Eugene Graham Anderson
son of George W. Anderson and Annie H. Warwick, his wife, was born February 10, 1873, at Council Grove, Kansas. At the age of two, he was brought to Portsmouth, Ohio, by his parents and has lived here ever since. He attended the public schools of Portsmouth until 1889, when he began the mercantile business with his father. He has been engaged in the same business until July 23, 1894, when he took a position with Louis A. Crossett a prominent manufacturer of wens shoes, traveling through the south and southwest, filling this position successfully until January 18, 1896. After the death of his father, who died in October, 1895, he formed a partnership with his brother Wm. B., and mother Mrs. Annie H. Anderson, January 1, 1896, and the firm was changed to G. W. Anderson & Sons.
He was married February 2, 1897, to Ruhama Halderman, daughter of Doctor S. S. Halderman, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and they have two children: Mary and Charles.
He is a republican and a communicant of All Saints church and is superintendent of All Saints Sunday school. He is an Elk. Mr. Anderson believes in everything that is good and true. As yet his life is before him and his prospects are brilliant. He has high ideals in religion, in social life and in business, and those who know him best believe he will live up to them. As it is now, he is respected and admired for those qualities of character which most adorn the life of a young man, and his course promises distinction and success in every field of effort.
William Beverly Anderson
Was born January 22, 1859, in Montgomery county, Kentucky. His father was the late George W. Anderson. His mother is Annie H. (Warwick) Anderson who is still living.
While a boy, Mr. Anderson was taken by his parents successively to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, Portsmouth, Ohio, Council Grove, Kansas, and back to Portsmouth where he has resided since 1874. He received his education in the public schools of these several places. He had some experience in farming while on his father's farm near Council Grove, Kansas. He worked at farming for two years and the grasshoppers ate up every thing they raised. Consequently Mr. Anderson does not have much of a hankering for farm life. His sympathy for the former is exceeded only by his desire to keep out of the business. When he came to Portsmouth in November, 1874, he entered his father’s shoe store. From this on, he continued in business with his father until his death in 1895.
When Mr. Anderson was only eighteen, his father's health became poor and the responsibility of the business fell largely upon him. He became a partner with his father under the firm name of G. W. Anderson & Son in 1878, and was the chief support of the business till his father's death when he assumed complete control. A more complete history of the business will be found under the sketch of G. W. Anderson. In 1900, the large department store corner of Third and Chillicothe streets was established under the old firm name of G. W. Anderson & Sons. Our subject is the moving spirit in this immense enterprise and is its business manager. He is a republican, but devoting all his time to the management of his business, he finds no time to , spend in politics. He has been a member of the Sixth Street Methodist church Since he was thirteen years old, excepting the short interval he was in Kansas, and has been a steward of the church for twnty-five years. He has been superintendent of the Sunday school for the past ten years arrd is one of the chief workers in the church as well as a libral contributor.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - 887
Mr. Anderson was married, February 2, 1886, to Ida Russell, daughter of William B. and Rebecca (Hibbs) Russell. William B. Russell was a son of the Hon. William Russell and Governor Robert Lucas was an uncle of Mrs. Anderson’s mother.
George Washington Anderson
was born in Bath county, Kentucky, June 18, 1830. His father, William Anderson was from Virginia. His mother was a daughter of Judge Graham of Virginia. At the age of sixteen he went into the business of store keeping as a clerk for his uncle in Mercer county, Kentucky, and remained there two years. He was clerk on the steamer "Blue Wing" between Frankfort and Louisville for six months. He went back into Mercer county and from there to Cincinnati in 1856. He took a business course at Bartlett's Commercial College, and remained as a teacher. In 1857, he went to Howard's Mills, Montgomery county, Kentucky, and kept a store there till the winter of 1859 and 1860. That same year he went to Camargo and remained two years. He removed to Mt. Sterling and remained there until 1866. In June, 1864, his store in Mt. Sterling was robbed by John Morgan’s band. He was. a Union man during the entire war and was outspoken. On the occasion of another raid, he secreted his stock in the coffins of an undertaker who was a rank rebel but who was willing to aid his neighbor. The coffin scheme was successful as the rebels did not want to steal coffins and did not dream of them being used as places of concealment.
In February, 1867, Mr. Anderson came to Portsmouth and opened a store in the Huston corner where he remained until fall. Then he moved to 109 West Second into a building erected for him by the late Dan McFarland, and remained until 1871, at which time he sold out and went to Council Grove, Kansas, and tried farming, also being interested in the firm of J. F. Warwick & Co., doing a general merchandise business in Council Grove. In November, 1874, he returned to Portsmouth, having purchased the shoe store of R. M. Lloyd of Chillicothe street., He afterwards removed to Second street, and occupied the west half of the building now occupied by the Hibbs Hardware Company. While here his son, William B., was admitted to the business under the firm name of G. W. Anderson & Son. At the end of three years they removed to a building which stood where Ben Davis' clothing store now stands where they remained about a year, and then moved to the Huston stone front on Second street, where they did business for nine years. In 1886 by goods were added to the stock. They removed to the Brushart building, No. 134 West Second street in 1888. and were doing business there at the time of Mr. Anderson’s death, October 8, 1895.
Since his death the business has been conducted and managed by his son. William B.
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