A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 104

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 104

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Colonel Jacob Noel

was born in 1778 in Virginia. In 1809 he was a commissioner of the County and served as such until 1823, a period of fourteen years.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

In 1810, 1815, and 1817, he was a supervisor of Wayne Township. In 1817 he was also a Justice of the Peace of Wayne Township. In 1818 he was an overseer of the poor. He was a Colonel of the Militia. He appears to have been a popular citizen, capable and high- ly appreciated.

He died June 27, 1828, in the 50th year of his age and is buried in the Noel graveyard on the Nicholas Gable farm. Mrs. Joseph Briggs is a granddaughter of his.

Aaron Noel

was born in Scioto County, Ohio, July 13, 1807. His father was Philip Noel, a native of Pennsylvania, and his mother's maiden name was Susannah Putnam, a native of Virginia. His parents had thir- teen children, Aaron being next to the youngest. His father emi- grated from Virginia in 1798, with his wife and seven children, Peter. John, Philip, and Jacob P., Mary, Solomon and Catherine. After his location in the northwest territory, Isaac, David, Margaret, Aaron and Elijah were born. Philip Noel came to Wheeling by land and thence to the town of Jackson, from there he removed to Oldtown. He was a weaver by trade and a great hunter. He died in the year 1849, at the age of eighty-five years, and his wife died October II, 1851. Aaron's four brothers, Peter, John, Philip and Jacob P., were in Captain Roup's Company, in the war of 1812, and were surrendered by Hull at Detroit. Aaron worked on the farm until he was of age, and he also learned the trade of a baker, and worked at it for his brother, Jacob P., in Portsmouth, Ohio, for eight years. Aaron Noel never saw window glass till he was five years old. His father's house till that time had greased paper for lights. In 1814, his father built a frame house, where Michael J. Noel now lives and it was used for an inn for thirty-eight years. In 1831, he traded on a boat on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, selling dry goods, groceries, etc. In 1832 to 1835, he conducted a dry goods store in Portsmouth, Ohio. After that, he went back to farming. August 15, 1844, he was on the Whig Central Committee. October 8, 1867, he was elected County Treasurer on the Democratic ticket, and he served one term. The vote stood Charles A. Barton, 2,344: Aaron Noel. 2,503; Noel's majority, 159. In October, 1869, he was again a candidate for County Treasurer, but was defeated. He re- ceived 2,078 votes to 2,530 for his opponent, Charles Slavens, his son-in-law, majority of 452. He has been a trustee of Clay Town- ship a number of times. In 1886, he owned 600 acres of land within four miles of Portsmouth, all highly improved. He was married June 3, 1832, to Catharine Ann Orm. She died February 25, 1864. They had eleven children. His son, Nathan Milton was drowned in the Scioto river, November, 1855, aged twenty-two years, three weeks after his marriage. His older children: were Josiah O., Ann

PIONEER SKETCHES. 795

Eliza, married Henry Briggs, John Philip, Elizabeth S., Aaron T., Mary C., married Charles Slavens, Jacob S., Oscar B., Maggie J. and Sarah M. He was a Whig during the continuance of that party, and then became a Democrat. Mr. Noel died April 1, 1895, on the same farm on which he was born. He was a very generous man and hospitable. He was firm in his convictions and not easily moved. He could be led but not driven. He was remarkably charitable to the poor. He was never anti-slavery in his views and this fact caus- ed him to join the Democratic party when the Whig party dissolved. He was a man of great public spirit and in favor of public improve- ments. He gave the Scioto Valley Railway the right of way through his lands, a distance of three-fourths of a mile. Mr. Noel was a very agreeable companion and was always disposed to make the best of every situation. He accumulated much wealth in land and money and was very liberal with it to his children, to charity and public enterprises. He was the last survivor of the early Scioto Val- ley farmers, a hardy race who conquered the forest and gave their descendants good estate.

Abraham Good?Noel

was born in Scioto County, Ohio, six miles northwest of Portsmouth, January 29, 1809. His grandfather Peter Noel is said to have come to America from Holland, at the outbreak of the Revolutionary war and to have enlisted in that war from Virginia and served during the contest. After coming to this country he learned the trade of a weaver. In 1793, he removed to the Northwest Territory where he died.

His wife was Sophia Good and he had thirteen children, all of whom grew to maturity and married. The third of these, Peter, was fourteen years old when the family located in the Northwest Terri- tory. He learned the trade of a gunsmith, which he followed much of his life. He was an expert marksman. He was in the war of 1812, and was a scout and guide. For this work of guide he was well adapted, for he was a thorough woodsman and could tell the points of the compass at night by feeling the bark of the trees. He was at Finley's block house, eighteen miles from Detroit, when noti- fied of Hull's surrender and paroled. He was taken sick immediately after, and it is said that on recovering, he re-enlisted in the war of 1812, in which he was promoted to be a Colonel.

He left Ohio in 1850, and went to Will County, Illinois, where he died in the spring of 1851. He was a large land owner in Ohio, at the time he left the state. In politics, he was a Whig and it is said that in 1840 there were 76 Noels in Scioto County who voted the Whig ticket. In the militia he commanded a company of riflemen and he was a great hunter.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

In 1833, our subject and two others were out hunting at the time of the shooting stars, which made the night light as day, an interesting phenomenon which our subject vividly recalls. In the month of October, 1833, Peter Noel, father of our subject, shot 47 deer and our subject 37, while one was shot by both, making a total of 85, which suggests that there ought to have been a law for the protection of game at that time.

Peter Noel, father of our subject, married Susannah, daughter of Joseph DeFeurt, said to have belonged to the nobility of France, who came to America, and served in the Revolutionary War. He settled ir New Jersey and afterwards removed from there to Ohio, making the trip in the same boat with Peter Noel. Peter Noel's children were Joseph, Abraham G., Mary, Sophia and Mercy, all of whom are de- ceased.

Our subject obtained what was then considered a good, practi- cal education in the subscription schools. November 9, 1837, he married Evelina Glasscock, the daughter of Gregory and Elizabeth ( White) Glasscock, the latter a cousin of Zachary Taylor. Her father, Warner White, a native of Virginia, but for years a resident of Ohio, served in the Revolution. She was born and reared in Brown County, Ohio.

After his marriage, Mr. Noel bought a farm and began life for himself. In 1844, he removed to Indiana, and to Will County, Illinois in 1848. Since 1850, he has resided in Joliet or near there. He was a farmer until 1885, when he moved to town. For many years he served as a school trustee in Joliet, and was regarded as a man of good judgment and had great influence in his community. In his political views, he was a Republican.

He had five daughters: Mary, the wife of Lewis Linebarger, a banker of Orient, Adair County, Iowa; Sophia L., died in 1890: Su- sanna E., the wife of Joseph Campbell, a grain dealer of Lacon, Ii- linois ; Sarah, married James Watkins and is now deceased; Melvina M., widow of Carlos F. Long, resides at Joliet. He has four grand- children : H. Norwood Linebarger, a banker at Greenfield, Iowa; and Sarah E. Linebarger, the wife of A. A. Wright, a banker of Kent, Iowa; Ethel M. Campbell, a water color artist of New York city and Harry Noel Campbell, who resides in Chicago. He also has four great grandchildren.

Mr. Noel died February 5, 1902, aged ninety-three years, at his home in Joliet, of injuries resulting from a fall. He furnished the account of the shooting stars on November 13, 1833, which is pub- lished in this book. He also furnished a list of the animals, birds, trees and plants of this county when he was a youth, which will be found herein. He was a citizen highly respected at Joliet and was noted for his honor and integrity in the whole course of his long life.

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PIONEER SKETCHES.

Philip William Noel

was born on the George Davis farm, September 16, 1824. His fath- er was Solomon Noel and his mother Mary Huston, daughter of Joseph Huston.

His education was obtained by attending a country school, a month and a half each winter, commencing in December and quit- ting in February to make maple sugar. He lived in the Davis Bot- toms till he was eight years old. He was run out in 1832 and moved to the Hereodh farm. In 1834, he moved to where he now lives.

He was elected Clerk of Clay Township in 1847 and served four- teen years. He was treasurer of the Township for ten years. He was county Treasurer from 1860 to 1864 and Auditor from 1865 to 1869. He has always been a Republican and was formerly very ac- tive in politics.

He was married January 3. 1830, to Harriet Oldfield, daughter of Judge Oldfield. She died February 13, 1851, leaving one son, John F., still living. He was again married April 3, 1861, to Miss Sophia S. Chase. She died, June 14, 1873, leaving three daughters : Janette C., Anna Sophia and Elsie Catherine.

Joshua Oakes.

Joshua Oakes was born at Haverhill. Scioto County, Ohio, Jan- uary II, 1826. His father, Ephraim Oakes, was born at Long Is- land, February 1, 1796, and came to Ohio when about twenty-one years of age, being one of the early settlers, suffering the hardships incident to pioneer life, and in the course of time amassed a consid- erable fortune. He lived to see a large family of children, grandchil- dren and great-grandchildren bear his name, dying at the ripe age of ninety-two. Joshua Oakes, his eldest son, soon after attaining his majority, went to Illinois, where he operated a' saw mill for three years. Returning to Ohio, he purchased the ferry at Haverhill, running it for seven years, when in 1857 he bought a farm of two hundred acres in Green Township, on a portion of which he now re- sides. On this land, in 1877, he erected the tile factory which has since grown to extensive proportions, and is one of the thriving en- terprises of the county.

January 10, 1850, he was married to Temperance, daughter of Jesse Marshall and Mary Gervais Serot Marshall, who was born June 21, 1791, at the French Settlement at Gallipolis, and who has always been claimed by her relatives and descendants to have been the first white child born in that settlement. Her parents. Marie Avaligne and Peter Serot, were married in Christ church, Alexan- dria, Va., just after landing in America. In token of her being the first white child born, she was given two town lots and a half dozen solid silver teaspoons and table spoons, each inscribed with her bap-

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

tismal name, "Mary Gervais," by the members of the French colony.

Joshua Oakes and Temperance M. Oakes were the parents of eight children, all of whom are living: Mary C., the wife of Charles WV. Austin, residing in Lawrence County, Ohio; A. Davis, Oscar F., and Frank E., residing on the home farm: Ella T., the wife of Samuel Matheson, residing at Charleston, West Virginia; Elona O., the wife of Filmore Musser, and A. Elmore, residing at Portsmouth, Ohio; and C. Henry residing at Yazoo city, Mississippi. The mother pass- ed to her reward, at the age of seventy-two years, on March 10, 1901, after having celebrated with her husband, the fifty-first anniversary of their marriage. Joshua Oakes is still vigorous in mind and body, is a practical farmer, a prosperous manufacturer, a good citizen and a kind parent.

Doctor Jacob Offnere

was born October 4, 1775, in Virginia. His father was Samuel Off- nere, a native of the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. His mother was Sarah Carpenter, only daughter of a Dr. Carpenter of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied medicine with her father. The name Carpenter is a translation of the German name Zimmerman which was the name the family bore in Germany. Dr. James Offnere was the eldest son and he studied medicine. When he came to Scioto County, he had his diploma as a Doctor of Medicine, a horse, saddle, bridle and saddle bags. At the close of his life he was in as good circumstances as any one in Portsmouth. One of his mother's ancestors was a Dr. Zimmerman, physician to Frederick the Great of Prussia.

Samuel Offrere lived in Lancaster County, Pa., and was the owner of "Wheatland." the estate afterwards owned by James Buchanan. He was ready to endorse for his neighbors, and lost all he had. including "Wheatland." Everything was sold and he died. His wife then began the practice of medicine and thus supported herself and children. Her sons Jacob and George came to Portsmouth. Dr. Jacob built a brick house on his farm near the river, the present Dam- arin farm, and was residing there in 1816. When he moved to Portsmouth, in 1823, he built a red brick house on the street just east of the first alley above Market street on Front street. It had a hall through the center and a large flower garden back. Mrs. Harriet Damarin was married in that house. They had three children, a daughter Caroline and a son Samuel, both of whom died young.

He did not practise his profession subsequent to 1830. He had a natural adaptability for business and followed it. He was conserv- ative in all matters prudent and economical. He knew when to buy and when to sell, but he did very little selling. He invested in real es- tate as opportunities offered and held it as did his descendants after him, until now it is in the possession of the third generation.

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PIONEER SKETCHES.

The first official recognition of him at Portsmouth, was in 1810. when he was elected treasurer of Wayne Township and refused to serve. In 1817, he was elected township road supervisor and served. He evidently wanted good roads and to keep out of the mud, and to do so was obliged to accept the office. From 1819 to 1823, he served as county Treasurer being appointed in June of each year. In 1820, he served as township Clerk of Wayne Township. In 1823, the town authorities appointed him and Drs. Waller and Hempstead to inves- tigate the slaughter houses, then being conducted in Portsmouth, with a view to report to what extent, if any, they affected the public health. Their report was not a matter of record. In July, 1823. he was elected a member of the town council, but refused to serve. In 1824, he was one of the three health officers of Portsmouth, the oth- ers being physicians. This particular Board of Health officers was the beginning of a Board of Health in Portsmouth, and it was sug- gested by Mr. Samuel M. Tracy, the year previous.

In 1825. Dr. Offnere was supervisor of the East ward in Ports- mouth. being all that part of the town, east of Market street. The office was then the same as street commissioner now, but for only one- half of the town. In 1823, he was elected treasurer of Wayne Town- ship and was re-elected each and every April thereafter, except 1836 until 1842, when he retired and was succeeded by William G. Whit- ney. Apparently he was elected without opposition. A singular thing occurred in 1836. John Smith, grandfather of our Col. Floyd L. Smith was elected by 71 votes to 15 for Doctor Offnere. Doc- tor Offnere was not a candidate in seeking the office and whatever may be the cause of his being dropped in 1836, the Township was sorry for it and re-elected him in 1837. and thereafter until 1842.

His wife, Mary Harness, was born October 4, 1775, and died April 9. 1843. He never married. His daughter Harriet mar- ried Charles A. M. Damarin and his grand children are the well known members of the Damarin family.

In 1820, he was carrying on a nail factory in Portsmouth. In 1839, he was a Director of the Commercial bank in Portsmouth. In 1840, he was a Health Officer in Portsmouth. His principal business in Portsmouth was conducting a mill which stood on what is known as the York place. In this business, George Corwine was his partner for a long time and the firm was Corwine & Offnere. They were in business many years and were quite successful. Doctor Offnere had the faculty of King Midas. He was always successful in business. He was exact and precise in all his business methods and far seeing.

He had a patent from the United States for the 400 acres con- stituting fractional section 14, township I, range 21, what is now the Damarin farm, and there has never been a conveyance of it since the patent. It descended to his daughter and from her to her children.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

His interest in Wayne Township is easily accounted for. He owned considerable real estate in the eastern part of the Township and was desirous of good roads and improvements. Doctor Offnere bought real estate to a considerable extent, but the author cannot find that he ever sold any. He held what he purchased and it descended to his heirs. He was a prominent Mason and contributed liberally to build the present Masonic Temple. He was a useful and valuable citizen and contributed much to the material progress of the town of his adoption. He died December 12. 1859, aged eighty-three years, seven months and twenty-three days.

John Orme

was born March 28, 1774, near Hagerstown, in Maryland. His par- ents were from England, and the name was originally thought to have been Arms. He was married to Elizabeth Graham, about the year 1798, at Hagerstown, Maryland. They had eight children, the first seven of whom were born in Maryland. John Orme, his wife and seven children came from Hagerstown, Maryland, to the Ohio river at Wheeling, in wagons. They traveled muddy roads and country with no roads at all, climbed over hills, and forded rivers and creeks till they reached the Ohio river. Then he purchased a family boat and went in it to Portsmouth, where he rented what was then called the Offnere farm near Gallia and Offnere streets. His family lived there in a log house for several years and then they purchased land about four miles north of Portsmouth on the Chillicothe pike, and moved there. John Orme was a tall man, fully six feet high, wore side whiskers, and had a slight stoop in the shoulders.

His eldest son was Thomas Orme, born in 1799, and died Feb- ruary 18, 1872. His second son, Nathan, married Margaret Noel, daughter of Philip Noel; his son, John Orme, married Philura Hay- ward, daughter of Moses Hayward. He was a farmer in the Scioto Bottoms. His children were: Martha E., wife of A. B. Cole; Sar- ah, married to Charles O. Cole; George W., married Effie Fenton, and died at the age of twenty-six, leaving two children, both now deceased ; Mary Jane, married to James Richardson: Lloyd, married to Elizabeth Havward. another daughter of Moses Hayward; Mary, married to Isaac Noel and Eliza married Aaron Clark, who was born September 12, 1817. in Portsmouth, on Offnere street, in a log house near the mound, on the Heinisch lot.

John Orme cleared up his land and resided on it till his death on the 25th of March, 1844, at the age of seventy-six years, one month and twenty-seven days. He and his children went through the hardships of the early settlement of the country. He paid for his land by hard work, and at his death he owned the largest portion of Big Island. In order to do this. each of the boys and girls had their share of work to do. Eliza, being the youngest, had to do the mar-

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PIONEER SKETCHES.

keting. She walked four miles or more to Portsmouth and carried a big basket of eggs and a half dozen chickens to market. She says she sometimes rode horseback, if one of the horses happened to be idle. Eggs were three cents per dozen and other things were in proportion. When there was no marketing to carry to Portsmouth. she worked at the spinning wheel, or worked on the farm. She says she was never idle, as there was always plenty to do. She remem- bers when the old Methodist church stood on Fourth and Market streets. It was a one story brick church with two fire places for burning wood. She remembers two of the ministers: Mr. Brown, of Kentucky and Mr. John R. Turner. The school house where she at- tended was on the Alpheus farm about five miles from Portsmouth. It was a small log house with benches made out of slabs with wooden pins for legs. One log was taken out for a window and the vacant space was covered with greased paper. Some years they had school for three months. The teacher boarded week about among the families. She says he never forgot to have a switch, which he kept in the corner of the school house and used it as though he thought he had to. Mrs. Clark is living at this date, August 31, 1902.

John Orme was a Democrat, but was not a member of any church. He was an upright, honorable citizen and well respected by all who knew him. He tried to do his best for his large family of children. He made them all rich, and his grandchildren are enjoy- ing the fruits of his labors at this day.

Conrad Overturf

was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, February 9. 1801. When about seventeen years of age, he came to Portsmouth, Ohio, and on July 20. 1826, married Rhoda Kendall, daughter of General William Kendall. She was born December 9, 1808, and died April 19, 1837. Their children were: Elizabeth ( Mrs. Hughes) born May 6, 1827, died May 8, 1901, aged 74: Eleanor ( Mrs. A. Marsh) born April 16, 1829, and died May 25, 1001, aged 72: William born September 16, 1831, died September 9, 1834. On August 23, 1838, he married Ra- chel Kendall, the youngest sister of his first wife. She died Octo- ber 30. 1874. To them were born John W. who after a residence of sixty years in Portsmouth removed with his family to Columbus. Ohio, where he now resides; Rhoda, who died in infancy ; Ewing K., who resides in Rush Township, Scioto County; Thomas J., who re- sides in Buffalo, New York: Emma, who married Peter Brown and resides in Rush Township, and George who resides in Waterville. Douglas County, Washington. From 1830 to 1834. he was Sheriff of Scioto County. From 1838 to 1839, he was Treasurer of Scioto County. In 1832, he was elected County Assessor. At that time there was an unwritten law that the Sheriff should also be County Assessor. In 1833, his bill as assessor was $57.75. His assessment

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

roll as returned was $10,974.0634 cents and the commissioners cut his bill to $51.04. In 1834, he again assessed the County and his fees for the same was $61.40, for 41 days labor. In 1835, he was elected councilman of the town of Portsmouth and re-elected in 1836. He was on the committee on claims, in 1835 and in 1836. In 1839. he was Captain of the steamboat "Post Boy." From 1849 to 1852, he was assessor of Wayne Township. He resided in Portsmouth un- til 1864, when he removed to a farm in Rush Township and spent the latter part of his life there. He was employed for a number of years with the grocery firm of M. B. Ross & Company. He was a member of the dry goods firm of Kendall, Kepner & Company, and for a num- ber of years was connected with the flour mill ( which property is now occupied by the Times Publishing Company) run by C. S. Smith & Company. He was a Whig and afterwards a Republican. He was a member of the Methodist church and when he removed to Rush Township was instrumental in building a church there. He died October 31, 1872, and was buried on his farm. Afterwards his re- mains were removed to Greenlawn Cemetery. He was respected by all who knew him.

John Peebles

was born near Shippensburg, Pa., November 21, 1769. His father, William Peebles, was a Captain in the Second Battalion of Miles Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, March 9, 1776. He was taken pris- oner at Long Island, August 27, 1776, and died while a prisoner October, 1776.

He spent four hundred pounds sterling to raise and equip his Company and was repaid in continental money only.

John Peebles was married November 17, 1795, to Margaret Rodgers, a native of Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsyl- vania, born May 17, 1777. They came down the Ohio river on a flat-boat in 1807. They stopped at Portsmouth, Ohio, near the mouth of the Scioto, and went on to Chillicothe, where they re- mained until April 2, 1819, when they came to Portsmouth in a keel boat in the Scioto river.

Mr. Peebles stopped with his family at the Hotel on Front street, and the same day purchased it. The next day was Sunday, and he and his wife attended the Presbyterian church. They put their letters in that Sunday and remained members all their lives. He believed in the doctrine of the final perseverance of the Saints and practiced it.

They had a family of nine children, William, the oldest, died July 24, 1829, aged 33 years, and was the first person buried in Greenlawn Cemetery. Rachel Rodgers, the wife of Robert Hamil- ton, died August 27, 1883, at the age of 83 years. Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. G. S. B. Hempstead, died April II, 1875, aged 75

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 104

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913 Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612