Vinton County Biographies

W. C. Ray, postmaster of South Vienna and a grocery merchant, has been a very active young business man in South Central Ohio for a number of years. He was born in Vinton County, Ohio, January 30, 1877, son of Jesse and Josephine (Garrett) Ray. His father was born in Vinton County in June, 1842. He enlisted and served three years and three months as a soldier in the Civil war. After the war he followed farming in Vinton County, sold out his property there, and in 1888 moved to Fayette County, where he bought land, later lived for a time at Bloomingsburg in that county, and in 1892 moved to Madison County, where he lived on a rented farm until 1902. In that year he came to Springfield and from there moved to New Carlisle. His wife died at Canal Winchester in August, 1911, and he is now living retired at Columbus. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is a republican in politics. There were eight children, five of whom are living: Effie, wife of Arthur Robbins, of South Charleston; W. C.; Maude, wife of Forrest Slyh, of Columbus; Grace, wife of Fred Wyant, of Maryland; and Mabel, wife of S. D. Latham of Hilliard, Ohio. W. C. Ray acquired a common school education. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-four and on August 31, 1902, married Mabel Robbins. They have two children: Marjorie, a graduate of the Harmony Township High School; and Palmer, attending high school. Mrs. Ray is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Ray is affiliated with Vienna Lodge No. 660, Knights of Pythias, and is a republican. Mr. Ray first engaged in the grocery business at New Carlisle, where he was located for two years, then moved his business headquarters to Hilliard for one year, and for two years was at Canal Winchester and another two years at Columbus. With this experience he established himself at South Vienna and has developed a highly prosperous business and is one of the substantial men of this community. (Source: A Standard History of Springfield & Clark County, Oh., Vol 2, (1922) George W. Fry. One of the old and honorable families of Ohio bears the name Fry, and it was founded in Vinton County by the grandfather of Prof. George W. Fry, a representative citizen of Ross County, now a prominent resident of Richmond Dale. Grandfather Fry was a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He and his family assisted in the early development of Vinton County and made honorable names for themselves among the pioneers of that time. He served in the War of 1812. George W. Fry, who has spent a large portion of his useful life in the educational field, was born January 8, 1838, in Vinton County, Ohio. His parents were Isaac and Hannah (Wyatt) Fry. The father was born in 1812 near Chillicothe, Ohio, but was reared near McArthur in Vinton County, to which place his parents moved in 1816. He was occupied during life in the pursuits of agriculture. In 1831 he was married to Hannah Wyatt, who was born in Vinton County, and in 1841 they moved to Jackson County and there passed the rest of their lives. They were the parents of a vigorous family of eleven children, seven of these still surviving. The early education of George W. Fry was secured in the primitive log schoolhouse that was near his father's farm. He was yet young when he was permitted to teach in the district school, his first certificate bearing the date of December 5, 1857. He took a course in Gilmor's Academy, at Jackson, Ohio, and afterward alternated going to school and teaching until 1864, when he enlisted for service in the Civil war as a private in Company K, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served until the close of the war and was honorably discharged October 9, 1865. In the state militia in 1863 he served as first lieutenant, Company I, First Regiment, Jackson County, when General Morgan made his spectacular raids in Ohio. After his military life closed, Mr. Fry returned to Ohio and resumed his educational work, in 1894 receiving a life certificate through a state examination. Keeping thoroughly abreast with the times, Professor Fry for many years afterward continued an important factor in the teaching field, continuing active until 1913. In his fifty years' teaching he has been the principal of schools of Berlin and Wellston in Jackson County, Ohio; Hamden and Zaleski in Vinton County, Ohio; Wheelersburg in Scioto County, Ohio; Frankfort, Adelphi, Bainbridge, and Richmond Dale in Ross County, Ohio. In addition he has also taught rural and select schools. He was appointed school examiner of Jackson County in 1872 and served under three appointments. He visited the Centennial at Philadelphia in 1876, the Cotton Exposition at New Orleans in 1885, the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893, the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, and the Lewis and Clark Exposition at Portland, Oregon, in 1905, and also visited various points in the Pacific States, including Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa grove of big trees. Mr. Fry has been in thirty-two states and the District of Columbia. Although independent in his political affiliation, he has frequently been called on by his fellow citizens to serve in responsible positions. He was township clerk of Milton Township for some years, at present is a notary public and for almost thirteen years has been a justice of the peace. On March 8, 1866, Professor Fry was married to Miss Minerva Phillips, who died April 21, 1868, leaving one son, Charles, who is now a resident of California. On March 30, 1887, Professor Fry was married to Miss Ella M. Feurt, who was born in Scioto County, Ohio. Mrs. Fry was a popular teacher at that time, holding a state certificate, for life, and was well known in educational circles. They have one daughter, Georgia, residing at home. Professor Fry and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They are hospitably inclined and their many friends find a welcome in their beautiful home at Richmond Dale. Professor Fry belongs to Fenton Post No. 316, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he is chaplain, and to Adelphi Lodge No. 527, Free and Accepted Masons. (Source: A Standard History of Ross Co., Oh, (1917) Elmer Sims. Of the three men now entrusted with the management and administration of the ftscal affairs of Vinton County, one of the commissioners is Elmer Sims, who has spent most of his life in Vinton County, is well known among the people, and is esteemed both for his civic integrity and for the ability which he has employed in the management of his farm interests in Elk Township. He was elected a member of the County Board of Commissioners in the fall of 1914. His associates in that office are Daniel P. Camp of Swan Township, and I. N. Bay of Clinton Township. Though Mr. Sims has spent all his active years in Vinton County, he was born near Kingston in Ross County, Ohio, June 9, 1866. He comes of old Pennsylvania stock. His grandfather, Nathan Sims, was born in that state and married there a Miss Sill. They afterwards moved to Vinton County, Ohio, and were settlers on a farm and did their share toward the early development. Among their children were: John; George; Malinda; and Mary, all of whom grew up, married and are all now deceased. Nathan Sims, the grandfather, married for his second wife a Miss Kline, whose parents were German people. Nathan Sims spent the rest of his days on the old homestead in Vinton County and died in Swan Township when past sixty years of age. There were three children by the second marriage: Elijah, Barbara E. and Sarah, all of whom are living and married. John Sims, the father, was born in Jackson Township of Vinton County in 1842. After being reared to manhood he married in Swan Township Jane C. Turner, who was born in Vinton County about 1844. Her parents were Craven C. and Mary (Crow) Turner, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Vinton County. Craven Turner canu: to Ohio and to Vinton County when a boy, a stranger and without a home, and eventually married and lived in Swan Township for a numher of years. He finally went out to Kansas and died there when in his ninetieth year, while his wife was about seventy-five when she passed away. In the earlier generations of the Sims family the I'nited Brethren Church was the common faith of them all, while the Turners were active Methodists. In politics the members of the different families have been first whigs and then,republicans. After the marriage of John Sims he located in Ross County, and while he lived there four children were born, George William, Mary E., Elmer and Homer. The subject of this review was about eighteen years of age when the family in 1S82 returned to Vinton County and located in Swan Township, where the father became a farmer and spent the rest of his days, He died in 1887 when past forty-six years of age. and his wife passed away in September, lit00. She was a member of the Methodist Church and in politics he was an independent republican, and rarely voted or took any part in elections. Elmer Sims received most of his education while living in Ross County, and has lived in the atmosphere and environment of a farm and its interests nearly all his life. After reaching manhood he married in Swan Township Martha A. Vest. She was born in that township and received her education there. Her parents were Alfred and Delil.th (Phillips) Vest, both natives of Ohio. They were marricd in Swan Township, and were substantial farming people of that section. After the death of her mother Mrs. Sims' father lived in her home until his death about four years ago. The Vest family were members of the United Brethren Church and Mrs. Sims' father was a republican. Mr. and Mrs. Sims started housekeeping in Swan Township, and lived there seven or eight years. They then bought a place in Elk Township near Vinton Station on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, where Mr. Sims now owns a fine farm of 195 acres, most of it in cultivation and well stocked with cattle, horses, hogs and mules. He has proved a thrifty farmer and a stock dealer of exceptional judgment. His prosperity is well represented in the improvements on the farm, which comprise a substantial eight-room brick house and a barn on a foundation 3Ox44 feet. He has a good deal of expericnce in public affairs, and prior to his election as a county commissioner served as township trustee four years. and as assessor three years. He is in politics a republican, and he and his wife are members of the United Brethren Church in their neighborhood. Alma, the oldest of their children, now twenty-six, is the wife of 'Wilber A. Smith and lives in Chillicothe. Ohio, and their children are named Alma, Blanche and Irean. Isa M., aged twenty-four and unmarricd, completed a business course and is now a stenographer and bookkeeper with the International Paint Company of Cleveland. Harley E.. sixteen years of age. is assisting his father on the farm. Ilena is fourteen years old and is still in school. (Source: A Standard History of Hanging Rock iron region of Ohio- Vol 2 (1916).