Person:George Catrow (1)

Lifelong Democrat. This information is from an undated article in the Dayton Journal, "Diary of A 19th Century Country School Teacher", written by George Crout and Wilfred D. Vorhis in the front part of the microfilm.

Three of his great granddaughters were: Mary Brelsford, Jessie Wagner, and Gladys Thompson.

Some other descendants were: Boyd Thompson, Frank Thompson, and Anna Louise Thompson Fletcher. The exact relationship is not stated. These three are listed as the owners of the original copies of the diaries as of 1997 when the diaries were microfilmed by Wright State University.

Name: George C Catrow
Age: 36
Birth Year: abt 1814
Birthplace: O
Home in 1850: Madison, Butler, Ohio
Gender: Male
Family Number: 249
Household Members: Name Age
George C Catrow 36
Mary A Catrow 29
Libas P Catrow 12
William W Catrow 8
Jason N Catrow 5
Sarah D Catrow 3
Alex C Shadler 18
Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Madison, Butler, Ohio; Roll: M432_663; Page: 347A; Image: 464.

Full text available at http://www.daytonhistorybooks.com.

NEWTON J. CATROW. [pages 952-953] The progenitor of the Catrow family in America was Charles Catrow. He was a native of Holland, .but of French descent, and in early manhood came to this country. Settling in Frederick county, Md., he there reared a family of eleven children, as follows : Charles, George, Jacob, Joseph, Michael, Peter, Sallie, Elizabeth, Mary, Hannan and Ann. He lived in that county until his death in 1793.

Peter Catrow, the sixth child, was born March 1, 1781, and December 25, 1803, settled in Franklin, Warren county, Ohio. Marrying in 1805, he, the same year, settled in Madison township, Butler county, where he purchased 160 acres of land in what was then an unbroken wilderness. This land he cleared and improved and lived upon it until within a few years of his death, which occurred at Sunbury, Ohio, July 4, 1852. His family consisted of five children, as follows: Zephaniah, George C., Middleton, Catherine and Nancy. All of the brothers and sisters of Peter Catrow were pioneers of Butler and Montgomery counties, Ohio, and all lived to a ripe old age in the two counties mentioned.

George C. Catrow, second son of Peter and Christiania (Loy) Catrow, and their only surviving child, was born on the old homestead in Butler county, Ohio, October 10, 1814, and there he was reared to manhood and resided until 1856, in the meantime teaching school for many years. In the last-named year he removed to Dayton, where he was employed as clerk in the offices of the county clerk and county recorder for several years. In 1886 he removed to Miamisburg, where he has since resided. He married Mary A. Crider, daughter of Philip Crider, of German township, Montgomery county, and their children were born in the following order: Silas P., deceased; William R.; Newton J.; and Sarah, wife of John Selby.

Newton Jason Catrow, third child of George C. and Mary A. (Crider) Catrow, was born on the old Catrow homestead in Butler county, April 24, 1845. He attained to manhood in his native county, and was educated in the common schools, and afterward in Greer's Commercial college, from which he was graduated in 1866. Locating in Miamisburg in 1858, he was there employed as clerk in the dry-goods store of William Huff & Son for seven years. In 1866 he entered the bank of H. Groby & Co., and filled the position of clerk in that institution until 1882, when he purchased a one-third interest in the bank. In 1886, with H. Groby, he purchased another third interest, and the bank was continued under the same name until 1888, when the First National bank of Miamisburg was organized, the bank of H. Groby & Co. merged into it, and Mr. Catrow elected cashier of the new bank. This position he held until the death of Mr. Groby, April 19, 1891, when he was elected president of the bank, which position he still occupies.

In addition to his banking interests, Mr. Catrow has an interest in the lumber and coal firm of Grove & Catrow, is president of the Miamisburg Twine & Cordage company, treasurer of the Miamisburg Paper company, and is connected with the Bookwalter Wheel company, beside being concerned in various other enterprises.

In 1865 Mr. Catrow was married to Melissa Groby, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Beck) Groby, of Miamisburg. He has two sons, viz: Herbert Groby, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Military college, and a member of the firm of Bartlett & Catrow, of Philadelphia, agents for European steamships and directors of foreign tours; and Henry, a student of the Pennsylvania Military college. Mr. Catrow is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, a Knight Templar, and a thirty-second degree Mason. Politically, he is a republican, and in religious affiliation he is a member of the Lutheran church.