William Thomas Steers
Although a resident of Fayette county but a few years, yet so pronounced is the personality of William T. Steers that he has already impressed his individuality upon the community in which he lives. A man with a thorough business training along banking lines, he has taken charge of the Farmers Bank of Good Hope and made it one of the most successful of the smaller banks of the county. He thoroughly understands every phase of the banking business and having had a wide experience as a business man previous to taking charge of this bank, he was well qualified to pilot this new financial institution. Although organized in 1910. the Farmers Bank of Good Hope has already made a reputation as a sound, safe and conservative bank, and well merits the patronage which it receives from this section of the county.
William Thomas Steers, the son of William H. and Elizabeth (Conrad) Steers, was born in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, November 12, 1873. His father was born in Covington, Kentucky, and was the son of William Steers, a native of Germany. The grandfather and his wife. Elizabeth, were the parents of three children: William, the father of the immediate subject of this review; Henry and James. William H. Steers was a small boy when his parents moved from Covington to Dry Ridge. Kentucky, and in the latter place was reared to manhood and lived the remainder of his days. He was a prosperous farmer and a large land owner, and at the time of his death, in 1893, was one of the most substantial men of his community. He was accidentally killed by lightning in 1893. Nine children were born to William H. Steers and wife, Jennie, Catherine, Fannie, Margaret, John S., Mrs. Ollie Vance, William T., Nellie and Rowena. All of these children are still living except Fannie.
William T. Steers attended the district schools of his home neighborhood in his native state, and then spent one year at the Normal School in Lebanon, Ohio, He then entered Valparaiso University at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he spent three and one-half years, taking the business course. After graduating at Valparaiso he became an instructor in penmanship, bookkeeping and shorthand in the normal school at Crookston, Minnesota. The next thirteen and one-half years were spent in Chicago, seven and one-half years of which were spent as bookkeeper and cashier for W. H. Carringduff & Company, and the remainder of the time as bookkeeper and cashier of the T. H. Flood Company. In 1910 he came to Good Hope, this county, and helped to organize the Farmers Bank in that place. The bank was organized with the following officials: President, E. D. King; vice-president, Isaac Cory; second vice-president, S. B. Hoppe; secretary, treasurer and cashier, William T. Steers; second cashier, Tillie B. Steers. The directors of the bank are as follows: Dr. S. E. Boggs, H. C. Smalley, R. J. Holdren and H. D. Johnson. The bank has a paid-up capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, with deposits of more than forty-five thousand dollars, which are increasing all the time.
Mr. Steers was married January 10, 1899, to Tillie B. Bracht, the daughter of Alfred and Minnie (Holton) Bracht. Mrs. Steers' father was born in Kentucky and is now living the life of a retired farmer in his native state. Mr. and Mrs. Bracht reared a family of eight children, James, Mary, Tillie, Genia, Alfred, Charles, Holton and Mayme. The mother of these children is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Steers are the parents of one daughter, Eugenia Lucille.
Mr. Steers is a Democrat in politics, but owing to the fact that he has been here but a short time and is so immersed in business, has not taken an active part in political matters. However, he takes an intelligent interest in all the political issues of the day, and being a man of wide reading and broad culture, he is thoroughly in sympathy with good government and gives his hearty support to all measures which have for their end the betterment and the welfare of the community in wdiich he has chosen to reside. He and his wife take a prominent part in the life of the community and because of their whole-souled hospitality and their geniality of manner, have built up a large circle of friends and acquaintances since becoming residents of this county.
From History of Fayette County Ohio - Her People, Industries and Institutions by Frank M. Allen (1914, R. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.)