EDWARD E. ARTHUR.  While Mr. Arthur has been a resident of Auglaize County practically all his life, and represents a family of pioneer settlers, he is best known through his long continued service as cashier of the Home Bank of Cridersville.  He went into that bank at the time of its establishment, and has assumed many of the executive responsibilities and has been a factor in its widely extended popularity.
     He was born in Auglaize County Nov. 28, 1860, a son of John R. and Mary R. (Haywood) Arthur.  Both parents were natives of Auglaize County, the father born in 1839 and the mother in 1841.  The grandfather, Daniel M. Arthur, was born in Pennsylvania, and first settled in Springfield on coming to Ohio, where he worked at his trade of shoemaker.  Coming to Auglaize County, he bought 160 acres of Government land, paying $1.25 per acre.  His first task was the erection of a log cabin home, and after that he cleared his land, and gave his industry to the development of a farm.  At the time of his death he had a fine estate of 240 acres.  The maternal grandfather was Joseph Haywood, who was born in 1805 within ten miles of the City of London, England.  Coming to America a young man, he located in Auglaize County when there was only a handful of settlers.  He lived practically alone in the woods in his log cabin for several years, cleared away the timber, prepared the soil, and was one of the pioneers whose name and record should be remembered in any account of this section of Ohio.  John R. Arthur also spent his active career as a farmer.  He started with thirty-nine acres of land in the midst of the woods, cleared it up and gained many crops from it, and later oil was discovered there which increased his prosperity and enabled him to provide well for his family.  He died in 1894.  His wife passed away in November, 1912.  They were members of the Christian Church and the father was a democrat in politics and at one time served as supervisor of his home township.  There were four children, three sons and one daughter: Edward E.; C. E., who runs a cigar store and poolroom in Cincinnati; Ardelia, wife of Amos Edman who was formerly in the real estate business at Lima and is now on a farm near that city; and R. D., assistant cashier of the Home Bank at Cridersville.
     The early life of Edward E. Arthur was spent on a farm and his education came from the country schools.  He also spent one year in the Ohio Normal University at Ada, and following that he began teaching, an occupation he followed with success for a number of years.  He then became a worker in the oil Fields, and was identified with the Northwestern Ohio oil district for about fourteen years, getting a good start in business through that work.
     In 1903 Mr. Arthur came to Cridersville and was one of the organizers of the Home Bank, of which he has since been cashier.  This bank is a solid and substantial institution, has a capital of $10,000 and surplus and undivided profits of $5,500, wile the average deposits amount to $125,000.
     In 1893 Mr. Arthur married Bertha O. Sands, who was born in Auglaize County, daughter of George Sands, a farmer of this county.  Mr. and Mrs. Arthur are members of the Christian Church, and he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Maccabees, having passed all the chairs of the latter fraternity.  As a democrat Mr. Arthur has served as democratic committeeman for eleven years and was also a member of the County Board of Education.  Several years ago he was a candidate for nomination as county treasurer, and his defeat was by the narrow margin of two votes.  Besides his interests as a banker he and his brother own a fine farm of 160 acres, and he gives considerable personal supervision to this.
Source:  History of Northwest Ohio  Vol. II - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago & New York - 1917 - Page  807