History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 188

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 188
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 188

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).

John, the oldest of the foregoing, was born about 1816. He studied medicine and commenced its practice in Woodsfield, Ohio, where, in October, 1841, he married Miss Minerva Head- ley. After remaining in Woodsfield about a year he removed to Carrollton, Greene county, Illinois, where he followed his pro- tession until his death, which occurred September 2, 1860. He reared a family of six children, four sons and two daughters.

Mary Ann was born about 1818. In 1863 she married Dr. Jacob Hammond, of Steubenville, where she now resides.

Sarah was born about 1820; resides in California, and never married.

William, the millionaire senator of Nevada, was born in Smithfield in 1821. The house in which he was born is near the southern terminus of Main street, and is now owned and occupied by William A. Judkins. When a boy of seventeen, William thought the life of a flatboatman would suit him, so he purchased an interest in a flatboat and started down the Ohio river, bound for New Orleans, but landed his boat when he reached Louisville. At this point the boat struck a rock in crossing the falls, and was left a total wreck. He then returned to his native town, disgusted with a sea-faring life, and went to college a few years, then studied law under Edwin M. Stanton, and practiced for a while in St. Louis, Missouri. Giving up the practice on account of poor health, he figured as a merchant in Carrollton, Illinois, until the discovery of gold in California. He was among those who crossed the plains in 1849, and in August of that year reached Sacramento, where he purchased a stock of goods and opened a store. The floods of 1849-50 swept his stock into the Pacific ocean, leaving him about as he was when his boat struck the rock at the falls of the Ohio at Louisville. After his goods had been carried away by the flood, he went down to San Francisco and opened a real estate office. He con- tinued in this business until 1864, and had accumulated a fortune of $150,000, when he began speculating in mining stock. In this he again struck the Louisville falls, and again landed his boat a total wreck. Being again foot loose and ready for any- thing that might offer in the way of business, he was sent over the Sieras to Virginia City, Nevada, by the Bank of California to look after the affairs of that institution which required at- tention. After reaching Virginia City, he soon arranged all the affairs of the Bank of California, and while looking about and probing into matters in so doing, was shrewed enough to see that he had at last, reached the place where all the money on the Pacific was coming from. He, at once, nrged upon the officers of the Bank of California, the necessity of opening a branch at Virginia City, which was done, and Mr. Sharon was placed at the head of the new Institution with unlimited powers. He remained in Virginia City, a number of years, at the head of the branch bank in that place, and finally resigned in order to look after affairs of his own, leaving in his place an excellent and capable man in the person of Mr. A. J. Ralston. Mr. Sharon is the father of the Truckee railroad, one of the crookedest roads in the world, and a wonderful road in many other respects. In building this road Mr. Sharon secured a subsidy of $500,000, from the people of Washoe, in aid of the project, constructed as much of it as the money would build, then mortgaged the whole road for the amount of money required for its completion. In this way he built the road, without putting his hand into his own pocket fora cent, and hestill owns one-halfofit. It is worth $2,500,000, and bring him in $12,000 a day. On this trip, he got his boat over the " Falls " in good shape. The road, how- ever, has been a great benefit to the country, and Mr. Sharon was a good man for the country, while at the head of the Vir- ginia branch of the bank of California, as he had the nerve to advance money for the development of the mines and the build- ing of mills at the time when no outside banking house would have ventured a cent. He saw that, though some of the mining companies were embarrassed, there was every likelihood of their being in bonanza soon again, provided they were furnished with a sum sufficient to make explorations. Mr. Sharon is the owner of the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, the largest and most costly hotel in the world, and a great deal of other property in that

city, as well as in other places in California and Nevada. In all, he is probably worth seventy or eighty millions of dollars, He has a very clear head and thorough understanding of finan- cial questions, is a shrewed business man, and of large capabili- ties in all the walks of life. In 1874, he was elected United States Senator from Nevada for six years to take the place of Mr. Steward,

Susan was born in 1825, and married Isaac M. Davis. They reared a family of six children, two sons and four daughters. Mr. Davis is now a retired merchant and lives in San Juan, California.

Lewis was born in 1822. He married Miss Sarah McKim, in 1855. They have one child. a son now attending college. For a while Lewis followed merchandizing in Smithfield, then re. moved to Meigs county, Ohio, where he followed the same busi- ness for awhile, but finally engaged in farming, which he still follows.

Smiley, the youngest of this family, was born February 14, 1827, and was married October 26, 1848, to Miss Sarah Ann Hurford. They have reared a family of five children, four sons and one daughter, Clarence, William, Ella S., Frank E. and Frederick H. William E, and Ellis S. are married, the other two remain, at home. Smiley Sharon resides one mile south of Mount Pleasant, on one of the most beautiful farms in the country, and besides the natural beauty of situation, he has ap- plied all the means that art could devise to add to its natural beauty. Mr. Sharon is largely engaged in the raising of fine stock, especially fine sheep.

William Sharon, father of the foregoing family, died April 24, 1875, in his eighty-third year, and is buried in the old Seceder, now Presbyterian cemetery, at Mount Pleasant,

Smiley Sharon, the third of the four sons that originally came to Jefferson county, was born in June, 1795, was married in June, 1827, to Miss Martha Kitheart. They reared a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters. These chil- dren are all married but one son and one daughter. Mr. Sharon died October 16, 1876. Mrs. Sharon resides in Mount Pleasant.

John Sharon, the fourth and last son, was born September 23, 1798 ; was married February 23, 1832, to Miss Helen Hall. They raised a family of nine children, three sons and six daugh- ters. He died October 23, 1870, and is buried in the Seceder cemetery at Mount Pleasant. Mrs. Sharon resides on a beauti- ful farm a mile and a half south of the town, surrounded with every comfort that life could desire.

JONATHAN and ANN TAYLOR were both natives of Bucks coun- ty, Pennsylvania. They were married in 1789, and removed to Loudon county, Virginia. In the year 1800, they left Win-

. chester and a home of comfort, for Ohio, and finally located at their late residence, one mile west of Mount Pleasant, on the farm now owned by D. B. Updegraff. Their object does not seem to have been the acquisition of wealth. Their belief being that they were called of God to go out, not knowing whither they went. Accordingly a large portion of their time was spent in missionary and ministerial labor in the new state, as they were both recorded as ministers of the Gospel by the proper authority in the Society of Friends. As soon as their cabin was reared, it was dedicated to the service of God, and became the meeting place for a small company of worshipers, who. habit- ually collected there for that purpose. These meetings were the nucleus of the Short Creek meeting house. These pioneer missionaries performed many long and fatiguing journeys, some- times together, sometimes separately, sometimes in their car- riage, sometimes on horseback. Jonathan Taylor died in Ire- land in 1831, while on a religious visit to the churches of that land. He is described by one of his contemporaries, who knew him well, as "Mild in his manners, upright in his con- duct, and ready to render kind offices whenever it was in his power; he was respected and beloved by all who knew him." As a member of civil society, he was extensively useful. In religious society he was remarkably humble and unassuming. He was slow or rather cautious in coming to a judgment on sub- jects of importance, but he was equally remarkable for the cor- rectness of his views. His wife, Ann Taylor, survived him thirty years, and after her ninetieth year she traveled several hundred miles in a private carriage on religious missions to the church. She was a woman of distinguished energy and piety, sound judgment, large-hearted benevolence and sterling integ- rity. Personal considerations were not allowed to interfere with a conscientious apprehension of duty, in the discharge of which she traveled thousands of miles on horseback, and as many as fifteen hundred miles in one of these journeys. She

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was thus widely known and honored to a great extent in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, New England, Canada, Indiana, &c., as altogether a remarkable woman. She died at her home near Mt. Pleasant in 1862, in peace, full years at the age of 97.

HALL FAMILY.

Joseph Hall and Christiana Peal were married about the year 1773 in North Carolina, where they resided until 1802, when with a large family, they emigrated to Jefferson county, and settled near a spring of cold, never-failing water that yet yields six thousand gallons every twenty-four hours. Joseph got his leg broken, when coming out to this country, in a cart, the first time. He and his oldest son came before the rest of the family to see the country and make preliminary arrangements,

Rattlesnakes were very plenty in those early times, seventy- two were killed in one day in a ravine near their cabin.

They endured many hardships and trials in the first years after their settlement. In sickness they could get no physician nearer than Wheeling distant thirteen miles.

Mrs. Hall died about one year after they came to their new home. Mr. Hall died in August, 1825. They had ten children, six sons and four daughters, all but two sons of whom lived to be married and have families. Ot the two deceased children, one died, while young, in North Carolina The other, after arriving at years of manhood, shortly after coming to Ohio.

Of this family all are now deceased, except Thomas, the fifth son, who is in his 91st year. He remained at the old homestead after his marriage, and took care of his father while he lived. He built a brick house in 1828, reared a family of eight children, then retired to cottage house, near Harrisville. The farm be- longed for a short time to Nathan P. Hall, a grandson of Joseph Hall. It is now owned and occupied by William Hall, another grandson. Many of the adjoining farms are also owned by the Hall descendants, who go down to the fifth generation.

William Hall, Sr .- The subject of this sketch was born June, 1804, in a log hut that stood on the same farmn he now re- sides on. He is a son of Jesse and Penina Hall. His father, Jesse Hall, was a native of North Carolina, and born in 1776; emigrated to Jefferson county in 1802, and built the log hut where William was born. William Hall, Sr., was married in 1826 to Miss Hannah Wharton, daughter of Ezra and Martha Wharton, who were natives of Bucks county, Pa., and emigrated to Harrison county, Ohio, in 1818. Mr. and Mrs. Hall reared a family of seven children, six of whom are still living. Ezra, the oldest, died in Minnesota in 1852. Of this family but two are at the old homestead, Nathan L. and Penina. Parker is living on the old Parker homestead in Harrison county. Til- man is in Mahoning county, Linton in Columbiana county, and Martha, wife of Thomas Dewees, in Morgan county, Ohio. When Mr. Hall began life this farm was in forest, but now it is quite different, with its broad acres of fine tillable land. He is now in his 76th year, and expects to end his days on this old resort, where he has spent so many happy hours in his boyhood days.

MRS. ANNA H. G. BROWN .- This lady is a descendant of the Defoe family, of England. She is a great great grandniece of Daniel Defoe, the celebrated author and writer, who, besides his miscellaneous works, was continually engaged in writing polit- ical and religious pamphlets, of peculiar sharpness and pun- gency. These writings were continually getting him into broils and troubles with the government. Prosecutions, fines and im- prisonment were the result. Under these circumstances it was necessary for him to seek an asylum under the roof of bis wid- owed sister, Elizabeth Maxwell, in the city of London. Three years before this he had sent forth his "Shortest Way with Dis- senters," for which he had suffered the pillory, fine and impris- onment. It was on account of this article that the government offered £50 for the discovery of his hiding-place The procla- mation was worded thus : " Whereas Daniel Defoe, alias Defooc, is charged with writing a scandalons and seditions pamphlet, entitled the 'Shortest Way with Dissenters.' He is a middle- sized, spare man, ahont forty years old, of a brown complexion, and dark-colored hair, but wears a wig, bas a book nose, a sharp chin, gray eyes, and large mole near his month; was born in London, and for many years was a hose factor in Freeman's yard, Cornhill, and now is owner of the brick and pantile works near Tilbury Fort, Essex. Whoever shall discover the said Daniel Defoe to one of Her Majesty's secretaries of state or any of Her Majesty's justices of the peace, so he may be appre- hended, shall have a reward of £50, which Her Majesty has or- dered to be immediately paid upon such discovery." On his re-

lease he was again imprisoned for his political pamphlets, and through the influence of Lord Oxford was again liberated. In his sister's house, in the rear of the building, a small room was fitted up for him, where, secure from his political or pecuniary assailants, he continued to send forth his barbed arrows with impunity. It was here his sister's only daughter, named for herself, Elizabeth, who was five years old when her uncle came to live with them, received her education under his teaching, and it was here in this room that "Robinson Crusoe" was writ- ten, after bis niece had left ber home and him. At eighteen this niece, Elizabeth Maxwell, contracted a matrimonial engage- ment, which was peremptorily broken off by her mother. This caused an alienation from all ber friends, and she privately left her home and embarked for America. From this young lady has sprung all the descendants of the Defoes in the United States. Being without funds she bargained with the captain to be sold on her arrival to reimburse him for her passage; accordingly in the autumn of that year (which was probably 1718) she, with a number of others, was offered for sale in Philadelphia, and An- drew Job, a citizen of Cecil county, Maryland, happening to be in the city at the time, bought her for a term of years and took ber to his home. It is said that Mr. Job's son, Thomas, then a young man, was present at the sale, and used his influence with his father to buy the young lady, but, be this as it may, some- time during the year 1725, this son, Thomas, and Miss Maxwell were married. Being thus happily situated, she wrote to her mother and unele, giving them the first intimation of her where- abouts. As soon as possible a letter came from her uncle (Daniel Defoe) stating that ber mother was dead, and that in addition to a large property, her mother's furniture had been left to her by will, in case she were ever found alive. Aninventory of the goods sent accompanied the letter, and especial attention was solicited for the preservation of such articles as he had used in his private study, as they had descended to the family from their Flemish ancestors, who sought refuge under the banner of Queen Elizabeth, from the tyranny of Phillipe. He also apolo- gized for the condition of two of these chairs, the wicker seats of which he had worn out and replaced with wooden ones. One of these chairs is now in the "Historical Society" of Delaware, and the other is in the family of James Trimble. The forego- ing Thomas and Elizabeth Job reared a family. One of their sons, whose name was Daniel, was the grandfather of the sab- ject of this sketch. . This grandfather, Daniel Job, married a Miss Mary Brown. They reared a family of, twelve children, eight sons and four daughters. The youngest of these children was a son name Archibald, who was the father of the subject of this sketch. This Archibald Job, was born in Cecil county, Maryland, in 1781. He was married in 1805 to Rebecca Allen, who was born in the same county in 1786. They removed to Jefferson county in 1816, where they settled. They reared a family of nine children, three sons and six daughters. Their youngest child, Miss Annie H. Job, was married October 25, 1860, to Amon Given, who died March 30, 1861. She married a second husband, John A. Brown, April 27, 1868. By this marriage they have been blessed with two children, both sons, and named Amon G and Elgar A. The older one died when three years old. The youngest, born February 1, 1871, still survives. Mrs. Brown's father, Archibald Job, died in 1838. Her aged and venerable mother, now 94 years old, resides with her, in the village of Mount Pleasant.

ASAHIEL H. HUSSEY .- Among the citizens of Mt. Pleasant is Asahel H. Hussey, who resides on his farm west of the village. This farm of 109 acres is under good cultivation, mostly enclose !! by hedge fence, with a nice row of shade trees of different kinds growing along the road, which passes nearly through the center of the farm, east and west On the north side of the road near the center of the land, in somewhat of a valley, is his nice brick residence, with a beautiful lawn in front, in which a variety of ever- greens and other shade trees are growing, making it one of the most desirable and handsome places in the neighborhood. Oa the south side of the road is a nice frame tenant house, and further back stands another cottage tenant house, both ocenpied by Mr. Hussey's tenant hands. Asahel Il Hussey was born in Mt. Pleasant in 1833, being the second son of Penrose Hussey and grandson of Christopher Hussey, a descendant of Captain Christopher Hussey, of England, who came to this country in 1630, to marry Theodete, daughter of Rev. Stephen Batch- elder, of Holland, who was removing with family, in connec- on with 1,700 others, among whom was John Winthrop, first governor of Massachusetts. His grandson, Batchelder Hus- sey, married Abigal Hill, of Boston, in 1705, and was a

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

minister in the Society of Friends. Having a numerous fam- ily, his descendants are scattered throughout the United States, Among them are Asahel Hussey, proprietor of the Utah House, Baltimore, and Obed Hussey, one of the first in- ventors of a successful reaper and mowing machine; also, Dr. C. G. Hussey, a noted and successful manufacturer of copper and steel, of Pittsburgh, as well as being interested in other ex- tensive mining business.

But to return to our subject: A. H. Hussey is a nephew of Dr. C. G. Hussey, of Pittsburgh. His mother was Susan- nah Wood, daughter of Nathan Wood, of Smithfield, who was a descendant of Thomas Wood, of Cornwall, England, owner of extensive coal mines there, but who came to this country early in the 18th century, In 1835, Penrose Hussey removed to Smithfield and settled on a farm, remaining there until 1848, when he removed with his wife, three sons and two daughters to the farm on which our subject now resides. Two of the sons, Nathan and Milton, soon left the paternal roof to seek

homes of their own. They both reside in Iowa. One of the daughters married I. K. Rateliff, cashier of the First National Bank of Mt. Pleasant; the other married W. G. Hubbard, of Columbus, Ohio, now engaged in the publishing business, and a minister in the Society of Friends. The other son, A. H. Hns- sey, remained at home with his parents, managed the farm and cared for them while they lived. In 1860, he started a nursery and green house, which was successfully managed for a few years. In 1362, he married Martha P. Newby, of Dublin, In- diana, formerly of North Carolina. In 1864 he engaged in ex- tensive pork packing, at Gosport, Indiana, with his uncle, Dr. C. G. Hussey. In 1865 he joined his brother Nathan in a woolen mill at Mt. Pleasant. In 1872 his father died and he purchased the old homestead, which he has beautifully adorned, where he now resides. Mr. Hussey received a common school education, but being quick to learn he made advances in his studies beyond his classmates. Being always of a religious turn of mind, he felt a call to the ministry, and was recorded as such by the So- ciety of Friends in 1873. He was often engaged in religious services at home and abroad. wrote for various papers and pub- lished a little book entitled " Holiness, or Christian Perfection," of which he gratuitously circulated about 7,000 copies among his friends.

GEORGE C. JENKINS was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1810. He was the son of Michael and Sarah Jenkins. Losing his father by death in intaney he was thrown very much upon his own resources in acquiring an education, the desire for which was one of the strong aspirations of his youth. Naturally en- ergetic and persevering. after receiving limited opportunities in the common schools, which were greatly inferior to those of the present day, he began to teach at the early age of seventeen. Afterward entering Franklin College, by his indomitable efforts, teaching much of the time, and often studying nearly the whole night, he graduated with honor to himself in the class of 1835. Completing his collegiate course he entered upon his chosen pro- profession, teaching, with slight interruption for nearly thirty years. Connected with the publie schools of Wheeling, W. Va., Mount Pleasant, Ohio, Friends' boarding school, at Mount Pleas- ant, of which he was the first mathematical and classical teacher, and as mathematical professor in Franklin College, the time was closely occupied until the fall of 1842, when he removed to Mt. Pleasant and established a select high school there which for many years had a reputation sufficient to draw scholars from a distance, as well as at home, and was generally filled to its ut- most capacity as long as he continued to teach, which was until 1864. In the spring of this year he quitted a profession which afforded him great pleasure, being endowed by nature with two qualifications essential to instruction of youth, i. e. the ability to govern and at the same time impart knowledge, or rather im- planting the desire to acquire knowledge in the minds of bis pn- pils. The strength of his days given to the arduons profession of teaching, was not alone for the small pecuniary reward that it brought, but also for the delight he felt in developing the mind and doing what he might to form habits and principles which should develop into high and noble characters, going forth to bless generations and the world at large. His interest in his pupils did not cease with their relations in the school room, but followed them out into life's battles, rejoicing in their success and grieving over their failures, The influence of this period of his life will doubtless be felt for good through time and eternity. He also filled the responsible office of school examiner from 1842 until the time of his death. In 1840, he was one of the originators of the Union Sabbath school of Mount Pleasant

and served as a member of its executive committee for more than twenty years, and was afterward for nearly fourteen years superintendent of the Friends' Sabbath school, attending that in the morning, and much of the time a mission school in the at- ternoon. In 1841, he was united in marriage to Sarah E. Up- degraff, eldest daughter of David and Rebecca T. Updegraff. This union was a long and eminently happy one. A friend to humanity, be was an earnest advocate of freedom, and belonged to the Liberty party, also abstaining for many years from un- requieted toil of the slaves, and laboring in every way in his power for his emancipation and also for the amelioration of the condition of the Indians. An unflinching temperance man of latter years, a Prohibitionist, voting from principle, as he prayed. He was, during a large part of his life, extensively known and highly esteemed as an active worker in the Society of Friends, giving his sympathy and aid to every department of missionary labor in which the church was engaged. Whatever cause tended to bless and elevate humanity enlisted his interest and earnest effort, being always ready to labor energetically when he felt he could be useful and make the world better and happier for his having lived in it ; and during the forty years of his residence in Mount Pleasant, he was closely identified with the intellectual, philanthropic and religious interest of that place and surrounding country. He was thoroughly evangel- ical in his religions views, an unfaltering believer in the re- demption that comes only through our Lord Jesus Christ, earn- estly desiring that the doctrines of the Gospel should be pro- mulgated in all their fullness. In the confident hope of a glo- rious immortality, he fell asleep in Jesus on the 20th of March, 1879, in the 67th year of his age.

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History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 188

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728