USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 71
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day. He assisted in putting in new machinery and became night engineer and turned the first wheel that ever revolved in the still house. Later Stephen Crusey and his brothers opened a brickyard, its site being what is now known as Gramercy Park, and for many years he carried on this business. Retiring at last he spent some quiet, restful years prior to his death in January, 1910, when aged eighty-eight years, having survived his wife since 1888. One son, Edward, who was born in Germany, is now in the grocery business at Sidney.
Conrad Crusey attended the public and parochial schools at Sidney and as a boy worked in his father's brickyard and afterward, for eighteen years, was in the liquor business. In 1906 he embarked in the grocery line and carries a large and carefully selected stock, catering to the city's best trade.
Mr. Crusey was married in 1875 to Miss Nettie Wise, of Muncie, Ind., a lady reared at Sidney from the age of seven years, and they have three chil- dren : Agnes Jane, who is the wife of Bert E. Binckley, of Cleveland, by whom she has five children-Helen, Dolores, Marion, Paul and Sarah; Milton S., who married and lives at Sidney, has three children-Frances Marie, Jennette Rose and John Anthony; and Nicholas John, who married Agnes Redindo, lives at Sidney and has two sons, Adrian and Nicholas. Mr. Crusey and family are members of the Holy Angels Catholic church.
ELIAS J. GRIFFIS, a lifelong resident of Shelby county, O., and a very prominent business man of Sidney, interested in many of the important enter- prises of this section, was born in Cynthian township, Shelby county, March 8, 1862, and is a son of J. S. and Mary (Babylon ) Griffis.
J. S. Griffis was born in Butler county, O., a son of Jacob and Rachel Griffis, who came to Shelby county when their son, J. S., was a boy and set- tled on the present site of the Loramie reservoir. J. S. Griffis engaged in the grain business at Dawson, O., in 1880, and was a well known business man. He was the first postmaster at that place. He died in 1964 at the age of seventy-two years. He married Mary Babylon, who was reared in Miami county, O., and died in 1905 at the age of sixty-eight years. Her parents were Daniel and Eliza Babylon, old residents of Miami county. To J. S. Griffis and wife four children were born: Warren A., who died of typhoid fever, in 1895, survived by a widow and one daughter, was in partnership with his brother, Elias J., in the grain business from 1887 until the time of death ; Jennie E., who is the wife of E. T. Custolenborder, of Sidney ; Wilson, who died in infancy; and Elias J.
Elias J. Griffis was educated in the local schools and at Ada Normal and from 1880 to 1885 alternated teaching with school attendance and afterward was interested in the grain business at Dawson for several years. In 1887, in partnership with his older brother, Warren A., he purchased the grain busi- ness of Nutt Bros., operating an elevator known as the Old Stone Bridge Elevator. The Griffis brothers did an immense business both in coal and grain. In 1895 the old building was replaced by the present one, the new elevator being the best in this part of the state. The business was continued after the death of Warren A. Griffis, the firm name being E. J. Griffis & Co.
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In 1898 a flour mill was erected with a capacity of ninety barrels, and Mr. Griffis continued to devote his time to this enterprise until 1904, when he sold out to E. E. Nutt.
A large number of the successful business enterprises of Sidney have had the fostering care of Mr. Griffis and his interest in many of these continues. He was one of the promoters and one of the first officers of the Commercial Club, serving as its second president ; is a stockholder and director in the Sid- ney Tool Company ; a stockholder and director of the Monarch Company ; a stockholder in the Sidney Manufacturing Company, and, in association with W. E. Wenger, owns the Standard Clutch Company, of Sidney. In 1895 he entered the newspaper field, purchasing the old Sidney Journal, which was founded in 1832, and consolidated it with the Sidney Gazette, then owned by Mr. Williams, the new paper being issued as the Sidney Journal-Gazette, and during the four years that he remained connected with it, the policy of the paper was progressive and tended to assist in furthering the interests of this section. Mr. Griffis is first vice president of the Shelby County Build- ing & Loan Association, and he also owns two fine farms in his native county.
In 1888, Mr. Griffis was married to Miss Rhoda V. Boyle, a daughter of S. H. and Elizabeth Boyle, old residents of Cynthian township, and they have one son, Forest H. The latter was educated at Sidney and is shipping clerk for the Sidney Tool Company. He married Miss Mabel Struble and they have a handsome residence at No. 119 Walnut street, Sidney.
In his political affiliation Mr. Griffis has been an active republican but has never sought political honors, accepting only membership on the board of health, in which office he has served with efficiency for the past twelve years. Both he and wife are members of the Presbyterian church. The only fraternal organization with which he has ever identified himself is the Improved Order of Red Men. Mr. Griffis is largely a self-made man, his suc- cess having been mainly the result of his own unaided efforts.
R. O. BINGHAM, superintendent of the Wagner Manufacturing Com- pany of Sidney, O., a member of the library board and a citizen of sterling worth, was born at Baltimore, Md., August 25, 1850, and is a son of Alfred Hugh and Rebecca (Evans) Bingham, the former of whom, for some years, was superintendent of cotton mills in Maryland.
In the infancy of Mr. Bingham, his parents moved to Alexandria, Va., and there he attended school. He afterward served an apprenticeship of four years to the machinist trade and worked in cotton mills until 1871, when he came to Sidney, O. Here he entered the machine shop of G. G. Haslup & Brother, where he remained for seven years, in the meanwhile being first made foreman and later superintendent. During these seven years the busi- ness name had been changed to the Sidney Manufacturing Company. In 1888 he went to Marion, Ind., with Mr. Gould and Mr. Fruchey, on account of inducements offered by capitalists in that city, and for three years the partners conducted works for the manufacture of hollow ware and stoves. when their plant was burned. Mr. Bingham then came back to Sidney and
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ever since has been identified with the Wagner Manufacturing Company as its superintendent. This important business enterprise of Sidney started with twenty men and at present 300 are given employment, all of whom, in their industrial activities, come under the careful superintendence of Mr. Bingham.
In 1881 Mr. Bingham was married at Sidney to Miss Alice Conklin, a daughter of the late Judge Conklin, and they have two children, Florence and Hugh, both of whom have been afforded exceptional educational advantages. Miss Florence was educated in Miami University at Oxford, O. Hugh is a graduate of the Wesleyan University at Delaware, O., and during 1910-II was an instructor in the Sidney high school, and at present is a student of law in the Western Reserve College. The mother of these children died in March, 1908.
Mr. Bingham has always taken a public spirited interest in city improve- ments since he came to Sidney and for thirteen years served as a member of the school board, in 1910 being its secretary and its president in the following year. He has held other municipal offices and for many years served as a member of the board of trustees of the city waterworks. As a member of the Commercial Club, Mr. Bingham has encouraged its aims and on many occasions his sound business advice has been followed. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and a Knight Templar in Masonry.
KIRBY THRELKELD, who has been identified with the grain business at Jackson Center, O., for eight years and conducts a mill and grain eleva- tor here, was born at Shelbyville, Shelby county, Ky., December 29, 1872, and is a son of Elijah and Mary Ellen Threlkeld, both of whom survive and now reside at St. Joseph, Mo.
Kirby Threlkeld was four years old when his parents moved to Missouri, where he was reared and attended the public schools and later Hardin College. Afterward he came to Fayette county, O., to learn telegraphing and subse- quently was made operator and agent at Jackson Center for the D. T. & I. A .. and continued for eight years. For about eighteen months he was with the Baughman Lumber Company of Jackson Center as manager, and then became assistant cashier of the old Farmers & Merchants Bank, which, after reor- ganization, became the First National Bank of Jackson Center. Mr. Threl- keld remained with the bank for a year and a half and then purchased a one- half interest in the mill and elevator of G. E. Allinger & Son, the mill plant having been erected by Allinger & Woodcock. The firm of Allinger & Threl- keld succeeded and continued for three years, when Mr. Threlkeld purchased his partner's interest and assumed entire ownership. He did an extensive business but a fire that attacked his plant in December, 1912, swept everything away, his elevator at that time having about fifteen thousand dollars worth of grain destroyed. Steps will probably soon be taken to rebuild and possibly on a still larger scale. Mr. Threlkeld is not a man to permit business disasters to discourage him. He has always been an active and public spirited citizen and enjoys public confidence and esteem. A democrat in politics, he has always declined public office for himself.
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Mr. Threlkeld inarried Miss Nevada E. Hall, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Hall, the former of whom is deceased, but the latter lives at Jack- son Center, where Mrs. Threlkeld was born. Mr. and Mrs. Threlkeld have one son, Wayne Hall. They have a very handsome residence which is situated on South Main street, Jackson Center. He is identified with the Odd Fellows.
GEORGE P. STALEY, who is probably one of Shelby county's best known citizens, prominent in political life and popular as an educator, was born in Jackson township, Shelby county, O., April 6. 1871, and is a son of George W. and Sarah C. (Erven) Staley, both of whom reside in Jackson township. The Staley family is an old and substantial one of this section.
George P. Staley secured his early education in Jackson township, in dis- trict No. 6, and afterward attended Lebanon University. He then entered the educational field and taught school for twenty-three years, in the mean- while acquiring a teacher's life certificate. Since his marriage he has been a resident of Montra, O. A lifelong democrat, Mr. Staley has been very loyal to his party and has frequently been honored by the same with elec- tion to responsible offices. He served for two years as assessor of Jackson township, for six years was a member of the board of county school exam- iners, being the clerk and president of this body, and in November, 1912, was elected county auditor of Shelby county, for which office he is undoubt- edly well qualified. For the past eight years he has also been clerk of Jackson township and his official duties in this direction will engage him for one more year.
Mr. Staley has been a factor in the literary life of his social acquaintance and is one of the oldest members of the Shelby County Reading Circle.
HENRY H. EVERSMAN, who was born in 1871, resides on his birth- place farm, which is situated in Van Buren township, Shelby county, O., and is a well known, public spirited and highly respected citizen of this section. He is a son of Herman and Elgian Eversman. The father was born in Ger- many but the mother is of American birth. Of their seven children, Henry H. is the fourth in order of birth. William, the eldest, was a resident of Auglaize county, O., where he died. He married Louise Rehn, who survives. John died at the age of twenty-three years. George married Magdalena Kat- terheinrich and they live at New Bremen, O. Fred Erick married Dora Kat- terheinrich and they live at New Knoxville, O. Philip married Sarah Schroe- lucke and they live in Auglaize county, O. Sarah, the youngest of the family, is the wife of William Koge and they live in Auglaize county.
Henry H. Eversman was educated in the public schools and ever since. with the exception of two years during which he lived at New Knoxville, he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Van Buren township. He owns a well improved farm of eighty acres here and additionally has a farm containing seventeen and one-half acres situated in Auglaize county.
Mr. Eversman married Miss Anna Settlage, a daughter of William and Mary Settlage, the other members of their family being: August, who mar-
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ried Elizabeth Snethcamp, now deceased, and for his second wife, Grace Hol- croft and they live at New Bremen; Herman, who is deceased, married Anna Knierim; William, who lives in Auglaize county, married Ida Wellman; Henry, who married Mary Grether and they live in Wisconsin; Sarah, who is the wife of William Elshoff, of Shelby county; Caroline, who married John Geiger and they live at St. Mary's; Matilda, who married John Wagoner, of Auglaize county ; Flora, who married Wesley Katterheinrich and they live in Auglaize county; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Louis Hoge and they live in Indiana; and Paulina, who lives with her brother, William, and family.
Mr. and Mrs. Eversman have four children: Walter, Florence, Wesley and Arnold. Mr. Eversman and family belong to the Reformed church. Polit- ically he is identified with the progressive party and takes a very decided interest in public affairs both local and countrywide.
PHILIP SMITH, president of the Philip Smith Manufacturing Company, one of the most important business enterprises of Sidney, O., giving employ- ment to a large number of men and thereby adding to the general prosperity of the city, is one of the solid, stable, reliable men of Sidney. He was born at Harrisburg, Pa., September 7, 1839, and is a son of Reinhardt and Catherine Smith. Reinhardt Smith and wife were natives of Pennsylvania and prob- ably were of German parentage. He was a foundryman by trade and after his son Philip had started his foundry at Sidney, camc here with another son, Michael, and they became partners in the business.
Philip Smith was reared in Dauphin county, Pa., through his school period and then came to Ohio, and in a foundry at Dayton learned the molder's trade and remained there until he was almost twenty-one years old, when he came to Sidney, and here started out in business for himself on a capital of $25, practically among strangers. He was able to purchase the ground on which an old foundry had formerly stood but had been destroyed by fire, and in 1859 he put up his first shop and from that time until the present has been in the manufacturing business and is the oldest manufacturer in the city. Industrious, persevering and possessed of mechanical skill, Mr. Smith gradually broadened his busi- ness field until his plant had been developed into one of such impor- tance that it became advisable to form a company, and thus the Philip Smith Manufacturing Company came into existence and its capitaliza- tion is $130,000, Mr. Smith owning the majority of the stock, his part- ners being L. M. Studevant and B. D. Heck. The business carried on is the manufacture of elevator machinery and employment is afforded from eighty to one hundred workmen. Mr. Smith retained the active manage- ment until 1907, when he retired but with no loss of interest. When a man has built up a business like that of Mr. Smith, no formal retire- ment from some of its responsibilities can cause him to lose his interest in its continued prosperity. At various times Mr. Smith invested in farm land and in town property and both are now exceedingly valuable and his investments aggregate 270 acres. For some years after starting
PHILIP SMITH
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into the manufacturing business Mr. Smith operated a spoke plant to- gether with his foundry, and also a hollow ware factory, but sold the latter to the Wagner Manufacturing Company and discontinued the former. Mr. Smith has always been too busy a man to take a very active part in politics, but at times has consented to serve on the city council. where his business judgment has been highly valued. He is one of the oldest members of the Odd Fellows in this section.
WILLIAM FRANKLIN RHOADES, a man of character and standing in Loramie township, Shelby county, O., who for seven years has been presi- dent of the Beech Grove special school district and still earlier a member of the board, was born December 13, 1864, in Newberry township, Miami county, O., and since the age of twenty-one years has resided on his present valuable farm of 210 acres, lying in section 25, Loramie township.
John Rhoades, father of W. F. Rhoades, was born in Pennsylvania and at the age of twenty-one years came to Miami county. O., and settled on 160 acres in Newberry township, where he cut the first tree ever taken from the native forest in that section. In Montgomery county he married Miss Bar- bara Apple, and ten children were born to them, not all of whom, however, survived her. One of her sons, Henry Rhoades, died while serving as a soldier in the Civil war. The second marriage of John Rhoades was to Eliza- beth Schneck, who was born in Pennsylvania but was reared in Montgomery county, O., and she became the mother of five children, dying when aged seventy-five years. Of the second marriage W. F. Rhoades was the second born.
W. F. Rhoades, with his wife, moved on the farm of eighty acres they purchased in the spring of 1886 and in the year 1889 purchased fifty acres adjoining the home place. He cleared eighty acres of his farm and tiled all of it. In the year 1897 they built the large bank barn and erected the wind pump with supply tanks and hydrants. In the year of 1904 they built the large buff pressed-brick house, with all modern improvements, which is their present home. In 1909 they purchased the Apple homestead of eighty acres, this farm being well improved with a large brick house and bank barn.
Mr. Rhoades was married in Miami county, O., to Miss Lucinda B. Lox- ley, who was born in that county, a daughter of Benjamin and Phebe Ann (Kaylor) Loxley. The mother of Mrs. Rhoades is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Rhoades have two children: Grover Franklin and Orville Leslie, and they also reared a niece, Myrtle Loxley, now the wife of Morris Cothran. Mr. Rhoades and family are members of the Lutheran church at Bloomer, in which he is a deacon and is assistant superintendent of the Sunday school. A lifelong democrat, Mr. Rhoades has been a loyal party worker but has accepted few offices except those concerned with the public schools, in which he has been deeply interested. He belongs to the Bloomer Horse Thief Asso- ciation, of which he was president, is a member of the Knights of Pythias, attending the last named lodge at Versailles, O. Mr. Rhoades is president and for the past eight years has been manager of the Bloomer Home Tele-
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phone Company, and is one of the charter members of this enterprise. Few men in Shelby county are better known in the quiet walks of life.
CHRISTOPHER SHEARER, who is one of Franklin township's most highly respected citizens, a retired farmer, was born in Montgomery county, O., six miles from Dayton, in Wayne township, May 4, 1826, and is a son of Moses and Mary ( Martin) Shearer, a grandson of Valentine Shearer.
Moses Shearer was born in Bedford county, Pa., and probably was of German descent. He followed farming as an occupation through life, first in his native state and later in Montgomery county. O. He was a man of good standing in his neighborhood and was a member and supporter of the Reformed church. In politics he was a whig. He married Mary Martin, who was born in Maryland, and the following children were born to them, many of whom became well known in Shelby county: Elizabeth Catherine, who married F. E. Munger ; Marian, who married Asa Grimes; Christopher ; Susannah, who married Samuel Wright : Julia Ann; George W .; Sarah Jane, who married William Eckert ; Henry E .; William H. and David Edward.
When Christopher Shearer was a boy the matter of securing an educa- tion was much more difficult than at present but, in spite of disadvantages, the essentials were taught and the foundation thus laid was built upon as later opportunity offered. After his school days were over, Mr. Shearer gave his father assistance until he was twenty-three years old, when he married and for five subsequent years worked for his father on the home farm on shares. He then purchased 114 acres in Montgomery county and lived on that prop- erty for two years and then sold, and in 1856 came to Shelby county and took possession of a farm he had bought in Jackson township. On that farm he remained for eight years and then sold and purchased the farm in Frank- lin township on which, with the exception of four years spent in Montgom- ery county, he has lived ever since, selling the same to his son Edward in 1910.
On December 19, 1849, Mr. Shearer was married to Miss Harriet Wright, who was born in Miami county, a daughter of Asahel and Martha (Sweney) Wright. The parents of Mrs. Shearer were natives of Vermont and they had children as follows: Edmund, Samuel, Sarah, John Quincy, Warren, Harriet and William. To Mr. and Mrs. Shearer a large family was born, the record being as follows : Albert L., John H., Martha Alice, Mary Florence, Samuel Edward, Clara Bell, Charles M. and Minnie Louella, twins, William Everett, Effie Grace. Warren Wright and Frances Harriet. Albert L. married Julia Folkerth and they have one daughter, Edith. John H. married Alvena Miller and they have two children, Ethel and Howard. Charles M. married first Grace Russell and she left one child, Dorothy Grace. His second mar- riage was to Frances E. Burritt. Minnie Louella married Dr. E. McCormick and they have two children, Lowell and Eugene. William Everett married Eva Young and two children were born to them, Mildred and Frederick W., the former of whom is deceased. Warren Wright married Helen Hackman, who is deceased. Frances Harriet married E. W. Richards.
Mr. Shearer was reared in the Reformed faith and all through his long
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life has retained his membership in this religious body and in younger years served as a church official. He remembers well the organization of the repub- lican party and has supported its policies and candidates for many years.
FOREST D. CHRISTIAN, who conducts what is generally acknowledged to be the best equipped drug store in western Ohio, located at Sidney, has been a resident of this city since the summer of 1897, with the exception of a few months, during which period he managed a drug store at Nicholasville. Ky. Mr. Christian was born September 3. 1873, at Versailles, O., and is a son of Samuel and Lydia E. Christian, his father being a farmer and stock dealer in Darke county.
Forest D. Christian attended the public schools at Versailles and after graduating there entered upon an apprenticeship to the drug business under J. G. Steinle, an old and experienced drug man, and during 1895 and 1896 was a student in the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, and after completing his professional course returned to Versailles and from there on July 5. 1897. came to Sidney. He accepted a position with H. W. Thompson, druggist, and remained with him until September, 1899, in September of that year going to Nicholasville, Ky., where he managed a store, as alluded to above, return- ing to Sidney on April 6, 1900, when he took over the management of Mr. Thompson's store. In 1904 he purchased a one-half interest in the store, and on July 30, 1908, after Mr. Thompson's death, bought the latter's interest and has been sole proprietor since that time. In addition to carrying the most complete line of drugs and drug sundries in northwestern Ohio, Mr. Chris- tian handles a complete line of patent medicines of known merit, together with a complete line of physicians' supplies, doing a very extensive business in this department in this and adjoining counties. He also caters to public convenience by devoting space to books, stationery, periodicals, perfumes, camera supplies and other sundries, his stock covering all that is usually found in a modern drug and book store and is one that has been carefully selected with a view to pleasing a very discriminating public.
Mr. Christian was married to Miss Florence E. Hardman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sol Hardman of Versailles, O., on May 12, 1897, she at that time being a popular teacher in the Versailles schools. Mrs. Christian is an accomplished musician and since coming to Sidney has been one of the active members of the city's leading musical organizations. She is prominent in social and church affairs. Mary Bess, the daughter and only child, is spend- ing her first year in the city high school, a pleasant little lady taking particular interest in her music and getting along nicely in her regular school work. Mr. and Mrs. Christian and daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and Knights of Pythias, being past chancellor in the latter organization, and is a member of the local branch of the United Commercial Travelers. He has shown his public spirit in many ways since becoming a permanent resident of Sidney and is an active member and a former director of the Sidney Commercial Club.
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