USA > Ohio > Preble County > A Biographical history of Preble County, Ohio : compendium of national biography > Part 64
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74
494
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
amid such circumstances and home teachings, it is not strange that of his six children who lived to years of maturity not one has ever used tobacco or alcoholic stimulants as a beverage. The poor and needy- found in Mr. and Mrs. Tyler their greatest friends and nover sought their aid in vain. He was indeed a charitable man whose benevolences wore executed in the spirit of the mandate, "Let not your right hand know what your left hand doeth." He was one of the first and most active in planning and furnishing funds for the brick house and school room at Newbury, and his funeral was the first service held in the church room.
One little incident in his life shows that his disposition to overcome difficulties is worthy of mention. During one season, when he was building one of his barns, he was also having a well dug, and on a certain day while looking into the well he fell in. As he did so some of the toes on one of his feet wore bent over backward. Dr. Ludlow proposed setting them, an operation which would require him to keep quiet for some time and thus keep him from his work. Mr. Tyler, however, wishod them to be cut off. This the doctor refused to do; so with the chisel and mallet with one blow Mr. Tyler severed them from his foot, after which the doctor dressod the injured member and with a block nailed to the sole of his shoe and the upper leather cut from the toe, the father of our subject resumed work on his farm again.
Death came to him unexpectedly and he passed away April 3, 1857. He was return- ing from Cleveland and while he was de- scending the hill west of Chagrin Falls he was observed in a reclining position in his wagon, and when help reached him he gave
a few gasps and all was over. Thus at the' age of sixty-two he quickly passed away, , leaving many friends on this side the dark river sorrowing, but not without the bright hope of meeting him in the home beyond. His memory remains as a blessed benedic- tion to all who knew him, and surely the world is better for his having lived. His wife boro the maiden name of Sarah Fisher, and to her husband was ever a faithful com- panion and helpmeet on life's journey, aid- ing him in all his work that tended to make the world better. She carefully rearod her family of eight children, four of whom are yet living, namely : Isaac A .; Ruth, wife of John B. Waterton, who resides on the old homestead ; Reuben, an attorney in Wyo- ming, Ohio, and John W., an attorney of Cleveland.
On his father's farm Isaac A. Tyler spent the years of his minority and in the common schools acquired his preliminary education, which was supplemented by study in the Oberlin College and in the Burton Academy. At the age of twenty he began teaching, fol- lowing that profession through the winter seasons, while in the summer months he worked upon the farm until his father's death. After his marriage in 1859 he re- moved to Butler county, Ohio, but in 1860 came to Jefferson township, Preble county, where he purchased eighty-eight and a half acres of land and engaged in farming on his own account. He continued his teaching through the winter of 1864 and then aban- doned that profession in order to devote his time exclusively to the operation of his land. He continued in Jefferson township up to 1883, when he took up his abode in Jackson township, where he has since resided, here having two hundred and sixty acres of land,
495
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
which constitutes one of the best improved farms in the county.
On the 3Ist of March, 1859, Mr. Tyler was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Hetzler, a native of Germantown, Mont- gomery county, born October 9, 1830, and a daughter of Samuel and Catherine Hetzler. Her father was one of the native sons and well known agriculturists of Montgomery county, whither his father had come in an early day. The latter took up his abode on Brown's run and there spent his remaining days.
Mr. and Mrs. Tyler had two children: Samuel C., a hardware merchant of Norwalk, Ohio; and John William, at home. The mother died in 1877 and in 1879 Mr. Tyler married Miss Louisa Jane Downing, a native of Darke county. Her mother belonged to the Morrison family, who were among the earliest settlers of Jefferson township, com- ing from Kentucky to this county in the year 1806. By the second marriage there was one child, now deceased. Mrs. Tyler also passed away July 3, 1895.
In his political views Mr. Tyler is a stal- wart Republican. In early life he was a member of the Congregational church, but since coming to this locality has not iden- tified himself with any organization. He is, however, an earnest Christian gentleman, contributes of his means to the support of the church and is one of the well known and highly respected residents of Preble coun- ty. In his business affairs he has prospered and is to-day one of the substantial agricul- turists of his community. Although sixty- eight years of age he possesses great energy and physical endurance and does as much work as any man on his farm. His charac- teristics have led to the development of a worthy manhood, and in all life's relations he
has commanded the respect, confidence and good will of those with whom he has been associated.
JOHN M. U. McNUTT.
John M. U. McNutt, a native of the province of Nova Scotia, was born in Hali- fax, July 25, 1802, and his death occurred in Eaton, Ohio, September 25, 1837. His par- ents were natives of the state of New Jersey, and had emigrated to Nova Scotia some few years after the close of the war of the Revo- lution.
Our subject received a collegiate educa- tion. He was a thorough classical scholar, of fine literary taste and broad intellectual endowment. He came to Preble county in 1822 and first took up his residence in the vil- lage of New Lexington. Here he engaged in the business of teaching soon after his ad- vent into the county, and continued the occu- pation in the village of New Lexington or vicinity for some two or three years. During this time he pursued the study of the law, with a view of adopting that as a profession. In 1825 he was admitted to the bar as an attorney and counselor at law. After his ad- mission to the bar he took up his residence in Eaton, and engaged in the practice of his profession in partnership with his preceptor, Lazarus Miller. In February, 1828, he was appointed to the office of prosecuting attor- ney. He was continued in this office until the summer of 1833. In the year 1828 he was elected to the legislature, and re-elected in 1829. In 1832 he was elected to the state senate from Preble and Montgomery coun- ties, serving two terms in that body. In both branches of the legislature he served with distinguished ability. After the expi- ration of his senatorial term Mr. McNutt
496
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
was not again in any public service. He died when only thirty-five years of age, his wife having preceded him in death a year or so.
He was married in 1828, to Miss Jane C. Hawkins, daughter of Joseph C. Hawkins. One son was born to them, namely, Joseph Gideon McNutt, who also became a lawyer.
Mr. McNutt was a man of strong intel- loctuality. He was quick in conception, rapid in his deductions, and logical, terse and compact in his arguments. In debate he was strong and ready rather than ornamental. His was a brilliant career and he rose rapidly in his profession and in public life.
DAVID SWARTZEL.
This well known farmer residing on sec- tion 7, Monroe township, Preble county, is a native of this state, born near Farmersville, in Jackson township, Montgomery county, March 25, 1839, a son of Jacob and Barbara (Ruby) Swartzel, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. His paternal grandfather was Henry Swartzel, a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer of Montgomery county, Ohio. The parents of our subject were both very young when brought by their respective parents to this state. Jacob Swartzel grew to manhood in Montgomery county, where he engaged in farming and lumbering in early life and also operated a sawmill. In 1846 he removed to Washing- ton township, Preble county, where he built a sawmill, which was first run by water power and later by steam, and this he carried on for many years. He died at the age of seventy-two, his wife at the age of seventy- six years, honored and respected by all who knew them.
The subject of this review is the fourth
child and second son in a family of five chil- dron. He was seven years of age when brought by his parents to this county, and was reared on a farm near Eaton. In 1866 he was united in marriage with Miss Martha. J. Pence, a native of Monroe township, Pre- ble county, and a daughter of Nimrod and. Elizabeth (Kesling) Pence, who were early settlers here. She is the oldest of a family of ten children, and by her marriage to our subject has become the mother of four chil- dren who are still living, namely: Mary; Kate, wife of Frank Blackford; Edith and Charles.
After his marriage Mr. Swartzel located in Jefferson township, where he made his home until 1873, and then removed to his present farm on section 7, Monroe township, where he owns eighty-four acres of highly cultivated land. His comfortable residence was erected in 1884. He is engaged in gen- eral farming, and is meeting with fair suc- cess in his labors. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Grange, and politically is identi- fied with the Democratic party.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL.
William Campbell, one of the earliest pio- neers of Preble county, was originally of Greenbrier county, Virginia, but was reared to manhood and educated in Kentucky. He came to Preble county when it was still a portion of Montgomery county, in 1807. He settled in Lanier township, then unorganized and unnamed, and known as township 5, range 3. There he carried on farming and stock-raising, and continued to reside the rest of his days. He was regarded by his neighbors as a man of sterling qualities and worth.
As a captain of a company of infantry,
497
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
he participated in the war of 1812. He was born July 27, 1780, and died June 16, 1837, being nearly fifty-seven years of age at the time of his death. He came to Preble coun- ty a single man, twenty-seven years of age. Two years after he came to this county he was united in marriage to Catherine Van Ausdal, a native of Berkeley county, Vir- ginia, and sister of Eaton's pioneer merchant, Cornelius Van Ausdal, of whom mention is made elsewhere. She outlived her husband many years, dying at the age of seventy- three years, in 1859. William and Cathe- rine (Van Ausdal) Campbell were the par- ents of five children who reached adult age, namely : Maria, James, John I., William and John V.
JOHN V. CAMPBELL.
John V. Campbell, a son of William Campbell, was born in Preble county, Ohio, December 27, 1815. He attended the log cabin schools of pioneer days, and then the Eaton schools, and we find him teaching school at the early age of sixteen. When but a youth, too, we find him serving as dep- uty county clerk, and while thus employed he began the study of the law. In 1841 Prosident Tyler appointed him the post- master at Eaton, an office which he held for about ten years. While in this office he kept a bookstore and did more or less legal busi- ness, and had charge of the first express and first tolegraph offices established in Eaton. During the Mexican war and the war of the Rebellion Mr. Campbell did service in the pay department. Although long prepared for it Mr. Campbell did not seek admission to the bar until 1852. Very soon thereafter he was elected probate judge of Preble coun- ty, which he held for two terms, making for
himself a reputation of which any one might well be proud. After leaving the bench, Judge Campbell followed without interrup- tion the practice of law until his death. He was elected county prosecuting attorney in 1873. He served as an efficient member of the Eaton school board for a long term of years; for several years he served as the sec- retary and treasurer of the Preble County Bible Society; was an active supporter of temperance organizations ; was a prominent Odd Fellow and supporter of other fraternal and benevolont societies, and took a deep in- terest in all movements for the public good. Politically he was a Whig until 1841, when he became a Democrat for the rest of his life. Religiously he was a firm and ardent sup- portor of the Christian faith.
In the year 1842 Judge Campbell married Ann E., a daughter of Robert Martin, then one of the judges of the court of common pleas in Preble county. The offspring of this marriage were three sons and eight daughters, namely: Francis A., Eva Belle, Mary S., Birdie, Gertrude, William H., Robert E., John B., Belle Maria, Emma and Sarah M.
SAMUEL REID.
Samuel Reid is one of the well known farmers of Preble county and deserves great credit for the success which he has achieved and which has won him the respect of his fel- low townsmen. He was born of slave par- ents in Rockbridge county, Virginia, on the 9th of October, 1829. His parents were John and Ruth ( Brown ) Reid. In this fam- ily were nine children, five of whom are yet living, David, Charles, Samuel, Liggins and Hastin. Both parents were nativos of Rock- bridge county, Virginia, and were born in
498
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
bondage. The father died while still a slave, just prior to the breaking out of the war, but the mother lived to enjoy freedom. The close of the civil war found Samuel Reid a free man, after having spent thirty-five years serving a master. He had belonged to Mr. Davidson and he early acquired a good knowledge of business methods, gaining his owner's confidence, and at the age of eight- een was made the foreman and manager of the plantation, having under his entire charge property to the value of forty thousand dol- lars. In June, 1864, when General Hunter made his raid through the Shenandoah val- ley Mr. Reid joined the army and remained with it until the following April. He was assigned to Company I, Thirty-fourth Ohio Infantry, and served with that comand until the following April, when when he was dis- charged on account of physical disability, caused by rheumatism.
Having a brother-in-law living in Pre- ble county, Ohio, Mr. Reid wended his way to this county, where he remained until the latter part of the following July, when he returned to Virginia for his family. He immediately brought them to Preble coun- ty, arriving in New Paris on the 13th of August, with his wife, seven children and his mother. His cash capital consisted at the time of only five dollars. He made his way to Campbellstown, Jackson township, and began operating a farm for Thomas Mc- Whinney, who gave him one-third of the crops in return for his services. During the following year Mr. Reid worked almost night and day in order to gain a start. He remained upon Mr. McWhinney's farm for five years and two months and then removed to a farm in Jefferson township, owned by Ralph Wildredge. Hore he furnished his own stock and implements and in return for
the cultivation of the farm received one-half of the products. Five years later, as the re- sult of his thrift, economy and industry, he was able to purchase the farm, of seventy and a half acres. In 1882 he purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he now resides and the following year removed to his new home. In 1889 he purchased ninety-six acres adjoining his seventy-acre farm, partly in Jefferson and partly in Jackson townships. In 1892 he bought another adjoining farm of fifty acres, and in 1895 he acquired through mortgage a residence property in Richmond, valued at eighteen hundred dollars. In April, 1900, ho purchased twenty-three acres ad- joining his home farm, and thus from time to time he has added to his property until he is now one of the extensive land-owners of the county.
When he came to Ohio with his large family and but five dollars in his pocket many would have said that he did not have a very bright future before him; but success re- wards all who are diligent and enterprising and whose labors are guided by sound judg- ment, and, overcoming all difficulties and obstacles in his path, Mr. Reid has by de- termined purpose worked his way upward and is to-day the owner of three hundred and seventeen acres of valuable land.
In 1851 Mr. Reid was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Huston, and unto them have been born nine children, five of whom are yet living : David P., at home; Charles H., who is egaged in the feed business in Spring- field, Ohio, and is meeting with success; Samuel J., a farmer of Jefferson township; Hastin C., a farmer and representative of the Reid Fertilizing Company, of New York, now living in Jackson township; and Lig- gins, a farmer of Jefferson township. The sons are all prosperous and promise to do
499
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
honor to their father's memory, bringing no shadow or discredit to the good name he left to them. In his political views Mr. Reid is a stalwart Republican. He holds membor- ship in the Methodist church and contributes liberally to church and charitable work. He recently lost his wife, who was ever to him a faithful companion and helpmeet. This has been the greatest sorrow of his life and her place in the household is one which cannot be filled. She carefully managed her house- hold affairs and was earnestly devoted to the welfare of her husband and children, and all who knew her esteemed her for her many excellent qualities. Mr. Reid is one of the well known men of Preblo county and all who are at all familiar with his record admire and respect him for all he has accomplished. His life record contains many lesons which may well be heeded, for it illustrates what can be accomplished through energy, enter- prise and earnest purpose. He is to-day the owner of valuable land, and all his pos- sessions stand as a monument to his thrift and enterprise.
ABNER HAINES.
Abner Haines, a native of Guilford county, North Carolina, was born March 26, 1804. His parents were Friends or Quak- ers, and his mother was a noted preacher of that denomination. Abnor was the third child of a family of four sons and two daughters. When he was but four years old his father's family emigrated to Ohio and made their permanent settlement in Clinton county. Young Haines worked on the farm and attended the common schools. Before attaining his majority he began school teaching. In 1826 he came to Eaton, then a village of some six hundred people. Here
he was employed as teacher of the village school, and during the next two or three years he accumulated a small amount of means. With this sum to pay his way, he entered Miami University, at Oxford, where he pursued his studies until he had acquired a good knowledge of the higher mathematics and of the dead languages. He did not graduate at this institution, however. He began the study of law in the office of J. M. U. McNutt, of Eaton, and was admitted to the bar in 1831, in Preble county. Immedi- ately he went to Centerville, Indiana, and there began the practice of his profession. Later we find him in partnership with Hon. Oliver H. Smith, then living in Connersville, and afterwards United States senator from Indiana. Mr. Haines remained at Con- nersville until the year 1837, and then for a short time merchandised in the village of Boston, Indiana. We next find him in Eaton, again in the practice of law, which he vigor- ously pursued, becoming one of the best known and most successful lawyers of this section of the state. In 1851 he was elected circuit judge. He occupied the bench with credit and distinction between three and four years, resigning before the expiration of the term for which he was elected to serve.
Politically he was of the old Whig party up to the year 1844, whon, on account of some disaffection, he held aloof from poli- tics for several years but finally identifying himself with the Democratic party, and in the Democratic convention of 1848, as a member, he was the author of the celebrated "mitigate and finally eradicate" resolution, which, being passed, was the means of tem- porarily uniting the Democrats and Free- soilers. But in 1856 he espousod the cause of the Republican party, and thereafter he continued a true and loyal Republican until
500
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
1872, when, believing, as he did, that it was expedient to olect Horace Greeley president, he gave his support to the Democrats. In 1876 he was olected on the Democratic ticket to the office of state senator from the district composed of Preble and Montgom- ery counties. His death occurred at Co- lumbus, Ohio, March 19, 1877.
In the year 1829 he married Nancy Thornberry, and soon after the birth of a son to them the wife and child died. This was a little less than a year after hor mar- riage. In 1832 Mr. Haines married Lydia Leas, a daughter of George and Mary Leas, pioneers of Preble county. Five sons and two daughters wore the fruits of this union.
DAVID MOREHEAD.
The honored subject of this review has been for half a century a resident of Preble county, whore he has lived and labored to goodly ends, and it is with gratification that we offer in this publication a brief review of his genealogy and personal career. Mr. Morehead is a native son of the old Keystone state, having been born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1825, one of the four children of James Morehead, and at the present time the only survivor of the family. His mother died when he was not quite two years of age, and he was thereupon taken into the home of his uncle, James Cunningham, a resident of Chester county, Pennsylvania, whero he lived until he had attained the age of fifteen years, when his foster parents re- moved to Richmond, Indiana, whither he accompaniod them. In this section the youth was employed at farm work, giving his at- tention to this lino as an employe of various farmers in the vicinity of Richmond, where he remained until the year 1851, when he
came to New Westville (Progress), Ohio, and has ever since been a resident of Preble county, where he has gained prestige as one of our successful farmers and valued citi- zens. On his arrival here Mr. Morehead se- cured employment with a huckster, driving a three-horse team between this section and the city of Cincinnati, which was the nearest market point of importance, and for nearly a decade he continued to be identified with this line of work, as an employe of different huckstering firms. His last employer, for whom he worked more than six years, con- ducted a general store in New Westville, in connection with which he operated peddling wagons in this section, selling goods to the farmers from the stock thus transported, as was the common custom in the early days. Our subject thus became a salesman on his route, and his long retention of the position gives unmistakable evidence of his ability and his fidelity to the interests of his em- ployor.
In the early '6os Mr. Morehead effected the purchase of the mercantile and huckster- ing business of his employer, incidentally assuming an indebtedness of more than a thousand dollars, which was a large amount for those days, but within eighteen months he had liquidated all indebtedness and from that time forward was prosperous in his op- erations, which he carried on with keen busi- ness acumon, bringing to bear the most pro- gressive methods and gaining a reputation for absolute integrity in all relations of life. His business expanded and dignified itself with the development and advancement of this section of the state, and Mr. Morehead was known as one of our most successful business men until advancing years and suc- cesses won led him to retire from active la- bors in this line in the year 1895. He is
501
GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
well known throughout Preble and Darke counties, Ohio, and Wayne county, Indiana, and his popularity is based on long years of association with business interests and with those enterprises and undertakings which ever tend to conserve the public welfare.
In the intervening years Mr. Morehead began purchasing land in this county, where he now has a fine farmstead of one hundred and twenty-six acres, on section 5, Jackson township, where he conducts operations ac- cording to the most approved methods, his farm being one of the most attractive in this section, being well improved and under a high state of cultivation.
The marriage of Mr. Morehead was sol- emnized in 1857, when he was united to Miss Nancy Kissinger, and they are the parents of two children: Mary, who is the wife of Charles Smoltser, of St. Louis, Missouri, and John, who is associated with his father in the operation of the home farm.
In politics Mr. Morehead gives allegiance to the Republican party and in religion is a consistent member of the Methodist church, with which Mrs. Morehead also is identified. In his fraternal rolations he has beenidentified with New Paris Lodge, No. 303, I. O. O. F., since 1857, having taken a lively interest in the work of the order. Widely known and enjoying a distinct popularity throughout this section, this review of Mr. Morehead's life will be perused with interest by the many readers of this work.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.