In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1868, Lykens township
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
L. M. SMITH.
L. M. Smith, the well-known business manager of the Crawford County Xews. was born in Lykens township, Crawford county, September 1, 1868, his parents being Frederick and Lucy Ann (Shupp) Smith. The father located in this county when a young man, in 1840. He was a native of Saxony, Germany, and on coming to America first took up his above in Columbus, Ohio, whence he came to this county. He did contract work on the national pike and afterward purchased a quarter section of land in Lykens township, which he brought under a high state of cultivation. He first married Christiana Tipman, of Saxony, Germany, who died in 1846, leaving four children, namely: Louis F., of Lykens township, who has served as justice of the peace and notary public; John F., a resident farmer of the same township; Adolph G., a contractor living in Aurora, Illinois: and Clara, now the wife of Joseph Laipply, of Lykens township. After the death of his first wife the father married Lucy Ann Shupp, a daughter of Michael Shupp, a native of Pennsvlvania and a pioneer of Crawford county. She was born June 3, 1830, and the children born of this marriage are: Cornelius, who is living in Bncyrus; Matilda, deceased; Catherine, the wife of Jacob Meek, of Holmes township; Frederick, who is engaged in business at Lemert, Ohio; Henry, a farmer of that place; Lucy Ann, deceased; Jefferson I., of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume; Emma J., wife of Abraham Scheifer, of Lykens township; L. Melancthon; and Serepta, wife of C. H. Flickinger, of Holmes township. The father of this family was a very prominent and influential citizen of Crawford county, and from 1862 until the time of his death served as justice of the peace. His rulings were strictly fair and impartial and his counsel was sought far and wide in law matters. He was also township clerk for many years and during a greater part of the time was a member of the school board and actively promoted the educational interests of his community. He was also a leading member of the Grange and was an active and progressive citizen. He died December 3, 1877, at the age of sixty-one years, and his wife passed away in 1891, when also sixty-one years of age.
L. M. Smith, of this sketch, spent the days of his childhood upon the home farm and in the district schools of the neighborhood acquired the rudiments of his education. He was only nine years of age at the time of his father's death, and at the age of sixteen he was forced to start in life on his own account. For several years he acted as a salesman in a general store belonging to his brother Lemert. and the practical business training which he there received has proven of value to him in his later career. Realizing the importance of education and feeling its lack in his own life he determined to add to the knowledge he had previously acquired and therefore entered the high school at Bucyrus. At a later date he also pursued a commercial course in the Ohio Business College, at Mansfield, and was graduated in that institution in 1888.
After leaving school Mr. Smith killed important positions with a. large manufacturing establishment and with the Adams Express Company until 1 891, when he became connected with the journalistic interests, becoming an equal partner in the New Washington Herald in conjunction with his brother. J. I. Smith, deputy county auditor, lie successfully managed the Herald until September, 1898, when, being desirous of locating in the county scat, he purchased a half interest in the Crawford County News, of which he is the business manager. He is a conscientious and far-sighted business man and his executive ability is manifest in his capable control of the business affairs of the News office. Prosperity has attended the undertaking, owing in no small degree to the efforts of Mr. Smith.
In New Washington, Ohio, in 1892, was celebrated the marriage of L. M. Smith and Miss Bessie Sexauer, a daughter of C. Frederick and Mary ( Zeigler) Sexauer. Her paternal grandparents were Christian and Caroline Schindler) Zeigler, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. They came to America in 1827, locating in Sulphur Springs. After the death of her first husband Mrs. Sexauer married J. G. Kinnger, who opened a wagon shop at Sulphur Springs, Ohio. He was joined in the industry by his stepson, C. F. Sexauer. Together they carried on business for a number of years. The wife of C. F. Sexauer is a daughter of Dr. G. L. Zeigler, who was a prominent physician in pioneer times. Mr. Smith is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.
P. S. — Since the foregoing sketch of Mr. Smith was penned, the Bucyrus Publishing" Company, a stock company, was organized. The new organization purchased the Daily and Weekly Foriim and the Semi-Weekly News, and combined the two newspapers. Stock in the new company was offered for sale to the public, many leading Democrats of the county taking stock. Such was the popularity of Mr. Smith that he, also being a stockholder, was, upon the organization of the company, elected a director and the treasurer and business manager, a position he is ably filling at this writing.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
L. MELANCTHON SMITH, principal owner and managing director of the Bucyrus Publishing Company, was born in Lykens township, Crawford county, Ohio, Sept. 1, 1868, a son of Frederick and Lucy Ann (Shupp) Smith. The father, Frederick Smith, was a native of Saxony, Germany, who, on coming to America, first took up his above in Columbus, Ohio, whence he came to Crawford county in 1840. He did contract work on the National pike and afterward purchased a quarter section of land in Lykens township, which he brought under a high state of cultivation. He first married Christina Tipman, of Saxony, Germany, who died in 1846, leaving four children, namely: Louis F., formerly of Lykens township, who died several years ago, after having served as justice of the peace and notary public; John F., a farmer of the same township; Adolph G., a contractor at Aurora, Ill.; and Clara, the widow of Joseph Laipply, of Bucyrus.
After the death of his first wife, Frederick Smith married Lucy Ann Shupp, a daughter of Michael Shupp, a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer of Crawford county. She was born June 3, 1830. The children born of this marriage were as follows: Cornelius, of Bucyrus; Matilda, who is now deceased; Catherine, wife of Jacob Meek, of Holmes township; Frederick, who is in the Walther hardware store; Henry, a farmer of Holmes township; Lucy Ann, now deceased; Jefferson I.; Emma J., wife of Abraham Scheifer, of Lykens township; L. Melancthon, subject of this sketch; and Sarepta, wife of C. H. Flickinger, of Holmes township.
The father of this family was a prominent and influential citizen of Crawford county and from 1862 until the time of his death served as justice of the peace. His rulings were fair and impartial and his wisdom and honesty were so generally recognized that his counsel in law matters was sought far and near. He was also township clerk for many years and during a great part of the time was a member of the school board and actively promoted the educational interests of his community. He was also a leading member of the Grange and in all things an active and progressive citizen. He died Dec. 3, 1877, at the age of 61 years; his wife passed away in 1891, when also 61 years of age.
L. Melancthon Smith spent his childhood days on the home farm in Lykens township and acquired the elements of knowledge in the district schools. He was only nine years old at the time of his father's death and at the age of 16 was obliged to begin the battle of life on his own account. He worked in the country store of his brother, where he acquired a taste for business and where he came into contact with human nature. He later attended the Bucyrus High School and the Mansfield Business College. After graduating from the latter, he was engaged in business, and in 1891 bought an interest in the New Washington Herald and was associated there with his brother, J. I. Smith, deputy county auditor. In 1898 he desired to come to the county seat and accordingly bought an interest in the Crawford County News and became its business manager, filling that place so successfully that the consolidation of his paper with the old party organ, the Forum, was a logical result. He made many improvements in the Daily Forum and in the semiweekly issue, which, since the consolidation has been called the News-Forum. One of his most notable improvements was the installing, in 19 1 2, of a Goss Comet perfecting press for the more rapid printing of his papers. The Forum under its old management was scrappy, peevish and arbitrary in party affairs. Mr. Smith changed this and declined to enter into party bitterness. He believed in the right of everyone to express honest opinions and did not call names editorially nor speak disrespectfully of those whose opinions did not coincide with his own. If there was an argument to make, he made it, and if only nasty talk would suffice, he neglected the opportunity to use it. He has given to his papers a great deal more popularity than they ever had before. In party councils he has had an important place. For four consecutive terms he was chairman of the Democratic County Executive Committee. In March, 1908, he was appointed a member of the Ohio State Board of Penitentiary Managers, by Governor A. L. Harris, where his ability was used to the advantage of that important state institution, As a citizen he is public spirited and enthusiastic for the prosperity of Bucyrus.
L. M. Smith was married in 1892, at New Washington, Ohio, to Miss Bessie Sexauer, a daughter of Frederick and Mary (Zeigler) Sexauer. Mrs. Smith's paternal grandparents were Christian and Caroline (Schindler) Sexauer, both natives of Baden, Germany, who came to America in 1827, locating at Sulphur Springs, this county. After the death of her first husband, Mrs. Sexauer married J. G. Kinniger, who opened a wagon shop at Sulphur Springs, being associated in this industry by his step-son, C. F. Sexauer, and together prominent physician in pioneer times. Mr.
they carried on the business for a number of Smith belongs to the Elks and the Knights of years. Mrs. Mary (Zeigler) Sexauer was a Pythias, and he and his wife hold membership daughter of Dr. G. L. Zeigler, who was a in the Methodist Episcopal church.
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: C. H. Flickinger (b. 1868) Michael Shupp
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.