|
BIOGRAPHIES
The following biographies are extracted from:
Source:
The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
By Henry Holcomb Bennett
Published by S. A. Brant, Madison, Wis.,
1902
< CLICK HERE TO
RETURN TO THE 1917 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX >
<
CLICK HERE to RETURN to LIST OF BIOGRAPHICAL INDEXES & HISTORIES
>
|
|
WEDEN KELLEY ORR,
breeder of registered swine, Shorthorn cattle and other
fine stock in Green township, is connected by his family
history with some of the strongest and earliest
established of Ross county’s citizenship. The
ancestral tree first took root in the “Emerald Isle,”
the land whose brilliant and devoted children have made
it famous both in story and in song. During the
latter half of the eighteenth century, five brothers
were born and bred near Belfast, whose names were
James Thomas, Alexander, William and John. William
became involved in the rebellion of the Irish against
English tyranny, which took place in the closing years
of the century, and was the first of the patriots
executed in 1797. He was falsely charged with
treason, found guilty by a drunken jury and sentenced to
die by a hypocritical judge. His accuser
afterwards acknowledged that he swore falsely, and
Orr was offered a reprieve if he would confess his
guilt. This he scornfully declined to do and was
accordingly executed. This excited such
indignation that “Remember Orr!” was the rallying
cry of the united Irishmen in the struggle that
followed. “The Wake of William Orr,”
by one of the standard authors, is a beautiful poem
which this cruel execution inspired. Thomas
Orr, another of the brothers, by taking a
position less radical managed to save his property from
confiscation. He owned an extensive bleaching
green and linen factories near Belfast. Preferring
to live in America and enjoy freedom he came here, and
it is supposed that his property in Ireland reverted to
the church, and to this day it is believed to be in the
possession of the same. James Orr
left his native land about 1770 and made his way across
the ocean out of reach of the oppressors of Ireland.
He located in South Carolina, went into business and
accumulated some property, but his health became poor
and hoping to improve it he removed to the mountainous
regions west of Virginia. He settled near
Moorefield, in Hardy county, at a place still called
Orr’s mountain and there remained until 1797.
In that year he decided to emigrate farther west, and
came with his family to Ross county, where they settled
first near the High Banks prairie and afterward on Dry
Run about six miles above. James Orr
was a man of good education, as well as an accomplished
surveyor, and these qualifications made him very useful
in the newly settled and poorly organized communities.
For a number of years he kept a private school and the
ancestors of some of the most prominent families in Ross
county were taught by this Irish immigrant.
The maiden name of the wife of James Orr
was Sarah Eyemon, and her sister
Deborah was also a member of the family. All
three of these pioneers died in 1802 and their remains
were deposited in one of the rude cemeteries of that
early day, since known as the Schooly graveyard.
James Orr and wife left four children,
Zebulon, William, James and Thomas,
but this chronicle is principally concerned with the
last mentioned. Thomas Orr was born
in Virginia and was with his father in the emigration to
Ohio. He and his brother Zebulon did the
first plowing in Liberty township, which entitles them
to rank as the first agriculturists of that community
afterward so famous as a farming region. Thomas
acted as a chain-carrier when the road from Chillicothe
to Gallipolis was being surveyed by the famous
Nathaniel Massie. The chain used on the
occasion was presented by Colonel Massie
to the faithful Thomas Orr, and this is
now in the possession of his grandson, Weden K. Orr,
who cherishes it as a precious heirloom. Thomas
Orr was a farmer by occupation and noted for his
strict integrity in all business transactions,
preferring the solace of a. good conscience to any
pleasures to be derived from money made by questionable
methods. A Democrat in early life, he was
converted by a speech of William Henry
Harrison and ever afterward voted the Whig and
Republican tickets. His first Wife was Rebecca
Alexander, who died two years after marriage, and
the second was Mary Jones, a native of New
Jersey of Welsh descent. By this last marriage
Thomas Orr had eleven children: Rebecca,
Elizabeth and Thomas (deceased), Sarah,
William, Jeremiah, Presley,
Zebulon, Simeon (deceased), Wesley and
Mary A. Jeremiah Orr was born in
Springfield township, Ross county, Nov. 22, 1825.
He had poor educational opportunities in youth, but was
fond of study and by much reading became in after life a
well informed man. He became one of the
representative farmers of Ross county and at one time
owned 200 acres of good land which was obtained by his
own exertions. He was appointed treasurer of the
school land fund for Green township, and though not a
seeker after office, was always to be relied on in every
movement that promised to improve conditions and make
for progress. He enlisted under the call for what
was known as the “hundred days’ men,” and draws from the
government a liberal pension in recognition of his
services. In 1854, he was married to Maria,
daughter of John and grand-daughter of William
Kelley, the latter a pioneer of Ross county.
Three children resulted from this union. The
eldest, Harriet, who was educated in Chillicothe
and at the National Normal university of Lebanon,
married Professor A. L. Ellis, and has one child,
A. Dane. Mary N., second of
the daughters, after her education at Kingston and the
National normal, became the wife of J. M. Spence
of Cleveland, and has four children: Weden O., Mary
B., Dorcas M and Harry W.
Weden Kelley Orr, only son of Jeremiah and Maria
(Kelley) Orr, was born in Liberty township, Ross
county, Apr. 16, 1862. Like the other children, he
was given a good education, taking a preparatory course
at Kingston, followed by attendance in the scientific
department of the National Normal university of Lebanon,
where he was graduated with the class of 1881 and
received the degree of B. S. In 1882, Mr. Orr
located on the old homestead, where he has since
resided, engaged in the cultivation of his farm and the
raising of stock. He has charge of 245 acres of
well improved land and makes a specialty of Shorthorn
cattle, Poland-China and Duroc Jersey swine, in the
breeding of which he has achieved flattering success and
an enviable reputation. Mr. Orr is a
member of the Methodist church, president of the Green
township board of education and quite prominent in
Masonry, holding membership in Pickaway lodge, No. 23;
Circleville chapter, No. 20, B. A. M., and Scioto
commandery, No. 35, Knights Templar. In 1889 he
was married to Elizabeth Lutz and they
have five children: Stanley Lutz, Mary
Florence, Helen Harriet, Irene
and Loren Kelley. Mrs. W. K. Orr
is the daughter of Col. Isaac Lutz, one of
the most prominent farmers and largest landowners in
Ross county. He was born in Salt Creek township,
Pickaway county, May 10, 1823, son of Hon.
Samuel Lutz, who came from Pennsylvania to
Ohio in 1802. The latter bought and cleared a fine
tract of land in Pickaway county where he spent all of a
life, as remarkable for its length of years as for its
activities and usefulness. He possessed great
influence in his county and held many positions of
trust, such as surveyor, land appraiser and justice of
the peace, besides membership in the legislature for
several terms. He was a man of strict habits and
much integrity of character, being for many years a
consistent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
He married Elizabeth Fetherolf, of Pennsylvania,
by whom he had a large family of children, and it is
remarked as a noteworthy fact that nine of these had
grown up and had grandchildren and some of them
great-grandchildren before the death of their father.
The latter enjoyed remarkable vigor, both of mind and
body, during a long period, and died in 1890 at the
advanced age of one hundred and one years and six
months. Isaac Lutz, whose own career
was also destined to be long and conspicuous, was the
fourth born of his father’s family. As soon as he
reached his majority he began driving cattle to the
Eastern markets, making eight trips to New York and
Philadelphia. In 1846, he located on the
farm in Union township, Ross county, which from that
time until this has been the place of his residence.
In January of the same year he was married to Mary
Spangler, who died in February, 1847. Sept.
13, 1855, he took for his second wife Susan J. Barton,
of Union township, by whom he had six children: Ada
J., wife of Ira L. May, a farmer of Pickaway
county; Mary E., wife of Philip M. Dunlap,
of Union township; Freeman B., who died at the
age of nineteen years; Fred L., married to
Miss Maudane Dick of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, and living
on the old homestead; Elizabeth L., now Mrs.
Orr, and Susan Florence, the wife of Clark
Beale, of Mt. Sterling, Ohio. Colonel Lutz
has been quite active in politics during his life, being
first a Whig and afterward a Republican, often acting as
delegate in the county, district and state conventions
of his party. At the age of eighteen he
joined a company of cavalry of which he was soon elected
second lieutenant, later made captain and finally
lieutenant colonel. This title was conferred on
him in 1845 and he was engaged several years in training
in militia company, his military attainments
subsequently procuring him appointment as enrolling
officer during the civil war. Colonel Lutz's
landed possessions embrace holdings in three states,
including 160 acres in Iowa, 720 in Kansas and all Ohio.
He cultivates 200 acres of wheat and the same number in
corn, the remainder of the arable land being rented to
tenants. The Colonel and his wife have traveled
extensively, visiting and spending more or less time in
twenty-eight states between the coast of New York and
California. No citizen of Ross county has been
more intimately connected with her agricultural
development than Colonel Lutz and none stands higher in
the public regard as a man of integrity and worth.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 624 |
|
|
JOHN ORTMAN,
of Harrison township, was born on the farm he now owns
in that township in Ross county, March 27, 1822. His
parents were John and Catharine (Baker)
Ortman, the former
of Pennsylvania and the latter of Maryland. John was
a son of Jacob Ortman, a native of Germany who came to
Ohio in the early days of its settlement and there spent
the balance of his days. John Ortman, the father,
came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1810, and settled on the
farm in Ross county now owned by his son and where he died
July 17, 1879, at the age of ninety-eight. His wife
long preceded him to the grave, her death occurring in
1867, when she was eighty-eight years old. They had
a family of nine children, of whom only three are now
living, and of these John Ortman is the youngest. He
was reared on the old home place and received his
education in the common district schools. Mr. Ortman
has always been a farmer and now owns 157 acres of land
which he cultivates in the general way. In 1864, Mr.
Ortman enlisted in Company D, of the One Hundred
Forth-ninth Ohio regiment, mustered in as National Guards
in the one hundred days' service. He served seven
months; three he spent as a prisoner in Danville, Va.
He was in the battle at Monocacy Junction, fought in July,
1864, between Early's army and the Federal forces
commanded by Gen. Lew Wallace. For some time Mr. Ortman has been a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic. Though not an office seeker, he has held
the position of trustee of his township. August 9,
1846, he was married to Margaret Bower, and the result of
the union was a family of seven children, five of whom are
living: Mary E., at home; Caroline, the wife of S.
W. Clyde, of Franklin county, Kan.; Margaret A., at
Hallsville, Ohio; Jacob W., at Chillicothe; and Charles E.
Those dead are J. W. and Lyman. Mrs.
Ortman, the
mother, died May 5, 1899. Mr. Ortman is one of the
substantial men of Ross county and in all the duties of
life, both in war and peace, has proved him self a good
citizen.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 628 |
| |
NEWTON J. OVERLY, the
well known gardener and truant officer of Chillicothe,
is descended from a pioneer who settled in what is now
Springfield township before Ross county was organized.
This was his great-grandfather, Frederick Overly,
born in Pennsylvania, Mar. 2, 1765, of parents who came
from Wurtemberg, Germany. The first of the family
to locate in America was Martin Oberlin,
as the name was then spelled, but since changed to
Overly. He was a native of Wurtemberg, Germany,
migrated to America in 1757, and settled in the province
of Pennsylvania, where he was naturalized and declared
to be a British subject Sept. 24, 1764. This
unique naturalization paper is still in the possession
of one of his descendants, in Ross county, as are also
other documents of considerable curiosity. We
present herewith a copy of the entire language of this
boon of citizenship. It will be noticed that the
old English use of the letter “f” instead of “s”
prevails in the spelling of words: (Seal.)
Pennsylvania, S. S. Edward Shippen, Jr.,
Prothonotary of the Supream Court of the Province of
Pennsylvania Do hereby certify, That at a Supream Court
held at Philadelphia, for the said Province of
Pennsylvania, the 24th Day of September, in the Year of
our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-four,
Before William Allen, W. Coleman and
Alex Stedman, Esquire Judges of the
said Court, between the Hours of Nine and Twelve of the
Clock in the Forenoon of the same Day, Martin
Oberlin of Bethel, in the County of Lancaster, being
a foreigner, and having inhabited and resided for the
space of Seven Years in His Majesty’s Colonies in
America, and not having been out of the same of the said
Colonies for a longer Time than Two Months at any one
Time during the said Seven Years. And the said
Martin Oberlin having produced to the said
Court, a Certificate, of his having taken the Sacrament
of the Lord’s Supper within Three Months before the said
Court, took and subscribed the Oaths, and did make and
repeat the Declaration (appointed by an Act, made in the
First year of the Reign of King GEORGE
THE FIRST) according to the Directions of an
Act of Parliament, made in the. Thirteenth Year of
His late Majesty King GEORGE the Second,
intituled, An Act for naturalizing such foreign
Protestants, and others, therein mentioned, as are
settled in any of His Majesty's Colonies in America; and
thereupon was admitted to be His Majesty's natural born
Subject of the Kingdom of Great Britain, pursuant to the
Direction and Intent of the said Act of Parliament. In
Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand, and
affixed the Seal of the Supream Court, the 24th Day of
September, in the year first above mentioned.
Edward Shippen, Jr.
To this pioneer was born five sons, Christopel,
Bostian, Martin, Frederick, and one other whose name
has been lost to the family records. The father
and his four sons named came to Ross county in 1797,
where Martin died and was buried in Springfield
Township. After marrying in his native state,
Frederick Overly, in early manhood, migrated to
Kentucky, but in a few years crossed the river to Ross
county, Ohio, and settled near Hopetown. It was in
1797 that he arrived in that locality in company with
his father and two brothers who joined in building a
bark shanty and cultivating a crop of corn. In the
fall, after securing their crop, they returned for their
families and brought them out on pack-horses over the
Indian trail through the dense forest. The wife of
Frederick Overly, whose name was Mary Ann
Hines, and whom he married in 1793, carried on her
horse all the way from Kentucky her precious spining-wheel
and eight months-old babe. For a while all lived
in the rude shanty, but eventually Frederick Overly
erected a hewed log house which was occupied many years
afterward by his descendants. He died in 1848 at
the ripe old age of eighty-two years, and his wife
following in 1850 in her seventy-fifth year. Their
children, six in number, consisted of two sons and four
daughters, whose names in order of birth were John,
George, Susan, Rebecca, Mary and the wife of a
Mr. Thorp. John Overly, eldest of the family,
was born in Kentucky, and accompanied his parents on
their journey to Ross county over the rude Indian trails
of that day which constituted the only roads. He
grew to manhood in the vicinity of Hopetown, receiving
such scant education as was to be gleaned by irregular
attendance at the "old field schoolhouse." His
only occupation throughout life was that of farming and
this he followed on his place near Hopetown until his
death in July, 1877. His eight children were
Mary Ann, widow of Jacob Rittinger, of
Springfield township; Elizabeth, who married
Jacob Cryder and afterward died; Evaline,
wife of Jack Cryder, deceased; Frederick,
deceased; George, of Springfield township;
Ellen, deceased; John T., and Sarah,
wife of William Wheeler of Liberty township.
John T. Overly, seventh of these children, was
born near Hopetown, Ross county, Apr. 4, 1838, and has
followed, the ancestral pursuit of farming since
arriving at maturity. In 1857 her married
Katherine Downs and settled on a farm in Springfield
township, where they are still living in the enjoyment
of general esteem. Their long and happy married
life has been blessed by the birth of four children, two
of whom are living, a son and a daughter, the others
dying in infancy. The daughter is Jennie,
wife of M. V. Whitcraft, of Springfield township.
Newton J. Overly, the surviving son, was born on
the family homestead in Ross county, Mar. 21, 1860 and
as soon as he reached manhood began farming on his own
account and continued to live in Springfield township
for over thirty years. In 1893 he removed to
Chillicothe and undertook gardening, which for some
years constituted his regular and only occupation.
In the spring of 1899 he was appointed truant officer
for the city of Chillicothe, and he has since held that
position, being also ex-officio assistant city
librarian. Feb. 23, 1882, he was married to
Mary Niles, of Gallia county, by whom he has five
children: Laura, Janet, Clara, Marie, and
Oliver. The family are communicants of the
Christian church and Mr. Overly is a member of
the Modern Woodmen of America.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 629 |
| |
JAMES
H. PAKE, M. D., a prominent
practitioner of Bainbridge and vicinity, is a native of
Muskingum county, Ohio. His literary education was
obtained at Zanesville and Pageville academy. In
1880 he entered Starling college at Columbus, Ohio, from
which institution he was graduated in 1883 with a degree
of M. D. During the following six years he practiced
his profession in Cheshire, Gallia county, and the same
length of time in Middleport, Ohio. In 1896, he
located at Bainbridge, in the county of Ross, and that has
been his place of business ever since. Dr. Pake has
built up a good patronage, his practice extending over
portions of Ross and Pike counties. He is ambitious
as well as energetic, and, desiring to keep abreast of the
latest discoveries in medical science, took a
post-graduate course at the New York Polyclinic in 1889.
He has made a special study of tuberculosis and naturally
takes a deep interest in everything which promises a check
to that insidious disease. Dr. Pake is a
member of the Ohio State Medical society and also of the
Medical association of Meigs county. His fraternal
relations are confined to membership in the orders of
Freemasonry and Odd Fellows. In 1879 he was married
to Mary Armstrong, of Downington, Meigs County, O.
Source #1 - The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 631 |
| |
BENJAMIN
F. PARKER, is a native of Ross county, born at
Hopetown, August 12, 1839. His parents were Job
R. and Eleanor (Longan) Parker, both
Pennsylvanians, the former born March 22, 1793, and the
latter on December 29, 1800. The father learned the
cabinet-maker's trade, at which he worked until his
removal to Ross county. His marriage took place
March 14, 1822, and he came to Ohio in the same year,
accompanied by a colony of Pennsylvanians, numbering some
ten or twelve families. Soon after his arrival he
rented a farm, and with the exception of a few years spent
at Chillicothe as proprietor of a huckster wagon, he
devoted his whole life to the business of farming.
He served as constable and member of the school board in
Springfield township. His death took place on
February 10, 1862, while he was living on the Judge
James McClintick farm, his wife surviving him until
August 8, 1886. They had a family of twelve
children. Of these, Joseph, Nancy, Samuel, James,
Job R., Charles D., William and Isaac N. are
dead, the last mentioned being killed in the battle of
Monocacy. There were two sets of twins; John L.
and Joseph being the first, and the others
Benjamin F. and Isaac W. Thomas S.
resides in Chillicothe, and Mary Jane is the widow
of William H. Abernathy, of the same city.
Benjamin F. Parker, who was one of the last pare of
twins, remained at home helping on the farm until the
outbreak of the civil war. April 19, 1861, he
enlisted in the company of Capt. George W. Fisk,
but the call being full this command was not accepted but
continued in camp drilling. July 27, 1861, Mr.
Parker enlisted in Company A, Eighteenth Ohio
regiment, under Capt. H. R. Miller. During
the occupation of Bowling Green, Ky., Mr. Parker
was in the hospital with measles, and while on his way
after that to join his regiment, he was captured at
Pulaski, Tenn. This occurred May 1, 1862, and he was
held prisoner for nine months, being exchanged February 4,
1863. He rejoined his company at once and with it
took part in the Tullahoma campaign, the battles of
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Nashville,
Decatur and other engagements. Later the command was
sent to Chattanooga, from there to Augusta, Ga., and was
mustered out at that place October 9, 1865. The
military record of the Parker family is unusually
creditable. Including Benjamin, eight
of the sons of Job R. Parker served as Union
soldiers during the civil war. Isaac N. was
killed, as previously stated, and Job died from the
effects of wounds. Benjamin F. refused
several offers of promotion, preferring to serve in the
ranks. Immediately after his discharge he came
directly to Chillicothe, where he lived until March 17,
1867. At time he was married to Eliza Abernathy,
after which he removed to a rented farm in Union
township, where he lived until he bought the place where
he now resides. He and his wife became the parents
of twelve children. Of these, Anna, Elmer,
William F., and Arthur Earl are dead.
Olive L. is the wife of Charles Hibbler, of
Fayette county; Mary F. resides in Chillicothe,
Thomas J. in Bainbridge, and Job R. in
Lancaster; Nellie is the wife of Arthur D.
Shafer of Bourneville; David N. is at
Washington Court House, and Boyd and Joseph T.
are at home. Mr. Parker, since he has settled
down in life, ahs been a general farmer and stock-raiser.
He has served as constable of his township for several
terms and ahs been a member of the school board. His
politics are Republican and sine 1853 he has been a member
of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Source #1 - The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 631 |
|
|
JOHN W. PARKER
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 632 |
|
|
A. FRANK
PARRETT, of South
Salem, was born, bred and educated in Buckskin township,
Ross county. He is the eldest son of Strawder J.
Parrett, whose father, George Parrett, came from the
Shenandoah valley of Virginia in 1814 and settled on the
second tract of land surveyed in Buckskin township.
Frederick Parrett, father of George and grandfather of
Strawder Parrett, served in the Continental army and was
present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
The founder of the Virginia family of Parretts came from
Switzerland to America as early as 1730; settled in the
colony of Virginia and raised a family of seven sons,
every one of whom served as a soldier in the war for
American independence. Along with this emigrant from
Switzerland in 1730 came a man named Wilkins, whose son
Henry went from Virginia to Ohio in 1802, just prior to
the admission of the state into the Union. This Henry
Wilkins had a daughter named Milly, who married
George Parrett, and became the mother of Strawder J.
Parrett. They had seven other children whose
biographies are thus briefly condensed: Rachel
married Anderson Wilson, of Buckskin township, went with
him to Indiana and settled on a farm near Logansport,
where she died in 1843; Maria became the wife of Daniel
Kline and they are living in Buckskin township; Henry A.
lived in Buckskin township until 1851 when he removed to
Illinois and died there in September, 1895; Eliza Ann
married Isaac James and died March 18, 1883; Margaret
May,
now the widow of
Thomas Murray, is living in Buckskin township; Alfred
A. died in 1854, and F. F. Perrett is a prosperous farmer
now living in Buckskin township. Strawder J. Parrett
was educated in the district schools and at the South
Salem academy. After leaving school he embarked in
agricultural pursuits and soon established himself as one
of the successful farmers and stock-raisers of Ross
county. He has long been prominent in the business
and political affairs of his community and strongly
interested in the public welfare. He belonged to the
sturdy band who took a stand for freedom away back in the
trying days and cast his first vote for John C. Fremont,
anti-slavery candidate for president; became a charter
member of the rising young Republican party, and has
always been a stanch advocate of its principles. As
a member of the state militia during the civil war, he
took part in the pursuit of John Morgan during that
officer's daring raid into Ohio. Mr. Parrett has
several times held the responsible position of trustee of
his township. The family are members of the
Presbyterian church and he has been a trustee of the Salem
academy for over thirty years. In 1860, Strawder
Parrett was married to Sarah A., daughter of
William Latta,
a native of Pennsylvania of Irish descent who settled in
Ohio about the year 1800. Mr. and Mrs.
Parrett have
three living children: Albina A., married to
Thomas
A. Rogers; William Latta, living on the home farm, and
A.
Frank. A Frank Parrett received his education at the
Salem academy, after which he embarked in farming and
stock-raising. He soon obtained recognition as one
of the most successful of the younger generation of
Buckskin township agriculturists. He makes a
specialty of stock feeding and understands every feature
necessary to make that business successful. In 1898,
he was elected trustee of Buckskin township and was
re-elected to the same position in 1901, being now in his
second term. He has made a good officer and
conservatively safeguards the interests of the people.
In 1884, he was married to Dora A., daughter of William A.
Kerr, member of one of the oldest of the Buckskin township
families. Mr. Parrett and family are members of the
Presbyterian church, and he is one of the members of the
township school board.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 633 |
|
|
H. C. PARRETT
was born in Buckskin township, Ross county, Ohio, in
1825; the son of Joseph F. Parrett and grandson
of Frederick Parrett, who founded the family in
Ross county. The earliest known ancestor came from
beyond the seas, as far back as 1730, and settled in
Virginia. He left a son named Frederick who
raised a large family and had five sons in the
Revolutionary war. It was one of his sons, bearing
the same name, who became the early settler of Ross
county. The latter came from the Shenandoah valley
of Virginia and settled in Buckskin township in October,
1814, bringing with him four sons, Joseph F., George,
Augustus Frederick and Henry, all of whom
located in the same neighborhood, became farmers and
raised families. His oldest son, John, had
preceded the others to Ohio the year before and settled
in Fayette County, where he spent the remainder of
his life and where many of his descendants now live.
Joseph F. Parrett, the second of the sons, lived
for many years on the farm now owned by his son, W.
J. Parrett, and there his death occurred in 1869.
He left a family of eight sons: John H.
(deceased), H. C. Absalom, Aaron, George F.,
M. J., W. M., and Augustus F. W. J.
Parrett, the seventh of these sons, was reared and
educated in Buckskin township. In 1862, when
twenty years old, he enlisted in Company I, Eighty-first
Ohio regiment, and served until he was wounded in front
of the Atlanta in 1864. This necessitated his
retirement from the service and prevented any further
participation in the war. In 1867, he was married
to Alethea Galloway, of Xenia, Ohio, daughter of
James C. Galloway. They hae two children,
Carrie D., and C. Sherman Parrett, both
educated at the Salem academy and Wooster university.
The family are members of the Presbyterian church and
the father belongs to the Grand Army post at Lyndon.
H. C. Parrett, the second son of Joseph F.,
was educated in the schools of Buckskin township and
then embarked in farming as his life work. He
started without advantages, but by steady industry has
succeeded in establishing himself as one of the
successful men of his community. In 1850 he took a
wife in the person of Emily Welsheimer, of
Pickaway county, who proved to be a most valuable
helpmeet in all his future struggles. She was a
loving and devoted wife up to the time of her death,
Nov. 5, 1885. They have five living children:
Ostie, wife of John F. Putnam, hardware
merchant of Greenfield; Mary and Jennie,
at home; W. E., druggist at Santiago, Cal.;
Charley, merchant at Greenfield. Mr.
Parrett is a man of patriotic and liberal views,
Presbyterian in religion and Republican in politics.
In addition to his farming interests, he was was for
thirteen years engaged in the drug business at
Greenfield and made it a successful and profitable
venture.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 634 |
|
|
PETER
J. PARRETT was born and reared in Buckskin
township, Ross county, and has spent his life on the old
homestead where he now resides. His father,
Henry Parrett, was one of the four sons of
Frederick Parrett who settled in Buckskin township
in 1814 and became prominent workers in the development
of that section. Frederick Parrett was the
father of a family of nine children, four sons and five
daughters, and Henry Parrett was the youngest
son. The Parrett family is numerous and
from an early day has been a factor in the progress and
growth of Ross county. Nearly all of the
male members became farmers and they have made excellent
citizens in every sense of the word. Peter J.
Parrett was educated in the public schools and at
the Salem academy. As soon as he reached manhood
he embarked in the useful and independent occupation of
cultivating the soil and has achieved a success in his
line. Mr. Parrett has farmed and raised
stock on an extensive scale and understands all branches
of the business thoroughly. He is no politician
and has never sought office, preferring to devote all
his energies and time to his legitimate business.
Like most of the connection of that name, he is a member
of the Presbyterian church.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 635 |
|
|
W.
EDWIN PARRETT was born on the old homestead of
his family about one mile east of Lyndon, Ross county,
in September, 1850. His father, Henry Parrett,
son of Frederick H. Parrett, was born in Virginia
in 1806 and came from that state with his father,
settling in Buckskin township, Ross county, in 1814.
Henry Parrett became one of the successful
farmers and stock-raisers of the county and one of the
leading citizens. He was a fine singer and in the
early days taught vocal music by the old patent note
system. He was leader in the congregational music
in the Presbyterian church, and altogether an
influential and notable character of his community.
He spent his whole life in Buckskin township and died in
April, 1883, much lamented. His son, W. Edwin
Parrett, was educated in the public schools and at
the Salem academy. After leaving school he
returned to the old homestead and engaged in farming,
making a specialty of raising Duroc Jersey hogs.
In this branch of live stock business, Mr. Parrett
achieved quite a reputation and is regarded a skillful
breeder. Mr. Parrett has taken an interest
in local politics and all township affairs but has never
been an office seeker. In 1883, he was married to
Henrietta Charlotte, daughter of Charles
Christian Rindt, a native of Germany, for several
years in business at Massieville, and now a merchant of
Chillicothe. Mr. and Mrs. Parrett have two
sons, one of whom, Ray Rindt Parrett, is
attending Salem academy, and the other, Charles Edwin,
is at home. The family are Presbyterians and
Mr. Parrett is a deacon in the church of that
denomination in Salem.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 636 |
|
|
WILLIAM
A. PARRETT was born in Buckskin township, Ross
county in 1860. His father, Col. John Parrett,
was a considerable man in his day and active in all
matters affecting his community. At one time he
was colonel of the State militia and also filled various
civil positions. Educated at the Salem academy, he
studied law and was admitted to the bar, but changed his
plans and never practiced the profession. He was
of a restless and adventurous disposition, and, after
teaching school for a while, joined the crowds who were
seeking fortunes in the distant gold fields of
California. He spent two years at the beginning of
the 1850's on that far off coast, but finally wearied of
wandering and returned to Lyndon, Ohio; then settled
down to farming and stock-raising, and adhered to this
employment until the time of his death in 1893. He
married Sophia, daughter of William Cochran,
an early settler of Ross county, and she survives.
Their sons, William A. Parrett, the third of a
family of nine children, after receiving his education
at Salem academy, taught in the district schools for a
short time and then embarked in farming. In 1889,
he took charge of the Lyndon flour and feed mills, with
a saw mill attached, but still retained his interest in
farming. He was elected treasurer of Buckskin
township in 1897, and has been twice re-elected to the
same office. In 1893 he was married to Etta D.,
daughter of Milton Seal, formerly of Highland
county, but now living in Iowa. The family are
members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Parrett
also belongs to the Knights of Pythias.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 636 |
| |
GEORGE
W. C. PERRY was born in Jackson county, Ohio,
Nov. 19, 1859. His father was Robert Perry,
a farmer then living near the city of Jackson, and
Mr. Perry's earliest years were spent on his
father's farm. He was the youngest of a family of
eleven children, seven of whom, including himself, are
now living. Mr. Perry, senior, was of
English descent, his father having come to this country
from England, following the footsteps of others of the
name, the most notable bearer of it being his cousin,
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the victor over the
English in the celebrated naval battle of Lake Erie.
An interesting chain of circumstance develops from this
victory of Commodore Perry, in that the successes
of General Harrison, due, partly, to him, were
what made Harrison available for the presidential
nomination, and that he was first named for that honor
by the Scioto Gazette, the paper with which G. W. C.
Perry is now connected. Another ember of the
Perry family who achieved renown was Matthew
G. Perry, brother of O. H. Perry. He
served in the United States navy in the war of 1812 and
in that with Mexico, and commanded the expedition to
Japan in 1852-54, during which he concluded the treaty
opening Japan to American commerce. He became
commodore in 1841. William Stevens Perry,
of Rhode Island, of the same family, was bishop of the
Protestant Episcopal church and a well known writer on
historical subjects, mostly concerned with church
matters, such as "Documentary History of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States" (1863-4),
"History of the American Episcopal Church," etc.
G. W. C. Perry's mother was Sarah Stewart,
a descendant of that sturdy Scotch-Irish stock which has
had such an influence in this country. The
combination of such stocks as these, Anglo-Saxon and
Scotch-Irish, insures energy, perseverance and
determination. G. W. C. Perry, early in
life, gave evidence that he had inherited the
characteristics of his forefathers. His original
education was obtained in a district school until he was
thirteen years of age. At this time, at an age
when most boys are but beginning the path of education,
without thought of striking out for themselves,
George Perry made a long step toward independence by
taking the examination for, and obtaining, a certificate
authorizing him to teach school. At that early age
he began a period of successful teaching which lasted
for eighteen years. In the intervals of his work
as teacher he attended the high school in Jackson, and a
private academy in the same place, kept by Prof.
Moses Gilmore, an instructor of the old school.
For twelve consecutive years Mr. Perry taught in
Jackson county. He then taught for six years in
Ross county, the last five years at the "Higby School,"
in the southern part of the county. In 1892 he
gave up teaching to enter the newspaper field, coming to
Chillicothe May 2 of that year, to become solicitor and
advertising manager of the Scioto Gazette, with
George H. Tyler. He continued in this position
after the combination of the Gazette and the Chillicothe
Leader, in 1893, until Jan. 1, 1895, when he was
appointed chief deputy and bookkeeper by Hugh W.
Warner, sheriff of Ross county. During all
this time he was increasing his acquaintance with men,
matters, and political affairs, so that when, on Nov.
16, 1896, the Scioto Gazette company was organized, with
him as a member of the board of directors, he was the
very man for the position of business manager of the
paper. Since that date he has controlled the
business affairs of the company, and has managed the
paper both wisely and well, how well only those who are
associated in the business can fully appreciate.
When he assumed charge of affairs the finances of the
paper were by no means what might be desired: it needed
building up in all departments, but especially in the
business part. He built it up; made improvements
of every sort; increased the circulation of the paper
and its consequent value as an advertising medium; and
today the Scioto Gazette stands in an enviable position,
thanks very largely to Mr. Perry's energy and
business acumen. Besides managing the affairs of
the Gazette he has found time to serve as chief
storekeeper for the Eleventh revnue district of
Ohio, since 1899, and, in May, 1902, was honored with
appointment by Governor Nash, as a member of the
board of managers of the Ohio Reformatory, at Mansfield.
He is a valued member of the orders of Elks, Odd Fellows
and Red Men. On Jan. 19, 1880, he married
Rachel P. Brooks, of Jackson county. OF this
marriage two daughters, Mabel S. and Vivian B.,
were born.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 637 |
| |
PETER PLATTER
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 638 |
| |
GEORGE W. PLUMLY
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 640 |
| |
WILLIAM A. PLYLEY
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 641 |
| |
EDWARD J. POHLMAN
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 642 |
| |
WILLIAM
POOL was born December 3, 1816, in Fayette
county, Ohio. The first of his family in Ohio was
his grandfather, a Virginian, who came into the new
country to prospect for a home, and having selected it,
returned and brought out his son William (father of the
subject of this sketch), who was a young married man with
one child. They came over the trails and pioneer
mountain roads from their home in Virginia, with the young
wife and child mounted on an old horse, which was the only
means of transportation that their means permitted them to
buy for the journey. Reaching Ross county, the elder
William Pool bought, in 1825, the farm on which his
son William now resides. After living on this
place several years he removed to Fayette county, which
was his home for a considerable period. The old
gentleman's recollection carried him back to the day when
Ohio was still a howling wilderness, and the white and red
men were fighting for supremacy all through the
trans-Allegheny country. During the Indian troubles
of 1800, he was taken in the general call for men to meet
and check the savages of the wild tribe along the Ohio.
He died in 1863 at the age of eighty-six years.
William Pool, son of the foregoing, has always resided
on the place his father first bought in Ross county, which
he purchased of the other heirs after the death of the
father. He engaged in general farming and the
raising of stock. He is proud of having been a
lifelong Democrat, and at the age of eighty-six is a well
preserved and companionable man. He had a sister,
named Mima, who lived to the age of ninety-two years.
Pool was married in 1840 to Nancy Houser, who died
in 1869, and they had ten children. Of these,
Sidney and Kate have passed away, besides two
others who died in infancy; Eliza is the wife of
Allen Fletcher, Luthera married Joseph Wonderly,
William and Charles are at home,
Everett lives at Londonderry, and Mary is the
wife of Abraham Blazer, of Union township.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 643 |
| |
JOHN
H. PORTER, deceased, was born in Twin township,
Ross county, July 5, 1834. His parents were
Joshua and Rachel (Henry) Porter, the former
born on December 21, 1802, near Chillicothe, and the
latter in February, 1809, in the old state of Virginia.
The pioneer of the family in Ross county was Peter
Porter, father of Joshua, who came from
Maryland. He married Isabella McDill, a
Virginia woman of Scotch descent, and they settled in Twin
township, where they spent the rest of their days, his
death occurring October 29, 1821, and hers in August,
1861. Joshua Porter married Rachel
Henry on February 10, 1831, and shortly thereafter the
couple commenced housekeeping on part of the farm owned by
Peter Porter. After the residence there of
some four or five years, Joshua Porter bought 160
acres of land, which is still known as the Porter
farm. This became his permanent abode until his
death which occurred on June 5, 1880, his wife surviving
until August 5, 1887. Their family was composed of
the following named six children; Isabella, wife of
Alexander Taylor, of Bainbridge; John H. the
subject of this sketch; Mary J., wife of William
R. Wilcox; William R.; Althea, wife of
Samuel Hornback; and Rosa E. The
experiences of John H. Porter in early life were
such as usually come to farmer boys in the days of their
youth. He worked on the farm during the busy season
and when the long evenings came, an effort was made by
reading around the family fireside and attendance at the
neighborhood school to lay up some book learning for
future use. When he reached mature manhood and
realized the necessity of settling down permanently, he
found a valuable assistant in Mary Core, whom he
married on January 25, 1860. This lady is descended
from a family who settled in Ross county as early as 1807,
finding a permanent location in Twin township.
Mrs. Porter was born in the place where she now
resides and where she has spent all the years of her life.
After his marriage, Mr. Porter engaged in earnest
work as a farmer and stock-raiser, being regarded as an
industrious man and exemplary citizen in all the duties of
life. He voted with the Republican party, but was
never a seeker after office. He was a man of strong
religious convictions and a lifelong member of the
Presbyterian church, in which he held the position of
trustee for over thirty years. He was a "cheerful
giver," being always very liberal toward the support of
the church and other good causes. Mr. Porter
departed this life January 7, 1901, much lamented by all
who knew him.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 644 |
| |
JOSEPH
B. POSEY, of Huntington township, is well known
as a teacher, farmer and public official in that part of
Ross county. His grandparents were Peter and
Sarah Posey, Pennsylvanians of English and German
descent, and farmers by occupation, who had six children,
now all deceased - Mary, Sarah, Catherine,
Louisa, Mark and Samuel R.
Samuel R. Posey was born in Chester county, Pa.,
February 22, 1821; came to Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1849;
married Mary M. Baum, of that county, and lived
there three years, after which he removed to Ross county
and settled in Twin township. Two years later he
went to Huntington township, where he spent the next
eighteen years, then returned to Twin township for a three
years' stay after which Huntington was chosen as his
permanent place of abode. He was a good business man
and very successful farmer, making a specialty of stock
and dealing extensively therein, accumulated over a
thousand acres of land, was township trustee for several
terms, and member of the school board for many years.
He was about seventy-two at the time of his death.
The widow resides with her daughter, Mrs. K. Hamm
at Washington Court House, Ohio. Samuel R. Posey
and wife were the parents of twelve children:
Peter C., Joseph B., Samuel W. Mark L., Sarah E.
(deceased), Martha F., Mary A., Louisa A., of
Illinois; Katie I., of Fayette county, Ohio; Ida
E., of Chillicothe; Isabel M., Huntington
township; and Maggie A. of Kingston, Ohio.
Joseph B. Posey, second of the children in regular
order, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, May 14, 1851.
With a view to qualifying himself for educational work, he
attended the Normal school at Frankfort, Ohio, and the
Wesleyan university at Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
Beginning in 1879 he taught school in Huntington township
during the winters and assisted on the farm in summer
until 1888. He was married in 1876 to Susie J.
Streevey, a native of Huntington township, by whom he
had two children, George S., living in Indiana, and
Anna J., wife of Harry McCandlish, of
Indiana. The mother died in May 15, 1880, and
September 30, 1880, Mr. Posey was married to
Emily D. Finley, of Ross county, by whom he had five
children: Mamie C., Ollie L., Clara B., Freddie
S. and Joseph N. The second wife died
January 24, 1897, after a week's illness with pneumonia,
and Mr. Posey was married, for the third time, to
Mrs. Barbara Spurrier, a native of Pike county.
He has held various township offices, including assessor,
justice of the peace for four consecutive terms, and
member of the board of education for several years.
He is a member of the Mount Olivet Methodist Episcopal
church and Tecumseh lodge, No. 80, Independent Order of
Odd fellows.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page 644 |
| |
ADAM
QUICK, lately deceased, was a good sample of
the sturdy race which comes from Germany and so
strengthens the population of the United States by their
habits of thrift, industry and obedience to the law.
He was born in Hesse Darmstadt, April 5, 1827, emigrated
to this country in early manhood and shortly after his
arrival settled in Ross county, Ohio. He brought
along with him no capital except a willingness and
capacity for work, aided by a natural aptitude for
business. He turned his hand to the first thing he
found to do, which happened to be farm work and this he
kept at until he saw a better opening at Chillicothe as
laborer in a slaughter-house. As the result of his
industry and economy he managed to save money enough to
rent a place of his own, and this venture proved to be the
turning point in his career. He got together the
necessary equipments and opened a tavern, which soon
became popular with the traveling public and made money
for Mr. Quick. The latter proved to be one of
those rare geniuses who known how to keep a hotel, and
"Quick's Tavern" in time became known far and wide as the
most excellent place to get "accommodation for man and
beast." As prosperity smiled upon him, Mr. Quick
invested in real estate and when he died was found to be
in possession of 126 acres of as good land as the county
afforded. He built a fine residence, which was
unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1878, but he soon had
another house on the site where he first began business
and which is now occupied by his widow. He was
regarded as one of the substantial and reliable men of his
adopted city, and fulfilled all the duties of life so well
as to obtain the respect of the community both as business
man and citizen. Mr. Quick married
Elizabeth Rebstock and they became the parents of
three children, of whom the only one now living is Adam
Quick, of Columbus, Ohio. In 1852, Mr. Quick
was married to Annie Heap, a native of Pennsylvania
who was taken to England when two years old and lived
there twelve years. She came to Ross county in
early girlhood and has since made her home there. By
her marriage with Mr. Quick she has one child,
Mary E. Valentine, of Columbus, Ohio. Mr.
Quick was a member of the German Lutheran church.
Source: The County of Ross: a history of Ross County, Ohio
by Henry Holcomb Bennett - Published by S. A. Brant, Madison,
Wis., 1902 - Page |
. |
