KUTH, BYRON D. (ca. 1895 - 18 July 1965) was a prominent lawyer and owner of one of the country's finest harness racing stables. His horses toured the Grand Circuit and were world record holders, winning numerous trotting championships and taking top purses at leading tracks.
Born in New Paris, Ohio, to James and Mae (Potts) K., Kuth received his A.B. from Earlham College (IN) in 1917 and his LL.B. from WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY Law School in 1921.
Kuth began practicing in Cleveland. He was special counsel for the Ohio Delinquent Tax Commission and instrumental in preparing Ohio's 1936 "Gallagher Act" which aided cities facing bankruptcy. Kuth was solicitor for several Cuyahoga County suburbs and succeeded in voiding millions of dollars in unpaid assessments and penalties imposed on residential lots during wholesale foreclosure actions of the Depression.
During the 1940's Kuth began developing his 60-acre Merrie Meadows farm in Chesterland into a racing establishment with facilities for training stables, a small track, and a breeding stable. At one time Kuth had 22 racing trotters and pacers, with the prize horse being Merrie Annabelle, called the fastest two-year-old trotting filly that ever lived and valued at $150,000.
Kuth was an official and general counsel of the United States Trotting Association.
Kuth married Florence Porter on 26 Aug. 1919 (div. 1939). They had two children: James and Mrs. Joanne Patterson. On 10 Oct. 1939 Kuth married Vivian Carney. They had no children. Kuth is buried in New Paris.