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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History
of
Athens County, Ohio
And Incidentally
of the Ohio Land Company
and the First Settlement of the State at Marietta
with personal and biographical sketches of the early
settlers, narratives of pioneer adventures, etc.
By
Charles M. Walker
"Forsam et hćc olim
meminisse juvabit." - Virgil.
Publ. Cincinnati:
Robert Clarke & Co.
1869.
< BACK TO
1869 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
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DAVID DAILEY.
The first person who settled in what is now Rome township was
David Dailey, a veteran soldier of the revolution, and decidedly
"a character." Born in Vermont in 1750, he removed to western
New York after his discharge from the army, and thence to
Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, whence he migrated in the year 1797 to
the northwestern territory. With his family, consisting of two
daughters and five sons, of whom Benonah H. Dailey, of
Carthage township (the youngest son), is now the sole survivor, he
came down the Ohio river in a pirogue to the mouth of the
Hockhocking, and up that stream to the mouth of Federal creek, where
he at once opened up a farm. The place on which he settled is
now known as the Beebe farm.
Around him was an unbroken wilderness. The
nearest neighbors were at the settlement at Athens, about twelve
miles distant. Parties of Indians were frequently seen on
hunting excursions, or on their way to Wheeling to barter their
furs. Having lived about three yeas on the farm first settled
by him, he sold it to Elijah Hatch, and, with his family,
removed to Carthage township. Dailey was a famous
hunter, fond of the exciting sports of pioneer life, and cultivated
a sort of contempt for the comforts and conveniences of
civilization. With his dogs and hunting equipments, and with a
dead bear or deer on his back, homeward bound, he was as happy as a
king. The story of his many rencounters with wolves, bears,
and panthers, after settling in Athens county, would form an
interesting narrative, and graphically illustrate the excitements of
pioneer life. Our informant says:
"I exceedingly regret that some of these stories, which
I have heard him relate, are so blurred in memory that I find it
impossible to reproduce them. And, then, the old man told them
with such a peculiar zest that much would unavoidably be lost
in a repetition. His imperturbable gravity, the immobility of
his countenance, even when uttering a dry joke or relating an
amusing anecdote, at which the bystanders were in a perfect roar of
laughter, were wonderful. Yet I have often seen his eyes fill
with tears at a tale of suffering. Even in relating the death
of a favorite dog - Piper - belong to a fellow huntsman, the tears
would start. He assisted in burying the dog with 'military
honors,' on the bank of a branch now bearing the dog's name."
Captain Chittenden, afterward governor of
Vermont, commanded the company in which Dailey served during
the revolutionary war. Several years after he came to Ohio to
live, Dailey applied for a pension, and walked all the way to
Vermont to obtain, from his old captain, the necessary certificate
and vouchers. After his return to the west he would often
relate, with much gusto, the hearty greetings and warm welcome he
received from the governor, and, during his stay of several days,
remembered to have particularly relished hte governor's "cognac."
The old man was exceedingly severe in his criticisms on
St. Clair's disastrous campaign against the Indians, in 1791.
It so happened, on one occasion, that St. Clair, while governor of
the northwestern territory, in passing across the country, called at
Dailey's cabin in Rome, to obtain refreshments for himself
and horse. Dailey's cabin in Rome, to obtain
refreshments for himself and horse. Dailey's larder,
however, was exhausted, and, though full of hospitality, he could do
little or nothing for the hungry governor, who was compelled to
press on to Athens, where he arrived very much exhausted and very
hungry. The incident worked on his mind to such a degree,
vexing him more the ore he dwelt upon it, that he threatened to send
Dailey out of the territory - declaring that he would not
have such a shiftless man within his jurisdiction. This,
Dailey pretty soon heard of. Not long afterward the
governor met Dailey in "Southtown" (Alexander), and thought
it a good opportunity to at least administer a sound reprimand for
his delinquency as an agriculturist, and commenced with, "Well,
Mr. Dailey, how do you succeed in farming at the mouth of
Federal creek?" Dailey, assuming an unusual amount of
solemn gravity, replied: "Pretty d___d poorly, as you did fighting
the Indians; but I think the difference, if any, is on my side, for,
being born without a shirt, I have made out to hold my own
till the present time, which is an almighty sight better than you
did." The governor let Dailey alone after that.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 502 |
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JOSEPH DANA, born at Ipswich, Massachusetts, in
1768, was educated at Dartmouth college and graduated in 1788. He intended
to pursue the ministry, but owing to delicate health did not carry out
this purpose; he subsequently studied and qualified himself for the
practice of the law. He served some time in the Massachusetts legislature,
but his health continuing frail, he resolved to leave New England. In 1817
he removed west and settled at Athens, where he at first engaged in the
practice of law. Though never a ready speaker, Mr. Dana was a thorough
lawyer and fine special pleader—a branch of the practice necessarily more
cultivated in those days than now. About two years after coming here he
was elected professor of languages in the university—a position for which
he was admirably qualified by his fine scholarship and intellectual
habits. His connection with the university continued till 1835 when the
infirmities of age led him to resign his position.
Professor Dana was an accomplished scholar and cultivated gentleman. He
was, for many years, an elder in the Presbyterian church here, and a lofty
intellectuality pervaded his religion and all his modes of thought. He
died November 18th, 1849. His sons, Joseph M. Dana, Daniel S. Dana, Capt.
William Henry Dana, U. S. N., and others of his descendants are well known
in this community.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 291 |
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NEHEMIAH
DAVIS, "Elder Davis," a native of Maine, came to
Marietta in November, 1797, lived in Washington county several
years, and removed to Dover township in 1808. While living in
Washington county Elder Davis organized a Baptist church,
believed to be the first Baptist church in Ohio. He died Aug.
23, 1823. Some of his descendants are living in the county,
and a granddaughter married Colonel James H. Goodman,
present state auditor of Ohio.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 470 |
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GULLIVER
DEAN, born in Norton, Bristol county, Massachusetts, Aug. 9,
1772, came to Athens county with his father's family in the year
1815. In 1818 he married Miss Mary Cutler, second
daughter of Judge Ephraim Cutler. He settled in Ames
township where he still resides, and where his family are well known
and highly respected.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 433 |
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In 1815 NATHAN DEAN, with his family, mostly grown,
of six sons and three daughters, came to this county from Norton, Bristol
county, Massachusetts. The young people all settled here, and raised
respectable families in subsequent life. Three of them, William, Gulliver,
and John N. Dean, made the brick, in the summer of 1816, for the central
building of the Ohio university in Athens, and later, in 1835, one of
them, John N. Dean, made the brick for the two additional or wing
buildings of the university. The eldest of the family, afterward Colonel
Nathan Dean, settled near Amesville, in the eastern part of the county,
and died much respected in the year 1839.
At the time this family left Massachusetts, in 1815, the manufactures of
the country were only so far advanced, that, in making nails their heads
were made singly by hand, and these brothers had worked considerably at
heading nails by hand before coming to Ohio. One of their ancestors, James
Leonard, is believed to have been the first man that manufactured iron in
America, and a son of his, Jonathan Leonard, the first to manufacture
steel. Jonathan went to England and feigned to be simple, in order to get
work in an establishment manufacturing steel, and thus gained the
knowledge which the English were studiously endeavoring to conceal from
the artisans of other countries. Upon his return the firm of "Leonard &
Kinsley" successfully engaged in the production of steel in this country.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 293 |
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About 1814 JAMES
and THOMAS DEW, brothers, came to Athens county with their
parents, from Maryland and made permanent settlements. James
settled just outside of the present limits of Trimble township.
Several of his sons, including Dr. J. S. Dew and Mr. Henry
C. Dew, now live in Trimble.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 524 |
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JAMES DICKEY
was born of Irish parents in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Sept. 3, 1788,
came to the northwestern territory with his father's family in 1798
and settled first in Washington county. When a young man Mr.
Dickey was employed as a post rider to carry the mail on
horseback, between Marietta and Chillicothe, a distance of about one
hundred miles. Between 1806 and 1814 he was variously engaged
in the mail service, sometimes as a sub contractor, but always doing
the riding of one hand himself. At that time the mail service
in this section was one of great hardship and frequently of danger,
as the numerous streams along the route, all destitute of bridges,
were often swollen and had to be crossed at the peril of life.
From 1812 to 1814, during the war with Great Britain, the great East
and West mail was sent over this route, the bag being sometimes
nearly filled with government dispatches alone. The riders
(three in number), each made one round trip a week from Marietta to
Chillicothe and return, regardless of weather and of all obstacles.
Mr. Dickey once swam the creek near Amesville in the night,
running great risk and getting the mail thoroughly wet. On
reaching John Brown's in Ames, one of his regular stopping
places, he spent a short time drying the mail bag before the fire
and then went on in the darkness.
During the war the contract required the mail to be
carried at the rate of five miles an hour, and the government
enforced the condition rigorously. Mr. Dickey became
noted for his energy and fidelity in fulfilling his mail contracts
and in this as in all other respects, established a reputation for
strict integrity and rare business capacity. At one of his
stations on the route he had a rest of about two hours once a week,
and this was usually spent by him in hunting. He often killed
one and sometimes two deer, or perhaps several wild turkeys, if they
were soonest found, and brought them in for the family with whom he
boarded, and received credit for the game on his board account; in
this way he paid nearly his whole board and horse keeping at this
station.
In 1815 Mr. Dickey married Betsy,
daughter of Samuel Brown, and bought a small farm near Mr.
Brown's, eight miles west of Marietta, where he lived till he
removed to Bern. He came to Bern in 1821 and settled on
Sharp's form where he opened a large farm, where he lived about
thirty-four hears and reared a family of three sons and two
daughters. His house in Bern became a favorite and noted
stopping place for travelers and there are many who still remember
his hospitality and good cheer. Mr. Dickey never sought
office or notoriety; he however served as county commissioner and
township trustee at different times. In 1852 or '3, after his
wife's death, he disposed of his farm in Bern among his sons, and a
few yeas later went to live with his son Mr. A. S. Dickey, in
McConnellsvile, where he died June 12, 1862.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 436 |
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WILLIAM S. DOAN
came from New England to Washington county in 1806, to Athens county
in 1813, and settled in Rome about 1820. He was an industrious
farmer and a good citizen. Several of his descendants now live
in the township. Mr. Charles Doan is a grandson of his.
Source: History of Athens County, Ohio - By Charles M.
Walker, Publ. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869 - Page 518 |
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