David A. Hobby
David A. Hobby, the subject of this sketch, was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1819. When only eighteen years of age—in the year 1837—he bought eighty acres of land in Salem Township, all in the woods. He commenced to clear his land, hired his board, but soon got into debt for his board. He then returned to Hamilton County, and borrowed money to pay his board bill. Again returned and worked on his land till the taxes be came due. His taxes were only from one to three dollars, yet he says it was harder to raise that amount than it has been since for him to pay four hundred dollars. Money was not to be had for anything. After he began to raise produce on his land for sale, if he wanted a barrel of salt, or any other article, he would have to go to Cincinnati to find a market for it. Mr. Hobby has always been a man of feeble health, and very much of their success in life has depended upon his wife, who has always gone ahead in their labor, and did not only her part of the labor in the house, but that of her husband upon the farm, working out in the clearing both day and night; also working at the loom and spinning wheel in the night time after working hard all the day helping to roll logs and burn brush. In this way they worked along, many times living on bran bread, until they have finally made for themselves a comfortable home. What was once a howling wilderness is now a beautiful farm, returning abundant harvests. Mr. H. has now 240 acres of well-improved land, all the product of his own labor and that of his estimable wife, who has stood by his side thus far through life. Mr. Hobby married Eliza Slusser, who was born in Dayton in 1818. They were, married in the year 1840. They have five children, two sons and three daughters, viz., Mary A., born 1841; Josephus, born 1846; Sarah A., born 1849; Seth, born 1851; and Margaret B., born 1861. The grandfather of Mr. H. was a pensioner from the Revolutionary War, and his father was in the war of 1812.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883