Don Carlos Henderson

Don Carlos Henderson, an attorney of the Allen County
Bar, was born at Tranquility, Adams County, Ohio,  February 13, 1862.  He
is a son of Dr. James Kyle and Susanna Henderson, who now resided at
Weston, Ohio.  Dr. James Kyle Henderson, now of the age of 82 years, is
a graduate of the New York College of Medicine, and for many years was
one of the leading physicians of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.
    Don Carlos Henderson attended the public schools at Bucyrus, Ohio,
and completed his course of studies at the Ohio Normal University in the
year 1887, at which time he received the degree of A. B.   The year
following he attended college at Delaware, Ohio,  and later studied law,
completing his course of reading in the office of Hon. Moses A.
Hoagland, of Lima, and being admitted to the bar, he began practice with
Mr. Hoagland as the junior member of the firm of Hoagland & Henderson.
This partnership continued for a period of one year, and since that time
Mr. Henderson has practiced alone.
    On the 14th of May, 1892, Mr. Henderson was united in marriage to
Minnie W. Kahle, a daughter of Frederick and Isabelle Kahle, both of who
are still living, and reside at Franklin, Pennsylvania oil field.  Two
children, Dudley Kahle Henderson, aged 12, and Majorie Isabelle
Henderson, aged 11, have been born of this marriage.  Mr. and Mrs.
Henderson are members of the Market Street Presbyterian Church.  
    Mr. Henderson was elected city solicitor in the spring of 1897 for a
period of two years and was reelected in the spring of 1899.  From the
beginning of his business career he as been recognized as one of the
leaders in city and county affairs, and has been active in local and
State politics.  he is an untiring worker, and, to his geat credit, is
one of those who believe undivided time and energies.  Mr. Henderson is
a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Odd Fellows,
Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of Essenees and Royal Arcanum. While
yet young in years, he is prominent in his profession, and in the social
and business interests of the community.    

Edward J. Ford

Edward J. Ford, a worthy representative of one of the
old pioneer families of Allen County, resides on a well-developed farm
of 93 acres in section 34, Marion township, on the east side of the
Auglaize River, situated on the Lima turnpike and the Delphos road.
Mr. Ford was born December 19, 1853, near Urbana, on his father's
pioneer farm in Champaign County, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph and
Isabella (Moore) Ford.
    Joseph Ford, the venerable father of our subject, who had his 89th
birthday on September 17, 1905, was born on a farm situated one and a
half miles southeast of Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio, and is a son of
Joseph and Catherine (Snell) Ford.
     Joseph Ford, the grandfather of Edward J. Ford, was born March 4,
1781, near Hagerstown, Maryland, where he lived in peace and plenty on
his lands after the close of the Revolutionary War.  On April 12, 1803,
he married Catherine Snell, who was a daughter of Samuel Snell.  She was
born May 4, 1781.  After marriage, Joseph and Catherine Ford joined the
army of pioneers who sought homes in Kentucky, but soon left the rich
valleys there, which then were overrun with Indians, and came to the
more peaceful settlements in Ohio. Grandfather Ford located in Champaign
County, which then, with the exception of scattered clearings, was a
dense forest, and cleared a farm situated four miles from Urbana.  He
was also an old-time teamster and engaged in hauling freight between
Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and likewise did teaming for General Wayne's
army.  The children born to Joseph and Catherine Ford were:  Sarah,
James, Christiana, Nancy, John Harrison, Joseph, William, Mary and a
babe which died in infancy.  For 18 consecutive years Joseph Ford served
as a justice of the peace and he also was captain of a rifle company.
He owned a fine farm of 134 acres in the vicinity of Urbana.  He died in
Champaign County at the age of 72 years.  He was a life-long member of
the Methodist Protestant Church, and for many years was a deacon.  His
wife was equally devoted to this denomination.
     Joseph Ford, father of our subject, the seventh child of his
parents family, is the only survivor, and what a vast gulf of history
his long life has covered!  He was educated in the primitive
subscription schools, the sessions of which were held in little log
cabins, with none of the luxurious surroundings which the modern child
expects both at home and at school.  However, these early schools taught
thoroughly and elemental principles and turned out able men and women.
Mr. Ford, like his father, began to assist in teaming when but a
stripling, easily managing the four and six-horse teams which were
attached to the immense freight wagons. He recalls one of his early
trips which took him through Allen County, when the present flourishing
little city of Lima was erecting its first log cabin in the woods.  He
continued to follow teaming until 1843 and then entered into general
farming.  In 1844 he married and continued to live in Champaign County
until 1854, and then removed to Allen County, settling on a tract of 160
acres, right in the woods, which he had purchased in 1849, the land
being situated in a desirable part of Marion Township.  This farm he
cleared from the forest and increased its acreage to 100 acres.  In his
efforts he was assisted by his admirable wife whose frugality and
excellent management provided a cheerful, happy home, in which a family
of worthy children were reared to respected and useful maturity.
    On January 5, 1844, Joseph Ford was married to Isabella Moore, who
was a daughter of Maj. Thomas and Martha (Dodson) Moore. Major Moore,
who was an early settler in Kentucky and a farmer, drover, teamster and
soldier, obtained his title in the War of 1812.  He was surrendered with
the garrison at Detroit by Gen. William Hull, having cut his way through
200 miles of forest to Detroit from Urbana.  Major Moore was the first
man to plant an orchard in his county.  He was twice married.  His first
wife was a Miss McConkle, and five children were born to the union.  The
second marriage was to Martha Dodson, and the following children were
born to this marriage: Jesse, Samuel, William, Isabella and Martha J.
The death of Major Moore occurred during one of his teaming trips, his
lifeless body being found in his wagon.  He was 50 years of age.    
     The children of Joseph Ford and wife were: Dora, deceased, who was
the wife of Irenus Stooky; John C., a farmer of Marion township, who is
also in the stone business; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of Edward
Tucker; Anna, the wife of Henry Boroff, of Hardin County, Ohio; Thomas,
deceased; Edward J., of Marion township; Frances, deceased, who was the
wife of Sheldon Sarber; Alice, the wife of Rev. George W. Mell, Pastor
of the Christian Church at Delphos; Maly, a farmer on the old homestead,
who married Emily Lee; and Ollie, who married Charles Morgan and resides
on the homestead.  The mother of the above mentioned children, full of
years and possessed of all the Christian virtues, passed away in the old
home in section 2, Marion township, on January 13, 1902.  Since 1885 Mr.
Ford has lived retired.  He has always been identified with the
Democratic party and for a number of his active years served as township
trustee.  His venerable age causes him to find the larger part of his
enjoyment in the associations of the home and heartstone, and he still
deeply mourns the loss which bereaved him of his companion of so many
happy years.   He is held in the highest respect and greatest esteem by
the residents of Marion township.
    Edward J. Ford, our immediate subject, was only three months old
when his parents came to Allen County and settled on the farm in section
2, Marion Township.  Mr. Ford was reared on the farm where the summer
seasons were filled with agricultural labor, while the winters were
given over to attending school.  About two years after his marriage, in
association with his brother, John C. Ford, he opened up a stone quarry
business in section 9, Marion Township, and was interested in this
business for four years.  Then he started in business alone on his own
farm.  Following his marriage, he located on a tract of 35 acres of land
which had been partially improved and cultivated, and later he came to
his resent productive farm, settling here in March, 1889.  He carries on
general farming in connection with his stone business,  having ditched
and tiled his land and improved it with excellent buildings.  Much of
his time, however, is still demanded by his stone interests.  The
capacity of his stone-crusher is from 50 to 60 yards a day, the average
product being the former quantity, and sales are made all over the
county.  He is a member of the township School Board and is one of the
directors of the beautiful Walnut Grove Cemetery.  Fraternally he is a
Knight of Pythias.
    In January, 1880, Mr. Ford was married to Lovina Phillips, who is a
daughter of Isaac and Polly (Crites) Phillips.   The former was born in
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Daniel Phillips, who
moved to Ohio at a very early day and settled near Dayton for a short
period and then removed to Fairfield County.  There he bought 80 acres
of land and spent the rest of his life upon it.  He reared seven sons
and five daughters.  The father of Mrs. Ford learned the blacksmith's
trade in Fairfield County.  In 1855 he moved to Allen County and settled
on a farm in Marion Township, one mile east and south of Mr. Ford's
pace.  He remained on this farm in section 3 for a number of years.  His
wife died some years before he was accidentally killed by a train on the
P., Ft. W. & C.  Railway, at Scott's Crossing.

Alonzo Smith Bower

Alonzo Smith Bower, whose portrait is shown on the
opposite page, conducts the leading bakery and confectioner of Lima.
He was born at Piqua, Ohio, in October 1855, and is a son of Robert
Bower, who died in this city December 3, 1903, in the 81st year of his
age.  Robert Bower came to Allen County when he was a lad of 12 years,
about 1835, and from that year, with the exception of eight years spent
in Piqua, was a resident of Lima until the time of his death.  He first
learned the trade of a saddle-maker and followed it for several years,
part of the time at Delphos.  Later he engaged in the manufacture of
carriages, and in 1858 established a shop in Lima, which he conducted
until his permanent retirement from active business.
    A. S. Bower has been a resident of Lima since his third year.  He
attended the public schools and worked in his father's carriage shop
during his boyhood.  At the age of 20 he secured work with Mr. Heffner,
who conducted a Bakery, and finding the employment to his liking,
continued in his service until 1884, when he opened a small
establishment himself.  He has succeeded beyond his expectations, and
now has the finest bakery and confectionery in Lima, making a specialty
of superior ice cream and producing about 1,800 loaves of bread daily,
his "Nox-em-al" brand being the local favorite.  He has been in his
present location about 18 years and is one of the substantial citizens
of Lima.  Mr. Bower is a stockholder in The East Iron & Machine Company,
and has other business interests here.
    In 1881 Mr. Bower was joined in marriage to Clara Bowyer, a daughter
of Madison L. Bowyer, a venerable and esteemed citizen of German
township.  Mr. Bowyer still owns the land which his father entered from
the government in 1829, when his son, Madison, was a child of four
years.  Mr. and Mrs. Bower have three children, viz:  Robert Sidney, who
is associated with his father in business; and Helen and Ruth, both at
home.  Mr. Bower and his wife are members and active workers of the
First Congregational Church, he himself being a trustee of the church,
while Mrs. Bower has served as president of the Ladies' Circle for the
past four years.  Fraternally, he is a Royal Arch Mason and a past
chancellor of the Knights of Pythias.