Rev. Samuel Kinsey
Rev. Samuel Kinsey, Minister and Nurseryman, Kinsey Station. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch, is a son of Joel and Elizabeth Kinsey. His father was a native of Virginia, and came to this State, when quite young, with his parents, who located in Montgomery County. He received such education as was at that early day available, and, after working the farm with his father until he became of age, he united himself in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Brumbaugh, by whom he had three children, viz., Samuel, our subject, Noah and Lydia. He then moved to Williams County, Ohio, where he remained but a short time, when he again moved to Miami County. Here he was taken sick, and after a short illness, entered that last long sleep which knows no waking in this life forever. His grief-stricken widow disposed of the property, and, with the children, returned to the home of her childhood. Her son, Samuel, the subject hereof, who was born May 26, 1832, went to live with his uncle, Levi Kinsey. When sixteen years old, his uncle moved to Indiana, and he commenced learning the carpenter trade with Emanuel Flory, continuing this one year, at which time he was able with some financial assistance from his friends, to go to Indiana, and there ply his trade in his own behalf. Success here crowned his efforts, and he was soon enabled to pay back the money advanced by his friends, and shortly afterward to buy three acres of land. On this he erected a building, and, in partnership with one Jacob Spitler, purchased a full stock of dry goods, groceries, etc., with which he opened a general store. Shortly afterward, he had a post office established in the town of his adoption, Bloomfield, but not being sufficiently remunerated by the profits of his store, he continued at his trade, cabinet-making, contracting and building. In April 23, 1852, he came to Ohio, and was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Nead, who was born in 1832, and daughter of Rev. Peter Nead. By this union he was blessed with the following children, to wit: Almira, born April 7, 1853; Mary, born August 2, 1854; Cynthia, born September 9, 1856; Clarinda, born January 19, 1858; William N., born July 17, 1859; Lydia, born December 23, 1860; Sarah, born October 24, 1862; Ellen, born November 3, 1863; Charles P., born February 28, 1870; Jessie E., born June 14, 1873; Allen V., born February 26, 1875, and two others, who are dead. In the year 1870, he, with the assistance of his father-in-law, established a monthly paper called the Vindicator, which is published in the interest of the Old German Baptist faith. After his marriage, he, with his wife, returned to Indiana, but in two years, or in 1854, he disposed of his property and purchased forty acres of improved land, in Whitley County, in the same State, which he rented to tenants, while he plied his trade. He remained here one year, and then, at the request of his wife's father, he returned to Ohio and took charge of Mr. Nead's farm, which he farmed on shares, receiving one-third of the proceeds for his labor. Having abandoned the idea of returning to Indiana, he sold his farm in that State and bought fifty acres adjoining his fatherinlaw's of a Mr. Basores. To this he added more from time to time, until 1879, when he found that economy, industry and frugality, had gained for him a farm of 200 acres. Being interested in horticulture, he commenced the propagation of fine fruit trees, vines and plants, on a small scale, doing his own grafting, budding and trimming. His trees began to have a reputation for quality throughout the neighborhood, then the State, and now he is shipping them to all parts of the Union, selling large quantities annually. He has met with some competition in his new business, but has always held his own, and to-day he knows no such thing as opposition. In 1866, having sixty acres of fruit trees demanding his attention, he took in Mr. Gaines as a partner, but this combination was discontinued, and his son William, with Mr. George Yount and Benjamin J. Miller, sons-in-law, attend to this part of his business. During the building of the Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Railway, Mr. Kinsey had a station located near his nurseries. It was named after him, and is now a shipping point of no mean dimensions. In addition to his nurseries here, Mr. K. is connected as partner in a large nursey of seventy-seven acres, under the management of Mr. Zubrum, of Whitley County, Ind. (near Columbia City), from which thousands of trees are shipped to the West, North and South. In order to supply the demands for their apple trees, they are obliged to plant from fifteen to twenty-five bushels of seeds each season. Mr. K. and his estimable wife are both earnest and consistent members of the Old German Baptist Church, of which he is now a minister, having been chosen to fill that important office by the members of his congregation. He is also the editor of the Vindicator, which has before been referred to. The life of this man surely indicates the great ends that may be attained by honesty, industry and economy.
From History of Montgomery County, Ohio, W. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1882