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Source:
History of Northwestern Ohio
A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress and
Development
from the First European Exploration of the Maumee and
Sandusky Valleys and the Adjacent Shores of
Lake Erie, down to the Present Time.
By Nevin O. Winter, Litt. D.
Assisted by a Board of Advisory and Contributing Editors
Illustrated
Vol. II
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York
1917
BIOGRAPHIES
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CHARLES P. McKEE
is one of the venerable residents of Auglaize County and has
spent the greater part of his lifetime of eighty-three years in
this section.
He was born in Athens County, Ohio, Sept. 1, 1833, a
son of Thomas and Anna (Reynolds) McKee. The McKees were Scotch people, lived in the north of Ireland.,
and from there three brothers came to Pennsylvania, one of them
being John McKee, grandfather of Charles P. McKee.
Thomas McKee was born in Pennsylvania in March, 1801, and
was one of the pioneers of Northwest Ohio. He arrived in
Auglaize County as early as 1824, but afterwards returned to
Athens County and lived a few years. He finally came back
to Auglaize County, bought land and was busied with its
cultivation until his death in December, 1874. He was an
active member and elder in the Presbyterian Church many years,
and as a democrat he filled the office of township assessor.
Though he started life a poor man, he was a very successful, and
his integrity of character and splendid business judgment caused
him to be selected as administrator of numerous estates.
It is said that he settled up more estates than any other man of
his generation in Auglaize County. He was exceedingly
liberal and kind hearted in all his dealings. His first
wife, Anna Reynolds, was born in one of the New England
states and died in 1840. Her father Justice Reynolds
was an early settler in Ohio. She was the mother of early
settler in Ohio. She was the mother of seven children, and
the two now living are Charles P. and his sister Mrs.
Eunice Zimmerman, a widow living in Colorado. Thomas McKee married for his second wife
Sarah Armstrong
and there were five children of that marriage, the two now
living being Thomas McKee and Mrs. Ruth Gibson, a
widow, both living near Louisville, Kentucky.
Charles P. McKee was reared on a farm, secured a
good education, and for a number of years taught school.
His work as a teacher covered twenty winter terms. Farming
has been his permanent vocation for many years, and he still
owns 252 acres of well improved and valuable land. Some
years ago he built a beautiful home just south of St. Marys,
where he now resides. Mr. McKee has always voted
the democratic ticket, and for several terms was a trustee of
his home township. He was formerly affiliated with the
Grange and he and his good wife have been very prominent members
of the local Presbyterian Church.
More than half a century ago, on Mar. 31, 1864,
Charles P.
McKee married Matilda Jane Smith, whose family were
among the earliest settlers of Northwest Ohio. Her parents
were Aaron A. and Rachel L. (Smith) Smith, both of whom
were born in Auglaize County. These venerable people
celebrated a very unusual event, the seventieth anniversary of
their marriage. They were married in 1845. Aaron
Smith died Sept. 6, 1916, at the age of ninety-two, but his
widow is still living, aged eighty-nine. Aaron Smith
followed farming and was a son of Henry Smith, who come
from the State of Delaware to Auglaize County at a time when
hardly a single clearing had been made in the wilderness here.
Mrs. Rachel Smith is a daughter of Charles Smith,
who was of Scotch descent and was likewise a pioneer of Auglaize
County.
Mr. and Mrs. McKee have six children.
William O., who was born Jan. 1, 1866, died in July, 1916,
and his loss was greatly regretted in his home county. At
the time of his death he was candidate for state representative
and had been conceded the election. He was liberally
educated, having attended school at Wapakoneta, Ada, Ohio, and
Valparaiso, Indiana, and though he had fitted himself for a
teacher he followed that profession only a short time on account
of ill health. Edwin McKee, the second son, is an
active farmer in Auglaize County. Ada died a number
of years ago. Charles is a successful physician at
St. Marys. Elza F. is an attorney practicing law at
Springfield, Ohio. Jennie R. still lives at home
with her aged parents.
Source: History of Northwest Ohio
Vol. II - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago &
New York - 1917 - Page 747 |
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C. P. McKEE, Jr., M. D.
In 1905 Doctor McKee graduated from
the Starling Medical College at Columbus, and at once returned
to his native city of St. Mary's to take up the active practice
of medicine and surgery. In the past ten years he has
developed a large business and clientele, and is one of the
leading members of the profession in Auglaize County. For
three years he served as health physician at St. Marys, and is a
member of the Auglaize County Medical Society, the Ohio State
Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
He was born at St. Marys June 20, 1880, and spent much
of his early life on his father's farm. While there he
attended country school and in 1898 graduated from high school.
Before entering upon his medical studies he spent two yeas in a
drug store, and that experience has been worth a great deal to
him since he took up the practice of medicine.
His parents are
Charles P. and Matilda Jane (Smith)
McKee. His grandfather, Thomas McKee, was born
at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and belongs to a prominent family
represented originally by seven brothers, who came to the United
States partly from Ireland and partly from Scotland and settled
in Pennsylvania. Doctor McKee's maternal
grandfather was Aaron A. Smith, who was born in the
country south of St. Marys of a very early family that settled
here from Pennsylvania, and his death occurred Sept. 6, 1916, at
the advanced age of ninety-two years.
Doctor McKee's father was born at Athens, Ohio,
in 1833, and is now living at the age of eighty-three. He
has been a farmer all his life, though for twenty-five years he
was engaged in work as a country school teacher. He was
only three months of age when his parents moved to Auglaize
County, and he was educated both in the district schools and in
the high school at St. Marys. He is a democrat in
politics, a member of the Presbyterian Church, has served as
township trustee and a member of the school board, and as the
result of his many years of industry and good management has a
fine farm of 250 acres in Auglaize County, improved up to the
best standards of Ohio agriculture. His wife, Matilda
Jane Smith, was born in St. Marys in 1848, and they were
married in this country in 1863. Of their six children the
four now living are: Edwin, who is a farmer two
miles south of St. Marys; Elza F., now city solicitor at
Springfield, Ohio; Dr. C. P. McKee; and Jennie,
living at home.
Doctor McKee was married Sept. 3, 1913, to
Pearl Losher who was born at Wapakoneta, Ohio. They
have one son, Charles, now two years of age. Doctor McKee and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church
and in frantrnal affairs he is affiliated with the Lodge,
Chapter and Council of Masonry, with the Woodmen of the World,
the Woodmen's Circle and with the Maccabees.
Source: History of Northwest Ohio
Vol. II - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago &
New York - 1917 - Page 747 |
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J. H. MEYER.
That enterprise which enables a man to make the best of his
opportunities and push himself ahead as one of the useful
workers of the world has been abundantly present in the career
of Mr. J. H. Meyer of Wapakoneta. Mr. Meyer
is a civil engineer of wide experience and of large practice and
official connection, and is also one of the leading business men
of Wapakoneta, though still not yet thirty years of age.
He was born at Wapakoneta May 9, 1889, a son of
William H. and Minnie L. (Schmidt) Meyer. His
grandfather William Meyer was born in Germany, learned
the trade of a miller, and on settling at Spencerville, Ohio,
owned the first mill in that part of Allen County. The
maternal grandfather Henry Schmidt was born in
Auglaize County and is still living, having followed the trade
of shoemaker during his active career.
William H. Meyer, father of
J. H. Meyer, was born at New Bremen, Auglaize County, in
1851, and he and his wife are still living in Wapakoneta.
His wife was born in 1854. They are members of St.
Joseph's Catholic Church and he is a democrat who has been a
prominent figure in county affairs for a number of years.
For two terms he served as county auditor. He began his
career as clerk in a shoe store, afterwards was in the shoe
business for himself for seven years at Wapakoneta, and then
entered the county auditor's office as deputy. After
eleven years of experience in that office, during which time he
assumed many of the more important responsibilities and details,
he was elected auditor and remained in the office two terms.
He is now keeping himself active by employment under his son J. H. Meyer as inspector of sewers.
William H.
Meyer and wife had three children: J. H. Meyer;
Clarence J., who is a bookkeeper for the Wheel
Company at Wapakoneta; and Elizabeth, a music teacher
living with her parents.
Mr. J. H. Meyer attended the parochial schools
through the eighth grade and in 1907 graduated from the city
high school. From there he entered the Ohio State
University to take the civil engineering course, but before
graduating he left school in 1910 to become candidate for the
office of county surveyor. He was elected and began his
duties when only twenty-one years of age. He served from
September, 1911, to September, 1915, when he retired from the
office and accepted the responsibilities of city engineer and
architect of Wapakoneta. Besides his official work he has
also carried on an extensive private practice in his profession.
Mr. Meyer is president and general manager of the B. H.
M. Cement Products Company, doing a general cement business and
building construction. In the line of his profession he
has compiled an atlas of Auglaize County, published in 1910, and
is now preparing another one for 1916. He worked his way
through school, and his independence and self reliance have been
chief factors in his successful position.
Mr. Meyer is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic
Church, is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, the
Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Improved Order
of Red Men, and is grand knight of the Knights of Columbus.
He also belongs to the Kappa Sigma college fraternity, and
politically is a democrat. In June, 1911, he married Miss Leo Blair
of Lima. They have two daughters, Mary Ellen and
Catherine.
Source: History of Northwest Ohio Vol. II -
Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago & New York -
1917 - Page 720 |
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WILLIAM
B. MOREY has been a practical worker in the field of
Journalism since early youth. Probably no further
profession offers greater opportunities for successful
participation in outside affairs than newspaper work. In
the intervals of his activity as a reporter, correspondent and
editor, Mr. Morey has been called to other
responsibilities, was for a number of years postmaster at
Wapakoneta, and since leaving that office has been editor and
proprietor of The Auglaize Republican.
He was born in Wapakoneta Nov. 17, 1871, a son of
Andrew J. and Sophia (McMurray) Morey. Both parents
were born in Ohio, and both families have been long and
prominently identified with the state. The paternal
grandparents came from Vermont and were pioneer settlers in
Licking County, Ohio. Mr. Morey's maternal
great-grandfather Robert McMurray came from Scotland and
was one of the very early settlers in Dayton, Ohio, were for a
number of years he was well known as a hotel proprietor.
He afterwards moved to Auglaize County, bought a farm, and his
place being on one of the toll roads through the county he was
keeper of a toll gate. Outside of his business activities
he was a man of no little prominence in the different
communities where he lived. He was made a Mason before
coming to this country. His son, Robert McMurray,
grandfather of Mr. Morey, was born in Auglaize County and
at one time held the office of postmaster at Wapakoneta.
Andrew J. Morey was born in
Licking County, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1837, and died Jan. 25, 1909.
His wife was born in Putnam County, Ohio, in 1840 and died July
4, 1878. They were married in Auglaize County. Andrew Morey was a blacksmith by trade, and followed that
business in Wapakoneta for a number of years. He was also
a gallant soldier of the Union army during the Civil was.
He enlisted in Company K of the Ninety-ninth Ohio Infantry, and
was in service for three years. At the battle of Stone
River he was wounded and captured, and he experienced the
hardships and sufferings of confinement in Libby Prison for
three months. Some years after the war he was appointed to
a position in the treasury department at Washington, and was
there twelve years. He was taken ill in Washington, and
died a few days after his return to Wapakoneta. He was a
republican, active in behalf of the party though not for
himself, and was a well-read and highly intelligent gentleman.
In church affiliation he was a member of the Christian Church
and still later was a member of the Lutheran denomination.
He and his wife had five children: Minnie, wife of
A. M. Getz, a railroad man living at Wapakoneta;
Nettie, wife of Charles S. Whiteman, who is in the
newspaper business at Wapakoneta; Miss Jennie;
Katherine L., wife of F. A. Klipfel, now mayor of
Wapakoneta; and William B., who is fourth in age and
older than his sister Katherine.
The early life of William B. Morey was spent in
Wapakoneta, where he attended the public schools, graduating
from high school in 1888. Much of his leisure time as a
youth was spent in printing offices, and he mastered the trade.
At the age of nineteen he went to Chicago and was taken on the
staff of reporters of the Chicago Inter Ocean, where he remained
two years and gained that experience and training such as only
comes to a newspaper man in a large city. On returning to
Auglaize County he resumed newspaper work, and with all his
other avocations has been steadily in the profession since then.
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he enlisted
and was assigned to duty as chief clerk in the adjutant
general's office, remaining there until the close of
hostilities. He has been one of the leaders of the
republican party in Auglaize County for a number of years, and
for six years filled the office of chairman of the republican
executive committee. For two years he was a member of the
State Central Committee until he resigned. He resigned
upon his appointment as postmaster of Wapakoneta. He was
appointed in July, 1908, but before his appointment was
confirmed in the senate General Dick filed
objections and held up the commission for some time. Mr. Morey was finally called to Washington and had a
personal interview with President Roosevelt, who took the
matter in hand in his characteristically energetic fashion and
issued a commission allowing him to assume the office of
postmaster during a recess in Congress. He continued in
the office for two years, until an agreement was reached by
which his appointment was confirmed. He remained a
postmaster two terms, being succeeded in December, 1914, by Mr. A. E. Schaffer.
On leaving the office of postmaster, Mr. Morey
bought the Auglaize County Republican and is now giving all his
time to that excellent weekly paper which has a circulation over
Auglaize and surrounding counties of 1,650. A large john
business is also done in the printing department.
On Sept. 1, 1910, Mr. Morey married
Mrs.
Lillie M. Piper. She was born in Celina, Ohio, a
daughter of Michael Feltheiser. Her father was a
prominent and well-to-do citizen of Mercer County. Mr.
and Mrs. Morey have one son,, Robert Emil, born in
August, 1911. Mrs. Morey is a member of the
Presbyterian Church while he is identified with the English
Lutheran denomination. Active in fraternal matters, he has
attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and also
belongs to the Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch Chapter and the
Mystic Shrine. For ten years he was secretary of his
lodge. He is also a member of the Benevolent and
Protective order of Elks.
Source: History of Northwest Ohio Vol. II -
Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago & New York -
1917 - Page 721 |
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J. H. MUSSER.
Hardly was his high school course finished at Wapakoneta when J. H. Musser definitely determined upon the law as his
future vocation. He had the natural talent which is a
prerequisite to success in the law and ample training and a
liberalizing experience have brought him to a foremost lace in
professional circles in Auglaize County.
He is a native of Allen County, Ohio, where he was born
Mar. 19, 1880. His parents were John F. and Mary E. (Ames) Musser.
His grandfather, Christian
Musser,
was born in Germany, came to America and was a California
pioneer. After some experience in the western mines he
returned to the Middle West and was a farmer in Nebraska.
He also took part as a soldier in the war with Mexico. John F.
Musser was born in California in 1849, and died in September,
1914. His wife was born in Hornellsville, New York, in
1853, and died in January, 1916. They married in Allen
County, Ohio. John F. Musser was a machinist by
trade, followed that for a number of years, and was a splendid
type of man and citizen. He had considerable military
experience, being for two years a volunteer soldier in the Civil
war and afterwards being connected with the regular army and
engaged in several Indian campaigns in the West. He and
his wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and fraternally he was affiliated with the Maccabees.
There were two children, J. H. and his sister Katherine B.
Katherine is the wife of C. E.
Wadef, who is connected with the National Bank Book &
.Supply Company at Akron, Ohio.
J. H. Musser grew up in Wapakoneta, at tended
the public schools and in 1897 graduated from the Wapakoneta
High School. From there he entered the law offices of Goeke &Hoskins, and later the Ohio Northern University at
Ada, where he diligently pursued his law studies, and was
admitted to the bar in 1901.
For the first eighteen months after his admission he
practiced with the firm of Goeke & Hoskins, largely for
the experience, and then for five years was associated with Mr. A. L. Comb. Following that for two years he was in
individual practice, and then joined the firm of Goeke &
Anderson, making a change of name to Goeke, Anderson &
Musser. In 1913 Mr. Musser again established an
individual practice, and has now reached a place in his
profession where he can practically choose his business and his
clientage.
He is also filling one of the most important county
offices, having been elected prosecuting attorney of Auglaize
County, in November, 1914. His first term has been
administered with so much satisfaction to the people of the
county that he is now a candidate without opposition for
re-election. Mr. Musser has taken an active part in
democratic politics, and was manager of the successful campaign
made by B. F. Welty for election to Congress. For
nine years Mr. Musser was a member of the board of
election, and while in politics for the good of his community
his heart and mind are always absorbed in his profession.
In 1903 he married
Lillian A. Taylor. Mrs. Musser was born at Uniopolis in Auglaize County.
There are two children: Edward A. and Madge E.
Mr. Musser is a Knight of Pythias and a Woodman of the World
and also a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Source: History of Northwest Ohio
Vol. II - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago &
New York - 1917 - Page 722 |
NOTES:
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