USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 65
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Mr. Cole, though not a drinker, kept the friendly glass, to drink with friends, but the arguments of a speaker of the first temperance society-The Washingtonians-convinced him that total abstinence, on his part, was the only way to reach the many inebriate men of his employ, whom he had vainly tried to help. The evening of that temperance lecture, will be remembered today, if any one is living who witnessed Mr. Cole's signing the pledge and inviting his men, who were present, to follow his example. Nearly all took the pen and many confirmed drunkards kept their pledge till the end of their lives.
In the Spring of 1842, at the urgent request of his wife, Mr. Cole retired from business and removed to West Union, to educate their young family, but in November of the same year, Mrs. Cole was taken ill, and in two weeks Mr. Cole was left with six motherless children.
In 1844, the family went to Kentucky, the ideal state of the Cole family. In the fall of the same year Mr. Cole married Miss Louisa Paul, a niece of his first wife. Miss Paul was a beautiful lady, of refine- ment, good judgment and common sense, who did what she could for the children of her adoption. After years of prosperity in the iron bus- iness of Kentucky, Mr. Cole returned to Ohio, on account of failing health, living several years in Portsmouth, before returning to Bloom Furnace, where he died in 1866.
Rev. John Collins
was born in Gloucester County, New Jersey, November 1, 1769. When a boy, the first money he earned was a dollar, and with that he bought a new testament and committed a large portion of it to memory. In his twenty-third year he went to Charleston, South Carolina, by sea and remained a year. In November, 1793, he was married to Sarah Black- man, who survived him. In 1794, he became a Methodist, though he had been reared a Quaker. At the time he joined the Methodist Church, he was a major in the militia, but resigned soon after. Directly after this he was licensed as a local preacher in the Methodist Church and he be- came noted for his sermons as such. He traveled in west New Jersey, and in 1804 he came to Ohio and settled in Horse Shoe Bottoms, about twenty-five miles above Cincinnati, in Brown County. Before coming
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to Ohio, he visited the Northwest Territory, in 1802, and then removed his family the next year. He continued to reside on his farm in Brown County until a few months before his decease, when he removed to Maysville, Kentucky, and resided with his second son, George Collins.
In 1804, he preached the first Methodist sermon ever preached in Cincinnati, to twelve persons, in an upper room. This was in the house of Mrs. Dennison. His text was, "Go ye unto all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, etc." His congregation were melted to tears by the pathos of his sermon and one person was converted and afterward became a local preacher. A short time after he formed a class of eight persons, of whom Mr. Gibson was the leader, and he was the only one of them whose circumstances admitted of his entertaining the minister. In 1807, Mr. Collins became a traveling minister, and was appointed to the Miami Circuit with the Rev. B. Lakin as a colleague. His wife prayed for his success during his absence at the time he had appointed for public worship at each appointment.
In 1808, Mr. Collins traveled the Scioto Circuit, and in 1809 and 1810, the Deer Creek Circuit, then the Union Circuit, embracing Dayton and Lebanon. At this time, 1811, there was no Methodist preaching in Dayton, and Mr. Collins was the first one to preach there. He organized a church there and caused an edifice for public worship to be built. This was the beginning of Methodism in Dayton. In Lebanon, he had a great revival and numbers were taken into the church. In 1812, he retired from the ministry and remained on his farm until 1819 when he was appointed Presiding Elder in the Scioto Circuit and continued in that office during 1820. It was during his eldership that Chillicothe had a great revival of religion. At one time, while preaching in Chillicothe, he preached with such impassioned eloquence that the congregation re- mained one hour after the benediction, and a Presbyterian, present, said the sermon was the most eloquent he had ever heard.
In 1821 and 1822, he was stationed in Cincinnati; in 1823 in Chilli- cothe, and in 1824, in Cincinnati. From 1825 to 1828 he was in the Miami District; from 1828 to 1831, he was in the Scioto District. In 1832 and 1833, he was in the New Richmond District. In 1834, he was stationed in Cincinniti, and in 1834 and 1835 he traveled the White Oak Circuit, and this was his last work as an active minister. In 1836, he was superannuated, but visited about and preached as his strength permitted.
He died on the twenty -- first of August, 1845, in his seventy-sixth year, in the city of Maysville, Kentucky.
During the time of his activity in the ministry, the Methodist Church had not a more successful minister than Mr. Collins. He was unassuming and gentlemanly in his manners, instructive and religious in his con- versation, and evinced so much interest in the spiritual welfare of his hearers that all who became acquainted with him, loved him. He was a great reader and thorough in his thinking. His biblical knowledge was complete and always available. He had an extensive knowledge of history and literature. His perceptions were quick and accurate, and his power of discrimination perfect. His mind was well balanced and his statements were deliberate and never necessary to recall or qualify. He was a most perfect judge of human nature. There was never a sus- picion of affection in his nature. He was always earnest, always sym-
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pathetic, and the tones of his voice were captivating. He never preached without shedding tears and nearly always he caused weeping in his con- gregation. Nothing he said ever seemed premeditated. He always seemed to be full and overflowing with his subject. Above all, he was sympathetic. When he described a situation or condition, his hearers felt it, and they sympathized with the subject just as he did. He did not teach the terrors of the law, but the love of the Gospel. His social intercourse with his fellow men was such, so gentle, so kind, so full of interest for those he met, so full of spiritual sympathy that it is said he preached more out of the pulpit than in it. His friends loved him and loved to be in his presence. Moreover, when he secured the affection of anyone, he never lost it. His personal appearance always made a favorable impression. His dress was always neat, always plain and Quaker like. Solemnity and benovolence were blended in his counte- nance which was always pleasing and impressive. His eyes at o nce at- tracted those who met him. His voice was full of melody, so full that, often when reading the opening hymn in his expressive manner, tears would come into the eyes of his hearers.
A daughter of his was the wife of Nathaniel Massie, Jr. She is buried beside her husband at the old South Cemetery at West Union.
James Mitchell Cole
was born August 26, 1789, in Harford County, Maryland. His father was Ephriam Cole, and his mother was Ada Mitchell, born in the same county, near Havre-de-gras. His grandparents on both sides were born in the same county. He came to Kentucky with his parents in 1793 where they located in Mason County. In 1794, they removed and located near West Union, Ohio, on the second farm near to the right on the old Manchester road, at one time occupied by Mr. Harsha. He had three brothers, Ephriam, Leonard and Allaniah, and three sisters, Ada, Zilla and Elizabeth. He was married in 1809 to Nancy Collings, daughter of James and Christian Collings, who was born in Manchester, March 16, 1794, in the Stockade. Her parents were also from Harford County, Maryland. James M. Cole was a soldier in the War of 1812, and ob- tained a land warrant for 160 acres for military services. After his return from the war, he resided on a farm near West Union. From 1830 to 1833, he was one of the County Commissioners of Adams County. From 1833 to 1837, he was Sheriff of the county. In 1839, he removed to a farm opposite Concord, Kentucky, and resided there until 1850. He then purchased a farm in Lewis County, Kentucky, some miles below Vanceburg and lived there until 1860, in which year he died on the six- teenth of August. He was buried in the Collings cemetery, south of West Union. His wife died in March, 1861, and is buried by his side.
In politics he was a strong Democrat all his life, a follower of Andrew Jackson, and he and his wife were both earnestly and enthusiastically attached to the Methodist Church. He was of more than the average intelligence and had a very high sense of integrity. He possessed great wit and humor and fine conversational powers. His wife was a woman of extraordinary force and grasp of subjects. She possessed the most wonderful fortitude and tenacity of purpose, and was never known to
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lose her self poise. They reared a large family of sons and daughters. The sons have largely followed professional pursuits and have distin- guished themselves. As most of them are sketched in this work, they are not further noticed here.
George Campbell
was born in New Jersey, January 3, 1778. His father was in the Revo- lutionary War and was wounded at the battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776, and died of the same in 1778. After his father's death, his mother moved to Kentucky and married a man named Peterson. In 1792, George, who could not get along with his step-father, ran away and went to the Stockade in Manchester. The settlers had him drive out their cows in the morning and drive them in at evening. In the Fall of 1793, on one occasion, when George was out in the forest to bring the cows in, he saw a party of Indians who discovered him at the same time. They were lurking about to take a prisoner or a scalp. George at once set up a series of Indian yells and started for the Stockade. The Indian yell was as well understood by the cattle as by the settlers. The cattle took fright and went for the Stockade on the run. The boy also did the best running he ever did in his life, yelling in Indian style all the time, and he could imitate the Indian yell most perfectly. The result was as George expected. The settlers rushed out of the Stockade fully armed, and met young Campbell. The Indians, unable to overtake George, and seeing the settlers, fled. Evidently they wanted to capture the boy as they made no attempts to shoot or tomahawk him. George grew to manhood in Adams County and spent his life there. He married Katherine Noland on September 15, 1803, and in 1804 settled in Scott Township, where he died October 30, 1854.
George W. Darlinton
was born November 18, 1793, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and died November 8, 1881, in Winchester, Adams County, Ohio, while on a tem- porary visit there and had therefore, reached the grand old age of eighty- eight years. He belonged to a family of remarkable longevity. His father, General Joseph Darlinton, died at eighty-seven, one brother at ninety, another at ninety-one, and his sister, Mrs. Sarah Van Deman, of Delaware, at eighty-six years. He was the second son of Gen. Joseph Darlinton. Not long after his birth, his father removed to the North- west Territory, settling in 1797 near the present town of West Union. Here George remained with his father until he grew to manhood, gather- ing such an education as could be found in that pioneer life, and being thoroughly drilled in the strictest tenets of the Presbyterian faith, which never departed from him, for he lived and died in it. The General was never so busy in his struggles for livelihood, or in the discharge of his important official duties, but he could give his personal attention to the instruction of his children in all moral and religious doctrine. He was a firm believer in the shorter catechism, the Westminster confession and the Decalogue, particularly the fourth commandment. Many are the stories told,-doubtless problematical,-of the manner he required the observance of the Sabbath, such as fastening the bees in their hives, or tying the dog's mouth on that day, but George thoroughly remembered his drilling on that subject, and all through his life he "remembered the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Through the superior abilities of his
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father, supplemented by the instructions of a mother of more than ordi- nary wisdom and literary tastes, he enjoyed many more than the usual educational opportunities for that day. He was inclined to mercantile pursuits, and about 1825 located at Newark, Ohio, and formed a partner- ship with his brother Carey in the dry-goods business. They were both gentlemen of fine personal appearance, of stately deportment, and of exemplary habits. During the life of this partnership, George secured a contract and constructed a portion of the Ohio Canal through Licking County. In a few years they dissolved partnership, Carey ultimately locating in Montana Territory, and George settling in Greenup County, Kentucky, where he continued to reside until his death. 'He enjoyed the utmost confidence of the people of Eastern Kentucky, serving for many years as Sheriff and Collector of Revenues of Greenup County. He was · also engaged in the manufacture of iron, and at one time constructed an extensive manufactory for extracting oil from coal, but the great dis- covery of petroleum in the oil fields of Pennsylvania and elsewhere closed his new enterprise at a heavy loss.
At an early day, he was the owner of a few slaves, but an enlightened conscience told him it was not right to hold human flesh in bondage, so he took them across the Ohio River and purchased them a comfortable home, leaving them with the warning "that if they did not behave them- selves, he would take them back to Kentucky."
He was a most uncompromising supporter of the administration of President Lincoln in the war for the preservation of the Union. He endorsed the proclamation freeing the slaves, not only as a war measure but because he thought it was right, and as an old Henry Clay Whig, he believed in the highest protection to American industries.
During his life of eighty-eight years, he saw the pioneers sweeping down the western slope of the Alleghanies, spread themselves over the whole of the Northwestern Territory, converting it all into new states in the Confederacy, and extending westward across the Mississippi to the extremest verge of the continent. The marvelous growth of the country in agriculture, in manufactories and in the sciences, as also in the improvement in the condition of all classes from the inventions and discoveries in his day, was the subject of frequent comment by him. He was universally beloved by old and young, and no one ever received in- tentional unkindness from "Uncle George." Many a young man was indebted to him for his unostentatious aid in some critical time in his life. He was a genial gentleman of the "old school," a good conver- sationalist, a pleasant companion, a warm friend and an honest man. There was a quiet humor about him that was at times refreshing. He was a man of most abstemious habits, so that he enjoyed exceptional health to the last. He believed in temperance in eating as well as in drinking. The strength of a constitution built up by a life of such tem- perance was well illustrated towards the close of his life. About six years before his death, he had the misfortune to fall and break his leg, but such was the healthfulness of his constitution that he was out walking with a cane in less than six weeks after the accident. He accumulated a handsome property, which he divided with most rigid impartiality among his relatives. He was never married. He died in the communion of the Presbyterian Church and was buried in the cemetery at West Union, where his father, mother and other relatives sleep.
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Hyman Israel De Bruin,
son of Israel Hyman and Judith DeBruin, was born December 24, 1796, in Amsterdam, Holland. His parents were Hebrews and, by tradition, of the tribe of Levi. They gave this, their eldest child, a thorough education, of which he made good use, and which proved a valuable legacy to him in a long and active business life.
His parents died when he was young. After attaining his majority he had a great desire to come to America, but with limited means could not see his way clear. Just then he found a good friend coming to this country, who offered to advance his passage. He accepted the passage money, as a loan, and in October, 1819, he sailed for America. After a long and stormy voyage he landed at Philadelphia early in January, 1820. His and his friend's destination being farther west, they made the trip over the mountains on foot and in an emigrant wagon, which they had procured that they might ride when tired of walking. The trip was a hard one, but they reached Pittsburg after many days. There they took passage on an Ohio River boat and after a tedious trip landed at Maysville.
A stranger in a strange land, Mr. DeBruin, with business intent, at once started out to find employment, and was soon rewarded in secur- ing a position as bookkeeper in a large commission house owned by Mr. Andrew M. January, who accepted the obligation, which had been as- sumed by this kind friend from Amsterdam.
Mr. DeBruin had the contract made in legal form and entered upon his work, in his characteristic and systematic way. He was a fine pen- man and a model clerk. He remained with his new employer several years until he had cancelled the obligation for his passage and saved enough to go into business for himself. The friendship thus formed with Mr. January was never broken.
On March 14, 1832, Mr. DeBruin was married to Miss Rebecca Easton, daughter of Rev. Edward and Mary Easton, of Linconshire, England, who came to this country in 1820.
In July, 1833 when the terrible epidemic of cholera was raging in Maysville, Mr. DeBruin removed his family to Winchester, Adams County, Ohio, where he continued in the mercantile business until about 1854. Having gathered together quite a little sum, about sixty or seventy thousand dollars, he retired from business and lived a quiet life.
He became a member of the Methodist Church in January, 1844- He was class leader and superintendent of the Sabbath School for many years and was never absent from church or Sunday school unless out of town or sick.
There were born to these parents twelve children, eight sons and four daughters. Four died in infancy and two at the ages of thirty- four and thirty-two. On February 12, 1898, the first born, Rev. Israel Hyman DeBruin of Columbus, Ohio, passed away in the seventy-fifth year of his age. There are still five children living, three sons and two daughters. The youngest, a son, aged thirty-three, and the oldest about seventy-two.
Our subject's political affiliations were with the Whig and Republi- can parties. His first vote cast, on becoming a legalized citizen of the United States, was for James Monroe, for President. He was an ardent
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admirer of Mr. Clay and voted for him three times for President. He voted the last Whig ticket in 1852 for General Scott. After that he voted the Republican ticket. His last vote for President was for Gen- eral Grant, in 1868.
Mr. DeBruin died at his home in Winchester, September 9, 1871, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His wife died on February 25th, in her seventieth year.
Israel Donalson
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was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, February 2, 1767. His father moved to the County of Cumberland, in the same State, where he received his education. While too young to take any part in the Revo- lutionary War, he remembered much of it. It seemed he obtained a fair education prior to his twentieth year. In 1787, he left his home in New Jersey for the West, traveling alone and unaided. . He first located in Ohio County, Virginia, where he remained until the Spring of 1790. In this time, he farmed, taught school and acted as Indian ranger and scout. In May, 1790, he went down the river on a flat-boat accompanied by a fleet of the same kind, and reached Maysville on June Ist. During that summer, he taught school at Maysville. That winter he formed the ac- quaintance of General Nathaniel Massie and in the Spring of 1791, went to reside in the Stockade at Manchester. In April, 1791, he, Nathaniel Massie and James Tittle went up the river in a canoe with a surveyor's chain and compass to do some surveying. They got ashore just below Wrightsville, near a large mound which stood on the river bank, but is now washed away by the river. There they discovered two canoe loads of Indians, almost in shore. The Indians discovered them at the same time. Donalson and his two companions started to run. He was in the rear, and as he went to jump a branch his foot caught in a root and he fell forward. Before he could rise, three Indians were upon him, and he was a captive. The Indians started on a march with him, and marched all day and for two or three days when they reached the camp of their tribe. Here they began to make an Indian of him, by training his hair Indian fashion, with turkey feathers and putting an Indian jewel in his nose. After he had been with them several days, he determined to escape, come what would. He slept between two Indians, securely tied, but he gnawed his thongs loose and crawled away one morning about daybreak. The Indians discovered his escape almost immediately, and pursued, but he escaped without arms of any kind. He reached Fort Washington about May Ist. He first met Mr. Wm. Woodward, for whom the Woodward High School is named, who took him to the Fort. Here he remained several weeks when he returned to Limestone and afterwards to Manchester.
Mr. Donalson was well qualified for a school teacher before leaving New Jersey. He took up this occupation at Manchester as soon as there was a call for a teacher, and he followed that with surveying, which he had also studied in the East, more or less all his life. He was in Wayne's Campaign against the Indians in 1794.
He married Miss Annie Pennyweight on Nevember 15, 1798, and had to go to Kentucky for that purpose, as there were no legal authorities to solemnize marriages in that part of the Northwest Territory at that time.
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In 1802, Mr. Donalson was elected one of three delegates from Adams County to the first Constitutional Convention of Ohio. His as- sociates were Joseph Darlinton and Thomas Kirker. The Convention met in Chillicothe on November 1, 1802, and was in session until November 29th, when it completed its work. The journal of the Convention is very meagre, as nearly all the work was done in committee of the whole and no record kept. On the question of inviting Governor St. Clair to address the Convention, he and his two associates voted "no," but the affirmative carried it nineteen to fourteen. He usually voted with his colleagues on all questions. On the question of a poll-tax, he voted "no," as did his colleagues. On the question of allowing negroes and mulattoes to vote, he, Kirker and Massie voted "no," while Byrd and Darlinton voted "yes." He, also, with Kirker, Byrd and Darlinton voted "no" to the proposition of forbidding negroes and mulattoes to hold office in the State, or to testify against a white man. On the last day, sixty copies of the journal of the Convention and eighty-eight copies of the Constitution were ordered delivered to Israel Donalson for Adams County. We would like to know what became of the seven hundred copies of the journal ordered printed. Only four are now known to be in existence out of that number. Of those delivered to Mr. Donalson for distribution, none are now known to be in existence.
Israel Donalson was appointed postmaster at Manchester in 1801, and served until September 27, 1813. In 1808, he started a carding-mill in Manchester, but it does not appear how long he operated it. In the War of 1812, he went out in the general call for troops.
He was a resident of Manchester all his life, and was a devout mem- ber of and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of that place. He was Clerk of the Session for many years, and the records appear in his very clear hand. He was also frequently a delegate to the Presbytery of Chillicothe, which he first attended at Red Oak in 1825, and on September 4 and 5, 1849, he was last present at Eckmansville. Altogether he attended the Presbytery some nineteen times.
In 1847, there were but five survivors of the Constitutional Con- vention of 1802 living. Ephriam Cutler, of Washington County; Jere- miah Morrow, of Hamilton; John Reiley, of Butler; General Darlinton and Israel Donalson, of Adams. Cutler wrote a letter to each of the other four, and received an answer from each. Donalson's letter is dated May 20, 1847. He condemned the Mexican War then in progress. He wrote to Judge Cutler again on August 1, 1848. He spoke of his captivity among the Indians lasting a week and says from that day to this "my life has been one of turmoil." He says he has met with pecuniary losses but is thankful to God who sustained him. John Reiley died June 7, 1850; General Darlinton died August 2, 1851 ; Jeremiah Morrow died in 1852 ; Judge Cutler survived until July 8, 1853, and from that time until the ninth of February, 1860, Israel Donalson was the last survivor of the Convention. His picture in this book was taken at the age of ninety-one, but he survived until ninety-three. He was a man of the strictest integ- rity. honorable in all his dealings and highly respected by every one. In his political views he was a Democrat and later a Whig.
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