The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOP2EDIA.
Aide-de-Camp to Governor William Allen. In the fall of
1875 he was the Democratic candidate for State Senator in
the Twenty-third Senatorial District of Ohio, running largely
ahead of his ticket. He has always manifested a warm interest in the educational and political questions of the day, and
is to be commended forthe shrewdness and liberality which
he brings to bear upon the leading topics of the time.
vices into which he w as called, he distinguished his labors
by intelligence and by energy. For many years he was a
director of th e old Cl in ton Bank, serving wi th h is firm fiJiend,
D. Wa. Desh ler. H e wa s also a director in the Franklin
National and State Bank, and -exhibited excellent qualities
as a financie r an d a manager of responsible monetary.institutions. Wnhen Mr. Jofhnson first reache d that section of
the State which for so long a time was the scene of his active
labors, h e f ound it sparsel y settled, its many resources but
partially developed, n, th eoe comparatively mv i t t Cpoor.
Onl y a small a mount of money was in circulation, and this
raised serious obstacles in th e path of his bus iness career,
which would have disco ur a ged men of less nerve and persever ance. I n the f ace of adverse circumstan ces h e carried
on his business interests resolutely, and was able to gradually
accumnulate a large amount of property. He became a
resident of Columbus, Ohio, in I862, but before that time
was prominently eng aged in labors which beneficially affected its permanent prosperity, and since he has become
on e of its citizens be has aided largely in the support of
public improvements. He e rected the Johnson Block and
Sest ions Blo ck, a nd in many way s c ontributed to increase
the vital business interests of th e city. Hi s fo re sight, good
juHgment and eniergy h av e r endered him remarkably successful a s a mechanice, farmer, manufacturer, contractor and
beanker, and while be has acquired a large fortune, it has
been honorably earned. No man ever questioned his fair
deal ing a nd integrity of action, and no man deserves more
than he the respect which the public accord to him. Although over-fourscore years of age, he still retains his place
in business circles, as a partner in the Commercial Bank.
He' has the affection of his family, the warm friendship of
associates, the comforts and the luxuries of a home of ease,
and with advancing years he'finds increasing instead of decreasing contentment. He was married in August, I815, to
Achsa Maynard.
OILLIAMS,. JAMES, State Auditor of Ohi o, was
Q born in Prin ce George's county, Maryland, May
d3ISt, I822, his fathe r, Joh NV W. Wi ll iams, being
of English and Welsh descent, and his mother,
< whose maiden name was Ele anor Du val, being
of French Huguenot and English descent. The
family moved in I83I to Champaign county, Ohio, in the
common schools of which he was educated. After leaving
school he became a clerk in a country merchant store, and
in I84o began the study of medicine. I-e graduated, after
pursuing a thorough course of study, in I843, and practised
with much success during the three succeeding years. He
subsequently turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, and
to the profession of teaching, for which he was well qualified. He served in the Legislature during the sessions of
1852 and 1853, and afterwards became an assistant ill the
State Auditor's office, acting first as clerk and then' as
deputy, until I87I, when he was elected Auditor of the
State, being honored with a re-election in I875. In this
important department of the State administration, he has
served altogether over twenty years, and by the election of
I875 was chosen for a further term of four years. His long
experience in the office, his complete knowledge of all the
details of its business and his skill as an executive, have
rendered his discharge of the duties of auditor wholly satisfactory to the people at large in the State. He was a Whig
until the'formation of the Republican party, with which he
has ever since been connected. He served as a Justice of
the Peace flor a short time, and in this, as in his later and
more important capacities, he won the confidence and the
esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was married in May,
I844, and by this marriage had two children, one of whom
survives. He was again married, in I848, and had five children, four of whonm are living.
c ROWN, WILLIAM L., Edito r a nd Proprietor of
TVz e AziahoViiz'ic a nalofatow,c was born in -Chitten den count y, Ver mont, D ecem ber 25th, I840. He
is of Irish extraction. His early education was
e acquired in Canfield, Mahoning county. In the
ye a rs following school life, he w as engaged in
teaching, and in studying law. He was admitted t o the bar
in I862, anad subsequently practised his prof ession for about
nine years. At the present time he is engrossed in journalistic labors, being the editor and proprietor of Tlze Mahon*ig Vi/idicalor, a journal of acknowledged influence and
great literary merit. During the late war of the Rebellion,
.he served as Lieutenant in the 88th Regiment of Ohio Voluni,teer Infantry, and alt.o as Recruiting Officer of the 125th
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He officiated as first
-Clerk in the House of the first Territorial Legislature of
-Montana. Subsequently. returning to Ohio, he acted as
igi
6
. Of
s
NG, WILLIAM HENRY, Shoe Manufacturer,
was born in Leicester, Worcester county, Massa —
cbusetts, August 25tb, i8i8. While in bis-eighth
year lie lost his father, and was then obliged to
com Imence the struggle of life alone and unaided
For seven years lie worl.:ed on a farm, receiving
during those years a limited elementary education. At the
ae of'fifteen he was placed.to learn the shoemaker's trade,