Oliver Boston Selfridge
Oliver Boston Selfridge, manager of the Times-Democrat, was born in
Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio, and is the second son of O. B. and E.
E. Selfridge. With his parents and the other members of their family, he
came to Lima in the autumn of 1865, and this city has since been his
home. He received his education in the Lima Union Schools, and, after
completing the course, in order to equip himself for his future work in
the newspaper field and to become perfectly familiar with all the
details pertaining to the publishers' profession, he entered a local
printing office and learned the printer's trade in all of its branches.
In 1879, in partnership with E. B. Halladay, he began the publication of
a Democratic weekly newspaper called the Democratic Times, and five
years later during Grover Cleveland's first campaign launched a daily
edition of the same newspaper. Five years later this newspaper was
consolidated with the Allen County Democrat and the present name
Times-Democrat was adopted.
In 1887 Mr. Selfridge was married to Anna E. Brice, the eldest sister of
the
late Senator Calvin S. Bruce. Their children consist of two boys, Oliver
Brice Selfridge and Calvin F. Selfridge, aged respectively 16 and 14
years. They are intelligent and courteous young men, with every
indication of a great and useful future.
The subject of this sketch, in addition to his newspaper work, is
identified with a number of Lima's leading business enterprises. He is
the controlling sprit in The O.B. Selfridge Company, a corporation doing
an extensive manufacturing business. He is a stockholder in The First
National Bank, The Metropolitan Bank, The Lima Trust Company and other
enterprises.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Elks and the Knights of
Pythias. He is a consistent member of the Market Street Presbyterian
Church. Mr. Selfridge has long been recognized as a trenchant writer.
His pen has a power not often found in the hands of the country's able
editors. His standing as a citizen is of the highest rank and his
influence is always found on the side of the common people, stoutly
maintaining the integrity of manhood at all times. His guiding hand is
constantly seen in the growing city of Lima, and his usefulness extends
to all classes and conditions of life.