Henry S. Kimmel

As printed in 1897

ENRY S. KIMMEL, M. D., of No. 103 Valley street, Dayton, is a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, and was born December 3, 1833, a son of Michael and Catherine (Armentrout) Kimmel, both now deceased.

His great-grandfather came from Switzerland to America in 1760, settled in York county, Pa., served gallantly through the Revolutionary war, and reared a family of eight children, who were named Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Philip, David, Solomon, Michael and Lizzie. Of these children, David was the progenitor of the Ohio branch of the family, the others having scattered to different parts of the United States, and all reaching worthy positions in life — the only one, however, so far as known, who attained any political prominence being Judge Kimmel, of Baltimore, Md., who, beside filling his judicial functions with ability, also served two terms in congress.

David Kimmel, grandfather of Henry S., came from Somerset county, Pa., to Ohio in the spring of 1817, and settled on a farm six miles west of Dayton, where he died, September 25, 1827, aged eighty-four years, the farm falling to the lot of his son Lewis, and later to his grandson Lewis, son of Lewis. David Kimmel had been twice married, and to his first union were born two children, of whom but little, if anything, is now known; to his second marriage the following-named children were born: Susan, who was married to Michael Beeghly, and died March 5, 1858; John, who was born November 30, 1795, and died September 10, 1877; Jonas; David, who was born August 14, 1800, and died August 17, 1863; Lewis, who died April 22, 1876, in his seventy-second year; Hannah, deceased wife of David Murray; Michael, father of our subject, was born January 10, 1810, and died October 29, 1878; and Magdalene, the youngest, was married to Christian Forney, and died January 25, 1858. The family were all members of the Dunkard church.

Michael Kimmel and his wife, Catherine (Armentrout) Kimmel, had born to their marriage eight children, viz: Henry S., whose name opens this sketch; Aaron, a farmer of Montgomery county, Ohio; Mary, wife of B. C. Jackson, of Darke county; George, of Montgomery county; Sarah, wife of B. F. Keller, of Darke county; Michael C., deceased; David, deceased; and Susan, wife of John Shank, of Montgomery county.

Dr. Henry S. Kimmel, after passing through the usual preliminary course of literary instruction, began reading medicine, in 1858, with Dr. J. L. Gephart, of Liberty, Montgomery county, Ohio, and, after due preparation, entered the Cincinnati college of Medicine and Surgery, from which he graduated with the degree of M. D., and at once entered upon the practice of his profession in Brookville,

Montgomery county. He then removed to Liberty, in the same county, and in the latter town conducted a store, and was also a justice of the peace and township treasurer for a number of years. In 1882 he came to Dayton, and here, in addition to attending to his duties as a practitioner of medicine, he also conducts a successful drug business.

Politically Dr. Kimmel is a stalwart republican, and in his fraternal professional association is a member of the Ohio Medical and Montgomery county Medical societies, while in his secret societary connection he is an Odd Fellow. He is the husband of Miss Mary King, a native of Germantown, Montgomery county, whom he married June 11, 1861, the union resulting in the birth of three children: Della, now the widow of I. T. Holt; Annie, wife of Rev. J. W. Winder, a Presbyterian minister of Galesville, Wis.; and Vesta, wife of J, Orville Clemens. Dr. Kimmel has been very successful in his profession, having been thoroughly educated therein, and is sincerely esteemed as a citizen.

aHARLES S. KING, dealer in coal, feed, lime, etc., of Dayton, Ohio, was born in Harrison township, Montgomery county, Ohio, February 12, 1851, and is a son of William B. and Louisa P.. (Spinning) King. The father, William B., was born in 1822, in what is now a portion of the city of Dayton, and the mother, two years his junior, is also a native of Montgomery county. The grandparents of Charles S. King, on both sides, were early settlers of this section of Ohio, and the great-grandfather, King, was one of the first settlers in the territory now embraced within the limits of Dayton.

To William B. King and wife have been born nine children, of whom five only are now living, viz: Jennie, wife of E. A. Townley, who is engaged in mercantile business in Terre Haute, Ind.; Charles S., whose name opens this biography; Elizabeth, who is still unmarried and resides with her parents; Susan, who is married to Charles Allen, a farmer and gardener, residing in Springdale, Ohio; and Louisa (Mrs. William Day), of Dayton. Of the four deceased, Mary, Herbert and Allie died in childhood, and Wilmer Gurley died in Dayton in 1885.

Charles S. King passed the earlier part of his life on his father’s farm in Harrison township, and was educated in the common schools. While still quite young he was employed to assist in constructing the Home avenue railroad, and six months after its completion was appointed a conductor and then superintendent, continuing in this capacity for over seventeen years. In 1888 he engaged in the coal trade, and in 1890 established his present business, which is now quite extensive.

November 5, 1874, Mr. King was united in marriage, at the national military home, with Miss Anna J. Miller, daughter of Mrs. E. L. Miller, matron of that institution. Mrs. Miller was connected with the United States sanitary commission during the Civil war and has largely devoted her life, throughout that struggle and since its close, to the care and comfort of the brave men who defended the Union. Miss Miller, now Mrs. King, was educated in Philadelphia, Pa., Chicago, Ill., Green Bay, Wis., and Columbus, Ohio. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. King have been born two sons and two daughters, who are, Carl Spinning, Lloyd Stanley, Emma Louise and Marguerite. Mr. and Mrs. King are members of the Fourth Presbyterian church, and have reared their children in the same simple, but rigid, religious faith. Mr. King is a deacon and trustee of this congregation and his father, William B. King, is an elder in the same church. In politics Mr. King is a republican, but is not aggressive as a party man and has never been an office seeker.

Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. King, the eldest, Carl, has until recently been an assistant to his father in his business. Lloyd, the second born, is a pharmaceutist and is employed by a drug firm of Dayton; the elder daughter is a student in one of the city schools, and the younger daughter is now a child of four years. The King family have for several generations been important factors in the development of the material interests and the social life of Dayton, and the name is especially identified with the growth and improvement of that section of the city lying west of the Miami river.

As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.