My Genealogy Hound

CONRAD MAY, proprietor hotel; P. O. Piqua; is a native of Germany, born in Hessen in 1830; came to the United States in 1847, and to Miami Co. in 1848; Mr. May came to Troy a poor boy, and by industry and economy has steadily grown to an important citizen; he commenced work near Troy in the fall of 1848, as a field hand husking corn by the day, and in the following spring commenced work on the Knoop farm, where, in 1849, he bound the first sheaf of grain cut by a reaping machine in Miami Co.; he continued to work on this place for seven successive years; in September, 1856, he engaged in the grocery business in Troy, which he continued until 1869, when he sold out and removed to Piqua, where he had an interest in a retail drug store, the firm being May Brothers; in 1873, he purchased his brother’s interest and continued the business until November, 1879; in 1877, he purchased the Leland House property and conducted the hotel until August, 1879, when he sold the furniture, etc., and rented the house, hoping to be released from business, but the parties having the hotel rented failing, he was compelled to again take charge of the house, and is now “ mine host” of the Leland; thus, he has risen from a farm hand to a good position, able to live at his leisure if he desires, and is one of the substantial men of Piqua; the hotel property consists of a lot ninety-one feet front on Main street, and 165 feet on Water street; the Leland House is a three-story brick structure, ninety-one feet front on Main street and 120 feet front on Water; he also has a livery stable fronting on Water street, and owns a handsome residence on Water street, about three squares west from the hotel. He married, April 8, 1858, Francisca Henne, sister of Joseph Henne, of Troy; the fruits of this union have been twelve children, eight of whom survive; the three last born were triplets, and all died in infancy; his oldest son is now a student of medicine at Philadelphia.