USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part One > Part 30
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Mr. Cunningham, in 1855, married Eliza- beth Hyatt, of Mount Vernon. Of the six children born to them the sons alone survive, Blanche, the only daughter, having died. The sons are William H., Harold, Newton, Lou and Theodore, Jr.
April 15, 1889, Mr. Cunningham died, leaving as a legacy to his children the memory of a most honorable career. "It never seemed to me that Mr. Cunningham was dead and that his kindly presence was no more on earth; I · always think of him as only having gone 'from this room into the next.' He was an incisive debater, a most winning opponent and a Chris- tian gentleman. He was always ready to re- spond to any demands made upon him, having inherited in no slight degree his father's won- derfully sunny temperament and kindly dis- position. There was no man in the country more universally respected and beloved than 'Doan' Cunningham.'
Charles Nelson Lamison was born in Co- lumbia County, Pennsylvania; in 1826. His remote ancestors were of French and Welsh nationality ; his immediate ancestors were Dutch and Scotch.
When 10 years of age he came with his father to Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio. Mr. Lamison received his early education in pri- vate schools and academies, and began the study of the law at the age of 17. In 1848 he was admitted to the bar at Wooster, and en- tered upon a partnership with Congressman Parsons, of Dalton.
In 1850 Mr. Lamison married Elizabeth Moyer, of Wooster, and leaving his bride, went to California in search of gold. Returning in 1852, he visited Dalton and, upon the advice of his friend Jeffries, decided to locate in Logans- port, Indiana. He returned to Dalton, via Lima, and having faith in the future of the town he changed his plans and located here. He entered into a partnership with Thomas M. Robb, which continued for several years. He was subsequently associated in business at dif- ferent times with Messrs. Hughes, Meily, Richie and Ballard. Mr. Lamison was elected prosecuting attorney in 1853; he was defeated in 1855, but was again elected in 1857. Later he was defeated for senator by a small vote.
When the Union was threatened, Mr. Lamison at once enlisted in the first company to go from Lima for the three months' service, and was elected captain of Company F, 20th O. V. I. At Zanesville he was elected major. He served in Virginia, and had command of the Baltimore & Ohio crossing under McClel- lan and Rosecrans. At the end of the three months Mr. Lamison assisted in raising the 8Ist O. V. I., of which he was major. He served in Missouri, andl afterward at Pitts- burg Landing, and took part in the battle of Shiloh. Serious illness compelled him to re- turn home, where he remained in ill health a year, when he resumed the practice of the law.
In 1870 Colonel Lamison was elected to represent the Fifth District of Ohio in Con- gress. His services were of such a distin- guished character that he was re-elected. and served until 1874. In ISSI he was made at-
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torney for the Ohio Central Railroad Com- pany, of West Virginia, and commenced the construction of the Point Pleasant bridge; later he was associated with the Brice-Thomas syndicate. He was at one time attorney for the Mobile & Birmingham Railroad Company, and also for the Memphis, Arkansas & Kansas Railroad Company.
Subsequent to 1892 he engaged in the prac- tice of the law in a desultory manner, when he was appointed United States land commis- sioner by the Interior Department, with head- quarters at Dodge City, Kansas. It was while there that his stomach became poisoned by the alkali water. He went to Topeka for treatment and became somewhat better, but the change was only temporary. He gradually became worse and died April 21, 1896. Of Colonel Lamison's children, four survive him: Mrs. Dodds, of Chicago; Mrs. Sprague and Jason, of Lima, and Nora, of New York City.
Colonel Lamison's career as a lawyer was a brilliant one. He had that firm belief in the justice of his cause and that devotion to his cause which carries all before it with insistent force. His nature was an aggressive one, and he fought to win his legal battles as he fought to win those in the tented field. One by one his brilliant contemporaries, who made Lima's bar so famous, preceded him to the bar of eter- nal justice; the phenomenally gifted Nichols going first, having quickly burnt out his lamp of life, and dying iin 1862, when only 37 years old. His friend and neighbor, Metcalf, was the next to go. Metcalf-whose name to this day does to conjure with-departed this life in 1865, having but reached life's prime at 45 years. Robb died in 1879, leaving a record at once enviable and honorable. Baxter, Cun- ningham, Hughes, Meily, Pillars, Mackenzie and Lamison have all answered the final sum- mons.
Charles Marion Hughes was born on the old Hughes farm, three miles north of Lima, on the Kalida road, December 14, 1833. His paternal grandfather came from the North of Ireland, and settled in the Colony of Virginia, about two years before the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. He espoused the colo-
.nists' cause and enlisted in the American Army, serving throughout the war and con- tributing all that he could to our independence.
Mr. Hughes' parents in 1829 removed to Dayton, Ohio, removing later to a farm in Allen County. Charles M. Hughes' early edu- cation was obtained at the district school. At the age of 18 he entered Miami University, remaining there till 1854, when he left to teach school in Delphos. He afterward returned to the farm, remaining there till 1857. In that year he read law with Hon. C. N. Lamison, graduating later with honors from the Cincin- nati Law School. Returning to Lima, he formed a partnership with C. N. Lamison. In the spring of 1861 he helped raise the first company that went out from Lima, going as Ist lieutenant under Capt. M. H. Nichols, of the 20th O. V. I.
The three months for which he had enlisted having expired, he returned home and married Nanny Worley, of Piqua, in the fall of 1861. He then raised Company H, 8Ist O. V. I., and went to the front as its captain. He was in Missouri during the fall of 1861 ; going south later, he was in the battle of Pittsburg Land- ing, April 6-7, 1862. He also engaged in the siege of Corinth, but was soon compelled to resign on account of his health.
He returned to Lima, and forming a part- nership with Judge and Theodore D. Robb, again engaged in the practice of the law. In 1864 he was elected probate judge, filling that position until 1878. From 1874 to 1878 he served as prosecuting attorney, succeeding to the common pleas judgeship, which position he held for 10 years.
The town was thrown into mourning by the news of the death of Judge Hughes, Janu- ary 10, 1892. When seen upon the street Sat- urday night, he looked the picture of health. He complained a little Sunday morning, and at noon passed away without a struggle. His wife and children survived him; the children are Mrs. C. S. Aves, of Galveston: Mrs. Steckle, of Bloomfield, Iowa, and Kent and Paul, of Lima.
As a jurist, Judge Hughes ranked high, and was especially strong as a pleader. He filled
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all positions in life with honor, but it was in the position of husband and father that he shone pre-eminently. He was devoted to his wife, to his children and to his friends.
In a country home in the beech woods of Champaign County, Jacob S. Conklin was born in December, 1815.
Three winters in a country school were his only opportunities for school education, but he was not uneducated. His mother taught him at home and inspired him, not only with a love for truth and honor, but with a love for what is most excellent in English literature. Books were few, but he learned to know those few books well. In his boyhood and early man- hood he became thoroughly acquainted with much of Cowper, Burns, Goldsmith, Shake- speare and the Bible, and all through his life quotations from these came readily to his mind to illustrate a statement or to point an argu- ment. The home of his father was one of the preaching places of the Methodist circuit riders of the pioneer days, and recollections of the visits and sermons of Finley, Raper, Cart- wright and others were among his most cher- ished memories. The influence of their words of wisdom was a powerful factor in shaping his character. Many of the hymns of the Methodist hymn book were familiar to him, and great was his indignation when he came upon a line which "any meddler had dared to try to improve."
When 16 years of age he began a subscrip- tion school; but at the close of two weeks of teaching word came to him that a position was open for him in the office of the clerk of the court at Springfield, and a home for him in that of the clerk, who was a relative of his mother. The schoolhouse door was closed and the boy walked to his home, several miles away, hoping now to gain the consent of his mother -hitherto withheld-to his going from home and beginning the study of the law. In a few days he was at work in the clerk's office, and out of working hours busy over law books. Be- fore he was 21 he had completed the course then required and was ready for admission to the bar. While at Springfield he continued his general education, studying mathematics and
other branches and reading his favorite auth- ors. With eiglit other ambitious young men he formed in Springfield an organization which they called the "Quaint Classmates," for the purpose, as the constitution which is still extant states, of reading, recitation, argument, extem- porizing, composition and criticism. In after years he would often speak of the pleasure which this society gave him, and of the inesti- mable benefit it had been to him in preparing him for his work. A similar society was or- ganized by himself and friends soon after his going to Sidney and was continued until its members became so engrossed in business and homes cares, that they could no longer attend the meetings regularly.
In 1836, a month or two before he came of age, Mr. Conklin went to Sidney and entered the law office of Judge Patrick G. Goode, and as soon as possible after attaining his majority he was admitted to the bar.
He soon obtained what was at that time a large practice. It was certainly widely ex- tended, for the judicial district to which Shelby county belonged then embraced Shelby, Mar- ion, Mercer and Allen counties, Allen then in- cluding the unorganized county of Auglaize. Judge Conklin practiced in all these counties, also in Logan, Union, Miami, Darke, Cham- paign and Putnam counties.
These were not days of trapid transit. On . horseback, with books and briefs and clothing stored in saddle-bags, which were thrown over the backs of the horses, the lawyers traveled from court to court over corduroy roads, with the mud feet deep. The legs of the riders were encased from the ankles to far above the knees in leggings of stout cloth, the material of which was soon unrecognizable because en- crusted with an inch or so of mud. The law- yers formed merry parties. The way was cheered by story and jest and the woods re- sounded with story and song. As the party neared a town one of them was sent ahead to engage rooms and to order a good meal pre- pared. The coming of a court to town was an event in those days. In the evening judges and lawyers gathered around the huge fireplace and told stories until a late hour. If the reminis-
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· cences of those days, which Judge Conklin used to relate, could be gathered in a book, they would make an interesting volume. One favorite amusement of these lawyers was to bet on the politics of. any rider they might see ahead of them in the woods. They would then overtake him and engage in conversation with him, thus deciding the wager. This led to many amusing occurrences.
In 1841 Judge Conklin was married to Eleanor Wilson, a daughter of John Wilson, a Shelby County pioneer. In 1844 he was elect- ed prosecuting attorney of Shelby County. Twice afterwards he was elected to this same office-in 1850 and again in 1880. The last time, though a Republican, he ob- tained a majority of 1,000 votes in the Dem- ocratic stronghold of Shelby. In 1847 he was elected State Representative, and was after- ward elected State Senator. In 1846 he was appointed by Governor Brough to fill an unex- pired term on the common pleas bench, Judge Lawrence having resigned, and at the expira- tion of this term he was elected for the full term of five years.
He was always interested in politics, first as a Whig, then as a Republican. He greatly enjoyed a campaign and made many stump speeches in his own and adjoining counties dur- ing every campaign, except through the time of his judgeship. As a friend wrote after his death, "then his innate sense of propriety and exalted ideas of the ermine which he wore kept him entirely aloof from political discus- sion either in public or in private."
Judge Conklin died in 1887, when almost 72 years of age. He had been for some time the oldest practitioner in Sidney. Several members of the Sidney bar at the time of his death had been students in his office or had been his partners in practice. He was always much interested in young men preparing for work, and especially in young lawyers, and was ever ready to extend a helping hand. At a meeting of the bar held in Sidney after Judge Conklin's death, Judge Stewart said : "He was known and loved as a father by all struggling young attorneys and his interest in them and his love for them was only bounded by his abil-
ity to aid them, and their own worthiness in deserving such aid." The following is also quoted from the resolutions adopted by the at- torneys of Sidney and neighboring towns, on the day after his funeral: "As a legislator and judge he was honest and fearless; as a father and husband, kind and indulgent; as a citizen he always had at heart the interest and welfare of his neighbors, who during his life loved to honor him, and who universally mourn his death."
James Savage Daniels was born April 10, 1778, in Mason County, Kentucky; his wife, Rhoda Daniels, was born in the same county in 1775. These two people, although living within eight miles of each other, never met until they had emigrated to Ohio. They were married in Warren County.
Mr. Daniels was one of three county com- missioners appointed at the time the county was organized in 1831. He served continuously till 1834, filling the position most satisfactorily. The first Court of Common Pleas was held in his cabin near the Market Street bridge. He was one of the three men to go upon the bond of County Clerk Ward.
His eldest son, Nathan Daniels, was a mar- ried man with a family when he came to Lima with his father. He was born July 1, 1800, in Warren County, Ohio, where he lived till he reached man's estate, when he, together with his father's family, removed to Champaign County and settled near Urbana. It was there that he met Nancy Dougherty, who was born November 20, 1803. After a few years' resi- dence in Champaign County the family then moved to the wilderness of Allen County. Nathan Daniels possessed to a marked degree those characteristics which enabled Ohio's pio- neers to become makers of history. He pos- sessed a good common-school education and took great pride in keeping himself well in- formed upon all those great questions which for half a century or more agitated the Ameri- can people, and which finally culminated in the Civil War.
He was first county recorder, and for years filled the office of justice of the peace of Shaw- nee township, and served one term as county
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assessor, when Allen County embraced the ter- ritory now included in Allen and Auglaize counties. In the spring of 1871 he disposed of the old homestead at Lima and, together with his eldest son, John C., and family, emi -. grated to Cowley County, Kansas. His wife was a whole-souled Christian woman, endowed with those sterling intellectual qualities that so well fitted her for the task allotted her as a pioneer woman, that of building up a home and society, thus paving the way to a higher plane of civilization. She died January 13, 1862, and was buried in Shawnee Cemetery, Allen County, Ohio.
Besides Nathan there were two twin sons and three daughters. Rhoda was born in 1807, was married to David Bailey in June, 1831, this being the first marriage recorded in Allen County. James H. and Benjamin M. were born March 29, 1812 ; the last named, although having but three months' schooling, was of so entertaining a nature that he fitted himself not only for a teacher, but was for years a Baptist divine. The other daughters were Hulath, whc married James T. Miller, and Myra S., who married Thomas Hawthorn.
ALLEN COUNTY'S THREE COURT HOUSES.
The first Court of Common Pleas for Allen County was held August 31, 1831, in James S. Daniel's cabin, which stood near the present . Market street bridge. In 1832 a Court House was built just below the southeast corner of the square. This was a small, hewed-log building, two stories in height, which served as a court room, county offices and jail. But it soon grew too small, and a desire was mani- fest on every hand for a more commodious building.
In 1840, eight years after the first Court House was built, a contract for a new brick Court House was let to Orlando Broughton, of Wooster, Ohio. The building was finished in 1842. It stood on the site of the present Cincinnati block. It served all purposes of Court House and County Jail for more than 40 years.
The cornerstone of the present handsome
structure was laid on our natal day, July 4, 1882, and the finished building was formally opened to the people of Allen County in the fall of 1884. The cost, including the stone jail adjacent, was $350,000.
THE BAR OF TO-DAY ( 1906).
Caspar F. Bryan commenced the study of the law with J. J. Bell, of London, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar at the District Court of Greene County, Ohio, in March, 1876. In the fall of 1883 Mr. Bryan began the practice of law in Lima, where he has since remained.
Davis J. Cable studied law at the Univer- sity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. In 1881 he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of the law in Lima.
I. S. Motter, the senior member of Motter, Mackenzie & Weadock, began the study of the law at Hagerstown, Maryland, with Col. George Schley, and was admitted to the bar in that city in 1876. He came to Ohio in 1881, forming a partnership in Lima with W. L. Mackenzie:
Hinchman S. Prophet commenced the study of the law under Ross Burns at Carding- ton, Ohio, and completed the study with Judge J. A. Beebe, of Mount Gilead, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar in the Supreme Court of Ohio on February 2, 1860. In 1872 he came to Lima, where he has since been in the con- stant practice of his profession.
O. W. Smith commenced the study of the law in Marion, Ohio, in 1864. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1867 and has practiced in Lima since 1868:
C. H. Adkins is a graduate of the Ohio Normal University at Ada, was admitted to the bar in 1892, and has been in active practice of his profession in Lima since that time.
O. O. Barr is a graduate of the law depart- ment of the Ohio Normal University at Ada; was admitted to the bar in 1904 and com- menced practice in Lima in September of that year.
M. L. Becker read law in the office of Judge Fuller, of Warren, Ohio, and was later gradu- ated from the University of Michigan, at Ann
COURT HOUSE OF 1842
COURT HOUSE OF 1882
COURT HOUSE OF 1832
ALLEN COUNTY'S THREE COURT HOUSES
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Arbor. He was admitted to the bar at War- ren, Ohio, in 1873, and has practiced in Lima since 1874.
Fred C. Becker, the junior member of the firm of Becker & Becker, is a graduate of the Western Reserve Law School, at Cleveland, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar in 1897. He has been in the practice of his profession in Lima since that time.
Wilbur T. Copeland read law in the office of Layton & Stueve, of Wapakoneta. He graduated from the Ohio State University Law School, was admitted to the bar Decem- ber 7, 1893, and has practiced in Lima since April, 1894.
W. L. Rogers is a graduate of the Ohio Normal University and has practiced in Lima since his admittance to the bar in June, 1896.
James O. Ohler graduated from the Cincin- nati Law School, was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio in 1883 and has been in con- stant practice in Lima since that time.
M. A. Hoagland studied law in the office of Critchfield & Uhl, of Millersburg, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar April 18, 1868, and has practiced in Lima since 1887.
Robert C. Eastman read law in the office of Cunningham & Brotherton, of Lima. He graduated from the Ohio Normal University and has practiced in Lima since he was admit- ted to the bar in 1878.
T. R. Hamilton read law with Ridenour & Halfhill, of Lima, and graduated from the Ohio Normal University. He was admitted to the bar in October, 1894, and has practiced in Lima since that time.
Russell L. Armstrong graduated from the Ohio State University Law School in 1900, was admitted to the bar in the same year, since which time he has been practicing his profes- sion in Lima.
P. A. Kahle studied law with Prophet & Eastman, of Lima, was admitted to the bar in 1894 and has since practiced in Lima.
Edgar S. Prophet studied law with Prophet & Eastman, of Lima, was admitted in 1902 and has practiced in Lima ever since.
Walter Parmenter commenced the study of the law with T. D. Robb. He graduated from
the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in 1890, practiced in Spencerville one year and for two years, until Mr. Hughes' death, was the junior member of the law firm of Hughes & Parmenter. Mr. Parmenter is now. engaged in printing.
W. H. Guyton graduated from the Ohio Normal University, was admitted to the bar on June 1, 1902, and has since practiced in Lima.
Kent W. Hughes began the practice of law with W. H. Leete, of Lima. He graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan, and has practiced in Lima since his admission to the bar in 1896.
B. F. Welty was admitted to the bar in 1896, after securing his degree from the law department of the University of Michigan, fol- lowing his classical study and graduation at the Ohio Normal University at Ada in 1894. He began at once the practice of the law in Lima.
Frank H. Downing secured his degree from the Ohio Normal University in 1899. He was admitted to practice before the Ohio bar in the fall of that year and located in Lima the following spring. Welty & Downing is the firm name.
Joseph Warren Kilgore is a graduate of the Ohio Normal University at Ada, was admitted to the practice of the law June II, 1898, and has practiced his profession in Lima since that time.
S. S. Wheeler read law with Marvin, Hart & Squire, of Cleveland, Ohio, was admitted to the bar in June, 1878, and has practiced in Lima since 1881.
L. H. Rogers studied law with D. C. Hen- derson, of Lima, and was admitted to the bar in October, 1897. In June, 1900, he began the practice of the law in Lima, where he has since remained.
I. R. Longsworth read law in the office of Richie & Richie, and of Davis J. Cable. and has been in constant practice of his profession in Lima since his admission to the bar in 1889.
W. H. Leete read law in the office of his father. Hon. Ralph Leete, at Ironton, Ohio, and also in the office of Hon. W. N. Jolinson,
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of the Supreme Court. He then attended law school at the University of Michigan, from which noted institution he was graduated in 1871. He has practiced law in Lima since 1888.
Frank F. Leland graduated from the Uni- versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He has practiced law in Kansas, Illinois and Iowa, and since 1891 in Allen County.
John E. Richie read law on the farm, was admitted to the bar on the certificate of E. A. Ballard in 1867, and has practiced continuously in Allen County since that date. He served 10 years on the common pleas bench and has practiced his profession in all State and Fed- eral courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.
Miner A. Atmur read law in the office of J. O. Ohler. He was admitted to the bar in 1890 and commenced practicing in Lima in 1892.
W. P. Anderson read law in the office of Charles E. Jordan, prosecuting attorney of Findlay, Ohio. He graduated from the Ohio Normal University in 1902 and since his ad- mittance to the bar in that year has been in active practice of his profession, most of the time in Lima.
Edmund G. Dempster began the study of the law in the office of I. R. Longsworth. He took his degree in the Ohio Normal Uni- versity and was admitted to the bar of Ohio in December, 1904, since which time he has practiced in Lima.
Frank E. Meade began the study of the law in the office of J. E. Cropsey, of Cayuga County, New York. He was graduated in 1876 from the law department of the Uni- versity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and in the same year was admitted to practice in Ohio. He has practiced in Lima since 1877.
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