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.BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield County,
Ohio
Illustrated - Published: New York and Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company.
1902
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T. H. Dill |
THOMAS H. DILL
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 238 |
Thomas H. Dolson |
THOMAS H. DOLSON.
Perhaps the most distinguished criminal lawyer of this part
of Ohio is Thomas H. Dolson, of Lancaster, whose
reputation is not limited by the confines of this state but
extends into other states where his services have been
sought. In the profession of law one must depend entirely
upon individual merit for advancement, strong mentality,
close application, ambition and determined purpose are the
concomitants of success at the bar and when prestige has
been won it is unmistakable evidence of the possession of
these qualities. Conferring honor and dignity upon the
profession which has honored him, his course has ever been
such as upholds the majesty of the law and his history
therefore should form no unimportant chapter in the judicial
annals of this district.
Mr. Dolson is a native of Ohio, his birth having
occurred in McConnelsville, Morgan county, on the 22nd !of
November, 1851, his parents being Ebenezer B. and Hulda
(Stevenson) Dolson, the former a native of Ohio and the
latter of Virginia. His ancestry, both direct and collateral
for many generations has been distinctively American, and in
the civil and military history of the country the name of
Dolson figures conspicuously. In every war in which the
country has been engaged representatives of the name have
battled for the rights and liberties of the nation and the
great-great-grandfather of our subject was one of the heroes
of the Revolution who fought under the command of General
Washington from 1776 until 1783. The grandfather of
Mr. Dolson served in the Mexican war, and as
quartermaster of the First Ohio Heavy Artillery his father,
Ebenezer B. Dolson, rendered his country effective
aid from 1862 until 1865. At an early clay in the history of
New York the Dolsons resided in that state and it was
the grandfather of our subject who founded the family in
Ohio, establishing his home in Muskingum county in the early
part of the nineteenth century. He purchased large tracts of
land in Muskingum county and in that portion of the state
which afterward became Perry county, and took a prominent
part in developing the industries of that portion of the
state leading to its substantial development and
improvement. Ebenezer Dolson was born and
reared in this state, early becoming familiar with the work
that falls to the lot of the agriculturist, and after
attaining his majority began farming on his own account. For
many years he engaged in the tilling of the soil and in
raising stock in Morgan county, Ohio, and is now living in
Kansas.
The early boyhood days of Thomas H. Dolson were
spent in a manner not unlike that of most boys of the
period. The public schools of Morgan county afforded him his
early educational privileges and later he took a course in
the high school in Logan, Ohio, where he he was graduated
with the class of 1868. Immediately afterward he entered
upon his business career in the capacity of bookkeeper in
the mercantile establishment of his brother-in-law, H. S.
Berry, at Cameron, Missouri, where he remained for two
years. In 1870 he returned to Ohio and wishing to enter
professional life became a law student in the office of
Judge Martin, of Lancaster, who directed his
reading for two years. Successfully passing an examination
before the supreme court, in December, 1873, he was admitted
to the bar and at once established an office in Lancaster.
Nature bountifully endowed him with the peculiar
qualifications that combine to make a successful lawyer.
Patiently persevering, possessed of an analytical mind, and
one that is readily receptive and retentive of the
fundamental principles and intricacies of the law: gifted
with a spirit of devotion to wearisome details; quick to
comprehend the most subtle problems and logical in his
conclusions; fearless in the advocacy of any cause he may
espouse, and the soul of honor and integrity, few men have
been more richly gifted for the achievement of success in
the arduous and difficult profession of the law. In
1875 he formed a partnership with Levi Hite, a
prominent attorney of the Fairfield county bar, and this
relation was maintained until Mr. Hite's removal to
Columbus in 1887. Since that time Mr. Dolson
has been alone in practice. He served for four years
as prosecuting attorney of Fairfield county, from 1876 until
1880, and then retired, but his successor died shortly after
entering upon the duties of the office and Mr. Dolson
was then appointed to fill the unexpired term, so that he
served for nearly two years longer. His course was one
deserving and winning high commendation, for neither fear
nor favor caused him to swerve from the strict path of duty.
His ability as a trial lawyer led to the winning of many of
the suits which he tried in the courts. During his
twenty-three years' practice at the bar of this and other
states, Mr. Dolson has built up a very fine law
business that covers a wide scope of territory. In the
local courts his practice is general, but in the surrounding
counties and other states it is exclusively criminal, mostly
for the defense. Perhaps Mr. Dolson has
been engaged in a greater number of criminal cases than any
other lawyer of his age in the state of Ohio. Among
the notable causes which have attracted general attention,
in which he appeared for the defense as the leading
advocate, was that of the state of Montana versus ______,
the defendant having been charged with murder in the first
degree, but he was acquitted by the jury. Another was
in the state of Illinois versus David Miller, charged
with the murder of A. B. Diamon, the mayor of Arcola,
whom he shot and killed because of some family trouble.
This case was prosecuted with vigor by the state and Mr.
Dolson had to combat the ablest lawyers of central
Illinois, among whom was the Hon. Horace S. Clark, a
man of high reputation as a criminal lawyer. After a
trial of several days' duration Miller was acquitted.
He has also appeared in defense of men charged with high
crimes in the states of Indiana and California and always
with success. Mr. Dolson has appeared on one
side or the other of every important criminal case tried in
Fairfield county during the past fifteen years and in many
of those in adjoining counties. In the case of the
state of Ohio versus Napier, charged with murder,
Mr. Dolson was appointed by the late Judge Hoffman,
of Perry county, to assist in the prosecution. The
defendant was convicted. In his professional career
Mr. Dolson has been most successful not only in gaining
verdicts desired, but also from a financial standpoint as
well, and has been enabled to surround his family with the
comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
In 1876, Mr. Dolson was united in marriage to
Miss Alida Reinmund, a daughter of B. F. and Isabelle
(Arnold) Reinmund, of Fairfield county, and a sister of
Henry J. Reinmund, insurance commissioner under
Governor Hoadley. Mr. and Mrs. Dolson have
four children, two sons and two daughters. The family attend
the English Lutheran church, of which Mr. Dolson
is a member. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat.
He was nominated by his party for the state senate to
represent the ninth and fourteenth senatorial districts, but
was defeated with the remainder of the ticket. Perhaps the
best summary of his life can be given in the words of an old
and prominent member of the Lancaster bar, who said: While
Mr. Dolson does a general law business in the
local courts, his practice runs largely to criminal cases,
and in this peculiar line he has quite a wide reputation. He
is adapted by nature for this kind of work. He is shrewd,
quick to see the weak points of his opponents and aggressive
in availing himself of every advantage presented in the
trial of a case. He has a good voice, an extensive
vocabulary, and on his feet before the jury he makes an
effective address. He is the best talker, perhaps, at this
bar, but not the best read lawyer. If his early education
had been commensurate with his natural abilities as a lawyer
his advancement would have been more rapid. He came to the
bar here early in the seventies, and has improved his
opportunities so well that he now ranks with the leading
attorneys of the district. His reputation as a criminal
lawyer is well established in this section of the state, and
he has been called to widely diverging points to defend Ohio
citizens charged with the violation of the criminal codes of
different states. He has been remarkably successful and has
crossed swords with some able men in this line of practice.
Another feature that has contributed to his success is that
he has confined himself entirely to his profession and is a
worker. He has not neglected his law practice for politics
or any other business. He gives his clients his best efforts
and is a trustworthy and reliable lawyer. He is held in high
esteem both by the legal profession and in the community,
and by the public where he is known.
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 54 |
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GEORGE T. DRAKE,
who is now acceptably and capably serving as postmaster of
Corning, has for a number of years been in the public
service and has ever been found reliable, prompt and
faithful. He is a native of Morgan county, Ohio, his
birth having occurred in Pennsville. He is a
representative of one of the pioneer families of the state.
His paternal grandfather, James Watts Drake, was a
native of Virginia and in the year 1812 emigrated westward,
taking up his residence in Belmont county, Ohio, whence he
removed to Morgan county in 1832. His remaining days
were spent in this state, and in 1895, at the advanced
age of eighty-nine years, he was called to his final rest.
Francis W. Drake, the father of our subject, was
born January 20, 1833, upon the old family homestead in
Morgan county and was a resident of his native county until
1881, when he came to Corning, where he still resides.
He was a contractor and builder, but abandoned that pursuit
to enter upon the duties of postmaster, to which position he
was appointed by President Harrison. He is now
engaged in the grocery business and is one of the
enterprising and successful merchants of this place.
He has led an active and useful life, and has not only
successfully conducted his business affairs but has been a
prominent factor in public life in his locality. For
many years he has served on the city council and put forth
strong effort to advance the welfare and substantial
upbuilding of his town. He married Adeline Holt,
a daughter of Joab and Elizabeth Holt, who removed
from Harper's Ferry, Virginia, to Morgan county, Ohio, in
1850. Mrs. Drake died May 9, 1884. She
was a native of Harpers Ferry.
George T. Drake began his education in the
public schools and is a graduate of the high school of
Corning of the class of 1890. In April of that year,
one month prior to his graduation, he took the civil service
examination for railway mail clerk and of the many who took
the examination at the same time he stood highest.
During the following August he entered upon his duties as
substitute clerk on the route from Corning to Columbus.
He also substituted on various other runs and was in the
Columbus postoffice for a time until he was permanently
appointed on the limited mail run between Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, and St. Louis, Missouri. In April, 1893,
he resigned from the service and until 1897 was engaged in
teaching school in the Corning special district. While
teaching he took a prominent part in educational matters,
being at that time a member of the county executive
committee, and has ever since been interested in educational
affairs.
Since 1894 Mr. Drake has been a prominent factor
in his county's politics and from 1896 has been on the stump
in various campaigns. As a debater and speech maker he
has an enviable record. From 1895 until 1897 he served
as clerk of Monroe township. In the latter year he was
appointed postmaster of Corning by President McKinley
and was re-appointed by President Roosevelt, so that
he is now serving his second term and the affairs of the
office are ably conducted under his capable management.
In the fall of 1897 he established a newspaper, the Breeze,
in partnership with LaBert Davie, but sold his
interest to Mr. Davie in 1901. He has long been
a prominent Republican of Perry county, doing all in his
power to secure political successes along that line.
He has served on the county executive committee and is now
serving as a member of the congressional committee of the
eleventh Ohio district.
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 409 |
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H. C. DRINKLE
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 371 |
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HENRY DRESBACH DRUM,
a farmer and dairyman, residing on section 17, Greenfield
township, was born in Lancaster, Ohio, June 3, 1829.
His father, Henry Drum, was a native of Virginia and
married Maria Hauchman, who was a native of Maryland.
They came to Lancaster in 1817 and the father established a
cooper shop, in the conduct of which enterprise he met with
gratifying success. With the money thus acquired he
entered into partnership with a Mr. McCrackens in the
establishment of a general mercantile store. After a
number of years, however, he sold his interest in that
business, but conducted his cooper shop for some time
thereafter. For many years he was a justice of the
peace and was serving as postmaster of Lancaster at the time
of his death in March, 1835. He left a widow and seven
children, two of whom are still living, the younger being
Jacob, who resides at Fort Scott, Kansas.
The elder, Henry Dresbach Drum, spent his early
days upon a farm and faithfully engaged in the operation of
a portable sawmill. He offered his services to the
government as a Union soldier at the time of the Civil war
but was rejected on account of disability. Later, when
the governor of Ohio called for volunteers to protect
the state from the threatened invasion he was among the
first to respond to the call. The company elected
Kit Ruffner as its captain and they were known as the
Squirrel Hunters. Each man brought his rifle and
ammunition and some provisions to the fields of encampment.
Our subject still has his discharge papers in which he was
called Dresbach Drum, as that was the name by which
he went into the service in order to be distinguished from
his father, whose first name was Henry, the same as
his own. The discharge papers bear the names of
David Tod, governor, P. P. Lane, colonel
commanding, and Major Malcolm McDowell. Mr.
Drum also has another historical document, a transcript
of the resolutions of thanks to the Squirrel Hunters, passed
by the Ohio legislature March 4, 1863, signed by the
governor.
On the 8th of September, 1865, Mr. Drum was
united in marriage by the Rev. Thomas Drake to
Susan Fetters, a daughter of Thomas Fetters, a
farmer near Lancaster, who was born on the old family
homestead which his father had entered from the government
many years before. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Drum have
been born five children, but Sarah died in early
womanhood. Those still living are: Mary J.,
Cora B., and Maude M., who are at home; and
Thomas H., who wedded Mary Gierhardt and resides
on one of the old home farms in a new house built for him
just opposite the parental home.
In early life Mr. Drum was a Jackson Democrat,
giving his support to that party until the inauguration of
the Civil war, since which time he has supported the
Republican party. He and his family attend the
Methodist church and as a citizen he is deeply interested in
everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of the
community. Mr. Drum's time is largely occupied
by his extensive business and is thereby winning creditable
success. He has a large herd of Jersey cattle which he
has bred up to a high standard. His farm is located
along the Lancaster pike within a mile of Carroll and its
high state of fertility can be judged from the fact that
recently he sold twenty acres for one hundred dollars per
acre.
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 326 |
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