C. H. Cory
C. H. Cory, president of the Superior Brick Company, has been a resident of Lima for almost a quarter of a century. He was born in Morris County, New Jersey, December 26, 1839, and is a son of James Cory, formerly well known in railroad circles.
Until 16 years old, our subject lived on the home farm in Morris County. The family then moved to Paterson and the youth entered upon an apprenticeship in the Cook Locomotive Works, which covered four years, nine months and 17 days. As a machinist he then became connected with the old Camden & Amboy Railroad, now the Pennsylvania, but one year later came West in search of fortune, and entered the Illinois Central Railroad shops at Centralia, Illinois. He worked for three months as a machinist and then was foreman there for four and a half years. For six and a half years more he held the same position in the shops at Cairo, still later being advanced to the position of division master mechanic for the Illinois Central Railroad at Champaign, Illinois. Mr. Cory continued to advance, being rapidly promoted from one important position to another. He became general master mechanic at Carmi, for the Cairo & Vincennes Railroad, serving two years, and going from there to Marshalltown, Iowa, as master mechanic for the Iowa, as master mechanic for the Iowa Central for two years; thence to Portsmouth, Ohio, as master mechanic for the Scioto Valley Railroad; thence, two years later, to Fostoria, as superintendent of construction for the "Nickel Plate"; 18 months later he went to Saratoga, New York, as superintendent of the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western, for four years; and then came to Lima as superintendent of the motor power of the C. H. & D. Railway. After serving in this capacity for 19 years, he gave up railroad work.
Since February, 1905, Mr. Cory has given his attention to his many personal business interests, many of these being of a very important nature. He is president of the Superior Brick Company, is a director in the National Roofing Home Savings Association, is a director of the Metropolitan Bank and is one of the trustees of the Lima Hospital.
Mr. Cory was married in the spring of 1870 to Mary L. Young, who is a daughter of Rufus Young, formerly a prominent railroad man. They have five children, viz: Charles H., an electrician at Dayton; Louis H., with the Pacific Coast Pipe Line Company, at Mendota, California; Frederick R., a machinist at Lima; Carrie M., wife of M. C. Purtscher, bookkeeper in the Metropolitan Bank; and James, a chemist, in charge of the acid department of one of the large refineries here.
For years Mr. Cory has been one of the trustees of the Market Street Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Cairo, Illinois. He is identified with the Republican party; but his many private interests have precluded great activity in public affairs. Like man other successful men, Mr. Cory has risen step by step, by persevering industry, close attention to he duty in hand, and by the exercise of those kindly instincts which have brought him many friends.