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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
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Welcome to
Highland County,
Ohio BIOGRAPHIES |
Source:
History of Highland
County, Ohio
by Rev. J. W. Klise -
Publ. Madison,
Wis.,
Northwestern Historical Association
1902
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ETHAN
A. WALKER, one of the leading citizens of
Concord township and prosperous as a farmer, is a
grandson of one of the earliest settlers of the
township. This ancestor, Elijah Walker,
born in Rockbridge county, Va. in 1775, was married
in Virginia to Mary Diehl, and with his brother
Charles and their families came to Ohio in 1808
and settled in Concord township, where they bought
830 acres of the original patentees. When the
war of 1812 came on, Elijah Walker enlisted
for the defense of his country, and served as a
private soldier, but he did not long survive this
experience, dying at the age of forty-five years.
His widow, however, lived to over at the age of
forty-five years. His widow, however, lived to
over seventy-eight years of age. Their
children, Samuel, Catherine (who married
Joseph Massie), Mary (who became Mrs. McDay),
Martha (who married a Campbell), Rebecca (wife
of Marshal J. Menker), Elizabeth (who
married Hugh J. Hetherington), and John,
George and Elijah, are all dead, but
their descendants are found among the best families
of the townships. Elijah, father of the
subject of this sketch, was born on the farm now
owned by L. D. Walker, May 27, 1810, was
educated in the old log district school building
lighted through greased paper windows, and when he
had grown to manhood was married to Hannah J.
Hamilton, a native of Adams county of Irish
descent. Elijah Walker was an
enterprising and successful man, owned three hundred
acres of land, was the first owner of a portable
sawmill in that part of the county, and was quite
popular with his many acquaintances. He was
one of the early opponents of slavery, in the days
before the great war, aided in the work of the
"underground railroad," and was devoted member of
the Free Soil party, before the formation of the
Republican party, in which he and his sons have been
prominent. He died at a little over fifty
years of age, and was followed in five years by his
wife, and the remains of both were interred in the
family cemetery. The children born to them
were Isabella, deceased; Samuel,
deceased; Ethan A.; Mary, widow of W. H.
Dedrick, of Kansas; Matilda J., wife of
P. Woolums, of Packwood, Ia.; Nelson J.
of Kansas; Margaret A., wife of O. L.
Marsh, of Packwood, Iowa, and John W.,
deceased. Ethan A. Walker was born on
the farm where he now lives Dec. 18, 1840, and lived
there, receiving a district school education and
aiding in the work of the farm, until after his
father died, an event that made it impracticable for
him to leave home during the early art of the war.
Early in 1864, however, he entered the
military service of his country as a member of the
company of Capt. Robert J. Hatcher,
which became Company A, of the Hundred and
Sixty-eighth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry.
This was one of the regiments sent into Kentucky,
and was engaged in battle with Gen. John
H. Morgan at Cynthiana, all being made
prisoners. Mr. Walker, with his
comrades, came back to Cincinnati on parole, from
which they were released later and discharged Sept.
8, 1864. On the 24th of the same month he
re-enlisted in Company I of the Forty-first
regiment, which he joined in Athens, Ala. Then
followed active and dangerous duty during the
invasion of Tennessee, by Hood's rebel army, and
Private Walker had opportunity for gallant
service in the great battles of Franklin and
Nashville, as well as in a number of minor
encounters. At the close of the was he was
honorably discharged at Nashville, June 13, 1865,
and returning home, he resumed the work of civil
life. On Sept. 28th, following his discharge
he was married to Hannah J., daughter
of John and Nancy Rotroff, of Adams county,
and a few months later they occupied their present
home, which, with the improvements since made, is
one of the most convenient and attractive in the
township. Mr. Walker is the owner of
250 acres of excellent land, is successful as a
farmer, and enjoys the esteem and confidence of his
neighbors, as it shown by his election as township
clerk two terms, as township trustee four or five
terms, and his service for about twenty-five years
as member of the school board, from 1890 to 1900 as
land appraiser. He is a member of the
Presbyterian church, of the Grand Army post at
Sugartree Ridge, and in politics a Republican.
He has ten children living: William C.,
a resident of Adams county; Eva, wife of
John A. Long, of Concord township; John N.;
Mollie, at home; Myrtle, wife of
George Baker, of Concord; Maggie, wife of
John Eyler, of Brown county; Elsie, wife
of J. M. West, of Jackson, and Linnie, Ida
and Anna, at home.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 505 |
The WEST
FAMILY of Penn township, made its first
appearance in Highland county about the year 1840.
It originated with Eber West, who was
born in 1770 in Allegheny county, Md., married
Sarah Roland and removed with her to
Pennsylvania, where he died in 1838. His son
John was born Dec. 17, 1797, and in 1840
migrated to Ohio with his mother, who died in
Highland county Dec. 16, 1848. John
West was married to Elizabeth, daughter
of John Randels, who belonged to that element
in our nationality colloquially denominated
“Pennsylvania Dutch.” John West
died near New Market Sept. 3, 1861, and his wife
passed away on the Baker farm in, Penn
township Aug. 1, 1857, aged fifty-six years.
The children resulting from their union were
Isaac A., Jeremiah, Sarah (Yates) Enos,
Belinda who died aged thirteen, Margaret
who died at twenty-one, John and James
Madison. Isaac Alfred
West, eldest of the above mentioned children,
was born Oct. 8, 1825, and was consequently about
fifteen years old when his parents settled in
Highland county. He rose to a position of
influence and was much respected in his community.
For fifteen years he was justice of the peace in
Penn township and held the office of county
assessor. Nov. 25, 1845, he was married to
Eliza Jane, daughter of William and
Margaret (Art) Woolums, the former born in
Fleming county, Kentucky, Mar. 19, 1822. The
children of Isaac and Jane West were Sarah
E., who married L. D. Crute and died June
28, 1872; William Alfred, a farmer of
Liberty township; Isaac Newton, a
machinist at Dayton; Charles P., a hardware
merchant at Chillicothe; Samuel T., farming
in Penn township; Wilson W., a farmer living
near Samantha; Franklin M., sketched more
fully below; and Edward, proprietor of a
restaurant at Kingston, Ross county. Frank
M. West, next to the youngest of the children,
was born in Highland county, Ohio, Nov. 9, 1860,
grew up on the farm and spent most of his adult life
in mercantile pursuits. Oct. 26, 1884, he was
married to Rachel, daughter of John and
Rachel (Starr) Kerns, who located in Samantha at
an early date in the county’s history.
Rachel was born Nov. 17, 1861, near her present
home. The children of Frank M. and Rachel
West are Howard G., born May 28, 1885;
Lucy, born Dec. 15, 1886, is attending the
Hillsboro high school; Georgia M., born July
23, 1888, and died in 1890. Starling
and Overton, twins, were born Apr. 1, 1891.
Mr. West became a merchant at
Samantha in 1884 and continued in that business
until his death, which occurred Nov. 5, 1899.
Like his father before him he enjoyed general
respect and was a man of influence and prominence in
that part of the county where his lot was cast.
Besides the store building at Samantha, Mrs.
West owns 108 acres of farm land and a
comfortable residence, being highly esteemed in the
social circle to which she belongs.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 511 |
JOSEPH
WEST, notable among the early settlers of
this region of Ohio, was the ancestor of a
considerable number of the prominent people of
Highland and adjacent counties. He was a
descendant of a progenitor who came from, England in
the early colonial days, and settled in Maryland and
afterward moved to Virginia, establishing a family,
of which one of the most famous members was
Benjamin West, known alike in Europe and America
for his genius as a painter. Joseph was
married in Virginia to a Miss Ballinger, and
in the year 1801 came with his family, in a party
including his brothers John and Benjamin
and their families, and settled four miles west of
Sinking Spring, at Beech Flats. He became
widely known among the pioneer inhabitants, and
accumulated a considerable estate. His family
included eight children: James, Joseph, John,
Benjamin, Isaac, Pleasant, Hugh and a
daughter.
JAMES WEST, an ancestor in the line traced in this
sketch, son of Joseph, the pioneer, married
Rebecca Nichols, a native of Virginia, and
had eight children: Lucinda, Isaac, Benjamin,
Sallie, Sampson, Matilda, Nathan and Martha.
He was a successful farmer in Brush Creek township
for many years, dying at the age of seventy years.
Some time after his death his widow and the family
bought the farm now owned by the West heirs in
Washington township, and she made that her home
until her death at the age of eighty-three years.
NATHAN M., one of the sons of James and Rebecca West,
married Lucinda Ballentine, daughter
of John W. Ballentine, of Scotch descent, and
reared a family of six children, of whom the
survivors are notable among the people of Highland
county today. Nathan M. West devoted
his life to farming, and his success and evident
intelligence and good judgment made him an authority
among his neighbors. His character was above
reproach, and he was held in high regard for his
unfailing honesty and integrity. As a young
man he united with the Christian church, of which he
was ever a faithful supporter. Unfortunately
his life was comparatively brief, and he passed away
at the age of forty-five years, leaving the mother
to care for the children, a duty which she performed
with such success that great credit; is due to her.
This worthy lady is yet living at the age of
fifty-five years, is a devoted member of the
Methodist church, and loved by a wide circle of
friends and relatives. Their children are:
Harlan, deceased; Matilda, wife of S.
W. Spargur, of Washington township; Thomas
J., Robert B., and Ellis E., of
Berrysville, and Nathan M., a dentist at
Sinking Spring.
THOMAS J., the eldest son, surviving, and the head of
the well known firm of West Brothers,
general merchants at Berrysville, was born Sept. 20,
1812, on the home farm, and received his education
in the district school and at Lebanon and Sardinia,
Ohio. He began his manhood career as a teacher
at the Paint schools, which he organized as a graded
school, and remained with as principal until 1899,
when he embarked in his present business as a
merchant. Mr. West is making an
enviable reputation as a straightforward and
successful business man, and his high standing among
the people of the township is shown by his election
to the office of township treasurer, which he now
holds. He is a member of the lodge of Knights
of Pythias at Belfast, and a Democrat in politics,
like his ancestors. In early manhood he was
married to Bernice, daughter of Isaac
and Amanda Harper, and granddaughter
of Julia Higgins, a well-known pioneer
of the county. They have one child, Lois
Evangeline.
ROBERT B. WEST, another member of the firm of West
Brothers, was reared at the old homestead and
educated in the district school. He married
Asenath Hatt, a native of Liberty
township, and they began housekeeping at the old
home, where they yet reside. Their home has
been blessed with one child, a son. Mr.
West is a member of the Methodist church and
of the Knights of Pythias, and in politics is a
Prohibitionist.
ELLIS E., the third member of the firm of West
Brothers, was educated in the district school
and at Lynchburg, and before going into business
taught school for two terms in the Buckley district.
He is a member of the Modem Woodmen of America, at
Berrysville, and a Republican.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 509 |
ROBERT
R. WEST, proprietor of the noted Spring Hill
farm, east of Hillsboro, and for thirty-five years a
well-known breeder of registered cattle, is
connected by a direct line of ancestry with the men
who helped organize Highland county. His
grandfather, John West, was one of
four brothers who came from Virginia at the
beginning of the last century and joined his fortune
with the little army then engaged in the settlement
of Ohio. He tarried two years in. Ross county,
three in Fayette and then, located permanently on a
farm of 212 acres which he purchased in Paint
township, Highland county. He was a fine
specimen of the type of western pioneers. Six
feet two inches tall, of erect carriage and athletic
mold, firm in flesh and capable of enduring the
greatest hardships, John West lived
ninety-five years and enjoyed excellent health to
the day of his death. He did much for the
public good by helping lay out the roads, establish
schools and assist other agencies of civilization.
He helped organize the first Disciples’ church and
donated land for the erection of a house of worship
on his farm, being active all his life in religious,
educational and charitable work. His wife was
a fit companion for such a man, being a woman of
strength both in mind and body, a good mother and
good housekeeper, who enjoyed unusual health until
the close of her earthly career at the age of
ninety-three years. This venerable couple
reared a family of nine children all of whom, with
one exception, grew to maturity and themselves
became the parents of numerous offspring. The
list of those dead includes George, Isaac,
Jackson and Andrew; Amos lives
in Iowa; Hulda is the wife of Harrison
Weyer; Sarah married Jacob
Tominson and Catherine is the wife of
Frederick Bumgarner, of Samantha.
Allen P. West, the fourth in age of the
family, was born in Paint township, Highland county,
Ohio, Dec. 9, 1821, grew up on his father’s farm and
spent sixty years of his life at that place.
He married Isabelle, daughter of Robert
Patterson of Marshall township, by whom he had
four children; Cyrus, a resident of Fayette
county; Robert R.; Sallie, wife of
Hiden Ervin, of Washington Court House;
and Mary, wife of Charles Haynes
of Hillsboro. In 1881 the parents removed to
Washington Court House, Ohio, where they are living
in retirement. Their son, Robert R. West,
was born in Marshall township, Highland county,
Ohio, on the farm adjoining his present place of
residence, Nov. 25, 1848. Besides the usual
experience in the common schools of the district he
spent one year at the college in Lebanon, Ohio.
Sept. 18, 1872, he was married to Ella,
daughter of Samuel and Mary Lyle, of Liberty
township. After this event, he moved to an
adjoining farm of 300 acres, where he spent seven
years and then returned to the old homestead, where
he has since remained. Mr. West
owns a large amount of land, consisting of 765 acres
in the home place, a farm of 165 acres near Boston
and another of 205 acres in Liberty township.
His father had long been an extensive breeder and
dealer in Shorthorn cattle and he has followed in
his footsteps with an enlargement of the business
and increased success. For thirty-five years
he' has been engaged in raising thoroughbred
registered cattle and occupies a front rank among
Ohio breeders of the famous strain known as the
Shorthorn. His place, eight miles east of
Hillsboro, is famous for its numerous springs, from
which circumstance his stock have derived the name
of “The Spring Hill Herd,” and by this title are
known far and wide among fanciers of fine cattle. Mr.
and Mrs. West have four children: Roscoe
is a farmer in Liberty township; Harry has a
sawmill at Leesburg; Annie and Mary
are at home. Like his forefathers for
generations, Mr. West is a believer in
the doctrines taught by the Disciples’ Church and is
a member of the local congregation of that
denomination.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 510 |
SAMUEL
T. WEST, one of the energetic farmers of Penn
township, is a member of the family bearing his name
which is sketched in some detail in this volume.
They came originally from the famous “eastern shore”
of Maryland to Pennsylvania, and thence in 1840 to
Ohio, the first emigrants in Highland county being
John West, his children and his mother.
From John’s marriage with Elizabeth
Randels a large family resulted and these in
turn by fruitful marriages so increased the name of
West that it became a very familiar one in
Highland county. Isaac West,
eldest of the children of John and Elizabeth,
was especially influential not only in spreading the
family name by his offspring but by the prominence
and popularity he acquired in the community.
Samuel T'. West, one of his sons, was born in
Liberty township, Jan. 25, 1855, and went through
the usual experiences of a farmer’s boy as to work
and education. He has devoted his whole life
to agricultural pursuits and enjoys the reputation
of being both an intelligent and industrious tiller
of the soil. In January, 1900, he purchased a
farm of one hundred acres four and one-half miles
north of Hillsboro, to which he afterward added
sixteen acres of new ground, and this place promises
to become a model farm under the skillful management
and progressive cultivation of Mr. West. Nov.
24, 1886, he was married to Kate B., daughter
of William and Wilhelmina (Mundel) Boelzner,
natives of Germany who came to America in 1849.
Besides Mrs. West, the other children
of the Boelzner family were Philip,
who died when thirty-nine years old; William,
a farmer and miller at Fairview; Rose,
deceased, who married Frank Ludwick,
formerly of Kansas and later Oklahoma; Sophia,
for many years a teacher; Amelia, wife of
Nathaniel Roush, resident south of
Fairview. During her girlhood and young
womanhood Mrs. West taught school a
number of years and gained high rank as a successful
educator. The children of Samuel T. and
Kate B. West are Ray Eliza, born
Sept. 24, 1887; an infant daughter, born June 23,
1892, died June 29, 1892, unnamed; and Nina Fay,
born Aug. 9, 1894. Mr. West has
inherited those strong and social qualities of his
father which gain and hold friends, and as a result
he enjoys the esteem of all his neighbors.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 512 |
SPENCER
D. WEST, of Rainsboro, treasurer of Paint
township, is a descendant of William West, a
native of Maine, who came to Highland county about
1830. His son, William, located in
Loveland, Hamilton county, and died there in 1896.
Another son, Albert, born in Marshall
township in 1831, was educated in the district
school, and in early manhood married Mary W.,
daughter of John Spargur, one of the
prominent settlers of Paint township. They had
eight children: John, now in Alaska; Sarah,
who died at the age of twenty-two years; Olive,
residing at Springfield; Spencer D., subject
of this sketch; Schultz, in Alaska;
Chauncey, who died at twenty-three years; and
Jesse and Cyrus, formerly of Seattle,
Wash., but now in Alaska. Spencer D. West
was born Apr. 18, 1860, received a common-school
education, and since his youth has been actively and
successfully engaged in farming. His home, two
miles east of Rainsboro, is an attractive one, on a
farm of 145 acres, which is fertile and well kept.
He is known and esteemed, not only throughout his
township, but the county, and while serving his
neighbors as township treasurer was honored with the
Republican nomination for county commissioner in
1901, but, though he received a flattering support,
the ticket was defeated. Mr. West
was married Feb. 19, 1882, to Emma, daughter of
Alfred and Catherine (Simbro) Shipton, and they
have the following named children: Nellie,
wife of Clem Wise, farming on the
West place; Katie and Orville,
at home, and James, who died in childhood.
Mrs. West’s father’s family came from
Pennsylvania to Paint township about 1830. She
was born Feb. 24, 1864, and is one of six children,
the others being Nancy, who died in girlhood;
Mary E., wife of James Peabody,
who owns a farm adjoining that of Mr. West;
Granville H., who died in youth; John,
farming, near Rainsboro, and Emma.
Source: History of Highland
County, Ohio by Rev. J. W. Klise - Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Association - 1902 -
Page 513 |
JACOB
E. WHITE, the popular proprietor of the
celebrated Spring Grove dairy and stock farm, near
Greenfield, has achieved a phenomenal success in a
comparatively short time in his chosen calling.
The people of Greenfield and vicinity regard this
dairy as one of their institutions and the owner
receives in full measure the credit due him who
supplies the masses with pure and wholesome food.
It has scarcely been twelve years since Mr. White
opened business with three cows and a few cheap
utensils as his sole equipment for running a dairy.
Today he has over one hundred head of stock, mostly
pure bred registered Jerseys of the choicest and
costliest strain, and an establishment which in the
completeness of its facilities and thoroughness of
its equipment yields to no other in the state of its
class. In these twelve years of active
business Mr. White has risen from obscurity
to the position of one of the best known dairymen in
the great agricultural state of Ohio. He has
long been a member of the Ohio Dairymen's
association, whose meetings he attends regularly and
whose proceedings are frequently enlivened and
illuminated by his pertinent remarks and suggestions
based upon the experience and close observation of a
practical dairyman. Mr. White may be
properly described as up-to-date in every
particular. He subscribes to the most advanced
dairy periodicals, studies closely all publications
of the Agricultural department and other authorities
on the subject, and keeps in close touch with the
progressive and thinking men who are in his line of
work. In other words, it is his aim and
ambition to keep abreast of the best thought of the
age in what has now become a scientifically
conducted industry of vital importance to the
country's resources and welfare and involving
hundreds of millions of capital. Mr. White
uses only the most improved and efficient dairy
appliances, and acts on the belief that if the motto
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" be true as a
general proposition, it is especially true in all
that relates to dairying. The cleanness of his
methods and richness of his milk have proved such
winning cards as to capture all Greenfield for his
customers and spread his fame over the state.
Mr. White came naturally by his fondness for
breeding and handling cattle, as his father is one
of the best known stockmen in the state and has been
a dealer for more than half a century. As "Uncle
Billy" White he is familiar in stock circles
throughout Ohio and adjacent states, and though now
eighty years old he still buys and sells with the
shrewdness and energy of his youthful days.
William White, though born in Brown, was reared
in Adams county, his father was Joseph White
and his mother was Margaret (Spear) White,
old pioneers of Brown county, Ohio. It is in
the territory extending from Flemingsburg, Ky., to
Washington Court House, Ohio, that William White
gained his reputation as a lumber manufacturer and
stock-dealer. He married Jane Dobbins
Edgington daughter of Jacob and Mary
Edgington and granddaughter of Rev. Robert
Dobbins, a noted minister of his day who
established the first Methodist Protestant church in
his part of the state. The nine children
resulting from this union are all living.
Mary M. married James Cockerill of
Fayette county, Ohio; Robert is a hay-dealer
in Greenfield; Annie is the wife of Joel
Ard, of St. Louis; Emma L., is at home;
Joseph R. C. resides in Fayette county;
Lizzie is the wife of Dr. A. A. Hyer, of
Buena Vista, Ohio; Jacob E. White, of
Greenfield; Charles L., of Idaho; and
Jessie S., wife of J. C. Long, a business
man of Wellston, Ohio. Jacob E. White
seventh in order of the children, was born at
Winchester, Adams county, Ohio, in 1863, and spent
his early years partly in Hillsboro and partly in
Fayette county. His boyhood was passed on the
farm and he had only such educational advantages as
are afforded by the common country schools. He
was eighteen years old when he settled in Greenfield
and some time after his arrival was devoted to
attendance at the Normal school in that town.
It was in 1890 that the happy thought struck him of
going into the dairy business. Poorly equipped
as he was at the start, lacking skill as well as
capital, his three poor cows have grown almost as
rapidly as Jonah's miraculous gourd, until we
see before us the neat Spring Grove dairy with its
elegant appointment and complement of "lowering
herds." Mr. White pays no attention to
politics or other matters that might distract
his attention from the business for which he is so
well qualified, but finds relaxation on the social
side by membership and occasional attendance with
McClain lodge, Knights of Pythias.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. - 1902- Page
516 |
ROBERT
W. WHITE, the energetic and prosperous hay
and grain merchant of Greenfield, comes of an old
Virginia family which was well represented in the
early pioneer struggles of Ohio. Grandfather
Joseph White settled in Adams county among
the first and bore his share in the hardships,
dangers and privations incident to the period of
original occupation. His son, William White,
became a very prominent stock dealer of Adams
county, his business covering a wide scope of
country and making him known throughout Ohio and
neighboring states. His wife, Jane D.
Edgington, descended from an ancestry
distinguished in affairs both of church and state.
Her father was Jacob Edgington and her mother
a daughter of celebrated Robert Dobbins,
one of the founders of the Methodist Protestant
church, representative of Fayette county in the
legislature for two terms, and an evangelist of
great renown. Grandfather Edgington
took part in the early Indian wars which were such a
dramatic and dreaded feature of the period embracing
the occupation and settlement of the Northwest
territory. Robert W., son of William and
Jane (Edgington) White, was born at Winchester,
Adams county, Ohio, and was reared to manhood in his
native place. Later he was engaged for some
time in farming in Fayette county and in 1884 came
to Greenfield where he embarked in the creamery
business. Four years later this was given up
and he became a dealer in hay, straw, corn and other
grains. He began on a small scale, but the
business grew by degrees until it has assumed large
proportions, the buying, baling, handling and
shipping employing the labor of many people.
He now ships to many different points in widely
different parts of the country and is doing a
prosperous business. Aug. 6, 1891, he was
married to Matte, daughter of Thomas Moon,
one of the old settlers on Walnut creek in Highland
county. Mr. White is a
Jeffersonian Democrat of the old school and a member
of the order of Odd Fellows. He is popular not
only in business but in the social circle, as he is
a man of kindly disposition and observant of all the
rules of hospitality.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. - 1902- Page
517 |
SILAS WHITE,
attorney and justice of the peace at Sinking
Springs, is a grandson of Benjamin White, a
native of Vermont, born in 1809, who was for many
years a prominent resident of Clay township.
Benjamin White was a ship carpenter by trade,
an active and influential man and a member of the
Campbellite church. In early manhood he
settled in Hamilton county and bought a large tract
of land, and later moved to Clay township and
acquired a farm. His wife was Lucinda
Stratton, of Pennsylvania - German descent, and
they had thirteen children: John, William, David,
Lewis (of Brown county, Ohio), Catherine,
Columbus, Marshall, Frank, Letty, Sarah, Sanford,
Samantha and Mary, all except Lewis
being deceased. Five of the sons were gallant
soldiers of the Union in 1861-65, serving for more
than four years each. David E. White,
born in Clay township, Dec. 18, 1840, enlisted in
Company K, of the Twelfth regiment Ohio infantry,
mustered in at Hillsboro, and throughout the war he
shared the record of that gallant command,
participating in numerous battles and skirmishes,
and serving in all four years, five months and
twenty-three days. He was mustered out as
first sergeant of his company. After the war
he made his home at Mount Orab, Brown county, and
married Sarah Keethler a native of Brown
county. After 1895 they resided at Sinking
Springs. He was a contractor for many years,
and furnished most of the ties and some other
material for the construction of the old Chillicothe
& Eastern railroad. He was honored with local
offices, and in every way as a man of prominence and
high character. On Dec. 27, 1901, while trying
to catch the railroad train at Greenfield he was
knocked from the trestle and drowned in the creek,
an accident that caused great sorrow to his family
and many friends. His widow survives him, and
three children: Silas S., Joseph H.,
and Rebecca, wife of A. Cummings, of
Mount Orab. Silas S. was born Aug. 19,
1866, at Mount Orab, was reared there, and in early
manhood began the study of law with White & Young,
of Georgetown. Removing to Indiana, he was
admitted to the bar there, and practiced for some
time in the courts. After his marriage to
Jennie Cummings, of Brown county, he lived at
Mount Orab four years and then removed to Sinking
Springs, where he continues in the general practice,
and fills the office of justice of the peace, in
which he is now serving the second term. While
living in Sterling township, Brown county, he was
honored with various township offices. He is
one of the influential men of the county, and is now
a member of the central committee of his party, the
Democratic. Five children have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. White - Harry, Hazel, Lester, George
E., and Blanche.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. - 1902- Page
518 |
JOHN
WILKIN, veteran of the civil war and
well-to-do farmer of New Market township, is
descended from a pioneer family who came from
Virginia and settled in Highland county in 1801.
Among their numerous descendants was Eli Wilkin,
born about 1818, who married Catherine Rhodes and by
her had twelve children was John Wilkin, born in New
Market township, Highland county, Ohio, July 2,
1846, on the farm where he now resides. As he
grew up he attended the neighborhood schools and
later the high school at Hillsboro, and on reaching
majority he helped manage the farm in association
with his father. The latter died in 1898 in
the eightieth year of his age. Feb. 1, 1864,
Mr. Wilkin enlisted in Company C, Thirteenth
regiment Ohio volunteer cavalry, which was mustered
into service at Camp Chase early in may and soon
after joined the army of the Potomac. It was
first assigned to the Ninth army corps and served
awhile as infantry, later being furnished horses and
converted into cavalry. Mr. Wilkin took
part with his command in the engagements at Poplar
Grove church, Hatcher's Run, Dinwiddie Court House,
Petersville, Farmville, and the other fighting that
marked the "beginning of the end." He was
present at the "grand finale" when Lee
surrendered to Grant at Appomattox and thus put an
to the great civil war. Mr. Wilkin was
released from service by an honorable discharge Aug.
10, 1865, with the rank of corporal, and lost no
time in returning to this Ohio home. He
resumed the occupation of farming and in course of
time became possessed of ninety acres of land on
which he now resides and carries on general
agriculture. In 1896 he was married to Mrs.
Rebecca Roush, widow of Noah Roush, by
whom she had six children: Sophronia, Nora Zella
(deceased), Mittie, James and Cletus
W. Mr. Wilkin is a member of the Reformed
church and of Robert Russell post, No. 630,
Grand Army of the Republic, in which he has held the
position of adjutant. By his marriage with
Mrs. Roush there has been one child, Wilfred
H.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. -
1902- Page 521 |
SAMUEL
WILKIN, of Hamer township, an extensive
farmer, manufacturer, and breeder of live stock,
comes of a highly honorable ancestry which runs back
to the earliest pioneer days. They were
originally Virginians and came from that historic
section of the state known as the Shenandoah valley,
arriving in Ohio territory when it was still a
hunting ground for roving bands of Indians.
The grandfather of Mr. Wilkin, whose name was
William, was one of the most prosperous
farmers of his day and accumulated a large amount of
property. He married Rebecca Windle and
by her had a family of eight children, Peter,
Joseph, Sarah, Eli, Elizabeth, William, Ann and
George, all now dead except the last
mentioned, who lives in Hamer township.
William Wilkin was cut off from his usefulness
in the prime of life and after his death the widow
continued to manage the farm and look after the
welfare of her large family. Joseph Wilkin,
second of the children in age, was born in New
Market township in 1816, and in early manhood
married Nancy, daughter of Allen and
Elizabeth Roush, of Highland county. He
located on a place in Union township where he lived
until 1855, when he purchased a farm in 123 acres in
Hamer township. To this he removed and there
spent the remainder of his days, passing away in
1887 at the age of seventy-one, his wife surviving
until some years later. Of their six children,
Elizabeth, Allen and Augustus have
died; Samuel is the subject of this sketch;
Rebecca J. is the wife of Lewis Orebaugh,
of Hamer township; and Joseph F. is a
minister of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Samuel Wilkin, second of the children, was born
in Union township, Highland county, Ohio, Sept. 8,
1843, and remained at home until he reached his
majority. About that time he married
Roseannh, daughter of George N. and
Mary (Pugh) Webster, of Dodson township, and
located there on a small tract of land, where he
spent the five following years. He then
removed to a farm in Hamer township given to him by
his father, where he now resides, adding to the
property and greatly improving it from year to year
since he took possession. In 1882 he began the
manufacture of tile, which he has since continued in
partnership with his son Dallas under the firm name
of Samuel Wilkin & Son. they use the
latest and best improved machinery and do business
on an extensive scale. As a farmer and
stockraiser Mr. Wilkin has no superior in the
township. His real estate buildings now
consist of about 437 acres of the best quality of
land, which is kept in highly improved condition and
is cultivated by up-to-date methods. In 1891
he constructed a handsome brick residence, which has
all the modern improvements and conveniences, and
both in size and quality is superior to anything of
the kind in the township. In fact everything
on and about this model farm indicates skillful and
progressive management, as the buildings and
equipments of all kinds are neat and attractive and
always kept in prime condition. Mr. Wilkin
takes a just pride in his splendid
Poland-China and Berkshire hogs, of which he has
long been an extensive breeder and shipper, and he
enjoys a high reputation in this department of the
live-stock industry. He has found time from
his farm and other business to fulfill all the
duties of a good citizen, being especially
interested in educational and religious work.
He held the position of school director for nine
consecutive years, and during the whole of his adult
life has been a member of the Christian church and
one of its most enthusiastic workers. His
marriage has been blessed with fourteen children, in
the order of their birth as follows:
Lewella M., the wife of S. R. Kidd, of
Dodson township, and mother of three children,
Almira, Anna F. and Samuel K.; Augustus E.
who lives in Hamer township, married Lizzie
Fawley and has had five children, those living
being Dorotha I., Arnold and Hugh H.;
Dallas O., in business with his father, who
married Jennie Hawthorn and has had three
children, Orpha, Nancy and Hilda
(deceased); William F., of Hamer township,
who married Susan Duvall and has two children
living, Gladys and an infant, and one dead;
Joseph N., in Hamer township, who married
Lucy J. Stroup, their children being Norma R.
and Paul; Cora M., who married J.
N. Dollinger, of Dodson township, and has three
children, Elizabeth I., Lotta M., and
Anna A.; George R., in Hamer township, who
married Hattie E. Williams, and have one
child, Edgar Franklin; Samuel B., who married
Myrtle McKamey, and lives in Dodson township;
Nancy N., Mary J., and Henry, with their
parents; John A., who was killed in 1900 when
eleven years old by being run over by a loaded
wagon; Everett Louis, who died in 1892 at the age of
two years and eight months; and Rosa O., the
youngest of this interesting family.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. -
1902- Page 522 |
ALLENIAH
F. WILLIAMS, a prosperous farmer of Brush
Creek township, is a grandson of the early settlers
of Jackson township, Elias Williams.
The latter was a native of Rockingham county, Va.,
born here until his death which occurred on
February, 25, 1838. In early manhood Elias
Williams married Christina Countryman,
also a native of Rockingham county, Va., born about
1790, died Aug. 25, 1879. They began
housekeeping in Jackson township, buying a tract of
wild land. Their children were Polly, John,
Eli, Nancy, Elizabeth, Henry, Anna, Eliza and
Levi. John Williams, father of the subject
of this sketch, was born in Jackson township June 6,
1807,a nd married Elizabeth Duncan, a native
of Jackson township and daughter of Alexander
Duncan. After several years they
moved to Adams county, where Mr. Williams
engaged in mercantile business at May Hill,
and from there they returned to the vicinity of
Belfast, and later moved to Brush Creek township.
John Williams had four children by his first
wife: John, deceased; Sanford,
deceased; Mary, wife of John W. Tener,
of Belfast, and one that died young. After the
death of their mother he married her sister, Mary,
and they had ten children: Elizabeth, wife of
J. M. Suiter, of Harriet postoffice;
Susan, Eliza, and Amanda, deceased;
Ellen, wife of L. B. Coss, of Kansas;
Alleniah F.; Agnes, wife of John Koger,
of Paint township; Martha, wife of C. P.
Dunlap of Greene county; Thomas,
deceased, and Anna, wife of John Dunlap,
of Greene county. The father lived to
the age of eighty-six years, and his second wife
survives him, at ninety years, and very sprightly
for that great age. Alleniah F. Williams,
born in Jackson township, June 7, 1847, received his
education in the district school and the high school
at Hillsboro, and in early manhood for four years
was employed as a nurseryman. Afterward he was
twelve years engaged in the profession of teaching,
doing excellent work in the schools of his township.
He married Iza R. Turner, born and reared on
the farm where on the farm where they now live, and
except for the first year of their married life,
they have made their home on the old Turner
homestead, where they own 338 acres of land.
Mr. Williams has made most of the
improvements on the place, making it one of the most
attractive of the region. He gives attention
to the raising of live stock as well as farming, is
a member of the grange of Patrons of Husbandry, in
religious affiliation is an Universalist, and in
politics a Democrat. Among his neighbors he is
held in high esteem. Five children have been
born to him and wife - Spees, living in
Colorado; Laura A., deceased; Inis V.,
Carlton T., and Grace D.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. -
1902- Page 523 |
JAMES
A. WILLIAMS, veteran of the civil war and
trustee of Liberty township, is one of the most
progressive and enterprising of Highland county's
many bright farmers. He is highly esteemed
both as a citizen and a neighbor, keeps abreast of
the times in all lines of useful information and is
ever ready to put a shoulder to the wheel in any
worthy cause. He is a descendant of one of
those sturdy old Quaker families of the hated
institution of slavery. William Williams,
son of Isaac, was born in North Carolina in
1774, and in 1797 was married to Phoebe Mendenall,
of Guilford county in the same state. Early in
the nineteenth century they became citizens of
Highland county, locating in Penn township, where
most of their eleven children were reared to
maturity. The names of their off-spring, as
preserved in the old family Bible, were
Katharine, Mary, Josiah, Isaac, Robert, Joseph,
John, Joseph, John, Elizabeth, Ann, Jonathan and
Phoebe. Jonathan Williams was born in Penn
township, Highland county, Ohio, Apr. 17, 1820, and
in 1842 was married to Sarah Bailey, daughter
of a prominent pioneer and leader in the society of
Friends. The six children resulting from this
marriage were Mary, wife of John
Hustead, of Penn township; Melissa wife
and John Denny; James A., noticed more fully
below; Laura E.; Caroline, wife of
Clark Woody; and Charles, a resident of
the Indian Territory. James A. Williams,
third of the family, was born on the homestead in
Highland county, Ohio, Aug. 31, 1845. In the
fall of 1864 he enlisted in the One Hundred and
Seventy-fifth regiment Ohio national guard and
served with the same until the expiration of his
term in 1865. Dec. 29, 1869, he was married to
Rachel, daughter of Joseph and Margaret
(Yost) Larkin, of Harrison county, Ohio.
After his marriage, Mr. Williams lived a
while in Penn township and then removed to Kansas,
but not liking the prospect out there, returned to
Highland county and located on the Barnard
farm west of Hillsboro. This arrangement
lasted until 1887, when he purchased an excellent
place of 153 acres on Clear Creek, north of the
county seat, where he has since made his home.
That he is regarded as a reliable business man is
evidenced by the fact in the spring of 1902 he was
elected trustee of Liberty township. He is
well informed on all matters relating to
agriculture, He is well informed on all matters
relating to agriculture, one of the county's most
energetic farmers and in every way a clever and
popular citizen. He belongs to the Union
Veterans' Union and is one of the comrades of
Hillsboro post, Grand Army of the Republic.
The four living children of Mr. and Mrs. Williams
are Isaac, born Nov 2, 1870, and now married
and residing near Leesburg, Ohio; Oscar, born
Sept. 12, 1872; Margaret, born Dec. 7, 1877,
wife of Leslie Connell of Penn township; and
Herbert, born Apr. 2, 1890. Katie,
the second born, died in infancy.
Source: The
County of
Highland – A History of
Highland County,
Ohio
– by Rev. J. W. Klise – Publ. Madison,
Wis., Northwestern Historical Assn. -
1902- Page 524 |
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