James Latimer Price was born near the village of New Hagerstown, Orange Township, Carroll County, Ohio on March 27, 1840.

[2] Price was admitted to the bar at Cadiz, and opened an office in Carrollton, where he practiced until the spring of 1865.

He was elected and served one term as Prosecuting Attorney of Carroll County, and then moved to Van Wert, where he formed a partnership with Judge I.D.

In 1868, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Van Wert County and served three terms.

He acquired a large practice, and decided to remove to the thriving city of Lima in 1883.