HENRY ORBISON EVANS, formerly county surveyor and engineer for Miami County, Ohio, resides on the old home farm in Staunton Township, about three hundred yards from the limits of the city of Troy. He is a man of wide experience in his professional work which has taken him very thoroughly over the west and southwest and into Old Mexico. He was born in Troy, Ohio, March 20, 1846, and is a son of Albert G. and Nancy E. (Orbison) Evans.

Both the paternal and maternal greatgrandfathers of the subject of this record were the first of their respective families to become established in this country and came from Wales. The paternal great grandfather and his wife reared the following children: Samuel; Hugh; Lavina, Sarah, Richard, Nancy, Amos, Daniel and Sophia. Samuel, grandfather of Henry O. Evans, was born March 31, 1771, and at an early date settled on a farm near Hillsboro, in Highland County, Ohio, where he lived until his death, August 10, 1853. In 1793 he was united in marriage with Polly Foreman, and their children were John Nancy, Amos, Elizabeth, Foreman, Simpson, Tabitha, Lavina and Albert G.

Albert G. Evans was born at Hillsboro, Highland County, Ohio, March 5, 1811, and spent his boyhood days on the home farm. When a young man he moved to Defiance, Ohio, where he was a pioneer storekeeper and Indian trader. About the year 1841 he located at Troy, Ohio, which at the time was but a small village. With his brother John he engaged in the mercantile business, and later he formed a partnership with William Jay, with whom he continued until 1852 under the firm name of Evans and Jay. He then took into the business as partner, Franklin Elliott, and the firm of Evans and Elliott continued until Mr. Evans retired in 1857. He at that time located on the old John Harker farm in Staunton Township, which he had purchased in 1853 from Mr. Elliott. He died on this place November 29, 1889. He was married October 13, 1842, to Nancy E. Orbison, a daughter of Henry Orbison, a prominent citizen and well known lecturer of Miami County. Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for a wedding trip, went overland to New York City and returned by way of Cincinnati. The last leg of their journey home was made on a packet on the canal from Cincinnati to Troy, that waterway having but recently been completed. Two children were the issue of this union: Dr. John Rush Evans, formerly of Troy and now of Pittsburg; and Henry O. Evans, who was named in honor of his maternal grandfather.

Dr. John R. Evans graduated at the Troy High School in 1860 and Miami University in 1865, after which he received a thorough training in the science of medicine in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in the Belleview Hospital Medical College at New York City. He practiced many years at Troy, where he established an enviable prestige, and then moved to Pittsburg, where he has been successful in connection with a manufacturing firm. He was first united in marriage with Miss Julia Denice of Franklin, Ohio, by whom he has four children: Albert G., Edwin B., George D. and Henry O. His second marital union was with Miss Elizabeth Sharp of Williamsburg, Ohio.

Henry Orbison Evans spent his youthful days in Troy, where he attended the grade and high schools. He left high school in his junior year to enter Miami University, from which he was graduated in 1867 after a four years course, with the honor of A.B., and in 1887 the degree of A.M. was conferred on him by that university. In 1868 he entered upon his profession as civil engineer, being engaged in railroad work for seven years, when he returned to Troy, and was elected to the office of county surveyor on the Republican ticket, and at the same time served as city and county engineer. He built many of the new pikes in the western part of the county. In 1891 he went to California and until 1894 followed engineering in connection with irrigation work, and then until 1908 worked in many parts of the West and Southwest in railroad construction work. Two years of this time he was in Old Mexico, and for nine years was in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad as assistant and division engineer. He returned to Troy in 1908 and established his home on the old farm in Staunton Township, which he purchased from his father's estate in 1853. It is located at the intersection of the Troy-Urbana and Troy-Piqua pikes, on the interurban railway, and the residence is now being rebuilt and improved, and is being made one of the most modern and attractive homes in Miami County.

Mr. Evans was joined in marriage in 1875 with Miss Jennie Jefferson, a daughter of John Jefferson of Fayette County, Ohio. She died in 1885, leaving a daughter, Nannie J., who is now the wife of Philip A. Shaffer of New York City, a chemist by profession, who has charge of the Loomis Laboratory. They reside at Flushing, Long Island, and have a daughter, Jane, who was born in 1907. Mr. Evans formed a second union in 1889 with Miss Ella Hawthorne, who was for a number of years connected with the public schools of Troy as teacher. She is a daughter of George Hawthorne and was born at Morgantown, W.Va. Religiously, they are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, he is a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 14, F.& A.M.; and Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T. He is a man of wide acquaintance in the county, and enjoys great popularity.