Charles H. McElroy
Judge Charles H. McElroy was born at Gambier, Ohio, March 19, 1830. His parents, Rev. James McElroy and Maria (Burrows) McElroy, were natives of Ireland. They were married in Ireland in 1828 and came directly to Kenyon College, where he taught for some time. He was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. He removed to Delaware, Ohio, in the year 1832 and was rector of St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church. He removed to Staunton, Virginia, in the year 1840, at which place the subject of this sketch received his early education. Judge McElroy attended the Law School of the University of Virginia during the sessions of 1850-1851 and 1851-1852. He was admitted to the Bar by the Court of Appeals of the State of Virginia at Lewisburg in the summer of the year 1852. He immediately came to Delaware, where his parents had removed. He engaged in civil engineering for a few years but returned to Delaware and was admitted to the Bar of Ohio in the year 1855, when be began the practice. In the year 1857 and 1858 and again in 1878 Judge McElroy was elected mayor of Delaware by the citizens without regard to party and with but little opposition.
In August, 1861, Judge McElroy enlisted as a private in Company D. Twentieth Regiment, O. V. I. He soon became captain of the company and in August, 1862, by reason of his meritorious conduct and at the request of the governor of Ohio and on order of the War Department, he was transferred to the Ninety-sixth Regiment O. V. I. and was appointed major of the regiment. He remained with the command in the campaign down the Mississippi and up the Yazoo Rivers and Chickasaw Bayou, but his failing health admonished him that unless he quit the service, he would not be able to reach his home alive, and soon after the surrender of Vicksburg, therefore, he resigned his command and came home and after a partial recovery he again began the practice of his profession. He was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas in the autumn of 1881 and again in the autumn of 1886, in the first Subdivision of the Sixth Judicial District, comprising the counties of Delaware. Knox and Licking, and served from February, 1882, to February, 1892, and his opinions as a judge were always recognized by members of the Bar as able. He was a close student of the principles of the law and his early reading had made him a recognized authority on what is known as the common law. After he retired from the bench he again took up the practice, which he continued up to the time of his death, which occurred March 1, 1904. He was solicitor for the Fidelity Building Association and Loan Company up to the time of his death. He was associated at various times during his long continued practice, with Hon. Early F. Poppleton. Hon. Henry S. Culver and Hon. George W. Carpenter, the styles of his several partnerships being Poppleton & McElroy, McElroy & Culver, and Carpenter & McElroy.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908