Oliver Boston Selfridge
Oliver Boston Selfridge, manager of the Times-Democrat, was born in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio, and is the second son of O. B. and E. E. Selfridge. With his parents and the other members of their family, he came to Lima in the autumn of 1865, and this city has since been his home. He received his education in the Lima Union Schools, and, after completing the course, in order to equip himself for his future work in the newspaper field and to become perfectly familiar with all the details pertaining to the publishers' profession, he entered a local printing office and learned the printer's trade in all of its branches. In 1879, in partnership with E. B. Halladay, he began the publication of a Democratic weekly newspaper called the Democratic Times, and five years later during Grover Cleveland's first campaign launched a daily edition of the same newspaper. Five years later this newspaper was consolidated with the Allen County Democrat and the present name Times-Democrat was adopted.
In 1887 Mr. Selfridge was married to Anna E. Brice, the eldest sister of the late Senator Calvin S. Bruce. Their children consist of two boys, Oliver Brice Selfridge and Calvin F. Selfridge, aged respectively 16 and 14 years. They are intelligent and courteous young men, with every indication of a great and useful future.
The subject of this sketch, in addition to his newspaper work, is identified with a number of Lima's leading business enterprises. He is the controlling sprit in The O.B. Selfridge Company, a corporation doing an extensive manufacturing business. He is a stockholder in The First National Bank, The Metropolitan Bank, The Lima Trust Company and other enterprises.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. He is a consistent member of the Market Street Presbyterian Church. Mr. Selfridge has long been recognized as a trenchant writer. His pen has a power not often found in the hands of the country's able editors. His standing as a citizen is of the highest rank and his influence is always found on the side of the common people, stoutly maintaining the integrity of manhood at all times. His guiding hand is constantly seen in the growing city of Lima, and his usefulness extends to all classes and conditions of life.
From History of Allen County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Edited by Charles C. Miller. Richmond & Arnold, Publishers, Chicago, 1906