History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2, Part 34

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 836

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2 > Part 34

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REV. GEO. W. CURRY, minister. Second Bap. tist Church, Delaware, was born in Barnesville, Belmont Co., Ohio, in 1845, and is the son of Addison and Elizabeth Ann (Wright) Curry ; when our subject was quite young. he with his parents moved to Hocking Co., Ohio. remaining but a short time, then to Perry Co., and from there to Zanesville, where Mr. Curry entered the public schools, and received a common-school edu- cation ; in 1868, he moved to Delaware. which has been his home since; in 1874, he was licensed to preach, and in 1877 was regularly ordained ; since Mr. Curry has been engaged in the ministry, he has been a faithful worker, having labored for one year in Urbana, and as a missionary preacher is doing good work in different parts of Ohio; he ;

established a church and Sunday school in Rich- wood, which is now in a very flourishing condition ; since 1877, the Rev. Mr. Curry has been located in Delaware, having charge of the Second Baptist Church, which is in a very good condition. In 1869, he married, in Zanesville, Ohio, Miss Julia Frances Andrews, of Indiana.

S. C. CONRY, County Auditor, Delaware, was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, March 8, 1832 ; is the son of Stephen and Elizabeth ( Whorton) Conry, both natives of Ohio; while a resident of his native county, Mr. Conry was engaged in farming, and from that he entered the mercantile business. In 1856, he moved to Hamilton Co., and, at the breaking-out of the late civil war, enlisted for three years in Co. L, 5th O. V. C., as a private, but was subsequently appointed Regimental Com- missary ; he participated in the battles of Pittsburg Landing, Mission Ridge, Corinth, and others on Sherman's Atlanta campaign; Nov. 8, 1864, he was mustered out, and returned to Hamilton Co. In January, 1865, he moved to Delaware, where he entered the grocery business, in which he con- tinued until 1872, when, after suffering a number of months with fever, he received a stroke of par- alysis, from which he has been a sufferer ever since ; during Mr. Conry's residence in Delaware, he has won a host of friends, resulting in his nom- ination and election by the Republican party to the office of Auditor of Delaware Co .; in 1877, he was reelected to the same position, being the only candidate elected at that time on the Republican ticket, thus receiving the commendation of the people for his devotion to duty, and kindly bear. ing toward his fellow-men, in discharging the labors of his official trust.

MOSES DECKER, Delaware, was born in Sussex Co., N. J., July 10, 1790; his fa- ther died when Mr. Decker was quite young, and he was placed in the hands of his grand- mother ; at the age of 17, Mr. Decker com. menced learning the trade of a wheelwright, which he followed some three or four years, when he worked at the carpenter and cabinet-maker's trade ; in 1820, he, with his wife and two children, Opera and Sallie, came West in wagons, and lo. cated in Kingston Township, Delaware Co .; here Moses Decker held several offices of publie trust ; was Township Clerk eight years, Postmaster zeven- teen years, and Justice of the Peace six years, offices which he filled with honor and credit ; after remaining in Kingston Township until 1864, the family moved to Delaware; in 1866, Mrs. Decker

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died, nearly 66 years of age. Mr. Decker was a soldier of the war of 1812 (of which war he is a pensioner), under Col. Seward, doing duty prin- cipally in Sandy Hook; April 16, 1815, he was made a Lieutenant of the New Jersey Militia ; his father-in-law was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his son, John P. Decker, was a soldier in the late civil war, enlisting in the 15th U. S. Regulars, of which he was a Second Lieutenant, and participated in a number of battles and marches; he died Sept. 1, 1863, from disease con- tracted in the service. Mr. Decker is a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was an Elder for a number of years in Kingston Town- ship; he is one of the five that first organized a Sunday school in Kingston Township; he also started the first temperance society in that town- ship. Of the Decker family, there are now liv- ing nine children ; as an old and highly respected settler of Delaware Co., Moses Decker will long be remembered.

FRANK L. DAVIS, hotel-keeper, Delaware, was born in Freeport, Ill .; his father, Gershom S. Davis, was a native of the State of New York ; his mother's maiden name was Lloyd; she was a native of Pennsylvania ; was married the first time to Dr. Clifton, with whom she moved to Iowa, where he died within two years after their mar- riage ; she then returned to the Quaker boarding- school in Mason Co., Ohio, which was kept by Jessie and Cynthia Harkness, at which place she had made her home for some time prior to her marriage; here she met Mr. Davis, a widower, whom she married; Frank L. was their only child ; his parents moved South before the rebel- lion ; his father was drafted into the Confederate army near the close of the war, and served as fifer for a Louisiana regiment ; he died at Navas- ota, Tex., in 1867, of yellow fever; the mother and son then came North to Ohio, and, in 186S, selected a home in Delaware; they bought prop- erty on North Sandusky street in 1876, and, in August, 1879, opened the Central Hotel. Mr. Davis entered the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1876, and completed the sophomore year, in the meanwhile teaching four months in each school year ; he was a member of the Class of '81.

ALBERT W. DUMM, physician and surgeon, Delaware ; was born in Monroe Co., Ohio, Dec. 1, 1847; son of Milton and Sarah J. ( McComas ) Dumm, who came to Ohio at an early day; his father was a farmer, and here, on the farm, Dr. Dumm remained until about 23 years of age,

when he began the study of medicine with his brother, Dr. S. C. Dumm, a leading physician of Delaware Co .; he also attended lectures at the Star- ling Medical College, and graduated from the Columbus Medical College, in 1876; he then came to Delaware and began the practice of medicine, and, after eighteen months, went to Missouri and practiced in- that State for two and a half years, when he returned to Delaware, where he has been engaged in the practice of his profession ever since. Dr. Dumm married Miss Emma A. Sparks, of Ohio, in 1877 ; they have one child, a daughter.

THE DELAWARE FENCE COMPANY was established in the year 1868, by A. J. Richards, the inventor of the fence manufactured by the Com- pany ; Gen. Eugene Powell, being satisfied of the advantages and general utility of the invention, associated himself with Mr. Richards in the manu- facture of the article, and, in 1875, became the sole owner of the establishment. Since coming en- tirely under the General's direction, the facilities have been increased, and the business has gradually but steadily grown until their productions are com- manding a sale in every direction. The fence manufactured by this Company is superior in al- most every essential particular; it combines strength, durability, beauty and cheapness, and is fast driving its competitors out of market where- ever it has been introduced. It is made from the best wrought iron and ranges in price from $1.50 to $3 per lineal foot. Another article of utility manufactured by this Company, and which finds a ready and extensive sale, is Fritchy's patent wrought-iron shifting rail for carriages. Carriage manufacturers and blacksmiths throughout the country find it an article of great convenience and ready use. Being made in sections, any part can be easily replaced in case of breakage, or it can be attached to the carriage as a whole by the purchaser without any difficulty. The business of this establishment is in a prosperous condition, ad- ditions having been made to their shops in order to accommodate their increasing trade. New arti- cles of manufacture are being added, and, with Gen. Powell at the head, it is destined to be one of the largest manufactories in Delaware City.

JOHN W. DONAVAN, Delaware ; manager of the Donavan's Original Tennesseeans, was born in Shippingsburg, Cumberland Co., Penn., Feb. 18, 1833, son of L. K. and Mary ( McConnell) Donavan, and a brother of Dr. M. W. Dona- van, a leading physician and a prominent pol-

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itician of Baltimore, Md .; when a lad, was engaged in clerking in his father's hat store, where he remained until 1853, when he came to Ohio and located in Mt. Vernon in mercantile business; in 1864, he moved to Delaware, where he continued in mercantile business until 1873, when he was engaged by Dr. R. S. Rust, one of the leading workers of the Freedman's Aid Society of the M. E. Church, to organize a colored musi- cal troupe, the proceeds to go for the building of a freedman's school, at Nashville; he immedi- ately went South, and after visiting a number of Southern States, selected a company from the cities

management, has accumulated a good property. He was married, in June, 1863, to Miss Mary Leahy, a native of Ireland, she having come to America with her parents when she was about 7 years of age, and to Delaware in 1852.

THE DELAWARE CHAIR COMPANY is the largest manufacturing establishment in Dela- ware, and among the largest in Central Ohio. This corporation was organized and commenced business in 1870, on the present site, in a frame building 32x60 feet, two stories high, receiving their power from an adjacent planing-mill, through the medium of an endless wire cable. Ten hands were em- of Augusta, Atlanta and Nashville, known as the ployed, with a monthly pay-roll of about $200. Tennesseeans, and after five weeks of practice had on the road a band of colored singers that aston- ished the people; he traveled with this company through the leading cities of the United States, receiving the highest praises from the very best people of the land for years, and making the snug sum of nearly $18,000 for the M. E. Church Freedman's Aid Society, which was employed in the erection of the Central Tennessee School of Nashville, Tenn., the leading school of the Freed- man's Aid Society; in 1876, the company was disbanded, and Mr. Donavan took charge and be- came sole manager of the Tennesseeans, doing a good business in the United States and parts of Canada; they are acknowledged to be the finest as well as the best-organized company of colored singers on the road. Mr. Donavan was married in Shippingsburg, Penp., in 1855, to Miss Kate L. Trone, of Cumberland Co., Penn.

From this small beginning their business has steadily increased, with a constantly growing demand for their chairs, until they find themselves cramped for room and facilities to meet the volume of orders that is crowding in upon them. This, too, notwithstanding the fact that they have in- creased their capacity until, from the small begin- ning, they have grown to occupy a building 74x100 feet, two and one-half stories high, and employ about one hundred and fifty hands, with a monthly pay-roll of about $2,500. In 1879. the Company put in their own steam-power, and, from the limited variety of fourteen styles of split- bottoms, they have grown to the production of 100 different patterns of cane-seat chairs. At the Cen- tennial Exhibition in 1876, they were awarded the first grand prize medal and diploma for the utility, strength, comfort, and cheapness of their chairs. The Company is composed of T. E. Powell. A. Lybrand, R. G. Lybrand and S. Lybrand. The latter is general correspondent and financial agent. and R. G. Lybrand business manager. The Com- pany are contemplating a removal to new quarters, the large stone building formerly occupied by the Delaware Manufacturing Company. This will afford room to carry on an immense business, with plenty of power and all the adaptations necessary for the conduct of every department with cheap- ness and dispatch. However, from the growing popularity of the goods produced by this establish- ment, it is not improbable that, in the near future, the Company will find a demand for all the space their new quarters will afford

MICHAEL DOYLE, merchant, Delaware; is one of the leading merchants of Delaware ; he was born in the county of Carlow, Ireland, about 1850 or 1851; he, with his mother and family (his father having died in Ireland), emigrated to America, and came to Ohio, locating in Columbus ; here our subject set out in life, learning his trade as a mar- ble cutter ; he worked there for some years, and then went to Memphis, Tenn., where he worked at his-trade a short time ; he also worked at Girard. Penn., and at Cleveland, Ohio: from there, in about 1860, he came to Delaware, and formed a partnership with Jolin Shea, in the marble busi- ness ; this firm continued for some five years, when Mr. Doyle embarked in his present business, flour, JESSE EURY, farmer; P.O., Delaware; among successful farmers of Delaware Co., may be men- tioned Mr. Jesse Eury, who was born in Frederick Co., near Liberty, Md., March 25, 1813, and is the son of Samuel and Sarah Enry ; he was raised feed, and a general stock of merchandise ; his flour and feed store is 20x60 feet in size ; his grocery, etc., is 20x80 feet ; the two stores adjoin, and are located on East Winter street. Mr. Doyle started in life a poor boy, but, with industry and good ; on the farm, and entered a mill in his native

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county, and began to learn the miller's trade, in which he continued, in Frederick Co., until 1836, when hestarted West to Ohio on horseback, arriving and locating in Delaware, after being on the road some two weeks; here he commenced to work at his trade, in a mill near where the woolen mill now stands ; after working a short time, he purchased an interest in the mill and continued in business until 1842, during which time he was . not very successful in the mill business, having suffered very much from the panic of 1837 ; in 1842, Mr. Eury purchased a farm in Delaware Township, on the Columbus and Delaware road, where he moved and commenced farming, remaining there until 1869, when he moved to his present farm; in 1870, he built his present home. He married, March 28, 1839, Miss Mary Kline, of Pennsylva- nia, who, with her parents, emigrated to Ohio and located in Delaware Co. at an early day ; they have one child. Mr. Eury owns 339 acres of land, most of which he has cleared, as when he purchased this land, in 1851, but little of it was improved. He owns one of the best-improved farms in his neighborhood.

CHARLES ELY, sewing-machine agent, Dela- ware, was born in Berks Co., Penn., in 1830, and is the son of Benjamin and Lydia (High) Ely, both natives of Pennsylvania; in 1836, they moved with their six children to Ohio, and located in Delaware Township, on a farm, now owned by F. P. Vergon, and then but little improved ; after remaining on this farm for a number of years, they moved south of town and, in 1847, moved to Delaware, where the father was engaged in gro- cery business until about 1870; he then retired from business, and died in 1876, nearly 80 years of age, thus passed away one of the old and res- pected citizens of Delaware. Charles Ely, leaving the farm, commenced traveling with a notion wagon, selling to merchants in different parts of Ohio; he next embarked in the grocery business in Delaware, in which he continued about four years; in 1873, he turned his attention to the sewing-machine business, taking an agency for the well-known Howe machine. In May, 1845, Mr. Elias Howe made the first sewing machine in a garret in Cambridge, Mass .; this first of all sewing machines may still be seeu at the office of the company in New York City; this company has erected at Bridgeport, Conn., works which rank among the largest in the world, turning out over six hundred machines a day ; this machine is con- sidered by thousands of people to be the best in

the world. Mr. Ely, at his new office, No. 16 Evan's Block, Sandusky street, will take great pains in showing the merits of the Howe sewing machine.

W. Z. EVANS, merchant, Delaware, is a native of this city, where he was born in the year 1852; his father, Thomas Evans, was the founder of the stove and tinware business. of which the son, W. Z., is now the owner; this establishment is the leading one of its kind in Delaware, and would be a credit to a much larger city; it was established some twenty-eight years ago, on the east side of Sandusky street, and subsequently moved to the storeroom next to their present place of business; their trade increasing, it became necessary to find larger quarters, and they moved to their present building, the first floor of which is occupied as a store and salesroom, 20x100 feet; in the rear of this is the tin-shop and warehouse, 25x50 feet; here they employ eight hands. W. Z. Evans occupied the position as clerk under his father, until 1876, when he succeeded to the proprietorship, and is now enjoying a trade that any one might covet, yet few attain; this the result of his thorough training in his line together with his natural business qualiti- cations, combined with integrity and the necessary amount of energy.

HENRY J. EATON, attorney at law, Delaware, was born in a rural home in the township of Berlin, this county, Oct. 25, in the year 1823; his parents were married in his native township Sept. 17, 1822; . they were James and Elizabeth B. (Caulkins) Eaton, and were among the first set- tlers of that locality, and were prominently con- nected with the development and improvements in the new country; Henry remained with his parents upon the farm until they moved into Del- aware City ; he was then about 15 years of age, and soon after entered the Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity, then a new institution ; from this he gradu- ated as one of a class of nine in the year 1849; among those who graduated at that time were L. J. Critchfield, of Columbus; Edward Parrott, who has been a speaker in the House of Repre- sentatives, and J. W. Hoyt, Governor of Wy- oming Territory ; in 1851. Mr. Eaton began the study of law with Judge T. W. Powell, and was admitted to the bar in 1853, and, with the excep- tion of one intermission of seven years, has been practicing his profession in Delaware; in 1857, Mr. Eaton formed a partnership with Col. W. P. Reid, with whom he continued until January, 1867.

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GEORGE C. EATON, fire and life insurance agent, Delaware, was born in Berlin Township, Delaware Co., Ohio, July 19, 1823, and is the son of James Eaton, one of the pioneers of Delaware Co .; at the age of 17, he entered college, acquir- ing most of his education at the Madison Univer- sity of New York, and at Dennison University ; he served as Deputy Auditor with his father for three years, and, in 1849, with his father, com- menced the publication of a map of Delaware Co. ; Mr. Eaton was Superintendent of the public school of Delaware for two years; was a resident of Zanesville some nine years, where he was en- gaged in publishing a map of Muskingum Co., and was also in the insurance business ; he filled the offices of City Engineer and Street Commissioner of Zanesville for seven years ; in 1861, returned to Delaware, where he has resided ever since; in 1862, he returned to the insurance business, and to-day Mr. Eaton is one of the oldest and best- posted insurance agents in Delaware Co., having had experience in that business for the past thirty- four years, and has, during that time, been con- pected with the leading insurance companies of America, acting as special State agent for several leading companies, and traveling in different parts of Ohio ; Mr. Eaton is agent for the leading fire and life insurance companies of the country.

HENRY FEGLEY (deceased), was born in Pennsylvania, where he worked at his trade of blacksmithing and farming. He married Re- becca Miller, and, after remaining in Pennsyl- vania for a number of years, they moved with their seven children to Ohio, and located in Dela- aware Township in 1837; he came in moderate circumstances, but, by hard work and economy, managed to gain a comfortable property ; he en- gaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1875, at the age of 81 years. He was a mem - ber of the Reformed Church ; he left a wife and nine children to mourn his loss. Mrs. Fegley was born in December, 1801.

mained on the farm until 1870, when he entered the Gazette office and learned the printer's trade ; in 1877, he entered his present business, and, in 1878, the firm of Moses E. Fleming & Co. was formed, the " Co." being H. J. McCul- lough, a leading citizen of Delaware; since then. they have been engaged in doing a large book and job printing business, also as book-binders, all work being done in the best and latest style ; they occupy two rooms in the block on the northwest corner of Main and Sandusky streets, and have in operation three first-class presses, one cylinder and two job presses, with steam power, turning out the best work in the city, doing the greater part of the printing for Donavan's Original Tennessee- ans and for the Delaware Chair Co., and part of the work on the Ohio Wesleyan University Cata- logue, and other establishments of Delaware and its vicinity.

"FIRE-PROOF HOUSES." We give the following 'as a brief description of the patent on fire-proof houses, taken out by the late Dr. R. Hills, of Delaware: A new departure in con- struction is to dispense with joists, either of wood or iron, and, in their stead. to use an arch of brick, the segment of a circle, over the entire area of a common-sized room. These arches or vaulted ceilings, in addition to the support re- ceived from the walls, are iron bound or belted at their base line with iron or steel bars of suitable size, laid in the walls and so connected as to make a complete unbroken belt to the room. The arches are made of well-burnt, hard brick, laid with hydraulie cement or calcined plaster, in the segment of a circle, with a radius of from twenty to forty feet. They are further stiffened and strengthened by constructing, on the upper sur- face, ribs of the same material, running from the walls to the center. If the floor is to be of tile, cement or other hard finish, the space between the ribs should be tilled by concreting, cross-arch- ing or otherwise, in the lightest manner practi- cable ; but if it is to be of boards, the filling may be omitted, and strips of wood are to be bedded and leveled on the ribs to receive the flooring. These arches are to be, with few exceptions, only two inches thick, but may be thicker when re- quired. This arch will yot yield without the breaking of the iron or steel belt. Remember, the tensile strength of the iron only is used, and pounds. It is imbedded in the walls, where it is

MOSES E. FLEMING & CO. Among the leading book and job printing offices of Dela- ware, is that owned and operated by Moses E. Fleming & Co., which business was com- menced in 1876, by George H. Thomson. In 1877, the firm was changed to Thomson & Co., with Mr. Moses E. Fleming forming the " Co." Mr. Fleming was born in Radnor Town- ship, Delaware Co., in 1853, and is the son of : that one square inch of iron will sustain 60,000 Joseph D. Fleming, whose father was one of the pioneer settlers of Delaware Co .; Mr. Fleming re- not subjected to great heat, though even if

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heated, its strength is as great as when cold. The Security Brick and Mortar will not burn. This substitute for joist will neither burn, warp, sag nor fall, in even a Chicago or Boston fire ; insurance useless ; a fire-proof house is the cheap- est. This method is undoubtedly to take the lead in fire proof buildings. Examples : The banking- house of the National Exchange Bank of Weston, W. Va., built in 1874; Girls' Industrial Home, . near Delaware, with over fifty rooms and no joists, built in 1875 ; also the private residence of Mrs. Dr. R. Hills, at Delaware.

S. GLOVER, merchant, Delaware. The old- est and largest dry-goods house of Delaware is that of which the above-named gentleman is proprietor; he was born in Belmont Co., Ohio, Nov. 28, 1839; the son of Samuel and Eliza- beth T. (McKisson ) Glover; both of his parents were natives of Ohio; his father was a mer- chant in Belmont Co., and our subject, when quite young, entered his father's store as a clerk. Dur- ing the late civil war, he recruited Co. C, of the 170th O. N. G., and was made Captain of that company ; they did duty at Maryland Heights, near Washington, D. C .; after returning home to Belmont Co., he embarked in mercantile business in Powhatan, where he remained until 1866, when he engaged in steamboating on the Ohio River for some two years. In 1869, he came to Delaware and entered the dry-goods business in company with his brother. under the name of Glover Bros .; after two years, the firm became Glover & Neff; in 1873, Mr. S. Glover became sole proprietor, and since then has increased his business and facilities fully 100 per cent, and con- trols the largest dry-goods trade in Delaware; his store is located on Sandusky street, below Will- iams, where he occupies two floors ; the first floor, 23x100 feet, used for the dry goods ; the second floor, 21x58, is used for carpets, oil cloths, rugs and window curtains ; he employs eight clerks, who are polite and attentive.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2, Part 34

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 836

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 836