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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
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Greene County, Ohio
History & Genealogy |
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Greene County, Ohio,
its people, industries & institutions
by Hon. M. A. Broadstone, Editor in Chief -
Vol. I. & II.
Publ. B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Ind.
1918
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WILLIAM
MAXWELL was a native of New Jersey. It is quite
possible that he for a short time lived in Kentucky before
he came across to Cincinnati. In that city, which was
then only a cluster of a few log huts, he printed the first
newspaper ever published in the Northwest Territory.
Maxwell succeeded Abner Dunn as the second
postmaster at Cincinnati. In 1799 he with his family
left the little village of Cincinnati and came north,
settling on what is now known as the Maxwell farm in
Beavercreek township, this county. He was elected a
member of the House of Representatives of the First General
Assembly of Ohio, which met at Chillicothe, March 1, 1803,
and he favored the law erecting Greene county. By an
act of the Legislature he was appointed one of the first
three associate judges of the county on April 6, 1803.
He resigned his office of associate judges of the county on
April 6, 1803. He resigned his office of associate
judge on Dec. 7, 1803, was chosen sheriff of Greene county
and served until 1807. He took an active interest in
organizing the state militia and held the rank of major in
1805. On his farm in Beavercreek township, he devoted
himself chiefly to cattle raising. His death occurred
in 1809 and his grave is located on the old Maxwell farm,
about one and one-half miles southeast of Alpha.
(Source: History of Greene County, Ohio, its
people, industries & institutions by Hon. M. A. Broadstone,
Editor in Chief - Vol. I.- Publ. 1918 by B. F. Bowen &
Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.) |
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ALBERT McHENRY MILLER.
Albert McHenry Miller, veteran of the Civil War and
retired farmer and carpenter, a former justice of the peace
in and for his home township, who for many years has made
his home in the village of Jamestown, is a native son of
Greene county, born on a farm in New Jasper township on Aug.
1, 1841, son of George and Caroline (Wilson) Miller,
the former of whom was a native of the old Keystone state
and the latter of the Blue Grass state, born in the vicinity
of Mammoth Cave, who were married in this county and here
spent their last days.
George Miller was twice married and was the
father of eighteen children. He came from Pennsylvania
to Ohio during the days of his young manhood and settled in
Greene county, following here his trade as a brick-mason
until presently he bought a far of one hundred acres on the
Jamestown and Xenia pike in New Jasper township, paying for
the same five dollars an acre, and there established his
home. His first wife was a Bromagem, a member of one
of the pioneer families of the Cedarville neighborhood, who
bore him six children, three of whom grew to maturity and
one of whom, Simon Benton Milller, is still
living, now a resident of Celina, Auglaize county, and is
past ninety years of age; the others having been Dr.
Milton Miller and Rebecca, the latter of
whom married one of the Cedarville Townleys. Following
the death of the mother of these children George Miller
married Caroline Wilson, a member of one of the
pioneer families that had come up here from Kentucky, and to
that union were born twelve children, seven sons and five
daughters, of whom the following grew to maturity:
Perry W., who spent his last days in Illinois; Harney
Anslie now deceased, who was a veteran of the Civil War,
his service having been rendered in the Seventy-fourth Ohio,
commanded by Col. Granville Moody; George C.,
deceased; John Thomas also a soldier of the Union,
who went out as a member of the First Regiment, Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, commanded by one of the "Fighting"
McCooks, and died in service; Albert McHenry, the
immediate subject of this biographical sketch; James D.,
who also enlisted his services in behalf of the Union during
the Civil War, went to the front with the First Ohio and was
killed during the battle of Missionary Ridge; William
Edwin, a retired farmer of this county, now living at
Jamestown; Mrs. Mattie M. Townsley, now living in
Iowa; Mrs. Miranda Caroline Hite and Mrs. Amanda
Evaline Gordon, twins the former of whom is now living
at Bellefontaine and the latter in the vicinity of
Jamestown, and MRs. Sarah Elizabeth Harrison who died
in 1914. Major-Gen. John Harney, of Civil War
fame was an uncle of these children.
Albert McHenry Miller grew to manhood on the
home farm in New Jasper township, receiving his schooling in
the schools of that neighborhood and was living on the farm
when the Civil War broke out. On Aug. 15, 1862, he
enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the
front as a member of Company D, One Hundred and Tenth
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Gen. J. Warren Keifer,
of Springfield, commanding. After some service in the
Army of the Potomac in Virginia, Mr. Miller was
assigned to detached service as a headquarters guard and in
that capacity continued his service until mustered out after
the close of the war, his final discharge being received in
May, 1865. During this service Mr. Miller
participated in some most interesting experiences, his
headquarters activities bringing him in close touch with
some of the great leaders of the war, and he was on duty at
Washington at the time of the assassination of President
Lincoln. He stood guard at General Grant's
headquarters in the Wilderness and on two occasions was
guard over Belle Boyd, the famous Confederate
spy, who was captured and brought into General Milroy's
camp, he at that time being guard at Milroy's
headquarters. He also served in like capacity under
Gen. Lew Wallace, under General French, of the
Third Corps, Army of the Potomac; under Gen. H. C. Wright
and under Gen. J. B. Rickets, the latter of whom it
was his duty to awaken at the opening of the battle of Cedar
Creek. He followed General Rickets out onto the
pike, where the general was seriously wounded and he carried
his officer back to the hospital. Mr. Miller
was present when gallant "Phil" Sheridan rode up on
his famous black charger during the battle of Cedar Creek
and heard Sheridan say after General Wright
had ordered a withdrawal: "Place the Eighth Corps on
the left; the Nineteenth on the right, and the old slow
Sixth in the center and I'll whip hell out of them before
sundown." During the battle of the Wilderness Mr.
Miller was within ten feet of Gen. John Sedgwick
of the Sixth Corps, when the latter was slain. Mr.
Miller was not of voting age at the time of the first
Lincoln campaign, but he voted for Lincoln in
1864, his first Presidential vote, and at the same time
voted for Brough for governor of Ohio, the latter
receiving a majority in excess of one hundred thousand.
Mr. Miller's experience as a soldier of the Union
during the Civil War and his thoughtful consideration of the
history of that period, together with his comprehensive
knowledge of the general history of the country, have given
him exceptional opportunities for service as a member of the
local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and he long has
held the post of patriotic instructor in that organization,
of which he also is past commander and for many years one of
the most active members.
Upon the completion of his military service Mr.
Miller returned home and resumed his labors on the farm,
but his health presently began to fail and he sold his
farming interests and began working as a carpenter, a trade
in which he had been trained before going to war.
After his marriage in the fall of 1872 he established his
home in the village of Jamestown, where he continued to
follow his vocation as a builder until his retirement.
Mr. Miller is a Republican and for years served as
justice of the peace at Jamestown, but in 1917 resigned that
office. By religious persuasion he is a member of the
Missionary Baptist church.
On Sept. 5, 1872, Albert McHenry Miller was
united in marriage to Laura M. Shrack, of this
county, who died at her home in Jamestown on Feb. 5, 1902.
To that union were born three children, two sons and one
daughter, the latter of whom, Jessie S., wife of the
Rev. L. B. Albert, of Muskegon, Michigan, has a life
certificate as a teacher and is principal of one of the
schools at Muskegon. Her husband also is a teacher.
Mr. James Albert Miller, Mr. Miller's youngest son,
born on July 1, 1874, died on Apr. 1, 1917, and twenty days
later his bother, Anslie Miller, met his death in a
railway accident at Jamestown. Anslie Miller,
born on May 13, 1873, married Elizabeth Alice Saunders,
of Jamestown, and was the father of one son, James Albert.
His widow and son are still making their home at Jamestown.
Source: History of Greene County, Ohio, Vol. II - publ. by
B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.,
1918 - Page 759 |
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GEORGE G. MILLER.
George Grant Miller, a
Beavercreek township farmer and dairyman and proprietor of a
farm of ninety-two acres on rural mail route No. 4 out of
Osborn, was born in this county, Dec. 2, 1868, son of
Reuben and Mary Ann (Tobias) Miller, both of whom also
were born in this county, members of pioneer families.
Reuben Miller was born on Apr. 2, 1836, and his wife
was born in 1840. They were married in 1867 and to
them were born four sons, of whom the subject of this sketch
was the first-born, the others being William,
deceased; Edward, now a resident of Dayton, and
Lewis, who is living at Fairfield.
Reared on the home farm, George C. Miller
received his schooling in the district school in the
vicinity of the farm on which he is now living, and early
began practical farming, continuing thus engaged after his
marriage in 1899. Recently he bought the farm of
ninety-two acres on which he is
now living and is steadily improving the same, with a view
to giving particular attention to the raising of big-type
Poland China hogs. Mr. Miller is a
Republican.
On Apr. 2, 1899, George G. Miller was united in
marriage to Edith Williamson, who also was born in
this county, daughter of Edward J. and Martha (Roher)
Williamson, of Beavercreek township, who were the
parents of six children, those besides Mrs. Miller
being Bertha, deceased; George, who is living
at Shoups Station; Chester, of Dayton; Frank,
of Chicago, and one deceased.
Source: History of Greene County, Ohio, Vol. II - publ. by
B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.,
1918 - Page 813 |
Old Harbein Homestead, later occupied by
John M. Miller
and family
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HON. JOHN M. MILLER.
Not once but several times in this work the reader will have
noticed references to the high character of the work done in
the old Beaver grade school in Beavercreek township in the
days of a past generation when that school, which was giving
a course akin to that of the present high school, had a
reputation of more than local note. In those days
twenty dollars a month was regarded as fair pay for the
school teacher, but John M. Miller, during the time
he had charge of the Beaver grade school, was paid one
hundred dollars a month, a testimony to his fitness for the
position that cannot be misunderstood. In that day the
Beaver grade school ranked higher than the seminary at Xenia
and the academies at Dayton and young men from both of these
towns gladly placed themselves under the tutelage of Mr.
Miller, who taught surveying in addition to the ordinary
branches of learning that constituted the course in the old
grade school. At the time of his death Mr. Miller
was representing this district in the Legislature.
Hon. John M. Miller was born in Franklin county,
Pennsylvania, in 1830, and was ten years of age when he came
to Ohio with his parents, Robert and Nancy (Minnich)
Miller the family locating in this county in 1840.
Five years later the Miller family moved to Indiana,
but seven years later, in 1852, John M. Miller
returned to Greene county and in that same year entered
Miami University, from which institution he was graduated in
1856. He then took up the study of law in Xenia and in
1859 was admitted to the bar. In 1862 he was elected
to represent this legislative district in the General
Assembly of the state of Ohio and was serving in that
capacity when he died on Jan. 9, 1863, a contemporary
account stating that the arduous labors of his legislative
service undoubtedly hastened his death. Mr. Miller
left a widow and two children, a son, Charles Edward,
who died at the age of twenty-one years, and a daughter,
Luella, who is still living with her mother in the old
Harbein home at Alpha. Mrs. Miller was
born at Alpha, Hetty M. Harbein, daughter of John
and Hetty (Herr) Harbein, further mention
of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, John
Harbein having been regarded in his day as perhaps the
wealthiest man in Greene county. The Harbein
place at Alpha, now occupied by Mrs. Miller and her
daughter, is perhaps richer in historic associations than
any single spot connected with the development of Greene
county, for on that spot stood the little log cabin of
Owen Davis in which was held the meeting at which formal
organization of Greene county was effected in 1803 and in
which the first court held in Greene county performed its
functions.
An older chronicle refers to John M. Miller as
having been essentially a self-made man, and continues the
narrative thus: "His father being poor, he was obliged
to devote his minor years to helping on the home farm -
inclement weather only being called his own. On such
days he toiled with the axe, maul and mattock - cutting
cordwood, splitting rails and clearing ground - to earn
means to purchase books and pay for tuition when he could go
to school. His evenings were all spent in study (his
page being lighted from scraps of burning bark), and by
diligent application he soon got to master the elementary
branches and was able to teach a common school. By
alternate teaching and rough manual labor he husbanded
enough to commence a college course. It was yet,
however, to be much interrupted and himself to be reduced to
many straits before it was completed - losing at one time a
year and a half, and in all, two years of a four-years
course. The question is, in the reader's mind, "Did he
graduate?' Yes! 'How did he rank?' Number
one! 'What! in two years of study?' Exactly so -
and this not consecutive, but made up, in truth, of mere
fragments of time. Moreover, he added both German and
French to the usual college course. And here we may
safely rest the claims of Mr. M. to genius and
perseverance; for we doubt if any other institution in the
United States has recorded such an achievement. We
once read of one who performed such a feat, but who won, at
the same time the honors of the martyr and the victor.
"Mr. M. was very tall and rather slender, but he
was as straight as an arrow. His head was very well
shaped. His hair was dark and worn rather long his
beard was full, but thin; and his features were regular, but
slightly prominent. His manners were very inviting,
his disposition genial, and his friendship sincere and
cordial. As a representative he was faithful to his
trust - always at his post and always attentive to what was
passing before him. He was a very good speaker and
reasoned well, and with careful culture would have soon
become a leading man in the state."
Source: History of Greene County, Ohio, Vol. II - publ. by
B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.,
1918 - Page 364 |
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