Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of the presidents of the United States and biographies of the governors of Ohio. (A.W. Bowen, 1897)
811-812.
JAMES C. TURNER, a well-known accountant and bookkeeper, of Dayton, Ohio, is a native of this city and was born April 15, 1841, a son of William and Mary (Stockel) Turner, both natives of Kidderminster, England. William Turner, the father, was born in 1801, came to America in 1834, locating in Dayton in 1836, and was the first superintendent of the first ingrain carpet factory erected west of the Allegheny mountains. About 1846 he went into the business on his own account and conducted it until his death, which occurred in 1861, in Dayton, in which city his wife also died. These parents had born to them a family of eight children, five of whom are still living, viz: Hannah, now Mrs. Montgomery, of Rochester, N. Y. ; Jane, wife of Andrew Chamberlain, of Dayton, Ohio; James C.; Richard, employed in the carriage manufacturing business in Dayton, and Frances, wife of Isaac Moore, of the same city; the deceased children were named John H. (the eldest), William and Samuel, all of whom died in Dayton. James C. Turner passed his youthful days in attending school and working in his father's factory. When President Lincoln issued his first call for volunteers for the Civil war, April 15, 1861, Mr. Turner enlisted, but the quota for three-months men had already been filled; in 1862, however, he succeeded in enlisting in company I, Eighty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, was mustered in at Camp Chase, and soon afterward promoted to be orderly sergeant of his company. The regiment was assigned to Gen. Wool's division, was first stationed at Cumberland, Md., on guard duty, and five months later was ordered to New Creek, Va., and thence to Camp Delaware, Ohio, where, four months later, it was mustered out. Sergeant Turner received a commission as first lieutenant, with authority to reorganize the company, but, through political chicanery, was superseded, and, as a consequence, he resigned and quit the service. On his return to Dayton he was employed by the United States Express company, which he served in various capacities until 1891, with the exception of two years — 1882-84 — which were spent as teller of the City National bank, of Dayton. Lieut. Turner was united in marriage, August 18, 1864, with Miss Aldah H. Snevely, daughter of Capt. Christ and Sarah A. Snevely, early settlers of Dayton — the Snevely family having been represented in the war of 1812. To this happy marriage have been born four children: Catherine, who is unmarried and is stenographer for the American Strawboard company, at Chicago, 111. ; Idelette, a young lady of recognized musical and literary ability, and a teacher in the Dayton public schools; Joseph Brown, employed as clerk in Dayton, and Robert H., attending school in the city. In his fraternal relations Mr. Turner stands very high in the Masonic order, having attained the thirty-second degree, which is next to the highest under the Scottish rite; he is also active in the Knight Templar degree — the uniform rank of the same brotherhood. Lieut. Turner is likewise a member of Old Guard post, Grand Army of the Republic. Religiously, the relations of Mr. Turner and his family are with the Episcopalians, while in politics Mr. Turner is quite independent, although his proclivities are strongly democratic. The health of Mr. Turner is indifferent, and when employed his labors must necessarily be of a light character. For the past six months he has acted as accountant for the plumbing establishment of W. T. Stewart, and, being an expert, is never unemployed in his calling when his health permits him to labor. His father's family and that of Mrs. Turner's having been among the earlier residents of Dayton, he is prominent in social circles, and has, beside, won many warm personal friends through his own intrinsic merits.
