USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 93
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 93
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Mr. Robbins was united in marriage, February 16, 1875, with Miss Mary II. Rid- dle, a daughter of Manning and Lydia Ann (Stillwell) Riddle, and a granddaughter of Jacob Riddle. The Riddles are of Irish and Welsh descent, but have long been es- tablished on American soil, and in Ohio. Jacob Riddle, the grandfather, was a na- tive of Hamilton County, Ohio, and in the year 1836 moved to Miami County, taking up his residence in Staunton Township. Manning Riddle was also born in Hamil- ton County, Ohio, and accompanied his parents to Miami County. He served cred- itably in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was married to Lydia Ann Stillwell, a daughter of Joseph Stillwell, whose ancestry lived in New Jersey. Will- iam F. and Mary H. Robbins have been the parents of two children, namely : Lee Carlton, a young man of considerable musical ability and training, who married Miss Bertha Singles and resides in Piqua ; Earl Clyde, who also has a taste for music
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and is endowed with superior talent as an artist ; and Ella Jane, who died when she , was one year old. Fraternally Mr. Rob- bins is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
R. W. HIMES, secretary and treasurer of the Longnaker-Himes Gravel Com- pany of Covington, Ohio, a man of schol- arly attainments, was for many years one of the leading educators of this section of the state, and was for a period of eighteen years principal of the Covington High Schools. He was born on a farm in Mont- gomery County, Ohio, April 15, 1850, and is a son of Martin and Anna (VanCleve) Himes.
Mr. Himes spent his early boyhood days on a farm near Dayton, Montgomery Coun- ty, Ohio, and at Alpha, Greene County, coming to Miami County in 1865 with his "parents, who located on a farm in New. berry Township, where they resided the remainder of their lives. After a primary education in the district schools, he gradu- ated from the Covington High School in 1870 under Professor R. F. Bennett, then completed a course of study at Heidelberg College, of Tiffin, Ohio, after which he re- turned to Covington, where he accepted a position as principal of the High School. In 1891, he became associated with the Southern Illinois College, in White Coun- ty, first as professor of languages for one year, after which he served as president of that institution for two years, when he resigned to return to his old position as principal of the Covington High School. He was subsequently elected and served eight years as superintendent of the Cov- ington Schools and very efficiently met the demands of his responsible position. Since
that time Mr. Himes has been associated with the Longnaker-Himes Gravel Com- pany, of which he is secretary and treas- urer, the pit being located in Possum Hol- low, south of Pleasant Hill.
In 1873 Mr. Himes was joined in wed- loek with Jennie Ullery, a daughter of Aaron Ullery, and to them have been born the following children: Clara, who mar- ried D. C. Odell; Arthur B., a well known jeweler of Covington; Ruth; and Alice. Mr. Himes is a member and president of the City Council; he is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is also an elder.
GIDEON KEYT, deceased, who for many years was one of Miami County's substantial and respected citizens as well as prominent farmers, belonged to one of the pioneer families of this section. He was born March 8, 1828, at Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, and was a son of James D. and Elizabeth (Widney) Keyt.
The first of the family to come to Amer- iea was John Keyt, who married Elizabetlı Chilcot. They settled in the colony of New Jersey, near Elizabethi. They had one son by the name of James and three daughters. James (1732-1800) married Elizabeth Jes- sup (1732-1824) by whom he had two sons and two daughters. One of the sons, Dan- iel, died in 1776 at the age of thirteen years. The other son, named James (1762- 1800) married Elizabeth Ross (1762- 1852) and they were the grandparents of the subject of this sketch.
James D. Keyt, son of James and Eliza- beth (Ross) Keyt, and father of Gideon, was born in New Jersey in 1794 and came to Miami County in 1819 as a pioneer set- tler. He married Elizabeth Widney (1801-
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1848), who was born in Pennsylvania and who was a daughter of Jolin Widney, who had settled in Miami County in 1810.
James D. Keyt was born in New Jersey in 1797 and came to Miami County in 1819 as a pioneer settler. He married Eliza- beth Widney, who was born in Pennsyl- vania and who was a daughter of Stephen Widney, who had settled in Miami County when she was a child. After his marriage James D. Keyt resided at Piqua until 1830, when he purchased the farm of 160 acres near this city which became the Keyt home. stead. Of this large tract he cleared and cultivated seventy-five acres, making also many improvements previous to 1842. In this year he retired to Piqua, where he subsequently resided until his death in 1849. He and his wife were the parents of nine children. James D. Keyt belonged to the better class of pioneer settlers who came here to found a home and who on that account were active in introducing the various conveniences of civilization, wel- coming and upholding everything that made for the advancement of the com- munity. He was one of those who worked hard to establish the early schools, to build the first churches, and to improve the highways, and, imbued with these ideas his son Gideon cherished the same ideals and worked for the same ends.
Gideon Keyt took charge of the farm soon after the death of his father and re- sided on it thereafter until the close of his long and busy life. Both he and his father were stone masons by trade and they did at one time a large amount of work in that line, but later finding that the farm re- quired his whole attention, Gideon gave up liis trade and developed the farm into a valuable piece of agricultural property.
December 27, 1864, Gideon Keyt was married to Miss Elizabeth Ward, who is a daughter of Elijah and Hannah Ward. They had five children born to them, name- ly : James Ward, Gideon E., Hannah Eliz- abetlı, Laura Rachel, and Margaret Ellen. Their record in brief is as follows :
James Ward Keyt was graduated from the Piqua High School in 1885 and from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1888. He subsequently attended the Cincinnati Law School, was admitted to the bar October 8, 1891, and is now a prominent attorney of Piqua. He was married November 5, 1896, to Edith Slauson, a native of Piqua, who is a graduate of the Piqua High School, and subsequently attended St. Margaret's School at Buffalo, New York. They have three children-Frances Eliza- beth, Bernard S., and Isabel W. After graduating from the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity and previous to his matriculation at the Cincinnati Law School he served as principal of Science Grove Seminary, at Robard, Kentucky, for one year. A Re- publican in politics, he served as mayor of Piqua for two terms-from 1893 to 1897.
Gideon E. Keyt, the second child of the subject of this memoir, is now a leading lawyer of Toledo, Ohio. Hannah Eliza- beth is now Mrs. Thomas Ferrick. Laura Rachel died in 1875. Margaret E. resides in Toledo.
The late Gideon Keyt was an excellent type of citizen-a law-abiding, public-spir- ited man, and of tried and true patriotism. During the Civil War he served as a mem- ber of Company C, 147th Regiment, Olio Volunteer Infantry. His death took place January 12, 1901. In glancing back over his genealogy, it is interesting to note that the female representative in each genera-
G. W. POLING
MRS. PHOEBE H. POLING
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tion in the direct line of descent from the immigrant ancestor, John Keyt, has been named Elizabeth. He himself, by his mar- riage to Elizabeth Ward, added one more link to the genealogical chain thus formed.
G. W. POLING, a substantial citizen of Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, re- sides in a splendid home located about one and one-half miles west of West Milton. He is a native of Union County, Ohio, and is a son of John and Sarah (Parks) Pol- ing, both natives of Maryland and early settlers in Union County. His father died in 1856, at the age of fifty-six years; his mother died in 1895, at the advanced age of ninety-five years.
G. W. Poling was educated in the schools of Union County and assisted his father on the farm until he reached his majority. He then began farming for himself and continued that occupation throughout his active business career, except for three years, during which he engaged in carpen- tering. He is a man of exceptional busi- ness acumen and foresight. In 1883 he moved to Union Township, Miami County. The 500 acre farm on which he resides be- longs to Mrs. Poling, being left to her by her father. Three years after coming here Mr. Poling erected one of the finest homes in this section, in keeping with which are the other improvements he has made on the place. There is also a farmi of 105 acres near Hamilton, Ohio, and another of eighty-five acres near Kokomo, Indiana, both in Mrs. Poling's name, having been received from her father. During the past fifteen years Mr. Poling has been practi- cally retired from business, renting most of the land. He devotes his time to look-
ing after his interests and buying and sell- ing horses, of which he is a good judge.
In 1884 Mr. Poling was united in mar- riage to Miss Phoebe Haskett, who was born and reared in Miami County, and is a daughter of John and Mary (Maddock) Haskett. She comes of one of the pioneer families of Miami County, where her fath- er was born. He followed farming and lived here all his life, dying in 1880 at the age of sixty-six years. Mr. Haskett mar- ried Miss Mary Maddock, a native of Pre- ble County, who died in 1900; they had two children-Phoebe (Poling) ; and Rebecca, who is deceased. Religiously, Mrs. Poling is a member of the Society of Friends. He is a Republican in politics.
A. A. HUBER, who is one of Piqua's most respected retired citizens, enjoying the comforts of his pleasant home at No. 316 North Downing Street, for many years was actively engaged in business at differ- ent points in Ohio. He was born in 1841 in the Dominion of Canada and came to Ohio prior to 1861, having received liis educational training in his native land.
Mr. Huber lived at Cincinnati for some six months and then entered into the grain business at Kirkwood, Ohio, which he con- tinued for eight years, moving from there to Bowling Green, where he embarked in a general mercantile business. From there he went to Toledo and lived in that city until 1900, when he came to Piqua and for eight years carried on business in this city, being a large dealer in coal and build- ers' supplies. For a short time he has considered himself retired, although this must be taken figuratively, as he has only closed out his retail interests, retaining the wholesale features. He has large real
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
estate investments here and much of his time is taken up in supervising the im- provement and sale of his property.
Mr. Huber was married in 1874, to Miss Celina Wise, of Lockington, Ohio, and they have one daughter, D. Myrtle, who resides at home. Mr. and Mrs. Huber are members of the Green Street Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of Piqua's capitalists.
A. G. EIDEMILLER,* a well known resident of West Milton, Miami County, Olio, is engaged in the real estate and in- surance business and is also clerk of Union Township. He was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1862, and is a son of Mar- tin and Elizabeth Eidemiller, his father a native of Germany and his mother of Pennsylvania. Martin Eidemiller was two years of age when the family came to the United States and located in Montgomery County, Ohio. There he was reared to maturity and followed farming until his death at the age of seventy-three years. His wife died at the age of fifty-six years.
A. G. Eidemiller attended the district schools of his home community, and there- after taught school and farmed for a period of twenty years. In 1901 he located at West Milton and engaged in the buggy and farm implement business, also dealing extensively in livestock. He continued with good returns until January, 1908, when he sold his interests to Mr. E. L. Miller. He then moved into his present office and began dealing in local real estate and handling fire and accident insurance, representing some of the strongest com- panies operating in this country. He was elected to the office of township clerk in
1907, and has discharged the duties of his office in a most satisfactory manner.
Mr. Eidemiller was united in the bonds of matrimony with Miss Ella Fouts, a daughter of Aaron Fouts, who died in 1891. They have four children: Lester W., a railway postal clerk who married Miss Dorothy Becker of Dayton; Neva, who attended Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, completing a musical and literary course; Aaron Fouts; and Cuba Manila, who is attending school. Po- litically, the subject of this sketch is a Republican. In fraternal affiliation, he is a Mason and a Pythian Knight. Reli- giously, he is a member of the Christian Church.
JAMES B. HOUSER,* who resides on his 106-acre farm in Spring Creek Town- ship, is one of the thriving agriculturists of this township and a citizen who has taken a useful part in public affairs. He was born on this farm, in an old log house built by his grandfather ninety years ago, and which is still standing and in a state of good preservation. It was one of the first houses in the township built from hewed logs-the logs being all poplar- and at a later date was provided with weather-boarding. Here the subject of this sketch first saw the light October 16, 1854, his parents being Aaron M. and Eliza N. (Inskeep) Houser.
Aaron M. Houser, the father, was born in this same log house and spent his entire life on this farm. He died January 26, 1899. James B. was his second child in order of birth. The entire family in cor- rect order was as follows: William S .; James B., our subject; Henry Lawrence; Samuel Franklin; Joseph Merrill; Carrie
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Rose Emma, who married Bland Scudder, a justice of the peace in Piqua; and Albert Wesley.
James B. Houser received his education in the district schools of Spring Creek Township, and after leaving school took up agricultural pursuits, which he has made his life work. After spending some years with his father on the home farm, he rented a farm in Brown Township, and while operating it led the life of a bachelor.
On October 9, 1880, he was married to Amelia W. Fritsch, a daughter of August and Barbara (Wrote) Fritsch, farming people of Mercer County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Houser are the parents of two chil- dren-Lilly Pearl and August M. Lilly Pearl, born April 10, 1882, married Paul F. Berdier, and they have two children, Elden and Julia Lucille. August M. Hou- ser, born September 19, 1886, is a veteri- nary surgeon at Versailles, Darke County, Ohio.
Mr. James B. Houser served eighteen years as constable of Spring Creek Town- ship, but finally declined to act in that office any longer. He has also served sev- eral terms as school director and as road supervisor, and was one of the committee that built the Fairview schoolhouse in Spring Creek Township. In politics he is a Democrat, and he is one of the charter members of Fletcher Lodge, Knights of Pythias. The family attend the Methodist Church. The parental homestead, on which Mr. Houser now resides, includes eight acres of timber, all the rest being farm land. In Mr. Houser's hands the land is made to yield the maximum crops and the buildings kept in good repair. Mr. Houser is a worthy representative of that impor-
tant class of citizens upon whose labors depends in large measure our national prosperity.
WILLIAM EVERETT HOGAN, M.D.,* a physician and surgeon occupying a prom- inent place among the medical men of Mi- ami County, has a practice that covers con- siderable territory but maintains his home at Fredericksburg, Ohio. He was born at Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, October 20, 1869, and is a son of John W. and Maria Jane (Noel) Hogan.
The Hogan family originated in Ireland. The paternal grandfather, Cornelius Ho- gan, was born in Montreal, Canada. He was a carpenter and farmer, and also a soldier, serving in the War of 1812 and in the Mexican War. On the maternal side, Dr. Hogan's ancestry goes back to France and his great-grandfather came to Ohio at a very early time, bringing with him his thirteen sons, having previously lived at Jamestown, Virginia. In that historic place, Grandfather Peter Noel was born. He married Mary Goldsburg, who was of English extraction but was born in Mary- land, and they settled in Scioto County, Ohio, in 1800.
John W. Hogan, father of Dr. Hogan, was born in the city of New Orleans, Lou- isiana, on Jackson Square, in 1845. He was left an orphan when young and in 1858 was sent to Darlington, Ohio, to complete his education. He enlisted for service in the Civil War soon after hostilities began and was a veteran of Company E, Thirty- third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three years, eleven months and ten days. He married Maria Jane Noel and they reside in comfort in Scioto County, on their farm in the vicin-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ity of Portsmouth. They had seven chil- dren born to them, the three survivors being Edwin W., Martha J. and William Everett. Edwin J. Hogan resides on Sil- ver Fox Island, in Puget Sound, where he is interested in growing apples. He mar- ried Bessie Lowery. Martha J. is the wife of Frank Ford, of Portsmouth, Ohio.
Dr. Hogan completed the public school course at Portsmouth, and after graduat- ing from the High School, entered upon the study of medicine. After four years of preparation he was graduated at the Mi- ami Medical College of Cincinnati, in 1896. After a few months of practice at Portsmouth, Dr. Hogan came to Fred- ericksburg, where he has continued to re- side, building up a large and lucrative practice and becoming one of the leading citizens of this section.
Dr. Hogan married Miss Abbie B. Grain- minger, a daughter of John J. and Rachel (Thomas) Grainminger. Her paternal grandfather, Leonard Grainminger, came to Scioto County, Ohio, from Reading, Penna., at a very early day. Her father, the late John J. Grainminger, was born eight miles north of Portsmouth, Ohio. He was a farmer all his active life. His death occurred in 1907, when aged seventy-five years. His widow still survives. She is a daughter of Benjamin and Charity Thomas and a granddaughter of James and Cath- erine (McVeigh) Thomas. James Thomas was drowned in the Mississippi River. His widow survived until her ninety-seventh year. The grandparents of Mrs. Hogan settled near Piqua, in Miami County. Dr. and Mrs. Hogan have one son, who was born June 2, 1898, and attends the public school.
Politically, Dr. Hogan is affiliated with
the Republican party. He belongs to Au- rora Lodge, No. 48, F. & A. M. and to the Junior Order of American Mechanics. He is identified with numerous medical organi- zations, including the Miami County Med- ical Society and the Ohio State Medical Society.
FELIX GANGLOFF,* residing on the old homestead farm of 240 acres, which is situated in Section 26, Washington Town- ship, was born on this farm in 1861, and is a son of Nicholas and Mary (Clouse) Gangloff. The parents of Mr. Gangloff were both born in Germany and came to America when aged about eighteen years. Nicholas Gangloff located first at Somer- set, Perry County, Ohio, and there he later married Mary Clouse. Immediately after- ward they came to Miami County and went to housekeeping on the present farm where the remainder of their lives were spent. Nicholas Gangloff died in 1898, at the age of eighty-seven years, and his widow died in May, 1905, aged eighty-five years. Nich- olas Gangloff was considered a very suc- cessful farmer during his active years and an excellent business man, having acquired a large amount of property both in Miami County and also in Piqua. Both he and wife were devoted members of the German Catholic Church. They had seven children born to them, namely: Celia, who resides with her brother Felix on the old home- stead and with him owns the property ; Ap- lonia, who is a sister in a convent in Cin- cinnati; Lucy, also a sister, who died in a convent at Lafayette, Indiana; Anthony, who resides in Missouri and has been a railroad man for many years ; Felix ; John ; and George, who died in infancy.
Felix Gangloff has always resided on the
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home farm, as has his eldest sister. They manage it together, having a tenant who does a large part of the work and lives in one of the farm houses. Mr. and Miss Gangloff reside in a fine brick residence. This farm is one of the most valuable in Washington Township and one of the best improved. The family is well known and is held in the highest esteem.
RICHARD H. SOTHERLAND, Jr.,* superintendent of the Troy Wagon Works, at Troy, Ohio, was born in this city on Feb- ruary 13, 1872, and is a son of Richard Sotherland. The latter is court bailiff of Miami County and for years has been iden- tified with the public affairs of both city and county.
Richard H. Sotherland was reared at Troy and obtained his education in the schools of his native city. His first busi- ness position was a clerkship in a local grocery store and for about four years he was freight clerk for the C., H. & D. Rail- road, after which he became an employe of the Troy Wagon Works Company, with which he has been connected for fifteen years, during eight of which he has been superintendent. He owns stock in the en- terprise, which is one of the most prosper- ous at Troy. He takes an interest in public matters and is serving his second term as a member of the Board of Publie Service.
In 1891 Mr. Sotherland was married to Miss Edith Harshbarger, of Van Wert, Ohio, and they have six children, namely : Cyril, Fay, Helen, Paul, Kenneth and Inez. Mr. Sotherland is an enthusiastic Elk, at the present time serving in the of- fiee of exalted ruler and belonging also to the Elks Club.
GEORGE W. SHEPARD,* one of Lost Creek Township's representative citizens and leading business men, resides on his valuable farm of 156 acres, which is situ- ated on the county line of Miami County. He was born in October, 1856, in Mont- gomery County, Ohio, and is a son of Ezra and Jane R. (Hufford) (Davidson) Shep- ard.
Ezra Shepard spent his whole life in Montgomery County, Ohio. The business he followed was the digging of wells. He married Mrs. Jane R. Davidson, widow of Francis Davidson and a daughter of John Hufford. The Huffords came to Ohio from Maryland. Mrs. Shepard lived into ex- treme old age, her death occurring in Feb- ruary, 1909, when within ten days of her ninety-fourth birthday. At that time she was the oldest woman in Lost Creek Town- ship. Of the children born to her first mar- riage, two survive, Jacob and Daniel. One son died in the army and one at Camp Chase, during the Civil War, and another was drowned.
George Washington Shepard was the only child of his parents and he lived at home until his marriage. During the sum- mer of 1874 he worked for Michael Leffel, south of Springfield, having come with his mother to Miami County, in 1871. In 1882 he bought forty acres of his present farm from John Wilson, seventy-five and one- half acres from Elijah Priest and the re- mainder from George Ralston. He owns an additional farm of twenty-eight acres situated in Champaign County. He carries on general farming and raises tobacco on twelve aeres, and for some years he has been interested in the horse and hog busi- ness. He belongs to a horse company that owns Defiance, which is a French draft
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
horse, three years old, weighing 1,850 pounds; and a registered Percheron, Ro- sier, a three-year-old, weighing 1,500 pounds. The stables are on Mr. Shepard's farm. He also has a stable horse, Rube, a French and Belgian, weighing 1,500 pounds. In addition to cultivating his own land he operates a part of the old Leffel farm. Formerly he was in partnership in a butcher shop at Addison, under the firm name of Breganier & Shepard and in the well drilling firm of Stephens & Shepard. He is a man of excellent business judgment and his advice is frequently asked by his less successful neighbors.
On December 6, 1886, Mr. Shepard was married to Miss Emma Leffel, a danghter of Martin S. and Catherine (Huffman) Leffel, and they have had five children, namely: Delores, who attended college at Columbus and is employed in that city as a bookkeeper; Sylvia, who graduated from the Christianburg High School, attended the Miami University at Oxford, and is a popular teacher in the public schools; Otis, who is a graduate of the Addison High School, and a successful teacher in Cham- paigne County; and Ruth and Paul. Mr. Shepard's family is an unusually intellect- nal one and he has afforded his children every advantage he has been able. Polit- ically he is a Democrat, but has always been too busy to accept public office. He is a member of the Odd Fellows at Addison and belongs also to the Encampment. .
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