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BIOGRAPHIES
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)
HISTORY OF
BELMONT and JEFFERSON COUNTIES,
OHIO,
AND
INCIDENTALLY HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
PERTAINING TO
BORDER WARFARE AND THE EARLY SETTLEMENT
of the
ADJACENT PORTION OF THE OHIO VALLEY,
By J. A. Caldwell
with Illustrations
Assistant, G. G. Nichols
Managing Editor, J. H. Newton
(Assistant, A. G. Sprankle.
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WHEELING, W. VA.
PUBLISHED BY THE HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
1880
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Barnesville -
WILLIAM REED - The Reeds are of Irish extraction.
The grandfather of William migrated from Ireland and located
in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1835, at teh age of
eighty. William was born near Hookstown, Beaver county,
Pennsylvania, in 1812. His parents were Alexander and Mary
Reed, nee Lance. Alexander was a
farmer, who removed to a portion of Richland county, now a part of
Ashland county, Ohio, in 1815, then to Wayne county, Ohio, and
finally to Koscinsko county, Indiana, where he died in 1861, at the
age of eighty. He was twice married; first to Mary Lance
who died when William was an infant, and second to
Cassander Keyes, who is living though over ninety years of age,
in Kosciusko county, Indiana.
William, when a boy of sixteen, went to Wooster,
Ohio, to live with William Larwell. After remaining one
year he became a member of Hon. Benjamin Jones' family of the
same locality, with whom he was associated for four years. He
then removed to Noblestown, Washington county, Pennsylvania, where
he commenced to learn under the direction of his brother John,
the "art and mytery of shoemaking." The latter removing
form Noblestown, William sought his way to Cannonsburg, in
the same county, where he completed his service and remained three
years. His subsequent removals were: to Wheeling, remaining
one year; Fallstown (later known as Beaver Falls) where he married
Eliza, daughter of William and Cassander Grafton,
three years; Little Pittsburg, Wayne county, Ohio, one year;
Richmond, Jefferson, Ohio, seven years; Burlington, Iowa, twelve
days; Pomeroy, Meigs county, Ohio, one year; Richmond, Ohio, one
year; Peru, MIami county, Indiana, twenty-eight days; Leesburg,
Carroll county, Ohio, five months and arrived in Barnesville in the
spring of 1845. In all these years he was engaged in his
trade, and he is to-day the proprietor of an extensive boot and shoe
store at Barnesville. He has served in the council several
terms and has been identified for many years with the Methodist
Episcopal church, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
His wife died in 1875, at the age of sixty-two. He was again
married in 1877 to Mrs. Eliza Worthington, nee Lynn,
widow of Dr. Wm. McK. Worthington. His children were
Wesley, (deceased) John W., Wm. McK., Adaline,
deceased, B. P. Menander and Emeline. The latter
is married to Dr. H. W. Baker, Mayor of Barnesville.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 328 |
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Knox Twp. -
PARKS REX, M. D., was born in Jefferson
county, Sept. 6, 1851, where he grew to manhood and received his
education. In 1875 he commenced the study of medicine with
John McCarrel, M. D., of Wellsville, Ohio, where he remained
three years, but during this time he attended lectures at the
Cleveland Medical College, graduating in the spring of 1878.
Commenced practicing at Knoxville soon after leaving college.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 588 |
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Barnesville -
G. V. RIDDLE
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 335 |
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St. Clairsville -
MICHAEL RIDGERS. Resided at Uniontown,
Wheeling township. He was a devoted Mason and a humanitarian.
He often made the expression that he was "devoted to his God and
humanity." It was said he had a particular spot where he
resorted for meditation. While here, one morning in deep
reflection, he was impressed rather strangely that he ought to go to
St. Clairsville. He had no rest until he started. As he
entered the town he heard the cry of fire. A stable standing
at the foot end of the lot where the National Hotel building stands,
then owned by John Carter, was on fire. He hastened to
the spot, and through his exertions prevented the fire from
spreading, at the great peril of his life. All had forsaken
the roof when he mounted it, called for water, and thereby saved the
house; the stale was consumed. It was thought that had it not
been for the bravery and exertion of this one man, the east end of
St. Clairsville would have been destroyed. In his efforts to
prevent the spreading of the flames his clothing was so soiled that
a new suit was furnished him by the people. He returned to his
home feeling that he had done a good day's work. This
circumstance was often talked of the many years afterwards,
referring to Ridgers with feelings of gratefulness. He
subsequently removed to the far west.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 231 |
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Mead Twp. -
RICHARD L. RILEY was born in Virginia, Sept. 25, 1777.
Obtained a limited education, and when quite young was bound out to
learn the carpenter trade, at which he served ten years. In
1800 he migrated to Wheeling, where he remained about three years,
working at his trade. In 1803, he came to Belmont county,
locating in Pultney, which was then the county seat, and took
contracts for erecting buildings. In 1807 he married Miss
Elizabeth Day, who was born in 1788. Their union resulted
in ten children, four sons and six daughters, seven of whom are
living. After his marriage he located on the river hill,
opposite Kate's Rock, and there remained till March, 1813. He
then purchased a far in section 1, where he resided till his death,
which occurred at the age of eighty-three; his wife died, aged
eighty-five. They were consistent members of the old Wegee M.
E. Church.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 393 |
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Mead Twp. -
SAMUEL RILEY, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, Oct. 14,
1810. After receiving a limited education, he learned the
carpenter trade with his father, and has followed that in connection
with farming. In 1830 he went with Samuel Day on a
trading expedition down the river to New Orleans, by which he made
$150. With this money he purchased a tract of land in section
7, Mead township, on which he began improvements. Aug. 18,
1831, he married Miss Elizabeth Myers, who was born Mar. 4,
1809. Their union resulted in eight children, three sons and
five daughters; five are living. In 1833 he and his wife
united with the old Wegee M. E. Church, being among the first
members when the class was organized, and have been constant workers
since that time. He has filled the office of township clerk,
assessor, trustee and constable. He is still living on the
farm where he settled when he married.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 393 |
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Martin's
Ferry -
GEORGE ROBINSON, was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania,
Dec. 31, 1846. When only fifteen years of age, he enlisted as
a private in the 30th P. V. I., company A, and served one year.
After his return from the war, he remained in Pennsylvania but one
year, and then came to Martin's Ferry. Mr. Robinson
learned the trade of a blacksmith, with John Fisher, served
an apprenticeship of three years, and then worked several years for
Mr. Spence, and other manufacturers, and then began labor in
the Excelsior Glass Factory, where he remained seven years. In
1877 he began work in a shop of his own, on Hanover street, where he
is still to be found faithfully performing all kinds of work that
men of his trade have to perform. He is a skillful workman,
and largely patronized by many of the manufacturing establishments
of Martin's Ferry and Wheeling. On July 12, 1867, he married
Jennie Pennington, of Martin's Ferry.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 304 |
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Pultney
Twp. -
JOHN R. ROBINSON. - Born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1829, and
removed to Pittsburgh in 1844, where he commenced learning the iron
business in Grafton & Lindsley's mills. He worked there some
two years and then went to New York city for a time; thence to
Wheeling; worked in the Belmont Iron Works when they first started;
was engaged in the La Belle mills as manager and otherwise for
twenty years. He married Sarah J. Oxley in 1850.
In 1865 he purchased the McMurry farm, on McMahon's
creek, two miles west of Bellaire, and has since been engaged in
farming and gardening. Owns 72 acres of rich ground, with good
buildings, fruit, &c.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 283 |
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Barnesville -
C. R. ROWANS
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 334 |
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St. Clairsville -
HON. BENJAMIN RUGGLES - United States Senator
and second President Judge of the Third Circuit of Ohio, was born at
Woodstock, Windham county, Connecticut, Feb. 21, 1782. This
town was originally named Roxburry. His father was a farmer in
moderate circumstances, who intended that his son should be educated
for the ministry. This intention was thwarted by the loss of
his property. He became surety for a neighbor and by the
default of the latter his means were all swept away. He died
when Benjamin was eight years old, leaving his family in
straightened circumstances. Benjamin studied at the
Brooklyn Academy, and after his graduation from this institution he
read law with Judge Peters, of Hartford, Connecticut, and was
admitted to the bar of that city. In 1807 he moved to Ohio
settling in Marietta, Washington County, where he pursued with great
success the practice of his profession. His profound learning,
his skill and care as a counsellor, his power for rapid analyzation
and conclusive argument at once commanded not only professional but
public attention, and he carved his way quickly to the front rank of
the jurists of the day. In 1810 he he was elected by
the Republicans in the Legislature to succeed Calvin Peas as
President Judge of the Third Circuit, and was the second incumbent
of that judicial office. shortly after he moved from Marietta
to St. Clairsville, and in the year 1812 he went to Connecticut,
where he was married and brought his wife to Ohio. She died in
1817 and in 1825 he was again married. He lacked the gifts of
an orator and failed to make that impression of substantial ability
as successfully in open court as in chambers. He was not
distinguished as an advocate, but as a consulting attorney he had,
perhaps, few superiors in the country. In 1815 he was elected
by the Legislature to the United States Senate and resigned the
office of Judge after having ably filed it for five years to enter
upon his new duties. Being very popular with his large
constituency in Ohio he was twice re-elected to the United States
Senate, and during his career in that body he rendered valuable if
not brilliant services both to his state and the nation. He
was president of the caucus held in Washington that nominated
William H. Crawford, of Georgia, for the Presidency at the time
when Clay, Adams and Jackson were in the field.
At that period Martin Van Buren and Judge Ruggles were
political friends; and quite an extensive correspondence was carried
on between them during the campaign. The Judge was for a long
time Chairman of the Committee on Claims in the United States
Senate, and was favorably spoken of in 1840 for the Vice Presidency,
being strongly supported by several journals throughout the country.
When fifty years of age he retired from political life and gave his
attention to his farm and more especially to the cultivation of
fruit. He was instrumental in introducing to the growers of
that section some of the choicest varieties.
Source: History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio,
Publ. at Wheeling, W. Va., by the Historical Publishing Company -
1880 - Pg. 239 |
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