Phillip H. Herzing of Dayton, Ohio, recently donated thirteen binders containing correspondence, receipts and other items from his great, great grandfather’s time on the Ohio Board of Public Works (1864-1878). Phillip V. Herzing, (1808-1883) was born in Warburg, Germany in 1808 and emigrated to the United States in 1834. Around 1836 he moved to Wapakoneta, Ohio, before settling in St. Mary, Ohio in 1847. He established a grain mill (Farina Mills) on the corner of Spring and Chestnut Streets. He was appointed canal toll collector by Governor Salmon P. Chase. He served on the Ohio Board of Public Works after the construction of the Miami and Erie Canal was complete. The Board of Public Works had supervision over all state works, including the extension of the natural highway, canals, and other public improvements. In 1871 he and several St. Marys businessmen organized the purchase of the St. Marys Woolen Manufacturing Company. He became the first president. He died in 1883 and is buried in Elm Grove Cemetery, St. Marys, Ohio.
