Joel G. Hersh
Joel G. Hersh, one of Lima's leading professional men, with law offices situated at No. 56½ Public Square, has been a resident of this county for some 16 years. He is a native of Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, and a son of the late Newton and Lydia (Chew) Hersh, his early life being spent on a farm.
Newton Hersh was born in 1834, in Richland County, Ohio, dying there in 1901, on the old homestead which had been entered by his father, Joel Hersh. the latter, with his wife, Catherine (Berny) Hersh, was born at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the couple settling in Richland county at an early day. Politically Joel Hersh was a strong Whig, and through life was a friend and coadjutor of John Sherman. He became one of the most prominent farmers in Richland County. He married Lydia Chew, a daughter of Samuel Chew, a substantial farmer of the county, who was killed in 1887 by burglars.
In 1889 Joel G. Hersh came to this county as a teacher, and subsequently entered the Ohio Normal University at Ada, from which he was graduated in the classical course, in 1894. Prior to this, however, he had been a teacher in Kansas for four years. After graduating from the university, he continued to teach in Allen County for nine years, a portion of the time at Gomer and West Cairo. Then he turned his attention to the legal profession, and in 1898 was graduated from the law department of the university at Ada. In the fall of the same year he passed the necessary bar examination and immediately opened an office in the Metropolitan Block at Lima, being associated with Mr. Kilgore under the firm name of Kilgore & Hersh. This partnership existed until 1901, since which time Mr. Hersh has practiced alone. His practice covers all the courts of the State, and his ability is very generally recognized. He is a member of the Allen County Bar Association.
Mr. Hersh was married In November, 1901, to Ora States, who is the eldest daughter of Aaron States, one of the most prominent citizens of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Hersh have two children, viz: Newton States and Mary Catherine. While a resident of Ada, Mr. Hersh united with the Presbyterian Church there. Mrs Hersh is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Monroe township.
Mr. Hersh is identified with the Republican party, and in 1900, during McKinley's second presidential campaign, was chairman of the Republican executive committee of Allen County, since which time he has given his entire attention to the practice of his profession.