History of Pickaway County
Source:  History of Franklin & Pickaway Counties, Ohio
Illustrations and Biographical Sketches
Published by Williams Bros. 1880
 

SCIOTO TOWNSHIP
 

* SCIOTO TOWNSHIP
       * ANCIENT WORKS
       * EARLY EVENTS
       * SETTLEMENT
       * GENOA - COMMERCIAL POINT
       * CORPORATION
       * CHURCHES
       * CEMETERIES
       * SOCIETIES
       * CELEBRATION
       * BUSINESS HOUSES AND PHYSICIANS
       * BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
 

BIOGRAPHIES
 

  JOHN W. LANE, with his wife and three small children, emigrated from Albermarle county, Virginia, to Ohio, in 1831.  The only start Mr. Lane had in the new country was the team and wagon which constituted the moving outfit,, and about ninety dollars in money.  They came to Scioto township, Pickaway county, and settled on land belonging to Mr. Shaw.  Mr. Lane worked Shaw's land two years, and then bought of him a tract of ninety acres, a mile north of his first location.  This land he cleared and improved, and now occupies.  Four children were born to them after their settlement, making a family of seven children, as follows:  William F., Sarah V., John Monroe, Lucy Ann, James, David A., and one who died in infancy.  Mr. Lane was so unfortunate as to contract the small pox, in Columbus.  The disease was brought home by him, and every member of the family contracted it.  He recovered, but his son, John Monroe and an infant child, died.
     William F., the oldest of the family , is now dead.  Sarah V. married Samuel Shaw, and now lives in Christian county, Illinois.  Lucy Ann married Harrison Haywood; he died, and, after remaining a widow ten years, she married James Corey, and now lives in Franklin county.  James married Lucinda Wheeler, in 1858, by whom he had six children.  She died in May, 1870, leaving him with a family of small children, and no one to care for them but himself.  In Dec., 1870, he married Martha A. Wheeler, a sister of his deceased wife, by whom he has one child.  When he was first married, in 1858, he settled on a part of his father's farm, where he cleared forty-five acres.  He remained there some seven years, but worked at farming only about four years, when his health became poor, and he was obliged to give up hard labor.  He then commenced dealing in horses, buying and selling, for use in the army.  He continued at this about a year, and accumulated a little property, which he invested in hogs and cattle.  He was continued in that business since that time (1863).  In 1865, when the price of almost every article declined, and a general panic came on, he lost a large amount of money.  During the months of November and December, 1865, and January, 1866, he lost ten thousand dollars.  For a few months he was much discouraged, but, finally, he found he had many friends, who would stand by him in his adversity, and his courage revived.  He again engaged in the stock business, with greater energy than ever before.  In eighteen months after he started in business a second time, he had paid all his liabilities, and was again on his feet.  Since that time he ahs sometimes lost money, but in the main has gained.  In March, 1865, he bought his present farm of eighty-five acres, a half mile north of Commercial Point, to which he has added, from time to time, until he now has three hundred and eighty-seven acres.  When he purchased the land, a part of his present frame house stood on it.  He enlarged and built to it until now he has a pleasant home.  He has provided convenient and ample barns and out buildings for his business, and his fences and all his surroundings reflect credit on a farmer who makes a specialty of keeping everything in order.  An engraving representing his premises, accompanies this sketch.  The children of James Lane are:  Benjamin F., John W., Emma J., James Edwin, William A., Horatio N., and Harry H.
     David A., a son of John Lane lives half a mile west of Commercial Point.
     John Lane, when a young man, and living in Virginia, served eight or nine months in the army, during the war of 1812.  He is the only survivor of the war of 1812 now living (1879) in Scioto Township.

       JOHN MUNDELL was born in Scotland.  He immigrated to the United States when he was twenty years of age, and settled in Virginia.  A few years later he married Miss Jannett McIntosh, by whom he had four children, two of whom - John David and Walter McIntosh - were born in Virginia, and two - James Grieve and Emily Thompson - were born in Ohio.  He came to Ohio, with his family, in 1833, and purchased seven hundred acres of forest, a portion of which is still owned and occupied by his daughter.  At the time of this settlement, it was almost an unbroken wilderness from the Scioto river to the head waters of the Big Darby.  Of the seven hundred acres purchased by Mr. Mundell, seven acres were indifferently cleared, but no buildings of any kind had been erected.  With that energy and determination which characterized his life, he went resolutely to work and subdued the forest, erected suitable buildings for his family, which, at the time of his settlement, consisted of his wife, tow sons - already mentioned - and a niece, Miss Jannett Filcomb, who still remains with the younger member of the family.  Her qu8et, consistent, christian life, entitles her to prominent mention with this family.
     Our subject, John Mundell, donated the ground, hewed the logs, and helped to erect the First Presbyterian church then west of the Scioto river.  He was one of its first members, and was a ruling elder from that time until his death.  He was a fearless advocate of the right, and as fearlessly denounced wrong.  He was a kind and indulgent father, and lived to see the fruition of his life - an educated family, and all members of the Presbyterian church.  In early life he was a whig, but was identified with the Republican party from its organization.  His motto was "equal rights and universal education."  He died in 1870, of heart disease, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.
     Mrs. Mundell was also born of Scotch parents, though a native of Virginia.  Her mother, Mrs. Margaret Shannon, came to Ohio with the Mundell family, and a few years since died, at the age of one hundred and four years.  Mrs. Muncell died in the year 1875, at the age of seventy-four years.  While both Mr. and Mrs. Mundell lived to a good old age, yet it is quite evident that the labor and hardships, incident to new-county life, materially shortened the life of each.
     The first-born, John David, has been twice married.  Miss Mary A. May, of Kingston, Ross county, Ohio, was his first wife, and Miss Matty Maxwell, his second and present wife, also of Kingston, where they now reside.  Walter McIntosh enlisted in the three months' service, and served in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio.  He was never married.  He gave his life to his country.  After the expiration of the term of his first enlistment, he re-enlisted for the war.  His health finally gave way, and he lived but a few months after reaching home.  James Grieve married Mary W. Renick, and lives in Kansas.  Emily Thompson, the youngest of the family, in unmarried, and occupies the old homestead, and, to all appearances, manages all the details of farming with good judgment.

JACOB W. STIVERSON was the only child of Jacob Stiverson and Hannah (Howe) Stiverson.  His father was born in York, Pennsylvania, February 24, 1792.  In his early life he emigrated to Scott county, Kentucky, where he spent a few years, and then emigrated to Ohio, and settled in Jackson township, in Pickaway county, in 1815.  His wife was also a native of Pennsylvania, and was January 28, 1794.  Jacob Stiverson died August 29, 1816.  His wife survived him until September 19, 1876.  During all this period she remained single.
     Jacob West Stiverson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Jackson township, a few months after the death of his father, December 31, 1816.  He married Miss Margaret West, of Scioto township, Pickaway county, in 1842.  She was born November 10, 1820, in the house where the Stiverson family now live, and where they have resided a large share of the time since their marriage, Mr. Stiverson becoming the purchaser of the same, in the meantime.  Seven children were born of this union: Martha Virginia, who lives with her parents; Arthur Elmore, who is deceased; Cornelia Missouri, now Mrs. A. J. Gusman, and resides at South Bloomfield, this county - she has one child; Alice Elizabeth, who is deceased; George West, who lives at home with the family; Charles William, who is deceased; and Hannah Caroline, who is at home.  The gratitude and filial affection of this family of children most richly deserve a notice in this biography.  Children who were raised under such influences and teachings as might be expected to flow from pious and sensible parents, uniformly produce men and women of this sort, and without which the world would retrograde.
     The subject of our sketch is and ever has been a quiet, unobtrusive man, thoroughly domestic in his tastes and life.  His education was obtained in the schools of his neighborhood, and at his own fireside.  He never studied grammar, and during his few school days never saw but one copy - Kirkum's - which was brought to school by one of the scholars, and used as a reading book, the teacher having no conception of its real use or design.  Mr. Stiverson is not a general reader, but a critical and discriminating reader of books and subjects which have especially attracted his attention.  He once served as trustee of his township for a term of two years, but official prominence being so distasteful to him, he has uniformly peremptorily declined nominations to township and county offices since the expiration of his trusteeship.  He is a Republican, and has been since the organization of that party.  Before that time he was a Whig, of the Clay school, hence his Republicanism came easily, naturally, and from principle, and not from any feeling of partisanship.  His opinions are based upon his own investigations and reason, and of course his exercise of the rights and duties of citizenship is in the light of intelligence and good morals.  After giving the matter special attention, and good morals.  After giving the matter special attention, we are delighted to say he is held in the highest esteem by his neighbors and log-time acquaintances, and their confidence in his integrity and character is universal.  He is a member of the United Brethren church, as are some of his family, and has held the office of steward and class leader several times.  His life is consistent, uniform, and in keeping with his profession and an exalted patriotism.  His material prosperity has been slow, but thoroughly in keeping with his sense of honor, and an unbendmg integrity.  He and his faithful wife have toiled side by side during the years of their married life, and by their industry and economy have not only accumulated a competence for their declining years, but they have provided their children with an education—a solid wealth which no misfortune can destroy.
     Mrs. Stiverson was the sixth and youngest child of Peter West and Elizabeth Bartly.  Her lather was a native of Virginia, and was born February 8, 1782.  Her mother was a native of Pennsylvania, and was born September 12, 1778.  Her parents came to Ohio in 1804, and settled on the Scioto River, where the Stiverson family now resides. Her father built and operated a large ferry boat, for several years, and Miss Margaret West— now Mrs. Stiverson—was his only helper much of the time, and she soon understood the management of the awkward craft as well as her father.  Her early, as well as her later life, has been one of activity and usefulness, and she has instructed her daughters in all the accomplishments and mysteries of housekeeping, and reared them to be industrious, with a full appreciation of the worth of character.  She is a member of the Christian church, yet no conflicts of opinion mar the happiness of this family on account of religious differences.  The christian character of Mr. and Mrs. Stiverson meets with abundant proof in the almost universal testimony of neighbors and long-time acquaintances.