USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 84
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 84
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Mr. Deeter is a Republican in politics and has been an active and useful citizen. For twenty-nine years he has been a mem- ber of the Newton Township School Board, and for five years served as township trus- tee. He is one of the members of the Ger- man Baptist Church in this section.
CHARLES E. NEWMAN, of Laura, Union Township, who, in partnership with H. E. Ehler, operates a well appointed gen- eral store at the corner of Main Street and the Arcanum Pike, was born in Dayton in 1849-on April 9th-and is a son of Daniel and Mary Ann (Sonle) Newman.
Daniel Newman, the father, was born in Connectient, but subsequently removing west, followed the trade of shoemaker at Dayton, Ohio, for a number of years. He later removed to Milton and still later to Laura, this county ; then to Henry County, Indiana, and was in the butcher business. He was killed on the Panhandle Railway, March 19, 1880. He was a Civil War vet- eran, enlisting in April, 1861, in the Elev- enth Ohio Regiment for the three months' service. He subsequently re-entered the service for three years at Camp Denison. Again he went out in the fall of 1864 as a substitute for one year, his service lasting in all some four years and five months.
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J. W. MORRIS
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His second enlistment was also in the Eleventh Ohio Regiment and his last in the Forty-seventh Ohio. He accompanied Sherman on his march to Atlanta and the sea, and saw plenty of fighting, being once wounded. Though possessing an excellent military record, he never received a pen- sion nor has his widow and children ever profited by Government aid. He married Mary Ann Soule and their children num- bered three sons and two daughters, of whom there are three now living.
Charles E. Newman received his educa- tion in the district schools of Miami County. When he began to be self-sup- porting he first followed farming for a while and afterwards engaged in the butcher business in Indiana in partnership with his father. Then returning to Ohio, he went into the flour and feed business and so continued until 1904, when in com- pany with his son-in-law, L. E. Coate, he engaged in his present business at a neigh- boring location. He later removed to his present more commodious quarters in the village of Laura, taking as a new partner Mr. Il. E. Ehler. They carry a full line of all the usual commodities in demand in an agricultural community. They sell the J. Ellwood fence and have handled as many as twenty-five carloads of fence and posts at one time. Their stock also iu- cludes a fine line of shoes and dry goods.
Mr. Newman, our subject, married Esther Ann Hildebran, a daughter of John H. Hildebran, of Miami County, and their family has numbered eleven children, as follows: Ollie, who became the wife of I. N. Long and resides at Stillwater, Ohio; John, who resides with his parents; Alta. who married L. E. Coate and lives in Ell- wood, Nebraska; Ora, residing at home;
Walter, who married a Miss Hall and lives in this township; Lillie, who is the wife of H. E. Ehler; Raymond, residing at home; Carrie, who married Warren Fasick of this county ; Harley, a blind son, who lives at home with his parents; Bessie, also re- siding at home, and one that died in in- fancy.
Politically Mr. Newman is a Republican. He has served one term as justice of the peace in Newton Township, but otherwise has not devoted much time to public of- five. He served three years in the Third Regiment, Ohio National Gnards. Hle is numbered among the township's best citi- zens, and his opinions on matters affecting the public weal are always based on sound judgment and meet with dne consideration from his fellow citizens.
J. W. MORRIS, for many years mayor of the city of Troy, Ohio, is a lawyer by profession and is the head of the Enter- prise Foundry Company. He comes of an old and prominent family of Troy, where he was born in 1840. J. W. Morris is a son of Charles Morris, who for many Years was a distinguished lawyer of Troy. The latter was born in New York City, and was but a child when in 1813 his parents moved with him to Troy. Here he was reared to maturity and educated, and after a careful preliminary training began the practice of law here. He met with excep- tional snecess in practice, and also attained considerable prominence in politics. He was a delegato to the Republican National Convention at Philadelphia, which chose John (. Fremont as the first Republican candidate for the presidency.
J. W. Morris has always been a resident of Troy. He attended the public schools
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of the city, and afterwards completed a course in Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, from which he was gradnated in 1861. He was soon after admitted to the bar, but during the war was connected with the army, although not as a regularly enlisted soldier. After the close of the Civil War he opened an office for practice in Troy and gained an enviable prestige at the bar. He became very active in poli- tics, and although a Democrat in a Repub- lican county, was frequently honored with public office. Upon ten different occasions lie was elected mayor of the city, his ad- ministration never failing to meet with public approval. He represented the dis- trict in the State Senate four years, and was made postmaster by President Cleve- land, filling that office capably for nearly five years. He is owner of the Enterprise Foundry Company, manufacturers of gray iron castings, and the foundry is one of the large and important industries of the city.
Mr. Morris was in 1862 united in mar- riage with Miss Sully F. Poor of Cincin- nati. They had one son, Charles W., who died in New York City in 1905, aged forty- four years. Mr. Morris is a member of the order of Elks, and enjoys great popu- larity among his fellow citizens.
A. W. FRENCH, president of the French Oil Mill Machinery Company, of Piqua, of which he was the organizer, is also interested in the Piqua Handle Mann- facturing Company, and is one of the city's most representative business men. He was born and reared in Connecticut. From the public schools of his native place, Mr. French entered the Massachusetts School of Technology, at Boston, and was
graduated there in the class of 1889, re- maining in the school for two years longer as an instructor. Following this came three years of work in the employ of the Government and he was then connected in an official capacity with an engineer's office in Boston. Just prior to coming to Piqua he was connected with the National Lin- seed Oil Company.
The French Oil Mill Machinery Com- pany, of Piqua, was organized and incor- porated in 1900, with an authorized capital stock of $172,000, and with A. W. French as president ; J. W. Brown, vice-president ; and William Cook Rogers, secretary and treasurer. The business is the manufac- ture of oil-mill machinery. The plant is situated at No. 1014 West Ash Street, where a new building has recently been erected, with dimensions of 319 by 70 feet, two stories high, with perfect equipment, while the foundry is another large struc- ture with dimensions of 75 by 80 feet. Em- ployment is given from fifty to sixty men, and as the wages of these are mainly spent in Piqna, this plant contributes largely to the city's commercial prosperity. The ma- chinery produced by this plant is protected by patents and it includes automatic change valves, cake trimmers, cake pack- ers, continuous cookers, Faherty cylinder knives, accumulators, cake formers, as well as presses, power pumps, rolls, hullers, etc., these machines representing the high- est standard of perfection in workmanship and material. Although the company has been operating for only a comparatively short time, it has placed its machinery in mills all over the United States, in Can- ada, Great Britain, Germany and Norway, and keeps representatives at many other points.
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NATHANIEL KEISER, owner of a fine farm of 131 aeres, upon which he lives and which is situated just north of Clayton, carries on general farming and meets with the success that results from a combina- tion of industry, agricultural experience and fertile soil. Mr. Keiser was born De- cember 11, 1862, on a farm in Shelby County, Ohio, and is a son of David and Mary ( Rhodeheffer) Keiser.
The parents of Mr. Keiser were both born in Montgomery County, Ohio, where they were married and then moved to Shelby County. They had six children, namely: Mrs. Catherine Apple, William, Mrs. Lydia Ann MeGreevy, Mrs. Margaret Isabel Voisard, Nathaniel and Mary Alice. David Keiser was a farmer in Shelby County, where he died in 1865. His widow survives and resides with her son Na- thaniel.
Nathaniel Keiser grew to manhood in Shelby County and there obtained his edu- cation. He was only a child when his father died. When he reached manhood, he moved with his mother to Miami County and they rented a farm in Washington Township, near Piqua, for four years. He was married in 1895 and in the following year moved to a farm in Mercer County, containing eighty acres, and there he re- mained until he bought his present farm in Newberry Township, a property that formerly belonged to Samnel Crowel. Mr. Keiser then sold his Mercer County farm and in March. 1908, took possession of his present one.
On December 31, 1895, Mr. Keiser was married to Miss Anna Kimmes, a daughter of Philip and Mary (Winter) Kimmes, of Washington Township. Mrs. Keiser was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, but
was reared in Miami County. Mr. and Mrs. Keiser have an interesting, intelli- gent family of live children, namely : Wal- ter N., John F., Mary Magdalene, Gertrude Isabel and Barbara Alice. The older chil- dren attend school and enjoy many advan- tages that their father did not have in his youth.
DAVID DAVIS, a prosperous farmer residing one mile north of West Milton, Ohio, has 148 acres in his home farm and also is the owner of a fifty-acre tract situ- ated one-half mile west of that place, both lying in Union Township. Ile was born in that township January 27, 1831, and is a son of Benjamin and Margaret (Ware- hanı) Davis.
The paternal grandfather of the subject of this record was Abiather Davis, who was a native of Wales. Upon coming to the United States he first located in Georgia, and in 1802 made his way north to Miami County, Ohio, then to Elkton. Preble County, where he remained for two years. He later settled a section of land in Union Township, west of West Mil- ton, Miami County, and there lived the re- mainder of his days, farming and follow- ing his trade as a carpenter.
Benjamin Davis was about ten years okl at the time his parents came to Union Township, and here he was reared to ma- turity, undergoing the hardships of pioneer life. He always followed farming and acquired 240 acres of land in Miami County, the most of which he cleared and improved. In 1856 he sold his farm and went to Iowa, where he purchased 300 acres. He was in lowa at the time of his death, which occurred at the age of eighty- four years. He married Margaret ( Ware-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ham) Fetters, of Pennsylvania, and they became parents of eleven children. Her death occurred at the age of forty-nine years.
David Davis, after completing his edu- cation in the schools of West Milton, took up the occupation of a farmer. He worked for his father until he became of age, and thereafter worked for himself with all the energy and thrift characteris- tic of the Welsh race. On his home farm he erected one of the largest residences in the vicinity, it being occupied by his son, who farms the place, and he also made most of the other improvements now on this farm. After many years of unceasing activity, he is now practically retired to enjoy the fruits of his toil. He is fond of travel and spends most of his winters in Florida to escape the severity of the north- ern climate.
Mr. Davis was first married to Miss Anna Mote, whose death occurred in 1891, and they became parents of five children, as follows: J. O. Davis, of Troy, Ohio; Lambert, deceased; J. Warren, who lives on the home place; Laura, of Dayton, Ohio; and Mary, who lives at Springfield, Olio. He formed a second union with Miss Mary Kelly. Mr. Davis is a Republican in politics and served as a member of the school board for a number of years.
THE COVINGTON WOOLEN MILLS, which are owned and operated by W. J. and C. E. Lewis, is the leading industry of Covington, and was established in about 1850 by William Van Gorden, the mill which then stood on the site of the present mills having burned in 1852.
Alfred J. Lewis, father of W. T. and C. E., was born near Richmond, Indiana,
reared in Hillsboro, and in January, 1865, came with his stepfather, Samuel Nixon, a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Covington and purchased the Covington Mills, which have since that time been owned and operated by the Lewis family. Alfred J. Lewis married Barbara Ruppert, a native of Bavaria, Germany, who came to this country when eight years old with her parents, who located on a farm near Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio. Two children blessed their union-W. J. and C. E. Lewis, proprietors of the Covington Woolen Mills, both of whom were born in the house now occupied by W. J. Lewis. Mrs. Lewis died September 5, 1908. W. J. Lewis married Susie Grove and has two children, Alfred J. and Ruth M. C. E. Lewis was united in marriage with Carry Byrd and their union resulted in the birth of two children, Waldo and Helen Jeanette.
After the death of their father, W. J. and C. E. Lewis, then aged seventeen and fifteen respectively, took charge of the mills, which they have since that time op- erated with uninterrupted success. They employ an average of fifteen hands and make a specialty of all fine wool blankets, the quality and durability of their goods finding them a ready market all over the United States.
THE ATLAS UNDERWEAR COM- PANY. This splendid plant is located on three streets, facing on Downing Street and runs along Rundle Avenue to Wayne Street. The building is 300 feet long, has an extreme width of 110 feet and is four stories high in addition to a fine basement. It is a counterpart of one of the buildings of the National Cash Register Company and is built of concrete and first quality of
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buff pressed briek and is especially planned for the wants and requirements of the in- derwear business. It is unquestionably the best planned and handsomest underwear plant in the country and is the largest plant in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of union suits. The total floor space exceeds 150,000 square feet. It is thoroughly equipped with all the latest up-to-date machinery and has many con- venienees for the employees, including a rest and recreation room and a dining room. The general construction of the plant was designed with the idea of giving the many employees the most comfortable working quarters. The business was es- tablished in 1899 and the officers are as follows: President, L. M. Flesh; vice- president, Gen. W. P. Orr ; secretary, H. E. Sims ; treasurer, E. A. Todd.
C. S. PETRY, who in association with Mr. S. L. Brumbaugh conducts the largest hardware business in West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, is a native of Darke County, Ohio, where he was born in 1869. He is a son of Michael M. and Kate N. (Stump) Petry, and is one of twelve children born to his parents. Michael M. Petry was born in Preble County, Ohio, but later was a resident of Darke County, Ohio, for some years. He returned to Preble County when his son, C. S. Petry, was seven years of age, and there lived until his death at the age of sixty-three years.
C. S. Petry received his education in the public schools of Preble County, and at Mount Morris College, where he attended one year. Upon leaving school he taught for two years, then in partnership with his brothers engaged in the tile business. He was twenty-seven years old when he came
to Miami County, and in connection with Mr. Brumbaugh embarked in the hardware business. In 1899 they located where the postoffice now is, but in 1901 moved to their present location because more commodious (marters were necessary for their rapidly growing business. They carry a full line of general hardware, tinware, stoves and acetylene apparatus, and occupy two stories and the basement. Both he and his partner are stockholders in the Gem City Acetylene Generator Company, of which Mr. Brumbaugh's brother is man- ager. The company is incorporated at $100,000 and owns property at Dayton valued at $25,000. The Gem City Acetylene Generator, which can be placed in any residence or business house, is a great im- provement over the gasoline plants and can be operated at a less cost: this fact has given a great impetus to the company's business, which never was in a more flour- ishing condition.
Mr. Petry was united in marriage with Miss Alma Flory, of near Center, Ohio. and they have four children : Flora, Naomi, Wilbur and Ruth. Politically, he is a Pro- hibitionist. In religious attachment, he and his wife are members of the Church of the Brethren.
JOHN ZIMMERMAN, who is engaged in farming in Newton Township, Miami County, Ohio, is the owner of a forty-acre farm located in Section 24 of that town- ship. He was born in Butler Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, October 2s. 1858, and is a son of Charles and Sophia ( Trost) Zimmerman, both natives of Wit- tenberg. Germany.
After his marriage. Charles Zimmerman came to the l'nited States and first located
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
at Dayton, Ohio, where he worked by the day for about three years. He then en- gaged in farming in Montgomery County for several years, after which he moved to Miami County. Here he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Newton Township, where he lived and farmed the remainder of his days. He was also the owner of forty acres northwest of the home place, which he subsequently sold. Charles and Sophia (Trost) Zimmerman became par- ents of the following children: Charles, Henry and Fred (twins), Katherine, Jo- seph, John, Samuel, Margaret, Mary and Emma.
John Zimmerman attended what was known as the Quaker School in Butler Township, later the Inglewood School, and finally the Fall Branch School in Newton Township, receiving a good common school education. He continued to work for his father until he reached the age of twenty years, when he began working by the month for William Shoultz. Returning home, he worked one summer by the month, and farmed on one-third share for two years. He worked on a farm near Troy two years, and served for a similar period as helper on a thresher. After his mar- riage in 1887, he was for a time located on his father's farm and then went to Darke County, where he rented and farmed for eight years. At the end of that time he returned to Miami County and lived four years on the Fink farm. He then farmed the forty-acre tract owned by his father for two years, at the end of which time he purchased his present farm from his father. There were but one and a half acres of timber on the place and this he cleared, and he also put in about 500 rods of tile for drainage. He erected all the
buildings on the place and has a well im- proved and fertile farm. He follows gen- eral farming and has about three acres ont in tobacco each year. He is classed with the substantial citizens of Newton Township and is one of the stockholders of the Stillwater Valley Bank of Covington. Politically, he is a Democrat and for sev- eral years served on the School Board.
June 16, 1887, Mr. Zimmerman married Sarah Lnella Jennings, a daughter of Will- iam and Sarah Ann (Kern) Jennings, and they have had two children-Franklin Ray, who lives on the home place ; and one who died unnamed. Religiously, they are mem- bers of the Christian Church of Pleasant Hill.
ALONZO HARTLEY, proprietor of the Ilillside Nurseries and owner of 1,300 acres of farm land, together with a large amount of valuable city realty, has been a resident of Troy for thirty-six years and is a notable type of the self-made business man. Hle was born in the village of Allen- town, Allen County, Ohio, August 1. 1850, and at the age of ten years accompanied his parents to Columbus Grove, Putnam County, where he obtained his schooling. Mr. Hartley learned the tinners' trade at Columbus Grove. Beginning January 1, 1869, he served three years' apprentice- ship. During the first year his salary was $36.00 per year; during the second, $50.00, and for the third year's work he received $75.00. In 1873 he entered into the hard- ware business at Troy and was so engaged for three years. He first engaged in the tree business in 1883, in the capacity of salesman, and became so interested in this line that he decided to embark in the nursery business for himself. In 1903 he
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established the Hillside Nurseries, having a plant at Casstown and also one at Troy. At present his Troy plant has a cellar with dimensions of 33 by 63 feet, while a see- ond one is in course of construction, the dimensions of which will be 86 by 105 feet. Mr. Hartley has been an unusually success- ful business man and this snecess minst be attributed to his own efforts and the pos- session of natural good judgment and fore- sight. He says that when he came to Troy it was on borrowed money, and now, in ad- dition to his large business interests, he owns large tracts of land in the farming districts and pays city taxes on thirty- three town lots.
In 1874 Mr. Hartley was married to Miss Lizzie M. Lewis, a daughter of Ed- mond Lewis, of Casstown. Mrs. Hartley died March 16, 1904, leaving three children -Mary Lizzie, Alonzo Lewis and Ruth. Mr. Hartley is a Knight Templar Mason and is also a member of the Odd Fellows. Alonzo Lewis Hartley married Lina Yount, June 15, 1904, and they have one daughter, Elizabeth Kyle. They live in Troy.
B. J. FORD, who conducts the only drug store in West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, is an enterprising and progressive busi- ness man and commands a large trade. He was born in West Manchester, Preble County, Ohio, October 15, 1878, and is a son of Orlando and Margaret (Stude- baker) Ford.
Orlando Ford, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Greene County, Olio, and in early Iffe learned the trade of a brick mason. He later followed this trade in Preble County, whither he moved, and his home continued there until his death at the age of fifty-nine years. He
married Margaret Studebaker, and they became parents of two children: Aldus, who is deceased : and B. J. Ford.
B. J. Ford attended the public schools of his native county, after which he worked in a drug store for a time. He then on- tered Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio, and completed a two-year course in pharmacy. On November 9, 1899, he pur- chased the store in West Milton of which he is now proprietor ; he carries a complete line of drugs and wall paper and enjoys the patronage of the people for many miles surrounding the village. The store is lo- cated on Miami Street. Mr. Ford was united in marriage with Miss Sylvia Davis, of Preble County, and they have one son, Byron, who is attending the public schools. Politically, he is a Democrat. In fraternal affiliation. he is a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a Pythian Knight.
JOHN ODA, a leading agriculturist of Washington Township, Miami County, Ohio, has a well improved farm of fifty acres located about three and one-half miles southwest of Piqua. He was born near Dayton, Ohio, November 22, 1858, and is a son of Frederick and Louisa (Trost) Oda. His parents were natives of Ger- many and were married prior to their re- moval to the United States. They located on a farm in Montgomery County, Ohio.
John Oda was reared on the home farm in Montgomery County, and at the age of nineteen years moved to Darke County, Ohio. There he engaged in farming a short time, then moved to a farm near Coving- ton, in Miami County. Ile later sold his farm there and in 1902 purchased his pres- ent excellent property of fifty acres. He remodeled the brick house on the place and
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now has one of the best improved farms in that locality. Mr. Oda was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth R. Wolf, a daughter of Ephraim Wolf, and they have two children, namely: Minnie C. and Rus- sel C. Religiously, they are members of the Lutheran Church of Piqua, of which he is an elder.
JOHN E. BILLINGSLEY, owner of eighty acres of excellent farm land, which is situated two miles east of Covington, on the old Covington-Piqua Road, on the Washington Township line, in Newberry Township, has always lived on this farm, on which he was born, June 28, 1850. His parents were Thomas and Mary E. (Luckey) Billingsley.
Thomas Billingsley was born in 1823, near Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a boy of nine years when his father came to this county, April 5, 1832, and settled in the woods. At that time, Grandfather John Billingsley was an old man, being then sev- enty-five years of age, but it is said of him that he was still so vigorous that he bore hardships better and did more work than any of his sons. He lived to be ninety- seven years of age. His wife was also of the old type of women, strong and courage- ous, and she lived to be ninety-five years of age. Thomas Billingsley followed farm- ing all his life and died on the old home- stead on November 8, 1886. He married Mary E. Luckey, who was born in Athens County, Ohio. Her father was John Luckey, who brought his family to Wash- ington Township, Miami County, in her girlhood.
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