USA > Ohio > Butler County > A history and biographical cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, with illustrations and sketches of its representative men and pioneers. Vol. 2 > Part 37
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Isaae K. Morris was born in Sussex County, Dela- ware, November 21, 1819. His parents were Joseph and Zipporah Morris, both now dead. They came here in 1838. Mr. Morris has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah Hinkle, daughter of Benjamin and Bar- bara Hinkle, to whom he was married December 26, 1844. His second wife was Mary Thomas, daughter of Benjamin and Anna Thomas. He was married to her January 3, 1861. By these he had eleven children. Mary Angelina was born December 12, 1845; Oliver Perry, April 22, 1848; Sarah Jane, December 26, 1849; . Margaret Isabel, September 4, 1852; Joseph Anthony, . December 12, 1856; Benjamin Lewis, November 16,. 1862; Clara Edith, February 12, 1865; Christina May. May 17, 1867; Zipporah, JJune 2, 1869; Jessie Gray, June 24, 1872; and Mary, November 12, 1880. When 'Squire Morris came to this county, besides his parents, there were four brothers and three sisters, himself being the oldest of his father's family. Mr. Morris, Sen., died in 1846, and the mother in 1852. The two youngest sisters ched in 1845, and his brother, L. D. Morris, in 1862. One sister and three brothers are now living. The sister is in Lee County, Iowa, the eldest brother in Fayette County, Indiana, and the other two in this
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
county. Mr. Morris was a justice of the peace from 1853 till 1859, infirmary director from 1860 to 1864, and justice of the peace from 1872 till 1878. He is a strong temperance man. His father was in the War of 1812.
John P. McCormick was born in New York City in 1800. He married first Deborah Griffin, born in West- chester County, New York, about 1802, and died about 1843 in Butler County. She had six children, of whom two are now living. Alexander was born July 13, 1824, and is married and lives in Fairfield Township. Ann Mary, widow of Thomas Cooper, was born in 1826, and lives in Fairfield. Mr. McCormick married the sceond time about 1846, Mary Smith, widow of Mr. Fry, who was born in Chambersburg, Pemisylvania, in 1798. They had no children. Mr. McCormick moved to Ohio about 1830, and stayed in Cincinnati and Dayton for a few months, and in 1831 or thereabouts he moved to Butler County, and settled in Fairfield Township. He was a paper-maker by trade, and worked at Gra- hamu's paper-mill in that township for ten years, off and on. He then rented a small farm of twenty aeres, and commenced to raise broom-corn. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and died in 1871. His wife's father, Mr. Griffin, was in the Revolutionary War. Two of his sons, Benjamin and James McCormick, were in the late war. Benjamin was in the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company F. He enlisted in 1862, and was killed in 1864, at Laurel Hill. James was in Guthrie's Grays. Alexander McCormick was born July 13, 1824, in Westchester County, New York, and married December 25, 1852, Ann Eliza Emerson, born in Fairfield Township in this eounty. September 4, 1831. They had six children, three of whom are living. Edwin was born February 7, 1859; John P., October 8, 1862; and Algernon S. B., Jannary 26, 1866. He rented a small farm of twenty acres, when he was twenty years old. and commenced raising broom-corn, having since made that a principal part of his business. He has also learned broom-making.
Richard Magie was born in Butler County, and was married early in life, to Jane M. Flemming, by whom he had two children. Henry Franklin was born Feb- ruary 14, 1847, and was married in 1868 to Laura Gorsuch, born in Monroe Township, in 1846. She died May 5, 1872, leaving two children, Anna and Lulu. He was again married in 1873, to Hannah Catherine Symmes, widow of George W. Vinuedge, born November 2, 1848. She has one child, Henry W. Vinnedge. Mr. Magie owns and farms one hundred and fifty-seven aeres. He is a member of the Masonie order, being master of Washington Lodge, No. 17, of Hamilton, and is a di- rector of the school board. In politics he is a Republican.
Daniel Rogers was born in New Jersey, September 7, 1805, and married March 8, 1837, Lydia Parker, born in New Jersey, October 28, 1812. He had six children.
William was born March 12, 1838; Mary, bern March 16, 1839, died June 29, 1839; Isaac, born May 31, 1840, is married, and lives in Hamilton, where he is deputy sheriff; John Henry, bern November 14, 1841, is man ried, and lives in Fairfield Township; Elizabeth was born August 1, 1843, and is the wife of Henry Moser, living in Hamilton; James P. was born January 31, 1845. Mr. Rogers eame to Butler County in 1836, and settled in Liberty Township. He was in the hardware business in Warren County, and was eaptain of a eanal-boat for many years. He was a blacksmith by trade, but never earried it on in this county, but followed farming until his death, which occurred September 24, 1845. He was a very well-known member of the Methodist Church. His mother eame to this eounty with him. His father was a soldier, who lost his life while defending the Jersey shore from inva ling English. Mrs. Rogers came to Butler County with her mother in 1835. Their son, William, was out in the late war, enlisting in the Spring of 1862, in the Eighty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and serving as a private till the close of the war, in 1865. Ile was discharged in Galveston, Texas. The. family have an interest in iec-houses in Liberty Town- ship, operated under the name of Frederick Kauffinan & Rogers.
Jacob Rupp was the first member of the Rupp family that came to Ohio. He was born in Prussia in 1804, and died in 1874. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in that country in 1804. He had eleven children, nine of whom are living. John is married and lives in Fairfield. Ile was born in 1825. Peter was married and lives in Kan- sas. Mr. Rupp was one of the first Germans that came to Butler County. He emigrated to America in 1830, and settled in Hamilton. He brought about two hundred dollars with him, with which be bought a lot and log- house, which he repaired. It was the oldest house in Hamilton, being of two stories, and had formerly been the court-house. It was the building described in the last paragraph of page 35. He worked at day's work, and about 1842 moved to Fairfield Township. where he purchased a farm of L. Davis of sixty-two acres. About three years after he bought fifty-three acres more of A. P. Miller, farming the two tracts until his death. He also owned several houses and lots in Hamilton. He was very industrious. He was a member of the German Protestant Church. His son, John, was born in Prussia, January 1, 1825, and was married in 1852 to Catherine Bridge, born in Prussia, March 5, 1829. They had six children, five of whom are living. John was born April 25, 1854; Jacob, January 4, 1857; Erasmins, January 7, 1859; George, September 10, 1861; Katy, October 26, 1864; and Peter. July 1, 1860. The latter died July 25, 1860. John, the eldest, is married. Mr. Rupp is a member of St. John's German Protestant Church. He has a large quarry, the largest in the county, turning out an excellent quality of limestone. It was opened
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FAIRFIELD.
first in 1844 by John Woods for the Hamilton Hydraulie, and in 1851 Mr. Rupp bought the farm of fifty-one aeres and the quarry, having owned it ever since. The quarry contains about fifteen aeres, and over 82,000 worth were taken out last year.
Henry G. Ross, superintendent of the county infir- mary, was born in Milford Township on the 28th of July, 1845. He was married December 24, 1864, to Kate Williams, who was born in Zanesville, Muskingum County, December 31, 1841. They have had two ehil- dren. William Henry was born October 19, 1865, and Harry Olby, July 28, 1876.
Christopher Ruoff was born October 4, 1813, in Wit- tenburg, Swabia, and married in 1841 Margaret Deincer, born October 17, 1818. She came to Ohio with her father, George Deincer, in 1837. By her he had two children. Christina, the wife of Charles Damm, was born February 7, 1842, and lives in Fairfield Township; Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Niederman, born February 3, 1850, lives in Hamilton, and came to Butler County in 1852. He settled in the pork-packing business in Han- ilton, and accumulated considerable wealth. He pur- chased two hundred and forty-cight aeres in Fairfield Township, which he farmed, becoming one of the wealth- iost citizens of the township. He died December 6, 1866. He was also a partner of Peter Murphy for two years in the distillery at Hamilton. He was a strong Democrat.
Benjamin Randolph Symmes is the son of Celadon Symmes, an early magistrate of this county, son of Tim- othy Symmes, and nephew of John Cleves Symmes, the patentee of the lands lying between the Little Miami and Great Miami. His mother was Phebe Randolph. Benjamin R. Symmies was born in Fairfield Township, on the 6th of September, 1802. He was married on the 30th of March, 1826, to Eliza Gaston, daughter of Joseph and Martha Gastou, who was born February 16, 1807. She bore him one son, Peyton Randolph Symmes, who was born March 10, 1833. On her death in that year be again married, this time to Jane Paulley, daugh- ter of James and Margaret Panlley, who was born Octo- her 12, 1804. By her he had three children, one of whom survives. Celadon Hutton Symmes was born October 27, 1836 ; James Rigdon Symmes was born Jan- wary 8, 1841, and Joseph Erskine Symmies was born June 12, 1845. Peyton R. Symmes was in the military service from 1861 to 1565. Benjamin R. Symmes was for six years a justice of the peace, treasurer of the min isterial section for twenty years, and postmaster for twenty-two years and six months.
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Franklin Raleigh Vinnedge was born March 18, 1834, in Fairfield Towi ship, Butler County, and was married March 24, 1858, to Martha Aun Van Cleaf, bora in Liberty Township, April 7, 1849. He had five children, four of whom are living. Jucy Aun was born April 10, 1860; Thomas Dunmore, February 14, 1862; . Clara
Irene, May, 1864, now dead; Lillie Maud, April 10, 1868; and Raleigh Van Cleaf, September 2, 1872. Mr. Vinnedge is essentially a self-made man, receiving no as- sistance from his relatives. He began business for him- self when twenty-five years old by renting a small farm of forty aeres. He rented until about. 1864, when he entered into partnership with W. V. Clark, in the Mason farm of one hundred and eighty-seven aores in Fairfield Township, which he sold in 1866, and in 1867 moved to Port Union, where he went to store-keeping under the firm name of F. R. Vinnedge, and in the purchase of grain and produce, under the name of Beatty, Vinnedge & Lippelmann, in which he remained until 1869, when he gave up the store and dissolved partnership, buying grain and produce for himself and renting the farm of Hiram Smith, in Union Township. In 1876 he pur- chased the farm where he now resides, of two hundred and sixty-seven aeres. He is at present engaged in farm- ing for himself, and purchasing grain and produce with J. V. Spellman & Son, of Port Union, under the name of Spellman, Vinnedge & Co., and with J. C. Symmes in Hamilton, under the name of Vinnedge & Symmes. In the Lake Erie Ice Company he owns one-fourth of the stock in conncetion with S. D. Fitton and others, in Union, and also in Fairfield, under the name of Vin- nedge, Schlosser & Clark. Mr. Vinnedge has held the office of township justice for four terms, and township treasurer for two years. The latter position he now holds. He is one of Butler County's best citizens, own- ing considerable property in the shape of town lots in Hamilton and Lockland. In 1864 he eleancd ont the Union Township's portion of the Butler County ditch, and has also been largely instrumental in grading and building roads. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, joining them in 1867. He has taken all the degrees an:l has hek! all the different offices. He was also trustee of Union Township two years, and is a member of the United Workmeu Society.
Thomas Van Cleaf was born in Butler County in the year 1809, on the 9th of January. He is the son of Benjamin Van Cleaf, who was born in New York, Sep- tember 5, 1765, and died March 5, 1830. His mother was Aleha Vanderveer. She was born November 16, 1771, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and died March 1, 1851. They were married in New Jersey, and came to Ohio in 1805, settling in Frankliu. The present Mr. Van Cleaf was brought up to the occupation of : farmer, and was married March 17, 1836, by the Rev. Mr. MeFarlan, to Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Kyle- and Martha Long. She was born August 26, 1815. They have had four children. Alice Seward was born March 7, 1838, and died May 22, 1874; Martha A. Vinuedge was born April 7, 1810; Sarah JJ. Van Cleaf was born July 8, 1844; and Hannah M !. Van Chať was born June 19, 1850. Mr. Van Cleaf's grandfather. Teunis Van Cleaf, was in the Revolutionary War.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
David Urmston, Jr., was born in this county in 1810. His parents were David Urinston and Mary Enyard, the former being from New Jersey. David was married in 1839 to Nancy Stone, born in 1817, daughter of Thomas Stone, a native of Ireland, and Elizabeth Martin. They had seven children. Mary Ann was born in 1842; Nancy Jane, in 1847; B. E., in 1849, and Emma Frances in 1855. Three children are dead. Mr. Urmston has served three terms as infirmary director. Thomas Stone, his father-in-law, was out in the War of 1812, and Thomas Stone, Jr., was in the Mexican War as captain.
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Edmund Kennedy Urmston was born in Springfield Township, Hamilton County, June 25, 1840. IIe is the son of Benjamin Urmston and Rebecca Kennedy, who live in Hamilton County, but were formerly of Butler County, coming here about 1801. He was married in 1869 to Margaret Butterfield, daughter of Elijah Butter- field and Mary Jones. Jeremiah and Mary Butterfield, the first of the name who settled in Hamilton County, were the parents of Elijah Butterfield, who was born there in 1815. With his wife, Mary, Elijah settled on Paddy's Run, near New London, in the Spring of 1842, and remained there until the Spring of 1870. He was elected justice of the peace in Ross Township in the Spring of 1850, serving eighteen years in succession, and during that time never had a transcript taken from his
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docket excepting in criminal cases, which were to be de- cided in a higher court, and in one railroad case. A !! suits were settled by him, or referred to arbitrators, whose decision was always concurred in. He served as school director in the same district for thirty years in succession, and was a successful farmer. To Margaret Urmston, his daughter, were born four children. Benjamin Kennedy was born February 17, 1872; Rebecca, August 15, 1874; Willie B., August 8, 1876; Mary May, June 25, 1879. Mr. Urmston has held the office of township assessor in Hamilton Connty, and has been a member of the school board in Butler Conty for six years.
Thomas Wall was born in Bristol, England, in 1800. His father, John Wall, and his mother, Phebe Wall, were natives of that country. Thomas came to America in 1832, and was married in Hamilton, in 1844, to Han- nah Waller, born in this county, in June, 1810, daughter of Levi and Rhoda Waller, who arrived in Butler County about the beginning of the century. He was in the War of 1812, and Asahel Waller, the grandfather, was in the Revolution. They had nine children: William, Thomas, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Edward, Perry, Sahnon, and Louis. Mr. Wall followed the occupations of farmer and brass-founder. He went across the ocean thirteen times after first coming to this country, dying October 19, 1880, aud leaving considerable property.
LIBERTY.
THE highly cultivated farms, the good houses, the many pikes and other improvements in this township speak favorably of the thrift and enterprise of its citizens and the character of its agriculture.
Of the early settlers in this section of the county may be mentioned the names of John Nelson, John Beatty, David Williamson, Ephraim Baker, Thomas Hunt, John Morrow, Daran Whittlesey, Thomas Kyle, David Griffis. Cornelius Murphy, the Elliotts, Hugheses, Voorheeses, Lowerys, Kains, Howards, and others.
The principal towns are Princeton, Bethany, Jericho, and Huntsville; none having attained much size, nor being ia importance what they were years ago.
When all was a wilderness, and before any of the sturdy oaks had been felled, John Nelson moved into the township, and cleared the first farm. This was where Jasper Rose lives now, and prior to 1796. John Beatty came in 1797, and found him sungly fixed in his polo cabin. He had come with his father David Beatty to Port Union, in 1795. The father died soon after this event, a very old man, and was buried at Tylersville, the second burial in the township. A child of MeMahou's
was buried here prior to that time, and was the first, event of that kind. John Beatty had two sons, John R. and James, and one daughter, afterwards Mrs. Stewart. John R. Beatty married Miss Nancy Stewart. and raised a family of seven children, all of whom are dead now but Mrs. 'Squire MeLeaa.
Mr. John Beatty settled just above where Bethany is now, and his house was probably the second in the towu- ship. He subsequently started the "Beatty Tavern," which was also the first house of that kind in the town- ship. This tavern was carried on for a long period of time ; first before his death by Mr. Beatty himself. then by his widow, and subsequently by his son, John R. Beatty. David Williamson next came to this part of the township and settled on a farn. adjoining that of Joh: Beatty, building his house where 'Squire Me Lead's house stand>. This was in 1798, and was the first house built in what was afterwards Bethany. His brother, Pour Williamson, had come just previous to this time, ant settled in the north-east part of the township. Peter and David Voorhees came this year also, but settled in Huntsville. William Lowery came prior to 1800. His
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LIBERTY.
brother, Samuel Lowery, dug the grave for John Beatty in 1816.
The first marriage in the township occurred Decem- ber 25, 1798. The parties contracting were Miss Mary Howard, of New Jersey, and Samuel Kain. Mr. Kain botight land just above Bethany, where Drake now lives.
Johu Morrow was settled on. land now owned by David Swearingen, before 1803. His brother, Jeremiah Morrow, was governor of Ohio. John Morrow was the first justice of the peace in Liberty Township, and served in that capacity for eighteen years. He was fol- lowed by 'Squire MeLean, who held the office twenty- four years, and following him was Silas Williamson, who is, and has been, 'squire for fifteen years. Each of these three men have been peace-makers in the strict sense of that term.
. Silas Williamson's grandfather. David Williamson, married Mary Vandyke iu 1787, emigrated from Penn- sylvania to Kentucky in June, 1797, and from Kentucky to Ohio, settling on Section 14, of this township, in 1798. He had four sons: George, born 1788; John, father of Silas, boru 1790; David V., born 1795, and Peter, born in 1801. 'Squire Williamson has also been township elerk, elected in 1865, and held the office many years. He was married to Christiana White in 1843.
John McLean was born in 1810. In 1843 he married Miss Sarah Clayton. She died in 1847. In 1850 he married Miss Mary Ann Beatty, daughter of John R. Beatty.
Bethany was laid off' into lots, four by eight rods, in 1822, by Samuel Lowery. Five of these lots were surveyed by Nesbit, and were on the east side of the street. A man by the name of Crawford built a house just opposite where 'Squire MeLean lives now, and kept a grocery; it was a small affair at first, there not being ten dollars' worth of goods in his house. The first blacksmith's shop was in the woods at that time, and just opposite where Mr. Legg now lives. It was kept by Mr. Busy. He was followed by Mr. Garrett, and he in turn by Peter C. Dilley. This was before 1822.
. John MeLean, of Bethany, is descended from the MeLeans of Scotland. After the rebellion of 1715, a portion of that clan emigrated to Ireland, and after a considerable sojourn, to America. They settled in York, now Adamus County, in Pennsylvania. The MeLean who was the ancestor of John MeLean, of Bethany, had seven sous, all surveyorz. Their names were Archibald, Moses, William, Samuel, John, James, and Alexander. Each and all of them took an active part in our Revolutionary struggle. Archibald and Moses were both members of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and Moses was also a cap- tain in the Eleventh Regiment of the Pennsylvania line. Samuel McLean, the grandfather of John Melean, of Bethany, moved to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and left two sons, William and John. The latter remained in Fayette County, while the former removed to Butler
1 County, in 1808. He was a farmer, and had six sons and three daughters. His sons were Samuel, born De- cember 24, 1799; Elisha P., born March 3, 1802; Ste- phen, January 7, 1804; William, December 21, 1805; Elizabeth, September 25, 1807, the widow of William Goudy; John, born February 13, 1810; James, born September 25, 1811; Sophia, born December 8, 1813; and Sarah Ann, April 13, 1816. Samuel, Elisha P., Stephen, William, James, and Sophia are dead.
Mr. McLean came to Butler County in 1808, and settled on Seven-Mile, Wayne Township, where he pur- chased a hundred acres of land. He came down the Ohio River in a flat-boat. He traded his farm in Pen- sylvania for castings and sold them in Cincinnati, and with their proceeds purchased here. He died in Union Township, September 12, 1824, and his wife died Sep- tember 27, 1834, in Springfield Township, Hamilton. County. His son, John McLean, was born February 13, 1810, in Wayne Township, and married first, January 3, 1843, Sarah R. Clayton, born in Liberty May 5, 1813, and died September 19, 1847. They bad one child, Anna Isabella, born November 3, 1844. She died June 3, 1846. He married second, November 20, 1850, Mary Ann Beatty, daughter of John R. Beatty and Nancy (Stewart) Beatty. She was born in Liberty, December. 29. 1814. By her he had three children, one being now alive, Lewis. He was born October 18, 1852, and is married. John A., born January 7, 1855, died an in- fant; and William C., born March 6, 1860, died August 5, 1881.
Mr. MeLean is one of the most prominent citizens of Liberty Township. He has held several township posi- tions, and, in fact, has always held some township office. He was appointed assistant revenue assessor in 1865, an office he has held two terms; has been justice of the peace for eight terms, omitting one term, or & total of twenty-four years, from 1836 till 1864. He was also postmaster at Huntsville, and is at present notary public, serving his sixth term. Ile bas acted from 1864 till the present time without interruption. He is a Mason aud Odd Fellow both, but of late years has not attended. He held the office of recording secretary in the Odd Fel- lows. His nele, Colonel Alexander McLean, was out in the Revolutionary War, being a colonel of frontier rangers. He also served in MeTutoshi's campaign of 1780. He was also one of the surveyors engaged with Mason and Dixon in running the division line between Pennsyl- vania, Virginia, and Maryland, in 1766 and 1767, and in 1782 and 1783 he, in connection with Joseph Neville, carried out the southern boundary from where Mason and Dixon stopped at the Indian warpath.
Mr. Samuel Kain carried on wagon-making for many years, beginning as early as 1823 or 1824 We read it' the Kain wagons receiving the first premiums in the Butler County Agricultural Society. On October 13, 1836, Mr. Kain received three dollars premium on the
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
best wagon manufactured. The shop was afterwards turned into a buggy and carriage factory, and was such for many years, and is now a factory for the mannfac- turing of the Kain harrows.
Doctors Stephens, Samuel Withrow (a steam doctor), Casley, and Armstrong were the first physicians.
The first brick house in Bethany was built by Peter Williamson, in 1839. It stood near where the Presby- terian Church now is. The next brick structure was the first brick house erected for David Lee, in 1841, in Jer- icho. The brick was burned and the building erected by 'Squire MeLean. 'Squire MeLean carried on brick- making for a period of five years, and during that time burned a milliou of brick. He became the proprietor of the first saw-mill in Jericho, in 1850, and conducted it for eight years. He sold the mill to Benjamin Boyd, who finally transferred it to other parties, and it was hy them taken down and removed to Lebanon.
The Beatty Tavern was the principal stopping-place for travelers, but there were other houses, also, subse- quently. Mr. Williamson had a good tavern for many years, as also did Robert Carter. The amount of travel was enormous. Old residents say that it was not uncom- mon to see four and six horse teams, a dozen at a time, stopping over night in this place. Houses of entertain- ment were along the highways every few miles, and necessarily so, to accommodate the traveling public. As soon as the railroads sprang up the hotels went down.
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