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DR. JOHN WEBSTER COLLINS, M.D., one of the leading citizens and prominent physcians and surgeons of Toronto, Ohio, president of the city council and active in all movements of importance, was born in Cross Creek Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, February 16, 1844, and is a son of William and Mary (Monks) Collins. The mother of Dr. Collins was born in County Clare, Ireland. Her first marriage was to a Mr. Sullivan and her second to William Collins, who was a farmer in Cross Creek Township. She died there when John Webster, their only surviving child, was yet an infant. John Webster Collins was reared on the home farm and attended the country schools in boyhood. and when eighteen years of age began to teach school, which he continued for eight years. During these years he gave all his spare time to the study of medicine, under the direction of Dr. B. F. Payne, once a well known physcian of Steubenville. In 1870, Dr. Collins began the practice of his profession, having been licensed by the Payne Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania, but later became identified with the regular school. He came from Steubenville to Toronto in 1872 and continued in practice until 1878, when he entered the old Columbus Medical College at Columbus, which was later merged with the Starling Medical College, and he attended lectures there for two years, graduating with honor March 3, 1879, returning then to Toronto. He is a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, of which he was formwerly president; and of the American and International Medical Associations. During both administrations of the late ex-President Cleveland, he served as one of the U.S. pension examining surgeons. During the Civil War, Dr. Collins was a member of COmpany F, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the 100-day service. He is commander of the T.W. Shuster Post No. 239, of Toronto, and is the medical director of the G. A. R. of Ohio. In politics, Dr. Collins is a Democrat of the old school, but progressive in his ideas of government. He served for fourteen years on the Toronto School Board, being treasurer of that body for four years, and for ten successive years was its president. ALthough not a continuous resident of Toronto for thirty-eight years, he has always had interests here. Three years he spent in the city of Cincinnati, 1895-1897, returning to his old surroundings in 1898. In 1893 Dr. Collins accompanied a patient in the capacity of private physcian on a trip of about three months to Europe. This patient was the late John Francy. They left Ohio May 15, 1893, and visited Ireland, Scotland and England. Dr. Collins married Miss Rebecca Louise Stone, a daughter of John and Nannie Stone, of Cross Creek Township. Mrs. Collins died in 1891, survived by four children: B.F., who is a physcian at Steubenville; Edna Blanche, who is the wife of Edwin S. Smith, of Aliquippa, Pa.; Day and Mary Louise, at home.  Return to Family Tales
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