W. W. Miller

As printed in 1881

W. W. MILLER, retired; P. 0. Bucyrus; whose portrait and that of his wife, appear in this book, is another of the old and honored pioneers of Crawford Co. He was born in Manheim Township, Berks Co.. Penn., on March 1. 1808, and is the son of Peter Miller, who migrated with his family to Crawford Co. in the year 1835; the journey was made by wagon and was a most tedious one, the family consisting of the father and mother and seven children, all of whom arrived safely at the old Blue Ball Inn, two miles south of Bucyrus, on the 16th of May. 1835. They resided at the Blue Ball until the 4th of the following June, when they rented a house in the village of BucjTus, to which they removed. Mr. Miller and his son, the subject of this sketch, engaged in hauling earth from the hill north of town, to fill in and level the public square. They continued teaming, at different kinds of work, until on the 12th of the following December, when they purchased the lot where the Western Hotel now stands, paying for it $850, when together they engaged in the mercantile business, under the firm name of Peter Miller & Son. Now, to go back to the earlier life of Mr. Miller: He was reared on a farm, and remained with his father until the age of 14, when he began hiring out to do farm-work. This he continued for a few years, or until 1828, when he secured a situation as salesman in a store at McKeansburg, Penn.; there his first instructions as a salesman were received. His first year's salary for this work was $30. In 1830, he secured, through the influence of his uncle, John Miller, a situation in the store of Mr. Henry Arnold, in Lancaster, Ohio. A short residence in that place brought on an attack of fever and ague, on account of which he returned to Pennsylvania. Recovering, he again secured a situation in McKeansburg, where he remained most of the time until preparations were made by his father to move to Ohio, which event occurred as above stated. The business was conducted in Bucyrus under the firm name of Peter INIiller & Son. until the death of the old gentleman, which occurred on his 55th birthday, August 1, 1831). W. W. continued the business until Aug. 31, 1848, when his building and entire stock of goods were destroyed by fire. Though sustaining this loss by fire, Mr. Miller was still in fair financial circumstances, and in 1852, he, in company with some other gentlemen of Bucyrus and Mansfield, John Sherman, now of national reputation, being one of the number, engaged in the general banking business in Bucyrus. The Mansfield gentlemen withdrawing, the liusiness was continued until 1802. by Messrs. Musgrave, Hetich, Adams and Miller, of Bucyrus. when they discontinued the business to devote their time to other interests and enterprises. Mr. Miller has bought and sold many different lots and tracts of land in and about Bucyrus. For a number of years, he has been in no active business, but has been reaping the reward of his early industry and economy, in a pleasant home in West Bucyrus, where, in company with his estimable wife, he resides in peace and contentment. On Jan. 28, 1836, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Catharine, daughter of Henry and Catharine Sell. She too, bore her burdens nobly in their early struggles to accumulate a competency, and in the rearing of their family of four children to honorable man and womanhood. Her portrait appears in this work, as a lady worthy of a place in the history of Crawford Co. Their children are Maria W., now the wife of C. H. Shonert; Wilson A., James K. and Clarrissa.

As printed in History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.