History of Miami County Ohio United States of America

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Biographies:

Robert Wilkinson Furnas, governor of Nebraska, was born in Miami county, Ohio, May 5, 1824; son of William and Martha (Jenkins) Furnas; grandson of Thomas W. and Mary (Scott) Furnas; and a descendant of John Furnas of Standing Stone, Cumberland, England. He was apprenticed to a printer in 1842 and became a practical printer and editor. He removed to Nebraska in 1855 and was colonel of the 2d Nebraska cavalry in the civil war, 1861-65. He was elected, as a Republican, governor of Nebraska in 1872, serving, 1873-75. He was a member of the board of regents of the University of Nebraska, 1873-74; U.S. commissioner to the expositions at Philadelphia. 1876, New Orleans, 1884, and Chicago, 1893; and president of the Nebraska state board of agriculture, the State historical society, the Territorial pioneers. the Soldiers' union, and the Nebraska state horticultural society. On retiring to private life in 1890 he engaged in farming and tree culture. He is the author of: The Agrieculture of Nebraska (13 vols., 1886-98); and Arbor Day.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Charles Volney Kerr, educator, was born in Miami county, Ohio, March 27, 1861; son of George Washington and Nancy (Collins) Kerr. He attended the public schools of southern Illinois and was graduated from the Western University of Pennsylvania, Ph.B., 1884, and from the Stevens Institute of Technology, M.E., 1888. He was married, Dec. 25, 1888, to Libbie Applebee, of Wellsville, N.Y. He was instructor in mathematics and science at the Pratt institute, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1888-89; assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Western University of Pennsylvania, 1889-91; professor of engineering at the Arkansas Industrial university, 1891-96, and was appointed professor of mechanical engineering at the Armour Institute of Technology in 1896. He was elected a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Nov. 30, 1892, and a member of the Western Society of Engineers and of the Western Railway club. The degree of Ph.D. was conferred on him by the Western University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of monographs on the Moment of Resistance; The Moment of Inertia, and of important contributions to technical journals and society papers.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Joseph Pearson, Lawyer and ex-Judge of Probate for Miami County, Ohio, was born, in 1808, at Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. His early education was obtained at the common schools of his native place, and when he had arrived at the proper age he was apprenticed there to learn the trade of saddler. When he was nineteen years old he removed to Ohio and settled at Troy, in Miami county; there he worked industriously at his just-acquired trade, but he was equally industrious aside from his mechanical calling. All his leisure time was occupied in adding to the limited education he had heretofore been able to secure. After a while he began to read law in the hours when he was not working at his trade. His reading was so thorough and effective that eventually he was admitted to the bar. The business of making saddles was then relinquished for the business of the lawyer. He was successful in the practice of his profession, and grew rapidly into the favor of a large and influential class of patrons, so that in a comparatively short time he was in the enjoyment of an extended and lucrative practice. He continued his residence in Miami county, and was several times called upon to fulfil the duties of Justice of the Peace there, and throughout all the many terms during which he held that office he performed all its duties in the ablest and most satisfactory manner. In 1854 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and held the position until 1858. In 1860 he was elected Probate Judge, and was re-elected to the position in 1863. During the six years that he served in that capacity his official acts were such as to win the highest commendation of all parties. Judicial honors were accompanied by military, and he rose to the rank of Colonel in the State militia. He was married in the year 1838 to Maria Ludlow, of Cincinnati; five children, four sons and one daughter, resulted from the union. The daughter died in childhood, but the sons all survive, Hon. Joseph E. Pearson being the third.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

History of Miami County Ohio

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