Source:
Pioneer Period and Pioneer People of Fairfield Co., Ohio.
by C. M. L. Wiseman
Publ. F. J. Heer Printing Co., Columbus, O.  1901

Transcribed by Sharon Wick

TOBY TOWN - ROYALTON.
Pg. 120

     THERE are but few, if any, places in this county with a more interesting pioneer history than Royalton and the neighborhood.
     The early settlers were vigorous, intelligent, brainy men, and from earliest times it has been a noted, refined and intelligent community.
     William and Horatio Clark, it is believed, were the first settlers, along with W. Lane, father-in-law of H. Clarke.  They settled on Tobey creek, one mile northwest of the present village of Royalton, and near the Indian village of Tobey Town.  The date of their coming was in the year 1799. A family named Wintersteen came near the same time and settled on Sec. 32, of Bloom township. In the same year, month of November, Wilkinson Lane, of Pennsylvania, settled on Sec. 8, Amanda township, and in June, 1800, Thomas and Broad Cole, perhaps brothers, settled on the same section.  One of the family, Abraham Cole, was a school teacher.  Broad Cole was one of this family (we do not refer to the son of Thomas Cole, of that name, born in 1802) and was a tax payer in 1806.  Bishop Asbury preached in his cabin at 3 P. M. on a week day, in 1803, the first preaching west of Lancaster, O.  We cannot learn of any descendants of this Broad Cole, but that he lived here in 1803 and 1806 is unquestioned.  Broad Cole, son of Thomas, born in 1802, married a daughter of Samuel Peters and lived upon the old homestead at the " big spring."  His

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son, Thomas Cole, is a farmer in Amanda and an old school Baptist preacher.  In June, 1807, David Swope and William Long settled on Sec. 8.  In the year 1800 Dr. Silas Allen and his four sons, Whiting, Benjamin, Lemuel and Jedadiah, came and settled on Sec. 3.  The families of John Searle and Abner Burnet, came with them.  Subsequently, probably several years, Burnet moved to Meigs County, and Whiting and Benjamin Allen to Delaware County, Ohio.  Col. William Hamilton lived on Sec. 10 as early as 1810.  In that year he laid out Royalton for the Allens and upon their land.  The village was so named for a town or county in their old home in Vermont.  The first female child born in the new settlement was Eliza, daughter of Lemuel Allen.  She was known in later years as Mrs. Meeker, and lived beyond 93 years.  Dr. Silas Allen died in the year 1825.  The first school in the neighborhood was taught by Miss L. Case in 1810.  Lemuel Allen brought her from Granville, O.  The building used was a new stable.  The next school was taught by Warren Case, of Granville.  In 1812 Henry Calhoun taught the school.  In 1810 the Rev. Hoag, of Columbus, a Presbyterian, preached in Lemuel Allen's house.  This was the first preaching in the neighborhood except that of Bishop Asbury in 1803, the house of Broad Cole.  Lemuel Allen kept the first hotel or tavern, Jacob Bush kept the first store in the new town.  In 1814 the Methodists organized a society — which still flourishes.
     Stephen Cole built the first mill and carding machine on Cole's run.
     Richard Hooker was an early settler in the neighborhood on Sec. 19.  Richard Hooker was for years a Justice of the Peace.  In September, 1817.  Elder Eli

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Ashbrook and Elder Jacob Tharp organized the Turkey Run Baptist Church.  Their meetings were held in Hooker's school house as late as 1838.
     Elder Ashbrook died in Licking Count, January, 1877, aged 96 years.
     Valentine Reber and wife came from Berks County, Pa., in 1805 and purchased Sec. 10, where he lived and reared a very large family.  A talented family, widely known and highly esteemed.
     David Swope came to this county from Huntington county, Pa., in the year 1801.  His son, Thomas Swope, was born in the year 1801.  He lived upon the old home during his life.
     Thomas Swope was a very substantial and highly esteemed citizen and left a good name as the heritage of his children.
     His son, Felix, resides upon the old Cole place and his sister upon the home farm of Daniel Swope.  Jacob Swope lives in Missouri, Thomas at Reynoldsburg, O., Abner R. at Bloomingsville, Fayette County, O.  Samuel
lives in Wood County, O.
     Joseph Clement was an early merchant of Royalton, We cannot give the date of his coming.  He brought his family to Royalton from New Jersey, of which state he was a native.  His sons were Charles, Joseph W. and Wm. L. A daughter married George Creed, Sr., and after the death of Creed she married James M. Pratt.  Mary, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Creed, Sr., married Governor Lowe, of California.       William L. Clement, a son-in-law of Valentine Reber, was a merchant for many years in Royalton and did a thriving business.  This was between the years 1840 and 1880.  His second wife was a daughter of Dr. Reber, of Brandon, Miss., a niece of his first wife.

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     Ezra Schleich was a merchant of Royalton about 1835 to 1840.  Samuel Busby lived there as early as 1826 and '27 and then his son, J. T. Busby, was born.  Busby removed to Baltimore where he and a brother-in-law.  Fetter, started a store in 1820.
     Alfred McVeigh taught school there prior to 1840 and was a justice of the peace up to the time of his election as county auditor.
     John D. Schleich lived there a few years, and there Col. Newton Schleich attended school.
     Next to Dr. Silas Allen, Dr. Ezra Clarke was an early physician of Royalton.  He came there from Vermont.  He was father-in-law of Dr. Miner, of Lithopolis.  He came to Lancaster to live in 1823.  He died in the year 1830 and was buried in Zane Cemetery.  Dr. Rogers, from Vermont, practiced in Royalton in 1830.
     Dr. M. Z. Kreider lived in Royalton a few years, but came to Lancaster about 1832 or 1833.  Dr. Paul practiced medicine in Royalton for a number of years and died there.  He had one or two daughters and three or four sons.  Joseph H. Clements married his oldest daughter.  They moved to Illinois where the wife was accidentally burned to death and Clements died of disease.  Dr. Paul sent for the children and brought them up in Royalton.  The oldest son, Joseph Clements, married a daughter of Professor Freed.  Dr. Frisbie lived for some years in Royalton.  He had two daughters.  One of them married Edward Hay.  They moved to Hancock county.  Dr. Frisbie, in his old age, went to live with them and died there.  Paul and Frisbie were Vermonters.  Dr. Frisbie married a second wife.  She lived in Middletown, Vt., and was the widow of Orion Clarke, an attorney of Middle

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town, during his life.  He brought his bride to Royalton and her two sons, W. C. and Arthur.   W. C. Clarke, who died but recently, married a daughter of Dr. Miner, of Lithopolis.

JUDGE BEATTY

     John Beatty, who was born and reared near Colfax, married Delilah, daughter of Nicholas Beery, Jr., and moved to the Tent in Pleasant township, where he operated a tannery.  There, in 1836, May 8, their son, James H. Beatty, was born.  About the year 1840 he moved to Royalton, Ohio, where he was a tanner, merchant and stock dealer until the year 1857, when he moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  James H. graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1858 and then joined his parents in Iowa, where he studied law.
     In 1872 he went to Utah and served some years as U. S. attorney.  In 1882 he moved or located in Bois City, Idaho.  For ten years past he has been United States District Judge for the Pacific slope, residing in Bois City.  At this writing his parents are both dead.  His grandmother was a sister of Frederick Sites as is the wife of the late Dr. Luke Helmick, of Baltimore, Ohio.
     Dr. E. L. Miner was born in Middletown, Vermont, June 9, 1797.  He was educated at Castleton College and graduated there in 18 18. He then studied medicine, and moved to Royalton, Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1820.
     In the year 1825 he moved to Centerville, now Lithopolis, where he lived an honorable and useful life for 45 years.
     He was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church of Lithopolis and the organizer of the Sunday

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School.  Dr. Miner was during his life a prominent and useful man.
     The state of Vermont gave to Fairfield County a number of good men, beside Dr. Miner, Dr. Ezra Clarke, Dr. Silas Allen and his four sons, Dr. Torrence, E. B. Merwin an attorney, and Dr. Paul.  William Slade, son of Ex-Governor Slade, was an attorney of Lancaster.  Dr. Rogers and Dr. Frisbie.
     Other New England states gave us Beecher, Schofield, Sherman, Creed, Foster, Converse, Peck, Whitman, Dr. Hyde, Pennsylvania, McCracken, Kreider and Sanderson.  New York gave us Stanery, Clark and Brasee.  Virginia gave us Thos. Ewing and judge Irvin.  All bright, brilliant, educated men, who were chiefly instrumental in establishing the civilization we now enjoy.

JOHN HUMRIGHOUS

     For 55 years Mr. Humrighous was an undertaker of Royalton — in that time he buried 2,500 people, within a radius of ten miles.  At the time of his death in 1893 he was the second oldest undertaker in the United States.  He was born on the Huston farm near Royalton in 1811.  He married Magdaline Wagner near Carroll, Ohio.
     They were the parents of five children.  Their daughter Mary Ann married H. S. Smith, of Bloom township.
     John W. married Mary Ann Reber, daughter of Thomas Reber.  He is now a retired farmer of Shelbyville, Ill.  Irvin married Mary Allen and moved to Shelbyville, Ill.
     Lewis married Ellen Murry, Henry married Mary E. Strayer.  Henry and Lewis live upon the old home place and carry on their father's old business.

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THE ALLEN FAMILY

     The Allen 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 ancestor.  Samuel Allen (the first) came to America from Bridgewater, Somerset County, England, in 1620, and settled in Baintree, 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, 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 six children, viz.: Joseph, in 1701, Benjamin, in 1702, Mary, in 1704, Rebecca, in 1706, Matthew, in 1708, Seth, in 1710.  This family, about the year 1727, moved to Connecticut, and settled at Norwich, later they moved to Centerbury, Conn.  At Norwich, Joseph Allen married Rebecca Fuller, of Preston.  Their son, Barnabas, was born Feb. 24, 1729, at Norwich.  Barnabas married Elizabeth Fuller, daughter of Randolph Fuller, in 1752.  Their son, Silas, was born in 1754.  He was educated and studied medicine.

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     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 Lemuel, Jared, Rebecca, Anna, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Jedadiah, who was born in 1781, and Whiting, born in 1782.
     In the year 1800, Dr. Silas Allen, with his family and several neighbors, in all forty persons, left Middletown, Vermont, for the West, intending to go as far as the Mississippi river.  Arriving in Fairfield County, they found the country on Tobey creek so inviting that they concluded to remain there and become permanent settlers.  In the course of time Whiting and Benjamin Allen moved with their families to Delaware County, Ohio, where they were prosperous and respected people.
     Whiting Allen married Mahitable Searle, one of a family, of the 40 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, is a great-grandson of Whiting Allen.  Mrs. Eliza Meeker was a daughter of Lemuel Allen, and died aged 93 years.  Dr. Silas Allen lived an exemplary and useful life in his new home, reared and established his family, and at the age of 71 years, Sept. 7, 1825, departed this life.  His body was buried in the grave yard at Royalton.
     Jedadiah Allen, fourth son of Dr. Allen and Mary Cleveland, married Sarah Bull, about the year 1803.

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Their children were, Rachel, born 1809, Howard, born in 1811, Lyman born in 1813.  Rachel became the wife of Thomas Reber, and died near Upper Sandusky, Ohio.  Howard married a daughter of John Leist.  He was a farmer and successful in business.  He was the father of John and Jesse Allen, who now live on the old Allen homestead.  Howard was the father of Sarah, widow of the late Henry Reber;  Mrs. L. J. Silbaugh is a granddaughter.  Lyman Allen married Eliza, daughter of Valentine Reber, in 1836, and spent his life amid the scenes of the early struggles of his pioneer ancestor.  His children were Charles, Clinton and Mary, now dead; and Flavins, born in 1842.  Magdalene born in 1844, Elnora born in 1846, Ethel born in 1848.  Valentine Reber, born in 1851, Rachel born in 1853. and died June 22, 1860, Olive, born in 1858.  Lyman Allen died Nov. 16, 1894.
     Jedadiah Allen was one of the best known men of Amanda township.  He was a fine business man, full of energy and industry, and accumulated a large estate, a part of which he bequeathed to the "Ohio Wesleyan University."  The late Jacob Beck was his executor.  Jedadiah died Sept. 5, 1856, at his modest home in Royalton.
     Valentine Reber Allen married Effie Courtright in the year 1877.  She was a daughter of Zephenia Courtright, one of the prominent and well known men of Fairfield County.
     Their children are Pearl, now deceased, Eugene Huber, Effie Marie and Mary Etta.
     V. R. Allen is one of the respected farmers and citizens of Greenfield township.
     Dr. Hogue, Presbyterian, of Columbus, held services at an early day in the home of Lemuel Allen.

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So far as known, however, the family are now and have been for three-quarters of a century, Methodists.  There are many families in this county connected by blood or marriage with old historic American families, and none more prominently so, than the Allen family.  Harding and Jerome Allen were sons of Lemuel.  They both moved to Delaware County, Ohio, and later Jerome moved to Shelbyville, Illinois.

COLE BROTHERS

     Thomas Cole, and a brother, Broad Cole, came to Fairfield County in the year 1801, and settled in Amanda Township.  They came from Huntington County, Penn.
     Broad Cole was a Methodist, and Bishop Asbury, on his first journey to Ohio in 1803, preached at his cabin in the afternoon of a week day.
     Mr. Broad Cole did not remain many years in this county, but moved to Pickaway County, where he died and was buried.
     His son Shadrick was a man of some prominence and was a Methodist preacher of local reputation.  A son of Shadrick Cole moved to Nebraska.  Thomas Cole, born Mar. 15. 1757, was one of the prominent early citizens of Amanda Township, and he lived there during his life.  His son Broad Cole married a daughter of Samuel Peters and lived and died upon the farm now owned by Felix Swope.  His son Thomas Cole of Amanda Township is one of the intelligent and worthy men of the township and an old school Baptist preacher of more than local reputation.