USA > Ohio > Allen County > History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part Two > Part 53
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various times in all but two of the township offices. He is a valued member of the Spencer- ville post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Few if any residents of Spencer township are better or more favorably known than Mr. and Mrs. Holloway.
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W. OEN, a representative business man of Lima, a dealer in staple and fancy groceries and meats, at No. 1114 West North street, was born in Shawnee township, Allen County, Ohio, August 7, 1866, and is a son of Henry Oen, an early settler and leading farmer of Shawnee township, who died December 3, 1903.
F. W. Oen was reared and educated in Shawnee township, where he followed farming and dairying for four years and then bought a farm in Auglaize County, which he later leased for oil purposes. For a short period he was engaged in the oil business, having leased his brother-in-law's farm. He put down one well, which was an excellent producer, and he soon sold the property for $11,000. He was also fortunate in his business arrangements concerning his farm of 80 acres, selling his royalty for $18,000, and later disposing of the land. He then bought some choice property in Lima, erecting several fine residences, on the corner of Jameson and North streets, and the business block which he occupies. His present realty holdings include four fine resi- dence properties and three vacant lots. He also owns farming lands, having purchased an unimproved tract of 118 acres in German township. On this he has erected excellent buildings, put up fencing and set out orchards, until the land, within a few years, has ad- vanced to $100 an acre.
In 1892 Mr. Oen was married to Ellen Jordan, who is a daughter of the late Daniel Jordan, formerly a prosperous farmer of Shawnee township. Mr. and Mrs. Oen have five children, viz: H. Edward, Frances Pau- line, Catharine Ellen, Francis Frederick and
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James Alfred. Mr. and Mrs. Oen are mem- bers of St. Rose Catholic Church. Their por- traits, executed from a recent photograph, ac- company this sketch.
OUIS KOCH, vice-president of the Citizens' Loan & Building Company, of Lima, and one of the city's retired citizens, was born in 1851 in Ger- many, and came to America in 1864 with his sister Emma, who was two years his senior. She later became the wife of William Seitz, of Perry township.
These two children arrived safely at Lima, and Louis soon entered into an apprenticeship to the cabinet-maker's trade, in which he served three years, at first with A. Saider and later with Philip Keil. He subsequently worked in the furniture factory on West Spring street for 15 -years, making altogether about 28 years at his trade. Mr. Koch then engaged in the grocery business for 10 years at No. 337 North Main street. For the past four years his time has been taken up largely in looking after his various real estate invest- ments. He owns considerable vacant property in Lima and five houses in good residential districts. For many years he has been promi- nent in the various departments of the city which have served to bring about its present prosperity.
When the first volunteer fire company was formed here, in the days of the old hand en- gines, Mr. Koch became a member. Later the city sold the outfit, and a hook and ladder company was formed and the volunteers gave their services for a number of years and also paid for the outfit. Until this company was disbanded, Mr. Koch frequently served as its president and was always noted for the disci- pline he maintained in order to make the de- partment as efficient as possible. Mr. Koch served two terms in the City Council, repre- senting the old Seventh Ward, and under Mayor Robb he served for a term of four years as a member of the Board of Sinking Fund Trustees and Tax Commissioners. He
has long been recognized as one of the city's reliable, efficient and conservative men of cap- ital, and for the past six years he has been a member of the board of directors of the Citi- zens' Loan & Building Company, and for one year has been vice-president. Mr. Koch served during 1900 on the Board of Equali- zation.
In 1871 Mr. Koch was married to Louisa Secrest, who died in 1876, leaving two chil- dren, viz: W. I., who is employed in the gro- cery of Harry Thomas, at Lima; and Mollie, who is the wife of Frank Grau, of St. Marys, Ohio. In 1879 Mr. Koch was married to Maggie Naas, who is a 'daughter of Christian Naas. They are valued members of the Ger- man Reformed Church.
Mr. Koch is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having membership in both the subordinate lodge and the encamp- ment, and also in the Rebekahs; German order of Red Men and to the Orion Maennerchor.
S. SHERRICK, of the firm of Smith & Sherrick, general contractors of Lima, was born in Allen County in 1849. His father was Christian Sherrick, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to this county about 1840, and was a well-known contractor and builder. Many of the buildings now standing bear strong evi- dence to his skill and the durability of his work.
S. S. Sherrick learned the carpenter's trade, beginning his apprenticeship at the age of 16. He became a skilled and competent workman. About 1877 he and a brother, in partnership, began contracting and building and did a very successful business for eight years. Our subject then withdrew from this partnership and engaged in contracting in Del- phos until 1897 when he moved to Lima and formed a partnership with F. C. Smith to do general contracting and building, and also for the manufacture of sash, doors and all kinds of mill-work. They have built up a good busi- ness in both branches of work and during the
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busy season give employment to about 25 men. Mr. Sherrick is also a stockholder in The East Iron & Machine Company.
He was married in 1875 to Paulina John, daughter of Jesse J. John, deceased. They have three children, namely: Lulu, wife of C. W. Counseller, a locomotive engineer of Lima ; and Effa and Vera, both of whom are teachers in the Lima public Schools. The family are members of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Sherrick is an officer. He is a Republican who takes an intelligent in- terest in local politics and is chairman of the county and city central committee. He is a prominent Odd Fellow.
F. ROBINSON, chief engineer of the gauging department of The Buckeye Pipe Line Company, has been located at Lima for the past 14 years, and has been identified with the oil industry since boyhood. He was born in 1860 in Brooklyn, New York, and is a son of James Robinson, now deceased. James Robinson was also interested in oil produc- tion, having started in at old Oil Creek when ,the oil industry was in its infancy. When the various pipe lines were consolidated, in April, 1877, he was made chief engineer of the tank gauging department, a position he held until his death in 1898.
The Robinson family left Brooklyn in 1862 and located in the oil field of Pennsyl- vania, their first residence being at Petroleum Center. From there, in 1873, they moved to St. Petersburg, Clarion County, and six years later our subject was made his father's assist- ant in the business and stationed at Bradford, Pennsylvania. He remained there 12 years, when he was sent to take charge of the office at Lima, and upon the death of his father in 1898 he was promoted to the office of chief engineer. His territory embraces all the oil fields of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Indian Territory, with offices at Bradford, Pennsylvania, Lima and Independence, Kansas.
Mr. Robinson was married in 1884 to Mary E. Conneely, a native of Pennsylvania. They have two daughters-Genevieve and Frances, the former being a graduate and the latter a student of the Lima High School.
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L. SIMPSON,* secretary and treas- urer of The East Iron & Machine Company, of Lima, was born in Logan County, Ohio, in 1860, and is a son of Wilson W. Simpson, of that county, who was a member of the 66th Ohio Regiment and died in the Civil War, in 1862, from disease contracted in the service.
J. L. Simpson was reared and educated in Logan County, and, with maturity, obtained a position with the "Big Four" Railroad. He was employed in various capacities for a period of 12 years, when he became bookkeeper and estimator for the Champion Iron Company, of Canton, Ohio. He served in this capacity for about eight years and was then elected secre- tary, holding that office four years and six months. When he severed his connection with that company, he organized the Columbus Ele- vator & Iron Company, which was incorpo- rated in 1902 with a capital stock of $10,000. They began operations, in May of that year, with the following officers: H. W. V. Moler, president; F. S. Bartlett, vice-president ; and J. L. Simpson, secretary, treasurer and gen- eral manager. The company was merged into The East Iron & Machine Company and incorporated, in March, 1903, with a capital stock of $100,000, the officers being: W. S. East, president; A. L. Neuman, vice-pres- ident; and J. L. Simpson, secretary and treas- urer. In March, 1903, Mr. Simpson moved to Lima to assume the duties of his office, and has made many friends during his short resi- dence here. He is a business man of experi- ence and ability, and devotes his entire time to the work of his office, which is conducted in the most systematic and effective manner.
In 1885 Mr. Simpson was married to Eva Spencer, by whom he has two bright children -Hugh L. and Boyd M., both students of the Lima High School. Mrs. Simpson's father
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was the late W. Spencer, one of the foremost agriculturists of Logan County, who died in May, 1905. Mr. Simpson is an Odd Fellow and is also a prominent Mason, being a mem- ber of the Knights Templar. He is affiliated with the Disciples' Church of Lima.
EORGE DYER,* superintendent of the Sandusky Division of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad and of the Northern Ohio Railway, is an experi- enced and popular railroad man, who has been a resident of Lima since October, 1902. He was born at Bainbridge, Putnam County, Indiana, in 1867, and is a son of George W. Dyer.
George W. Dyer, father of our subject, is also a railroad man. He is a native of Bain- bridge, but for 54 years he has been railroad agent at Monroe, for the C., I. & L. Railway.
The subject of this sketch was reared at Bainbridge and attended school until he was II years of age, when he commenced to learn telegraphy, soon acquiring sufficient knowl- edge of the business to secure a position with the Western Union Telegraph Company. He was only 14 years old when he was a press operator, and continued with the Western Union until he was 20 years of age. He then became train dispatcher for the Wisconsin Central Railway and in this capacity resided for two years at St. Paul, Minnesota, going thence to Monroe, Indiana, and for one year holding a similar position with the C., I. & L. Railway. During the succeeding two years he filled the duties of chief train dispatcher, and was also superintendent of the telegraph de- partment at that point. For 16 months Mr. Dyer was stationed as chief train dispatcher at LaFayette, Indiana, being then transferred to Tipton, Indiana, where he was appointed general yardmaster. -
Mr. Dyer continued in the latter position until the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, when he entered the army as captain of Company I. 16th Indiana Infantry, U. S. Vol- unteers. The services of this company were
not required outside of the United States, al- though it was drilled in several camps. The company was honorably mustered out in May, 1899. Upon his return to Monroe, Mr. Dyer resumed railroad work and was made superin- tendent of the Fort Wayne Division of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, with head- quarters at Muncie, Indiana, where he re- mained until his promotion to his present posi- tion as superintendent at Lima of the San- dusky Division of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad and of the Northern Ohio Railway. In addition, Mr. Dyer is treasurer of the Bluff- ton Stone Company, of Bluffton.
In 1893 Mr. Dyer was married to Anna Culler, who is a daughter of George W. Culler, a well-known resident of Delphi, Indiana. They have three sons-Laurel, Wayne and an infant.
While not taking part in politics beyond fulfilling the duties of a good citizen, Mr. Dyer keeps thoroughly informed on all mat- ters of public importance and of local con- cern, and lends his influence to good civic gov- ernment. He votes with the Republican party. He is a 32nd degree Mason and is connected also with the Knights of Pythias and the Im- proved Order of Red Men.
€ A. DEAN, *. secretary and treasurer of The Sinclair & Morrison Company, of Lima, has been a resident of this city for the past 21 years. He was born at Stockport, England, Decem- ber 1, 1853, and is a son of Thomas and Re- becca ( Unsworth) Dean.
The parents of Mr. Dean were also na- tives of Stockport, and they came to America when our subject was four years of age, lo- cating at Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.
E. A. Dean was educated in the public schools at Allegheny City and Eastman's Busi- ness College, Poughkeepsie, New York, being graduated from the latter institution in 1875. He then accepted a position as bookkeeper at Port Jervis, New York, where he remained some eight years and then embarked in the
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mercantile business at Washington, D. C. After spending two years in the national capi- tal, he came to Lima in 1884, and for six years was engaged in the dry goods business on the South Side. He then accepted the position of secretary and treasurer of The Sinclair & Mor- rison Company. He is also connected with a number of the other successful business or- ganizations of this section, in all of which he takes an active interest.
In December, 1876, Mr. Dean was mar- ried to Mary Pomeroy, who is a daughter of George Pomeroy, of Butler, Pennsylvania. They have a family of three sons and two daughters, viz: Howard P., a teller employed by The Lima Trust Company; Walter O., a student in the electric engineering department of the State University at Columbus; Chester E., a student at Lima College; Doris W. and Edna G.
Mr. Dean is an independent voter, but has been very active in the cause of Prohibition, and has been the candidate of the party for mayor of Lima. He is a prominent man of affairs here, and is a member of the Board of Sinking Fund Trustees and Tax Commis- sioners.
HOMPSON R. TERWILLEGER, M. D., one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Lima, and one of the city's much esteemed citizens, whose portrait is shown on the oppo- site page, was born at New Richmond, Ohio, June 29, 1860, and is one of a family of two children born to his parents, John and Eliza- beth B. (McDonald) Terwilleger.
Thompson R. Terwilleger was reared on his father's farm in Clermont County where he attended the local schools, subsequently en- tering the Ohio Western University where he was graduated in 1884 with the degree of B. S. He then took up the study of medicine and in 1887 was graduated at the Medical College of Ohio, Cincinnati. In the same year he set- tled at Lima where he has continued to prac-
tice ever since and is an important member of an unusually able staff of physicians and sur- geons. He is a member of the Ohio State and Allen County medical societies and of the Northwestern Ohio and American medical as- sociations, being actively interested in their work and a valued contributor to their litera- ture. For 13 years Dr. Terwilleger was phy- sician of the Allen County Infirmary. He is a member of the staff of the Lima Hospital, being honored with a life membership. He is medical examiner of a large number of life insurance companies, among which are the fol- lowing: Metropolitan Life Insurance Com- pany, of New York; Phoenix Mutual Life In- surance Company, of Hartford; Union Cen- tral Life Insurance Company, of Cincinnati ; Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, of California; Security Trust & Life Insurance Company, of Philadelphia; Federal Life In- surance Company, of Chicago; and Bankers' Life Association, of Des Moines, Iowa; also The Cleveland and Dayton Masonic Life In- surance companies.
Dr. Terwilleger was united in marriage with Lizzie F. Davis, who is a daughter of William Davis, of Columbus, Ohio. Dr. and Mrs. Terwilleger are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. They have a very pleasant home at No. 684 West Market street, while the Doctor has well-appointed offices at Nos. 202-203 Masonic Building.
Politically Dr. Terwilleger is a Democrat. He served on the Board of Education and was instrumental in lending his efforts toward the erection of the new High School Building. He is a man of education and experience and his professional skill has been frequently put to the test. He keeps thoroughly abreast of the times in his methods of practice and his pa- tients come from all parts of the city. For a number of years he has been prominent in Masonic circles and has attained the 32nd de- gree. He belongs to the Mystic Shrine at Dayton and to the Scottish Rite bodies at Toledo. He is a man of practical ideas and has had remarkable success in his chosen pro- fession.
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OHN R. JONES,* who is living in re- tirement near Gomer, this county, after many years of business activity, was born August 21, 1835, in Llan- brynmair, Wales. He is a son of Richard and Anna ( Roberts) Jones, both na- tives of Llanbrynmair, where the father be- came a prosperous farmer and lived until his death, at the age of 67 years. Mrs. Jones died when our subject was five years old, being then in the 43rd year of her age.
At the age of 21 years, John R. Jones set sail for America, landing in New York City, July 7, 1856, after a voyage of five weeks and three days. Remaining in that city but a few days, he made his way to Cincinnati, Ohio, and thence to Allen County, where he re- mained a short time. He then resided three years in Tennessee, superintending a tract of land, which he and a party of his friends had previously bought. They had purchased some 100,000 acres in that State, of which about one-third, rich in oil and mineral deposits, re- mains in the possession of Mr. Jones and a brother at the present time. At the end of three years our subject returned to Gomer and purchased a general store of W. W. Williams, which he conducted successfully for 20 years, when he sold to Dr. C. A. Evans, of Delphos. Since that time Mr. Jones has resided on a farm, making his home with a cousin, William G. Jones, a prominent farmer whose home- stead is located near Gomer.
Mr. Jones has never married. He is well known throughout this section, and has long been a member of the Welsh Congregational Church at Gomer. In politics, he has been an ardent Democrat and has held some minor offices, although he has never sought political preferment.
ALLACE LANDIS,* secretary of the Lima Board of Fire Under- writers' Association, was born in Randolph County, Indiana, 'in 1862. His father, James Landis, died during the infancy of our subject, and the family lived for a short time in Dayton,
Franklin and Napoleon, Ohio, before finally locating at Delphos in 1880. It was in the lat- ter place that Mr. Landis received the major part of his education.
In young manhood, he became a fireman on the Dayton & Southeastern Railway, serv- ing in that capacity for one year before he re- turned to Delphos and engaged in the hotel business. This was continued until Septem- ber, 1885, when he came to Lima to accept a position with the Burnet Hotel, where he re- mained until: 1896. He then severed his con- nection with the hotel and engaged in the fire insurance business, in which he has been emi- nently successful. In 1902 he was appointed to his present office as secretary of the Lima Board of Fire Underwriters' Association.
In 1897 Mr. Landis was married to Eva Martin, daughter of John Martin, of Lima. Mr. Landis is identified with the Masonic order, being a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery, of each of which he is secretary. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias.
E. McCAULEY,* one of the suc- cessful merchants of Lima, where he has conducted a grocery store for the past four years, was born in Salem, Ohio, in 1856. He is a son of the late Joseph McCauley, who was an influential resident of Lima, engaged in the milling business. About 40 years ago the family settled in Lima, in whose schools our subject obtained his education.
Mr. McCauley secured his first employ- ment with The Moore Brother 'Company, wholesale and retail grocers, and remained with them for about four years, when he ac- cepted a position as bookkeeper with H. & J.
Langan. Two years later he began firing on the "Big Four" Railroad, and it was not until six years later that he abandoned that work and returned to Lima to resume commercial life. Entering the store of Cooper & Thomas, he remained with them until they sold the busi- ness to Mr. Watson, when he entered the em-
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ploy of that gentleman and continued with him for about 15 years. In May, 1901, he estab- lished his first business enterprise at his pres- ent location, No. 520 Jackson street, and has conducted the enterprise there since, carrying a complete and attractive stock of fancy and staple groceries and numbering among his patrons many of the first families of Lima.
In 1886 Mr. McCauley was married to Mary Weisner, a daughter of the late Chris- topher Weisner. They have three children- Rhea, Clara and Georgiana. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. McCauley has served in the City Council of Lima for two years, and is a prominent Knight of Pythias.
W. DRAKE,* a prominent merchant of Lima, engaged in the feed and fuel lines, was born at Boston, Massachu- setts, from which city his parents migrated to Illinois when he was about three years old.
After securing an excellent education, Mr. Drake returned to Massachusetts, entered the employ of the Boston & Providence Railroad, remained with that corporation for two years and then purchased a fruit farm in the vicinity of St. Joseph, Michigan. He continued in the fruit-raising business for some three years, and then became interested in Kansas live- stock. He remained at Emporia, Kansas, for some 14 years, becoming a leading citizen and member of the City Council. During this period he was largely interested in buying, raising and selling fine horses. Those informed on such matters will remember when "British Splendor" was regarded as the finest coach horse in America; this noble animal was the property of Mr. Drake.
From Kansas Mr. Drake removed to Chi- cago and for three years was located at the Stock Yards engaged in buying and selling horses. In 1895 he settled at Lima, being connected with the Standard Oil interests, but in 1902 he discontinued this association and established a coal, coke and general feed busi-
ness. In this he still continues, being one of the leading dealers of these commodities in Lima.
In 1876 Mr. Drake was married to Ella Merwin, of St. Joseph, Michigan. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In political sentiment he is a stanch Re- publican.
E. LOSEE,* one of Lima's well- known, substantial and representa- tive citizen, who is identified with a number of local enterprises, has been a capable locomotive engineer for the past 29 years, since 1881 having had the pas- senger run between Lima and Tipton, Indiana. Mr. Losee was born at Saratoga Springs, New York, April 18, 1851, and is a son of Thomas V. Losee.
Thomas V. Losee has also been a railroad man nearly all his life, but now lives in retire- ment at Lima, aged 80 years. He was a mas- ter mechanic in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops at Indianapolis for a number of years, for three years was a master mechanic with the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad, and for nine years general foreman of the shops of the Lake Erie & Western Rail- road at Lima. He married Helen L. Lyons and they had four children, the two survivors being : C. E., of this sketch, and Mary, wife of Charles Wolf, of Lima.
When C. E. Losee was two years of age, his parents located at Dayton, Ohio, moving two years later to Indianapolis, where he lived until he was 20 years old. From the age of 15 years he has been engaged in railroad work, beginning as a fireman on an engine of the present Pennsylvania system and working in this capacity for three years. He was then employed in the office of the road for two years, when he became an engineer on what is now the "Big Four" Railroad, running an en- gine from March, 1872, until March, iSSo. Later he became connected with the Lake Erie & Western road, and then located at Lima, which has since been his place of residence.
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In October, 1883, Mr. Losee was married to Bertha Romer, a daughter of the late Jo- seph Romer, who was born in Germany and came to Lima, in 1866, where he worked at his trade of shoemaker. Four of his nine children still survive, namely: Anna, wife of Henry Frueh, of the Lima Brewery; Emma, wife of J. L. O'Connor, of Lima; W. J., a merchant tailor, of St. Louis, Missouri; and Mrs. Losee. Mr. and Mrs. Losee have two children, Flor-
ence and Marie, the former at home, the latter attending school in Toledo. Mrs. Losee is a member of St. Rose Catholic Church.
Fraternally Mr. Losee is a Knight Tem- plar. He is interested in a number of success- ful business enterprises of the city, being on the board of directors of The Metropolitan Bank of Lima and The Crystal Ice & Coal Company, and is a stockholder in the home tel- ephone company.
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