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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Ozias G. STRONG, M.D. 

Pages 303-304, transcribed in full by Danni Hopkins 

[Surnames: ATWATER, DICK, GREGORY, LINABERRY, PAVEY, SMITH, STRONG] 

    
OZIAS G. STRONG, M. D. This honored member of the medical profession, whose reputation has been established in Canton for many years, is a native of the Buckeye State. His father, Ozias Strong, Sr., was a farmer and likewise a prominent attorney, serving as a magistrate at Wilkesville forty years. There he breathed his last when in the eighty-fifth year of his age. His father, Horatio Strong, was of English and Irish descent, and a native of Massachusetts, and his mother was of Scotch descent. His wife bore the maiden name of Annis Gregory, and was a native of Connecticut, of Scotch ancestry. 
    
Our subject was born on the parental acres, in Meigs County, Ohio, August 12, 1818. He was reared on the farm, first attending the common schools and then entering Athens Academy, at Athens, Ohio. He began studying medicine with Dr. J. H. Smith, of Meigs County, and after taking a course of lectures at Starling Medical College, Columbus, began his practice in his native county. After three years residence there he removed to St. Louis, Mo., where he continued his professional labors for a short time, subsequently removing to Hannibal to engage in mercantile pursuits. He entered into partnership with Messrs. Smith & Dick, and under the firm name of Smith, Dick & Co. a large business was conducted for three years. Dr. Strong went to LaGrange to engage in the tobacco business, his partners having sold out and left him to sustain a heavy loss. During his residence in Hannibal he was Marshal and also Collector of City Revenue, having been elected to those offices in 1853. 
    
After his removal to LaGrange Dr. Strong was elected Recorder and Police Magistrate. During these years he had changed his views in relation to the practice of medicine, abandoning the theories of the Allopathic school and becoming a convert to those of Homeopathy. After private preparation he entered the Homeopathic Medical College, at St. Louis, form which he was graduated in 1858, immediately opening an office in Canton, where he has since resided. He devoted himself assiduously to the duties of his profession, building up a large practice and proving unusually successful in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases His practice has amounted to more than $80,000 and near $1000,000, a large sum for a place of this size. His labor is, of course, not confined to the town itself, but includes a large extent of the surrounding country. 
    
Dr. Strong has been twice married, his first companion having been Miss Bethena E. Pavey, of Hannibal, Mo., whose death took place in this city. She left five children‹Jared D., George W., Charles H., Jesse W. and Lizzie L. George W. is now manager of a large book concern in Buffalo, N.Y,, Charles H. is a graduate of the Homeopathic College in New York, and is now practicing medicine in Providence, R.I.; Jesse W., proprietor and editor of the Canton Republican, having purchased the paper September 18, 1890, is mentioned at greater length elsewhere in this volume; Lizzie is the wife of C. H. Atwater, of Quincy, Ill. 
    
The present wife of Dr. Strong bore the maiden name of Maggie Linabery. She was born in Morris County, N. J., and came West with her parents in childhood, growing to maturity in this county. The qualities of her mind and heart fit her for a useful career, and she has as many calls upon her attention as suffice to keep her hands and brain employed. First of all are her home duties, and beyond this her influence extends throughout a large circle. 
    
Dr. Strong is a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, and has been identified with the Masonic fraternity for many years. He is rather conservative in politics, affiliating with the Democratic party. Not only is his professional reputation one of the best, but by reason of his faithful discharge of his duties as a private citizen his excellent character and great intelligence, he is looked upon with great respect by his professional associates and his fellow-citizens in general. 
    
The attention of the reader is directed to the lithographic portrait of Mr. Strong, which may be found on another page. [See page 301]