John Wesley Carey was born on January 3, 1805, to Cephas and Jane Carey in Wheeling, WV. They moved to Shelby County, Ohio when he was a young boy, settling just outside of Hardin. On August 28, 1826, he married Catherine Kennard, also from the Hardin area.
Despite being one of many children that Cephas Carey procured, John Carey was able to leave his own mark within Shelby County. As a contractor, John was influential in constructing multiple early buildings within Sidney, such as the previous Shelby County Jail built in 1846, as well as Carey’s Hall erected in 1854 which still stands at the corner of Poplar St. and Ohio Ave. He is also known for construction the previous Montgomery County Courthouse in Dayton in 1845. Aside from construction, he was also the owner of the National Hotel housed in Sidney in the first frame building built by John Blake and established the first bank in town, although it never quite took off.
There was a significant amount of land purchased by John Carey in Dinsmore Township around 1833. He and several others built the first houses along what was then the toll road. A firm believer that the railroad would bring prosperity to this region, John was influential in directing the Dayton and Michigan Railroad be directed through that segment of Shelby County in 1856. A post office was established along the railroad and named “Carey’s Station” in his honor. John Carey later platted the village in 1858 and officially named it “Anna” after his beloved daughter. Her husband, Fletcher Thirkield, was in agreement as he and his brother John surveyed and recorded the village.
Sometime during the Civil War, John Carey moved back to Sidney. His grandson, Knox Cummins, was the only soldier from Shelby County to serve on the Confederate side. He passed away on June 16, 1877 at the age of 72 and is buried in Graceland Cemetery.