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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
Vol. II
by Wm. Rusler - Publ.
1921
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1921 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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JOHN W. RED.
Five miles east of Delphos in Marion Township is situated the
highly developed farm of John W. Red. Mr. Red
has been a factor in that community for many years, carries
on general farming and stock raising, also operates an extensive
orchard, and has found many useful interests to occupy his time
and attention.
He was born in Perry County, Ohio, Oct. 14, 1853, son
of Abraham and Elizabeth (Polting) Red. His father
was a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, and his mother of
Hocking County, in which county they were married and settled
there on a farm. His father was born in 1830 and died in
1907, and the mother is still living at Logan, Ohio. Both
were very devout members of the United Brethren Church and the
father was a democrat in politics. Of eight children the
following are still living: John W., Alonzo of
Columbus, Levi of Perry County, Irena, wife of
Mr. Hamilton of Hocking county.
John W. Red grew up on a farm, having a distinct
school education, and has been a resident of Allen County since
1876. On Dec. 12, 1878, he married Miss Herring,
who was born near Allentown in Allen County Dec. 22, 1859,
daughter of Penrose Herring. She grew up on a farm
in American Township and had a common school education.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Red lived in American
Township for a year and a half and then came to their present
farm. Mr. Red is owner of ninety-five acres, and
while he was contended with some adversities in the past he has
achieved real prosperity as an Allen County agriculturist.
Ten and a half acres of his farm is devoted to an apple orchard,
one of the larger orchards in this section of Ohio, and under
his management usually a source of much profit.
Mr. and Mrs. Red had thirteen children and ten
of them are still living. Jesse, the oldest,
married Bessie Ditto and lives in Marion Township;
Lydia is the wife of Charles Myers of Marion
Township; James is married and lives in Allen County;
Goldie is the wife of Marion Heidlebrauch, of
Marion Township; Ray married Florence Rand and
lives at Delphos; Penrose is a graduate of Otterbein
College, is a minister of the United Brethren Church at East
Palestine, and during the World war was a chaplain with the army
at Camp Jackson, Georgia; Homer; Ernest was in
training as a soldier at Camp Jackson; Bertha is the wife
of Dr. Lewis Brunk, of Rockford, a dentist; and Gail
H., the youngest, is fourteen years of age. The family
are active members of the United Brethren Church, Mr. Red
being a trustee of his local congregation and has also served as
superintendent of the Sunday school. He keeps in touch
with progressive agricultural interests, is a member of the
Marion Grange, and is a member of the Township School Board.
Politically he votes as a democrat.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 268 |
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CLEO C. REED.
The possession of a well-equipped farm of 130 acres and large
stock interests by no means represents the claim of Cleo C.
Reed upon the consideration and appreciation of his fellow
townsmen at Spencerville. He is a genial man, who has been
thrown in contact with all classes of people by a diversity of
occupations, and as a public servant has contributed materially
to the welfare and advancement of his community.
Mr. Reed was born in Champaign county, Ohio,
July 7, 1870, a son of John T. and Eliza (Bodey) Reed,
natives of the same county, where they were reared, educated and
married. After their marriage they settled on a farm near
Millersburg, John T. Reed also adding to his income by
teaching school during the short winter terms. In 1883
they removed to Auglaize county, Ohio, where they still make
their home on a farm four miles south of Spencerville.
They have been industrious people who have accumulated a
comfortable share of this world's goods, and who have in so
doing held the respect and esteem of their neighbors.
Mr. Reed is a Democrat in his political affiliation, has
held the position of township clerk for many years, and he and
Mrs. Reed are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. Of their six children three are living:
Cleo C.; Walter S., an agriculturist of Auglaize county,
Ohio; and Hattie, the wife of William McMillan, of
Allen county, Ohio. The deceased children were: Rachel
who was the wife of Peter Leffel; Minnie, who was the
wife of Fred Rabley; and George A. George A.
Reed enlisted in the machine gun corps of the Second
Division during the World war and rose to the rank of
lieutenant. During the Argonne offensive he was wounded
Oct. 4, 1918, and failed to recover, passing away at the age of
thirty-five years.
Cleo C. Reed was five years old when he
accompanied his parents to Auglaize county, and there his
education was acquired in the public schools. His boyhood
and youth were passed much the same as those of other farmers'
sons, and he remained under the parental roof until he reached
the age of twenty-three yeas. On Sept. 30, 1902, he was
united in marriage with Ethel May Miller, who was born on
a farm in Ethel May Miller, who was born on a farm in
Amanda township, Allen county, Ohio, July 18, 1882, a daughter
of Orlando and Margaret C. (Marbaugh) Miller.
Following their marriage they rented a farm in Auglaize county,
but later purchased their present property in Spencer township,
Allen county, a tract of 130 acres, on which Mr. Reed
devotes the greater part of his attention to livestock. He
is a shipper whose operations are considered important, and a
stockholder in the Farmers Union Elevator.
Mr. Reed has passed through the chairs of the
American Insurance Union and belongs to the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, while Mrs. Reed holds membership in the
Rebekahs. They are faithful members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. In politics a Democrat, Mr. Reed
is at present serving as chairman of the board of town trustees.
He and Mrs. Reed have two children: Kenneth L.,
born in 1906; and Merle S., born in 1912.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 70 |
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JOHN W. REED,
for eighteen years associated with his brothers, H. M. and J.
F. Reed, in the Reed Brothers Electric
Company, 125 East Market Street, Feb. 3, 1921, withdrew from the
concern, his interests being taken over by his brothers.
The retirement of Mr. Reed from the firm marks the first
change in ownership of the company since the three brothers
organized the concern, which is Lima's pioneer in the electrical
line. Only two other electrical companies were in business
here when Reed Brothers was established, and these have
long since passed from the local field.
When the Reed brothers arrived in Lima, the
electrical business was only slightly past the infant stage.
The electric light company was doing business in a small way
back of the Opera House Block, and was wiring houses free of
charge to increase business, it is said. Builders were
suspicious of electricity, and H. M. Reed relates one
instance where the irate owner of a new home drove him from the
place, declaring that he would not have his house wired, as he
did not want his residence burned up with those new-fangled
electric lights. Despite the discouraging outcome of the
first year's business, the three brothers continued their
efforts and built up a thriving trade.
John W. Reed was born in Crawford County, Ohio,
in January, 1875, a son of Westley and Adeline (Walters) Reed.
The Reed family is of Scotch-Irish extraction, and its
members of the different professions. Westley Reed
was a railroad man and connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
for many years. His death occurred in 1898, but his widow
survives.
Mr. Reed attended the public schools until he
reached the age of fourteen years, and he later took courses in
electrical engineering in the Lippincott and Scranton schools.
In the meanwhile, when only fourteen years old, he began to be
self-supporting as light trimmer for the Cantine Light Company
at Crestline, Ohio, and remained with that company for four
years, rising within two years to e light engineer.
Leaving his first company, Mr. Reed engaged with the
Peltow Engineering Company of Cleveland, Ohio, as erection man,
and held that position for six months, and then left it to take
charge of the underground work for the Cleveland Illuminating
Company, which position he occupied with capable efficiency for
a year, and then received and accepted a flattering offer from
the Alliance Cantine Light Company to construct the entire
lighting system of Alliance, Ohio, and engine room, and after he
had been working on the job for nine months a sale was made to
the Edison Company. Mr. Reed then went into the
electrical business for himself at Cleveland and for two years
held and carried out some of the important contracts in his line
in that city. Disposing of his interests at Cleveland.
Mr. Reed then engaged with the American Ship Building
Company at Lorain, Ohio, and was engaged in installing electric
lights on boats, and his ability received almost instant
recognition as he was made boat foreman within two weeks of his
entering the employ of this corporation. Following a
connection with it of two and one-half years Mr. Reed
went to Bay City, Michigan, as electrical engineer to build five
boats and reconstruct the yards there. After giving this
work his constant attention for a year, he came to Lima, Ohio,
and in 1894, in partnership with his brothers, Frank and H.
M. Reed, he organized the firm of Reed Brothers
Electrical Company at the present location.
In 1902 Mr. Reed was united in marriage with
Anna E. Pilgrim of Galion, Ohio, a daughter of Melvin and
Tamzon (Miller) Pilgrim. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have four
children, namely: Rita Adaline, Eugene Pilgrim, Marion
Wesley and Nellie Elizabeth. Mr. Reed belongs
to the Elks, the Lima Gun Club, of which he is secretary and
treasurer, and he is an adept at trap shooting and big game
hunting.
A democrat, Mr. Reed was elected on his party
ticket as a member to the City Council from the Third Ward of
Lima in 1919 for a two-year term, and has taken an important
part in that body ever since, being now chairman of the city
light committee and a member of the bridge and paving committee
and four other committees of less importance. The
Methodist Church holds his membership and benefits from his
liberal contributions toward its support. A very carefully
trained man of wide experience, he is giving his community the
result of his specialized knowledge, and is rightly enumerated
among the best men of his community and county.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 179 |
Silas Reed
Harriet B. Silas |
SILAS REED.
The career of Silas Reed, of Shawnee township, is an
illustration of the possible control over early limitations and
of the wise utilization of ordinary opportunities. His
life has been identified with Allen county for a long period of
time, and the substantial fortune which enables him to live in
comfortable retirement was acquired through farming. He
was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, Jan. 18, 1840, a son of
Samuel and Mary (Aker) Reed, and a grandson of Noah Reed,
a native of Ohio.
The parents of Mr. Reed were born in Fairfield
county, where they were reared, educated and married, and in
1853 came to Allen county, where the father bought land in
Shawnee township. During his earlier years he added to his
income by working at the trade of cooper, a vocation which he
had mastered prior to his marriage, but later in life his entire
attention was demanded by his farming interests. He and
his worthy wife passed away in Shawnee township and were laid to
rest in the Shawnee Cemetery. There were ten children in
the family: Silas, Salem, a resident of Shawnee
township; Isaac and John, deceased; Freeman
of Lima; Nelson, of Cridersville; Emma the wife of
Charles Audrew, of Shawnee township; Laura, the
wife of Clarence Redmond of Bath township, Allen county;
Clara, deceased; and Almeda, who died as the wife
of the late Cyrus Nye.
Silas Reed received a district school education,
and at the age of seventeen years began working out by the month
on farms owned by members of the Hover family in Allen
county. He was thus employed until he enlisted in April,
1861, in Company A, Twentieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry,
with which contingent he served for three months, his duties
consisting of guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in
Virginia. Discharged in August, 1861, he returned to his
home, but in August, 1862, re-enlisted, becoming a member of
Company B, Ninety-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as
corporal, and was assigned to the command of General Braag,
with which he was under firein Kentucky and Tennessee. In
the spring of 1863 he was promoted second sergeant, and took
part in the battle of Perrysville and all the engagements from
Stone River to Atlanta. Subsequently he went to
Johnsonville, Tennessee, where the men of his command became
scattered, but Mr. Reed took part in the battles of
Nashville, Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain. He received
his honorable discharge July 17, 1865, and was mustered out of
the service with a splendid record in August, 1865.
Returning to his home, the gallant soldier purchased a
forty-acre farm, all timber except ten acres, and there he
lived, engaged in the work of clearing and cultivation, until
1873, when he sold this farm and bought forty acres of
partly-cleared land in section 14, Shawnee township. Here
he remodeled the buildings and rebuilt the residence, made other
improvements, erected new structures, and in general developed
an attractive and valuable property, in the meantime adding to
its original acreage by the purchase of an additional twenty.
In 1909 he retired from active pursuits after a long, successful
and markedly honorable farming career, and since then has rented
his land to tenants.
Mr. Reed was married Aug. 8, 1865, to Harriet
B. Napier, who was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, daughter
of William and Sarah (Huff) Napier, of that county, and
to this union there have been born the following children:
Florence, who died at the age of four years; Alta M.,
the wife of S. M. Leedom of Ohio and Michigan; Sarah
Adella, who is married to John Gerlitz, of Flint,
Michigan; William who died at the age of twenty-two
years; Mary, who died at the age of seventeen years;
Ethel M., who died when twenty-nine years of age; Leroy,
who died in infancy; and Zelpha, the wife of Edwin
Pryer of Shawnee township, a builder of oil tanks, and they
have four children, Edwin Reed, Harriett Adeleyne, Charles
Robert and Mary Adella. The family belongs to
the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Reed has
held various offices and is now acting in the capacity of
steward. He is a Republican in politics, and a valued
member of Mart Armstrong Post, G. A. R., of Lima.
Mr. Reed has invested all of his life interests with
honest and honorable intentions. The consciousness that he
has treated all men fairly and won their lasting regard is one
of the chief compensations of his serene and comfortable
retirement.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 98 |
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WILLIAM C. RHODES. In
every branch of industry the advance of Allen County has been
remarkably rapid during recent years, and its progress has been
equal probably to that of any other section of the state.
The present prosperity of the county is well represented in its
stockmen and agriculturists, and among these may be mentioned
William C. Rhodes, the owner and operator of a
well-cultivated farming property in Jackson Township, three
miles east of Lafayette.
Mr. Rhodes was born in Montgomery County, Ohio,
Feb. 10, 1864, a son of Jacob and Mary (Shaffer) Rhodes,
the former a native of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Rhodes
was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and was a young woman when she
came to the United States and settled in Montgomery County,
where she met and married Mr. Rhodes. Following
their union they settled on a farm, on which they rounded out
well-ordered, honorable and useful lives, winning and the esteem
and respect of their neighbors. They were faithful members
of the church in their locality and always supported worthy
enterprises of a religious, charitable and educational
character. While Mr. Rhodes was reared educational
character. While Mr. Rhodes was reared in a
democratic family, he early advocated the principles of the
republican party, which he continued to support throughout life
life. He and his wife were the parents of four children:
Amanda, who is deceased; a child who died in infancy;
William C.; and John F., a resident of Jackson
Township.
William C. Rhodes received his education in the
public schools of Montgomery County and at the age of thirteen
years completed his studies and came to Allen County, where he
was employed by one man for four years. During the first
year he received $6 per month for six months, the second eyar $7
per month for the same time, the third year $8 per month for
half a year, and the fourth year his salary was advanced $1 for
the same length of time. During the remaining six months
in each year he worked for his board without pay. Mr.
Roberts then farmed for one year for one-fourth of the crop,
and at that time decided to form a home of his own, although he
was without means. In the spring of 1883 he was united in
marriage with Miss Millie A. Long, and they faced the
future courageously, confident of their own ability to weather
any financial storms that might arise. In 1884 they were
assisted by the receipt of Mr. Rhodes' share of the home
estate, the sum of $2,100, which he immediately invested in
fifty-seven acres of land in Jackson Township, to which, through
industrious work and good management he has added until he now
has 128 acres, all in a good state of cultivation. He is
engaged in general farming and stock raising, is a stockholder
in the Farmers Co-operative Elevators at Lafayette, and is
accounted a business man of the highest integrity and
straightforward principles.
Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes have seven children:
Wilbur, who assists his father on the home farm, married
Clara Long and their three children are Vernon D.,
Edna M. and Isabel; Bertha is the wife of Mason
Kingler; Charles, also at home, married Alice
Meyers; Josephine is the wife of Newton Kingler; May;
Elmer, who is married; and Mabel, at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes are consistent members of the Reformed
Church, in which he has been a deacon and elder for eighteen
years and a faithful supporter of all church movements, as well
as superintendent of the Sunday school for seven years.
Fraternally he is affiliated with Jackson Lodge, Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has numerous friends. He
has been active and influential in the ranks of the republican
party, and has been a member of the County Central Committee for
several years. For four years he served very efficiently
as a member of the Jackson Township Board of Trustees.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 286 |
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MATHIAS HENRY
RIDENOUR
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 47
SHARON WICK'S NOTE:
1323 W.
Market Street, Lima, OH as found on Google Maps in 2023 |
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REV. GEORGE N. RILEY
While he was one of the pioneers of Allen County, Ohio in the
1830's, there is a still broader historical significance to the
name and career of the Rev. George N. Riley, who exemplified all
the devotion of a self-sacrificing minister of the gospel in
pioneer and frontier communities, and was one of the early Indian
missionaries of Ohio.
He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was born at Medford,
Burlington Co. NJ 27 Aug 1792. He was reared and educated in the
East and on 19 Nov 1826 he married at Mt. Holly, Burlington,
Burlington Co. New Jersey. Miss Meribah Springer Peacock. The
Peacock family originated in Scotland. Meribah Springer
Peacock
whose birthplace was also at Medford, Burlington Co, New Jersey,
was born 9 Nov 1805 daughter of Adonijah and Elizabeth
Springer Peacock. Her great grandfather John
Peacock of New Jersey was a
Deputy surveyor of the Colonial government. Her grandfather Adonijah
Peacock Sr., owned a powder mill at the time of the
Revolution while making gun powder for General George Washington's
army an explosion in the mill killed him. On her mothers side she
was a direct descendant of the Lady Hendreckson, Companion to
Queen Elenora of Sweden. The family kept the title until coming to
America in the early days of the colonies that settled with the
Swedish settlements of the King of Sweden at Wilmington, Delaware.
Soon after his entry into the ministry, Rev. George Riley, came to
Ohio, and for three years had the difficult task of acting as a
missionary at Lebanon to the Wyandotte Indians, where he and his
wife lived in the complete simplicity of frontier days. He then
went to Upper Sandusky for a year, where he built a mission house
for the use of the Indians. In 1835 he moved to Springfield, Ohio,
but after a few months came in the fall of 1835 to Allen County,
Ohio. In this county he bought from the government what is now the
Failor farm. He cleared off the land, developed it to agricultural
purposes, and in the community his industrious years were spent
until his death in 1882. Through his influence and help Wesley
Chapel was built. This was one of the first churches in the
county, and he attended regularly to his duties in the pulpit
until his death.
While he fully discharged his responsibilities to his family, he
was always keenly interested in the religious and moral life
around him, and was one of the truly noble men of the community.
Mrs. Meribah Riley, who survived him three years, was a woman of
rare refinement and charm. Her brave and courageous spirit was a
constant source of encouragement to her husband and family in the
pioneer days of the county. This noble couple were the parents of
nine children, five sons and four daughters.
(See Photograph)
(Submitted by Norita Shepherd Moss)
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio - Vol. II - by
Wm. Rusler - Publ. 1921 - Page 21 |
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JOHN
J. ROBERTS. It would be
difficult to find a finer class of men in Allen or any other
county in Ohio than those who are devoting their talents to the
cultivation of the soil and the developing of the natural
resources of this region, and among them one worth of special
mention is John T. Roberts of Spencer township,
whose valuable farm is located one and one-half miles west of
Spencerville. He was born on the farm he now owns on Aug.
13, 1882, a son of Simeon and Elizabeth Roberts, the
former of whom was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, on Feb. 17,
1848, and died at Spencerville, Ohio, in 1914. His wife
was born in Spencer township, Allen county, Ohio, on Sept. 14,
1846, and died at Spencerville on Apr. 11, 1920. When he
was nine years old Simeon Roberts came to Allen
county and, locating near Spencerville, lived on his farm until
shortly before his death. Both he and his wife were
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Spencerville. A
Democrat, he was elected on his party ticket to the offices of
supervisor, school director and township trustee, and was a man
of high character and excellent principles.
The children born to Simeon Roberts and wife
were as follows: John J., Stewart D., who is a
farmer of Spencer township; May E., the eldest, who
married John J. Davies of Spencerville; Tena M.,
who married Leroy Wilkin, of Osborne, Ohio; Harriet A.,
who married J. P. Davies Radnel R., Lema A., and
Ichens.
Until he was twelve years old
John J. Roberts remained at home and attended the
district schools, but at that tender age went with a threshing
machine outfit, and later conducted one of his own, and still
operates it in season. Ever since his marriage he has
lived on his present farm, and is specializing to some extent in
breeding Duroc hogs. In addition to these interests Mr.
Roberts is a stockholder of the Farmers' Union Elevator
Company of Spencerville, the officers of which are: John
Whetstone, president; John Wright, vice
president; Ust Loveman, treasurer, and Elmer
Willkins, secretary. In addition to these
officials, the Board of Directors has the following members:
Harry Bowen, Joseph Bock, M. Doarty and W.W. Rupert.
On Nov. 4, 1905, Mr. Roberts was
married to Emma P. Purdy, a daughter of John E. and
Mary (Miller) Purdy. Mrs. Roberts was
born in Van Wert county, Ohio, on Feb. 7, 1886, and was educated
in the common schools of that county. Mr. and Mrs.
Roberts have two children, namely: Hulda J., who was
born Aug. 20, 1906, and Ora K., who was born Nov. 8,
1912, and both are attending school. The United Brethren
Church holds the membership of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts.
In politics he is a Republican, but has not taken any active
part in public affairs. Having spent his life in Allen
county, naturally he is deeply interested in its progress and
willing to do his part in bringing about further improvements.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio - Vol. II - by
Wm. Rusler - Publ. 1921 - Page 164 |
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STEWART D. ROBERTS.
A highly respected citizen of Spencer Township, Allen County,
who has ever had the interests of his community at heart, is
Stewart D. Roberts, a man who has won success in life
because he has been persistent and never permitted
obstacles to thwart him in his course when once he knew he was
right. He comes of sterling ancestry and in his own life
he has exemplified those sturdy qualities of character which
ever commend a man to the regard and esteem of his fellows.
Stewart D. Roberts was born in Van Wert County,
Ohio, on Dec. 13, 1871, and is the son of Simeon and
Elizabeth (Stoffer) Roberts, the former a native of Knox
County, Ohio, and the latter born and reared in Spencer
Township, two miles west of Spencerville. They were
married in Allen County and lived on a farm here until their
removal to Van Wert County, where they remained about two years.
At the end of that time they returned to Spencer township, Allen
County, where they bought a farm and where they spent the
remainder of their lives. They were members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Roberts
was a democrat, and served several years as a member of the
school board. To him and his wife were born eight
children, of whom four are now living, namely: Marellen,
the wife of John J. Davis, of Spencerville; Stewart D.,
the immediate subject of this sketch; John J., of Spencer
Township; and Tena, the wife of Rev. Roy
Wilken, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church at
South Troy, Ohio.
Stewart D. Roberts received
his educational training in the common schools of Spencer
Township, his summer months being spent in work on the home
farm. He assisted his father on the farm until twenty-one
years of age, then rented the farm for two years. At the
end of that time he bought forty acres of land included in the
farm which he now owns, and applied his energies indefatigably
to its operation. He has been eminently successful and has
made two additional purchases of farm land, one of forty acres
and one of eighty acres in Van Wert County. He has
demonstrated his thorough knowledge of the best agricultural
methods, raising all the crops common to this locality, and also
gives some attention to the raising of live stock, specializing
in Duroc hogs. A number of years ago Mr. Roberts
engaged in the threshing business in association with his
father, but subsequently bought his father's interests and now
owns the outfit. He is also the owner of a saw mill
outfit, and in both of these enterprises he has done a good deal
of business in this community.
On Dec. 10, 1891, Mr. Roberts was married
to Nettie Masters, of Van Wert County, Ohio, the
daughter of John Masters. When she was but
six months old her mother died, and her father afterward
remarried. To Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have been born
five children, namely: Bessie, the wife of
Arthur Craft, of Van Wert County; Edna, the
wife of Ernest Reibesell, of Randolph County,
Indiana; John B., Emma and Leroy, who
remain at home.
Mr. Roberts and his family are members of
the United Brethren Church at Monticello, Ohio, in the various
activities of which they take a prominent part.
Fraternally he is a member of Deep Cut Lodge No. 311,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a democrat in his
political views and takes an intelligent interest in the public
affairs of the community, though not an aspirant for public
position or leadership. However, he is rendering good
service as assessor of Spencer Township. He is a
stockholder of the Farmers Union Elevator at Spencerville, and
is considered a man of broad views and excellent business
judgment, standing high in the esteem of all who know him.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio - Vol. II - by
Wm. Rusler - Publ. 1921 - Page 330 |
| |
THOMAS C. ROBERTS
for a period of forty years was devoted to the labors and
responsibilities of farming in Allen County, and made at least
one large tract of land a complete modern farm after taking it
when it was practically unproductive. He has been one of
the very successful men of the farming industry and achieved his
prosperity before the era of high prices incident to the World
war.
Mr. Roberts, who is now practically
retired, was born in Westminster, Ohio, on Apr. 14, 1853, son of
Josiah and Margaret (Winrot) Roberts. His paternal
grandparents were William and Hannah (Morrison) Roberts.
His grandfather spent all his life in Virginia, and after his
death his widow brought her family with wagons and teams across
country o Allen County, Ohio, where she was one of the pioneer
settlers. Josiah B. Roberts and wife settled in
Westminster, where he was proprietor of a general store until
1855. He then moved to Bath Township, bought 160 acres
partly in timber and partly in swamp just east of Lima, and
lived there, clearing and improving and cultivating his land,
until his death in 1897. A portion of the Roberts
farm was subsequently taken as the site of the Allen
County Fair Grounds. The widow of Josiah Roberts
died in 1902. They were the parents of the following
children: Lenora, Mrs. H. A. Holdridge, of Lima; Viola,
wife of James R. Dunlap, of West Newton, Ohio; William
and Oliver, both deceased; Thomas C.; and Alton
H., who has the old homestead in Bath Township.
Thomas C. Roberts was reared in Bath Township,
attended the public schools of Lima, and after his marriage in
1879, moved to a 160-acre tract of land which he had acquired in
section 4 of Perry Township. The land had no buildings,
though it was cleared and partly cultivated. Mr.
Roberts began and carried out the scheme of building
improvements, set out many shade and ornamental trees, and in
course of time has developed one of the best farms in the
county. He gave his active supervision to the farm management
until 1915, but since that year has rented the land to others.
When in the high tide of his farming connections he was an
extensive raiser of cattle and hogs. Besides his original
tract of land Mr. Roberts bought eighty acres in
section 5, and has bought and sold several other farms over the
county. Other interests include the ownership of two
business blocks on East Market Street at Lima, both of which
properties are rented out, and he owns a residence on East Elm
Street. On June 18, 1879, Mr. Roberts
married Elizabeth Moore, a native of Perry
Township and daughter of William and Amanda (Ballard)
Moore. Her parents were both natives of Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have two daughters, Florence
and Ruth. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal
Church and in politics Mr. Roberts is a
republican.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio - Vol. II - by
Wm. Rusler - Publ. 1921 - Page 200 |
| |
WALTER O. ROBERTS.
The career of Walter O. Roberts has been one in which
industry, good management and persistence have combined to bring
about success, and at this time Mr. Roberts, formerly one
of the progressive agriculturists of Allen County, is now living
in comfortable retirement at Gomer. He is a native of this
locality, having been born on a farm one-half mile south of this
village, in Sugar Creek Township, Dec. 18, 1879, a son of W.
W. and Margaret (Jones) Roberts, natives of Ohio.
W. W. Roberts was reared as an agriculturists and
engaged in farming until the time of his enlistment for service
in the Union army during the war between the states, when he
became a member of the One Hundred and fifty-first Regiment,
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being identified with that command for
three months toward the close of the great civil struggle.
He is a republican in politics, and he and Mrs. Roberts
belong to the Congregational Church. His life has been
passed in the pursuits of agriculture, and his name in Sugar
Creek Township is synonymous with integrity and good
citizenship. There were ten children in the family, of
whom eight are living: T. C., of Pontiac, Illinois;
Jennie, the wife of J. H. Reese, of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; Frank, of Saginaw, Michigan; Ella,
the wife of C. A. Jones, of Saginaw; Will, a
resident of Iowa; W. O., of this notice; I. E. of
Mars, Pennsylvania; and Gladys, the wife of J. C.
Jones, of Gomer.
Walter O. Roberts was reared
on the farm and educated in the district schools, and until he
was seventeen years of age remained on the home farm, where he
was associated with his father and brothers. On the
attainment of his majority, he began his agricultural operations
on his own account, and, from the start, his activities were
attended with success. For a number of years he devoted
himself uninterruptedly to general farming operations and the
raising of live stock, but later became interested in buying and
selling farming properties, a field in which he became
prosperous. He also became widely known as a breeder of
Percheron horses and Duroc hogs. While he is now retired
from active pursuits, and living comfortably at his modern
residence at Gomer, he has valuable holdings and is largely
interested in land in the South.
On Sept. 30, 1898, Mr. Roberts was united in
marriage with Miss Hannah M. Schindler, who was
born at West Cairo, Monroe Township, Allen County, July 2, 1875.
After graduating from Lima College Mrs. Roberts
engaged in teaching in the public schools, a profession which
she followed up to the time of her marriage. She is a lady
of marked intellectual attainments, and has been a great help to
her husband in his efforts toward the attainment of success.
They have three sons: Homer, who at the age of eighteen
years enlisted in the United States army for participation in
the World war, went overseas with the Thirty-Seventh Division,
and saw much active fighting at the front, where he was severely
gassed, and is now residing with his parents; Warren, who is
attending the Gomer High School; and Owen, attending the graded
school. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are consistent members
of the Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. Roberts
is an elder, and in the work of which both have taken an active
part. Mr. Roberts is a republican in his
political allegiance. He has a beautiful home on the west
coast of Florida, where they enjoy the winter months.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio - Vol. II - by
Wm. Rusler - Publ. 1921 - Page 342 |
| |
FORSTER ROBINSON.
For over twenty years Doctor Robinson as a Doctor of Dental
Surgery has enjoyed a place of leadership in his profession at
Lima. He is one of the advanced men in dental surgery, and
his work, study and experience entitle him to all the prestige
attached to the modern science of dentistry.
Doctor Robinson was born at St. Petersburg,
Pennsylvania in 1874, son of James and Sarah (Creech)
Robinson. His father in early days was a proofreader
on the New York Tribune, but later went to the oil fields of
western Pennsylvania, and for many years was connected with the
Standard Oil Company. He became a tank gauge engineer,
originating the system of tank gauge measurement or tank
computation. He was also deeply interested in public
education and for a time served as president of the Bradford
School Board. He was born in County derry, Ireland, and
came to the United States when a young man. He died in
1898. His wife, Sarah Creech, was a member of a New
York family of English descent.
Forster Robinson was the seventh among ten
children. He graduated from the Bradford High School in
1892 and the following year worked in his father's office.
In 1893 he entered Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio,
but studied for that profession only one year. In 1895 he
began the regular course of the Ohio College of Dental Surgery
at Cincinnati, and at graduation in 1897 received honorable
mention. He at once came to Lima, and has been steadily in
practice in this city ever since. A student of the
profession, he has neglected no opportunity to keep in touch
with the best ideas and the best men in the profession. He
took post-graduate work in the St. Louis University in 1910, and
is now specializing in X-ray, Focal Infection and Extracting.
He is a member of the Northwestern Dental Society, the Ohio
Dental Society and the National Dental Association.
Doctor Robinson has always maintained an
interested connection with the oil industry, particularly the
productive end. He is a stockholder and investor in a
number of oil companies. Fraternally he is affiliated with
the Masonic Lodge at Sisterville, West Virginia, with Lima Lodge
of Elks and is a member of the Lima Club and Chamber of
Commerce, and a vestryman in the Christ Episcopal Church, having
held that post since 1910. Politically he is a republican.
Doctor Robinson's residence at
429 South
Jameson avenue, Lakewood, is one of the better homes of Lima
and was built entirely after his own plans. In 1900 he
married Miss Belle Blake, daughter of Isaac E. and
Agnes (Maloney) Blake of New York City. They have two
children: Blake W., born in 1902, and Robert F.,
born in 1903.
Source: History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 210
NOTE: The photo of his residence is as is in the year
2020. |
| |
ALBERT HENRY ROTHE is a native
of Allen County, a prosperous young business man owning a high
class general store at Blue Lick in Bath township.
Mr. Rothe was born in Perry township in 1882.
His father came to this country from Freiburg, Germany, was an
early settler in Perry township of Allen County, was a tailor by
trade, but for many years owned and actively managed his farm of
a hundred forty-three acres in Perry township. He died in
1909 and Albert H. is the youngest of his five children.
Mr. Rothe lived on the home farm, attended the
public schools until seventeen, and thereafter employed his
energies at farming until 1912, when he invested a modest
capital in a store at Yoder in Allen County. He was in
business there two years, and for four years was employed as an
inspector with the Garford Truck Company at Lima. In June,
1920, Mr. Rothe bought his present business at Blue Lick
and maintains a mercantile service that is highly appreciated
and generally patronized by all the surrounding section.
Mr. Rothe married in 1908 Miss Maude Logan,
daughter of Willett L. and Loretta (Howbert) Logan of
Auglaize township, Allen County. They have three children,
Gerald Wilbur, born in 1909, Inez Mildred and
Grace Bernice. Mr. Rothe votes for the man
rather than the party in politics, but was elected on the
democratic ticket in 1914 as treasurer of Perry township.
He is a member of the Disciples Church.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 187 |
| |
OSCAR J. ROUSH.
The efficient service of the police department of the City of
Lima is to a large measure attributed to the careful and
well directed administration of its executive head, and as chief
of the department Mr. Roush is making an admirable
record.
Oscar Jacob Roush was born in Bath Township,
this county, in 1885, and is a son of John K. and Katherine (Hertzog)
Roush. His paternal great-grandfather was born in
Germany, and upon coming to America settled in Pennsylvania,
where he passed the remainder of his life. His son
Joseph, grandfather of Lima's chief of police, came from the
old Keystone State to Allen County, Ohio, where he settled in
Bath Township and developed the excellent farm on which he and
his wife remained until their deaths. John K. Roush
and his wife still reside on their farm in Bath Township, and he
is one of the substantial and honored citizens of the county.
Oscar J. is their only son and the daughter are five in
number.
The invigorating discipline of the home farm compassed
the childhood and youth of Oscar J. Roush, and he was
associated with the activities of the home farm until he was
twenty years of age. In the meanwhile he had profited
fully by the advantages of the district schools. For one
year Mr. Roush was employed as a blacksmith helper at
Lima, and for eight years thereafter he was in the employ of the
Crystal Ice Company of this city. He then, in 1914, became
one of the patrolmen constituting the police force of the city,
and thereafter was for two and one-half years in service as a
"plain clothes" policeman, with detective functions. His
heroism and efficient service in connection with the Lima street
railway riot of Sept. 17, 1917, led to his appointment, on the
30th of the same month, to the office of chief of police, a
merited promotion that was conferred upon him by Mayor
Simpson His service in this important municipal
position has fully justified his appointment to the office, and
his record has been marked by the successful handling of a large
amount of police work of important order, including the capture
of two murderers. His reappointment under three
consecutive municipal councils indicates the general
appreciation of his efficiency in maintaining law and order and
materially reducing crime in Lima. In 1918 3,116 arrests
were made by the police department, and in 1919 the number was
only 1,836. It is worthy of note in this connection that
the record for the year 1913 showed twenty-four arrests for
burglary and larceny, thirty-three for grand larceny and 151 for
petty larceny. In the following year there were
thirty-five arrests for burglary and larceny, forty-three for
grand larceny and 158 for petty larceny. The year 1919
recorded only fifteen arrests for burglary and fifty-six for
petty larceny.
Chief Roush is an appreciative and popular
affiliant of the local organizations of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, is a
stalwart advocate of the principles of the democratic party and
is a communicant of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. His
name is still enrolled on the roster of eligible bachelors
in his native county.
Source: A Standard History of Allen County, Ohio
- Vol. II - Publ. Chicago: Warner i.e. Warner, Beers & Co., 1921
- Page 310 |
NOTES:
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