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.BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield County,
Ohio
Illustrated - Published: New York and Chicago:
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company.
1902
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JESSE ALLEN
is a prosperous farmer of Fairfield county having more than
three hundred acres of land in Amanda township. His is a
valuable farm, attractive and pleasant in appearance, owing
to the well kept condition of buildings and fields. He was
born March 14, 1839, near Royalton, Ohio, and comes of an
old New England family. The following we copy from "Pioneer
Period and Pioneer People" of Fairfield County, published by
C. M. S. Wiseman: "The Alien family has been prominent in
Fairfield county for one hundred years. The pioneer, Dr.
Silas Allen, was a man of education and
character, and his descendants were numerous, and throughout
their long career have maintained the reputation of their
distinguished ancestors. Samuel Allen (the
first) came to America from Bridgewater, Somerset county,
England, in 1620, and settled in Braintree, Massachusetts.
His wife's name was Ann, but we can not give the
surname. Their son, Samuel (the second) was born in
1632. A daughter, Sarah, was born in 1639 and married
Joseph Standish, a son of Miles
Standish, of the Mayflower. This Samuel (the.
second) married Sarah Partridge. Their son,
Samuel (the third) was born in 1660.. He married
Rebecca Carey in 1685. Their son, Samuel (the
fourth), was born in 1686. Their son, Timothy, was
born in 1691 and was the grandfather of General
Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame. Rebecca
died in 1697 and Samuel (the third) married Mary
Alden, a daughter of Joseph, a son of
Captain John Alden, made famous by
Longfellow in Miles Standish, and the first
man to land on Plymouth Rock. To this union were born
children, namely: Joseph in 1701; Benjamin, in
1702; Mary, in 1704; Rebecca, in 1706;
Mathew, in 1708; and Seth, in 1710. This family
about the year 1727 moved to Connecticut and settled at
Norwich. Later they moved to Centerbury, Connecticut.
At Norwich Joseph Allen married Rebecca
Fuller, of Preston. Their son, Barnabus, was
born February 24, 1729, at Norwich. Barnabus married
Elizabeth Fuller, daughter of Randolph
Fuller, in 1752. Their son, Silas, was born in
1754. He was educated and studied medicine. He married
Mary Cleveland, daughter of Samuel
Cleveland, May 16, 1776. She was a fourth cousin of
Moses Cleveland, the founder of the city of
Cleveland, Ohio. She was also related to Grover
Cleveland's ancestors. Soon after their marriage, with
others of their family, Dr. Allen and wife
moved to Middletown, Vermont. Their children were: Samuel,
Jared, Rebecca, Anna, Elizabeth,
Benjamin, Annie, Jedadiah, who was born
in 1781; and Whiting in 1782.
In the year 1800 Dr. Silas Allen
with family and others, in all, forty, left Middletown,
Connecticut, for the west, intending to go as far
west as the Mississippi river. Arriving at Fairfield county,
they found the country on Tolby creek inviting and they
concluded to remain there and became permanent settlers. In
course of time Whiting and Benjamin Allen
moved with families to Delaware county, Ohio, where they
were prosperous and representative.
Whiting Allen married
Mahitable Searle, one of a family of the forty
emigrants mentioned. A descendant of this Searle
family married a daughter of George Ewing of
Iowa City, Iowa, and resides there in charge of a newspaper.
Amos S. Thomas, of Lancaster, Ohio, is a
great-grandson of Whiting Allen. Mrs.
Evira Meeker was a daughter of Lemuel Allen
and died aged ninety-three. Dr. Silas Allen
lived a useful life in his new home, reared and established
a family, and at the age of seventy-one years, September 7,.
1825, died. His body lies buried at Royalton.
Jedadiah Allen, the fourth son of Dr.
Silas and Mary (Cleveland) Allen,
and the grandfather of our subject, was born in Vermont, and
at an early age came with his parents to Ohio, locating upon
a farm in Amanda township, Fairfield county, that is now
occupied by our subject. Here he lived and; died devoting
his energies to agricultural pursuits, engaging in stock
raising on a very extensive scale. He was not only very
successful but was also one of the most prominent and
influential men of the community. He died at Royalton on the
5th of September, 1856, many friends mourning his loss while
the community chronicled the death of one of its leading:
representatives. He married Sarah Buil about
1803 and the children born to them were: Rachel, born
1809; Howard, born 1811; and Lyman, born 1813.
Rachel became the wife of Thomas Reber
and died near Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
The parents of our subject were Howard and
Sarah (Leist) Allen, the latter a
daughter of John Leist The former was born in
Amanda township, Fairfield county, and throughout his life
devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits. He died at
the comparatively early age of thirty-eight years. He was
quite prosperous and left his family in comfortable
circumstance?. He held membership in the Methodist church.
His widow survived him for many years, passing away on the
25th of June, 1895, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight
years, eleven months and six days. She was the mother of
seven children, of whom one died in infancy, while four are
yet liviing.
Jesse Allen was reared upon the old
family homestead, his youth being passed in a manner similar
to that of most boys of the period. He obtained his
education in the common schools of the district. His father
died when the son was only five years of age and Jesse Allen
then assisted his mother in the work of the home farm until
ht had attained his majority. He then started out upon an
independent business career and was employed as a farm hand
by the month for two years. He afterward purchased the farm
of Thomas Reber, in Amanda township,
consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, for which he paid
nine thousand five hundred dollars, and soon afterward he
sold this property for thirteen thousand five hundred
dollars. He next purchased the property upon which he now
lives, comprising one hundred and eighty-six acres, the
price being fifteen thousand dollars. He added to this until
he now has over three hundred acres of land under a very
high state of cultivation. Many improvements upon this farm
are an indication of his enterprise, capable management and
progressive spirit. His is indeed one of the model places of
the county and as the years pass it approaches more nearly
to perfection. He also owns a number of village lots in
Royalton. His time and attention have always been given to
general farming and stock raising and his thorough
understanding of the business, his adaptation of improved
methods to his work, and his unfaltering industry have
brought to him very gratifying prosperity.
At the time of the Civil war Mr. Allen joined
the army in 1864, as a member of Company I, One Hundred and
Fifty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hundred days
service, and was mustered out at Zanesville on the
expiration of his term. In his political views he is a
Republican and while firmly endorsing the principles of the
party has never been an office seeker, although he has held
a few minor positions. A prominent and consistent member of
the Methodist church, for a number of years he has been one
of its trustees.
No history of Mr. Allen could be complete without
mention of his estimable wife. He was married on the 30th of
December, 1869, to Elizabeth P. Strayer, who was born
in Royalton, Ohio, a daughter of Abram and Ellen M.
(Cross) Strayer. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania
and came to Ohio during the pioneer epoch in its history,
locating in Royalton, where he established a mercantile
store and carried on business along that line for many
years. His death occurred in Royalton September 19, 1866,
when he was aged fifty-seven years, nine months and
twenty-five days. His widow survived him for a long period,
passing away in 1902, at the very advanced age of
eighty-eight years. In their family were eight children,
four of whom are yet living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Allen
have been born but two children: Viola, born December
13, 1871, in Royalton, is now the wife of Leroy G.
Silbaugh. They were married September 17, 1895, by the
Rev. S. D. Priest. Mr. Silbaugh is an
attorney-at-law and the present mayor of the city of
Lancaster. They have two sons, Allen and John. Ralph
Allen, the only son
of our subject, was born in Royalton, August 3, 1873,
and now resides with his parents, carrying on the old home
farm. He is justly recognized as one of the progressive and
enterprising young business men of the county.
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 136 |
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IRA ASHBROOK
was born in Amanda township upon a farm noted for its well
kept appearance, being an indication of his careful
supervision and progressive methods of farming. His
birth occurred May 16, 1856, and he represents an old
Virginia family that was established in Fairfield county
when this section of the state was but just emerging from
primitive conditions. His paternal grandfather,
William Ashbrook, was a native of Virginia, and in that
state wedded Permelia Peters, who was also born in
the Old Dominion. Thinking that he might provide a
better home for his family and more readily acquire a
comfortable living in the newer districts of the west he
left his Virginia home and came to Ohio, Fairfield county
being his destination. He settled in Amanda township,
acquiring a tract of wild, unimproved land, and at once
began clearing away the timber in order to cultivate the
fields. As the years passed his labors bore to him
good crops and his financial resources were increased.
His home was in Amanda township. There, throughout his
remaining days, he carried on agricultural pursuits, but he
was called to his final rest at the comparatively early age
of forty-five years. His wife, however, long survived
him and reached the extreme old age of ninety-two years.
Among their children was William Ashbrook, the
father of our subject, whose birth occurred here on the old
family homestead. He too became a farmer. Early
in life he became familiar with all the duties and labors
that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. As the
years passed more and more of the farm work developed upon
him. He continued to make his home in Fairfield county
until 1885, when he removed to Pickaway county, spending his
last days in Ashville. He departed this life about two
years ago and the community lost one of its honored and
esteemed citizens, a man who was ever on the side of
progress and improvement. He never sought or desired
office, but was content to do his duty as a private citizen.
His political support was given to the Republican party and
he strongly endorsed its principles as best calculated to
serve the interests of the nation. He was supporter of
the Baptist church and his example was in many respects a
noble one. He married Nancy Hedges and her
death occurred about twelve years ago. She was born in
Pickaway county and was a devoted wife and mother. In
the family were seven children, the subject of this review
being the sixth in order of birth.
Ira Ashbrook spent his early boyhood days in a
manner not unusual to most boys of that period. He
enjoyed the pleasures of the playground, performed the
duties of the school-room and assisted in the work of
cultivating field and meadow on the old homestead farm.
To his father he gave the benefit of his services until he
had attained his majority, when he started out in life on
his own account. In 1882 he rented a farm which he
cultivated for two years, and then purchased the place
whereon he was born, a tract of one hundred and thirty-two
acres. Many improvements here found are the visible
evidences of his progressive spirit and his life of
activity. He is well known as a progressive
agriculturist and his reliability in all trade transactions,
and his course is dominated by an unflagging industry.
In 1882 occurred the marriage of Mr. Ashbrook
and Miss Ida Ann Hutchins, of
Amanda township, a daughter of Amos Hutchins,
who is one of the highly esteemed citizens of Fairfield
county. He makes his home upon a farm in Amanda township,
and it was in this township that his birth occurred January
11, 1834. His parents were John and Rebecca (Dysinger)
Hutchins, the former born in Maryland, whence he came to
Ohio at an early day, locating in Amanda township, Fairfield
county. Here he engaged in farming and stock-raising, and
throughout the remainder of his life made his home in Amanda
township, but three years ago he was called to his final
rest. He held the office of township treasurer for several
years and was a leading and influential citizen, worthy of
the highest regard of his fellow men. He became the owner of
four hundred and seventy-five acres of land, all of which he
placed under cultivation. His political support was given
the Democracy. His wife passed away some years previous to
the death of her husband. She was a native of Fairfield
county and a daughter of George Dysinger, one
of the honored and pioneer settlers of this portion of the
state. Amos Hutchins was one of a family of
six children, four of whom are yet living. He has also
resided in Fairfield county and to the public school system
he is indebted for the educational privileges which he
enjoyed. His farm training was received under his father's
direction on the old family homestead, and there he remained
until a short time before attaining his majority, when he
started out in. life upon his own account. He had no capital
with which to purchase land and for a number of years he
rented a farm, but at length, having acquired a considerable
sum of money, he purchased one hundred and seventy-five
acres of land, upon which he erected a large brick dwelling
house in 1882. He also made other substantial improvements,
and his is now one of the model. country homes of this
portion of the state. He exercises his right of franchise in
support of the men and measures of the Democracy, but the
honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for
him. Amos Hutchins married Lavina
Phillips, a daughter of Daniel Phillips,
of Pickaway county,. a prominent and progressive farmer, who
died there at an advanced age. Mrs. Hutchins
died upon the old home place in 1883.. She was a member of
the Lutheran church to which Mr. Hutchins also
belongs, and in her family life she was a most kind and
considerate wife and mother, finding her greatest happiness
in promoting the welfare and comfort of her husband and
children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins were born six
children: Henry died at the age of sixteen years.
Vallandingham died at the age of eighteen years.
Charles, a resident farmer of Licking county, Ohio,
married Minnie Williamson, of Amanda township,
a daughter of Jabez and Rebecca J.
(Harrison) Williamson, They had four children: Hazel,
Homer, Ida Ethel and Mary.
Ida is the wife of Ira Ashbrook, the
subject of this review. Isaac resides upon the old
home place, devoting his energies to farming. John is
associated with his brother in agricultural pursuits.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Ashbrook has been
blessed with four children: Edna L., Agnes B., Florence M.
and A. Raymond, all of whom were born) on the old
home farm and are still with their parents. Mr.
Ashbrook gives his political support to the Republican
party, and keeps well informed on the issues and questions
of the day, but has never been an office seeker. He supports
the Lutheran church and his hearty co-operation is given to
all measures that are for the general good. His name is a
synonym for integrity in business affairs, and throughout
the county of his nativity wherever he is known he is
greatly esteemed for his sterling worth and high moral
character.
Source:
A Biographical Record of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio
- Published: New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke
Publishing Company - 1902 - Page 118 |
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