The following (blue text) is from "Ohio's Progressive Sons, A History of the State, Sketches of those who have helped to build up the Commonwealth, pub. 1905 by Queen City Publishing of Cincinnati, Ohio, found at Internet Archive. The black text is the result of research by this website owner.
Wilmer D. Lewis became one of the leading musicians of the City of Dayton, Ohio in the first decade of the 20th Century. Wilmer was a native of Philadelphia, Penn. being born on the 8th of November, 1853.** His parents lived for many years in his native city and occupied a recognized position in the Quaker City society. His father, Lewis Lewis, was a member of the well-known firm of Wilmer, Cannell & Co., and a native of Scotland. The Lewis family was particularly well known in church circles, with Lewis Lewis occupying the position of vestryman of St. Mark's Episcopal Church for a period of twenty years. He was a descendant of Sir William Blackstone's brother, and lawyers and jurists in his family have been numerous. Wilmer's mother, Mary E. Dick, was a native of the city of Chester, Penn., and a daughter of Archibald T. Dick, Esq. Wilmer's mother's great-grandfather, Dr. Elisha Dyck, was George Washington's physician, and attended that illustrious patriot during his last and fatal illness.
Mr. Wilmer D. Lewis was a gentleman of culture and natural refinement, and received a very careful training and education. He was under the tutorship of Rev. Dr. Faires, of Philadelphia, and also attended the Pennsylvania University in Philadelphia. His musical education was obtained under the guidance of the celebrated Max Ballmann and Enrico Campobello, the great baritone.
By 1879, Wilmer moved to Florida, where on the 22nd of October, 1879, Mr. Lewis was united in marriage in Bronson, Levy County, to Miss Annie I. McIlvaine, the accomplished daughter of the leading physician of Cedar Keys, Florida. In marrying Annie, Wilmer became a "cousin-in-law-in-law" of Florida's then Superintendent of the Board of Public Education, William Penn Haisley. Their wives, Annie I. (McIlvaine) Lewis, and Julia (Simmons) Haisley, were first cousins. (Annie's father, Dr. Robert Hunter McIlvaine, was a brother of Julia's mother, Mary (McIlvaine) Simmons.) These were all families who had deep roots in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Wilmer would spend the next 10 years in Lafayette County and Panasoffkee of Sumter in Florida, with his wife Annie, as a merchant and a farmer.
In early May 1890, Wilmer came to Tampa for about a week to meet up with his wife (Annie) who had been visiting here a few weeks with her brother and sister, V. B. McIlvaine and Mrs. (Florence) H. S. Ray. It was immediately noticed that Mr. Lewis had a fine singing voice after he sang at the Episcopal and Baptist churches there. They returned home the following week, but they would return to Tampa later the same year when Wilmer became proprietor of the Collins House, previously owned and operated by B. B. Cole and family.
Under President Harrison's administration, Wilmer was appointed Inspector of Customs and Deputy Collector at Tampa, which position he filled from 1891 to 1894. During this time, while he owned and managed the Collins House, he also had an orange grove which upon maturity was estimated to be worth $45,000. But unfortunately for him, the entire grove was ruined by the phenomenal freeze of 1894-95, when the temperature went down to 14 degrees F.
In 1894, Lewis leased the newly-built DeSoto Hotel at the corner of Zack and Marion streets and achieved great success and notoriety as the manager there. His lavishly catered events were the talk of Tampa, and it wasn't long before his excellent singing voice once again caught the attention of the local papers, guests, and the people of Tampa.
In the next few years he performed yearly in dozens of local concerts with solo numbers and in a local quartet, as well as at his church. In October of 1894, Wilmer was joined in partnership by Charles A. Dunn of Ocala. There were frequent articles in the local papers about various events and festivities held there, each getting great reviews for their handling of the events and facilities.
In Jun. 1894, a Tampa newspaper wrote, "Why They Flock to the DeSoto." In it they wrote:
There is a little secret about so many musical entertainments being given at the hotel DeSoto...Mr. W. D. Lewis, the proprietor, is one of the best bassos in the country, and a fine performer. Capt. Thomas, the owner of the magnificent building, is a musician of no mean pretensions. He plays elegantly on the piano, as well as on the guitar and other instruments. It is no wonder people find it a pleasant place to spend an evening..
In early 1896, Wilmer's business partner, Charles Dunn, retired, leaving Wilmer to claim all the future profits (and bills.) In late December that year, Wilmer Lewis sold the DeSoto to the Williams brothers, experienced caterers from Waldo, Fla., and ended his enterprise with the Hotel DeSoto after a supper there on Jan. 3, 1897. "Mr. Lewis has made a jolly good host and retires with the good wishes of the traveling public."
In early Feb. 1897, the local Tampa news announced that Wilmer had formed a partnership with a Mr. Keyes in Louisville, to do business as a merchandise brokerage firm in the name of Lewis & Keyes, which would start business immediately.
(Nothing of the Lewis & Keyes partnership could be found. Mr. Keyes may have been the president of the Keyes-Gallrein Music Co. in Louisville, who advertised as having "Everything known to music" and "We are the Largest Music Supply House in the South. Manufacturers, Publishers and General Dealers." This Louisville partnership between John W. Keyes formerly of Nashville and Herman Gallrein of Louisville appears to be short-lived; it advertised only from July to early Sept. of 1897 in a Hartford KY newspaper. In mid-Dec. 1897, Mr. Keyes sold his interest in the company and on Jan. 1, 1898, took charge of the manufacturing and wholesale business of Wulschner Music House.)
In August 1897, Wilmer visited in Lexington, KY, for several weeks, where the local papers took note of his presence by writing, "The congregation at the Cathedral very much enjoyed hearing him sing the Offertory at the morning service yesterday. He is an accomplished musician and member of the choir of St Andrew's Church in Tampa. Mr. Lewis has a bass voice of unusual range and beautiful quality..."
And so Wilmer and Annie Lewis moved to Louisville, KY, to start a new life. Wilmer's reputation as a great basso with amazing vocal range continued in Kentucky, and was in the Louisville papers very often with announcements of upcoming concerts in the area and concert reviews. He was known there as "Prof. W. D. Lewis" and by Nov. 1897 had a large vocal class of pupils whom he taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
In April of 1900, Prof. Lewis visited his former pupil, George W. Llewellyn, in Dayton Ohio. During that short visit he sang at the Grace Church... "characterized by artistic finish in all respects. His voice is a powerful sonorous basso profundo, and is under perfect control." While in Dayton, he let it be known that he intended to relocate there.
By summer of 1900, Prof. Lewis and wife Annie had moved to Dayton, where Wilmer led the Epworth League Choir, performing at the Grace M.E. church. On September 24, 1900 Prof. Lewis opened the Dayton Conservatory, School of Music, where Wilmer was Director and vocal instructor, H.H. Kaeuper taught piano and music theory, Charles Holstein taught violin, and Anna Loy May taught elocution. The school was located in the Cooper Seminary Annex at First and Perry Streets, which is where Wilmer had his studios and residence. The 1900 Census of Wilmer and Annie Lewis in Dayton reveals that Annie had given birth to a child who had passed away by the time of the census in June. Wilmer was a vocal teacher and renting their residence. Wilmer also taught vocal music at Wittenberg College at Springfield, Ohio.
Wilmer and Annie were members of the Episcopal Church, and attended the Christ Church of that faith in Dayton. Wilmer continued as a concert soloist and teacher for many years in Dayton. His reputation as a thorough, conscientious teacher of voice culture was well established and recognized, and a great many of his pupils gained the top of the ladder in their profession.
On Oct. 3, 1908, Annie I. (McIlvaine) Lewis died at St. Elizabeth hospital in Dayton. Her funeral was held on Monday afternoon on Oct. 5 from the chapel of Woodland Cemetery where she was buried. Her funeral announcement stated that she had been ill and suffering from paralysis for six years, but her death record shows her death was caused by heart trouble and dropsy. She was sixty years old.
By Oct. 1909 Wilmer resumed his vocal classes at his studios at the Dayton Conservatory. He had at least forty pupils singing in choirs in and around Dayton, and ten "making good" with various traveling companies on the road. In addition to this, he had five former pupils who were successful vocal teachers, and twenty-five more singing in theaters and holding various positions there. His ads in the Dayton Herald carried a three-quarter bust photo of him, and stated "Voice Culture, Established 11 years in Dayton. Specialist in Tone Placing, Enunciation, Voice Building. I have absolutely made voices "out of whole cloth," and am able and willing to convince you if you will call on me."
The 1910 Census of Dayton showed Wilmer living alone at 276 1st Street as a music teacher. It is at this time that Wilmer began to sell insurance, taking a job as a general agent of the American Casualty and Union Casualty companies with offices in the Reibold building.
In mid-April of 1911, Wilmer was engaged to be married to Miss Sarah Reel, Miss Reel was a teacher at the Franklin School, and a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. John H. Reel. At this time the wedding date had not been set, but it was planned for early that summer.
In July that year, Wilmer moved his music studio from the Dayton Conservatory to 498 Ludlow Street Arcade. In 1912 his insurance office was in the Reibold Bldg at rm. 707-8 where he sold fire insurance. He continued teach voice culture at rm 283 in the ARcade, and in his office at the Reibold blidng. In May 1912, Wilmer incorporated as "The Wilmer D. Lewis Co." Dayton, along with F. C. Reel, J. P. Morgan, L.R. Lewis, and S.T. Maloney, $10,000 investment. By the end of 1913, Wilmer D. Lewis Insurance was selling Fire, Auto Liability, Personal Health, Property Damage, Elevator Liability, Accident, Auto Collision, Plate Glass, and Auto Fire insurance, at his offices at 707-708 Reibold Building.
In 1915, Wilmer D. Lewis & Co. moved to 907 in the Schwind Building, selling Aetna Live and Accident, American Casualty Co, Union Casualty Co, and Equitable Secrity Co. policies. There was a lot of competition in Dayton in the realm of music instruction, and this would be the last year Wilmer taught vocal instruction, which he was doing at his residence at 125 Lehman St. and his office at 907 in the Schwind bldg.
By Jan. 1916, Wilmer D. Lewis & Co. was back in the Reibold Bldge, and #778. He advertised "Insure your automobile in the Aetna Accident & Liability Co. Aetna service is always perfect and prompt. He added in fine print "I would not drive an automobile on Main St. from the Monument to Sixth St. without LIABILITY."
On Friday, Nov. 9, 1917, Prof. Lewis had an attack of apoplexy around 10:30 a.m. while near the Young Women's League building in Dayton. He was rushed into the building in serious condition and soon attended to by Drs. K. M. Ellsworth and A. B. Brower. Wilmer was then taken by ambulance to his home at 125 Lehman St. where at 10 p.m. he lapsed into unconsciousness until his death at 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov 11.
"Mr. Lewis was a resident of Dayton during the past 18 years, having come here from Louisville, Ky and during a portion of that time he was a vocal instructor, maintaining a studio in the Cooper seminary Annex. He also appeared often in public as a well-known singer. He was well-known in insurance circles during the last 10 years, and for the past two years he had ceased vocal instruction while he represented the Aetna Insurance Co. in this city.
His wife and one six month old infant son survive him.
Funeral services for Prof. Wilmer D. Lewis, 67,** former prominent teacher of vocal music in Dayton and at Wittenberg College at Springfield, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the residence , 125 Lehman St. Rev. Arthur Dumper of Christ Episcopal church will officiate. Burial will be made in Woodland cemetery and will be private. Pall-bearers were Messrs. Howard Williamson, Charles Harwood, Frederick Bender, Hale Pardonner, Arnold Atlhoff, and Frank Walker. Elks lodge of sorrow was held Monday evening at 7:30.
**Prof. Lewis was actually closer to 70 years old, as three of his earliest censuses indicate he was born 1847 to 1849.
In 1920, Sarah (Reel) Lewis lived at 236 St. in Dayton with her 2 yr. 6 mos. old son Lewis Lewis and her 62-yr-old widowed mother Amelia Reel. Sarah would turn 41 that year, making her about 25 to 29 years younger than Wilmer. Sarah was still a school teacher at a public school.
On August 25, 1940, 23-year-old Lewis Wilmer Lewis of Dayton, son of Wilmer D. Lewis and Sarah Reel, married 24-year old Marthia McCoy of Springfield, daughter of Hugh S. McCoy and Loa Evans, in Springfield, Clark Co, Ohio. Both the bride and the groom were teachers. (This information is public record.)
In 1946, their son Geoffrey Hugh Lewis was born in Springfield, Oh. Geoffrey entered the U.S. Navy and was stationed in San Diego, CA when he married in Clark Co., Ohio on Jun. 13, 1967 to Nancy Eileen Landis of Dayton, Ohio.
Lewis Wilmer Lewis died Mar. 19, 1966 in Springfield, Oh. at age 48 and is buried at S. Solon Cemetery in Madison Co., Ohio.