Alvah Sigler Doak
Alvah Sigler Doak was born March 15, 1848, on Buck Run in Adams County. His father was David Franklin Doak, born in Bracken County, Kentucky. His grandfather, David Doak, was born in Loudon County, Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, from Virginia, in a troop of horse, in which he furnished his own horse. His grandfather and father located at Mt. Leigh in 1831. They were all Presbyterians. His grandfather owned slaves in Kentucky and set them free because he was an anti-slavery man. He was a Whig during the existence of that party. He was a nephew of Dr. Samuel Doak, the founder of Marysville College, in Tennessee, and a cousin of the wife of Rev. John Rankin, the famous Abolitionist.
Our subject has lived in Adams County all his life. He has been County Surveyor for six years, has resided in Winchester for sixteen years, and has followed the occupation of surveyor for twenty-seven years. He attended North Liberty Academy in 1869 and 1870 and the Normal school at Lebanon in 1871 and 1872. He has always been a Republican as his father and grandfather were. He is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of Winchester. He has carried on a drug business there for the past sixteen years. He followed the occupation of school teacher from 1869 to 1883. He was in charge of the Russellville schools in 1876, Principal of the North Liberty Academy in 1880 and Superintendent of the Winchester schools in 1881.
On May 25, 1875, he was married to Eunice Fox, of Vincennes, Indiana. They have a daughter Ruby. She took a two years' course at the College of Music in Cincinnati and afterward attended Glendale school for two years and graduated there in 1899.
Mr. Doak was elected County Surveyor of Adams County in 1893, when he had forty-two majority, and in 1896, when he had forty-seven majority.
Mr. Doak is a man of high character, and has the respect and confidence of all who know him. He is just and upright in every relation of life and is admired for his qualities as a Christian gentleman.
From History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900