This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. http://books.google.com --p_pQoo 0 ‘.o1ATE HISTQ9 ésbsé AX rm HESTORY OF _ ALLEN QOUNTY. omo AND RE?RESENTATlVE CITIZENS ‘7\ EDITED AND COMPILED BY cmuu,r~;s ASSISTED c. MILLER. BY Ph. 0. ‘ I" -’ ;.‘ F ‘ DR. SAMUEL um-. omo A. BAXTER 7-; - “History is Philosophy Touching by Example." rvnusann mr R1CHMOND & ARNOLD czoncn. ncuuosn; c. R. AIROLD CH1CAGO, ILL. 1906 HON. JOHN E. R1CH1E AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 429 3 ON. JOHN E. RICHIE, formerly _I., junior member of the firm of Richie & judge of the Court of Common Pleas Richie; Bertha, wife of Hugh L. Harrod, a and now the senior member of the traveling salesman, with home in Lima; and well-known law firm of Richie & Le Frank, deceased at the age of two years. land, of Lima, was born in Crawford The second marriage of Judge Richie was County. Ohio, March 28, 1838, and is a son contracted with Mrs. S. Louise (Van Arsdale) of Mirabeau F. and Sarah (Eaton) Richie. \Vyker, who by her first husband had one Mirabeau F. Richie was born in Pennsyl daughter. Lilian. Judge Richie with his fam vania but came to Ohio when he was but 12 ily attends the Presbyterian Church. The beau years of age, and settled in Columbiana tiful family residence is situated at No. 541 County, removing in 1839 to Van \Vert W est Wayne street, -while Judge Richie’s of County. His family consisted of 10 children, fices are in the Holland Block. seven of whom still survive. _ Politically, Judge Richie is identified with J0hn E. Richie was a babe of one year the Democratic party. Fraternally he is asso when his parents settled in Van \Vert County. ciated with the Knights of Pythias and the Odd He was a student in the first schoolhouse ever Fellows. He has long been looked upon as one built in Harrison township and in youth at of the city’s most public-spirited men; one tended school when not engaged in work upon proof of this attitude was his gift in 1892 of a the farm. He completed the school course be tract of 10 acres for the use of Lima College. fore he was 18 years old, and thereafter, until His portrait accompanies this sketch. he reached manhood. he continued to assist his father on the home farm in the summer season, ———m—— while in the winter he taught school. Arriving at manhood’s estate, he began the study of the C. RILEY, one of Lima’s prominent law, his reading being done under the super /"~ "< ai‘ business men, an extensive oil produ vision of Edward A. Ballard, now of Denver, cer, and organizer of the“International Colorado, a well-known former attorney of Fire Alarm System" in Ohio, was born Allen County. He was admitted to the bar in in Cincinnati. Ohio, in 1865, and is a 1867 and prior to coming to Lima practiced son of the late Michael Riley, who for many law for six months at Bluffton. years was interested in the large contracting Since locating in Lima, the subject of this firm of Smith & \Villiamson, of Cincinnati. sketch has become one of the leading practi Mr. Riley is a nephew of John Charles Riley, a tioners before all the courts and has filled offices very prominent politician of that city, ex-post of responsibility. For three years he served as master and a member of the wholesale firm of justice of the peace, and was elected city solici McHenry & Company. tor when the village was given its city charter. Our subject was reared and educated at In the fall of 1888 he was elected judge of the Cincinnati and there began his business career Court of Common Pleas and served in that po with the wholesale men’s furnishing goods sition from February, 1889. to February, 1899. house of Liebunan & Schloss. After four Since retiring from the bench, Judge Richie years with this well-known house, he entered has given his attention to a large and important the traffic department of the old Cincinnati practice in partnership with F. F. Leland. Southern Railroad for a period of five years. In 1861 our subject was married to Mar Following this preparation, his promotion to garet J. McCoy, a native of Van \Vert County, the positions of chief clerk and later to general Ohio. To this union were born five children, as superintendent of the traffic and transportation follows: Idumea, wife of F. F. Leland, his pres departments of the C., H, & D. Railway was ent law partner; \Villis A., a prominent archi rapid. For 12 years, he had entire charge of tect of Spokane, \Vashington, who was archi the loss and damage claim department. Early tect of the State Capitol of \Vashington and all in April, 1889, he came to Lima to take charge the court houses around Puget Sound; \Valter of the Lima terminals, having the title of gen 430 HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY eral agent, and he continued with this railroad years and later engaged in farming on his own until June 1, 1893. behalf. In 1898 he engaged in the butcher At the above date Mr. Riley became traffic busmess at Elida and also bought and sold manager for the Manhattan Oil Company.and stock quite extensively, meeting with success continued with them until their sale to the in both lines of work. In addition to running Standard Oil Company, in 1900. Since then he one of the best markets in the county. he has been engaged almost exclusively in the oil sh1ps cattle, hogs and sheep to supply the Pitts producing business. He is associated with J. R. burg market and has made Elida widely known Keenan, of Marion, Indiana, and they have 45 as a shipping point of importance. oil-wells in operation in Grant County, Indiana. In 1881 Mr. Heath was married to Phoebe He has been much interested in the new mag Molenhour and four children have been born to netic system of fire alarms, has acquired the them, namely: Hazel; Oliver, who is asso patents of an automatic system and has just or ciated in business with his father, Minnie and ganized a company for its introduction. He Ira. Mrs. Heath had three brothers in the is a man of great business enterprise and pos Civil War. Her father, Henry Molenhour, sesses a vast amount of American push and was a locksmith and followed that occupation energy. for more than 50 years, being so employed at Mr. Riley was married on June 27, 1898, the time of his death seven years ago. Mr. to Mrs. Peter Smith, who is a daughter of John Heath has been a member_ of the Elida Town E. McMaher, one of the early contractors of Council for the past five years. He has been Chicago, who built one of the first tunnels un an honored member of the United Brethren der Lake Michigan to the cribs and had the Church for 18 years and for a number of those contract for almost all of the early brick paving years has ser.ved on the Board of Trustees. done in that city. Mr. Riley is a member of \\/hen it was decided to erect a new church in the Elks and of the Knights of Columbus. Elida, B. F. Sherrick. Rev. Sords, the pastor, and Calvin Heath were appointed as the build -—Q»———— ing committee and have carefully superintend ed the work which is now in process of erec ALVIN' HEATH is well and favor tion, and will soon be ready for dedication, at - ably known, not only in Elida, which time Elida will have a church that will where he conducts one of the finest be a credit and an ornament to the entire com meat markets in this part of Ohio, munity. but throughout the entire county of —-—-Q.-O—— Allen, having been engaged in extensive busi ness transactions here during the past seven HILL, master mechanic of the Lake Erie 1 years. Mr. Heath was born August 15, 1857, ,U _, & Western, Fort \Vayne, Cincinnati & in Cumberland County, Illinois, and is a son of (=4; ;' Louisville and Northern Ohio railroad Joseph Heath, now many years deceased, who ‘ shops at Lima, has been a resident of was at one time successfully engaged in the this city only a short time, coming here butcher. business. September 1, 1904. He was born in Scotland \V hen Calvin Heath was nine years of age, in 1865, and is a son of John Hill, deceased, the family moved to the State of Missouri, re who was at one time master mechanic in charge maining there but one year when they returned of-the roundhouse of the \Visconsin Central east, locating in Champaign County, Ohio. Railway at Stevens Point. That was before the day of the lightning ex \Vhen our subject was five years old, his press and the journey was made by them in parents came to the United States and located covered wagons. Mr. Heath was educated in for a short time in .\/[ilwaukee. Later they Champaign County and there grew to man moved to Stevens Point, Portage County, \Vis~ hood. As soon as he was large enough, he consin, where young Hill acquired his educa worked by the month as a farm hand for several | tion. As soon as he was old enough to begin AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 431" learning a trade, he was apprenticed in the V\/is counties.