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09/20/2018

Celina man donates piece of Piqua newspaper history

From the Piqua Daily Call

A descendant of William Robinson Barrington — a Piqua mayor in the 1840s and the owner, editor, and publisher of the first Piqua newspaper — will be bringing an oil painting of Barrington back to Piqua.

Robert Makley of Celina, the great-great-great-grandson of Barrington, will be donating the portrait of Barrington that was painted in 1817 to the Miami County Historical and Genealogical Society to be displayed in the collection at the Piqua Public Library.

“I’ve been doing family genealogy for a while now, and that’s on my mother’s side,” Makley said.

Barrington was born in Philadelphia and was the son of Irish immigrants, according to the city of Piqua’s website. He moved to Piqua in 1819.

The portrait of Barrington was painted while Barrington was still living in Philadelphia in 1817.

“He was 20 years old when the painting was done,” Makley said.

Makley said that Barrington brought the first printing press to the area.

“In Piqua, William would publish the Piqua Gazette,” Makley said. “The first issue was from a small building on the northeast corner of Main and Green streets on Thursday, July 5, 1820. Over the years, he would also publish the Courier and Inquirer.”

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