USA > Indiana > Miami County > History of Miami County, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 74
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TIMOTHY L. KING, one of the pioneers of Miami County,
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
is a native of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, was born March 9, 1814. His parents-Justis B. and Sally (Wainwright) King -were natives of Massachusetts, and from thence, in 1817, moved to the State of Ohio. They were the parents of seven children, viz: Mary, David W., Jane L., William H., Clarissa A., Timothy L. and Artelissa E. Timothy L., our subject, accompanied his parents to Ohio, and was married in Portage County, that State, September 9, 1835, to Mary M., daughter of Levi and Lydia (Chapman) Wright. She was born in Tioga County, New York, January 15, 1818. After Mr. King's mar- riage, he first settled in Portage County, Ohio, where he resided * until the fall of 1839, at which time he moved to Miami County, Indiana, settling upon land in Erie Township. In March, 1846, he settled upon the farm where he now resides, in Section 32, Richland Township. He owns at present seventy-six acres of fine and well improved land. Has had born to him eleven chil- dren, viz: Riley G., born December 24, 1836; Austa I., born September 19, 1838; Lydia J., born March 31, 1841, and died May 27, 1869; William W., born July 6, 1843, and died July 6, 1865; Albert E., born January 13, 1846; Florence E., born March IO, 1848; Oscar A., born February 22, 1851; Mary A., born September 6, 1853, and died April 17, 1875; Charles L., born Feburary 20, 1856, and died November II, 1876; Emma L., born June 29, 1862, and Frederick E., born February 27, 1865. Mr. King and wife are members of the M. E. Church.
DANIEL KING is a native of Baden, Germany, born Decem- ber 10, 1830. His parents were Daniel and Mary (Shrinear ) King, both natives of Germany, and were born as follows: The father in the year 1802, and the mother in the year 1808. They were the parents of five children, viz: Mary, Frederick, George, Margaret and Daniel, our subject, the eldest member of the family. He emi- grated to the United States in 1853, landing at New York City, and from thence, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1854, to Miami County, Indiana, where he was married, December 1, 1861, to Mary King. She was born in Baden, Germany, November 15, 1838, and was a daughter of Martin and Solomo (Zear) King. After our subject's marriage, he settled near Stockdale, in Perry Township, where he resided until the spring of 1865, at which time he moved to a farm in the same township, where he resided until the spring of 1884. He then settled upon his present farm in Richland Town- ship, Section 24, which he had purchased in 1880. He owns at present 281 acres of fine and well improved land, 121 acres in Rich- land Township, upon which he resides, and 160 acres in Perry Township. He has had born to him nine children, viz: Freeda, born September 15, 1862; Minna, born January 6, 1865; Adelena, born February 20, 1867; Lizzie, born March 28, 1869; Mary I.,
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born September 7, 1871; George W., born March 29, 1874; Charles, born Deeember 4, 1876; Emma, born April 17, 1879, and ·Mar- garet N., born September 16, 1881.
CHARLES M. LONG was born in Union County, Indiana, September 27, 1832. His parents, John and Margaret (Martin- dale) Long, were natives of North Carolina and Kentucky, respec- tively. The father was a son of Frederick and Rachel (Starr) Long, also natives of North Carolina. They emigrated to Union County, Indiana, in 1812. They were the parents of seven chil- dren, viz: Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Henry, Ann, Joseph and James. John Long was born in Surrey County, North Carolina, April 25, 1807. He was married in Wayne County, Indiana, October 22, 1829, to the above Margaret Martindale, who was born in Kentucky, May 29, 1808. In 1836 Mr. John Long moved to Miami County, Indiana, and settled in Richland Township, where he has since resided. He is the father of seven children, viz: Anna, Charles M., Nancy J., Amos, John W., Wilhelm H. and Margaret E. Charles M., our subject, came with his parents to this county in 1836. He was married at Chili, Indiana, August 26, 1855, to Lentha A., daughter of Daniel and Amelia (Chandler) Griswold. She was born in Windsor County, Vermont, July 28, 1836. After his mar- riage, Mr. Long settled upon the same farm on which he now resides in Section 14, Richland Township. He owns at present 320 acres of fine and well improved land. He has had born to him nine children, viz: Clara A., born August 7, 1856, (deceased) ; Flora M., born February 5, 1859; Archibald J., born May 10, 1861 ; Effie A., born October I. 1863, (deceased) ; Charles W., born May 26, 1866; Emma I., born October 6, 1868; John F., born April 29, 1872; Uly C., born October 27, 1874, and Wittie C., born March 10, 1877.
NEWEL G. MILLER, one of Miami County's substantial and enterprising citizens, was born in Fayette County, Indiana, February 28, 1834. His parents, Richard and Amy (Cox) Mil- ler, were natives of North Carolina and Kentucky, respectively, and were born as follows: The father in the year 1802, and the mother in 1813. They were married in Fayette County, Indi- ana, and from thence, in 1839, moved to Miami County, March II, 1861. His widow still survives, and resides at Paw-Paw, Indiana. Seven children were born to Richard and Amy Mil- ler's union, viz: Amanda M., Robert S., George B., James B., John C., Millard F., and Newel G. The subject came with his parents to this county in 1839, and has resided here ever since. He was married in Erie Township, this county, May 22, 1854, to Mar- garet, daughter of William and Catharine (Lockridge) Ptomey. She was born in Henry County, Indiana, December 25, 1832. After marriage Mr. Miller settled upon a part of the same farm on which
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
he now resides. He owns, at present, 280 acres of fine and well- improved land. He has had born to him five children, viz: Theo- dore (deceased), Amanda M., Marion F., Otto B. (deceased), and Florence E. (deceased).
JOHN C. MILLER was born in Miami County, Indiana, May 8, 1840. His parents, Robert and Rebecca (Cox) Miller, were both natives of Kentucky, and were born as follows: The father in Scott County, September 16, 1806, and the mother in Lewis County, March II, 1804. Robert Miller was a son of John Miller, who was a native of South Carolina, where he married Margaret Miller, who was a native of Ireland. After their marriage they settled in North Carolina, and from thence in 1800 moved to Scott County, Ken- tucky, where they resided until 1818, when they moved to Fayette County, Indiana. They were the parents of thirteen children, viz: Nancy, Susan, Jane, Richard, John, Robert, Mary, Rebecca, Mahala, James, Alfred, Nathaniel and Eliza. Robert Miller and Rebecca Cox were united in marriage at Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana, July 22, 1828, and, in 1837, moved to Miami County, Indiana, settling in Richland Township, where he entered land, and where he resided until his death, which occurred August 29, 1884. His widow still survives and makes her home with her children. Ten children were born to this union, viz: Henry C., Samuel C., Eliza A., Sarah E., Mary F. (deceased), Richard K., John C., Mary F., James C. and Thomas C. John C., our subject, was married in Richland Township, this county, February 13, 1861, to Philena, daughter of Joseph and Delilah (Keever) Burk; she was born June 6, 1839. After his marriage, Mr. Miller settled upon land in Richland Township, Section 21, a part of his father's old homestead, where he engaged in farming, and where he resided until the spring of 1864, at which time he removed to Peru, Ind., and engaged in the mercantile business. In the fall of 1866, he returned to Richland Township, and again engaged in farm- ing until 1871, when he removed to Peru for the purpose of educat- ing his family, carrying on farming in the meantime. In February, 1874, he again removed to Richland Township, and settled upon his present farm in Section 21. He owns at present 192 acres of fine and well improved land. Has had born to him three children, viz: Clarence G., born November 21, 1861, and died April II, I862; Nellie, born September 3, 1863, and Mary L., born July 2, 1865; also a boy whom he has raised from infancy-Charles Baker -born May 20, 1876. Mr. Miller and family are members of the M. E. Church. They are an intelligent family, and are highly esteemed by all who know them. Mr. Miller is an enterprising man, and makes a specialty of raising and breeding short-horned cattle and fine stock.
CALEB PETTY, an old and highly esteemed pioneer of
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Miami County, is a native of Surrey County, North Carolina. His parents, William and Mary (Cogshell) Petty, were both natives of the same State. William Petty was a son of Zachariah and Nancy Petty, who were among the early pioneers of Surrey County, North Carolina. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom 6 were sons, viz: Daniel, Josiah, Williams, Dotson, Elisha, Elijah and William, the father of our subject. William Petty was born in Surry County, North Carolina, May 11, 1787. He was married October 8, 1812, to the above Mary Cogshell, who was born in North Carolina, March 21, 1792, and was a daughter of Peter and Mary Cogshell. In 1825, William and Mary Petty moved to Wayne County, Indiana, and from thence, to Miami County, Indiana, in 1837, where they resided until their deaths, which occurred as follows: The mother, September 25, 1869, and the father, Feb- ruary 3, 1872. They were the parents of thirteen children, viz: Daniel, born August 3, 1813; Caleb, born August 25, 1814; Zaca- riah, born Jannary 5, 1816; William A., born August 4 1817; Mary A., born June 22, 1819; Nancy C., born October 9, 1821; Milly M., born May 20, 1823; Thomas S., born March 25, 1825; Jonathan E., born April 28, 1827; Aaron N., born March 3, 1829; Rachel, born March 16, 1831 ; Zeno, born July 13, 1833, and Eliza J., born March 23, 1837. Caleb Petty came with his parants to Wayne County, Indiana, in the fall of 1836, and later, to Miami County, where he has since resided. He was married in Richland Township, March 18, 1847, to Matilda, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Basset) Swisher. She was born in Ripley County, Indiana, August 10, 1823. Immediately after Mr. Petty's marriage, he settled upon his present farm, in Richland Township, Section 29. He owns 160 acres of fine and well-improved land. He has had born to him ten children, viz: Samantha J., born June 30, 1849; George W., born Oc- tober 7, 1850; Francis M., born April 17, 1853, and died February 24, 1861; Mary E., born February 7, 1855, and died February 21, 1861 ; Eliza A., born September 23, 1857, and died February 21, 1861; Malinda A., born February 25, 1860; Phebe L., born November 23, 1863; Margaret, F., born December 22, 1865, and died February I, 1867; Dora B., born December 12, 1867, and died October 4, 1883, and an infant daughter, the eldest member of the family, which died young and not named. Mr. Petty and wife are members of the Baptist Church.
RUDOLPH STONER is a native of Switzerland, born Jan- uary 12, 1820. His parents-Rudolph and Catherine (Greenizer) Stoner-were also natives of Switzerland, where the mother died in 1826. The father subsequently married Susan Marmot, and emigrated to the United States in 1832, landing at New York City, and from thence in the same year moved to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where he resided until his death in the year 1841.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
He was the father of twelve children, viz: Rudolph, Catherine, Susan and Mary (by his first wife), and Jacob, Lizetta, Rosie, Louisa, Frederick, Mary and a pair of twins which died in infancy (by his last marriage). Rudolph Stoner came with his parents to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 1832, where he resided until 1843, when he moved to Miami County, Indiana, and the same year entered eighty acres of land in Wabash County. He then returned to Ohio, and the following year returned to Miami County, Indi- ana, and in 1846 purchased a claim on a part of the same farm on which he now resides. June 18, 1846, he married Margaret, daughter of Obediah and Eve (Kent) Patterson. She was born in Holmes County, Ohio, May 13, 1826. In April, 1847, Mr. Stoner settled upon his land on which he had taken a claim in 1846, where he has since resided. He owns 160 acres of fine land, which is well improved and under a high state of cultiva- tion. His wife died October II, 1882, having borne him ten children, viz: John, born February 26, 1848 (deceased) ; James A., born April 21, 1849; Benjamin F., born December 10, 1852; Martin V. B., born April 25, 1855 (deceased); Watson, born May 16, 1857; William, born November 29, 1859 (deceased) ; Ida M., born January 7, 1862 (deceased) ; Mary C., born Janu- ary 26, 1864 (deceased), and two which died in infancy.
BENJAMIN E. WILSON, farmer and stock and grain dealer, of Miami County, is a native of Highland County, Virginia, born January 1, 1839. His parents, Abraham M. and Esther (Fleisher) Wilson, were natives of Highland County, Virginia; also, where the mother died. The father subsequently married Mrs. Ingals Shirley, and, in 1850, moved to Miami County, Indiana, where he resided until 1872, when he moved to Osage County, Kansas, where he still resides. He is the father of twelve children, viz: Sarah A., Benjamin E. and Eliza, by first wife, and George, Samuel B., Harrison F., Hannah, Elizabeth, Jarred M., John E. James and Mary, by last wife. Benjamin E., our subject, came with his parents to this county in 1850, and has resided here ever since. He was married in Richland Township, this county, January 14, 1864, to Mary B., daughter of James and Elizabeth (Spacht) Hollenshade. She was born in Preble County, Ohio, May 27, 1840. After Mr. Wilson's marriage, he settled upon the farm on which he now resides. He owns at present 609 acres of fine land, which is well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has had born to him four children, viz: Charles E., born December IO, 1864; Rosie E., born March 12, 1867; James J., born January 9, 1869, and Leon T., born June 8, 1883. Mr. Wilson i's a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows' Order.
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UNION TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XIX.
UNION TOWNSHIP-LOCATION AND SURFACE FEATURES-EARLY SETTLERS -LAND ENTRIES - EARLY INDUSTRIES - FIRST EVENTS-ORGANIZATION-CHURCH HISTORY-PERRYSBURG -UNION-DEEDSVILLE-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
U
NION TOWNSHIP lies near the northwest corner of Miami County, and includes a superficial area of about twenty-two square miles, bounded as follows: Allen Township on the north, Perry and Richland on the east, Jefferson on the south, and Cass County on the west. As originally founded, it embraced the township of Allen, and was reduced to its present limits by the organization of the latter division in the year 1859. Weasaw Creek, and its tributaries, waters and drains the northern and eastern parts of the township. The main stream rises near the northeast corner of the township, flows a westerly course for nearly three miles, and then takes a southeasterly direction, leaving the township from the Weasaw Reservation, or a short distance west of Denver. It furnishes a copious supply of water, which, in former years, was utilized for mills and manufacturing purposes. The western part of the township is watered and drained by a creek, which flows a southeasterly course, a short distance east of the Cass County line. The country adjacent to these water courses is considerably broken, especially in the southeastern part of the township. Back from the streams the land is comparatively level, and characterized by a black loam soil, sand mixed in certain localities, and of remarkable fertility. The soil of the broken portions is equally productive, and, taken as a whole, the township presents an area of farm land second to that of but few other parts of the county. With very slight exceptions, the township was originally covered with a dense growth of timber. The most numerous varieties of native trees were oak, ash, beech, soft maple, sugar tree, walnut, wild cherry and poplar, together with other valuable kinds in the broken parts of the township, and elms along the water courses. The bulk of these woodlands required but little surface drainage, but were easily fitted for cultivation as soon as the heavy growth was removed. Agriculture is the chief occupation of the citi- zens of Union, and on every hand are to be seen the evidences of thrift and prosperity, which bespeaks the presence of a' well- to-do and contented people. The township has made commend- able progress during the last two decades, and her farms and
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HISTORY OF MIAMI, COUNTY.
general improvements will not suffer when brought into compar- ison with those of any other division of Miami County.
Early Settlers .- To rescue from fast fading tradition the sim- ple annals of the pioneer people of our country, is a pleasing, but a laborious task, not so laborious as perplexing, the annoyances arising chiefly from there being no connected records of their acts and doings. Many of the earliest and most important transactions have long since been forgotten, while other facts, equally as inter- esting and valuable, were never put in form for preservation. To supply this loss of invaluable facts and statistics, is now largely impossible. But to meet and converse with the few now living of these early settlers, those who came here as children, or very young men and women, and are now fast approaching, or have passed the alloted three score and ten, stooped with age, venerable patriarchs, mostly, and their white haired companions and help-meets, has been the pleasing task of the writer, of these pages. To gather up the raveled threads of the strange but simple stories of their lives, now mostly broken threads, to catch these fleeting traditions, and hand them on to posterity, might well be the ambitious labors of any man's life. The importance that attaches to the lives, characters and work of these humble laborers in the cause of civilization, will some day be better understood and appreciated than it is now. They will some time, by the pen of the wise historian, take their proper place in the list of those who have helped to make the world wholesome with their toil and humanity better by their examples. If great and beneficient results, results that endue and bless mankind, are the proper measures of the good men do, then who is there in the world's history that may take their places above these hardy, early pioneers. To point out the way, to make possible our present ad- vancing civilzation, its happy homes, its cheap food, its arts, sciences, inventions and discoveries, its education, literature, culture, refine- ment, and social life, is to be the truly, great benefactor of mankind for all time. This, indeed, was the great work accomplished by the adventurous pioneers of Indiana. Grant it, that they builded wiser than they knew; that few, if any of them, realized in the dimmest way, the transcendent possibilities that rested upon their shoulders. Grant it, that as a rule, their lives were aimless and ambitionless with little more of hope or far reaching purpose, than the gaining of a scant livelihood for the families dependent upon them. Yet there stands the supreme fact that they followed their restless impulses, took their lives in their hands, penetrated the wil- derness solitudes, and with a patient energy, resolution and self-sac- rifice, they worked out their allotted tasks, and to-day we are in the enjoyment of the fruitage of their labors. Should we then allow their names and their fame to pass into oblivion and contempt, the
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act would mark us as the degenerate sons of heroic ancestors, unworthy the inheritance they gave us.
Previous to the year 1835 the territory embraced within the present limits of Union Township knew not the presence of white men. In that year, however, four adventurous men, lured by the prospects of cheap homes in the new country, made their appearance and selected their respective claims, preparatory to beginning life in the wilderness. These were William Cannon, who located on Wesaw Creek, near the central part of the township; Joseph Thornburg, on what is now the Fisher farm; John Plaster, near the central part of the township, where his widow still lives, and Joseph Cox, a transient settler, who made a few improvements on the land now belonging to William Leedy. These men all came in the summer of 1835, and until October of that year were the sole white residents of what is now Union Township. Early in the fall of '35 Abraham Leedy moved to the new country and located the farm where John Keplinger now lives. He was a man of some prominence, and in an early day was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace. John Zook became a resident about the same time as Leedy, and settled where his widow now lives, near the present site of Deedsville. The above settlers, from the most reliable informa- tion, appear to have been the only residents of Union prior to 1836. In the latter year several settlers arrived, prominent among whom was Martin Hoover, who located in the northern part of the township, where he lived until within the first few years, when he moved to the town of Denver, his present home. Con- temporary with Mr. Hoover were John R. Wright, Christian Krider, John F. Sanders and Hugh A. B. People, all of whom made permanent improvments and became prominent citizens.
The first named settled on the Deed farm, in the northern part of the township, where he lived for a few years, and then moved to the town of Gilead, in which place he figured as an early business man. Mr. Krider made a home near the western boundary of the township, Sanders located the farm owned at the present time by Andrew Tharp, and People made a settlement on the Miller farm, in the southern part of the township. The year 1837 was signal- ized by the arrival of a number of permanent residents, among whom were John A. Taylor, near the central part; Stephen Davidson, a short distance north of Perrysburg; Matthew Fenimore, on the present site of Perrysburg, of which village he was proprietor; Daniel Cox, a short distance south of the village; William Williams, north of town; John Shepherd, western part of the township; Wil- liam Bane, near the northern boundary; Samuel Robbins, in the same locality, and John Scott, in the central part, As early as 1838 the following persons were reputed to have been living in various parts of
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.
the township, to-wit: J. A. Howland, on Weasaw Creek; Jonathan Carlisle, near the Howland settlement; William Connor, north of Perrysburg; George Hill, near the central part of the township, on Weasaw Creek; Daniel and Joseph Kessler, in the southern part. Conspicuous among the arrivals in 1839 was Christopher Cool, with his sons, William, Leonard, Powell, John and Philip, all of whom took an active part in the settlement of the country. Christopher Cool was a native of New York, and a man widely and favorably known for the interest he took in the religious welfare of the com- munity in which he was for so many years a leading spirit. He made his first improvements on the land now owned by Mr. Dow, near Weasaw Creek, and was largely instrumental in founding one of the earliest religious societies in the township, i. e., the Weasaw Baptist Church, of which a full account will be found on another page. William Cool entered the land upon which he is now living, and for over forty-seven years has been a leading citizen of Union Township. The other brothers, while prominent as early settlers, are either dead or removed to other parts. Among others of 1839, the name of Orson Warner may be mentioned. He came about the same time as the Cools, and purchased a tract of land now owned by Samuel Davalt. Daniel Crouch came a little later and located where Mr. Benedict now lives, not far from Perrysburg. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and figured as one of the earliest pedagogues of the township.
Chauncey Warner settled near the Weasaw Church in an early day, and about the year 1840, Solomon Lee was living on the place settled a short time previous by a Mr. Clendening. The tide -of emigration set in, and the settlers began to be very numerous about the year 1840. Among the number were Perry Tharp, near the Lee place; Caleb Fitzgerald, in the southern part; Joseph Holman, whose arrival probably antedates the above year, on Weasaw Creek; Robert James, a son-in-law of Holman, in the same locality; Thomas Wyatt, on Weasaw Creek ; Isaac Benedict, east of Perrysburg, where he is still living; a Mr. Alvison, south of the village, and John Dab- ney, a couple of miles west. The following, additional, to those mentioned, came to the township in an early day, to-wit: Lewis Conner, William Strowd, Zephaniah Wade, H. B. Jett, Aaron Rush, R. Leaville, Josiah B. McKee, James Personett, William Clidell, Robert Clendening, Charles Strowd, David Leedy, Joseph Clingen- peel, John Emsley, William Duck, Samuel R. Robbins, Wm. R. McFarland and Michael Bolingbaugh.
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