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 190

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 190
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 190

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).

GEORGE I. EVANS was born in Montgomery county, Pa., An- gust 31, 1812. Came to Ohio June 26, 1830, and settled in the neighborhood of Trenton, Mt. Pleasant township. He was a son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Evans. His father was born in Montgomery county, Pa., in 1778, and died April 7, 1844, aged 66 years. His grandfather was born in 1733, and died in 1818, aged 85 years. His great-grandfather, Thomas Evans, was born April 11, 1695. Mr. George 1. Evans is the thirty-sixth generation in descent from ancestors as traced back. He can follow back his mother's ancestors to the year 1236. Mr. Evans was married first to Sarah Griffith, who died in 1846. He mar- ried for a second wife, Mary P. Richards, a native of Pennsyl- vania. She died September 20, 1876, during her visit to the Centennial Exposition, at Philadelphia. He had by his first I-69-B. & J. Cos.

wife five children-one son and four daughters; by his second wife, one daughter. Mr. Evans is now in his 67th year, and re- sides in Trenton, Jefferson county.

W. HEATON .- The subject of this sketch was born in Lanca- shire, England, January 20, 1812. His parents were William and Ann Heaton, who were also natives of England. His father emigrated to New Jersey in 1819, and finally settled in Pennsylvania, near the Jersey line, where he followed all kinds of weaving until a few years prior to his death. W. Heaton, our subject, left Pennsylvania and came to Ohio, in 1836, and settled in Trenton, where he now resides, and follows weaving. He was married to Rachel Stratling in 1836. They reared a family of two children- one son and one daughter. His wife died in 1864.

GEORGE P. CLARK was born near West Chester, in Chester county, Pa., October 23, 1816. His parents, Robert and Jane Clark, were both natives of the same state. They emigrated .. with their family to near St. Clairsville, Belmont county, and settled on a farm. The family consisted of six children, of whom George P. was the oldest. His father died February 23, 1873; his mother, February 13, 1877. Mr. Clark was married to Miss Samaria Robinson in 1840. They have roared a family of seven children-three sons and four daughters. Mr. Clark is now in his 63d year, hale and healthy, and resides on his model farm, one mile west of Mount Pleasant.

THOMAS HORTON was born in Chester, Delaware county, Pa., June 24, 1822; came with his parents to Belmont county in 1829; married Miss Rebecca Street, December 22, 1848, who died De- cember 9, 1860. They reared a family of three children-two sons and one daughter. Johnathan S., born October 8, 1849; Joseph .M., born. September 18, 1852; Elizabeth Agnes, born May 3, 1857. Mrs. Horton died April 4, 1830. Mr. Horton married for'a second wife Miss Phoebe Morris, daughter of Lewis and Sidney Morris. This marriage took place April 27, 1865. This lady was born in Belmont county, April 24, 1824. Mr. Horton, in early life, learned the potter trade, which he followed for some years. He then learned the carpenter trade, at which he worked until 1848, when he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in Farmington, Belmont connty, at which place he continued until 1861, when he removed to Manles and sold goods thirteen years. He then removed to Mount Pleasant, where he continues the mercantile business to the present time. Mr. Horton, by his strict honesty and genial disposition, enjoys the respect of his fellow-men wherever he is known.

JOHN W. SMITH-The subject of this sketch was born in Bel- mont county, Ohio, January 1, 1825, is the son of Robert and Elizabeth Smith. His father was a native of Virginia, and was born October 31, 1801. He was married to Elizabeth Williams, December 4, 1822. They roared a family of eight children; John W. being the oldest. Thomas Smith, grandfather of our subject, was born 1765, in Virginia, and emigrated to Belmont county, Ohio, in 1812. Robert, the father of our subject, being the youngest of the family. Thomas Smith died in 1834, his wife in 1854, aged ninety. Robert Smith died in 1878, in his 77th year ; his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, now in her 76th year, still resides on the old homestead in Belmont county. John W. Smith was married to Miss Maria Hall, daughter of Nathan Hall, April 27, 1848; she died Jannary 9, 1867. Ho married for a second wife, Mrs. Edith Hall, daughter of Peter Thomas. By his first wife he had three children ; but one of them sur- vives. After his first marriage he settled near Flushing, Bel- mont county, remained there two years, then came to his present location, near Mount Pleasant, in 1850. He received most of his education, at the Friends' boarding school in Mount Pleasaut. He and his wife are both birthright members of the Society of Friends. Mr. Smith's farm is one of the most beau- tiful in the country. It contains 137 acres and all the improve- ments about it are first-class.

MILTON R. PETTIT, the subject of this sketch, was born July 14, 1822, in Columbiana county, Ohio. He was born on a farm and received his education in the schools of his native county. In his earlier years he taught school and clerked in stores. In 1844 he was married to Hannah G. Grubb, of Jefferson county, by whom he had six children, tivo of whom survive. Mrs. Pettit died in 1857. He married, December 1, 1858, for a sec- sond wife, Miss Sarah Ladd, of Harrison county, by whom he had two children; but one living. Mr. Pettit also followed

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

farming until 1871, when he was compelled by failing health to retire from active business. In 1861, he was recorded a minis- ter of the gospel in the Society of Friends, and since that time has been laboring for the cause of his Master, as health per- mitted. to the present time.

PETTIT' FAMILY RECORD.

William Pettit, Sr., born First month, 1726.

William Pettit, Jr., born 7th of Eleventh month, 1748. Sarah Pettit, born 25th of Eleventh month, 1748.

William Pettit, son of William, Jr., and Sarah Pettit, born 18th of Fourth month, 1773.

Mary Pettit, wife of William Pettit, Jr., born 6th of Seventh month, 1782.

Milton R. Pettit, son of William and Mary Pettit, born 14th of Seventh mouth, 1822.

WILLIAM J. WATERMAN was born July 29, 1816, in Chester county, Pa., and emigrated when a small boy, with his parents, to Trenton, Jefferson county, Ohio. He was a son of Charles and Rebecca Waterman, who were both natives of Pennsylva- nia. His father was a cabinet maker, and once bought a prop- erty from a Mr. Wood for ten bureaus at $10 each. This same property is now owned by a man named Heaton, in Trenton. Mr. Waterman was married in 1847, to Miss Phebe Roberts, of the same village. They have reared a family of three children, all boys-George R., Israel and Charles. The oldest son, George R., died in Cincinnati in 1876. Israel is a silversmith in Read- ing, Pa. The youngest remains at home. Mr. Waterman is in his 65th year, hale and healthy, and works at the carpenter trade, which he has followed most of the time since he has lived here.

JOHN B. BECK was born February 3, 1837, on the same farm he now resides on. He is the son of John and Martha Beck. His father was a native of this state, his mother of Pennsylva- nia. His grandfather was the first officer of Steubenville, and afterwards moved to Kentucky, but came back to Athens county, Ohio, where he died. John B. Beck was married to Miss Sarah Yost, daughter of Isaac Yost. Her father is now eighty-four years old. Her grandfather died at the age of ninety-nine. Mr. Beck was raised a farmer and still resides on the old homestead. He served one and a half years in the army during the rebellion. He enlisted in the 4th Virginia cavalry.

JEREMIAH WALKER .- The subject of this sketch was born in York, Penn., November 19th, 1829. He was the son of Joel Walker, and came with his parents to Ohio in 1838. They first settled in Smithfield township, where they resided two years. They then moved and settled in Belmont county, on the farm now owned by Joel Walker. Joel Walker, Sen., died in 1878, his wife died in 1877. They left a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters. Mr. Walker, our subject, was married to Ruth Hannah McMillan, daughter of Mahlon McMillan. Mrs. Walker's father, Mahlon McMillan, was a native of York coun- ty, Penn., but at the age of twenty-one he went to Cecil county, Md., to learn the trade of miller. While there he married Rachel Richards, a native of that county. Thomas McMillan, grandfather of Mrs. Walker, was born May 14th, 1762. Her grandmother, Ruth Moore, was born January 23d, 1763. Mr. Walker has reared a family of five children, all boys. The farm he now resides on is known as the Mahlon McMillan homestead. It is pleasantly located in a fine neighborhood, and is well im- proved, the improvements being all his own work. It may justly be called the model farm of the "Ridge."

BENJAMIN COMLY .- The subject of this sketch was born in Smithfield township, Jefferson county, May, 9, 1827; was the son of David and Sarah Comly. His father was a native of Washington county, Pa. He was born in 1798, and emigrated to Ohio in 1812, and settled on Big Short creck, on the farm formerly owned by Jacob Holmes. Holmes got this farm for his services as a spy in the Revolutionary war, and on it was built the first Methodist Church in Ohio. Mr. Comly's father followed farming during his life, and died in 1866, aged sixty- eight years. Benjamin Comly was married to Miss Mary E. Hope, daughter of William S. Hope, in 1858. They have but two children, both daughters, Eva and Annie B. Mr. Comnly now resides near Mount Pleasant, and owns the old Comly home- stead, and is still proud to be called a farmer. He has always been an active politician, taking a position in the front ranks in all political campaigns.

S. M. GRUBB was born May 20, 1830, near Mt. Pleasant, on the farm where he now resides. His parents, Curtis and Ann Grubb, came to this county from Wilmington, Del,, in 1806, and settled on what is called Big Short Creek, where his father followed farming. He married Mrs. Ann Crosier (formerly Foulke.) Their family consisted of one son and four daughters. Our subject, S. M. Grubb, is the only one left of this family. His father died November 16, 1833, aged 84, and his mother Nov. 1, 1873, aged 81. His sisters : Hannah G. died June 19, 1857 ; Mary T. died January 14, 1853 ; Elizabeth M. died February 26, 1851 ; Lydia H. died November 27, 1855. Mr. Grubb married Edith Griffith, April 11, 1866. They have reared a family of three daughters. He now resides on his farm near Mt. Pleas- ant, Ohio, surrounded by every comfort that man could desire,

CHARLES ZEYER .- Charles Zeyer was born in Germany, April 28, 1830. He emigrated to this country in 1853. He worked in a vineyard for a man named John Stevens, near St. Clairs- ville. afterwards with Charles Shoemaker, and then with Con- rad Troll. He then married Catharine Hotz, and came to the farm on which he now resides, in Mount Pleasant township. His parents were natives of Germany, and died there. His father died in 1850, and his mother in 1848. He had three sis- ters and one brother, but none of them ever emigrated. He has reared a family of ten children, eight sons and two daughters. Mrs. Zeyer is also a native of Germany, and came to this coun- try soon after her husband. Mr. Zeyer owns two farms, one in Belmont county of forty-three and a half acres, the other in Jef- ferson county of sixty-six and a half acres, all well improved, well stocked, and good land.

SAMUEL J. HAWTHORN .- The subject of this sketch is among the oldest of the early settlers of this section, having come with his father to Jefferson county when only seven years old. His parents were natives of Ireland, and came to Pennsylvania in 1786, and settled on a farm near Taylorstown, in Washington county, the family consisting of eleven children. Four of them were born in Ireland, the remaining seven were born in Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania. All that survive of this large family, are Mrs. Hannah Henderson, wife of Alexander Hen- derson, of Harrisville, Ohio, and our subject, Samuel J. Haw- thorn. William Hawthorn, the father of Samuel J. Hawthorn, came to Jefferson county in 1808, and purchased the farm now owned by Samuel J., where he died in 1837, aged 85. His wife who was Hannah Bigham, died in 1842, aged 85. Mr. Haw- thorn, the subject of our article, was married to Hannah Hutch- inson in 1833. She died in 1842. Four years after his first wife's death, he married Jane Armstrong. By his first wife, he had five children, but one of them now living; by his second wife he had seven children, three of whom are living. He had three sons in the late war, one of whom was taken prisoner, and died in Andersonville prison. One served the entire period of the war, the other served one year, at the close of the war. He en- listed in Indiana, and went out as first lieutenant. Mr. Haw- thorn was born in 1797, and with the exception of four years, has resided on one farm since he came to Jefferson county, and still retains his mental faculties.

JOSEPH RUSSELL-The subject of this sketch was a son of James and Sarah Russell. He was born in Frederick county Virginia, near Winchester. His father was a native of Mary- land, his mother a native of Virginia, They were married in 1768, and reared a family of six children, and emigrated to Ohio in 1815. Joseph Russell, was the fourth child. His brother James resides in Smithfield township, and his only sister, Mary lesides with him. The other members of the family are all dead. In 1848, Joseph, our subject, married Miss Hannah Ann Han- coek, who died in 1849. They had one child, a daughter, who is now the wife of Thomas Stanley of Mahoning county, Ohio. His next marriage was to Miss Martha Rally, October 30, 1872, of Belmont county, Ohio. By this marriage they have one daughter. Mr. Russell was raised on a farm and educated in the old style, but attended for a while the Mount Pleasant Boarding School. Mrs Russell also received her education at the same school. Mr. Russell pays strict attention to raising fine sheep and his clips of wool always bring the highest price in the market, on account of its good quality and the care with which he handles it. His farm is a model of neatness, and one of the best in the county.

WILLAM THOMPSON, SR .- This old gentleman is also a son of Aaron Thompson and the history of his parents is found in the preceeding sketch of John Thompson. William Thompson,

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

was born in Pennsylvania, in 1801, and came with his parents to Ohio, when he was a small boy. He recollects the first cab- ins and the first settlers of this section. He remembers Abram Farington, who built a three cornered cabin on the farm now owned by Mr. Brown, and a hewed log house, the first one he ever saw, built by William Foreman, which now stands on the farm of Robert Smith. Mr. Thompson was first married in 1825 to Rachel Vernon, daughter of Amos and Mary Vernon, of Belmont county, Ohio. Mrs. Thompson's parents were na- tives of Georgia. They reared a family of eight children, only three of them now living, William, Israel, and Aaron. Mrs. Thompson died in 1864. Mr. Thompson next married Mrs. Mary Vernon Craft, December 19, 1868. His present wife was but one year old at the time of his first marriage, and he him- self is two years older than his mother-in-law. Mrs Thomp- son's second husband, Mr. Craft was killed while on picket duty near a house on the northerly side of Bald mountain. M.r. Thompson is now in his seventy-ninth year, and has seen many trials and hardships.

SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP.

The territory comprised within this township was detached by the commissioners from Short Creek, and organized into a new township, November 7, 1805. The election was ordered to be held at the house of William Stewart. It was named after the village-Smithfield.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface of the country is high and rolling, in many places hilly and rongh, but it has a very strong limestone soil that produces abundant crops of all the grains and grasses. Coal, which underlies this whole region of country, is the prin- cipal mineral. It is almost exclusively used for domestic as well as mechanical purposes.

EARLY FARMING.

The chief dependence of the farmers for support for their fam- ilies-as well as sources of revenue-was the raising of wheat and corn. The wheat was largely manufactured into flour, which was shipped in flatboats down the Ohio to New Orleans and in- termediate points, while the corn was fed to hogs, which were slaughtered here and their meat manufactured into bacon, which was hauled in wagons over the mountains to Baltimore, where it was sold. These industries, commencing at an early date, were vigorously carried on until about 1845, when the overtaxed soil began to show signs of exhaustion, and it became necessary to resort to other pursuits for revenue. Wool growing soon as- sumed a prominent place in agricultural pursuits, and gradnally increased until 1865, when it had become the great staple arti- cle of trade for the community, and pork packing had ceased. Since this wool growing has been the leading pursuit of the farm- ers, and to-day there are to be found in this vicinity flocks of as fine thorough bred sheep as in any other portion of this country. While a large portion of the attention of farmers has been given to wool growing, other kinds of stock have not been neglected. Pure blooded horses and cattle of beantiful forins and symme- try of shape are everywhere found throughout the township.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The exact date of the first settlement, or the names of the first individuals who made it, cannot at this day be ascertained with certainty. There is a probability that among the very first to build their cabins and settle within the limits of Smithfield township, were two squatters, named Simpson and Tyson. They squatted about one-half mile south of the village, ou land which was afterward entered by William Kirk, and is now owned by William Purviance, Jr. It is not certain what year they came. They left in 1800.

It is well known that nearly all the permanent early settlers were members of the Society of Friends, most of whom came from the southern states, having left that pleasant land on ac-, count of their abhorrence of the institution of slavery. Some- time from 1798 to 1800 a company of five or six families of this class of people came from North Carolina and settled south of where the village of Smithfield now stands. The names of these families, as nearly as can now be ascertainod, were Rich- ard Kinsey, Christopher Kinsey, Mason Miller, Richard Jelkes

Malachi Jolly and - Alberson. Jolly's land laid west of what is now known as the William Purviance farm ; then west of this was section 16, which was school land; then north of this sec- tion was John Morton, who owned the southeast quarter, and Cadwallader Evans, who owned the northeast quarter. These came about 1802 or 1803. The northwest quarter was settled by Joseph McGrew, and the southwest is owned by Jacob Ong. North of this section Samuel Cope, of Redstone, Pa., entered a half section, On this he located his son, Joseph, who lived and died there, and left it to his sons, B. W. Cope, William Cope and Willits Cope. These are north and northwest of the village. James Purviance, as early as 1806, entered two sections east of the Cope land. These two sections extend east to the Wells township line and south to the Jolly land, the place of begin- ning. It appears that Mr. Purviance bought this land for his children, as six of his sons and one of his daughters, Mrs. Sarah Sidwell, and her husband, settled on it. Thomas, one of the sons, occupied two hundred acres in the northeast part, now owned by John Sutherland and the widow Hobbs. James owned one hundred and forty-six acres on the south, now owned by John Scott. Richard had two hundred acres in the southeast corner. William, two hundred acres of northwest part; Mrs. Sarah Sidwell, one hundred and twenty acres; David, two hun- dred- acres; Joseph, two hundred acres in the southern corner. Thomas and James came and settled first. They came not later than 1810. The others came at later periods.

Still further south, among the first settlers, we find the names John Naylor, Caleb Kirk, Thomas Carr, Richard Logan, John Cramlet and Nathaniel Kollum.

Walter Francis settled near York in 1799.

Jacob Minteer settled on northeast quarter section 27, in the spring of 1800.

In the neighborhood of Adena, about 1800, John Stoneman settled on the farm now owned and occupied by James Russell.

John Wallace settled on the farm now owned by George Hamilton, and John Mclaughlin settled on the farm now owned by Samuel R. Mclaughlin.

TOWNS.

There are three towns or villages in the township, Smithfield, York and Adena.

POST OFFICES,

There are three post offices, Smithfield, Updegraff (at York) and Adena.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

There are ten sub-districts in the township, exclusive of the independent district in the village of Smithfield. The number of youth in these districts of school age, as returned in 1878, was, white males, 205; white females, 209; colored males, 12; colored females, 7. Total, 533.

VOTING PRECINCTS.

The township is also divided into two election districts or voting precincts, one voting place being at York, and the other at Smithfield, The total vote of the township at the presidential election of 1876 was 460, of which Hayes received 328, and Tilden 132.

SMITHFIELD VILLAGE.

As early as 1800, Horton J. Howard and Abel Townsend en- tered section 11, on a part of which Smithfield is located. This land they sold out in small tracts to the following persons : James Garretson, 48 acres southwest corner, now owned by William Naylor; north of this Caleb Kirk, 76 acres, now owned by Mathias Ong, and W. A, Judkins; still further north to Joel Hutton and Casparins Garretson, 100 acres, which at an early day passed into the hands of William and Samnel Naylor, now owned by the heirs of Thomas Wood, son of William Wood; and a fraction still further north, to William Wood, which passed into the hands of Benjamin Ladd and is now owned by Hugh Hammond. James Carr bought the cast half of the north - east quarter, on which the town is located.

ADDITIONS.

There have been twoadditions made to the village since it was first laid off, both by the original proprietor, Mr. Carr. The first addition was made in 1805 ; the second in 1815.

550

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

The village of Smithfield was laid out by James Carr in 1803. A surveying party passing through the country, from the Ohio river, alighted on the pleasing landscape here, and while in company with its proprietor, the chief of the band remarked to him, "This is the finest situation for an inland town we have seen since we left the river;" whereupon Mr. Carr was seized with the idea of a grand emporium of trade to arise from the midst of the surrounding forest, and at once set about lay- ing out streets and village lots in large profusion. What is now known as High street, he intended for the main thor- onghfare, two public squares being staked out opposite each other, where the public school building and the hay scales now stand.

Many were the difficulties, trials and hardships those early settlers bad to undergo. For a few years all their goods and groceries were brought from Wellsburg, W. Va., upon their backs or pack horses. They lived to a large extent upon corn- bread, procured by grating ears of corn upon a sheet of tin, punched full of holes with a nail or pegging awl, and savory meat brought down in the forest by the trusty rifle.

OLD HOUSES.

The first house built within the limits of the village was a log cabin that stood on High street, a little west of the brick build- ing once occupied by the old Smithfield bank. It has long since been removed, and the property is now owned by Wash- ington Whitton.

The second house was built in 1804, by Griffith, on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, opposite Litten's Hotel. Mr. Griffith kept hotel in it for a short time, then sold it to William Wood, who started a store in it. This was the first store opened in the place. It was a hewed log house, is still standing in a good state of preservation, and now (1879) occu- pied as a residence by Henry Wood, a grandson of William Wood.

The third was a hewed log house opposite the last named building, and now composes part of the Sherman Hotel, as more particularly described under article "Sherman House."

FRAME HOUSES.

The first frame house in the village was built on the east side of Main street, opposite Charles Mather's store. It is now owned and occupied as a dwelling by Matthew H. Ong.

BRICK HOUSES.

David Purviance built the first brick house in Smithfield township. It is located one half mile east of the village, on his part of the two sections that James Purviance entered for his children, as before stated. It is a substantial structure. John Duff was the mason. The date of its erection cannot be ascer- tained with certainty, but it was built sixty-five or seventy years ago. The property, land and house, now belong to John Scott.

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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 190

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