VINTON CO., O. -
DAVID VANCE RANNELLS.     For almost eighty years the family name of Rannells has been one of the most prominent in Vinton County.  The old homestead on the banks of Raccoon Creek in Swan Township was first settled by the father and grandfather of the present generation during the late '30s.  The labors of three generations have worked many marvelous changes and transformations since then, and in view of the successful industry and the many influences that have pervaded the community from this homestead it is not strange that the name is associated with the highest honor and respectability in that section of the Hanging Rock Iron Region.
     The Rannells family were originally Scotch-Irish people, and they located in the center of the Scotch-Irish settlement in the western Allegheny Region some years prior to the Revolutionary war.   For many years the family seat was in Washington County in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and all of the family belonged to what might be regarded as the established church of that section, the Presbyterian. Some of them served in the Revolutionary war, fighting the British and Indians and guarded the western frontier of the colonies.   A number of the descendants are now members of the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution.   The great-grandfather of Daniel Vance Rannells was David Rannells, who spent all his long and useful life in Washington County and it is probable that he too bore some part in the Revolutionary struggle.
     It was in Washington County, Pennsylvania, that Joseph Rannells, grandfather of David Vance Rannells, was born in 1784.  In early manhood he pioneered into the Ohio Valley and located in Guernsey County, where he married Elizabeth Bay.  She Was born Oct. 27, 1784, in Guernsey County, and her family were among the earliest pioneers along the Ohio River.  She grew up and spent practically all her life in Guernsey County.  Joseph Rannells and wife had the following children, all of them born at Cumberland, Ohio: Thomas, born Apr. 12, 1813 Sarah M., born July 12, 1816, and died in Northwestern Missouri in 1877, the wife of Robert Marshall; Samuel, who was born Nov. 11, 1817, and died at the age of nine months; David, born June 3, 1819, and died at the age of eighteen from the measles; and Joseph Watson, who was born July 18, 1825, and died Dec. 17, 1877, one of the prominent and influential citizens of Swan Township in Vinton County, where his widow and some of his children still live.
     Thomas Rannells, father of David Vance Rannells, grew up in Guernsey County, and was about twenty-five years of age when in 1838 he accompanied his father, Joseph, into Vinton County.  He made the trip on horseback, and found almost a wilderness.  After some search they selected a large tract of more than 300 acres on Raccoon Creek in section 25 of Swan Township, and secured this land, which was covered with a rich growth of forest timber, largely poplar.  It was the site for a beautiful homestead, and in that one community the Rannells family has ever since lived and prospered.  Grandfather Joseph Rannells died July 1, 1848, and his wife had passed away at Cumberland in June, 1838. Both were prominent people in Guernsey County, and they had to do with the founding of the Presbyterian Church there and took an active part in its support and maintenance. Grandfather Joseph was a whig in politics.
     In April, 1841, Thomas Rannells returned to New Concord, Ohio, and claimed his bride, Miss Mahala McCreary.  She was born near New Concord Apr. 11, 1821.  After her marriage she came with her husband to Vinton County and helped him build up there a fine home and rear their children in the ways of honor and usefulness.  They spent their lives at the old homestead now owned by their sons, David Vance and William Samuel, and the father died June 6, 1888, and the mother on Jan. 16, 1892.  They are buried side by side in the cemetery at New Plymouth and they were among the most prominent members and active workers in the New Plymouth Presbyterian Church.  Thomas Rannells was a republican in politics.
     David Vance Rannells was one of the youngest in a family of six sons and three daughters, all of whom were born on the old homestead which he now occupies, and four of whom are still living.  They are Mrs. E. J. Cable of Nelsonville, Ohio, James Watson of Manhattan, Kansas, William Samuel and David Vance, who reside on the old homestead.  Of the deceased members of the family Mary E. was the oldest, and married William F. Vance.  She died in Manhattan, Kansas, September, 1907; Leah J. married Vernon C. Stiers, and she died near Alexandria, Ohio, in January, 1910; Joseph A. died in Vinton County in 1899; Hilas B. died in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1913; Thomas died at the family home Apr. 2, 1892.  David Vance and his brother, William S., still own the old homestead of nearly 800 acres, the larger portion of which is fine grazing land.  They were associated together in their operations as extensive sheep and wool growers until a few years ago, but now manage the business individually.  These brothers were peculiarly successful in the growing and breeding of sheep, and kept a flock of from 700 to 800 head as wool bearers, and each year the wool clip that went to the market from the Rannells farm was perhaps as large as came from any one place in Southern Ohio.  In recent years they have given more and more attention to cattle, and this business is also conducted on a profitable scale.
     David Vance Rannells during his younger years spent seven years as a teacher, and is a well-educated man.  At Cameron, Missouri, on Dec. 3, 1902, he married Miss Mary Longstreth.  Mrs. Rannells is a highly cultured woman and belonged to one of the most select families in the country community around Cameron in one of the most beautiful and fertile sections in Northwestern Missouri.  She was born on her father's farm southeast of Cameron Sept. 19, 1876, and was one of a large family of children.  Her father, Washington Longstreth was one of the most successful farmer citizens in his locality, and a man of no little prominence and influence both in local civic affairs and in all that touched the moral and religious uplift of his section.  Mrs. Rannells received her early education in the country schools, and was also a student for four years in the Missouri Wesleyan College at Cameron, and afterwards taught in the public schools of her native state and in Kansas for about seven years.
     Mr. and Mrs. Rannells take justifiable pride in their little family of children.  The oldest is Florence Mahala, born Mar. 19, 1904, and now in the sixth grade of the public schools; Thomas Longstreth, born Jan. 29, 1906, is in the fourth grade of the public schools; Robert Longstreth, born Mar. 6, 1908, is in the third grade of school, and Mary E., the youngest, was born Christmas Day, 1910.  It should be mentioned that in 1913 the baby daughter, Mary Elizabeth, was entered for the Better Baby Contest at the State Fair in Columbus, and stood the rigid test of scientific scoring for points, and was given a prize of five dollars in gold and a beautiful souvenir.  Mr. and Mrs. Rannells are both active members of the Presbyterian Church at New Plymouth.  Mr. Rannells is a member of the local school board and at present he is master of Plymouth Grange, No. 1856, and always shows a deep interest in any movement for the welfare of his community or state.
Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page 1312

WILLIAM S. RANNELLS.     Some of the best examples of farm enterprise found anywhere in Ohio are in evidence in the Hanging Rock Iron Region.  To mention one individual case there is William S. Rannells, of Swan Township, whose home is located in the New Plymouth neighborhood.  Mr. Rannells is an expert farmer and stockman, and his father before him was known in several states as a stock drover, so that the profession comes naturally to him.
     The handsome place of William S. Rannells is located in section 25 of Swan Township, where he owns 430 acres.  This land, under his capable supervision, is made to grow extensive crops of corn, wheat and other staples of Southern Ohio, and nearly everything produced in his fields is fed to his livestock.  He is one of the largest feeders in this section.  While Mr. Rannells has an eye to profit and is a very capable business man, he has also succeeded in developing a naturally attractive bit of landscape into a delightful home site.  His land is well drained by the Raccoon Creek, and his home occupies especially well situated ground.  He and his family reside in a modern frame house of eight rooms, and he has barns and other buildings especially equipped for stock feeding.  His large barn stands on a foundation 48 by 50 feet.
     William S. Rannells was born in Swan Township Feb. 20, 1863.  As a boy he grew up on a farm and attended common schools, and quite early became interested in the cattle and sheep business with a brother.  They were very successful but about five years ago they divided their interests and are now operating individually.
     Mr. Rannells is the youngest in a family of six sons and three daughters, nearly all of whom grew up and married.  A brief record of those living is given here.  James has a large stock farm near Manhattan, Kansas, and is married and has one daughter.  Thomas was for some years a stock raiser at Eureka, Kansas, but died at his home in Vinton County in 1892 at the age of forty-four, being a bachelor. Sarah is the wife of Eugene J. Cable of Nelsonville, and she is the mother of two daughters.  Leah is the wife of V. C. Stiers, a farmer of Licking County, and they have a son Thomas and a daughter Eva.  Hilas B. was a cattle man at Manhattan, Kansas, and died there leaving a son and three daughters.  Joseph died in 1899 at Manhattan, Kansas, where he was extensively engaged in stock raising.  Mary E. was the wife of William Vance and both died in Kansas, leaving three children, Lena, Elizabeth and Gertrude.
     The parents of these children were Thomas and Mahala (McCleary) Rannells.  Thomas Rannells was born in Cumberland County in 1813, and his wife in 1821.  He came with his father, Joseph Rannells, to Vinton County, and the latter acquired a large tract of land on Raccoon Creek in Swan Township.  This land in the early days was covered by heavy timber, chiefly yellow poplar.  Joseph Rannells died there in 1838.  He had married Elizabeth Bay and she died in Guernsey County when about sixty years of age.  Her husband lived to be an old man.  Both were active Presbyterians and of Scotch-Irish ancestry.  Joseph Rannells was first a whig and afterwards a republican and was a man of considerable oratorical powers and exercised much influence in any community where he lived.  Thomas Rannells, father of William S., was for years well known throughout Southern Ohio.  He operated as a stock raiser and during the war he did an extensive business as a stock drover, riding horseback over several states and driving cattle from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio as far east as Pittsburg.  In fact, his operations ranged over practically all the country north of the Ohio River from the Mississippi east to the Allegheny.  He prospered, and was the type of citizen whose career may well be remembered in this section of Ohio.  He died at his home in Swan Township June 6, 1888.  His wife passed away Feb. 16, 1892.  Both were members of the Presbyterian Church and he was a republican.
     On Oct. 18, 1910, William S. Rannells married Miss Lora E. Conard.  She was born in Licking County, Ohio, and after a common school education there she attended the normal school at Ada and spent nearly ten years as a successful and popular educator before her marriage.  Her parents were David and Rhoda (Wells) Conard, both natives of Ohio.  They were married in Licking County, and started out as farmers near Johnson, Ohio, where her father died Apr. 4, 1911.  Mrs. Conard is still living at the age of seventy-seven, hale and hearty, her home being at Alexandria, Ohio.  Both were communicants since childhood of the Methodist Church, and Mr. Conard was a republican.  Mrs. Rannells was one of a family of seven sons and daughters, all of whom grew up, and five are still living.
     Mr. and Mrs. Rannells, who have no children, are very prominent people in Swan Township, not only as farmers but through their influence in social and religious affairs.  They attend church at New Plymouth, and both are members of the local Grange No. 1856, Patrons of Husbandry.  In polities Mr. Rannells is a republican.
Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Pages 1352 - 1354

Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page 1324

Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page 1040

Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page 1111

Source: A Standard History of The Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio, Vol. II - Illustrated - Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1916 - Page 1291