Arcanum Wayne Trail Historical Society

Samuel Boyd

Samuel Boyd remarried on November 4, 1819, to Elizabeth Hardman. He and his first wife had several children. Mary Boyd was married to Samuel N. Hays on May 25, 1820. Hester Boyd married John Carnahan January 18, 1818. She died in 1821 or 1822. Dorcas Boyd married Robert Martin on April 24, 1828 and lived until sometime in the 1870’s. For many years she was known locally as “the oldest inhabitant.”  In the 1850 census of Darke County, Robert and Dorcas Martin were living in Greenville township with their ten children. Robert Martin was listed as a farmer, as was their twenty-one-year-old son, Ira. James Boyd married Winna Holland on November 3, 1835.

Samuel Boyd died in 1829 or 1830.

 Source: Beers Book, History of Darke County, Ohio 1880

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Earl Baltes

Speedway, Limaland Speedway, Millstream Speedway at Findlay, Mansfield Speedway in Mansfield, Dayton Speedway all in Ohio, Pleasant Hill Speedway and Salem Speedway both in Indiana. He had started some of the highest paying short track races including The World 100, The Kings Royal, The Dirt Late Model Dream and The Four Crown Nationals.

He was inducted into many Hall of Fames, including National Sprint Car, National Dirt Late Model, USAC, Dayton Auto Racing Fans, Hoosier Auto Racing Fans and was named USAC Race Organizer of the Year in 1984 and 1997. He was named Auto Racing Promoter of the Year in 1993 and fellow iconic promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler recognized him with the Charlotte Motor Speedway Promoter of the Year Award in 2001. The state of Ohio named Route 118 “Earl Baltes Highway” from Ansonia to the south to St. Henry to the north.

Earl’s other passion was music. He had his own orchestra, The Earl Baltes Orchestra. He had owned several nightclubs including, Crystal Ballroom (with Leroy and Ellie), Eldora Ballroom, Bar E Club, and Shady Park in Celina, and had played at Wintergarden Nightclub in Piqua, St. Henry Night Club and St. Anthony. He also played several other weddings and events.

Earl was a veteran of US Army having served in the 21st ORD MM CO during WWII. He was a member of the St. Bernard Catholic Church in Burkettsville. He was a member of Greenville Elk’s, Celina Moose, American Legion, VFW and Eagles.

Sources:  https://www.eldoraspeedway.com/2015/03/24/earl-baltes-obituary-arrangements/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldora_Speedway

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Karl Boyer

Karl Boyer was born January 1, 1917 in Greenville to Arthur and Freida Powell Boyer.  He was stationed at *Wailupe Island Naval Station in 1941 in the telegrapher’s office.  Only a few minutes into his shift on December7, 1941, the telegraph keys clicked that the island of Oahu from Pearl Harbor was under attack.  “We’re being bombed and strafed”. 

Boyer, 24 years old, though perhaps it was a joke.  He replied “Go back to bed, sober up.”  The frantic return message was “This is no drill!  This is for real!”.  He took the message to his chief who was observing the coast toward Pearl Harbor.  They could see planes dropping bombs.  They assumed they were Army planes until they saw the smoke from the trapped ships.  The chief had just realized what was happening when Boyer walked up with the message.  “Get on the line to Washington,” the chief snapped, “don’t bother to code it.”

The message from Boyer to the Washington defense headquarters read, “Air raid on Pearl Harbor.  This is no drill!”  Thus began the entrance of the United States into World War II by declaring war on Japan from the surprise attack. https://www.darkejournal.com/2011/11/wwii-way-it-was-darke-county-ohio-man.

Karl retired from Greenville Ford Tractor Sales in 1978.  He was a member of the Greenville Masonic Blue Lodge, the VFW and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. 

His wife is Mary Ellen (Toman) Boyer of Greenville.  Both are buried in Greenville Cemetery.

Source The Daily Advocate, Monday, June 01, 1992

*Per other research it was stated as “Wailupe Hawaii US Naval Radio Station”. 

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Fred Coppock

the Wayne Lakes project where his firm helped rebuild the lake area.  He told state officials that the sand and gravel industry should be compelled by legislation to rehabilitate and beautify every acre of land it mines.

Other chairs and associations include:  chairman of the board, Federal Land Bank of Kentucky, and a member of the Darke County Historical Society.

He furnished the funds for the Annie Oakley-Lowell Thomas Wing of the Garst Museum and the Girl Scout Little House at the City Park; funds plus a Hill -Burton grant for the new Coppock Memorial Wing at Wayne Hospital; constructed the Seaquarium in Miami, Florida; and donated 85 acres to Greenville and the state for the Anthony Wayne Memorial Park . Funds were donated as well for the City of Greenville for the rebuilding of the square.   Memberships included the Masonic Lodge, Knights Templar, the Shrine, the York Rite and the Scottish Rite.

Lastly, he donated lots 48 and 49 on the exact site of the fort at Fort Jefferson. 

Source Https://mycountylink.com/fort-jefferson-park-past-present-and-future. 

Mr. Coppock was born 1879 and passed at 93 years of age in 1972.

His wife was Maude and daughters were Mrs. Dorothy Hole and Mrs. Jean Brumbaugh.  Burial is in Greenville Cemetery.

Sources:  The Miami Herald May 17, 1972 page 38

The Journal Herald May 17, 1972 page 4

Palladuim item May 18, 1972 page 7

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Joseph Lowery Johnson

Joseph Lowery Johnson (February 14, 1874 – July 18, 1945) was a physician and an early African-American diplomat, serving as the United States Ambassador to Liberia from 1918 to 1922.

Johnson was born on February 14, 1874, in Washington Township in Darke County, Ohio and attended the and resided in what is known as the Greenville Settlement or Longtown, a settlement of mostly mixed-race African Americans that dated to the 1820s. His parents were Walter Johnson and Lucinda Jane McCown. His sister was, later an important civil rights activist, teacher, and author.

He was a student at the non-segregated Union Literary Institute in neighboring Randolph County, Indiana and taught in schools in Darke County. He attended Ohio Northern University and then the Howard University College of Medicine for medical school, graduating with an M.D. in 1902. (He is not related to the Joseph L. Johnson who would later be dean of the Howard University College of Medicine.) He returned to Ohio and then opened his practice, first in Rendville, Ohio, then after 1914 in Columbus. While in Rendville, he served on the community’s board of education.

Johnson was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the position of United States Ambassador to Liberia on August 27, 1918. The presentation of his credentials occurred on October 8, 1919. He remained in this position until February 13, 1922.

He eventually returned to his medical practice in Columbus, where he died July 18, 1945 of a heart attack, still practicing at age 71.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_L._Johnson

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Kathryn Magnolia Johnson

Kathryn Magnolia Johnson was born on December 15, 1878, in Darke County, Ohio, at the Greenville Settlement, also known as Longtown. Johnson’s parents were Walter and Lucinda Jane McCown Johnson; her brother was Joseph Lowery Johnson, a physician who would become U.S. ambassador to Liberia.

Johnson went to high school in, and graduated in 1895. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate after she attended Wilberforce University Wilberforce, Ohio. Johnson also studied at the University of North Dakota in 1908.

However, Johnson began to criticize that the NAACP failed to have any colored people as leaders so Johnson left the association in 1916.  Johnson joined the Young Men’s Christian Association. In the YMCA, Johnson worked amongst African Americans. The YMCA ended up sending Johnson and her coworker, Addie Waites Hunton, to France. In France, they were responsible for examining the treatment of black soldiers during World War I. In 1918, Kathryn M. Johnson, as volunteer and secretary with the YMCA WWI France, established the Frederick Douglas Hut at Camp Pontenezen outside of Brest, France. Kathryn developed an education system for Black soldiers teaching them how to read and write. Many were from farming and never had the opportunity to gather formal education. Many could sign an X to their paystubs. Many couldn’t write home because of their illiteracy. Eventually the Army command mandated that all illiterate Black soldiers had to take Kathryn’s course.  Once they returned home, Johnson and Waites wrote the book Two Colored Women with the American Expeditionary Forces (1920). The book described the poor treatment black soldiers observed in the cultural climate of France during the war.

During her old age, Kathryn Magnolia Johnson lived in Ezella Mathias Carter Home for Colored Working Women in Chicago Johnson died on November 13, 1954.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Magnolia_Johnson

By unknown – Original publication: unknown Immediate

Source: https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Kathryn+M.+Johnson, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59924058

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Zachary Lansdowne

Lansdowne was assigned to duty with the Royal Naval Air Service during and after World War I, to study dirigibles. He was awarded the Navy Cross “for distinguished service…as one of the crew of the British airship R-34, which in July 1919, made the first successful nonstop passage from England to the United States.”

He married Margaret “Betsy” Kennedy Ross (September 30, 1902 – June 9, 1982) on December 7, 1921, in Washington D.C. They had two children. She remarried after Lansdowne’s death.

On February 11, 1924, Lansdowne took command of the rigid lighter-than-air ship, USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), and was killed when she crashed at Ava, Ohio, September 3, 1925. He was buried later that month in section four at Arlington National Cemetery.

The crash of the Shenandoah was the trigger for United States Army Colonel Billy Mitchell to heavily criticize the leadership of both the Army and the Navy, leading directly to his court-martial for insubordination and the end of his military career.

Lansdowne was played by Jack Lord in the 1955 film The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell.

He was also on the cover of Time Magazine.

Lansdowne’s house in Greenville still stands; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Lansdowne

https://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lansdown.htm

By US Navy – The US Navy historical image library (www.history.navy.mil). NH 48388, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22413940

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Matt Light

At the heart of the Foundation’s mission is Chenoweth Trails, a 400-acre facility located in Darke County, just outside of Greenville. The property hosts year-round programming and events, including Camp Vohokase, Youth Wild Turkey Hunts, Timber Frame Leadership Camp, LIGHT Project, and experiences for schools and local organizations. It’s also a testament to Matt’s deep connection to his hometown and his belief in the power of giving back.

Today, Matt continues to inspire not only through his work with the Foundation, but also as a public speaker, mentor, and advocate for youth development, conservation, and community engagement. His roots in Darke County remain strong—and his impact, even stronger.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Light

Photo was approved to use.  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8049225

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Douglas E. Dickey

In June 1966, after completing recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, he was transferred to the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, California, where he underwent individual combat training with the Second Infantry Training Regiment, graduating in August 1966.

The following October, he joined Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam. While attached to this unit, he participated in Operation Prairie. He was promoted to private first class on October 1, 1966.

On November 8, 1966, he was transferred to Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and participated in combat against the Viet Cong, in Operations Deckhouse, Desoto and Beacon Hill. It was during the latter engagement that he was mortally wounded on March 26, 1967.

He is buried in Brock Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio.

Decorations:  A list of his medals and decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart with two Gold Stars, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

PRIVATE FIRST-CLASS DOUGLAS E. DICKEY
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:                     

medical corpsman. Suddenly an enemy grenade landed in the midst of a group of Marines, which included the wounded radio operator who was immobilized. Fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, Private First Class Dickey, in a final valiant act, quickly and unhesitatingly threw himself upon the deadly grenade, absorbing with his own body the full and complete force of the explosion. Private First-Class Dickey’s personal heroism, extraordinary valor and selfless courage saved a number of his comrades from certain injury and possible death at the cost of his own life. His actions reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Source: The Garst Museum, Greenville, Ohio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_E._Dickey

 United States Marine Corps.

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Lohmann Brothers

no public diaries, only a handful of newspaper stories and a few photographs. Historians mainly rely on stories by people who knew them—longtime neighbors and friends. Details written about them are often inconsistent.  

Writer Thomas Williams once said, “So great was their obscurity that a local paper once took three guesses at the spelling of (Lohmann brother) Ed’s name—and still came up wrong: El Lehman, Ed Lehman, Ed Lohman. A later story referred to the family as Lowman.” Several articles written about the family have the name spelled “Lohman” (with one “n” at the end rather than a double “n”). In some published stories, the spelling of the name changes within the article!

The boys did help their father at his business and learned the wagon and buggy building trade. A sign at the Lohmann exhibit in Greenville’s Garst Museum reads: “Working with him (William Lohmann), by the time they were eleven or twelve years old were his four sons: Herschel, Robert, Din and Ed. The three oldest were talented musicians, artists and photographers. Ed, the youngest, was a brilliant amateur astronomer and mathematician.” The only reference found regarding their education has to do with Ed Lohmann graduating from high school. He was known as the only male in the Greenville High School Class of 1893 (there were 17 students in the class). 

   A sign at the Garst Museum Lohmann exhibit reads: “The boys made cameras for themselves for which they ground their own lenses. In 1895, just two years after graduating from Greenville High School…Ed built his first telescope with the help of his brothers.”

   On February 21, 1924, Ed Lohmann filed for a patent for the reflecting telescope (patent 1.578.899). It was granted March 30, 1926. A statement signed by Edward Lohmann reads: “Be it known that I, Edward Lohmann, a citizen of the United States residing at Greenville, Ohio in the County of Darke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Reflecting Telescope….”  Some believe this was the first two-mirror telescope to be invented by an American.  

      The Great Depression of the 1930s brought the work of the Lohmanns to an end. Mrs. Seiler also reported in her memo, “When the Great Depression hit, the colleges and observatories could not afford to buy scopes and the Lohmann business suffered. The number of telescopes made by the brothers is not known. No records were found or perhaps none were kept.”

   A sign at the Garst Museum exhibit reads: “When the telescope and wagon business collapsed during the Depression of the 1930s, Ed continued to eke out a living by fixing small motors and sharpening scissors and lawnmowers. He died in 1960 at age 86.” He was the last of the Lohmann brothers to pass away.

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James “Jim” Buchy

Buchy first served in the Ohio House from 1983 to 2000, where he held positions as assistant majority floor leader, majority whip and assistant majority whip. In 2011, Representative Jim Zehringer was appointed by Ohio Governor John Kasich as the Director of Agriculture. As a result, Buchy was appointed as his successor in the Ohio House of Representatives.  In the 129th General Assembly, he served on the committees of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Economic and Small Business Development; and State Government and Elections.

In 2012, Buchy won another term in the House, defeating Democrat Ronald Hammons with 81.01% of the vote.

Returning to the Ohio House of Representatives for another term, Buchy was elected back to leadership where he held the post, Assistant Majority Whip. He won a third term in 2014. In 2016, Buchy did not seek re-election as was succeeded again by Keith Faber.

Source:  The Garst Museum and the Darke County Historical Society, Greenville, Ohio.

https://www.garstmuseum.org/exhibits#buchy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Buchy

https://www.countynewsonline.org/remembering-buchys

Chas. G. Buchy Packing Company

The iconic rooftop sign, the red brick building, and trucks parked for the next day’s deliveries marked the presence of the Chas. G. Buchy Packing Company at 195 North Broadway in Greenville.

Five generations of Buchys managed the business as it evolved over 134 years from a slaughterhouse to a packing plant to a distribution facility.

In 1870, George Buchy fled the Alsace-Lorraine region of Germany and immigrated to the United States finding his way to Cincinnati and eventually Greenville to work as a butcher for his relative Albert Klee.  In 1878, he ventured out on his own to start the George Buchy Slaughterhouse in the brick building.

George’s son Charles bought the business upon the death of his father in 1901 and changed the name to the Chas. G. Buchy Packing Company. He drove this wagon to surrounding communities to deliver meats with ice cut from a pond to keep the meats cold in warmer months.  In 1918, the first gas compressor was purchased for the plant, and in 1933 the first refrigerated truck replaced the Buchy wagon.

In 1963, upon the death of Charles Buchy, George J. rose to the helm and guided the company through the addition of a freezer, computer system, and more diverse customer base although by 1968 the company had ceased slaughtering operations.

Jim Buchy, George J.’s son, became president and CEO in 1978 of Buchy Food Services after doing every job involved in the business. It was during this time that Jim also served as a 12-term member of the Ohio House of Representatives.  His moniker changed from “Baloney Man” during his high school years to the “Gentleman of the House” while he served in Columbus.

The government regulations of the late 1980s made distributing more profitable than processing meats so the business changed in 1991 to a wholesale distributor of food products.  By 2006, the operations moved to the Greenville Industrial Park. In 2012, the business was sold to Sysco Cincinnati and the vacant North Broadway facility was razed.  The 4-acre property across Wilson Avenue from the Garst Museum has become a parking lot for the museum and a link in the Darke County Park District’s recreational trails known as the Buchy Mile.

Along the Buchy Mile that serves walkers, runners, and cyclists, a statue of Jim Buchy sits in quiet reflection of the rich history of this Darke County business and the name Buchy that will be preserved for future generations

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Rick Macci

Born in Greenville, Ohio, to parents Norma Macci and Santi Macci, Macci attended Greenville Senior High School and graduated in 1973. After two years at Wright State University, Rick was ranked as the top under-18 tennis player in Ohio. Macci went into the Hall of Fame induction honors for his accomplishments in basketball and tennis in his hometown.

In the early 1970s Macci started his career as the tennis pro at Bob Schul’s Sports Complex in Troy, Ohio. In the late 1970s he became the tennis professional at the Sinnet Indoor Tennis Club in Vineland, New Jersey when in 1979 he achieved the #1 Ranked Adult player in New Jersey.

He started the Rick Macci International Tennis Academy in 1985, in Haines City, Florida, at the Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort, where two of his students were Tommy Ho and Jennifer Capriati n the summer of 1992, the Macci Academy moved to Delray Beach.

Over the course of his career, he coached many tennis players such as Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Tommy Ho, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Anastasia Myskina, Mary Pierce, Vince Spadea, Tornado Black, Sofia Kenin, Hurricane Black, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Vicky Duval, Karim Alami, Christian Ruud, Sofia Belinksi, Vlada Hranchar, Darwin Blanch, Alycia Parks and Tristan Boyer.^[

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Macci

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Ira Petersime

Let us take you back to 1922, when it all started for Petersime. Explore the milestones that have made Petersime to what it is today and discover our most impactful technological innovations. 

Ira Petersime is credited with the invention of the electric egg incubator in the early 1920’s.  Ira M. Petersime and Son, later becoming the Petersime Incubator Company, soon built a manufacturing plant in Gettysburg  and began producing electric poultry incubators and other hatchery equipment for which they were granted numerous patents in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The company was a major incubator manufacturer through much of the 20th century with representation in close to 50 countries.

“Petersime’s has been in business 80 years,” she said. “My grandpa, Ira Petersime, started it. It went out of business in 2006 in its third generation of operation.” Per Esther Petersime Clark.

Ira was born in 1873 in Webster, Ohio.  His spouse, Elizabeth Miller, married in 1893.  He and his son invented the first mammoth electric incubator ever built in 1922. It covered more than 2 ½ acres of floor space.  The original incubator could hatch 6,000 average-size eggs at one time without being touched.   Production was soon started by the newly organized Petersime company which has registered a steady growth since then and now has sales outlets throughout the United States and business connections in 49 foreign countries. 

Mr. Petersime was one of the backers of the heifer project, through which thousands of heifers were shipped to needy farm families throughout the world.  His family also sponsored the settling of 1300 refugee families in America through the Displaced Persons Act.

Ira died in 1958 and is buried in Gettysburg Cemetery.  His second wife was Virginia Routzong. 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_M._Petersime

https://www.petersime.com/about-us/company-history

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/2016/06/21/clark-chosen-parade-marshal-of-gettysburg-fest

Dayton Daily News 25 Jan 1958

New York Times 1923 Jan 26, 1958 ProQuest Historical Newspapers:  The New York Times

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Annie Oakley

“Little Miss Sure Shot”

continued to be most difficult so when she was 10 years old Annie was sent to live at the County Infirmary. From there she was farmed out to a family with a newborn baby. While she never revealed their name other than to call them “The Wolves,” it is suspected that she endured two years of mental and physical mistreatment. She finally escaped and returned to her family. With her shooting skills, she helped raise money to supplement the family’s finances. Her reputation for being an excellent marksman became well known. In 1875, she was entered into a competition in Cincinnati against a traveling champion marksman, Frank Butler.

The Wild West show traveled extensively in major cities of the eastern United States. In 1887 and again in 1889, Buffalo Bill took his entire show to England and then to Europe. Annie performed before all types of royalty and heads of state. She was well received and honored with medals and acclamations acknowledging her status as the first American female superstar. The Wild West show also performed at New York City’s Madison Square Garden as well as the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

The Wild West show came to Greenville only one time. In July 1900, Annie had the opportunity to professionally perform for her mother, family members, and friends. She was presented with a loving cup, which was inscribed “To Miss Annie Oakley, from her old home town friends, Greenville, Ohio July 25, 1900.” She was so pleased with the gift that it became the center item on her future show posters.

Tragedy struck Annie in 1901 when she was seriously injured in a head-on train collision that caused her to leave the Wild West show. Annie was 41 at the time, and within 24 hours of the train wreck, her hair turned snow white.

through the courts until 1910. Annie won 54 of the 55 cases and the largest award was $27,500 assessed against the Hearst Corporation. Damages won barely offset Annie’s legal fees, but her good name and reputation had been restored. Frank declared,” I am able to earn our living and we will spend whatever we have to, for justice.” So, during this time period, Frank worked as a sales representative for United Metallic Cartridge Company and would travel to shooting matches both to promote UMC and participate in the competition.

A couple years later in 1903, another unfortunate situation came to the public’s attention when a lady was arrested for some seedy activities, and she told the police her name was Annie Oakley. Very quickly, before checking the facts, William Randolph Hearst and 55 newspapers that he controlled spread the untrue story across the nation and Annie’s good name was greatly libeled. Defamation lawsuits were filed against all 55 newspapers and continued through the courts until 1910. Annie won 54 of the 55 cases and the largest award was $27,500 assessed against the Hearst Corporation. Damages won barely offset Annie’s legal fees, but her good name and reputation had been restored. Frank declared,” I am able to earn our living and we will spend whatever we have to, for justice.” So, during this time period, Frank worked as a sales representative for United Metallic Cartridge Company and would travel to shooting matches both to promote UMC and participate in the competition.