the home farm there and after his marriage moved to West Charles- ton, in Miami County, Ohio. He later lo- cated on a farm in Shelby County, and from there returned to Miami County, pur- chasing a farm of 112 acres in Spring Creek Township. He sold out after a few years and in March, 1864, purchased of Henry DeWeese the farm on which his son Edwin N. Rusk now lives. Here he passed the remainder of his life, dying in January, 1891. His wife, Mary Jane An- derson, who was born in 1823, died in March, 1890. They were parents of the following children: William Franklin; Lettie, deceased wife of Albert Kinder; Walter Scott; Edwin Nelson; Luella; James A .; John N .; and two who died in
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infancy. Both James A. and John N. were killed in battle in the Civil War.
Edwin Nelson Rusk was less than five years of age when his parents located upon the farm on which he now lives, and he re- ceived a fair education in the public schools of this district, first attending the old Pet- erson school. He started to farming at an early age and has since continued with good results. After the death of his par- ents, he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the home farm, on which he now has made many important improve- ments.
February 21, 1884, Mr. Rusk was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Hart, a daughter of John and Susan (Harritt) Hart, her father being a native of Tren- ton, New Jersey, and her mother of Greene County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Hart at an early date became residents of Miami County, where they were married. He was born in 1823, and died in June, 1905, and Mrs. Hart, who was born in 1834, is still living. They had two children-Joseph G. Hart, of Troy, Ohio; and Minnie, wife of the subject of this sketch.
Mr. and Mrs. Rusk also became parents of two children: Lettie M., wife of Frank Weatherhead, of Staunton Township, by whom she has a daughter, Helen Marie; and Velva, who died at the age of one year and eighteen days. Religiously they are members of the Christian Church of Troy. In politics Mr. Rusk is a Repub- lican, and has served as justice of the peace and assessor, and in other minor offices.
WILLIAM B. HAWN, a leading citizen of Bethel Township, who successfully op- erates a valuable farm of eighty acres,
which lies in Section 19, near Phoneton, on the National Road, was born August 22, 1844, in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of John and Margaret (Saylor) Hawn.
John Hawn was born in Pennsylvania and in young manhood came to Miami County and secured farm work with the old Knoop family. Following his mar- riage, he moved to Bethel Township and bought 172 acres of land, all of which he cleared. He was a man of unusual energy and robustness ; in addition to clearing his land and putting it under cultivation, he engaged in milling and blacksmithing. He also found time and opportunity to serve his country in time of war, and went out with an Ohio company in the War of 1812, returning home unharmed. He died when aged seventy-three years, having been re- spected from youth into old age. He served his township as school director for a number of years, but would not accept other public office. He married a dangh- ter of John Saylor and they had fifteen children, Elias and William B., the twelfthi and thirteenth members of the family, be- ing the only survivors. The remains of both John Hawn and his wife rest in the old Saylor Cemetery.
William B. Hawn attended the Fairview school in his boyhood and remained on the home farm until his father died, when the property was sold, each survivor at that time getting his share. For several years he worked at farming by the month, and was then engaged in farming for himself on rented land near Brandt, for three years, when he married. After this he bought his present farm from Mr. Neff, of Montgomery County. He cleared about twenty acres of the land, put in 1,000 rods
J. A. SHADE
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of tile and erected all the substantial build- ings. With the exception of eight acres of timber, he has all his land under good cultivation.
On August 8, 1865, Mr. Hawn was mar- ried to Miss Melissa Booker, a daughter of Solomon Booker, and they have had the following children born to them, namely : Elizabeth, who is the wife of John Staub ; Minnie, who married Frank Brooks; Mar- garet, who married Irvin Cavanaugh; Mary, who married Jacob Heffner; Jes- sie, who married Walter Hartman; Ora and Dora, twins, who live at home; Charles, who married Dolly Dill; Samuel, who married Augusta Brooks; and Earl, Clara and John. Of these Margaret, Clara and John are deceased. Mr. Hawn and family are members of the Lutheran Church at Brandt.
In politics Mr. Hawn is an active Demo- erat and has frequently been chosen by his party for offices of responsibility in the township. For thirty years he has been constable of Bethel Township, for years has been a trustee, during two terms served on the School Board and has held other positions of a public nature. For- merly he was identified with the Odd Fel- lows at Osborn. If all men were like Mr. Hawn, the doctors in this section would have a hard time making their living, for. with his robust constitution and perpetual. good health, he never has cause to consult them. In all his life, he asserts, he has never spent even fifty cents for a physi- cian's prescription for himself. There are millionaires who would be glad to be able to make the same assertion.
J. A. SHADE, secretary and treasurer of The Wright-Kuntz Lumber Company,
of Piqua, has been a resident of this city for the past twenty years, coming here in 1889. He was born at Dayton, Ohio, June 30, 1855, where he was reared and edu- cated.
Mr. Shade remained a resident of Day- ton until February, 1872, when he moved to Darke County for a few years. From there he went to Noblesville, Indiana, for a short time, and then spent one year en- gaged in farming near Springfield, Mis- souri. After he returned to Ohio he went into the lumber business at Greenville, in which he continued until 1889, when he came to Piqua, engaging in the lumber business with the Wright-Kuntz Company. In 1896 the plant was burned and when the business was reorganized it was incor- porated as The Wright-Kuntz Lumber Company, with a capital stock of $10,000. The present officers are: Peter Kuntz, of Dayton, president; J. A. Payne, vice- president ; and J. A. Shade, secretary and treasurer. The company deals in all kinds of lumber, both wholesale and retail. Mr. Shade is also president of Acme Rem- edy Company of Piqua and is numbered with the city's able and active business men.
In 1881, Mr. Shade was married to Miss Kate L. Evans, and they have one child living, Ruth M., and three deceased-two boys and one girl. Ruth is the wife of L. F. Koester, who is connected with the humber company above mentioned. Mr. Shade's interest in politics extends no fur- ther than to do his full duty as a private citizen.
W. O. COFIELD, a representative of the lime interests of Piqua and a dealer in stone, coal, and cement, with quarters
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at No. 817 South Main Street, has been a resident of this city for more than twen- ty years and has been very active in its business affairs. He was born at Cass- town, Miami County, Ohio, in 1859, and is a son of Levi Cofield. The father of Mr. Cofield was a lime manufacturer, and during the first six years of the latter's life the family home was near Sulphur Grove, Montgomery County, and after that in Kirkwood, Shelby County. Mr.
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