In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1856
From History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885), History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1906)
N. W. CUNNINGHAM, editor and proprietor of the Bluffton Neivs, Bluffton, was born at Lima, Ohio, February 24, 1856; son of Col. James and Martha (Kennedy) Cunningham, natives of Ohio. His father, who came to Allen County in 1832, first settled on a farm, but was afterward a merchant at Lima, and held almost every office in the county from supervisor to State senator. Our subject, who is the youngest of the eleven children born to his parents, learned the printer’s trade in the Democrat office at Lima, which was then conducted by D. S. Fisher, and there remained four years. In 1875 he established his present paper in Bluffton. He was married at Durango, Col., in 1882, to Miss Eva A. Ballard, formerly a teacher of Bluffton Schools.
As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
ELSON WILBER CUNNINGHAM, cashier of the Commercial Bank & Savings Company, of Bluffton, was born at Lima, Ohio, February 24, 1856, and is a son of Col. James and Martha (Kennedy) Cunningham.
The late Col. James Cunningham was a pioneer in Allen County and for. years was one of its most prominent men, serving two terms as a member of the State Senate and filling many offices with honor and efficiency. Extended mention of Colonel Cunningham will be found in the historical portion of this work.
Nelson W. Cunningham was a student in the local schools until 14 years of age and then entered another school, a printing office. For the following five years he worked in the office of the Allen County Democrat, which was then under the editorial charge of D. S. Fisher, at Lima, after which he came to Bluffton, then a village, and founded the Bluffton News, which he ably conducted for the succeeding 16 years. In 1893 Mr. Cunningham purchased a half interest in the Commercial Bank, a private banking institution which had been founded at Bluffton in 1887 by Frank Scott. Mr. Scott and Mr. Cunningham continued sole owners until June 3, 1902, when it was incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, commencing business as a State Bank on July 1, 1902. At this time Mr. Scott became president and Mr. Cunningham, cashier. The institution is one which commands the confidence of the public. It is under the management of men of proved business integrity. There is probably no sounder, safer banking institution in Allen County than the Commercial Bank & Savings Company, and the citizens of Bluffton and vicinity readily give it support and reap accruing benefits.
In. 1883 Mr. Cunningham was married to Eva A. Ballard, who was born in Allen County.
As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: James Cunningham (b. 1838)
The printed record stops around 1885. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.