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Biographies
Source:
History of Preble County, Ohio
H. Z.
Williams & Bro, Publishers
1881
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Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Gifford |
JESSE GIFFORD
was born in Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, Apr. 10, 1813.
Deprived of his parents before he was a year old, he has only a
general knowledge concerning the beginnings of the Gifford
family. However, it is known that prior to the
Revolutionary war, his grandfather Gifford resided in
Pennsylvania, and taht in this State his father, William
Gifford was born not far from the year 1770. Belonging
to the society of Friends and being a man of peace, during the
first mutterings of the impending war clouds the elder Mr.
Gifford with his family joined a company of Friends, who
were about to retire from Pennsylvania to the more peaceful
territory of North Carolina. Among these emigrants were
members of the Stubbs, Jones and other families, who
afterward became identified with the Elkton settlement.
The colonists settled in Guilford county, North Carolina. While
here, William Gifford was married to Keziah
Jones, daughter of William Jones, one of
the emigrants from Pennsylvania. The people being thrifty,
prospered in the South, but fearing the evil influences of
slavery, which they bitterly opposed, and hearing of a richer
agricultural territory in the new State of Ohio, quite a large
company forthwith emigrated to this State and finally settled in
Preble county. Induced by the glowing representations of
his wife's brother, George Jones, William
Gifford decided to move to Ohio, and in company with
several of his brothers in-law with their families, started for
Preble county. The toilsome journey was made by wagon, and
the little company was several weeks on the way.
About the year 1805 they came to this county, and made
a stop in the vicinity of what is now West Elkton.
William Gifford entered a quarter section of land
about one-half mile east of this place. All was
forest, and there was no roof ready to shelter them save the
overhanging boughs of the native forest. For some time the
family lived in a canvas tent, in which they had camped out
every night since leaving their Southern home. All joined
together and rolled logs for the construction of one another's
cabins. Mr. and Mrs. Gifford were finally ensconced
in their new home, a rude, round-log cabin, with chinks daubed
with mud, a stick and clay chimney belching forth the flames
from the huge fire-place beneath. Mr. Gifford
was a cooper by trade, and he did all the coopering for the
neighborhood, thus making enough money to support his family.
This work in addition to the arduous work of a new farm kept him
very busy. By the fall of 1813 he had succeeded in
clearing about forty acres, and was beginning in a measure to
make his family more comfortable, when both he and his wife fell
fatally smitten with the "cold plague." which brought such woe
to the settlers in that neighborhood. The plague baffled
the skill of the
physicians of that day, the patient being seized with a terrible
feeling of coldness and thus falling into the icy embrace of
death. Thus almost together died Mr. and Mrs. Gifford,
leaving a family of six young children, the eldest of whom was
not more than fifteen years of age. The children were
cared for by their maternal relatives, and Jesse,
then but six months old, was left without a home. He was
taken from place to place, never remaining at one house more
than three months at a time. For about three years the
kind-hearted matrons of the neighborhood cared for the
motherless child. At the expiration of this time his uncle
and aunt, William and Mary Cox,
emigrated from
North Carolina, and while en route for a new home in Indiana,
stopped to see their old friends in Preble county.
Having no children of their own they adopted Jesse, and
proceeded on their journey, making a settlement in Wayne county,
near Richmond, Indiana.
The little boy, when he became of proper age, was
allowed to go to school about two days out of the week during
the brief winter season; but during most of the time he had to
stay at home and work. The school-house in which he
received his limited education was of the true pioneer type.
built of round logs, with dirt floor, stick and clay chimney,
and huge fire-place extending across one end of the room.
The light was admitted through windows made by taking out a
section of log on either side of the room, and covering the
aperture with greased newspaper.
Mr. Gifford was accustomed to go to
market to Richmond on horse back. His load consisted
generally of six chickens, a wallet filled with cucumbers, and a
little bucket of butter. He got six and a fourth cents
apiece for his chickens, the same price for a pound of butter,
and three cents per dozen for cucumbers. Richmond at that
time consisted of one little store, and hat, shoe and blacksmith
shop, and a few dwellings.
When Mr. Gifford was seventeen years of
age, his brothers, feeling an interest in his welfare, urged him
to come back to Preble county to attend to the securing of his
little patrimony. Taking their advice, he forthwith left,
although his aunt and uncle opposed his going, and forbade his
return if he went. He came to this county carrying only
the clothes on his back, and worked out by the month in the
vicinity of Elkton. From the time of his arrival until
twenty-one years of age, he managed, by rigid economy, to lay by
one hundred and seventy-five dollars in cash, besides being the
owner of a good team.
Having thus secured the basis of a start in life, from
a financial standpoint, he thought to improve his domestic
condition by taking a wife, and was accordingly married to
Bethena Ricks, the daughter of Thomas and
Elizabeth Ricks, who emigrated from Guilford county.
North Carolina, in 1830. She was born Jan. 30, 1813.
Soon after their arrival in Preble county, Mr. Ricks
died very suddenly, leaving a family of four children unprovided
for. They had been used to every comfort, and, although it
was very hard, the older ones were obliged to seek employment
whereby to make their living. Bethena, recognizing
that skilled labor was most liberally remunerated, learned the
tailor trade, and worked at it in the vicinity of West Elkton,
and did so for a time after her marriage.
After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Gifford,
which occurred Oct. 18, 1834, the young couple settled on land
about two miles east of Elkton. They lived here put a
short time when Mr. Gifford sold the place, and
for a few years rented land, in the meantime buying a farm in
Indiana. He afterwards sold this and bought a farm of
seventy-five acres, adjoining on the east the first farm he ever
owned. After living on this seventy-five acre farm for
about five years, he purchased one hundred and twenty-three
acres of land, located about one mile north of the last farm.
He lived on this place for about ten years, and sixteen years
ago Mr. Gifford bought his present farm of
seventy-five acres, and removed to his present residence on the
day of Lincoln's second election to the Presidency. He now
owns, besides this farm, ninety acres of land in Wayne county,
Indiana. about five miles north of Richmond, which farm is now
occupied by his son-in-law, John Bennett. Mr.
Gifford now lives on the half of the quarter that in
early times was said to be not worth entering, and it was
prophesied that it would never be worth the taxes paid on it.
It was thought to be too wet to be cultivated. It now
produces as much corn and grass as any farm in the whole
neighborhood, and is not much behind in the production of wheat.
Since he moved to the farm he has improved the soil greatly by
ditching. He has several times refused seventy-five
dollars per acre for the place. Owing to the effects of a
severe attack of typhoid fever, which prostrated him just before
moving to his present residence, north of Elkton, he has been
unable to work regularly and has rented his farm. He has
been paying considerable attention to the raising of stock,
having at one time dealt extensively in hogs. During the
past few years he has made sheep raising a specialty.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gifford have been born three
boys and three girls, all of whom are living, five residing in
this county. Their eldest son., Anuel, married
Sarah Koontz, and after her death married Ellen
Owens, and has seven children. They reside in
Greenbrush. Susannah married Elihu
Stubbs, of Somers township, and is the mother of
three children. Eliza A. is the wife of John
Pugh, of Gratis township. They also have three
children. Henry R., living a little west of Elkton,
married Deborah Geeding, by whom he is the father
of four children. Hannah, the wife of John
Bennett, has three children, and resides in Wayne county,
Indiana. Lindley A. married Sarah A. Ross,
and lives just south of his father. He has three children.
Mr. and Mrs. Giflord have been fortunate in
raising their family, not having had a death. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Gifford have long been faithful
members of the Friends church at West Elkton.
The Giffords have been first old line Whigs and
then staunch Republicans. Mr. Gifford has
won the esteem of his fellow citizens by his genial manners and
fair dealings, and now in his old age he lives secure and happy
in the midst of friends who honor him.
Mr. Gifford's father and mother left six
children at their death, of whom Jesse was the youngest.
Nathan died on the old homestead in Preble county
as did Henry Andrew is living on Elkhorn, just
east of Richmond. William died near the old
homestead. Hannah married Jonathan Dix -
both deceased.
Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams &
Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page (betw. 188-189) |
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L. G. GOULD - ok
Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams &
Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page 155 |
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MRS. SUSAN GREGG
Source: History of Preble County, Ohio - H. Z. Williams &
Bro, Publishers - 1881 - Page (betw. 276 - 277) |
NOTES:
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