Uriah J. Favorite is now living a retired life in Tippecanoe City, his many years of active and honorable labor being thus crowned with a well deserved rest. During the civil war he was a loyal defender of his country, and at all times he has been faithful to whatever is true and right, whether in public, in business or in social life. Thus has he commanded the respect and esteem of his fellow men, and as one of the leading citizens of the community he well deserves representation in this volume. He was born in Tippecanoe City, on the 9th of October, 1843, a son of Jonathan and Mary (Hyatt) Favorite. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, and about 1836 came to Miami county with his parents. Later he married Miss Hyatt, whose father was a merchant and one of the pioneer settlers of this locality, the hamlet of Hyattville being named in his honor. He was a native of England, and with his family came to America during the early girlhood of his daughter Mary. Both he and his wife attained a very advanced age.

Jonathan Favorite, the father of our subject, was a mechanic, carpenter and millwright, and during the early years of development in this section of the state was a prominent business man. In 1838 he built the flouring mill, which he conducted for a number of years with excellent success. At the same time he worked at his trade, and in addition conducted a sawmill. In 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold in California, he made his way to the Pacific slope, where he engaged in mining for three years. His efforts were attended with creditable success, and he returned with capital sufficient to enable him to carry on a good business. On the return trip, however, he invested in Iowa lands and was moving his family to the Hawkeye state when both he and his wife died at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, of river fever. The family of five children returned to join an elder sister in Ohio. Nancy, the eldest daughter, is the wife of John Morrison, and is a resident of Nemaha county, Nebraska; John S. is a real-estate dealer of St. Louis, Missouri; Jefferson, who became a printer, was married in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died in Sacramento, California, in 1876; Mrs. Martha J. Egner makes her home in Centralia, Washington; Uriah J. is the next of the family; and Mrs. Harriet A. Hoover, widow of William Hoover, is living in Lincoln, Nebraska. It will thus be seen that our subject is now the only representative of his immediate family in Miami county. His uncle, Daniel Favorite, however, reared a family north of Troy, and some of his children are still residents of the locality. George Favorite, a half brother of the father, is now living in Washington city, and another half brother, Lafayette, died in Troy, Ohio.

Uriah J. Favorite, whose name introduces this review, was a lad of about ten years at the time of his father's death. The children were then separated, and he lived for five years in the family of Samuel Staley, in Bethel county, and his school privileges were those commonly afforded to farmer boys. On entering upon his business career he secured a clerkship in a store in Tippecanoe City. Saving his wages, he afterward entered the high school at Piqua, where he pursued his studies until his means were exhausted. On the 15th of April, 1861, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he responded to President Lincoln's first call for seventy-five thousand volunteers, joining Company D, Eleventh Ohio Infantry. On the expiration of the first term of three months he re-enlisted for three years, in the First Independent Ohio Battery and was in the Kanawha division of the Army of the Potomac, with which he saw services under the command of General Garfield, Hayes and McKinley, all of whom were afterwards presidents of the United States. After a time his regiment was transferred to the Potomac and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Antietam and all the engagements of the McClellan campaign. In the spring of 1863 he was again sent to the Kanawha region and participated in the Hunter raid before Lynchburg. In August, 1864, he received an honorable discharge at Parkersburg, for his second term had expired. Still the south was not yet subdued and he once more entered the army, as a member of the secret service, being sent to Chattanooga to look after government supplies. In the spring of 1865 he was commissioned by Governor Brough second lieutenant of Company G, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Infantry, which company he had assisted in recruiting in Tippecanoe City. With that command he went to the Shenandoah valley, where he remained until after Lee's surrender, receiving his discharge at Fort Federal Hill, in Maryland, in September of that year. He was in nine important battles and participated in many campaigns. In command of his company he went to Fort Delaware to assume charge of the prisoners and there remained until all were exchanged.

After the war was over Mr. Favorite returned to Miami county and secured employment in the glucose works, learning the business carried on in the chemical department, becoming familiar with every duty of the laboratory. During various changes in the ownership of the works he was retained as chemist, and later was made superintendent in charge of the interests of the company. After a connection of ten years with that business he closed it out, selling the buildings and remaining in charge until all relations were satisfactorily terminated. He then became a partner of Messrs. Kenney & Bryant in the purchase and operation of the mill which his father had built and owned thirty years before. For nine years he then engaged in the milling business, meeting with excellent success in his undertakings, and since that time he has lived retired, owning a pleasant home in Tippecanoe City, where he is surrounded with all the comforts that go to make life worth living. In March, 1900, he was appointed decennial appraiser of realty for Monroe township.

Mr. Favorite was married, February 21, 1865, to Miss Elizabeth A. Athey, a daughter of William Athey. She was born in Virginia and died April 12, 1896, at the age of fifty-eight years. Their children are Minnie May, now the wife of John M. Saunders, a grain dealer of Tippecanoe City; and Harry J., a real-estate and insurance agent of Tippecanoe City, who wedded Mary Hartman, daughter of Dr. Samuel D. Hartman.

Mr. Favorite is a prominent Mason, belonging to the lodge at Tippecanoe City, No. 174, to Franklin Chapter No. 24, R. A. M., of Troy, and to Coleman Commandery, No. 17, K. T., also of Troy. His wife was a charter member of the Relief Corps, but gave the greater part of her time and attention to her home. He maintains pleasant relationship with his old army comrades through his membership in D. M. Rouzer Post, No. 393, Grand Army of the Republic. He has served as commander of the post and is filling that position at the present time. He has attended several national encampments, has revisited some of the battlefields on which he valiantly fought for the preservation of the Union, and in the work of the organization he takes deep interest. His chief source of recreation is with the rod and gun, having always found great delight in the sports of hunting and fishing. His career has been an active and useful one and his well directed efforts have brought him success. He has always been a loyal citizen, as true to his country in days of peace as when he followed the starry banner through the Southland.