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Below is a family biography included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published by W. H. Beers & Co. in 1880.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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CHRISTIAN DUNKEL, miller; P. O. Covington. Mr. Dunkel, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in Dauphin Co., in 1812; his father died when he was but a child, and his youth was spent in various occupations; was errand-boy in a store two years or more, then worked on a farm for a time, then went into a woolen factory; teamed some, and worked at the carpenter’s trade, and when about 20 years of age began milling, which he has followed most of the time since; he came from Lancaster Co., Penn., to Miami Co., Ohio, in 1835, and has been milling in the vicinity of Covington ever since; the mill now known as Dunkel’s, of which he is the manager, has a quite interesting history in connection with the business development of Covington; the site was first utilized by Jacob Ullery, who removed a saw-mill from near Fort Greenville, using the then abandoned fort for quarters while tearing down and removing it; rafted it down Greenville Creek and put it up here, a little west of where the present flour-mill stands; afterward Benj. Lehman bought it, together with the grounds, and erected a flour-mill; he sold to John Brumbaugh, he to Patty Bros., they to — McCampbell, who in turn disposed of it to Swisher & Hartzell, and they to Ullery & Mikesell; this Ullery was a son of the first owner, and Mikesell the John Mikesell whose biography appears in this work; a brother of Ullery’s bought out Mikesell, Lewis Kensinger bought out one of the Ullerys, and in 1877 Dunkel & Miller bought out Ullery & Kensinger. As Mr. Miller is a farmer of Newton Township, and quite aged, the business and management is left entirely to Mr. Dunkel, a position which his experience, both as a miller and business man, eminently fits him, and which he is successfully filling. The mill is operated for custom and merchant business, and has a capacity of 300 barrels of flour per day; it is situated near the mouth of Greenville Creek, from which its power is supplied, and is on the Painter’s Creek pike, near the bridge across Stillwater, at the south part of Covington. Mr. Dunkel has been identified with one of the important industries in the vicinity of Covington for nearly a half-century, is still an active man of business and a respected citizen. He was married in 1840, to Miss Mary Eresman, of Darke Co., but she only lived about one year; he was again married in 1834, to Miss Mary, daughter of John Falknor, deceased, who was an early resident of Newberry Township.

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This family biography is one of 964 biographies included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published in 1880 by W. H. Beers & Co.  For the complete description, click here: Miami County, Ohio History and Genealogy

View additional Miami County, Ohio family biographies here: Miami County, Ohio Biographies

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