M. Hart Darby

M. Hart Darby became a resident of Deshler, Ohio in 1882. It was a very small village when he arrived.

For a long time he was engaged in the wine and liquor trade. He operated the Ross House, a well known hotel of northwest Ohio, for eight years. He was appointed postmaster of Deshler on July 1, 1914.

For twenty-five years he was fire chief of the volunteer fire department. He served the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Fire Chiefs Association as treasurer.

The Darby family was an old and prominent family in southern Ohio. Mr. Darby was born near Allanville, Vinton County, Ohio on January 30, 1860.

His lineage went back to William Darby, born in England in 1760 and came to America 1773. He served as a Revolutionary soldier in Captain Carberry's company and Col. Patton Hubley's Regiment. About 1809, William Darby, took up residence in Vinton County, Ohio. He died April 30, 1836 and was buried at Richmondale Cemetery there.

His son Samuel Darby, grandfather of M. Hart Darby, was born in Pennsylvania in 1782. As a young man he went to North Carolina and married Charity Redyard there. He soon returned to Vinton County. He died January 23, 1856, and his widow on August 5, 1875. Samuel was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a preacher of the Church of Christ for many years. He had six sons and five daughters.

His son Stephen Darby, father of M. Hart Darby, was born Nov. 1, 1818, and died December 20, 1893. He married Margaret Graves. They had the following children:

Dr. Franklin H. Darby, Columbus, Ohio; Louisa married John Clay; Samuel G. Darby, Columbus; Bathsheba D. who married twice, her second husband was M.P. Robinette; Charity J. married Jowh W. Turner; James W. Darby, Vinton County; Mathew Hart Darby; and Sanford S. Darby, Vinton County.

Mathew Hart was the seventh child of the family. He married Molly R. Buck at Deshler, Ohio.

Molly was born at Custer in Wood County, Ohio to Levi and Nancy Campbell Buck, on October 9, 1865 and died June 27, 1915. Her parents moved to Hamler about 1873, and were early settlers of that village. The town had just been laid out when they moved to it. Her father was a woodsman and both her parents are buried at Deshler where they died.

Mathew and Molly had six children:

Goldie married Mat Otto, Carey, Ohio; Iva married William F. Dietler, Lima, Ohio; Earl E., Deshler; Electa; Howard and Ruth. Ruth died as an infant.