Horace Rogers was born on November 18, 1827 on the Rogers Farm, located a few miles from Hudson, Ohio. He was one of five children born to Norman and Minerva (née Lusk) Rogers. Most of his adulthood was spent in Hudson, where he spent several years working as a farm laborer. As a farmer, Rogers owned more than 60 acres of land worth over $3,000 and over 40 animals worth $600.

Rogers was a sketch artist in his spare time and traveled to various states illustrating architecture and portraits for atlases. His art, most of which was created between 1875 and 1880, can be separated into three categories: watercolor florals and nature studies, dreamlike landscapes, and decorative designs.

In March 1875, he married a Canadian woman named Sarah Fox. The two were only married for six months before Sarah’s death in September of the same year. In his later years, Rogers lived with his younger brother, Edward, until his death on July 8, 1894.

The above information can be found on page 1 of the October 1979 issue of Ex Libris; page 898 of the Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens; and page 3 of the July 21, 1894 issue of the Akron Beacon Journal. The U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880; the US censuses from 1850 to 1870; and the Summit County, Ohio, U.S., Death Records, 1866-1908 can also be consulted.