Robert D. Adair
Robert D. Adair, proprietor of a furniture store at Xenia, a member of the boards of directors of the Citizens National Bank and of the Home Savings and Loan Association, and formerly and for years a member of the school board of the city, is a native of the old Keystone state, but has been a resident of Xenia since 1886. He was born in Allegheny, the northern suburb of the city of Pittsburgh, in 1857, son of John and Ann (Duncan) Adair, both of whom were born and reared in the north of Ireland, of Scottish descent, and who were married in this country, having come here in the days of their youth, later locating in Allegheny, where the subject of this sketch was reared and in the schools of which place he received his schooling.
Upon completing his schooling Robert D. Adair became engaged as a traveling salesman, handling glassware and lamp goods, and during his commercial travels took a particular fancy to Xenia and to Greene county in general; so much so, in fact, that in 1883 he married a Greene county young woman. In 1886 Mr. Adair bought out the furniture store of Wilson & Lindsay at Xenia and in association with his wife's brother engaged in business in that city, the firm doing business under the name of Nichols & Adair. Mr. Nichols died within a year and Mr. Adair then bought the interest held by his deceased partner in the firm and has ever since continued the business. In 1910 he bought the building in which his store is located, at 22 North Detroit street, and remodeled the same. In addition to his commercial interests, Mr. Adair is a member of the board of directors of the Citizens National Bank of Xenia, a member of the board of directors of the Home Savings and Loan Association, and a member of the board of directors of the Shawnee Refrigerator Company, all of Xenia. He also was for eighteen years (1892-1910) a member of the city school board, during that period having served as secretary and as president of the board for certain terms.
It was in October, 1883, that Robert D. Adair was united in marriage to Clarissa Celia Nichols, who was born in this county, daughter of Erastus and Mary Nichols, both now deceased, and the former of whom was for years engaged in the insurance business in Xenia, and to this union have been born three sons, Charles Wallace, James Duncan and Robert Nichols, the two fonner of whom are engaged in business with their father in Xenia and the last-named of whom, Robert Nichols Adair, is now a soldier of the National Army, having enlisted in July, 1917, and is a present corporal in the Sixty-second Artillery Brigade, which was trained in the camp at Montgomery, Alabama, for service abroad. Previous to his enlistment Corporal Adair had been working in the Saxon automobile factory. The Adairs reside on North Galloway street. They are members of the First Presbyterian church and Mr. Adair is an elder in the same. Mr. Adair also is a Mason, affiliated with the lodge of that order at Xenia.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918