Solomon D. Snider

Solomon D. Snider was born in Thorn township, Perry
County, Ohio, April 30, 1842, and came to Allen County in the spring of
1865 when he bought 80 acres of land in section 25, Jackson township,
took possession in April of that year, and has lived upon it ever since.
His parents were Daniel and Mary (Greenawalt) Snider and his grandfather
was also named Daniel Snider.
The grandfather of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, whence he
came to Ohio, entering land in Perry County, where he died March 3,
1866, at the age of 93 years, 7 months and a few days. He was a Whig,
while his son and grandson (our subject) became Democrats. He took an
active part in reform work and was a leader in the German Baptist or
Dunkard Church, being one of the preachers of that body and holding
services in his house and barn until they were able to build a house of
worship.
Daniel Snider, the father of our subject, was born in Thorn
Township, Perry County, Ohio, June 28, 1808. During his younger days he
engaged in teaching school, and afterwards bought a farm of 180 acres in
Perry County, where he devoted his time to agriculture until his death
November 3, 1861. He was a member of the Lutheran Church. He was
married to Mary Greenawalt, who was born in Hocking County, Ohio, in
1811 and died in Perry County, March 6, 1895, at the age of 83 years, 3
months and 20 days. Her parents, Mathias and Mary (Coon) Greenawalt,
came to this State from Maryland, and were of German descent. She was
the mother of the following children, viz.: Lucinda (Boyer), deceased;
John Henry, who resides on the homestead in Perry County; Mary Katharine
(Clum), deceased; Solomon D.; Sarah Elizabeth (Anspach), of Jackson
township; and Eliza Ann (Humberger), deceased.
Solomon D. Snider was reared in his native county where he was
married August 31,1863, to Katharine Zartman. She was a daughter of
Henry and Mary (Swinehart) Zartman, of Perry County, and was born
February 18, 1844. She died May 4, 1902, leaving two children, Mary
Aretta, wife of R. C. Klingler; and Clarence Franklin, both of Hardin
County. Mr. Snider came here with his wife and one child at once set
about improving his new home. He erected buildings, planted an orchard
and made many other improvements from which he is to-day reaping the
benefits. He has been an industrious, frugal man and in addition to
caring for his farm fan a threshing machine for some time. He has been
assessor three times and made a most efficient officer. He is a member
of the Lutheran Church and served as deacon and elder for many years.


Francis M. Roberts

Francis M. Roberts, an influential farmer of Allen
County, owns a well- kept farm of 61 acres in sections 16 and 22, Bath
township, where he has resided for the past 18 years. He is a son of
Warren and Mary (Rumbaugh) Roberts, and was born October 8, 1851, in
Jackson township, Allen County, Ohio. Both parents were natives of this
county, the father dying here in 1853. The mother reached her 70th year
and was living in Kansas at the time of her death. Their family
consisted of six children, namely: William S., who died in Indiana after
serving almost five years in the Civil War; George W., who died in the
army at Nashville, Tennessee; Milo, a successful farmer of Bath
township; Anna Jane, deceased; Francis M.; and Warren, deceased.
Francis M. Roberts has been engaged in farming all his life and has
also worked at the carpenter's trade considerably. He moved to Kansas
about 1877 and farmed there about two and a half years before entirely
making up his mind that Ohio was hard to beat as a farming State. He
then returned to Allen County and again took up agricultural work in
Bath Township, where he has since resided. In 1887 he purchased his
present farm, where he raises considerable grain each year, the greater
part of which is consumed by the stock which he fattens for market.
Mr. Roberts was married in 1872 to Emma Roush, who was born May 7,
1850, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of Henry and
Susannah Roush, who came to this county when Mrs. Roberts was a child of
about two years. Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Roberts, namely: Charles, born December 6, 1872, and residing n Lima,
who served in the Spanish-American War; Almenta, born August 8, 1874,
who married Emmett Fisher, of Lima; Maggie Jane, born January 26, 1876,
deceased February 1, 1903; Francis Ephraim, born January 16, 1878, who
is now a resident of Oregon; Anna Jane, born December 8,1880; Bertha
May, born November 21, 1882; Cora, born August 1, 1885; William
Theodore, born March 19, 1888; Ruth L., born July 14, 1893; Oliver Ray,
born October 22, 1890; and Gertrude, born July 19, 1895. The family
home is one of the neatest and most commodious in the township, and
bears evidence of the care and labor bestowed upon it by its owner. Mr.
Roberts has been a lifelong Republican. For more than 30 years he was a
zealous worker in the Methodist Episcopal and United Brethren churches,
but during the past three years he has not been active in church work,
although retaining all his old-time interest.


R. L. Bates

R. L. Bates, who is prominently identified with the
oil interests of the State, has been a resident of Lima since 1886. He
was born in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, February 3, 1852, and
is a son of the late Norman R. Bates, who was a well-known oil producer.
R. L. Bates was educated at the well-known Walkill Academy, at
Middletown, New York, and at Flushing, Long Island. He was first
introduced to the oil business at Titusville, Crawford County,
Pennsylvania. Almost from the beginning of his business life he has been
associated in some way with different oil fields, including Bradford,
Pennsylvania, and other points. He came to Lima as agent of the Buckeye
Pipe Line Company, which was organized and incorporated n April, 1886.
The present local officers of this company are: John O' Brien, general
superintendent; M. Moran, assistant general superintendent, and R. L.
Bates, agent. This office is the Lima branch of the great
transportation and storage oil company, and their pipe lines run through
the Ohio and Indiana oil fields. Mr. Bates is also agent for the
Indiana Pipe Line Company, of Indiana, which operates in the oil field
of that State. In addition to carefully looking after the interests of
these great companies, Mr. Bates is interested in other enterprises and
still finds time and takes pleasure in furthering commendable public
movements, and is a factor in social, political and fraternal life. In
poitical sentiment he is a Democrat. Prior to leaving Pennsylvania, he
was a member of the Democratic Central Committee of McKean County and
was chairman of the Democratic City Committee, of Bradford.
Mr. Bates was married December 15, 1874 to Evelyn Hazzard, who is a
daughter of the late Hiram Hazzard, at one time the leading merchant at
Titusville, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Bates have one daughter, Mrs.
George A. Straw, who is in the telephone business at Carlisle,
Pennsylvania. The family belongs to the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Mr. Bates is prominent in Masonry and belongs to the Blue Lodge,
Council, Chapter and Commandery at Lima. He has been a member of the
board of directors of The Masonic Hall Company since its organization,
and was a member of the organizing board of directors which conceived
and carried to completion the building of the stately Masonic Temple
here. He continues to be secretary, treasurer and superintendent of The
Masonic Hall Company. His intelligence, business acumen and
public-spirit have been brought to bear in cooperating with other
financiers and men of affairs, and the result has been of large benefit
to Lima.


Louis F. Laudick, M. D.

Louis F. Laudick, M. D., one of the leading medical
practitioners of Lima, with well-appointed and convenient offices at No.
49 1/2 Public Square, stands very high in this city, both personally an
professionally. He was born in Wayne Township, Allen County, Ohio, and
is a son of Louis and Clarissa J. (Miller) Laudick.
The paternal grandfather of Dr. Laudick was John Laudick and the
maternal grandfather was John Miller, both men of character and of
substance. Louis Laudick, father of Dr. Laudick, was born in
Pennsylvania, where he learned the trade of a carpenter and followed the
same for a time, but subsequently became a farmer in Allen County, Ohio,
where he died March 6, 1869. He reared a family of 10 children.
Dr. Laudick was educated in the public schools of Allen County and
was graduated at the Lima High School. In this city he studied medicine
under the tutelage of well-established physicians, and then entered the
Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati, where he was graduated March 6, 1890.
He located at Lima, which has since been his home almost continuously,
the period interrupted only by three years of travel in Colorado and
Utah. The year of 1893 was spent at the great Mormon city of Salt Lake,
and 1895 at Cripple Creek. He has established a large and lucrative
practice at Lima and ranks with the county's best physicians and
surgeons.
Dr. Laudick was married to Nettie McClure, who is a daughter of
James A. McClure. They have a very pleasant home at No. 525 West Market
Street.
Dr. Laudick is very prominent in fraternal life, being a Mason of
high degree, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council at Lima,
and to Syrian Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Cincinnati. He is also an Odd
Fellow. He keeps closely in touch with modern medical thought, having
membership in the Allen County Medical Society, Ohio State Medical
Society, Northwestern Ohio Medical Association and American Medical
Association. His portrait accompanies this sketch.