The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
in mathematics, and in 1842 was elected Surveyor of Hamilton County, and being re-elected held the office for the
term of six years. He was also County Engineer for
several years. lie was for many years connected officially
with the School Board, and has always been actively inter -
ested in educational niatters. He has also acted as Notary
Public for a number of years. He was married, January
7th, 1841, to Deborah, daughter of Solomon Ferris, one of
the earliest and most successful settlers of Hamilton county.
Of this union there are two sons, Daniel and Asaph, who
are also surveyors and engineers, and are now officially
connected with the business of the counties in which they
reside, viz.: Hamilton county, Ohio, and Marion county,
lIndiana; and one daughter, Mary, who is an artist and
was last year a successful competitor for the medal at the
Cincinnati School of Design, and is also organist for the
Methodist Episcopal Church at Madeira. In politics, Mr.
Hosbrook is a Democrat. He is a prominent member of
the Methodist Church, having united with it when quite
young. His manner is quick and resolute. In private life
hle is pleasant and affable, winning many friends. His
life has been well spent. Active and industrious, he
leaves no duties' unperformed.
his attention for two years, but was not profitable, t hough
he gave all his energy and attention to i t. He then found
employmient in the mac hine sho p of B ill & Brother, at
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, which suited his tastes and talent,
and in this new avocation he made rapid progress. Subse quently he w orke d in Massillon and Ashland, and in I848
went to Cincinnati, where, until 185o, he worked as a journeyman. In the latter year he started a s mall repair shop
on Pearl street, the room occupied being 17 by 40 feet, and
employed one journe yman. He prospered in this ente r -
prise, making it a poin t to satisfy the de mands of all his
customers. In the s a me year he married Sophia R. Bosworth. In I852 he took int o partnership with him Joseph
T. Bodtley, a former fel low-workman, the finm being known
as Lane & Bodley. Their business grew so steadily that in
i856 it was found necessary to'nd d larger quarter s, and
they removed to the buil d ing of Reynold s, Kite & Tatum,
at t he corner of John and Water street s, par t of which they
rented. In i859 the latter firm suspended, and offered the
property for sale. Messrs. Lane & Bodley bought out the
entire establishment, and necessarily involved t hem se lves in
a large in debtedness. They carried this safely, an d with
every prospect of speed i ly clearing it, when the re bellio n
broke out and deprived them of a large Southern trad e,
which proved a seri ous blow to them. They conducted
their affairs with the utmost prudence, and in thisy way won
th e confidence of the ir creditors, who gran ted them extensions and s a ved them from impend ing failure. Both Mr.
Lane and Mr. Bodley were staunch Union ists, and so far
as their individual in ifluence, which was not inconsiderable,
was available, they exerted it in supporting the adniinistration. Upon co nsultatio n they decided that one of the m
should take the field, and the other remain at home to
carry on the business. Mr. Lane determ ined t o join the
army, and within a few days he became a member of the
Home Guards, with the intention of entering the three
months' service. The quota for this service was, however,
filled. In a short time came the call for three years' troops,
and the Guards were accepted and -went into camp at Camp
Dennison, where they were mustered into the 1ith Regiment Ohio Infantry. Mr. Lane was elected Captain, and
in this capacity went with the regiment to West Virginia
under General J. D. Cox. His company was mainly composed of mechanics, and they rendered most acceptable
service as pioneers in making roads, buildin g bridges, arranging ferries and in constructing fortifications. In I862
they were assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Colonel
Coleman, who commanded the regiment, was killed at the
battle of Antietam, and at the unanimous' request of the
surviving officers Captain Lanle was commissioned to the
vacant Colonlelcy. In I863 the regiment was sent to
Nashville, where it joined thle Army of the Cumberlanld,
and remained with it until its tenure of service expired.
Colonel Lane Mwas a thorough disciplinarian, and his command soon gained the reputation of being one of the best
iol
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ANE, COLONEL P. P., Manufacturer, was born
in Nassau, near Albany, New York, October 5tb,
I821, being the son of David and Melinda Lane,
both of whom were natives of Killingsworth,
Connecticut. For several years they-lived in
New York, and moved to Ohio in 1828, locating
in Portage county when it was still a comparative wilderness. They were compelled to cut a roadway through a
dense forest to reach the site where they intended. for the
future to make their home. Being the oldest son, Colonel
Lane shared with his father in the rough and exhausting
labor incidental to placing beavily-timbered land in condition for cultivation. The tract was to be cleared of thick
underbrush and closely-studded trees, buildin,s were to be
erected, and the turf, which before, perhaps, had not been
touched by civilized man, prepared for the sowing of crops.
In this taxing backwoods career be became habituated to
industry and economy, necessary in the support of a large
family, and to these traits thus developed lie owes in -a
,,reat measure the success which has attended him in btisiness. The school system followed the pioneers, and in a
rudely-equipped schoolhouse during the fall and winter
months, when the settlers were somewhat relieved of arduous farm labors, be obtained the rudiments of an education,
which in subsequent years, by close application to study
and a well-selected course of reading, be rendered very
comprehensive and thorough. When twenty-tbree years
of age he left home and -,ieiit to western' Pennsylvania,
where be engaged in a lumberiii- enterprise. This fixed
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