THE GRAHAM FAMILY.  About the year 1774, John and William Graham, with their families, left County Down, Ireland, near Belfast, and undertook the journey to America.  A long and tedious voyage of sixteen weeks intervened between the time they left the shores of their native county and their arrival in New York city.  They made a settlement in Washington county, New York, near the present village of Shushan, at that time called Sodom.  Here they joined what is known as the Seceders' church, of which William Graham was made elders.  John Graham had one son, also named John, and two daughters, all of whom settled in western  New York.
     William Graham and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary McBurney, lost several of their children during their long voyage, and after settling in America they had four more born to them, - John, George, Nancy, and Jane  In 1817, the entire family emigrated to Ohio, and made a settlement in Truro township, where William Graham and his son soon died.
     Their son, George, married Anna Cowden, of Cambridge, New York, in December, 1799.  He was born June 2, 1777, in Salem, Washington county, New York, and his wife, June 30, 1779,  Pelham, Massachusetts.  To them were born twelve children, as follows:  William G., James, John, Sarah, Susan, Mary, Ann, Levi, Isaac, Nancy, and Amos  His wife's sister, Margaret Cowden, accompanied them in their journey to Ohio, in 1817.  They traveled eight weeks, in a two-horse wagon, before reaching their destination, in Truro township, Franklin county, where Mr. Graham bought two hundred and seven acres of land, located a mile and a quarter northeast of Reynoldsburg.  They suffered many privations and hardships in the new country, where there were few roads except corduroy, no bridges, mills far distant and poor at that, roads except corduroy, no bridges, mills far distant and poor at that, fevers and ague very prevalent, and doctors few and far between.  Houses were made of logs, with a hewed puncheon floor, the roof covered with clapboards, and barely a nail used in their construction.
     David Graham, the first child of George and Anna Graham, was born Feb. 17, 1801, at their old home, in New York.  When a young man, in 1819, he taught school on his father's farm.  On the twentieth of December, 1821, he was married to Nancy Graham, of Truro township, and settled on a lot of fifty acres, given him by his father.  This land he cleared and occupied until 1854, when he engaged in business at Taylor's station, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.  Later, he bought a dray goods store at Reynoldsburg, and associated his son with him, where he remained twenty-one years.  He dow lives on a small farm near the village.  To David and Nancy Graham were born ten children, as follows:  Matilda D., Maria, Samuel, James McLean, William B., Sarah J., David L., Margaret, George McB., and Anna M.
     Margaret Graham was born Aug. 9, 1837, and was married to Josiah R. Lunn, Oct. 9, 1856.  To them have been born seven children - Benjamin V., Nancy I., Elizabeth E., Alice, Estella, David J., and DeWitt B., all of whom are living at their home.  
Page 467 - Source: History of Franklin & Pickaway Counties, Ohio - Published by Williams Bros. - 1880

GILBERT GREEN.  The subject of this sketch, Gilbert Green, was born in Sussex county, New York, Nov. 27, 1804.  His father was Gilbert Green, sr. and his mother, Susan Green  When but a few years of age, his parents removed to New Jersey, where he passed his early life, and where he was married, Oct. 3, 1826, to Melinda Harrison.  Three children were born to them in New Jersey, and in 1831, the family came to Ohio Mr. Green bought one hundred and eighteen acres of and in sections ten and eleven, Truro Township, Franklin county, and a short time later bought two hundred acres adjoining his first purchase, on the east.  Mrs. Melinda Green died about a year after their settlement, and on the ninth of September, 1833, he was united in marriage to Susan Taylor, who was born in Chillicothe, September 21, 1808.  Her father, Robert Taylor, settled on section fifteen, in Truro township, in about 1809.
     To Gilbert and Susan Green were born seven children - Robert, Gilbert, Sarah, Mary B., John Covert, Elizabeth Jane, and Gilbert Merwin.  Three of these, Robert, Gilbert, and Sarah, died in infancy.  Mary B. was born July 1, 1837; married Valverda Ware, May 29, 1860, and lives at the old homestead.  John C. was born Nov. 30, 1844; married Sarah Jane Parkison, and lives on the eastern part of the home farm.  Elizabeth J. was born Dec. 3, 1848; she has remained single, and is now residing in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Gilbert Merwin was born Dec. 20, 1851; married Elizabeth Marshall, and lives in Columbus.  The children of Gilbert Green by his first wife, were:  Aaron H., who was born July 10, 1827; married Cornelia Lucy Ware, and now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  William H. was born Nov. 1, 1829; married Julia Ware, and died, leaving three children.  The third child was Mary O., who is long since deceased.
     Mr. Green was a hard working man, and cleared and improved his farm.  For many years he had very poor health, caused by a severe cold taken while returning from New Jersey, with his brother, and from which he never fully recovered.  His death occurred Jan. 25, 1878, at the age of seventy-three years and a few months.  His widow survives him, and lies with her daughter, Mrs. Mary Ware, and her husband, at the old homestead, which she has occupied for forty-five years.  She has now twenty-four grandchildren.
     Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Green appear elsewhere.
Page 466 - Source: History of Franklin & Pickaway Counties, Ohio - Published by Williams Bros. - 1880