WILLIAM HUFFMAN, [pages 598-599] late of the firm of Huffman & Co., of Dayton and Piqua, limestone dealers, was born in Mad River township, Montgomery county, Ohio, September 5, 1838, a son of William P. and Anna M. (Tate) Huffman, natives of the same county. William P. Huffman and his wife were the parents of ten children, as follows: William; Martha Bell, wife of E. J. Barney, president of the Barney & Smith Manufacturing company, of Dayton; Lydia, wife of J. R. Hedges; Charles, deceased; Lizzie, widow of Charles E. Drury; Samuel, who died in childhood; Torrence; Frank T.; George P., and Anna M., the latter of whom lives with her mother.
William P. Huffman was a banker and real-estate dealer. He assisted to organize the Second National bank, and afterward the Third National bank, being president of each in succession, until he retired, in 1886. He was a trustee of Dennison university from 1867 until his death, which occurred July 2, 1888, when he was seventy-five years of age. Politically Mr. Huffman was a war democrat, and was, as his widow is, a member of the Baptist church.
William Huffman, the father of William P. Huffman, was born in New Jersey, May 24, 1769. His ancestry were of German descent, but came to this country from Holland, somewhere between the years of 1730 and 1740. He was married June 14, 1801, to Miss Lydia Knott, a native of New Jersey. Mr. Huffman came to Ohio in 1812, and was long engaged in business in Dayton. He built the first stone house in the place, either on the present site of the Third National bank or on that of the Beckel house. He was a volunteer in the war of 1812, and marched to Fort Piqua for active duty, but, the services of the company of which he was a member were not required. He had one son, William P., and four daughters. He died January 23, 1866, in his ninety-seventh year.
Samuel Tate, the maternal grandfather of the second William Huffman, came to Ohio from Pennsylvania in 1818, settled near Dayton, and lived there until his death at eighty-three years of age. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, his ancestry coming from the north of Ireland. He was a distiller and a miller, and retired from business in the 'fifties.
William Huffman, the subject of this sketch, lived on the farm in Greene county until he was ten years old. Then coming to Dayton he attended the common schools for a time. Going back to the farm he operated the same, also .a sawmill for some years, and then returning to Dayton he engaged in quarrying and selling limestone, and was thus engaged until June 6, 1896, when his death occurred.
Mr. Huffman was married January30, 1862, to Miss Emily Huston, daughter of Israel and Elizabeth (Harshman) Huston. To this marriage were born fourteen children, nine of whom are living, as follows: Harriet, Emily, Daniel A., Elizabeth, Susan, W. P., McCurdy K., Eugene B., and Otto V. Harriet married R. M. Wickersham, of Cincinnati, and has one child. Emily married Whitney H. Brown, now of Webb City, Jasper county, Mo., and has one child. Elizabeth married L. P. Hazen, of Cincinnati, and has one child. Susan married Frederick T. Darst, of Dayton.
Mrs. William Huffman died April 25, 1885. She and her husband were members of Linden avenue Baptist church. Fraternally, Mr. Huff-man was a Mason, a Knight of Pythias, an Odd Fellow, and a Knight of Honor. He was in Masonry a Scottish-rite Mason, a Knight Templar and a Shriner. Politically he was a democrat, and as such served two terms as a member of the city council, and as president of that body for one term. He was a member of the Dayton board of education for three years, and also served on the school board in the country district in which he lived for a number of years. He was police commissioner in Dayton four years, and for three years a trustee of the water works, and during his incumbency of the latter office was largely instrumental in placing this department of the city's business upon a paying basis. Under the new law creating a board of city commissioners, he was one of the first members of that body, and was actively concerned in securing sewerage and street paving. These improvements are among the most important in any city, and Dayton's rapid and extensive adoption of them is in great measure due to William Huffman's energy, public spirit and determination, Mr. Huffman held various offices connected with business concerns. At the time of his death he was manager of the Cooper Hydraulic company, and of the National Improvement company. He was a director in the City National bank, and in the Davis Sewing Machine company, and was president of the Miami Building & Loan association.
Mr. Huffman established his limestone business in 1873, and in busy seasons gave employment to about 150 men, getting out builders and contractors' stone. He was not only successful in his business, but exerted a great influence in the political and public affairs of the city. He never lost interest in his early occupation as a farmer, and throughout his life owned and cultivated large tracts of land. Mr. Huffman was of a pleasant and genial disposition, and drew about him a large circle of loyal friends. He lived his entire life in Montgomery and Greene counties, most of the time in Dayton, and aided largely in the development of both county and city.
