William H. Smith

As printed in 1906

MILLIAM H. SMITH, an _ expert =6stationary engineer of Allen County, residing in section 22, German township, was born in this township, December 4, 1856. His par- William B. and Barbara (Conrad)

ents, Smith, came here from Fairfield County, later they returned to that county, where they lived five years until the death of the father. The widow and children returned to Allen County after the death of the father in 1863 and she is still a resident of German township. There were eleven children, viz: Taylor, Harrison, George W., Martin A., Jacob H., Richard E., William H., Isabelle, wife of David Reed; Mary C., wife of Jackson Kellar of Michigan; Barbara E., wife of John Baumgartner, and Sarah E., wife of Gilbert Snook.

William H. Smith began life as a wage earner in the sawmill of Isaac East in German township. Later he _ learned to run a threshing machine engine and now has a license as a stationary engineer and is one of the most competent engineers in the county. He is at present traveling for the International Harvester Company, as an expert operator.

Mr. Smith was married in 1877 to Margaret Remegan, daughter of Peter Remegan, of German township. They have one son, Delvert, born September 22, 1879, who is now in the employ of the Fort Wayne, Van Wert & Lima Traction Company, as motorman. Mr. Smith is a member of the United Brethren Church, of Elida. Ohio. In politics he is a Republican and was assessor of German township during 1904. He has served a number of years on the School Board and also as road supervisor.

3) L.ARMSTRONG, well-known among 4 the attorneys of Lima, is a native of Mercer County, having been born in Celina, where he reached manhood. His father, Judge Stephen A. Armstrong, is a leading member of the legal profession in Mercer County, and for more than a quarter of a century, an honored and esteemed citizen of Celina. Judge Armstrong is a native of Canada, but has resided in Mercer County for the past 40 years. He has practiced his profession in Celina for more than 25 years and was, for a time, associated with ex-Senator J. D. Johnson, Judge Armstrong was prosecuting attorney of Mercer County several years, and is now serving his second term as judge of the Court of Common Pleas.

R. L. Armstrong graduated from the Celina High School previous to matriculating at the State University of Ohio at Columbus. He graduated from that institution in the class of 1900, and successfully passed his examinations for the bar, when he at once located in Lima, opening his office in August of the same year. He is a promising young practitioner, having already established a clientage, whose personnel speaks well for his ability and character. Mr. Armstrong is an active worker in the interest of good government, and takes a lively interest in political questions. During the Spanish-American War he enlisted in Company A, First Ohio Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, and entered the service as Ist corporal early in 1808. He was mustered out in November of the same year. Mr. Armstrong is a member of the Knights of Pythias and is also a Knight Templar Mason. He was married December 29, 1904, to Della D. Dow, daughter of Colonel C. F. Dow. proprietor of the Hote! Norval.

representative business citizens, idem titled with a number of her largest enterprises, and engaged in the manufacture of wood-fiber wall-plaster, established the first plant of its kind in this section. Mr. Walther was born in 1860 at

McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and is a son of George J. Walther.

In 1864 the parents of Mr. Walther removed to Monroe township, Allen County, Ohio, where they resided for 18 months and then located at Lima, the father conducting a hotel here for a number of years. He died in

Philip Walther was educated in the public schools of Lima and subsequently took a business course in a commercial institution, after which he was employed in a furniture factory. After three years’ there, he accepted an office position with a large local firm, and then assisted his father in the hotel business until 1887, when he entered the government service as a letter carrier. This position he resigned in 1889 to become a deputy under Auditor Cyrus D. Crites, and in 1893 he was elected to the auditorship itself. He entered upon the duties of the office in September, 1894, was reelected in 1896, and completed his public service in 1900. From early manhood he has taken an active interest in politics and on many occasions has been selected for public offices, his acceptance of these honors often being impossible, however, on account of the press of private interests. He is at present a member of the Board of Review of Lima.

In 1884 Mr. Walther was married to Mary Thoring, who is a daughter of the late Herry Thoring, and they have three children, viz: Charles F., Bessie and Pauline. The family belong td the German Reformed Church of Lima.

In addition to the successful business connections previously mentioned, Mr. Walther is a director of The Crystal Ice & Coal Company, Feltz Brothers & Company and Citizens’ Loan & Building Company. He holds fraternal relationship with the Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Pythias and Lodge No. 267, Improved Order of Red Men (German).

His long experience, both in business and in public life, has brought him into contact with a large percentage of his fellow-citizens, who hold him in esteem, both for his business integrity and genial personality. His present business enterprise was started in 1900 and promises to become one of the most important in this locality, the new chemical compound meeting a long-felt want of the trade.

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.