Newton Wesley Zile
Newton Wesley Zile was born near Locust Grove, Adams County, Ohio, December 8, 1863. His father, Lewis Zile, was born in Maryland, August 5, 1821. His father, Jacob Zile, born in Carroll County, Maryland, brought his family to Ohio in 1824. Jacob Zile was a soldier in the War of 1812. Our subject's mother was Caroline Cannon, daughter of Byas N. Cannon, a native of Delaware. His wife, Julia Ann Hern, was also from Delaware.
Our subject attended the common schools until the age of eighteen, when he became a teacher and followed that profession until the Spring of 1833, when he entered the Normal University of Danville, Indiana, and studied Civil Engineering and Surveying. In 1884, he attended the Normal School at Lebanon for two terms. In 1887, he was nominated by the Republicans for Sheriff of Adams County, but was defeated by a small majority. In 1887, he was appointed Deputy Auditor under Prof. J. W. Jones, who had been appointed by the County Commissioners for ten months. In 1889. He attended the Normal School at Ada, Ohio, and while there was appointed Postal Clerk in the United States Railway Mail Service. He entered on the duties of that position April 17, 1889, and remained in the mail service ten years. He was promoted rapidly until he was made a clerk in charge of a car in 1896, and served in that capacity until the twentieth of May. 1899. when he resigned on account of the impairment of his health.
In the Spring of 1894, he and J. R. Davis entered into a partnership in general merchandising at Locust Grove, at the stand formerly occupied by L. M. Davis. Since retiring from the Postal Service, Mr. Zile has devoted his time to this business. He owns the farm upon which the town plat of Palestine was made by Peter Wickerham in 1837.
Mr. Zile has always taken a great interest in educational work and is possessed of one of the most extensive and best collection of books in the county. One who knows Mr. Zile best says of him : "He possesses all the sterling virtues which make a man respected by his fellows. By industry, economy and temperance, he has acquired a competence. He is always ready to aid and contribute to worthy objects, either charitable or of public benefit. He is uniformly courteous to others, tolerant of their opinions and disposed to give due consideration to all their rights and claims. He is always willing to aid those who are ambitious to do well for themselves. While holding public office, Mr. Zile showed a wonderful administrative ability and earned the highest commendations for himself from those who supervised the work. He is one of the most earnest and enthusiastic members of his party, the Republican, and with some others like himself, properly distributed over the county and working as he does, Adams County would uniformly be a Republican county.
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