Vincent F. Dillon
One of the leading educators in the Hanging Rock Iron Region is the present county school superintendent of Lawrence County, Vincent F. Dillon, who has been an enthusiastic student of school methods and management, is a practical educator, and has done much to elevate the standards of the public schools throughout the county over which he has jurisdiction. Mr. Dillon is closely identified with the county, not only as his birthplace, but also as a successful farmer and at one time a merchant, and has brought to his work as superintendent of schools the broad vision and executive capacity of thesuccessful business man.
Vincent F. Dillon was horn at Scottown, Windsor Township, Lawrence County. August 26. 1866. His parents were William and Rachel (Reed) Dillon. The father was torn in Morgan County. Ohio, in 1838, was brought to Lawrence County in 1846, lived the life of a highly respected farmer until his death in 1909. The mother was born in Monroe County. Ohio, in 1835 and died in 1884. They were the parents of flve children: Effie C, who married B. F. Snyder, a farmer in Mason Township, and has four children—Festus. Belva, Verda and William; Vincent F. ; William A., who married Ellen Lunsford and is a book keeper living in Union Township, has eight children— Myrtle (deceased), Hillis, Cesco, Lema, Jennie, John, Bessie and Jessie, twins; Elizabeth L., who married Thomas Dalton. a farmer in West Virginia, and is the mother of nine children; Jennie B., who married John Fulks, a farmer of Windsor Township, and their five children are Hazel, Fleta, Dillon, William and Jewel.
Vincent F. Dillon was married September 4, 1895, to Mettie Dillon, daughter of William Dillon, a Windsor Township farmer. Their nine children are Mary A., John W., Berkeley F., Leland S., Howard K., Rachel E., Nettie M.. Venus F.. and Nellie G. Mary A. and John W. finished the Coal Grove High School course in 1912, and John graduated from the Ironton High School in 1914, and several of the other children are still in school.
Mr. Dillon while growing up on a farm managed to acquire a liberal education, attending the Beech Grove school in Windsor Township until he was twenty years of age, and subsequently, during the intervals of his teaching, was for four terms a student in the National Normal Universify at Lebanon, and has studied both in university and at home along lines that would give him special training and proficiency in his educational work. His career for twenty-five years has been that of teacher and farmer. He owned 160 acres in Lawrence County, but in 1913 traded for a general store at South Point, and conducted that until June, 1914. At that time he was appointed county superintendent of schools for Lawrence County, and has turned over the management of his store to other parties. Mr. Dillon still lives in South Point, though his office is in Ironton, and besides his residence at South Point owns eighteen acres of improved farm land.
He served as school examiner from 1911 to 1914 previous to his induction into his present duties as superintendent. Mr. Dillon is a member of the Masonic Order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is a trustee in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics is a democrat.
From "A Standing History of the Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio" by Eugene B. Willard, Daniel W. Williams, George O. Newman and Charles B. Taylor. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, 1916