Richard M. Cox

As printed in 1882

RICHARD M. COX, Mason, Ohio. The subject of this sketch is a native of Warren Co., Ohio, born Aug. 21, 1822. On the 6th of December, 1849, he was married to Miss Charlotte Bowyer, the eldest daughter and third child of Levi Bowyer; she was also a native of Warren County, and was born Nov. 7, 1824; she died in 1877, being the mother of nine children — Levi T., bom Oct. 27, 1850, died May 4, 1864; Laura J.. bora Feb. 23, 1852; May E., born July 14, 1854; R. M., Jr., bora June 21, 1856; Stephen A. Douglas, born May 5, 1858; William H., born March 25, 1860; Nettie B., born March 23, 1862; Weller B. and Wallace W., twins, bora April 19, 1865; Weller died in August, 1805, and Wallace in March, 1866. Two of these are married — May E., to Frank Coulson, the son of Milton Coulson; and R. M., Jr., to Miss Lucy Perrine, daughter of James Perrine. Mr. Cox, after being a widower two years, was married to Mrs. Maggie Tod in 1879; by this union, they have been blessed with two little girls — Maud and Eva. Mr. Cox is one of the most energetic, enterprising men in the community, and is a highly esteemed citizen; he is eager for anything that tends to the advancement of public good, being one of the charter members of ihe Grange at this place, also a Director of the M. Y. N. G. R. R. when it was under that name. Among the positions of responsibility held by Mr. Cox in the community was that of Township Trustee, which office he held for some thirteen years; in 1874, he was elected Township Treasurer, which position he still occupies. His chief employment has been that of agriculture, but in January, 1871, lie opened a store of general merchandise in Mason, and has dealt principally in hardware and farm implements. Jake Bursk, M Scull, Frank Coulson and Lee Randall have been partners with him at different times, but now he possesses the entire interest of the stock. Much is due to Mr. Cox, in this line, in the advancement of the farming community, by providing the farmers with the implements more for their good, rather than profit to himself. The active part he has taken in the introduction of the self-binder will long be remembered by the farm toilers. Mr. Cox has also a large tile factory; this, with the many buildings erected by him in East Mason, has given an air of business activity to that part of the town. For a short period after the failure of the Boak & Hunt Bank at Lebanon, Ohio, Mr. Cox was an active man in an individual bank at that place. Mr. Cox’s energetic spirit has proved a success to himself in gaining for himself a farm of some 350 acres by his arduous toil. The father of this gentleman was

Thomas Cox, born in New Jersey April 25. 1797: he came to Ohio with his mother’s family, his father having previously died; his wife was Hannah Johns, born Nov. 27, 1802. to whom he was married in 1821; the family comprised seven children — two sons and live daughters; all are now dead but one son and one daughter — the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Nancy, the wife of J. W. Whitaker, of Columbia, Ohio. Mr. Cox died Aug. 29, 1870. He was a man of unimpeachable integrity and sterling worth. His widow still survives him. Already has she passed her three score and ten, yet she possesses that unusually kind and benevolent disposition which has marked her life. Besides caring for her own family, she has been a mother to several of her grandchildren, who were left orphans early in life. She has been an earnest Christian worker all her life, and feels well rewarded in this life’s work as she sees her descendants worthy the esteem of all.

As printed in The History of Warren County, Ohio (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.