GEORGE DAUM,
[Portsmouth] butcher, corner of Gallia and Chillicothe streets, is the
oldest meat-market man in Portsmouth. He keeps all kinds of
meat, doing his own killing, salting, and otherwise preparing his
meat. He employs two hands, and delivers to customers in any
part of the city. He was born in Germany, Aug. 14, 1826, and
came to the United States in 1848. In 1852 he came to
Portsmouth, and was here married to Lizzie Bender, a native of
Germany. They have six children - Philip, a dry-goods
merchant of Kaufman, Texas; Mary, Louisa, William, Charles and
Katie.
- Page 253 - History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ.
Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
T. F. DAVIDSON, M.
D., was born in Greenup Co., Ky., Sept. 4, 1845, the fifth son
of Jeremiah and Eliza Davidson, his father being a
prominent lawyer of that county. He attended school, a portion
of his education being under the tutelage of J. M. Robb,
now of Grayson, Ky., and editor of the News, to whose friendly
assistance, encouragement and advice the Doctor acknowledges that much
of his success is due. He early formed a strong liking for the
medical profession, and as he grew older his mind settled upon that
profession. In 1861, without means to carry out his earnest
wish, and debating upon what course to pursue to secure the means to
accomplish his heart's desire, he was happily relieved from his
unfortunate dilemma by the offer of an old friend and physician,
Dr. Samuel Ellis, who proffered him the use of his
extensive library, office, and such advice and instruction as his time
would permit him to give, free of charge. It was a noble act,
and the offer was gratefully accepted by him. He studied for
three years under the Doctor's preceptorship, and at the end of that
time his father gave him means to carry him through a full course of
lectures. In the fall of 1864 he left his home to take his
course, and matriculated at the Cincinnati College of Medicine and
Surgery, never missing a lecture at college or hospital, or attending
a place of amusement during his whole term. At the close of his
term several of the professors at the college presented him with a
certificate of his studious habits, application and aptitude for his
chosen profession. The Doctor retains and highly prizes this
unsolicited tribute to his character and ability. He returned to
his home somewhat exercised as to his future, for, like his start, he
was without means to put in practice what he had so laboriously
learned. An opening was held out to him at Liberty, Ky., but as
he had neither horse, saddle and bridle, nor money to any very large
amount, things seemed rather dark to his aspiring nature. But
again fortune did not desert him, and when a friend was needed he
appeared. This time Judge John Seaton hearing
of the young doctor's trouble, came over with a fine saddle horse,
fully equipped, and offered it to him without charge until he was able
to provide for himself. The Doctor's heart almost stood still at
this clearing away of the sombre clouds and the appearance of a
brighter dawn, and the words came from the depth of his heart when he
thanked the liberal and kind-hearted judge for his generous act.
To-day the act still lives green in the Doctor's memory. He soon
started for Liberty, Ky., and there opened his office, and while
doubts might now and then cross his mind as to his success his
sanguine spirits did not allow it long to stay, and his hope was soon
crowned with success, for his first year's practice proved
remunerative. The Doctor was married to Annie E.,
daughter of Asbury and S. C. Ware, of Greenup County,
Ky. They have seven children - Samuel Ellis,
born Aug. 31, 1867; William Henry, Sept. 4, 1869;
Carrie Eunice, June 22, 1871; Asbury Ware,
Dec. 11, 1873; Theodore Frelinghuysen, Aug. 4, 1876;
Reed Miller, Nov. 5, 1877; Herbert Holland,
July 15, 1881. The Doctor lived a short time after his marriage
at Quincy, Ky., and in the winter of 1869 and '70 he took another
course of lectures, which he fully completed, and then returned with
his family for a short time to his father-in-law's, near Springfield,
Ky. At the solicitation of Dr. W. T. Falliaferro,
of Cincinnati, and his wife, he was induced to visit Portsmouth for a
permanent location for the practice of his profession. Through
this visit, and the acquaintance and friendship of Charles
Ammon, Sr., he made Portsmouth his home, moving his family
here in the spring of 1873. His first year, as a stranger, was a
hard struggle, but his genial qualities, his undoubted abilities, and
generous and warm heart for the poor and afflicted, soon won him the
esteem of not only the citizens of the city and country, but of his
professional brethren. He was appointed City Physician in 1877
and 1878, which was a stepping-stone to a more extensive practice.
He was elected Physician of the Board of Health, which made him,
practically, almost responsible for the city's health. While the
small-pox was raging in other cities the Doctor's watchfulness,
decisive administrative actions, and untiring ability, kept the dread
pest from becoming epidemic in this city. He was elected several
years ago as State Surgeon of the order of United Workmen, and for
three successive years he filled the position of Physician and Surgeon
of the city hospital; holds the position of President of United States
Examining Board of Surgeons, President of the Hempstead Memorial
Academy of Medicine, and of several other societies, and served two
terms on the City Board of Education. The Doctor has a
sufficiency of this world's goods; has proved himself an upright and
public-spirited citizen; in his calling, attentive to rich and poor
alike, and stands in his profession and as a citizen upon the highest
round, with his escutcheon untarnished.
~ Page 253 - History of
Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co.
1884 |
GEORGE DAVIS,
President of the Farmers National Bank, Portsmouth, was born near
Chillicothe, Ohio, Oct. 9, 1833, a son of Charles and
Elizabeth (Hays) Davis. When he was eight years old his
father died. When he was thirteen yeas of age he and his brother
James rented the homestead. He followed farming
till 1860. In the latter part of 1859 he, with L. N.
Robinson, bought the Scioto Distillery and Flouring Mills
Distillery and Flouring Mills, near Portsmouth. In 1861,
Mr. Robinson retired from the firm. In 1867
Stout Morris and Stephen Morrow became
associated with him, but since 1880 Mr. Davis has
been carrying on the business alone. At the organization of the
Farmers National Bank, he was one of the stockholders, and was chosen
one of the Directors, and since 1871 he has been President. In
18__ he became a stockholder in the Burgess Steel and Iron Works,
Portsmouth, and since 18__ has been President and Director. He
is a Director of the Hub and Spoke Factory, Portsmouth, and was one of
the organizers of the company. In 1873, he became a stockholder
of the Scioto Fire-Brick Company, and has been a Director since 1877.
He also owns and superintends a farm of 1,600 acres, 1,200 acres being
under cultivation. Mr. Davis has been twice
married. His first wife was Sarah, daughter of
Wesley Claypool, of Ross County, Ohio. She died
in Clay Township, Scioto County, leaving two children -
Charles, of Los Angeles, Cal., and Emma D.,
relict of the late F. D. Connolley, of Portsmouth.
His present wife is Martha, daughter of
Thomas Lewis, of Portsmouth. They have two children -
George W. and Edna.
Mr. Davis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
~
Page 254 - History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago:
Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
A. C. DAVIS & CO.,
coal dealers, corner Chillicothe and Second streets, commenced
business in March, 1880. The firm consists of Arthur C.
Davis and Eustace H. Ball. This is one
of the most extensive and enterprising coal firms in Portsmouth, if
not in the Lower Scioto Valley, handling at wholesale and retail
nearly a million bushels of coal annually. They deal in the best
grades of Kanawha and Ohio River coals; also the famous Lehigh Valley
anthracite coal. Chief among their specialties is the celebrated
Peabody coal of Kanawha, being a great domestic and bas coal.
They yard a sufficient quantity of coal to avoid coal famines,
occasioned by low water and ice. They are well equipped to do
business, their office, coal yards, teams, barges and coal floats all
denoting thrift and enterprise. Arthur C. Davis
was born in Portsmouth, Jan. 20, 1850, and is a son of A. C.
Davis, who was a native of Virginia, and died in the year
1863, at the age of sixty-three. Young Davis
received his business education in Portsmouth, being for a number of
years head bookkeeper in the Portsmouth National Bank, which accounts
for the thoroughness of the management of his own business. He
was married in 1871 to Miss Julia A., daughter of
D. F. Connell, Esq. They have three children -
Dan, Arthur and an infant son.
Eustace H. Ball was born in Haverhill, Mass., April, 23,
1841, and came to Portsmouth in 1857, with Robert Bell, Esq.,
who was the principal of the house of R. Bell & Co.,
and was connected with said firm until 1873 (with the exception of
three years that he was in the Federal army, at which time they went
out of the business). In 1861 he received a recruiting
commission from the Governor of the State of Ohio, and assisted in
raising men for the Fifty-third Ohio Infantry. Soon after
entering the field he was detailed as aid-de-camp to J. R.
Cockerill, who commanded the Third Brigade, Fourth Division,
Fifteenth Army Corps. Mr. Ball was married in
1865 to Miss Alice R. Davis, as a sister of his
present partner.
~ Page 255 - History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio -
Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
CHARLES P.
DENNIS, dentist, was born in Batavia, Clermont Co., Ohio, in
1833, a son of James Dennis. He commenced the
study of his profession of Oxford, Ohio, in 1858, and studied in
connection with teaching school till 1861, when he enlisted in Company
D, Forty-seventh Ohio Infantry, as a private. He was promoted to
Orderly Sergeant, Sergeant-Major, Second and First Lieutenant.
He served on General Hugh Ewing's staff as Inspector
of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, and
subsequently was Assistant Inspector of the division under
General Morgan L. Smith. He participated in the battles
of Resaca, Carnifax Ferry, Vicksburg, Jackson, Mission Ridge, Kennesaw
Mountain, in front of Atlanta, and several others. At Vicksburg,
May 22, 1863, he was slightly wounded, but was never off duty a day
during the whole campaign. He was discharged in November, 1864.
After his return home he engaged in selling dry goods in Cincinnati
and New Richmond, Ind., till 1868, when he resumed his studies, and
graduated at the Ohio Dental College, of Cincinnati, in March, 1873,
and in October, 1873, came to Portsmouth and opened his present dental
rooms. He was married Dec. 12, 1861, to Sallie M. Lane,
of Oxforde, Ohio. They have one son, George J.,
born Oct. 4, 1865. Dr. Dennis is a member of
the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. ___.
~ Page 255 - History
of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing
Co. 1884 |
NOAH J. DEVER,
Prosecuting Attorney of Scioto County, was born in Madison Township,
Scioto County, Aug. 17, 1850, the only son and eldest of nine children
of William and Louisa (McDowell) Dever, both natives
of Ohio. He was reared on a farm and attended the public school
during the winter months till his fifteenth year, when he was sent by
his parents to Jackson, Ohio, and attended the High School there at
intervals for two years. He attended the Normal School at
Lebanon, Ohio, a year, and in the spring of 1871 took a course at the
Iron City College, Pittsburg, Pa., previous to this having taught
several terms. In October, 1871, he began reading law in the
office of Harper & Searl; was with them eighteen
months, and in the meantime took a course at the Cincinnati Law
School, graduating in the class of 1872-'73, and was admitted to the
bar by the District Court at Cincinnati. He then became associated
with F. C. Searl, Mr. Harper retiring to accept the
office of Judge of the Common Pleas Court. Jan. 1, 1879, the
firm was dissolved by consent of both parties, and Mr. Dever
became associated with D. J. Ryan. In
the fall of 1879 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of the county,
and in Feb., 1881, he withdrew from the firm of Dever & Ryan.
He was re-elected in 1881. At his first election, owing to
prejudice against him on account of his temperance proclivities, his
majority was only 144, but at the second election it was 1,250.
He has been School Examiner of Scioto County since 1873. July
27, 1876, he married Lydia Austin, of Ironton, Ohio.
She only lived a short time, and July 4, 1878, he married
Mattie Gilliland, of Jackson County, Ohio. They have
one child - Louisa.
~ Page 256 - History of Lower
Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
JOHN DICE,
livery sale and feed stable, Market, between Third and Fourth streets,
Portsmouth, was born in Germany in 1841, and in 1845 came with his
parents to the United States. His father, George Dice,
located in Hamilton County, Ohio, where he still resides.
John Dice became a citizen of Portsmouth in 1864, and
opened a carriage shop on Second street, between Jefferson and Market
streets. He built his factory, which is a three-story brick
building 30x124, in 1868. He still carries on that business,
employing from ten to twenty-five hands. In 1870, in company
with T. T. Yager, he purchased the livery stable of
R. S. Maklem, and in 1854 Mr. Maklem
purchased Mr. Mitchell's interest. In 1876
Mr. Dice purchased his partner's interest and formed
a partnership with John Lewis, remaining with him six
years, and since then has been alone. He keeps from fourteen to
twenty-five horses, and carriages, hacks, buggies, etc.
~ Page 256
- History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state
Publishing Co. 1884 |
ELI DICKINSON
was born Dec. 25, 1825, at Hamton, in Gloucestershire, England, and
came to America and landed in Boston, March, 1849, and lived near
Providence, R. I., for one year, and then went to Pittsburg, Pa.,
where he worked at his trade of boiler-making one year, and then went
to Brownsville, Pa., where he worked at his trade about two years for
Herbitson. He then went back to Pittsburg in July, 1853, where
he worked on year, when he went to Chillicothe, Ohio, in July, 1854,
and opened a boiler shop for Mr. Welsh, working for
him until March, 1864. He then went to Portsmouth, Ohio, and
worked for Murray, Moore & Co. till June, 1882, since
which time he has not been in any particular business, only attending
to his real estate in houses and lots for a living, and in buying and
selling, and other trading, up to this time. In 1848 he married
Jane Charlton in England, who died in Chillicothe,
Ohio, in 1861, leaving three children - Jane, wife of
William Ringwauld, of Chillicothe, Ohio, Mary
and Charley. Dec. 25, 1866, he was married
again to Elizabeth Streets, in
Chillicothe, Ohio. They have one son living - George,
who was born Feb. 12, 1872, and three children deceased - one son, who
died when three years old, and two daughters, who died in infancy.
Mrs. Dickinson is a member of the Episcopal church.
George Dickinson, the father of Eli Dickinson,
was a weaver by trade, and of English birth, born in 1801 and died in
Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1844, died forty-three years. His
mother's name was Sarah Dickinson, born in England in
1803, and died in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, in 1846.
~ Page 256 -
History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state
Publishing Co. 1884 |
J. V. DOERR was born in Germany, Sept. 2, 1831, and came to the United
Staes in 1847, landing in New York, June 7. In July he came to
Portsmouth and worked at the wagon-maker's trade three years.
Feb. 15, 1851, he and his brother Fred became associated together in
the manufacture of cigars, plug and smoking tobacco. Mrs. 12,
1876, they divided the stock and J. V. removed to his present stand on
Second street, between Market and Court streets. He employs
eight men, and four or five boys, selling both at wholesale and
retail. His 5-cent cigar is one of the finest in the market.
Dec. 15, 1852, Mr. Doerr married Mary A. Lesser, of Pittsburg, Pa.
They have six children - Anna, now Mrs. Peter Lant, William H.,
Charles A., Alfred J., Callie A., and Frank A. H. Mr. and Mrs.
Doerr are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
~ Page 257 -
History of Lower Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state
Publishing Co. 1884 |
DANIEL DOTSON
was born in Piqua County, Ohio, Aug. 11, 1835, and when nine years of
age moved to Allen County, Ohio, with his parents, with whom he
resided on the farm till he attained his majority. He then
worked two years in a saw-mill as sawyer and engineer, after which he
spent eighteen months in Dayton, Ohio. He then ran a saw-mill
three years in Piqua County, when he came to Portsmouth and was
engineer on the river six yeas. He bought a farm near
Portsmouth, where he lived ten years, and in 1871 built a saw and
grist mill, which he ran till 1878, when he sold it and his farm and
returned to Portsmouth, and was engineer in the planing mill one year.
He was employed as carpenter on the repair work in the Scioto Valley
Car Shops till 1881, when he was appointed car inspector at the
Portsmouth depot. He was married in 1860 to Clarissa
Ebert, who died in 1874 at the age of forty years, leaving
four children - Elmira, who is next to the foreman in
the shoe factory; Reuben, a machinist in the Scioto Valley Car Shops;
Mary and Frank. Mr.
Dotson married Elizabeth Koch, his present
wife, in 1881. His father, Charles Dotson, was
a native of Pennsylvania, and a farmer by occupation. He died in
Lima, Ohio, July 4, 1861.
~ Page 257 - History of Lower Scioto Co.,
Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
E. F. DRAPER
was born in Erie County, N. Y., March 23, 1846, a son of A. E.
and Lorenda (Hodge) Draper, natives of New York, his father
born in June, 1808, and his mother in 1812. They were married in
1831 and were the parents of twelve children, eight living to man and
womanhood. His mother died Sept. 12, 1876. His father
still lives on the old farm. He has been Justice of the Peace
many years, but was obliged to rescind the office a year ago on
account of his age. Mr. Draper spent his early
life on the farm where he was born, attending the district school two
terms a year between the ages of four and twelve years, and afterward
attended school winters and worked on the farm summers till fifteen.
His father owned a life scholarship in Genesee College, Lima, N. Y.,
and when sixteen he entered that school, remaining two years with the
exception of two winter terms when he taught a country school.
Nov. 4, 1864, he came to Portsmouth where his eldest brother was
already located. He worked at the M. & C. R. R. office
gratuitously till the following February, and was then appointed agent
at Jackson; remained there a year, and then returned to Portsmouth to
take the place of ticket agent and assist his brother in the freight
department. In 1873 the telegraph line was erected along the
branch railroad was at work at, and could call the names of probably
1,500 children if met on the street and tell which school they
attended. He assisted the late Colonel J. E. Wharton
in Framing the bill that was passed by the Legislature, and introduced
the matter to the board which organized the Wharton Library, corner of
Court and Fifth streets. He became a member of the Board of
Trade soon after attaining his majority, and is now serving the second
year as its President. He is serving his third year as Treasurer
of the Ohio Valley Agricultural Society. He was Treasurer of the
First Presbyterian Church four years. The church was $400 in
debt when he took the financial management, and when he left it there
was a surplus of $100 in the treasury. He has been President of
the Brick-a-brac Circle three years, and was Secretary of the Harmonic
Society, when in existence. While not a bitter partisan his
sympathies are Republican, and he likes to be able to say that his
father and six brothers voted for Grant, Hayes and Garfield for the
presidency. He has been a member of several State conventions
and many lesser ones. He has been a correspondent of the
Cincinnati, now Commercial, Gazette since 1875. He was married
June 16, 1869, to Mary E. Adams, who came to
Portsmouth in 1864 to take the position of organist in the First
Presbyterian Church, which she has held nineteen years. They hae
no children of their own, but adopted a little girl, seven years of
age who has now been with them eleven years, and two years ago they
adopted the son of an older brother - Egbert M. Draper,
fifteen years of age, and now learning the railroad business.
The daughter's name is Henrietta.
~ Page 257 - History of Lower
Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co. 1884 |
|
