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BIOGRAPHIES
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)
Source:
Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio
and Representative Citizens.
Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago,
Illinois -
1903
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JAMES H. DARRAH, a well-known citizen of
Bellaire, Ohio, now identified with the steel business, was for many
years connected with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad service. He was
born in 1837 in Richland township, two and one-half miles south of St.
Clairsville, a son of William and Letitia (McFarland) Darrah.
William Darrah. the father of James
H., was a capable and energetic business man and is still
remembered both for his integrity and for estimable personal
characteristics. He was born in County Antrim, near Belfast, Ireland,
and immigrated to the United States, landing at Baltimore, Maryland,
prior to 1824, coming to Belmont County, Ohio, in the fall of 1832,
during the administration of President Andrew Jackson,
for whom he entertained feelings of admiration and from whom he
imbibed Democratic principles to which he adhered through life. He was
a man of quick wit and shrewd knowledge of human nature. A little
incident, remembered by those who heard its relation at a later date,
occurred during his long voyage of five months across the Atlantic,
which displayed in him a keen understanding of men and motives. A
passenger discovered that he had been robbed, and to the council,
called to formulate some plan by which to discover the thief, Air.
Darrah proposed that straws be prepared to the number of souls on
board the vessel, and that each one should draw and that the one who
obtained the longest straw should be deemed the thief. This unique
plan decided the matter; the thief, in his anxiety to escape the
longest straw, bit off a part of his own, making it the only short one
in the bunch, for they were originally all of one length.
Consequently, the thief was caught and ducked.
William Darrah was accompanied to America by his brother
Robert and his sister Jane, the latter of whom married
William Clow and resided near Martin's Ferry. Mr.
Darrah removed his family to St. Clairsville about 1844. where he
engaged for some time in a butchering business, and was later
appointed postmaster by President Fierce through Governor
Shannon, who was then Congressman, keeping the office in
connection with a grocery business in which he continued until his
retirement from activity, dying in November, 1870, aged 72 years. His
wife, who was a native of Glasgow. Scotland, survived until August,
1872, dying at the age of 66 years. Mr. Darrah was a man
of fine physical presence. weighing some 300 pounds, and of pleasant,
genial disposition. capable of winning attached friends. By a former
marriage he had two sons and a daughter born to him. while nine sons
were born to his latter union with the mother of our subject. These
were: John, deceased. the father of D. H. Darrah,
ex-postmaster of Bellaire, of whom extended mention may be found in
another part of this volume; Robert, who has been deceased some
20 years; Walter, who resides at St. Clairsville; William,
who resides at Martin's Ferry; Barton, who died at the age of
65 years; James H.; David, of St. Clairsville; Wilson
Shannon, who died at the age of five years, and Alexander,
who resides at St. Clairsville.
James H. Darrah was about seven years of age
when his parents located in St. Clairsville, and it was in this place
that he was mainly educated. He assisted his father for six years in
the post office, and from 1861 to 1865 he served as deputy sheriff,
under Sheriff George H. Umstead, and then was made deputy
auditor under R. M. Clark, who was auditor of Belmont County,
remaining in this office for four years and eight months. In December,
1872, he removed to Bellaire, bringing his family to this city in
January, 1873, since which time it has been their home. For the past
21 years they have resided in their comfortable residence at No. 3744
Belmont street, which Mr. Darrah erected about 1881.
After coming to Bellaire, Mr. Darrah became a member of
the clerical force of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and continued with
that great corporation for 28 years. Since 1900 he has been connected
with the steel works.
In 1863 Mr. Darrah was married to Lydia A.
Taggart, who was born in Belmont County, a daughter of John
and Nancy Taggart, the former of whom, a native
of Belmont County, followed farming all his life and died August 18.
1895. aged 87 years, a son of a native of Tyrone, Ireland. Mrs.
Taggart died in 1893, aged 81 years. Both were sadly missed, as they
were highly esteemed by many friends and beloved by their surviving
children. The record of the brothers and sisters of Mrs.
Darrah is as follows: Joseph R., now a resident of St.
Petersburg. Florida, who was at one time prominent in Illinois, where
he served two terms as sheriff of his county; Catherine, who
died in infancy: At well, who is deceased; James H.. who is a
grain dealer in Illinois; Mrs. Mary Morrison, of St.
Clairsville, and Mrs. Agnes D. Roberts, deceased, her
husband residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Five children were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Darrah, all of whom have passed away; Harry,
Jesse, Charles and Florence dying in infancy, and
Mary L., the eldest daughter, in December, 1899. She was a lady
who was well known to the citizens of Bellaire, having served three
years in the post office under D. W. Cooper and D. H. Darrah,
and was universally loved for her amiable manner and beautiful womanly
character.
In politics Mr. Darrah is a Democrat, although
not an active politician. Both he and his wife belong to the First
Presbyterian Church. It has been a pleasant custom of the members of
the Darrah family in this locality to hold yearly reunions, and
these gatherings have assembled for the past two years at Wheeling
Park. |
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JOSEPH W. DARRAH, M. D., a leading
physician and surgeon of Martin's Ferry, Belmont County, Ohio, is also
one of the city's most progressive and public-spirited citizens.
Dr. Darrah was born in Belmont County, February 5, 1858, and is a
son of William and Louisa I. K. (Finney) Darrah, both
natives of Belmont County.
William Darrah was born June 11, 1835, in St.
Clairsville, and is still an honored resident of the county. For many
years he has been one of the leading members of the Presbyterian
Church, as was also his wife, who was born in June, 1835, and died
February 1, 1876. Our subject is the eldest of a family of five
children, the others being: James A., a farmer of Belmont
County; Lizzie May, who married William S. Tweed,
of Steubenville, Ohio, and died at the age of 29 years; Walter H.,
a druggist at Indianapolis, Indiana; and Nevada A., who married
Athelbert Pickens and resides at Scotch Ridge, in this
county.
The early education of Dr. Darrah was secured in
the public schools of the county, and then he began his medical
reading under the late Dr. A. J. Alexander, of Scotch Ridge.
Entering Western Reserve Medical College at Cleveland, Ohio, he
graduated there in the class of 1882, and began practice at once at
Mount Pleasant, Ohio, remaining there for one year. In 1883 he located
at Martin's Ferry, Ohio, where he has remained ever since. For 15
years he has conducted a drug business in connection with an office
practice, and has been very successful. Dr. C. B. Probst,
secretary of the State Board of Health, made our subject health
officer of this city, and his choice has been justified by the close
care taken and the careful sanitary conditions maintained for the past
seven years. But for the excellent condition in which the city was
found, the late siege of smallpox might have become epidemic. Dr.
Darrah is a valued member of the Ohio State Medical Association
and is serving at present as a member of the School Board of Martin's
Ferry.
It was Dr. Darrah who organized the
volunteer fire department of Martin's Ferry and an associate order
known as the Independent Racing Hose Team, this team being very
successful in contests, having won 11 successive victories. They in
fact hold the world's record, won at Sandusky, which demonstrated
their ability to run 231 2-3 yards and lay 200 feet of hose, break
connections and screw on nozzle ready to throw water, in 29 seconds.
This record is sworn to by the three judges, three timers and three
starters. This same company, on October 11, 1895, won the world's
record and received the "Diamond Belt," worth $1,000, studded with
diamonds and $250 worth of gold, which was competed for by companies
from many States. This was received at the Cotton States Exposition at
Atlanta, Georgia, The team has 20 members, all of them from Martin's
Ferry. The feats of this team have advertised the city probably more
than any one enterprise. They received a great ovation at Atlanta, and
while there they organized the "Ohio Association of Atlanta." As no
tippler is allowed in this company, their success may in part be
attributed to their temperate habits. It has been in operation for 14
years, and during all this time our subject has been the foreman and
leading spirit in it.
Dr. Darrah is president of the Martin's Ferry Board
of Trade, which was organized in 1902. He was one of the incorporators
and is a director of the German Savings Bank of Martin's Ferry,
recently organized, and is justly regarded as one of the city's most
energetic and prominent citizens.
The marriage of our subject took place March 11, 1880,
to Mary Agnes Blackford, a native of Belmont County, being a
daughter of Hamilton and Maria (Paden) Blackford. The two
children of this union are: Ethel, a graduate of the Martin's
Ferry High School in the class of 1901; and Lawrence A.,
a student at that institution, in the class of 1904. The family attend
the Presbyterian Church. In Masonic circles the Doctor is well known,
belonging to the blue lodge, F. & A. M.; Belmont Chapter, R. A. M.,
and Hope Commandery, No. 26, K. T., in which he is past commander. He
has represented his lodge at Toledo and in the grand lodge at
Springfield. Dr. Darrah enjoys fraternal associations
and is devoted to their interests. Pie has been found at every meeting
of the Northeastern Ohio Volunteer Firemen's Association except two,
and is the president of the same. Few men in Martin's Ferry are better
known, more popular or more generally esteemed. |
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Warren
Twp. -
BENJAMIN DAVENPORT, who for many years was one
of the leading citizens of Warren township, Belmont County, Ohio,
and an important factor in the commercial growth of Barnesville,
passed out of life, full of years and honors, Apr. 19, 1885.
The birth of Mr. Davenport took place February
2, 1813, and he was one of a family of eight children born to
Hon. John and Martha (Colson) Davenport, who came from
Virginia to Barnesville in 1818. The other members of the
family were: Colson, who represented his constituents
during two terms in the State Legislature: Eleanor; Mary A.;
Rebecca C.; John A. and William, who died in infancy, the
deaths of George H. and Samuel occurring later in
life.
In 1834 Benjamin Davenport was united in
marriage with Anna M. Bradshaw, a daughter of Maj. William
Bradshaw. She died in August, 1889, and the children of
this union were as follows: Ellen M.; Adrianna,
the wife of Col. W. C. Watson of East Liverpool, Ohio;
Betty L., wife of C. C. Minton, of Marion, Kansas;
Harriet F., who is the wife of Judge James H. Collins,
one of the most eminent jurists of the State of Ohio; John W.,
deceased; and James, who is in business in Baltimore,
Maryland. After marriage Mr. Davenport embarked in the
mercantile business which occupied his energies almost through his
life, being associated during the greater part of the time with his
brother Colson, and William A. Talbott.
The reliable and upright character of Mr. Davenport made him
of great value in his township as justice of the peace for many
years and during a part of his career he served as recorder and also
as mayor. He took a personal pride in the religious
development of the city, and with pleasure served for 30 years as
superintendent of the Methodist Sabbath-school.
Although his family name was one held in respect in
Belmont County, he did not need its luster to illumine his life, for
its own acts testified to its worth. Scrupulously honest,
whole-souled, kind-hearted and charitable, he not only looked after
the welfare of those dependent upon him, but he willingly shared
with others who were unfortunate. Friends won were always
friends. Belmont county never lost a more upright, useful or
conscientious man than Benjamin Davenport, and the
testimonials to his worth were general through the city in which his
estimable life had exerted its beneficent influence.
(Page 553) |
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Warren
Twp -
HON. JOHN DAVENPORT was one of the most
notable men of Barnesville. As merchant, statesman and jurist,
he was foremost in his day and generation.
Migrating from the Valley of Virginia in 1818, Mr.
Davenport entered upon a successful business career in
Barnesville. Eight years later he entered the field of
politics, and was elected to Congress, where he became a warm
persona. and political friend of Henry Clay. In 1830 he
was elected to the General Assembly of Ohio, where his vigilance in
the joint convention corrected an error that secured the election of
Hon. Thomas Ewing as United States Senator. The
following year the Legislature elected Mr. Davenport
associate judge for Belmont County for the full term.
Notwithstanding his activity in county and State affairs, Mr.
Davenport was also intensely energetic in the cause of education
and religion. He was a pillar in the Methodist Episcopal
Church and the first superintendent of the first Sabbath-school in
the township.
(Page 227) |
Chalkley Dawson |
CHALKLEY DAWSON, president of
the Farmers' & Merchant' Bank, at Bellaire, Ohio, is one of the
prominent and highly esteemed residents of the city. Almost
his whole life has been spent in his native State. His
business interests are centered in the city of Bellaire and
vicinity.
Mr. Dawson was born in Barnesville, Belmont
County, Feb. 2, 1836, where he received his primary education,
finishing at the Friends' School at West Chester, Chester County,
Pennsylvania, as he came of Friend parentage, and was reared in the
simple faith from which he has never altogether separated himself.
After leaving school he passed several years as a farmer during the
summers and as a teacher during the winters, and during this time,
in 1859, he married Martha Garretson. In 1863 he moved
to Iowa and remained there until 1868, engaged in farming and
surveying, but returned then to Barnesville, his wife having died in
the previous year. Mr. Dawson soon made his ability as
an engineer so apparent that he was made engineer and superintendent
of the turnpike roads, and continued in this capacity for seven
years. In 1875 he sunk the coal shaft at the Barnesville coal
works, but this did not prove a success and resulted in considerable
personal loss. In 1878 he was elected county surveyor, on the
fusion ticket, although politically he has always been a stanch
Republican. His father was a Free Soiler, and our subject was
active in the Fremont campaign, and cast his first presidential vote
for Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Dawson has been a
resident of Bellaire since 1882; prior to that time he lived in St.
Clairsville. In 1886 he erected his beautiful home at No. 4337
Jefferson street.
The second marriage of Mr. Dawson was formerly
Margaret T. Happer, of Barnesville. Since its
organization, Mr. Dawson has been the able president of the
Farmers' & Merchants' Bank, of Bellaire, one of the sound,
conservative financial institutions of Eastern Ohio. Mr.
Dawson is a man of social instincts and his fraternal relations
include membership in the Masonic order, being a member of Bellaire
Lodge, F. & A. M.; Bellaire Chapter, R. A. M.; Bellaire Council;
Hope Commandery, No. 26, K. T., of St. Clairsville; Ohio Consistory
of Scottish Rites, of Columbus; and Osiris Temple, of the Mystic
Shrine, of Wheeling, West Virginia.
For the past 15 years our subject has given the most of
the energies to mine engineering, being an expert in the profession,
thoroughly technical in his knowledge and perfectly practical in his
methods. However, this profession shows but one side of Mr.
Dawson's character, for he is also a man of affairs, a
politician of fixed conviction, a financier of ability and a genial,
hospital member of social life.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio
and Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago,
Illinois - 1903 - Page 693 |
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DR. A. W. DIVEN was
born at West Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He was graduated at
Jefferson Medical College in 1895, and also took a course in the
University of the South, Swanee, Tennessee, the same year.
Since his graduation, he has practiced medicine at Martin's Ferry,
Ohio. Dr. Diven is one of the brightest of the young
men of the Society. His reputation is good, he stands on solid
ground, and a bright future is predicted for him.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio
and Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago,
Illinois - 1903 - Page 152 |
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JAMES O. DIXON, who owns a small farm of
22 acres in Richland township, two miles southeast of St. Clairsville,
has been living at his present abode since 1885 and is a man of
ability, well-read and well-educated. His birth occurred in 1848 in
Monroe County, and he is a son of Alexander and Rachel (McKelvey)
Dixon, who now reside on the farm with him and his family.
Alexander Dixon was born in 1824, and led
a useful career as a farmer for many years previous to making his home
with our subject. His wife was a daughter of James and Nancy
McKelvey, and was born in Wheeling township in 1822. They had six
children, whose names are as follows: James O.; Jennie,
who married Reuben Garber and lives in Martin's Ferry;
Robert S., deceased; David A., living in Byesville,
Guernsey County; Sarah A., also deceased; and William R.,
who was killed on the railroad in1895. Mr. and Mrs Dixon are
members of the Presbyterian Church, and our subject and his family
also worship there. In fraternal circles Mr. Dixon is a member
of the I. O. O. F. organization, and in politics he is a Democrat and
votes a straight ticket.
James O. Dixon removed to Belmont County in
1865, and for a time was located near Belmont, but later changed his
residence to the farm where he resides at present. He obtained a good
education in his youth, became a teacher, and for 30 consecutive years
taught school before engaging in farming. He is also interested in
life insurance at this writing, and, altogether, is a very busy man.
In 1879 our subject was united in marriage with
Monica King, a daughter of James and Margaret
King, who was born near Glencoe, Richland township, in 1845. Their
union was prolific of two children, Howard K., born in 1880,
and Earl H., born in 1883, the former a teacher, and the
latter, local editor on the "Martin's Ferry Times." In April, 1899,
our subject was called upon to mourn the loss of his beloved companion
and wife, her death taking place at that time.
Fraternally Mr. Dixon affiliates with the
Knights of Pythias, being a member of the St. Clairsville lodge. In
politics he is an earnest Democrat in his views, and in 1880 was
candidate for recorder. Mr. Dixon is a shrewd, capable
business man. |
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CHARLES P. DOBBINS, a well-known wool
and fur dealer of Barnesville, Ohio, has, for over 30 years,
prominently identified himself with the business interests of the
town. His present business undertaking, which he has conducted for
several years, is the largest of its kind in Belmont County, and his
successful management of its affairs has won him the confidence of the
people far and near. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank,
and has long served as a member of the board of directors of that
institution. He is a product of healthy country life and a practical
business atmosphere, and was born on a farm in Belmont County, Ohio,
August 1. 1850, being a son of James and Lydia (Nichols)
(Hatcher) Dobbins.
James Dobbins was a native of New Jersey,
and was a well-known figure in Barnesville for many years. In early
life, he learned the cooper's trade, which, together with agricultural
occupations, he followed throughout his active life. Upon coming to
Ohio, James Dobbins settled near Morristown, where he
engaged in coopering and also in farming. After remaining there for
some years, he settled in Warren township, near Barnesville. upon a
farm, which he operated in connection with the coopering business, and
achieved a fair amount of success. He later located near Somerton,
Ohio, following the same occupations there. About 1842, he removed to
Barnesville. where he spent the remainder of his life, dying May 30,
1883, at the advanced age of 86 years. In early manhood, he married
Mrs. Lydia (Nichols) Hatcher, by whom he reared
three children, as follows: Annie M., James A., and Charles
P. Mrs. Dobbins' life came to a close February 27, 1892, at the
age of 76 years.
Charles P. Dobbins was mainly reared in Barnesville,
Ohio, and in the town's public schools secured the educational
training and developed the habits of industry which have so materially
assisted him in his business life. At the early age of 10 years, he
began work in a wool factory, where he remained for six year, in this
period acquiring a good knowledge of the wool industry. Later, he went
into a cooper shop, and learned the business with the intention of
making it his life's work, but soon after he had established himself
in a knowledge of the craft, new machinery was introduced into cooper
shops that rendered his knowledge of the trade of little use to him.
With this obstacle confronting him, he decided to turn his attention
to the fur and wool business, in which he had previously acquired
considerable knowledge. Accordingly, he opened an establishment for
this industry in Barnesville, and had no difficulty in working up a
good trade. From time to time he has enlarged his business, buying up
large quantities of wool and pelts, which he shipped to the various
markets, and, as stated before, he now operates one of the largest
concerns of the kind in Belmont County. The success that has come to
him is certainly well merited.
Mr. Dobbins married Amanda M.
Blakemore, and this union has been blessed by two children—Laura
M., who resides at home, and Willard B., who passed from
this life December 29, 1900. Mr. Dobbins has always evinced a keen
interest in public affairs. Though but 16 years of age when the Civil
War broke out, he secured his father's permission to become a soldier,
and enlisted in Company D, 185th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and served with
distinction under Captain Rodecker, in the Army of
Kentucky, with General Thomas. He received his honorable
discharge in 1865. He has served six years as a member of the City
Council and two terms as a member of the Board of Education, of which
he is now serving as president. He is a stanch supporter of Republican
principles and is quite influential in the ranks of that party. His
wife and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of
Barnesville. Fraternally, he is a valued member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows. |
Carl L. Dorer |
CARL L. DORER, secretary and
treasurer of the C. L. Dorer Foundry Company, of Bellaire,
Ohio, who for many years had charge of the mold-designing department
at the Rodefer Glass Works, was born in January, 1854, at Triberg,
Baden, Germany, being a son of the late Dr. F. S. Dorer, for
many years a prominent physician. Both parents of our subject
were also born in Germany, and both are deceased. A brother,
William Dorer, the well-known jeweler at Bellaire, learned his
trade in Dorchester, England, and opened up his business in Bellaire
in 1890.
Our subject was reared in an excellent home, attended
school at Triberg, secured an excellent mathematical training, and
then performed his citizen duty to his country by entering the army
at the age of 20 years, serving until he was 23. From his
youth he followed the glass business, becoming an expert designer
and mold-maker. Securing a furlough of two years from the
army, he decided to visit America, and in 1882 came to this country,
locating at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he engaged at his craft
with Washington Beck for nine months. He then came to Bellaire
and was employed by the Rodefer Brothers, and soon after was
placed in charge of the mold shops. Later, in association with
capitalists of Bellaire, he organized the C. L. Dorer Foundry
Company, of which he is secretary and treasurer. He is also
the originator of the Enterprise Enamel Company, which was first
conducted under the firm name of Dorer & Rossbach for about
18 months, a stock company later being formed in which Mr. Dorer
is interested. Other important organizations with which Mr.
Dorer is connected are numerous. He is also president of
the Octo Gold Company, chartered under the laws of West Virginia,
owning and developing a fine prospective mine near Baker City,
Oregon, of which company Charles Taney is secretary and
treasurer, and J. M. Weeks and T. S. Riley are
directors. Mr. Dorer, after a recent visit to and
examination of this property, returned filled with enthusiasm for
undoubted success in the near future.
Mr. Dorer married Julia Hess, born in
Bellaire, Ohio, in 1860, being the daughter of Jacob and
Catherine Hess, of Bellaire, who are among the pioneers of the
city. Five children have been born to this union, namely:
Vera, Carl, Richard, Millie and Walter. Probably
there is no home in the Eastern Ohio Valley more desirable in every
way than that occupied by Mr. Dorer and family. It
bears the name of Triberg, in honor of Mr. Dorer's
birthplace, and is located on the crest of a commanding hill,
overlooking the city, outside its corporate limits. Leading to
it are steps from the turnpike road, and also a driveway which
gracefully winds to the top. One room is the original log
cabin, erected on the spot by "Uncle" Jacob Heatherington and
Captain Fink in 1846. This building has been covered
with the usual building material and added to until there are eight
rooms, only the unusually thick walls giving an idea of the inner
lining of logs. The surrounding grounds contain about seven
acres, and at considerable expense have been finely graded and set
out in orchard and vineyard, containing all the ordinary
horticultural specimens of the locality. A system of
waterworks is supplied from an unfailing spring of pure water above,
having a fall of 65 feet, while natural gas piping supplies fuel and
light. This is an ideal home, and none in this vicinity can
compare with Triberg Orchard.
In political sentiment Mr. Dorer favors the
Republican party, while his social connections are with Bellaire
Lodge, F. & A. M.; Black Prince Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and the
Turners. Mr. Dorer is regarded as one of the
representative men of Bellaire, and his support is sought in almost
all public and many private enterprises, the good judgment he has
shown and the success which he has attained in his own affairs
justly inspiring his fellow-citizens with confidence. His
genial, pleasant nature has surrounded him with a wide circle of
personal friends.
Source: Centennial History
of Belmont County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. Publ.
Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 407 |
|
RICHARD ARTHINGTON DOSTER, the
popular postmaster of Temperanceville, Sommerset township, Belmont
County, and for the past 11 years its leading merchant, was born in
1864, in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio, and has been a resident
of Belmont County since 1881.
Mr. Doster is of old and honorable ancestry, his
maternal line being the same as that of Alexander H. Stephens,
the leading statesman of the Southern Confederacy, while a long and
uninterrupted line leads on the paternal side as far back as Queen
Elizabeth, of England. His father is Aaron B. C. Doster,
who for many years was a commercial traveler and now assists in
the management of his son's establishment in Temperanceville.
Aaron B. C. Doster was born in 1832 near
Martinsburg, Fayette County, Ohio, and accompanied his son to
Belmont County in 1881. In politics he supports the Republican
party and is fraternally a Mason. The mother of our subject of
Louisa Jane Stephens, who was born in Monroe County, and died
in 1870, at the early age of 29 years. She had been the
devoted mother of four children, namely: John S., deceased;
Richard A., of this sketch; Mary H. (Mrs. William Mace,
of Temperanceville); and Hattie F., deceased.
Our subject received excellent educational advantages,
attending Woodsfield High School and Greenfield Seminary, following
which he engaged for nine years in teaching school, five of these
being in the schools of Temperanceville. Embarking in the
mercantile business. Mr. Doster has continued to yearly
expand until he now carries as complete and well assorted a stock of
goods as can be found in any town of its size in the county.
His trade is a critical one and extends over a wide scope of
country. In April, 1897, he was appointed postmaster, and
still continues in office.
In May, 1896, Mr. Doster was united in marriage
with Annie L. Gallagher, who was born in Temperanceville in
1871, and is a daughter of Austin and Barbara (Harren) Gallagher,
and a niece of the distinguished Catholic Bishop, Nicholas
Gallagher, of Galveston, Texas. The two children born to
this union are: Louisa Marie, born in 1897; and Charles
Ralph, born in 1900. Mrs. Doster, a lady of
refinement and culture, is a devoted daughter of the Catholic
Church. Mr. Doster belongs to the Knights of Pythias. |
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JOSIAH W. DOUDNA, secretary and
treasurer of the Eastern Ohio Glass Company, is one of the leading and
representative citizens of Barnesville, Ohio. He has been
prominently identified with the various progressive movements which
have given this city a leading position in the county, and has
contributed time, advice and means to the furtherance of permanent
enterprises of benefit to the community.
The birth of Josiah W. Doudna occurred in Warren
township, Belmont County, Ohio, in September, 1849. He was one
of four children born to Joseph F. and Belinda (Hobern) Doudna.
The father is one of the oldest farmers in the county. He is
also a native of Belmont County, where he was born 78 years ago, and
is still living in Warren township, a short distance from the city
limits.
Josiah W. Doudna attended the common schools and
was afterward a pupil in the Friends' School at Westtown,
Pennsylvania. For a number of years he was engaged in business
in Barnesville, and was well and widely known in this connection.
Progressive in spirit, it was Mr. Doudna who introduced the
first telephone system into Barnesville, and later a company was
formed, including E. F. Doudna, I. L. Smith and T. W.
Branson. This company was organized in 1895 under the name
of the Barnesville Telephone Company, and the enterprise has proved to
be of the greatest benefit to the public and a financial success to
the stockholders. For three years it was successfully conducted,
but in February, 1898, the system passed into the control of the Bell
Telephone Company, Three months later all of the apparatus of the
former company was destroyed, a short distance from the town, by fire.
The new company provided another equipment, and in September, 1898,
the long distance accommodation was established. Of this system
Albert H. Doudna, a son of Josiah W., located in
Bridgeport, is the general manager operating in Belmont County.
At one time, in association with his brother Edwin, the subject
of this sketch was interested in several well-drilling machines.
For a number of years Mr. Doudna has been one of the directors
of the People's National Bank of Barnesville, and a member of the
executive board of the Independent Glass Company, of Pittsburg. The
Eastern Ohio Glass Company, in which Mr. Doudna is secretary
and treasurer, is one of the leading industries of Barnesville. It
employs 225 men and has the largest and best equipped factory in this
part of the State, and sends finished goods over a good part of the
world. Their excellent quality and line finish have made them
desirable wherever introduced, and caused a great demand for them.
Mr. Doudna was married to Ruth Bundy,
a niece of Hon. William Bundy, of Warren
township, and a daughter of John Bundy, one of the oldest residents of
Belmont County. Two sons and two daughters were born to this union.
Mr. Doudna is social by nature and enjoys an active
membership in the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. He belongs to and is
State representative in the encampment in the latter, and is a member
of the chapter and commandery of St. Clairsville in the former. His
political affiliation is with the Republican party. although he has
never consented to accept political office. The family is held in the
highest esteem in Belmont County. |
|
HENRY
W. DOUGLASS, who passed out of life in January, 1896, was for
a number of years one of hte most successful and highly esteemed
farmer-citizens of Warren township, Belmont County, Ohio. A
good neighbor and a husband and father devoted to the welfare of his
family, he left many to sorrow at his death, while his township
lost, in him, one of its most honest and valued residents.
The birth of Mr. Douglass took place in Warren
township, in 1847, one of a family of 13 children born to George
and Ellen (Nuzum) Douglass. The father died in Belmont
County, Ohio, in 1879, aged 84 years four months, and the mother
died Nov. 4, 1892, aged 88 years one month. Our late subject
followed an agricultural life, and at his death left for the use of
his family a fine, well-improved farm consisting of 168 acres.
In March, 1874, Mr. Douglass was united in
marriage with Sarah E. Reed, who was born in Somerset
township, Belmont County, a daughter of William L. Reed.
The four children born to this union were as follows: Harry
C., born on Apr. 29, 1875; Amy E., born on June 15, 1880;
Emmor R., born June 24, 1882; and Grace M., born Sept.
20, 1889. Harry C. and Emmor superintend the
farm and are both well educated and intelligent young men. In
July, 1896, Harry C. was united in marriage with Bertie E.
Woodland, daughter of John C. Woodland, one of Belmont
County's progressive citizens. One bright little daughter,
Edith, has been born to this union. Harry C. Douglass,
like his father, affiliates with the Democratic party. The
religious connection of the family is with the Methodist Church, in
which the late Mr. Douglass was most highly valued. He
was also connected with the Masonic fraternity. The pleasant
farmhouse is the home of he whole family, and also of Miss Maria
C. Douglass. They are all well known in Warren township
and enjoy universal esteem.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 594 |
|
DR. J. N. DRENNEN, born in Belmont
County, near Morristown, Ohio, Feb. 8, 1863, studied medicine under
Drs. Estep and Thompson. He graduated in
Cleveland July 30, 1890, from the medical department of the
University of Wooster, now called the College of Physicians and
Surgeons. Early in 1890 he located at Fairview, Guernsey
County, Ohio. He remained in Fairview until the following
September, when he returned to Loydsville and entered in a
co-partnership with the late Dr. Estep and continued with him
until his death Oct. 6, 1897. Since Dr. Estep's death,
he has practiced alone in Loydsville. He was married Mar.
16, 1898, to Mrs. Louisa L. Griffith.
For a number of years the Doctor has been physician
to the Belmont County Infirmary. To use the Doctor's own
expression, "there is nothing else except what is the daily
experience of a country physician's life." Such a life we all
know means a life devoted to noble purposes.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 151 |
|
JAMES F. DuBOIS, a young business
man of Bellaire, Ohio, whose enterprise and ability have placed him
in the forefront of a number of substantial enterprises in Bellaire,
is one whose success may rank him in the future with other captains
of industry.
James F. DuBois was born near Bridgeport,
Belmont County, Ohio, in 1854, and is one of six sons born to
John DuBois, who is well known in the lumber and planing-mill
business. Morris DuBois, a brother to James F.,
served for a period as city treasurer of Bellaire. When about
12 years of age our subject came with his parents to Bellaire, and
entered his father's planing-mill as bookkeeper, remaining there for
several years. Later he became teller of the Dollar Savings
Bank, where he remained for three years. As an organizer his
ability was first shown in the forming of the Enterprise Enamel
Company, of which he was secretary for some time. He then
served for six months as secretary of the Novelty Stamping Company.
Experience teaches and through a number of business ventures and
successes Mr. DuBois reaches his present responsible position
of secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Bellaire Brick
Company, A Delaware corporation, recently formed. This
business was established in the spring of 1900 by our subject, in
conjunction with S. H. and H. H. Criswell, all being
stockholders. In 1901 the business was incorporated under the
laws of the State of Delaware, with the following officers:
S. H. Criswell, president; H. H. Criswell,
vice-president, and James F. DuBois, secretary, treasurer and
general manager. The business site was bought from J. A.
Gallaher and Crozier brothers, but the buildings have
been almost entirely erected by the present company. Ten and
one-half acres of ground are utilized, the clay and other
ingredients being found on the place. The product is red
brick, the capacity of a 10-hour day being from 35,000 to 40,000
bricks. The burning of the brick is done with coal, but
natural gas is used for drying.
A notable invention belonging to and used by this
company is the result of ideas of Mr. DuBois, which enables
the company to take the wet clay form the bank, mold it into bricks,
burn the bricks, and load them on the cars ready for shipment in 72
yours, and with but one handling. This is something entirely
new in brick-making, and the invention is being rapidly developed to
perfection. From 15 to 20 men are given employment.
The Enameled Steel Tile Company is a recently
incorporated business enterprise of Bellaire, its articles of
incorporation bearing date the June 25, 1902. The industry is
for the manufacture of metallic tile, enameled, for use in
bath-rooms, for hearths, ceilings, in all colors and designs, with a
finish which is guaranteed to be durable. The plant for this
great industry will be located on lower Union street, and will have
a capacity of 3,000 square feet of ceiling per day of 10 hours, and
will give employment to a large number of people. It has been
incorporated with a capital of $50,000, and its officers are the
following substantial citizens: James F. DuBois,
president; E. J. A. Drennen, of Martin's Ferry, vice
president; J. W. Garber, secretary and treasurer; and
William Landkrohn, manager. Mr. DuBois is a
tireless worker, and he has ever at heart the best interests of
those organizations with which he is connected.
Our subject was married in 1895 to a daughter of
Alexander Heatherington, and a granddaughter of Jacob
Heatherington. Jacob Heatherington is one of the
most venerable residents of Belmont County, to which he came in
1832, and is nearing his 90th birthday. During his business
career he was a very prominent coal operator. Mr. and Mrs.
DuBois have one son, John Alexander. The family
residence is located at No. 1766 Belmont street. The family
are members of the Christian Church, although Mr. DuBois is
liberal to all denominations. In politics he is a Republican,
and is fraternally prominent as a Knight of Pythias and a Mason,
being a member of Bellaire Lodge, F. & A. M., and also of the
chapter and council of Bellaire.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 556 |
|
|
JOHN DuBOIS, a noted
lumber dealer and manufacturer of Bellaire, Ohio, is indigenous to
Belmont County, his birth having taken place June 4, 1838, in
Colerain township. He is a son of John and Elizabeth
(Douglas) Du Bois, both native of County Antrim, Ireland, where
their marriage vows were exchanged. Five children were born to
them before they left their native land. After emigration they
settled in Belmont County, Ohio and in time four more children
were born to them. The father was a blacksmith by trade and
followed that occupation for some years with such success that he
purchased a farm in Colerain township and engaged in agricultural
pursuits. Success crowned his efforts and he acquired a large
amount of land. He died in 1880, having previously lost his
companion and helpmeet in 1857.
Dr. DuBois has one brother living,
Maj. Joseph M. DuBois, of Dallas, Texas, who served during
the Civil War in the 15th Ohio Regiment and rendered valuable
services to our country. The subject of this narrative
remained at home upon his father's farm until he attained the age of
35 years, and he still owns and managers the homestead farm in
Colerain township. He located in Bellaire in 1876, succeeding
in the lumber business his brother, Alexander, whose demise
took place about that time. Mr. DuBois has followed
that line of work constantly ever since. In 1880 he built a
planing mill on Central avenue and Harrison street. This mill
has been operated for nearly a quarter of a century under the firm
name of DuBois & McCoy, and turns out a large amount of work.
Mr. DuBois has been twice married. In early manhood he
married Margaret Frazier, who died in October, 1888, leaving
seven sons, as follows: James F., whose sketch appears
elsewhere in this volume; John A.; Samuel L., a minister of
the United Presbyterian Church; Joseph M., ex-city treasurer
and at present bookkeeper at the mill; David Douglas, a law
student at Columbus; Charles McConkey, who died at the early
age of four years, and Lawrence Lorain, who is also employed
at the mill.
Some time after the decease of his first wife our
subject married the present Mrs. DuBois, whose maiden name
was Sarah Atkinson, she was reared near Wheeling, West
Virginia. The family prefer the religion of the United
Presbyterian Church. Politically, Mr. DuBois is an
ardent Republican, and although not a politician he has been honored
with the confidence of the people in his community and has served
his party faithfully. From 1892 to 1894 he served as mayor of
Bellaire, and his administration of city affairs during his term was
commendable. As a business man he is straightforward and
upright in his dealings, and he has few equals in the lumber
business. Years of constant toil have brought to him a
well-deserved rew3ard, and he has long since reached an enviable
position financially. He has a beautiful home which he built
some time ago at No. 4211 Noble street. His office is located
on Central avenue.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 647 |
|
|
WILLIAM DUVALL, who since 1851 has been a resident of Belmont County
and is well known as the postmaster and popular general merchant of
Businessburg, in Mead township, is a native of the Buckeye State,
born in Jefferson County, Dec. 4, 1820.
The parents of Mr. Duvall were Dennis and
Mahala (Fowler) Duvall, the former of whom died in Jefferson
County and the latter in Mead township at the age of 77 years.
Our subject is the only member of his parents' family surviving, and
although the winters of 82 years have somewhat whitened his locks,
his physical and mental activity place his years not beyond 50.
With the vigor of middle life he manages the details of a large
business and makes in person his purchases in Wheeling when
necessary to supplement his stock. His capacity is such that
he may justly look forward to many more years of activity and
usefulness.
Mr. Duvall was reared in Jefferson County, where he
remained until 1851, coming then
to Pipe Creek, Belmont County, where he
was engaged for some years in both farming
and merchandising. In the stormy days of
the Civil War his loyalty induced him to so
arrange his business that he could enlist in
the service of his country, entering in 1862
Company F, 52nd Ohio Vol. Inf., in which
service he continued two years and eleven
months, or until the close of the war. His
regiment was included in the 14th Army Corps, 2nd Brigade and 32nd
Division, under grim old General Sherman, with whom he
marched to the sea. Although not seriously wounded, Mr.
Duvall had some very close calls, one of these being at the
battle of Kenesaw Mountain. Every day of his service but one,
Mr. Duvall carried his load of equipment.
After his return from the army our subject opened up a general store at Businessburg, and this has mainly claimed his attention ever since. This store building was
erected by Mr. Warren, who was one of the
early pioneers of this locality. For the past
25 years the post office has been under Mr. Duvall’s charge, its
management giving general satisfaction. In politics our subject is a
stanch Republican and is proud of his State and his party. In his
earlier years he was in sympathy with the Know-Nothing party.
He has not been a seeker for office; served during a short period as
justice of the peace, and declined the position of township assessor
even when elected. Mr. Duvall never married, but
in the community in which he has lived so long is surrounded by warm
personal friends. He attends the Bethel Presbyterian Church.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 768 |
|
|
SYLVANUS C. DYSART,
a Civil War veteran and retired agriculturist, now residing with his
tenant, Wayne A. Wharton and family, on the Dysart
homestead in Wheeling township, is a man of considerable means,
has traveled extensively and is well informed on all general
subjects. He was born on the farm on which he now resides Apr.
23, 1832, and is the son of John and Maria Cook (Grimes) Dysart.
William Dysart, grandfather of Sylvanus C.,
born in Ireland, came to this country in 1802, and after a short
residence in Pennsylvania moved to Ohio, where, purchasing land of
the government, he made a permanent home for himself. A man of
great energy and power, he cleared the new land and made it in time
a valuable piece of property. To Mr. Dysart and wife
were born four children - John, who is mentioned below;
William, born in 1805, married Lucinda Henderson, and
they had eight children, two boys and six girls, - he owned for some
time a farm near Fairpoint, later one of 200 acres in Champaign
County, where he died; Boyd, born in 1807, who lived in
Morristown and died there, married Jane Henderson, a cousin
of Lucinda Henderson, and they had three sons, - Mrs.
Dysart married for her second husband James Twinem; Jane,
born in 1809, died in 1855, married John Neal of Guernsey
County, Ohio, and they had nine children, four boys and five girls.
Mr. Dysart taught school before coming to this country.
John Dysart, father of Sylvanus, was born
while the parents were on board ship coming from Ireland to America
in 1802. He made his home for the most part in Wheeling
township, Belmont County, Ohio. After the death of his parents
he purchased his brothers' interests in the family homestead and
there lived and carried on farming for the rest of his life.
In 1841 he put up a new barn, which is still intact, and in 1853 he
erected the house in which Sylvanus now resides. He
died Aug. 20, 1890, and his wife Oct. 31, 1894. Both are
interred in the cemetery at St. Clairsville. About 1830he
married Maria Cook Grimes, daughter of William Grimes,
who was born in Pennsylvania, settled in Richland township, Belmont
County, Ohio, about 1775, and there spent the rest of his life.
His house and its contents were destroyed by fire in 1844 and his
wife suffered severe burns, from the effects of which she died.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dysart were born six children - Sylvanus
C., who is mentioned below; William born in 1834, died
Dec. 10, 1895; Thomas, born in 1836, became a United
Presbyterian minister and officiated for some time in Mansfield,
Ohio, where he died in 1882; Boyd W., born in 1839, now
resides in Greene County, Missouri; John B., born in 1841,
met his death from the effects of a wound received in the Civil War;
Mary Jane born in 1853, married Renoldo Runyan of
Jefferson County, Ohio, and died in 1888.
Sylvanus C. Dysart procured his education in the
district schools of Wheeling township. Upon reaching manhood
he assisted in the management of the home farm for a number of
years. Here he remained until the Civil War broke out, and
then in the spring of 1864 enlisted in the 170th Reg., Ohio Vol.
Inf., and going to the front put in 100 days of hard service, and
was in five different battles, including Winchester, Snicker's Gap
and Cedar Creek. Returning by the way of Pittsburg, he was
there elaborately entertained, soon after which he received his
discharge at Columbus. After the war he remained with his
parents on the home farm until their death. Then, in January,
1895, he purchased the place of his brother, J. B. Dysart,
who administered the estate. He has since let the farm,
Wayne A. Wharton being the present tenant, and has spent
considerable time in the West, returning occasionally to look after
his property.
Mr. Dysart has never married, a fact which he
now somewhat regrets. He has spent much of his time in travel,
taking in the World's Fair in 1893, going on an excursion trip in
1882 and 1883, and at different times visiting Canada and its points
of interest, including Niagara Falls and Toronto. He belongs
to the United Presbyterian Church of Harrisville, Ohio, and is a
consistent member. In politics he is an ardent Republican.
Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens. Publ. Biographical Publishing Co. -
Chicago, Illinois - 1903 - Page 671 |
NOTES: |
