In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1909) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909), 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)
HILIP E. GILBERT, the prominent contractor and builder of Dayton, was born in Miltonville, Butler county, Ohio, November 21, 1845, his father and mother having been respectively of Pennsylvania and Maryland parentage. In 1848 the family settled in Miamisburg, Montgomery county, where Philip was educated in the public and select schools, and at the age of thirteen began an apprenticeship of five years at carpentering, serving at the trade during the intervals between school sessions. The conclusion of his apprenticeship brought him up to 1864, when he enlisted in company D, One Hundred and Thirty-first Ohio national guard, under command of Col. John G. Lowe, and at the conclusion of his term of enlistment was honorably mustered out. In 1865 he moved to West Sonora, Preble county, where he was engaged in saw-milling and carpentering for several years, and during his residence there was united in marriage, June 14, 1866, to Miss Mary Ann Scharf, of Franklin, Warren county. In the spring of 1868 Mr. Gilbert, with no considerable means, ventured upon a removal with his wife and child to Dayton, for the purpose of improving his worldly condition.
Here, soon after his arrival, he became acquainted with the late William P. Huffman, in whom he found a sincere friend, and from whom he received many kindnesses. Through him Mr. Gilbert was enabled to enter into contracting and building, and this, with the manufacture of builders’ supplies, has been his business up to the present time. That he made a success of his enterprise may be shown by the fact that, in the spring of 1878, he began the year in March with 125 contracts to build houses, and by the close of the season had erected 165. Among the heavier contracts handled by Mr. Gilbert may be mentioned those for the construction of the Ninth district school-house, Sacred Heart church, the Central Baptist church, the Fourth National bank, the Ohmer Canby block; the Barney block on Third and Wayne streets and the Barney blocks on Fifth street; the Lowe brothers and Ware Coffee company’s blocks on First street; the J. P. Wolf and J. S. Antrim blocks on First street; the residences of E. J. Barney, J. P. Wolf, Col. F. T. Huffman, George P. Huffman and W. H. Crawford, and also many of the largest manufacturing plants in the city, including those of the Davis Sewing Machine company, the Zwick & Greenwald Wheel company, the Dayton Manufacturing company, the Woodhull Carriage company, the Dayton Last company, the Crume & Sefton factories, the Dayton Spice-mills, and scores of other large and substantial buildings.
In politics Mr. Gilbert is a strong republican end takes an active interest in his party’s welfare, having served as its delegate to its county, state and national conventions; he has served two terms of two years each on the board of education from his ward, was appointed on the board of city affairs for a term of four years by the tax commissioners in 1892, and was reappointed for four years by Mayor C. G. Mc- Millen in 1896. He has been a member of the Garfield club since its organization; is a member of the Dayton club, of the Old Guard post, G. A. R., of Dayton lodge, F. & A. M., is a Knight Templar, and also a member of lola lodge, K. of P. In religion he is a Baptist and has been a member of the Linden avenue church since its organization and its Sunday-school superintendent for eleven years. Mr. Gilbert has always been a public-spirited citizen, devoted to the material interests of his adopted city. Of the ten children born to his marriage, the following-named still survive: Erminie P., now Mrs. Ira Crawford; Florence E, wife of J. Frank Kiefaber; Hattie B.; William P., book-keeper for the Huffman Stone Co.; Edwin D., a student, and Helen E.
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.
PHILIP E. GILBERT.
Philip E. Gilbert, president of the Miami Building & Loan Association and one whose identification with building interests of the city has been of substantial benefit to Dayton, has given practical demonstration in his life of the power of intelligently directed industry and perseverance. His success has been sought and won along those lines and at the same time he has gained the honor and respect which the world instinctively pays to the man who has acted well his part in every relation of life.
Mr. Gilbert is a native of Butler county, Ohio, born in Miltonville, November 21, 1845. His father was a native of Maryland and the mother of Pennsylvania, and in 1848 a removal was made by the family from Butler county to'Miamisburg,, Montgomery county, where in the public and select schools Philip Gilbert pursued his education to the age of thirteen years. As he entered upon his teens he simultaneously entered the field of business activity, serving a five years’ apprenticeship at the carpenter’s trade in the intervals of vacation while pursuing his studies in the public schools. At the conclusion of his apprenticeship, in 1864, responded to the country’s call for aid and although but eighteen years of age joined Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-first Ohio National Guard, serving under the command of Colonel John G. Lowe until mustered out at the expiration of his term of enlistment.
Mr. Gilbert became a resident of West Sonora, Preble county, Ohio, in 1865, and there engaged in carpentry and in the operation of a sawmill for several years. He met with considerable success there, but in the spring of 1868 he determined to seek a broader field of labor and removed to Dayton. He had been here for but a brief period when he formed the acquaintance of William P. Huffman, who proved to him a most sincere friend. It was through the assistance of Mr. Huffman that Mr. Gilbert was enabled to engage in contracting and building, in which line he continued for many years, although he extended the scope of his activities in the meantime to include the manufacture of builders’ supplies. Gradually he worked his way upward and something of the success which he enjoyed is indicated in the fact that he began the season of 1878 with one hundred and twenty-five contracts to build houses and at the close of the season had erected one hundred and sixty-five. Many large and substantial structures of Dayton stand as monuments to his ability1 and business enterprise. He was the builder of the ninth district school house, the Sacred Heart church, the Central Baptist church, the Fourth National Bank, the Olmer Canby block, the Barney block on Third and Wayne streets, the Barney blocks on Fifth street, many fine residences and many of the largest manufacturing plants in the city, including those of the Davis Sewing Machine Company, the Zwick & Greenwald Wheel Company, the Dayton
Manufacturing Company, the Woodhul! Carriage Company, the Dayton Last Company, the Crume & Sefton building and the Dayton Spice Mills. His identification with business operations led logically to his connection with building and loan interests and for eleven years he was the vice president of the Miami Building & Loan Association, of which he was one of the organizers in 1886. At the end of that time he was chosen to the presidency and so continues to this time — in the fall of 1909.
While residing in West Sonora, Ohio, Mr. Gilbert was married on the lath of June, 1886, to Miss Mary Ann Scharf, of Franklin, Warren county. They have become the parents of ten children, of whom the following survive: Erminie P., now the wife of Ira Crawford; Florence E., the wife of J. Frank Kiefaver; William P.; Edwin D.; and Helen E. Another daughter. Hattie B., was married in Dayton to Edwin D. Kirby and died six months later in the 27th year of her age.
Mr. Gilbert is well known in fraternal circles. He is one of the oldest Knights of Pythias in Dayton, belonging to the Iola Lodge. He is also a York and Scottish Rite Mason and belongs likewise to Old Guard Post, G. A. R. His membership relations also extend to the Dayton Club and the Garfield Club, of which he is a charter member, and he is a devoted member of the Linden Avenue Baptist church, in the work of which he is very interested, serving as superintendent of the Sunday school for eleven years and taking an active part in other lines of its activities. He served two terms on the board of education and in 1892 was appointed by the tax commission a member of the board of public affairs for a term of four years, in which position he served so acceptably that he was reappointed by Mayor C. G. McMillen for another term of four years. In all of his life he has had no untried standards but has sought his advancement in paths of industry and honor, with the result that while he attained success he has also made for himself an untarnished record.
As printed in History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1909. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.