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JOHN E. DEY (portrait given on another page), retired, Lebanon. The subject of our sketch first saw the light of day in New Jersey in 1791. He was the only child of William and Phoebe (Ely) Dey, natives of New Jersey, His grandfather, John Dey, was a surveyor and an extensive dealer in real estate, who moved to New Jersey from New York State, where he was born. In 1793, our subject's father with his family started to Kentucky, and while passing through Virginia on their way West, the mother died. Mr. D., with his young son, completed the journey but after a two years' residence in Kentucky, they returned to New Jersey, where the father was again married in 1798, and seventeen years thereafter moved with his new family to Northern New York, near Lake Champlain. Our subject learned the carpenter trade and, in 1812, having attained his majority, he commenced doing business for himself working in Philadelphia, Susquehanna, Baltimore, Petersburg and Trenton. On the 8th of January, 1818, he married Miss Sarah Mount and went West via Cincinnati to Lebanon, which has since been his home. From 1820 to 1825, he made several tours through the South, building houses and cotton gins for the planters of that then prosperous country. In 1825, he, with a practical mechanic named Hackney, started a plow factory in Lebanon, under the firm name of Hackney & Dey, and carried on an extensive business with planters at all the principal way-landings along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Cincinnati to New Orleans. They made an improved plow—the first of the kind manufactured west of Pittsburgh. In 1828, they dissolved partnership and divided the stock. Mr. Dey held the river trade and continued the business by himself until 1845, when he retired from business and has since lived a quiet life in Lebanon, occupying his time only in looking after his extensive landed estates in Michigan and Ohio. On the 7th of January, 1878, his wife died at the age of 83 years, after having lived with him over sixty years, leaving the following children, viz., Amanda Leonard, wife of Rev. Dr. Leonard of Bucyrus; Samuel E., of Defiance, Ohio; and Josephine, wife'of C. A. Smith, now living with Mr. Dey. Those deceased were Wilfred D., William H. and Henrietta who married W. F. Parshall of Lebanon. Mr. Dey, though well along in years is yet enjoying good health. He is of that class of pioneers who came west with their shoulders to the wheel of progress, determined to develope the country they
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