Ira R. Longworth
Ira R. Longworth, a prominent attorney at Lima, and a manufacturer and oil producer, has been a resident of this city since 1878. He was born at Van Wert, Ohio, October 2, 1859, and is a son of Dr. William N. Longsworth.
Dr. Longsworth was a native of Maryland, born in 1818, and came West in 1850. He studied medicine with Dr. Leander Firestone, of Wooster, and obtained his professional degree from the Fort Wayne Medical College. He died in 1903, one of the old and honored members of his profession. He was also engaged in a manufacturing business, and was quite prominent in politics.
Ira R. Longsworth was educated at Van Wert, and in 1876 was graduated form its High School. He was prepared by a tutor for the junior year at Wooster College, but in 1878 located at Lima and, finding a business opening as manager of his father's manufacturing plant, forever terminated his collegiate career. He continued to manage his father's establishment, which was engaged in the manufacture of handles for farming implements, until 1882, and then purchased it and conduced the business at Lima until 1888, when he removed it to Anderson, Indiana. In 1898 he removed the plant to Sumerset, Kentucky, and still continues its operation.
Although Mr. Longsworth deemed it expedient at the time to give up his collegiate course, it did not prevent his studying for the law, and he was admitted to the bar in 1889, and opened an office at Lima. In his first partnership the business name was Longsworth & Dotson, which was existent for one and a half years, and his last association was with Mr. Kephart, the firm of Longsworth & Kephart continuing for one year. With these exceptions Mr. Longsworth has practiced alone, and is favorably known in his profession throughout this section of the State.
Mr. Longsworth is also interested in the operating of oil wells, and is a producer in the Trenton rock fields of Ohio and Indiana. He is secretary of several successful companies.
Mr. Longsworth is a Republican in politics and in 1890 was elected mayor of Lima, serving the city for two years.
In 1883 Mr. Longsworth was married to Esther Metheany, of Lima, who is a daughter of Charles A. Metheany, a business citizen of this place. They have three children, viz: Mary Esther, Walter I. and Helen Olivia. The family belong to the Baptist Church, Mr. Longsworth being one of the deacons in that body. The family is also prominent in the city's social life.