J. C. ISRAEL, a well-known agriculturist residing in section 2, Kirkwood township, Belmont County, Ohio, was born on his present farm Dec. 21, 1833.  He is a son of Robert and Mary (Taylor) Israel, and grandson of John Israel who was a civil engineer and laid out the town of Sewellsville.
     John Israel was born in England and came to the United States at an early age, settling in Maryland.  He came to Ohio in 1801, and with his brother-in-law, Nicholas Gazaway, entered section 2, Kirkwood township, in partnership, this farm having since remained in possession of the family.  On account of ill health he took a trip to the West Indies, and returned much benefited, but soon after died.  His wife, Rachel Clary, died on the home farm at the age of 82 years.  They had a family of 12 children, 11 of whom grew to maturity, but all have now passed away.
     Robert Israel was born on the home farm in 1806, and lived there until he retired from active business, then moved to Morristown, where he died in 1891.  He was a farmer and stock raiser and for a period of 20 years was a trustee of his township.  He was a member and elder of the Christian Church in Morristown.  He was an ardent Whig and later a Republican, favoring a vigorous prosecution of the Civil War.  He married Mary Taylor, whose father, Noble Taylor, was one of the best known men and largest land owners in the county at the time of his death, about the middle of the 19th century.  Mrs. Israel was born in 1810 and died in 1858.  To this union were born the following children: Sarah E., born in 1831 and died in 1868, was the wife of John M. Dickerson; J. C.; Noble J., born in 1836 and died in 1889; Clarissa A., wife of John M. Dickerson, resides in Muskingum County; and Joseph H.,  who died in 1876.
     J. C. Israel received his education in the district schools and has lived on the home farm all his life.  With his brother, Noble J., he entered the army under General Brooks and was called out to repel the Rebels, who sought to invade the Northern States from Canada.  They were in the service a period of 17 months and were with the regiment at Cleveland during Morgan's raid, and were sent as guards on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.  Our subject has some 363 acres of land, all well improved and underlaid with coal.  He raises stock and grain, his land averaging from 50 to 75 bushels of corn to the acres.  He has never had to buy grain with which to feed his stock.  He has served as land appraiser, was township assessor two years, and school director 12 years.  He was county commissioner six years, beginning in 1885, and acted in that capacity during the construction of the county buildings.
     In 1856, Mr. Israel was joined in marriage with Elizabeth A. Pryor, by whom he had one child, who died in infancy.  Mrs. Israel died in Feb., 1858, at the age of 22 years, and in 1860 he formed a second union with Sarah E. Skaggs, who died in 1869, leaving three children:  E. L., a farmer in Union township, who married Ella Landers and has four children - Roy, Hobart, Dewey and Lillian; Mattie, a twin of E. L., who died at the age of six months; and Robert, a pharmacist of Morristown, who married Mattie McCarrahan and has two children - John B. and Abbie.  In 1871 Mr. Israel married Maria G. Gregg, a daughter of Steven C. Gregg, county commissioner for many years, and they have two sons, Emmet G., of Oklahoma, who married Kate Hill, and Albert, of Texas.  Religiously our subject is an elder and member of the Christian Church.  He is probably the oldest Republican in the county, although not the oldest man.