DAVID EZEKIEL HOVER

DAVID EZEKIEL HOVER, a well-known resident of Shawnee
township, where he carried on general farming and stock raising on his
estate situated in sections 14 and 15, was born November 22, 1837, in an
old Indian cabin in Shawnee township, and is a son of Manuel Hover.
     Ezekiel Hover, the grandfather of our subject, with his brothers,
Emanuel and Joseph, who at an early date had removed from Pennsylvania
to Trumbull County, Ohio, settled in Allen County in May, 1833.  All
married members of the Adgate family.  The children of Ezekiel and Sarah
(Adgate) Hover were:  Emanuel, born May 18, 1808; Maria Belinda, born
December 15, 1809, who married Abraham Boyd; Sarah Ann, born February 9,
1818, who married Amos Alvord; Caroline, born March 28, 1814, who died
young; St. Clair, born September 13, 1815; Charles Adgate, born May 13,
1818; Newton, born December 18, 1820; Columbia Ann, born October 7,
1827, who married George Lathrop; and William Ulysses, born March 18,
1830.
    In 1836 Emanuel Hover returned to Trumbull County, and after
marrying Margaret Carlisle in that year, located in Amanda township,
Allen County.  He lived at Fort Amanda, in 1837, and then settled in
Shawnee Township, residing in the log cabin which his father had
occupied before him.  After Emanuel Hover's death in 1840, his widow
returned to Trumbull County, and in 1849 was married to Jonathan Howard.
She celebrated her 89th birthday on December 18, 1905, and still retains
her faculties, encumbered by few physical ailments.  The parents of our
subject had two children David Ezekiel and Sarah Ann.  The latter was
born in August, 1839.  She taught school at Lima in 1861 and 1862,
married John Hanson and died in 1881.
    In 1840, at the death of his father, David E. Hover went to live
with his grandfather, residing with the latter and an uncle until 1860.
On December 18th of this year he married Susan Boyd, who was born in
Mahoning County, Ohio, and died in 1886.  She was a daughter of John
Boyd, who moved from Mahoning to this county.  The five children of the
above marriage were: Charles Adgate, born November 22, 1861, who resides
on a farm adjoining his father; Frank M., born October 13, 1863, who
died in infancy; Margaret Anna, born March 3, 1868, who resides at home;
and Howard B., born March 3, 1868, who is a druggist at Lima.
    After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. David E. Hover commenced
housekeeping in the old Shawnee Council House, but two years later came
to the present farm in sections 14 and 15.  The land was  partly cleared
but Mr. Hover has made all the improvements.  He has given much
attention to the growing of sheep, and shortly after the Civil War, in
1870, sold wool at 90 cents a pound.  He is one of the township's
reliable citizens, and at various times, has been appointed to a number
of honorable positions.  Since 1895 he has been a trustee of the
Children's Home. He is secretary and clerk, as well as trustee, of the
Shawnee Cemetery.  Politically he is a Republican, and cast his first
presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln.      

 WILLIAM F. MOHLER

 WILLIAM F. MOHLER, a prominent farmer residing in
section 24, Shawnee township, was born in Pennsylvania, November 12,
1841.  His father, Henry Mohler, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania and
later moved to Indiana, where he died.  William F. Mohler has been
engaged in farming for many years with very successful results.
   Mr. Mohler married Mrs. Mary (Spyker) Sharp and is the father of two
sons, Clarence and John Roscoe.  Clarence married Clara Bradford and had
five children, all of whom are deceased.  He is employed in the oil
field and resides at Wapakoneta.  John Roscoe married Goldie Swyart and
lives at home.
    Mrs. Mohler was born in 1840 on the Spyker homestead in section 25,
Shawnee township, and is a daughter of Samuel and a sister of Joel
Spyker, sketches of whom appear in this volume.  Mary Spyker grew to
womanhood was married to Charles D. Meffley, a native of Allen County,
where his father, Peter Meffley, had located after leaving Pennsylvania.
The young couple made their home at Elida for a time, later moving to
Cridersville where Mr. Meffey conducted a dry goods and hardware store.
He was thus engaged when he died, about 1865, leaving his young widow,
before she had reached her 25th year, with two small children.  The
elder child, Shelby Ellsworth Meffley, was born in Cridersville,
Auglaize County, Ohio, January 12, 1862, and is today the leading
merchant of that place, where he carries a large stock of staple and
fancy groceries and has an extensive patronage among the best citizens
of the community.  He was married February 21, 1893, to Etta Tidd
Spyker, a most estimable lady, who was left an orphan in early childhood
and adopted by John Spyker.  To this union five children were born,
namely: Charles Theodore, Edgar Allen; Mary Elizabeth; Shelby E., Jr.;
and Catherine Gertrude.  The younger son, George W. Meffley, was an
infant of seven weeks when his father died.  He now resides at Ottawa,
where he conducts a dry goods store.  He married Mary Ann DeFord of
Ottawa and they have six children living: Samuel Fletcher DeFord, Gadys,
George W., Robert, Harold and De Graces.
    Mrs. Meffley was married to Dr. Hiram Miller, a native of New York,
who was practicing medicine at Cridersville,  They had three children,
William W., deceased; Margaret M., deceased; and Charles, who married
Nellie Bitsler, and lives on a farm adjoining that of his mother.  After
the death of Dr. Miller, his widow married Daniel Sharp, a native of
Columbus, Ohio, and a man of considerable property.  They had two
children Frederick Henry, who married Dula Reichelderfer and resides at
Cridersville; and Eva Gertrude, who married Charles Berry.  Mrs. Mohler
is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whose faith
has strengthened her in her hours of adversity.

DAWSON & McLAUGHLIN

DAWSON & McLAUGHLIN, the beauty of any city is almost
entirely dependent upon the good taste of the architects who build the
city.  After the great fire of London, in 1666, the authorities wishing
to beautify and perfect the new city, engaged Sir Christopher Wren, the
architect of St. Paul's, to superintend the rebuilding of the great
city.  Had this plan been fully carried out, London would be a far more
beautiful city today than it is.
    The architecture of the city of Lima until in very recent years has
not had much to commend it.  The dwellings have, in part, lacked that
which constitute beauty to the eye.
    Among the men who have studied architecture under the really great
masters is Charles Wilmott Dawson, born at Plainfield, New York,
December 10, 1867, who came to Lima about six years ago.  Mr. Dawson
entered Haverford College, where he studied for two years, preparing for
his future professional work.  He then matriculated at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, graduating from that noted institution in 1888.
Not content with his course of study thus pursued, he spent a full year
in careful study under the great Henry Van Brunt, at one time president
of the American Institute of Architects.  Mr. Dawson has had 18 years of
successful professional work in various parts of America.  He has
traveled widely, and has gained a thorough knowledge of his profession.
In Lima he has constructed the most prominent commercial buildings found
in the city today; these buildings are largely to his credit.  Among
them is the extensive manufacturing plant of The Deisel-Wemmer Company,
the wholesale warehouse of The Moore Brothers Company, the Central
Building and the Renze Block.  Mr. Dawson has also constructed a large
number of the most beautiful residences to be found in Lima, including
those of J. D. S. Neely, F. T. Cuthbert, Henry G. Wemmer, W. J. Wemmer,
W. K. Boone and G. E. Bluem.  Mr. Dawson has long been noted for the
thoroughness with which he does his work.
    He is unswervingly honest, painstaking and accurate.  At the
beginning of the present year, 1906, Mr. Dawson associated with him in
the business, Thomas D. McLaughlin, a young man of great promise, who
was born at Oil City, New York, August 4, 1882.  Mr. McLaughlin obtained
his first collegiate training at Lima College, Lima, Ohio, where he did
most excellent work.  He then spent three years at Hamilton College, New
York, in careful preparation for professional work.  Mr. McLaughlin then
became a pupil of the architectural department of Columbia University,
New York City, where he studied architecture for three years.  He has
had experience in the various practical lines of architecture, at one
time being superintendent of construction for the Buckeye Pipe Line
Company.
    The confidence which the people repose in this firm is further shown
by the fact that they have been unanimously selected by the trustees of
the Lima Library Association to construct the new $50,000 Carnegie
Library.  Such remarkable preparation and talent for the work in hand is
rarely found as in the firm of Dawson & McLaughlin.   
 

WILLIAM L. PARMENTER

WILLIAM L. PARMENTER, a prominent attorney of Lima,
junior member of the law firm of Cable & Parmenter, can be claimed as a
product of this city, for here he was born on May 12, 1867, here
obtained a part of his education and here has met with professional
success.  He is a son of the well-known citizen, Cornelius Parmenter,
who has been identified with journalism in this section for many years.
   In 1884 William L. Parmenter was graduated from the Lima High School,
being recognized as one of its brilliant pupils.  Two years later he
entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and was graduated from
the law department of that institution in 1888.  In July of that year he
formed his present partnership with Davis J. Cable, adopting the present
firm style, and together these attorneys constitute one of the strongest
law firms in the city.  Mr. Parmenter has been secured by a number of
corporations as special attorney, one of these being The Lima Trust
Company.  His career has been followed with interest by old family
friends, and his many victories have been the cause of sincere
congratulation.  He has interests outside his profession, including
banking and other business enterprises.
    On June 2, 1891, Mr. Parmenter was married to Hattie A. Crippen who
is a daughter of the late Milton A. Crippen, and they have two children,
Warren C. and Mary E.  Mr. Parmenter is a member of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks.
 
JOHN P. STAMETS

JOHN P. STAMETS, who was one of the honorable business
men and old- time citizens of Lima, died here on April 26, 1897.  He was
born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1829. In his early
business life, Mr. Stamets left his native State and moved to Ohio, where
he resided in Wayne and Ashland counties.  During the five years prior
to coming to Lima, he resided in Bucyrus, where he was engaged in the
dry goods business.  In 1877 he located at Lima, engaging first in a
hardware business and later, in the sale of wagons and buggies.  Failing
health induced him to dispose of many of his interests, several years
before his death.  The deceased was a man of business principle and
commanded the respect of all associated with him.
    On February 1, 1855, Mr. Stamets was married to Malinda Kern, who,
with one son, Lorin E., still survives him.  For 45 years he was a
consistent member of the Lutheran Church, and alike in his religious,
business and social connections, his worth as an upright Christian man
was recognized.  He was known as one of the city's most liberal
contributors to worthy objects of charity.  In his political sentiments
he was a life-long Democrat.
    Mr. Stamets was a large owner of real estate, and erected the
handsome flat building which bears his name, his widow and son residing
there in much comfort.