The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPZEDIA.
adjournment of conference in Cincinnati. He and his wife medical practice, and in I85i he finally renounced his trade
were crossing the Ohio river in an open ferry-boat. The as carpenter, and has ever since devoted his entire time and
horses on the boat became frightened, and, running togetler, forced several of the passengers overboard into the
river. Leander Blackman was among the number. He
swam for some time, but before help reached him he sank
and was drowned in full view of his agonized wife. His
body was recovered and followed to the grave by a vastr ie nd
concourse of friends.
energy to t he practice of his self-acquired profession. He
has practised with untiring industry and with almost uinlliIformi success ina and around Portsmouth, an d h as l ong
occupied an acknowledged position in- the very front rank~
of the profession in that community. Politically he is a
Republican, but he has -never sought or held a political
office of any description. He is a member of the Presby terian Church, and he is not only a Christian in profession,
but in his unblemished integrity of character. Socially he
is pleasant and affal)le, and is liked for his agreeable
qualities no less than esteemed for his sterling traits of
character. He is essentially a self-made man, and through
his own efforts has risen to deserved and enduring prominence. He was married in 1835 to Isabella Jane Fleming,
of Chester county, Pennsylvania, and this union has
resulted in seven children.
REES, DAVID, Physician, was born, March 15th,
I8o9, in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and
was the third of the thirteen children of Henry
and Magdalena (Henney) Crees. His father, a
native of Pennsylvania, although of German ex traction, was a carpenter and cabinetmaker by
trade. He died in Iowa, in I847. The mother, a native
of Fairfield county, Pennsylvania, was also of German extraction. The early training of David was of the most
wholesome description, and established him securely in
those habits of strict integrity, rigid temperance, energy and
untiring industry whic h have been h is marked characteristics throug h l ife. He worked, until he wa s seventeen
y ears of age, up on a farm, a ttend ing s chool as he found
opp ortunity at the district schools in his n e ighborhood,
These oppor tuni tie s we fre not fiequent, however, and lihe
was oblig ed to be cont ent wit h but little schooling. He
made up in a measure for this deprivation- by indu strious
and intelligent reading in his leisure hours. When h e had
reach ed the age of seventeen he went to Pittsburgh, to
lear n t he trade of carpenter. He mastered the trade with
the thoroughness and wor ibed at it with the industry which
characterized whatever he undertook. His trade, however,
did not monopolize all his attention and energy, and was
regarded by him as merely the stepping-stone to something
else. His inclination had early been towards the medical
professio n, for which he developed a remarkable talent.
In I83O he began reading medicine, pursuing a regular
course of study in such leisure hours as he could command.
lie had selected the bomceopatbic school of medicine, and
his studies were guided by strong faith in the principles of
method he had chosen. HIe continued working at his
trade, but eventually, after studying assiduously until he
felt h imself qualified to apply the principles he had mastered, and then from time to time, as occasion offered, he
gave advice as a medical practitioner, and from the first
with very marked success. He remained at Pittsburgh
until March, 1838, when he removed to Ross counity, Ohio.
There he stayed until I84I, and in February of that year
he removed to Portsmouth, Scioto county, Ohio, where he
has ever since resided. He continued to work at his trade
as carpenter until I85o, keeping up his medical studies
meanwhile and practising medicine from time to time. In
x850 he began to give his attention almost exclusively to
;ULLIVANT, JOSEPH, was born in Ohio, De i cember 3d, I809. He is a son of Lucas Sullivant
i and Sarah Starling, and brother to Michael SLl livant, the famous American farmer. William
o SLllivant, LL. D., an author of celebrity (now
deceased), was also his brother. From his early
years Joseph was an eager devourer of books. At school
his desire to learn and his retentive memory made the
ordinary tasks easy of accomplishment. He attended the
two first classical schools established in Columbus, and was
afterwards sent to the boarding school at Washington, Ohio,
then under the management of Rev. Philander Chase,
Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio. From Washington he went
to the Ohio University, and finally to Centre College,
Kentucky. An early taste for the natural sciences, which
was stimulated by his father, a lover and close observer of
nature, Joseph entered on a regular course of scientific
study, and with good results. Before he had reached his
majority he was appointed, by the Legislature, one of the
cohporators of the Philosophical and Histolical Society of
Ohio, of which for several years he was Corresponding
Secretary and Curator. He was the originator of the
Columbus Lyceum, a free literary, scientific and library
association, of which he was President. He was also a
member of the Athenaeum, an institution similar to the
lyceum. For forty years Mr. Sullivant has taken an active
interest in all the scientific and literary enterprises of
Columbus. He has been a frequent lecturer on scientific
topics before the associations of that city. HIe has long
been devoted to the interests of the public schools, and for
twenty years was a member of the Board of Education,
being Presiden-t thereof for part of the time. Upon retiring
from the Board he was requested to sit for his bust, which
has been placed in the High School hall. As another
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