W. H. FRANCIS, one of Troy's representative business men and president of the Francis & Clemm Company, dealers in lumber, has here been identified with this line of trade for the past nineteen years. He was born in 1848, in Butler County, Ohio.

The early life of Mr. Francis was passed on a farm and his education was obtained in Butler County, with two years at the National, Normal, where he taught school at Lebanon, Ohio, for some five years. In 1876 he embarked in a lumber business at Arcanum in Darke County, where he continued until 1889, when he came to Troy. He started in to business in this city under the style of W. H. Francis & Co., which later became Francis & Clemm, and the latter firm was succeeded by The Francis Clemm Company, with location on South Walnut Street, on the corner of Race. The range of his activities is not confined to the business over which he presides here, he being interested also in lumber enterprises in other places and he is also one of the board of directors of the Troy National Bank.

In 1876 Mr. Francis was married to Miss Ella Gifford, of Preble County, Ohio, and they have two children; Jesse B., who is engaged in the practice of medicine in Chicago; and Opal. C., who is a member of the graduating class of 1909, at Oberlin College. Mr. and Mrs. Francis are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he belonging to its official board.